Fog. (2)

I opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was Ifrin sprawled on the floor. Drooling, clutching her stomach.

She must have fallen victim to the sleep fog.

I picked up the sleeping girl and moved her to the bed.

"Has Allen fallen asleep too?"

On the opposite bed, Allen was snoring softly.

I sat in a chair and watched over the two of them.

They didn't seem to be having nightmares, but my Naked Eye had detected an abnormal status.

Coma.

It wasn't a pleasant issue. The gravity implied in the word was greater than ever.

I checked the clock.

6:06 a.m.

Precisely, it was the 6th day at 6:06 a.m.

"...How peculiar."

I picked up the [Goreth Island Incident Investigation Record] again and began reading the remaining sections.

Fog.

I looked down at the thick fog still swirling at my feet.

Something Hetrog had once said.

'On the 6th, 16th, 26th, and 36th days at 6:06:06 p.m., the passage opens.'

In this world's lore, a year was 365 days, just like on Earth. There was no such thing as 36 days.

"...Goreth."

I murmured unconsciously. In my mind, the spelling of 'Goreth' broke apart, reforming into a new name.

"Hetrog."

I rose and descended to the first floor.

The space where Hetrog's team shared quarters.

"..."

But in that fog-shrouded place, only three remained. Ihelm and his two disciples.

The fifteen members of Hetrog's team had vanished like a mirage.

"What a nuisance."

I lifted Ihelm's group with Telekinesis and moved them to the second floor. After dumping them haphazardly on beds, I gazed intently at the snoring Ifrin.

"..."

After agonizing dozens of times in that brief moment, I removed my glove. Placing my hand on her forehead, I activated Understanding.

I intended to peer into Ifrin's dream.

It would take some time, however.

Probably because all five of them—no, everyone in this castle—was trapped in the same dream...

...At some point, Ifrin opened her eyes.

It felt a bit strange.

"?"

Why am I here? What did I come for?

She tilted her head and looked around.

"Please prepare. Entry time is soon."

"Oh, right."

They were in the middle of an operation briefing.

Hetrog and his team members in the meeting room, along with Assistant Professor Allen, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Ihelm and his two disciples.

They donned bracelets and tied ropes around each other's waists.

"Hm..."

But something felt off. Empty, somehow.

She couldn't explain why, but it was there.

Allen, equipping his gear, asked.

"Ifrin? What's wrong?"

"Huh? No... nothing. It's fine."

"Is everyone ready?"

Hetrog looked around at them. Ifrin nodded reflexively, and Ihelm answered.

"Yeah. Let's go."

"Understood."

Hetrog checked his wristwatch. Precisely at 6:06:06, he opened the door.

"Day 6, 6 minutes, 6 seconds. Commencing exploration."

"Shall we?"

Hetrog recording his voice in the crystal orb, Allen smiling brightly.

"Yes. Let's go."

They entered the passage together.

It was a wide, dark tunnel like a corridor. The fog was so thick they couldn't see an inch ahead.

"Everyone, please be careful not to lose the rope."

Ifrin advanced, relying on the rope. One step, one step. Her face tense with fear of ghosts appearing.

"Ifrin."

Suddenly, Ihelm called her. She turned and replied.

"What."

"Doesn't something feel off?"

Then, rustle—! A faint footstep sounded. Ifrin answered calmly.

"Dunno. What?"

"What do you mean, what. It's too—"

"It's there."

Hetrog cut Ihelm off, pointing ahead.

"Hmm."

"Oh?"

Ihelm and Ifrin were drawn to the sight.

"The door leading to the inner castle of Ghost Castle."

At the tunnel's end, the fog thinned, revealing a massive gate in the distance.

Its exterior was repulsive at first glance. Tentacles or veins—no one could tell—coiled around the doors.

"From numerous explorations, we believe the core of the 'spatial discontinuity' lies within."

"Hm. Makes sense. I can feel immense mana pulsing inside."

Ihelm said. Ifrin agreed, but she kept feeling like she was forgetting something.

"Then we'll enter."

