Episode 67: Let the Hide-and-Seek Begin!
Episode 67: Let the Hide-and-Seek Begin!
"Everyone worked really hard today. At this rate, we might actually make history."
Hah-yul said cheerfully.
"Right? I feel like our names are already getting recognized."
"A journalist came yesterday for an interview, didn't they?"
The atmosphere was warm and friendly.
Naturally so.
They were gaining attention while achieving excellent results.
Overwhelming achievements.
A continuous streak of records surpassing even Isia, who had been called the greatest prodigy in history.
The atmosphere suggested they might write a new chapter in the Military Academy's history.
Thanks to this, many guilds were paying attention to these first-year students.
"We owe it all to Seo-ah."
It was all thanks to Seo-ah carrying them hard.
Her skills had suddenly improved dramatically, reaching professional Hunter levels.
Her abilities were astonishing enough to surprise even professors.
"Don't make such a fuss over this trivial level of achievement."
Seo-ah wore an arrogant expression.
Her true personality began emerging after gaining power.
"Ahaha, that's our girl. Truly the Daughter of the Sword Empress."
All friends except Hah-yul made disgusted faces.
But they couldn't say anything.
Because it was true that Seo-ah possessed remarkable skills.
The atmosphere turned awkward.
"Hey guys. Where should we go have fun? I know a great Room Escape Cafe."
As if trying to lighten the gloomy mood, Hah-yul made a suggestion.
A Room Escape Cafe... It didn't seem particularly fun, but appeared necessary for team bonding.
"Alright. Let's do that."
Seo-hee nodded.
Maybe if they played and chatted together, they could become slightly closer with that rude girl.
"Great, let's go then!"
Hah-yul took the lead.
She opened her car door.
The four of them crowded into the car.
The car arrived at their destination.
A Room Escape Cafe in the city center.
Rather than using just one floor for the cafe, the entire five-story building was dedicated to it.
Why would a Room Escape Cafe be in such a place?
A single floor would have been understandable.
But investing five whole floors for a Room Escape Cafe felt excessive.
Seo-hee felt suspicious about the cafe.
'The owner must be running this place as a hobby.'
She dismissed her doubts.
If she thought of them as eccentric, it made sense.
"This is the place?... There's hardly anyone here?"
The building interior was deserted despite the investment.
Only one pretty part-timer guarded the counter.
"This place will blow up soon. I guarantee it."
Hah-yul sounded confident.
She claimed to have visited alone before and found it incredibly fun.
Unable to resist her enthusiasm, they paid the fee.
The price was suspiciously cheap - doubtful they could even make profit.
Hide well~ If caught, you'll disappear.
After paying, they entered.
An eerie voice came from the ceiling.
The atmosphere was perfect.
The place reeked of an abandoned apartment's vibe.
Clank.
The door locked behind them.
[Escape within 60 minutes. Failure will erase your existence from this world.]
[Five keys are scattered throughout the building. Find all five keys and open the sealed box. The escape route is written inside.]
[A monster will be chasing you.]
Writing that looked written in blood.
The message felt chilling.
"Huh. Simple enough."
Seo-hee chuckled after reading the message.
It seemed like child's play to her.
As an Ability User, monsters didn't scare her at all.
Though effort was put into the building's atmosphere, amateurish touches remained everywhere.
Thud.
But that feeling suddenly vanished.
Her heart pounded violently.
Her senses screamed warnings.
The abandoned apartment with its amateurish touches had suddenly transformed into a genuinely creepy place.
"What the...?"
"Why did the atmosphere suddenly change?"
Seo-hee and Ji-an sensed something wrong.
They panicked.
"Didn't you guys feel that?"
"Huh? Not at all? I didn't feel anything?"
Hah-yul asked back with an innocent expression.
Her expression
"Ji-an, Seo-hee, Seo-ah and I will search this floor. You two look for keys starting from the top floor."
Seo-hee and Ji-an went upstairs.
"Let's look for keys first."
Holding back their unease, they scanned their surroundings.
They found a likely spot for keys.
Opened the nearby front door.
"Cough. Cough. Dust... How long since they cleaned this place?"
Dust fluttered up.
However good the concept was, this was too much.
