บท 59: Magic Space Adaptation Training (1)
"First, we will distribute smart watches before the task begins."
I glanced at Shelton as he explained the task.
Not a mana stone, not a mana core, but a mana nucleus. It reeked of something foul.
"This is a smart watch embedded with a mana stone. It will transport you into the magic space and stabilize your coordinates. Please put on your watches."
I reluctantly strapped the smart watch onto my wrist. No matter how much I disliked it, I couldn't just play truant.
"Each smart watch will be assigned a number. If your watch gets damaged, you will be disqualified from the task and forcibly returned."
Ding-
A number appeared on the screen.
[3333]
Quite a nice number. I'm satisfied.
"The task will begin in 3 minutes. The official name of the task is 'Magic Space Adaptation Training'. As I mentioned, the goal is to endure for 30 hours, and after 27 hours, the number of survivors remaining will be displayed on your smart watch."
He pointed at his wristwatch as he spoke.
"Even if your watch isn't damaged, if you find yourself in a physically critical situation during the task, the watch's safety mechanism will return you early. Of course, we will be monitoring the situation."
I examined the smart watch. At first glance, it looked like a regular square-shaped watch.
"However, we cannot monitor mental stress. Although we can measure stress levels, we will not forcibly return you even if your stress or heart rate increases abnormally. After all, it's your grade. If you're mentally stressed, just press the surrender button on your watch."
Shelton looked around at the seniors as he spoke.
"One minute left. Prepare yourself for a very eerie space. It might be fun to find out what secrets are hidden?"
The seniors each had tense expressions. I was curious about what he had planned.
If it's not a money-making job, he wouldn't lift a finger, but if he's come twice as a college board representative, he must have received an order from the magic tower.
"Try to keep your eyes closed as much as possible."
Shelton didn't give us time to think.
"Now… let the task begin."
I closed my eyes too.
Rumble——!
The floor shook. For a moment, the magic power surged dazzlingly, and my vision was filled with white.
Whooosh....
Before I could even register the change in reality, a gust of wind blew from somewhere. I snapped to attention. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up in the cold.
I quickly opened my eyes.
"…Where am I?"
It looked like a hotel corridor. Red walls with candle-like lights twinkling at regular intervals, but the end of the corridor was not visible, as if swallowed by darkness.
Vibrate-
The smart watch vibrated.
[Objective: Endure for 30 hours]
Whooosh....
The wind blew again. Goosebumps covered my body. My nose turned cold.
How can it be so cold?
I shivered and activated the enchant effect of my thermal underwear—「Heater」.
"…Is this really indoors?"
Thanks to that, I felt somewhat better, but the winter-like cold was still there. I walked with my coat tightly buttoned.
"Hoo...."
Every breath I take sends out a white puff of air, and my face and limbs, not fully covered by my thermal underwear, feel as if they're about to crack from the cold. My ears, in particular, feel as if they've been torn apart.
"That damn Shelton is no help at all."
I muttered, scanning the surroundings.
The hallway was filled with rooms, all numbered in the 200s.
"Must be the second floor, huh?"
Suddenly, a green object glittering at the end of the hallway caught my eye. When I zoomed in with my SZX-9500, it turned out to be a vending machine.
I rushed over and peered into the vending machine. It was filled with quite useful items. Drinks, water, meal kits, windbreakers, umbrellas, gloves, gas masks…
There was also a framed notice next to it.
[Holents Hotel welcomes all guests. The Holents Hotel has a total of 3,530 rooms and various facilities and services, including restaurants, bars, swimming pools, spas, fitness centers, and conference rooms.]
"Holents Hotel…"
Why does it feel familiar? I don't think I've heard of it before.
Beep-
Suddenly, my smartwatch vibrated.
[Clue Acquired: 10 coins are given.]
"A clue?"
I looked at my smartwatch. The number '10' appeared on the screen. The vending machine had a reader for tagging something instead of a coin slot, and there were numbers like prices attached to the items.
Meal kits were 2. Windbreakers were 5. Gas masks were 20.
So, am I supposed to earn coins like this and survive? Why is the gas mask so expensive?
"Hmm…"
I slowly looked around. There was no one.
In that case.
I stealthily reached out and grabbed the corner of the vending machine.
Kuwaang———! I shook it wildly. Enough to make the vending machine jolt violently.
Thump thump thump thump——! I hit the front of the vending machine with my elbow. Not once, but dozens of times in a row.
But no matter how much I shook it, it was intact.
"Phew… it's sturdy. Is it made of mana-processed plastic?"
I placed my palm on the transparent panel of the vending machine. I pushed it until it made a squeaky sound.
"...Memorize."
After memorizing this material itself into the 「Notepad」, I looked around.
There was still no one.
In that case.
I stealthily took out the Magic Fork from my pocket. I heated the prong part with magic.
The Memory to be invoked is: the mana-processed plastic of this vending machine.
The shape is: a blunt weapon optimal for breaking something.
Then, the magic of the prongs twisted like a transparent crystal and formed the shape of a blunt axe.
This is also a real Embodiment.
"...♬♩♪♩~"
I hummed a tune and gripped the axe. At the same time, I deployed the 'severing sword'.
Ascal style, first stroke— Unsheathing.
The axe at my hip shot out like a bullet.
Crack———!
The vending machine was dented. The transparent panel was shattered.
From now on, it's free.
I put all the things like meal kits, drinks, and water into my bag. I wore clothes like windbreakers, gas masks, gloves, etc., which would help against the cold.
"I can survive."
Just as I turned around in a good mood.