As Hetrog reached for the door—

"Wait! Stop!"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

A restraining voice came from somewhere. Everyone turned wary eyes that way.

Four unidentified silhouettes approached slowly.

"Who... Ah?!"

Ifrin, bracing for combat, widened her eyes upon seeing them.

A red-haired beauty and two children beside her.

Ifrin knew who they were.

"Red Garnet Adventure Team?!"

As I understood Ifrin's dream, I used Throat Steel to scout the castle's interior. Initially, I meant to find and kill that 'demon.'

I failed to locate it, but I precisely grasped the castle's spatial extent. By calculating room numbers from mana densities.

Ghost Castle's spaces were discontinuous, but each had independent mana densities. For instance, if one space was 3.1503% and another 2.9825%, they were 'different spaces.'

Repeating this with Throat Steel, I calculated a total of 3,663 spaces in this castle.

A familiar number, for some reason.

I glanced at a line in the [Incident Log].

3,535 people and 3,663 spaces. Eerily similar numbers.

I placed my hand on the room's wall.

"You didn't disappear."

The reason for the discontinuous space was simple.

The spaces themselves were alive and moving. Each one a 'living being.'

"You became part of the castle."

"Deculein."

A soft voice called my name.

I turned.

"It's been a while."

A robed named NPC—Karla, wielder of the Authority trait.

True to her trait, she seemed untouched by the dream as well.

"Do you intend to fight?"

"I doubt it."

Karla shook her head, then asked again.

"Deculein. Have you seen that child?"

Her gentle voice and questions ending in uncertainty—her defining traits. Her 'personality.'

"...You mean the demon."

"Not a demon, it seems. More like a half-human, half-demon."

Half-human, half-demon. That info brought one named to mind instantly.

"Karos?"

"Yes. You even know the name?"

Karos was complicated. Depending on quest progress, he could become a villain, a madman, or an ordinary human—a wildcard named.

I hadn't expected him to be so young.

"What will you do with that child?"

Karla asked.

But I had no reason to hesitate.

"Kill him, naturally."

He had a high chance of turning demonic, so death was preferable. Whoever was with Karos, whoever tried to stop me—I'd give no second chances.

No more foolish hesitation or gaps like before.

It was just a resemblance. That strange child wasn't Yuarra.

...Red Garnet Adventure Team stopped the imperial team's rash entry.

"Hold on. Going in now won't end well? Demonic energy is surging inside~ Wait a bit."

"Shall we?"

Ifrin agreed immediately. It was Ganesha speaking, after all.

"Hmph. Long time no see, Ganesha?"

Ihelm smirked at her. Ganesha replied shortly, 'Yeah~', then plopped down.

"While we wait, care for a meal? We have plenty of rations~?"

"Yes! Yes!"

At Ganesha's words, Ifrin sat right down. Allen, Ihelm, Hetrog, and the team followed.

"Here, food~"

Ganesha pulled pork from her bag. The child named 'Lia' skewered it neatly. Ifrin lit a campfire.

Pork skewers into the flames!

"Cook fast. Cook fast..."

"Quiet down, Ifrin."

Swallowing saliva as they cooked...

"We have wraps too."

Lia pulled out leaves. Ihelm naturally glanced at Ifrin. Leaves made him think of her, apparently.

Ifrin snapped back.

"What're you looking at."

"Nothing. Just curious. Hey, what's that? You brought leaves."

Ihelm chuckled. Lia answered.

"It's called a wrap. You put meat and stuff in the leaf like this and eat it."

Lia stuffed pork and veggies into a leaf and shoved it in her mouth.

Quite novel. Ifrin nodded curiously.

"Oh~ Wrap the meat and stuff in the leaf and eat together?"

"Yeah. Delicious."

Watching the child munch, Ifrin tried wrapping too.

Three pork pieces and mushrooms on a leaf, seasoned with herbs and salt, big bite.

"Om nom!"

"Tasty, right?!"

"Yeah!"

Cheeks puffed, Ifrin and Lia grinned at each other.

Then.

Allen, eating quietly, asked.

"But hey. How do you tell humans from ghosts? There are definitely ghosts inside..."