The dust was so thick it might make them sick.
'I'll file a complaint when we get out.'
Seo-hee vowed mentally as she stepped through the doorway.
"You check the kitchen area. I'll search the bedroom."
The apartment layout was simple.
A combined kitchen-living room with a separate bedroom.
Thud.
Seo-hee opened the wardrobe.
Accumulated dust burst out.
And she found a key hidden atop the wardrobe.
"Ji-an, found a key here."
She called her friend.
Hide well~
The creepy voice from earlier returned.
This wasn't coming from ceiling speakers anymore.
It sounded like a real monster's voice.
The sound was getting closer.
Ji-an and Seo-hee held their breath.
If caught, you'll get fucked.
"Did it just say 'get fucked'?"
"I think it did?"
They hadn't misheard.
It clearly said they'd get fucked.
Too harsh a word choice for a joke.
Seo-hee went outside to protest.
'Huuu... What is that?'
Seo-hee gasped when she checked the hallway.
A giant mollusk-like monster roamed the corridor.
Seo-hee signaled with her hands.
Using sign language learned at school to convey the situation.
'Monster. Outside.'
The monster was unlike anything she'd seen.
Unsure why a Room Escape Cafe had monsters, but clearly needed Seo-ah.
'Huge. Need Seo-ah.'
They had to defeat the monster.
As Ability Users, their pride wouldn't let them just run.
'Abilities not working. Need confirmation.'
But Ji-an's response shocked Seo-hee.
It was real.
Their mana was sealed, preventing ability use.
'What the...'
As she panicked and tried assessing the situation-
"Found you?"
The monster moved faster.
Its voice grew nearer.
"Run!"
Seo-hee shouted.
First priority: escape the monster.
She looked around for exits.
'No emergency exits visible.'
Emergency exits that should exist in commercial buildings were nowhere to be seen.
No-the structure itself had changed.
It was definitely a commercial building when they entered, but had somehow become a real abandoned apartment.
She raced down the stairs.
Her body rapidly descended floors.
She reached the Room Escape Cafe's entrance.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
"Hello? Anyone there?"
She banged on the exit door.
But the part-timer outside didn't respond.
Was there even still a part-timer outside?
It felt like they'd warped into some strange space.
"Seo-ah? Hah-yul?"
She called loudly for Seo-ah and Hah-yul.
But the two were nowhere to be seen.
They seemed to have vanished like smoke.
"Ji-an? Where are you? Ji-an?"
Belatedly, she looked for her friend.
Ji-an, who had been following behind, was gone.
****
"Huff... Huff..."
Ji-an gasped for air.
Her stamina was spent.
As a Magician, she naturally lacked physical endurance.
'Should've trained my stamina when I had the chance.'
She regretted it too late.
The situation was already dire.
Regretting after the fact was pointless.
The monster wouldn't consider her circumstances.
"Hide well~"
The monster's voice drew nearer.
Seo-hee who ran ahead had already disappeared from view.
'Need to hide somewhere.'
If she stayed, she'd be caught.
She scanned her surroundings.
Searched for hiding spots.
Spotted a cabinet at the hallway's end.
She sprinted toward it.
"Hide... well..."
Fortunately, she hid inside before the monster arrived.
She held her breath.
Curled up tight.
Prayed the monster would just pass by.
"If caught... you'll get fucked..."
The monster's voice faded.
Thank goodness.
It hadn't discovered her hiding in the cabinet.
As she sighed in relief and tried exiting-
'Won't open?'
Thud. Thud.
The cabinet door wouldn't budge.
"Found you!"
A monster's eye peered through the cabinet gap.
An eye on a tentacle tip.
Just seeing it made her nauseous and uneasy.
"Kyaaaaak!"
She screamed.
Tried hiding deeper inside the cabinet.
But the flexible, slender tentacles squeezed through narrow gaps.
Lick.
A thin tentacle touched her pussy.
"Gyaaaaah!"
She screamed.
Tried grabbing the tentacle to push it out.
But more tentacles kept coming while her hands were limited.
"Guhk."
Soon her defenses collapsed completely.
Her movements froze.
"Nooooooo!"
She screamed hysterically, tears streaming.
Soon, dark red tentacles completely surrounded her.