Chapter 61
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Mana Space Experience (1)
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At the same time, inside the control room set up within the mana space.
"...Senior No. 3,385 eliminated by Senior No. 1,953."
"No. 1,089 has forfeited."
"Senior No. 333 eliminated by No. 958."
Dozens of staff from the Magic Tower's Mana Engineering Department were busy monitoring the seniors.
"Alright, those assigned to VIPs, just check their statuses. Everyone else, handle your own sections."
Of course, the smart watches' mana AI algorithms handled most risks. If a wearer seemed about to suffer severe injury—like disfigurement or amputation—the system would judge the situation and force a teleportation out before it happened.
But mana AI wasn't quite as precise as the human eye.
Honestly, it couldn't distinguish human 'levels' like people could.
That was why cameras placed throughout the hotel supplemented the monitoring.
"Keep a close eye on any 4th-floor events too."
Shelton clapped to encourage them.
This Hollenz Hotel was an artificial mana space recreated by the Magic Tower from a facility 15 years ago. It was a massive barrier mana ritual installed on a remote uninhabited island continent, using a top-grade mana core as the medium.
As such, all the events in the hotel were independent. The 'intelligence' within the mana core triggered incidents at random.
"Money makes money, folks. You know how much was invested here? If this succeeds, it'll open new horizons for artificial intelligence. Let's all show some employee spirit. How's it going?"
Shelton asked the mid-level manager.
"Elapsed time: 7 hours, 10 minutes, 5 seconds. Out of 4,803 total participants, 1,308 have already been eliminated or forfeited."
Total participants: 4,803. Nearly 30% of all seniors across Edsil had failed to last even half a day.
Some from physical crises or combat defeats, but the biggest reason was probably the ghosts.
"Good grief. That many already?"
The ghosts in this artificial mana space were real. Not fakes. Beings pulled straight from the mana core where grudging spirits had coalesced.
That was why they emanated ghostly aura. The energy living beings instinctively feared. Prolonged exposure led to nightmares, auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations, paranoia, schizophrenia—countless mental disorders.
"Bunch of weaklings. Can't even handle this, and they want to attend mana college?"
Shelton sneered.
Anyone in this field would eventually face monsters, freaks, ghosts, even phantoms. But think about it—they all boiled down to money. No need to fear them at all.
"Senior No. 3,333 just entered the casino and exchanged for chips."
"No. 3,333... Oh, that Sion Askal? The vending machine smasher?"
"Yes."
"Hm. He'll be out soon."
Sion Askal. The guy who'd smashed at least 1.2 million ren worth of premium intel at Monday's College Board.
But hey, 1.2 million ren was pocket change compared to this experiment.
"Too bad. He was at least creating some variables."
Shelton had taken note when the guy wrecked the vending machine.
This project was a prototype for the Magic Tower's massive endeavor: 'Commercializing Artificial Mana Spaces and AI.' They needed to gather every variable possible.
Smashing stuff? Thanks for the data. But the casino was a dead end.
The moment you touched chips—dead people's belongings—the ghosts became visible. The hotel crawled with them, so you'd be half-forced into exposure to their ghostly aura...
"...What."
Shelton's eyes widened.
"That guy's not scared at all? Check it."
"One moment."
The mid-level manager zoomed in on Sion Askal's expression at the gambling table.
"Yes, seems so. Facial analysis: Happiness at 99.983535..."
[22:50:05]
I've always been pretty serious about gambling. Seven-card stud, Texas hold'em, blackjack, slot machines, roulette... didn't matter the game.
Sure, the excuse was 'I need money,' but really, it was the dopamine rush from winning that hooked me.
A terminal cancer patient doesn't get many joys. 'Make your remaining days meaningful'? That's bullshit from people with plenty of time left.
Does gambling lack meaning?
Whatever.
I relived those past experiences and swept all the ghosts' chips. Won with good hands, bad hands—everything.
Didn't even use the SZX-9500. Can't x-ray non-mana objects anyway.
Pure mind games.
"Well then, I'm out~"
When a hefty pile of chips had stacked up on my table, I slipped away. The ghosts whose money I'd fleeced glared at me with bloodless faces.
"In return, I'll take half."
I left half the pile on the table. Their expressions softened a bit.
"Good work."
I returned to the counter.
"Cash these in."
I set down 40 chips worth 100 coins each. I'd won 200, left half behind, and planned to keep the remaining 60 as chips without cashing—no telling when they might come in handy.
—Please tag your smart watch to the reader.