Lia, wrapping another, replied.

"There was an old saying. Ghosts do everything backward."

"Everything backward? Like walking on hands?"

Ifrin asked while wrapping. Lia smiled faintly.

"Nooo~ Not that obvious. They unconsciously do unlearned actions backward. Like clapping with the back of their hands without realizing..."

Lia handed a wrap to the boy named Leo beside her. He ate like a baby bird. Ifrin chuckled.

"Backward, huh... You know a lot? Fun. Makes sense, you hear those legends as kids."

Stuffing her wrap, Ifrin glanced at Hetrog. He was wrapping too, but she quickly looked away pretending not to see.

"...Gulp."

He swallowed without chewing. Something caught in his throat, but no sound escaped.

Hetrog's wrap had been shocking.

He'd put the leaf on top of the meat.

The wrap backward...

"...Mr. West?"

"Yes?"

Ifrin suddenly recalled a scene.

Last time Mr. West opened the fridge.

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fridge was a closed space, subject to 'spatial discontinuity,' but normalized when opened.

She hadn't thought it odd then...

"Why?"

West asked back. Ifrin scratched her temple, wiping cold sweat.

"Nothing."

"Aw, doesn't seem like nothing?"

West smiled brightly. To Ifrin, his face overlapped with the ghost from last night's nightmare.

"Tell me. Why—"

As West pressed—

"Grrrrr—————!"

A massive roar echoed from afar. Ganesha went into combat stance; Ifrin primed her mana and turned.

"Who's that?"

...A warrior stood there. A martial artist in robes, long sword over his shoulder.

Ganesha clicked her tongue, calling his name reluctantly.

"It's Jakal. A bit annoying guy's shown up~"

He grinned.

"Annoying? That's hurtful, lass. Anyway, mind sharin' that grub?"

Meanwhile, I sat facing Karla.

"..."

"..."

We said nothing for 30 minutes—a battle of wills. Around 37 minutes in.

Karla spoke first.

"I heard you met Idnik."

I felt a slight sense of victory looking at her. She conjured a teacup with magic. Coffee filled it.

"Indeed. I did."

"What did she say?"

Karla sipped her coffee. I didn't answer.

Karla continued.

"Idnik seems to be raising Sylvia these days."

"I know."

Karla nodded, surprised.

"Must be inconvenient for you, Deculein."

"...Hm."

I didn't know how much she knew about Deculein.

But her actions and demeanor suggested familiarity.

"Inconvenient how?"

"When Sylvia grows, the most dangerous one will be Deculein."

"..."

"Shall I kill her for you?"

I glared at Karla. Her robed eyes were hidden.

Karla tilted her head.

"Don't want that?"

"...Leave Sylvia be."

I said. My tone sank heavily, awkwardly so.

"Why? Guilt? Or do you plan to kill her yourself?"

I closed my eyes briefly. Cold pain throbbed in my temples.

Memories from that day fragmented upward.

"...No."

The moment Deculein killed Cielia.

Blurred and hazy since it wasn't mine, but.

My hands strangling the innocent Cielia's neck were vivid.

Sylvia... forgive him. Please...

I opened my eyes. Karla tilted her face, gesturing for an answer.

"...I have no right to kill that child."

Sylvia. The child who stirred the faintest trace of pity in me.

"But she does."

Perhaps Deculein pitied her too, even slightly. Felt remorse.

"What right?"

To Karla's question, I answered curtly.

"The right to kill me."

"...Huh?"

Suddenly, a strange phenomenon. Wind vortexed, emitting mana.

"Was someone watching us?"

Karla murmured with a faint smile. I narrowed my eyes at the wind's flow.

"...Deculein. A demon approaches."

I shifted gaze at her words, asking with instinctive fury.

"Which demon."

"'Voice.'"

Voice.

That was enough. Not surprising.

By quest progression, by Yukline blood.

I'd face it eventually.

"Where demons appear, Yuklines always seem to be. You'll need Yukline blood for this one too?"

"Enough chatter."

I set Karla's teacup down with Telekinesis. Then said.

"Right now, this damned island that took my disciple is the priority."