Chapter 13
The feeling wasn’t bad. It didn’t seem dangerous.
“Morat!”
Boom!
While I was distracted by the Awakening Window, Sian summoned something like a large orb of light.
Then, the orb split into several light-blue spirits shaped like jellyfish. They clung to the door or pushed against it.
‘Feels like I’m at an aquarium.’
Watching the jellyfish spirits working, I tore my gaze from the Awakening Window.
Of course, I had to act like the foolish Lady April, captivated by jellyfish.
If I was awakening, then chances were others were too. Not a bad sign.
‘We’re only on the 4th floor, and it’s already hard enough that the system is granting traits as compensation… Still, think positive.’
From the moment traits appear, combat against monsters becomes much easier. At least, in my experience.
Before that, you could technically attack monsters, but it was basically suicide.
For example, with the weak and slow character Yeniel, attacking only dealt…
–1 damage! –1 damage! –1 damage! –1 damage!
That’s what popped up each time.
Do you know how frustrating it is to chip away at a monster with 400 HP by just 1 point at a time? You only understand once you’ve lived it.
After traits were unlocked, the party’s combat power skyrocketed, and damage finally landed properly.
At that point, instead of just running away, it was faster to actually fight back. At least in my opinion.
(My brother thought fighting through it was insane and nearly lost his mind.)
After thoroughly inspecting the door with his summoned spirits, Sian shook his head.
“There are no gaps. Crossing to the other side is impossible, and it’s too solid to break. We’ll have to find another way to open it.”
“If Sir Sian is right, then perhaps something is here to help us. There must be a clue.” Yeniel spoke calmly.
‘Ah, I remember now.’
I turned from the massive door and looked back at the hallway. Near where the short lobby met the corridor, light was shining down from somewhere above.
“Lady Yeniel! Look, something pretty is over there.”
Fortunately, I’d remembered the method to open the door without a master key.
I tugged on Yeniel’s sleeve and pointed to the stone staircase we had used to enter.
[Yeniel’s Affection has slightly increased.]
I had no idea why her affection rose at that moment, but so be it.
“Lady April, why the ceiling all of a sudden? Is there something up there? That’s…! Everyone, look!”
As sunlight filtered through, Yeniel noticed what I pointed at:
Small cracks in the ceiling, through which light formed glowing letters.
“Ancient script,” she murmured. “Among the rooms lies a key. Find the key.”
The instant her voice echoed, faint mechanical sounds rumbled through the temple.
The structure shifted with a grinding noise.
The staircase we had ascended sank back down.
Then, with a thunderous crash, the open floor of the 2nd level slammed shut.
Pale-faced Max shouted, “The stairs are gone! We’re trapped on the 2nd floor!”
“Calm yourself, Max. The 1st floor only leads back to where we came from, and the giant spiders will surely be waiting there,” the Crown Prince sighed.
“Better to think of it as the floor blocking the spiders from following.”
(Though in truth, we were the ones trapped.)
Yeniel suggested, “Let’s check the numbered rooms in this hallway. We didn’t confirm if they were locked before, and those are the only places left unexplored.”
“That makes sense,” Sian agreed.
We walked past the doors lining both sides.
Suddenly, I stopped.
‘Seven on the left, six on the right. Wait… weren’t they numbered 201 to 212?’
I waited until the others noticed.
“There’s an extra door on this wall. Perhaps the device we heard earlier created it.” Sian quickly caught on.
“And it’s the only one without a number plate,” Yeniel added.
I stepped forward and pulled at the handle.
“Oh my? It’s open.”
I peeked inside.
If danger emerged, I knew I could avoid it. But the others would surely get hurt — like the injured Crown Prince.
Sian stopped me from entering first.
“It’s dangerous, Lady April.”
“Huh? Why?”
“If you get trapped inside, it could be disastrous. We don’t know what awaits. We should be cautious.”
We checked the other doors — 201 through 212 — but every single one was locked.
‘Some of these opened without keys in the game… Or was that only because I had a master key?’
Uncertain, I let it go.
The Crown Prince shrugged. “Then our only clue is that open room.”
All five of us gathered before the only unlocked door.
He pressed his cloth to his wounded neck. “That room may hold the means to unlock the numbered doors. Proceed with caution.”
I stepped in first. Yeniel followed right behind.
“No one here, Lady April?”
“Nope.”
Sian kept a spirit at the door to prevent it from closing.
At the center of the room stood an ornate full-length mirror.
I giggled and waved at it.
“Look! It shows all of us. Hi! I see you too, Lady Yeniel.”
Meanwhile, Max, pale-faced, leaned closer.
“My hair…! Why does my crown look so thin?”
He tugged his strands to cover the thinning spot. (Not that I felt sorry.)
The mirror was massive, like the kind used in dance studios. Big enough for all five of us to stand before it.
‘Come to think of it… isn’t this the mid-boss room?’
A mirror like this wouldn’t appear twice.
But no traps or hidden mechanisms revealed themselves when we checked the floor and walls.
Gradually, our footsteps carried us all closer to the mirror.
Our reflections stared back: Yeniel, me, Sian, the Crown Prince, Max.
Then — for a split second — our images twisted, becoming grotesque figures with blood-red eyes.
And in unison, the “us” inside the mirror smiled with a hideous grin.
