Chapter 51: 4th Floor Hidden (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 51: 4th Floor Hidden (2)
I observed the researchers from the shadows.
Their attire was surprisingly modern. Was the 4th floor set in a world where civilization and technology were more advanced than the previous floors?
I scanned my surroundings as I moved down the hallway. Aside from the two who had just passed, other researchers were scattered about, hurrying through the corridor. My presence was so out of place among these people in white lab coats that I couldn't afford to deactivate my stealth.
The situation here was fundamentally different from the 3rd floor. I was inside a massive facility called a "workshop." If I were caught, I’d immediately be labeled an intruder.
I can't keep stealth active forever, though...
But what else could I do? Now that I’d found people, the story was supposed to progress on its own. The fundamental rule of clearing a Hidden Route is understanding the background lore.
For now, I focused on eavesdropping. Most of the chatter was either incomprehensible jargon about experiments or mundane talk about what to have for lunch. I wasn't gaining much—until it happened.
Suddenly, the researchers nearby bowed their heads in unison.
An old man in a white lab coat, wearing a monocle over one eye, was walking toward me. Behind him followed two guards in mechanical power suits. He radiated the aura of someone in a high-ranking position.
I stepped to the side of the hallway to avoid bumping into them. Then, the old man suddenly stopped in his tracks. He stared intently at the exact spot where I was standing.
...?
Wait, what?
Our eyes met. I was supposed to be invisible. Was I caught?
"Is something the matter, Iska?" one of the guards asked.
"It is nothing."
The old man soon averted his gaze and continued on his way. I tilted my head, staring at his retreating back. Our eyes had definitely met.
Ah.
Following a gut feeling, I trailed behind him. If he had caught me and let it slide, it likely meant he wasn't an enemy. And if he wasn't an enemy? Based on my experience with Hidden Routes so far, he was a character necessary for progression.
But seriously, how did he know?
Diul’s stealth ability had never been seen through before. And I had no idea why he was pretending he hadn't seen me.
I followed the old man until he reached a door at the end of the hallway. The two security guards bowed and headed elsewhere, leaving only me, still hidden, and the old man.
"Come in."
The old man spoke as he opened the door, without even looking back.
I really had been caught.
I raised my guard and followed him into the room. It wasn't certain yet that he was an ally, and I had to be ready to react the moment things turned dangerous.
Click.
The room was a hybrid of an office and a laboratory. I subtly increased the distance between myself and the old man as he closed and locked the door. He turned and stared at me fixedly.
"Are you going to keep doing that?"
I deactivated my stealth. There was no reason to waste energy maintaining it when he could see me anyway.
"..."
I waited. What exactly was the play here? My Sixth Sense told me that, for now, there was no hostility coming from him.
The old man spoke again. "Where do you come from? The Northern Resistance? The Twilight Order? Or perhaps the Shadow Blade?"
...I’m sorry, but I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.
Knowing nothing, I kept my mouth shut.
"You must be wondering why I pretended not to see you."
I nodded. I was definitely curious about that.
The old man took a cigar from his desk drawer, lit it, and took a long puff. Smoke drifted toward the ceiling.
"I do not know for what purpose you have infiltrated this place... but I doubt it is for anything good. I will not ask anything else, so simply answer two questions. Are you an enemy of the workshop?"
"..."
How should I answer this?
The old man was clearly a part of this workshop, yet he was acting strangely—hiding an intruder and talking to me in private. The way he spoke made it seem like he wanted me to be an enemy. No, he already assumed I was one.
I slowly nodded.
The old man nodded back and asked his next question. "Then, if this entire workshop were to be blown to pieces... would that align with your goals?"
...Blown up? The whole workshop?
The atmosphere made it feel like there was only one right answer, so I nodded again.
The old man took a deep drag of his cigar, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and spoke. "Then we can help each other. Because I intend to blow this workshop sky-high."
"..."
"I am Iska, the Chief Researcher of this Floating Workshop. Well? Will you cooperate with me?"