Someone appeared at the crossroads of the corridor.
"Tell everyone he's back again- I rapped, I spoke, I didn't die-"
A woman with shit-colored hair, rapping off-beat.
"Whatever you do, I resurrect- You're my subordinate- I'm not scared- Even if a ghost appears, I win…?"
It was Layla, who had ash-gray hair just last week.
"…Who are you."
She paused abruptly, scanning me from head to toe.
I checked my own appearance.
A black windbreaker with the hood up, a gas mask hiding the rest of my face under the hood, and an axe clutched in one hand.
I reached out to her, whose eyes were bulging-
"Kyaaaaaaah———!"
Layla screamed first and ran away.
______________________________________________________________________
Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa…
"!"
A faint scream heard from somewhere. It was faint due to the distance, but it was enough to make Elise squirm.
"Hu, hum!"
She managed to keep her composure.
Elise was alone in the vast hotel corridor, but so far, she was holding up.
Was it because the hotel itself was an open space?
Or was it because she didn't feel 'alone' since a while ago?
Either way, Elise was walking, looking for someone.
Right now, she needed someone to accompany her. Preferably someone easy to control-
"…!"
Suddenly, a long, thin foreign object flowed around the corner of the corridor.
She shivered for a moment at the sight of the red hair that appeared before the face, but then she calmly called out the name.
"…Soliette."
"Hm? Ah. Elise. Nice to see you."
Even in this creepy place, Soliette was peaceful. Was it the unflappable nature of the knight family?
"Yeah. Nice to see you. Have you found anything?"
"Not yet, but the hotel feels familiar."
"Familiar?"
"Yes. I visited a hotel like this when I was young, but doesn't it seem like a phantom might appear?"
Phantom.
Ghosts and phantoms are different.
The 'ghost' we encountered in the last mine class was a Class 1 carcinogen and a Class A hazard, while a phantom is purely a spiritual entity. They even research it in the magic tower.
"That's true. It's a coincidence that we met, shall we join forces?"
Elise asked nonchalantly. She was wondering what reason she would give to persuade her if she said no.
"Yes. Let's do that."
Fortunately, Soliette nodded obediently.
"Then let's start investigating."
The two walked side by side down the corridor. Soliette tried the doorknob every time a room appeared, but no door opened.
"Hold on. Let's stop for a moment."
Suddenly, Elise discovered something. On the wall of the corridor she was looking at, there was a picture frame.
[Holenz Hotel Safety Rule No. 5: Please refrain from going out as much as possible from 10 PM to 6 AM.]
Wee-ing- Wee-ing-
Both of their smartwatches rang at the same time.
[Clue Acquired: 10 coins are given.]
Both had received the same message.
"Hmm. It seems to be a rule of this hotel, but if it's after 10 PM, we still have plenty of time."
At Soliette's words, Elise slightly lifted her gaze. She looked at the analog clock just above the safety instructions.
"Doesn't it seem otherwise when you look at that?"
"Huh? What… Ah."
Soliette, who also looked up in the same direction, widened her eyes.
"1, 2, 3."
Elise counted three seconds with her mouth, and during that time, the second hand of the clock moved a whopping 24 spaces.
"There's no reason for it to be like that for no reason. It means that time here is eight times faster."
Wee-ing-
As if confirming the answer, the clock rang.
[Clue Acquired: 10 coins are given.]
Soliette nodded her head.
"Then, this analog clock must be the real time."
"Thirty hours here would be equivalent to ten days."
It doesn't matter since we're not actually enduring ten days.
"Then isn't it a problem? In just a little while, it'll be 10 PM… It's already that time as we speak."
It was exactly 10 PM.
Kyaaaaaah——!
Almost simultaneously, a scream rang out from somewhere. Elise was slightly surprised, but soon forced a smile.
"…Those who are scared of scary things will have a hard time."
"Are you okay, Elise?"
"Do I look not okay to you?"
"..."
"I'm obviously fine. Hmph. What are you worrying about."
Soliette looked at Elise's pale earlobes. She saw the beads of sweat forming at the tip of her nose.
She didn't point it out explicitly.
"Anyway, let's go. Let's find a way to get into the rooms first. Aren't you cold, Elise? I don't feel the cold, so I'm fine."
"…A little."
As she said, the biggest problem was the cold.
Elise was enduring to some extent by activating Magic Body, but that also meant her mana and stamina were being consumed.
"There are stairs."
Just then, stairs appeared at one end of the corridor.
"That's right."
The current floor was the second floor. The hotel lobby is usually on the first floor, so it would be right to go down first.
"Shall we go?"
"Yes."
The two were about to go down the stairs-
"Shh."
"Yes. I saw it."
They quickly ducked down.
There were two monsters below. They had the physique of an average adult male, but their entire bodies were swollen like tumors, and things like bones, eyes, and ears were attached here and there on their dark red skin like fragments, giving them a rather gory appearance.
Elise looked at Soliette.
"I'll take the right."
Soliette also nodded her head.
"Yes. I'll go to the left."
They were enemies programmed with magic anyway. They should be able to suppress them sufficiently.
Taaat-!
The two dashed out like the wind. Elise first lodged a magic bullet into the vital point of one of them. Soliette delivered a flying kick to the jaw of the other.
That was the end of it.
The two monsters that were ambushed quickly lost their form.
[Coins Acquired from Battle: 20]
Looking at the watch ringing- Wee-ing-, Soliette shrugged her shoulders.
"It seems they give coins for defeating monsters."
"Yeah. Let's go down."
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