Chapter 116 – 19. Conflict (3)
The inside of the laboratory was wider and cleaner than expected.
I don’t know if it’s because it’s buried underground, but the passageway was quite dark, but the bright light of the LED lights that I could see right when I entered inside created a contrasting atmosphere with the outside.
A few office computers commonly found in public institutions, and papers with scribbled letters on the desk.
Then, as I turned my head further inward, a small room blocked by opaque glass came into view.
“Are we conducting experiments here…?”
Unlike the entrance door, which did not have a separate lock, it seemed impossible to enter because it could only be opened with a card key.
With no choice but to start with, I decided to investigate the stacks of paper scattered all over the place.
It’s not that big anyway if you put all of Districts 4, 5, and 6 together, and it wouldn’t be too bad to wander around slowly checking to see if there are any clues.
It would be best if I could get a clue about the magic transplant project in the process.
First, I picked up the papers on the nearest table.
“Um… This doesn’t seem right at first glance.”
[Analysis and consideration of the special magic wave of artifacts]
[Monster Ecology and Reproductive Process: Focusing on Interactions with Magic in the Air]
The title smelled difficult, so I immediately put it down again.
Perhaps, in any world, writing unnecessarily difficult words and decorating the title of a paper is a scientist’s passive skill.
Suddenly, I remembered my advisor in real life, and I shook my head to get my thoughts out.
I looked around a few more desks after that, but there didn’t seem to be any information in the room that would be useful to me now.
Just in case, I searched here and there for a card key that the researchers might have left behind, but it was all empty.
“I wonder if the other kids are doing well…”
Out of embarrassment, I inadvertently mumble to myself.
The desolate space with no one to answer made me feel strangely awkward even after speaking to myself.
To be honest, I’m not in a position to worry about anyone.
Since Rayya originally lived here, he must know the geography of this place better than anyone else, and even Juhana and Ryushin can take care of themselves, so if I had to argue, I would be the weakest among the four.
As I reached that conclusion, I felt a strange compulsion overwhelm me.
I can’t come up with the most hopeless result when I plan ahead and bring everyone together, so I have to do something first.
“I wonder if there’s such a big meaning in continuing to search… Whoa.”
If you look closely, wouldn’t the fact that the documents were left unprotected like this imply that they weren’t important documents in themselves?
When I think about it slowly with common sense, it seems that even though there is a common ‘no-entry zone’ that requires a card key, wandering outside it is just a waste of time.
Yeah, it’s a change of plans.
From now on, rather than focusing on finding hidden clues, I’ll quickly look around the next area and aim to get the card key first and enter the controlled area.
If there’s no key anywhere… Then there’s nothing you can do about it.
I have no choice but to die and wait for Xian to appear.
There is no fool in the world who fights with researchers to get a card key.
* * *
“Here’s the card key… There’s the card key too… Chii, they say it’s built underground so no one can break in. Why is the security so meticulous?”
I walked along the long hallway, twisting my long silver hair with my fingers.
The scenery of Area D was quite different from that of Area E, where she had just been, as if the entire area were a darkroom.
A dark, endless hallway without a single light.
Only the faint green emergency stickers installed at regular intervals barely illuminated her surroundings.
Was it designed this way from the beginning, or was it just a sudden power cut off due to some kind of accident?
In fact, it was a trivial concern for Seo Joo-ha.
As her ability itself handles her shadow, she has already fully adapted to the darkness, so she was able to secure a clear daylight-like view with only a small amount of light from the luminous sticker.
However, the only thing that bothered her was the other man who, like herself, headed to Area D, and the strange atmosphere that gradually surrounded her.
“Did you say his name… Goryushin?
The strange tension flowing between the thick darkness and silence made her Seo Joo-ha feel some unknown anxiety in her.
However, since all the doors on both sides of the hallway had to be opened with a card, she had no choice but to move forward despite feeling uncomfortable.
‘Because there is no need to waste strength by using a shadow in a place like this.’
If you set your mind to it, it was possible to melt into the shadows and peep inside the tightly closed iron doors, but it took too much energy to explore every door.
Rather, it would be cheaper to raid one researcher, take out the card key, and send him to a secluded place for a while with shadow movement.
Of course, it would be a strategy that would only work if there was a researcher to face.
“Is there really no one…? I’ve been all over the hallway…?”
From District 4 to District 6.
Even though I went round and round along the long dark corridor, there was no sign of presence, let alone the sound of people talking.
Such a suspicious point made Seo Ju-ha feel even more uncomfortable.
It feels as if the building has been left behind and only the people have disappeared.
Judging that she couldn’t put it off any longer, Seo Ju-ha tried to contact Lee Ji-hoo when she saw a green light flickering in the distance.
“Who’s there?”
I couldn’t see the exact shape because I wasn’t concentrating, but I was fully aware that something large had disappeared over the corner of the hallway.
In the event of an emergency, Seo Joo-ha prepared to run away into the shadows at any time and cautiously stepped towards the place where the light was.
‘It’s for my beloved Jihoo, so let’s not make a mistake… If it’s dangerous, just run away. I just want to find out what…’
One step, another step.
After walking, careful not to be attacked in a moment of carelessness, she finally reached the end of the hallway.
If she just went around the corner like this, she would be able to figure out the identity of the light.
However, the growing anxiety from earlier oppresses her chest with a sticky feeling.
The moment she took another step, her uncanny intuition that she would never be able to turn back made her hesitate to go any further.
Nevertheless, Xu Zhu-ha clenched her fists with a stern expression as if she had made up her mind before long.
She only wanted to run away right away, but she turned around the corner with stiff legs, thinking of Ji-hoo, who might have believed in her.
And Seo Joo-ha was finally able to face him.
The green eyes shimmering intensely, and the dark gray hair sticking out of her tightly pressed hood.
The eyes filled with coldly refined anger were looking at Seo Ju-ha with a piercing gaze even in the pitch-black darkness.
“…You, how did you get that body?”
What is this body?
Aha, you mean half-man, half-horse.
I was able to instinctively find answers to questions about which I could not understand the intention of Seoju.
The person in front of me… The woman wasn’t even half human.
Her ability to detect monsters unique to her predators had been sending her weak signals to her just before.
The appearance that mostly matches the ‘cyan’ that Jihoo said, and the uneasy characteristic of being an anti-monster, made Seo Juha come to a conclusion.
‘I have to go back to Jihoo and let him know.’
It was an urgent priority to wait for a moderate opportunity and move to Jihoo through the shadows as quickly as possible.
As if Seo Ju-ha’s hardened face didn’t catch her eyes, she spoke in a tone that said that the woman was not a big deal, and that she was talking to herself.
“Well, she doesn’t have to answer if she doesn’t want to talk. I don’t know how she got here, but don’t think she’ll stay here long.”
Alright, let’s run away quickly while we’re off guard.
Set the coordinates of her E5 area where Jihoo is located… Connect the shadow there and this side to build a space passage…
“Oh, and one more thing.”
The moment Seo Ju-ha was about to enter the passage of her shadow that was about to be created, her woman, who was still looking at her with her cold eyes, added her one word.
“You guys don’t have a 1% chance of winning, so go ahead and tell them to run away without saying unnecessary things.”
Oh, you already heard it.
“Twenty minutes later, if you’re still here by 3:00 PM… Then I’ll kill you unconditionally. Now, go and tell me.”
Jihoo, I’m sorry.
I think we should step back for now.
He knew everything
He was playing on the palm of his hand.
Because if she runs away now, her life will be safe…
Can’t we take a step back just this time?