Floating Workshop?
Only then did I finally speak. "...Why would a researcher want to blow up their own workshop?"
"Just as I do not ask about you, I believe there is no need for you to ask that."
He wasn't going to tell me.
"Do you doubt my sincerity? Am I not proving it by hiding an intruder like you? Just know that I have absolutely no reason to deceive you."
"No, I understand. I'll cooperate."
I accepted the proposal. Blowing up the workshop—I wasn't sure if this was the "correct" path yet, but he was the only person I could interact with right now. Besides, I figured if I refused, he might just call the guards immediately.
"How exactly am I supposed to cooperate?"
Iska crushed his finished cigar into an ashtray. "There is something called a Master Code. You simply need to bring it to me."
To summarize Iska's explanation: The Master Code was the highest authority code for the facility. The workshop was divided into ten sectors, and the room where the Master Code was stored was located in Sector 1. He wanted me to go there and copy it.
"Only the Workshop Master can enter the Master Code Room. To be precise, his Master Key is required. Therefore, the sequence is to first seize the Master Key from the Workshop Master, and then proceed to the Master Code Room."
...That sounded like a significant jump in difficulty.
Still, hearing him talk gave me more confidence that I was on the right track. The detailed explanation, much like a game's story progression, felt exactly like the previous Hidden Routes I'd cleared.
"You use an unknown power that isn't mana. I thought it might be possible for someone with the ability to infiltrate this Floating Workshop without causing a stir... What do you think?"
Was he talking about Diul’s ability?
I asked, "By the way, how did you see through my stealth?"
Iska tapped the lens of his monocle. "I simply possess eyes that are a bit special. No one in this workshop besides me will be able to see through your ability, so you need not worry about that."
Iska took something out of his coat and handed it to me. It was a small object that looked like a USB drive.
"This is the tool to copy the code. When you enter the Master Code Room, there should be a device in the center that looks like a capsule. Touch this tool to it. When the tool glows blue, the copy is complete."
I took the tool. "How should I go about seizing the Workshop Master's Master Key?"
"The Workshop Master always carries the Master Key on his person. He is usually in Sector 1, so find him and take it."
"...Is that it?"
"Just be careful of the Workshop Master's Guard. He is a monster who once served as an Imperial Executioner. Steal the key secretly so you aren't caught."
No, that's not what I meant. I was hoping for a more detailed plan, but Iska’s instructions were basically: "The Workshop Master has the key, so go steal it quietly on your own."
Iska went further into his office and returned with a white lab coat and an ID card.
"This is my apprentice's ID card. You should be able to move around the workshop without hiding and not arouse suspicion."
He even gave me a fake identity. Was the theme of the 4th floor hidden route some kind of espionage-stealth-action thing?
I put the tool and the card in my pocket and threw on the lab coat.
"The Master Code is updated every hour on the hour. So, if you copy the code at 1:20, you must bring it to me before 2:00 sharp. Do you understand?"
"Yes... for now."
Finally, I received a device like a smartphone that contained a map of the workshop's interior.
"Then, be on your way. It does not matter how long it takes."
I was practically pushed out of Iska’s office. I walked down the hallway a bit awkwardly, hands in the pockets of the lab coat. The researchers moving through the corridor passed me by without a hint of interest.
I’d accepted the quest, but... hmm. Well, I’d figure it out as I went.
There were two main missions: stealing the Workshop Master's key and using it to enter the Master Code Room. It seemed the process was entirely up to my discretion.
I decided to check the location of the Master Code Room first. It was in Sector 1, and I was currently in Sector 6. Getting out of here was the first priority.
Suddenly remembering, I opened the Shop window.
* * *
[Shop]
Points Held: 30,500P
[You have purchased ‘Magic Damage Increase 10% (200P)’.]
* * *
It still works.
I tried buying the magic damage increase, and the purchase went through. Knowing I could still use the shop while on the 4th floor was a relief.
