Chapter 13
The feeling wasn't bad.
It didn't seem like it would be a hindrance.
"Morat!"
Boom!
While I was distracted by the Awakening Window, Sian summoned something that looked like a massive sphere of light.
The sphere immediately split apart into several pale blue spirits shaped like jellyfish.
They clung to the door or pushed against it with all their might.
Feels like I'm at an aquarium.
Watching the jellyfish spirits struggle diligently, I finally tore my gaze away from the Awakening Window.
As April, the foolish young lady, I needed to look appropriately distracted by the jellyfish.
If I was awakening, there was a high chance the others were awakening as well.
Not bad.
We're only on the fourth floor, yet the difficulty is already this high. Looks like they're handing out Traits to keep things balanced... but I should think positively.
Once Traits appeared, fighting monsters became possible, making it much easier to solve problems.
At least, from my perspective.
Even before obtaining a Trait, attacking monsters was technically possible.
In reality, though, it was basically insanity.
Simply put, with a fragile and sluggish character like Yeniel, no matter how much you attacked, all you'd get was:
-1!
-1!
-1!
-1!
One by one, the damage numbers would pop up like that.
Do you know how infuriating it is to watch endless -1 damage numbers?
You only understand after experiencing it yourself.
The monster would have around four hundred health, and watching it slowly lose a single point at a time was enough to make your blood pressure skyrocket.
Thankfully, after Traits appeared and our party's combat power increased dramatically, attacks finally started dealing proper damage.
From then on, attacking monsters and wearing down their health was faster than endlessly running away.
At least, in my opinion.
My brother had been horrified when I suggested fighting through obstacles.
He'd called me completely insane.
After spending a long time examining the door from every angle with his spirits, Sian finally shook his head.
"There are no gaps. Crossing to the other side is impossible, and the structure is too sturdy to break. It seems we'll have to find another way to open this door."
"If Sir Sian is right, then there may be something somewhere that can help us."
Yeniel calmly offered her opinion.
"There must be a clue hidden somewhere."
Ah. I remember now.
Turning away from the massive door, I looked back toward the corridor.
Near the ceiling where the hallway met the small lobby, a beam of light was shining through from somewhere.
"Lady Yeniel! There's something pretty over there!"
Thankfully, I had remembered how to open the door without the Master Key.
I tugged lightly on Yeniel's sleeve and pointed toward the stone staircase passage we had come through.
[Yeniel's affection has increased slightly.]
Why it increased at a moment like this remained a complete mystery.
"Lady April, why the ceiling all of a sudden? Is there something up there?"
Squinting against the sunlight, Yeniel looked upward.
Then her eyes widened.
"That's...! Everyone, look over there!"
Tiny cracks spread across the ceiling.
Strangely, the sunlight passing through them formed letters in a script none of us recognized.
Studying the words, Yeniel murmured,
"It's an ancient language."
She read aloud:
"The key lies among the rooms. Find the key."
The moment her voice echoed through the hall, a faint mechanical sound rang out.
A massive mechanism had begun to move.
At the same time, the structure of the temple shifted with a deafening rumble.
Clank.
Rattle.
Groooom—
"Huh?"
Max stared in confusion.
The staircase we'd climbed—the one located between Rooms 201 and 212—began sinking back into the floor.
The instant it disappeared completely, the opening in the second-floor ceiling slammed shut.
BOOM!
Max turned pale.
"The staircase is gone! We're trapped on the second floor!"
"It's fine."
The Crown Prince sighed.
"Quiet down, Max. Even if we returned to the first floor, there'd be nothing but the path we've already crossed. And if we tried to leave, we'd just run into that giant spider again."
He paused.
"It's better to think of it as the floor sealing itself to prevent the spider from following us."
Though in reality, we were simply trapped.
Yeniel spoke up.
"Let's investigate the numbered rooms in this corridor first. I don't think we ever checked whether they could be opened."
She glanced around.
"Besides, those are the only places we haven't searched yet."
"That's true."
Sian nodded.
The final clues awaited behind the doors lining both sides of the corridor.
I walked a few steps ahead of the group, studying the doors.
Then I stopped.
Seven doors on the left. Six on the right.
Wait. Weren't these supposed to be Rooms 201 through 212?
I waited for someone else to notice.
Sure enough, Sian was the first.
"There is one additional door on the left wall."
His eyes narrowed.
"It wasn't here before. Whatever mechanism activated just now may have created it."
"And this one doesn't even have a room number."
Yeniel pointed out.
I approached the newly appeared door and pulled on the ring-shaped handle.
"Oh my?"
The door swung open easily.
"It's unlocked."
I peeked inside.
Who knew what might be waiting in there?
Personally, I could avoid danger if something attacked.
The others, however, would almost certainly get hurt.
Just like the already-injured Crown Prince.
Seeing me about to enter, Sian hurriedly stopped me.
"It's dangerous, Lady April."
"Hm? Why?"
"If we enter and become trapped inside, we'll be in serious trouble. We have no idea what could happen. We should carefully examine our other options first."
Rooms 201 through 212.
Every numbered room was locked.
No matter how many times we took turns testing the handles, none of them opened.
I could've sworn some of these opened without keys in the game.
Maybe.
Or maybe I'd simply used the Master Key and forgotten.
The Crown Prince shrugged.
"It seems our only clue is that room."
The nameless room was the only door that remained open.
Everyone gathered in front of it.
Pressing a handkerchief against his injured neck, the Crown Prince said,
"There may be a way to open the numbered rooms inside. Stay alert and proceed cautiously."
I entered first.
Yeniel followed close behind.
"Is anyone inside, Lady April?"
"No."
One of Sian's spirits floated near the doorway, holding the door open so it couldn't suddenly shut.
At the center of the room stood an antique full-length mirror.
I giggled and waved cheerfully at it.
"We can see ourselves! Hello! Lady Yeniel is there too!"
Max, meanwhile, had turned deathly pale.
He was staring at the top of his head in the mirror.
"My hair...!"
His voice trembled.
"Why does the crown of my head look so thin?"
Frantically, he gathered his hair and combed it over the exposed spot.
I didn't feel particularly sorry for him.
The mirror was enormous—about the size dancers used in rehearsal studios.
All five of us could stand before it comfortably.
Come to think of it... isn't this where the mid-boss appears?
There probably wasn't another mirror this large anywhere in the temple.
I searched the walls and floor for hidden mechanisms, but found nothing.
Meanwhile, the others slowly approached the mirror.
For some reason, our eyes were naturally drawn toward it.
The reflection showed all five of us:
Yeniel.
Me.
Sian.
The Crown Prince.
Max.
Then—
For the briefest instant—
The reflections twisted.
Distorted.
Their eyes turned a horrifying crimson.
The figures in the mirror transformed into demonic specters.
And then—
The strangers wearing our faces all smiled at once.
A grotesque, chilling smile.