I tapped my watch to the reader, and the counter collected the chips.
[Acquired: 4,000 Mana Coins]
The watch vibrated with a ding.
Satisfied, I headed out of the casino.
"Hey now. Stop right there."
But guys in gas masks jumped out from behind a pillar. Two faces I recognized, one I didn't.
"Whoa, what... Sion?"
One of the familiar two—Esher—peered into my mask and grinned.
"Wearing a gas mask? Quick on the uptake."
Just cold, dude.
"You know this guy?"
The stranger asked Esher.
"Oh~ Let me introduce. This is Sion, the famous nerd."
Esher pointed at me with a smirk.
"Hey Sion, this is 'Mel.' Five-star prospect, right? You know him."
A guy with sky-blue hair poking up like plant roots over his gas mask.
Mel? Yeah, I knew him. Eldest son of the congressman Elstrom family. Congressmen usually meant top-tier privilege, and their 'Elstrom Brothers (EB)' was one of Edsil's big five film studios, run by the brothers.
"So spill it. You cleaned up at the casino, huh?"
Esher asked. I nodded.
"Yeah, I did."
"Oho~ Honest. We saw the whole thing, actually."
Esher snickered. Mel stepped forward beside him, looking down at me.
"Not asking for charity. Didn't you notice? While you were gambling, hyenas were circling you."
Mel pulled something from his pocket. Shattered smart watch fragments.
"We watched your back. Kept you safe till the end."
"Oh~ Really? So?"
"Hand over half as protection fee."
"...Hm."
I pretended to think, then slipped a casino chip onto my finger.
"Chips okay? Got a bunch uncashed."
Esher and Mel flinched back.
"Fuck off, you fuck! Who you calling retarded?!"
Suddenly Kain freaked, slapping my arm. The chip rolled away.
"Everyone knows touching those makes ghosts visible? You trying to die—"
I backstepped away from his grab. Kain, gone berserk, drew up his Mana Body.
"Fucking dodge—?! We said half, not all, you fucking asshole, hurry up—!"
"Hey, hey. Easy. Calm down."
Esher had to hold him back—Kain was that desperate.
Makes sense. Big as a mountain, but scared shitless of ghosts. Can't even watch horror movies.
"Sigh. Bunch of idiots."
"What?"
I muttered in pity, and Mel yanked off his gas mask. He glared sharply and shoved my shoulder.
"Hey. What'd you just say?"
"Your number?"
"What? Number?"
"You want a transfer."
I showed my smart watch. Mel exchanged looks with Esher and Kain, then nodded.
"1,058. Send it."
I wired 2,000 coins to No. 1,058.
"Sent. Check."
"...2,000 coins. Received."
Mel and Esher grinned at each other.
"Now fuck off quick! Curfew soon!"
Kain dragged them away. I watched their retreating backs with a small smile.
Of course I wasn't letting them off easy.
Let's see what happens next.
"Oh, excuse me."
I grabbed a nearby male ghost. Half his face was blown off. Died from a shell in my past life? Horrific enough.
"Could you~ tail those three who just ran off?"
—...
The ghost didn't speak. Looked baffled, maybe.
Good thing I kept those uncashed chips.
"Here."
I flicked one. He caught it with one hand, then trudged off toward where Kain and Esher had fled.
"Knew it."
These ghosts had at least minimal cognition.
Not just 'manufactured' simply.
"Now I get it."
Thanks to that, I pieced together the truth. What this massive mana space originally was, how it was made.
I walked the 1st-floor lobby. Curfew, so no people around.
Ghosts everywhere, though.
I nodded to them as I reached the lobby exit. The grand door to the true outside. I opened it.
A blast of cold wind hit first.
"...Holy."
The chill was insane. Made this way on purpose to keep people inside?
Brutal cold, but bearable.
In the flesh-ripping freeze, I activated the SZX-9500.
Instantly, a vast web of mana blanketed the world. Centered on the sky's largest core—the mana core—it encompassed heaven and earth in a colossal mana ritual.
"...Shelton, you fucking prick."
Staring at it, my lips itched. Couldn't help grinning.
A delightfully vicious idea popped up.
A way to fuck over not just Shelton, but the whole retarded Magic Tower project.
"Ugh, freezing."
Before that, I'd die of hypothermia.
I slipped back inside and shut the door. But someone approached from across the lobby. The half-faced ghost.
"Found them?"
I asked. He stood silent. Probably meant 'follow me.'
"Lead on."
Before screwing Shelton, time to track down the chip thieves first.