By the way, why was this place so huge? I struggled to find my way while checking the interior map. It took me forever just to find the way out of the building.
There’s even an elevator.
After switching elevators several times, I finally made it out of the building in Sector 6. The moment I stepped outside, a gust of wind hit me.
"...?"
Was this mist? No... clouds?
Startled by the unexpected scenery, I moved toward the outer edge of the workshop.
"Wow..."
What was this? When he said "Floating Workshop" earlier, I thought it was just a name. But it was literal. The entire workshop was flying through the air like a small island, surrounded by nothing but endless sky.
"It's dangerous to stand there," a passing guard called out.
"Ah, sorry."
Fortunately, I didn't seem to arouse any suspicion, and the guard continued on his way. I stopped sightseeing and started moving toward my destination again. Still, I had to admit, a workshop floating in the sky had a certain romantic charm to it.
Pshhhhh—!
Just then, a small aircraft landed on a nearby pad. A strong gust blew, causing a researcher walking toward me to drop a stack of documents.
"Ah...!"
I hurried over to help the flustered researcher pick up the papers.
"Oh, thank you so much!" The researcher smiled brightly and thanked me repeatedly. "Truly, thank you. I didn't know there were such kind people here."
"It's nothing, really."
"Are you a researcher from Sector 6? I'm Selona from Sector 3. The researchers in our sector wouldn't even look twice if something like this happened. I'm so jealous—I guess Sector 6 doesn't have such a cold atmosphere."
Maybe I shouldn't have helped. I was stuck awkwardly smiling while she started making small talk, when people began disembarking from the aircraft. Naturally, our eyes turned in that direction.
They were people in handcuffs, looking like prisoners.
"Don't dawdle, move!" A security guard kicked a child who had fallen and was crying in pain. The child, looking terrified, limped along to follow the procession.
Unlike me, who watched the scene with a hardened face—this was far from normal by modern ethical standards—the researcher spoke in a still-cheerful tone.
"Looks like this month's fuel has arrived."
"...Fuel?"
"Anyway, couldn't they land a bit further from the building? My papers almost flew away again." The researcher grumbled. "Oh, was I holding up a busy person? I'm sorry. Let's see each other again if we get the chance!"
The researcher smiled and walked away.
I looked back and forth between the departing aircraft and the line of "prisoners."
Fuel? But only people had gotten off. Don't tell me those people are...?
Romance: canceled.
This was a dystopia.
I looked away and continued on my way. I needed to focus on the clear. Following the path connecting the sectors, I finally arrived at Sector 1. Checking the map, I reached the vicinity of the Master Code Room, looked around, and activated my stealth.
Hmm... surprisingly, there were no guards.
Following a very long hallway to the end, I found a massive door. Next to it was a complex circuit pattern that looked like a recognition device. I figured the door would open if I swiped the Workshop Master's Master Key here.
This might be easier than I thought.
Since there was no one around, once I got the Master Key, the rest seemed simple. Of course, the problem was how difficult it would be to get that key...
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
Wait, can't I just go inside using Teleportation?
Teleportation allowed movement as long as the destination was an empty space, even if the path was blocked. I could use it by just picking a direction even if the destination wasn't visible. This meant the door wouldn't be an obstacle at all. It wasn't like the door was ten meters thick.
I stopped time and focused my mind. Excited by the thought of cheesing the mission, I used Teleportation immediately...
Zap!
With a shock like hitting a high-voltage barrier, the Teleportation failed. My body was flung backward amidst flying sparks.
"...??"
What the hell?
As I stood there bewildered, the hallway was suddenly bathed in red light as a siren blared.
— Intrusion attempt detected. Incinerate.
The entire ceiling of the long hallway clattered open. At the same time, my Sixth Sense screamed a frantic alarm: Death! Death! Death!
"Aw, man..."
I'm screwed.
[Would you like to exit the Tower?]
I'm retrying.
I immediately pressed the emergency exit button and escaped.