Chapter 62
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Mana Space Experience (2)
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"Ah... This is so comfortable."
The 30th floor of the hotel. Even on the suite floor, there were only ten presidential suites.
Kain and the other two were lounging on the spacious sofa.
"Nice. Real nice. But our remaining time is all booked up, right?"
Kain asked again. Esher let out a sigh. He'd been acting like a puppy desperate to poop ever since they arrived. Peeking out the window suspiciously, refusing to enter the bedrooms or study—claiming only the living room was safe.
"Yeah. So fix your anxiety issues."
"What anxiety? You're the crazy one."
Only then did Kain relax, sprawling out like a pile of laundry.
No, seriously—with that build, what ghost was he scared of? The guy looked like he could take on a grizzly bear in a fistfight.
"...Ah~ I wanna drink some wine. There were a few in the vending machine."
Kain muttered blankly. There had been wine in the 30th-floor hallway vending machine. Nothing fancy, but right now even that would hit the spot... His eyes sparkled like the wine itself.
"Wine during assignment time? Kain's turning into a real senior lush."
Mel plopped into the massage chair. As it whirred to life—whiiiir—she asked while getting rubbed down.
"Hey, how's Elise and those girls doing lately?"
"Elise is the same as always. She's in your academy class."
Esher replied. Hmm—huuuh—Mel murmured, surrendering her whole body to the chair.
"Elise just won't budge, no matter how much I flirt. Ah, that feels good."
"What?"
Kain and Esher's faces stiffened. Mel waved her hands frantically.
"No, no! Not anymore. That was middle school stuff. Now I actually hate her. Bitch has a terrible personality. But hey, you think something's going on with her and Gerkken? Rumor has it that commoner Gerkken's getting sponsored by Petra."
"Don't know, man."
Esher brushed it off roughly. Just then—
Knock knock.
A sudden knock echoed.
"Wh-what the fuuuck?!"
Kain jolted up like he'd been shocked.
"...Yeah, what's with the knock?"
Knock knock.
Someone in the hall knocked again. Esher got up and slowly approached the door.
"Hey! Don't go! What are you doing, idiot?!"
"Psh. This could be fun."
To tease Kain, Esher grinned and flung the door open—
"Who... Huh, what."
An unexpected face waited outside. Kain, who had been hyperventilating, calmed down immediately upon seeing them.
"Sion? What are you doing here?"
Sion Askal. No way this loser came for revenge over the shakedown—
"I booked the suite across the hall too."
Sion smiled brightly, pointing down the corridor to the other suite.
Oh, right. We'd only taken half, so yeah, enough left for him to snag one solo.
Esher's expression soured.
"...Okay? But why?"
"Eh~ I thought about it, and I owe you guys. You watched over me while I was gambling, right?"
"Uh... yeah?"
Total bullshit, really. Even without us, the casino ghosts and eerie vibes would've scared everyone off.
"So, a gift."
Sion held out a wine bag. Esher eyed it suspiciously.
"Wine? Where'd you get it?"
"From the 30th-floor vending machine."
Esher was wary. Why was this stiff-necked guy suddenly acting nice? Trying to grovel now? A bit late for that.
A million thoughts raced through his mind, but he took it anyway. What, poison in the wine?
"Hmph... Wanna join? Not every day you get to drink with the elite like us?"
Sion waved it off with a smile.
"Nah, I don't drink."
"What? Ha~ this total nerd... Whatever. Scram."
"Sure."
Even that last reply screamed nerd. Though, yeah, he still was one.
Esher sneered and shut the door.
"'Sure' my ass. What a clown."
"What was that? Wine? Lemme see."
Kain's eyes locked on the bag. Esher dangled it teasingly.
"Gift from Sion~"
"Why from him?"
"Thanks for watching his gambling ass?"
"...Hand it over."
Kain snatched the bag and pulled out the bottle.
"Ah~ This is the one I eyed on the way up."
The exact wine from the 30th-floor machine.
"Hey, don't drink it. Can't trust Sion. Might be spiked."
"I know, dude. You think I'd drink it? Am I that clueless?"
Kain set the wine down. His face screamed temptation, lips twitching, but he shook his head and sank into the sofa.
But then.
"......"
His face, staring straight ahead, suddenly went rigid.
Gulp!
His throat bobbed violently. Cold sweat beaded every pore. His tremors shook the sofa like a massage chair.
"What? Something wrong again?"
Esher asked. Kain shakily pointed.
"Wh-what the hell is that."
"Huh? Where?"
Mel and Esher looked, but nothing.
"Nothing there?"
"Nothing my ass! Right there, that monster... Y-you, how'd you get in?!"
Kain's eyes were glued to empty air. Like he'd seen the Grim Reaper with fur. Mel and Esher focused their mana into their eyes to spot whatever it was.
"...No. Nothing."
"Y-you, stay back, st-stay— Aaaaaaagh!!"
Suddenly, Kain screamed.
"Aaaaaaagh!!"
Crash! The high-pitched shriek shattered a wine glass. Esher and Mel clamped their ears.
"Ow, fuck! Esher, what's wrong with this psycho?!"
"Hell if I know!"
"Do something!"
"Aaaagh!!"
Kain had activated Mana Body, flailing his arms wildly. Whoosh whoosh—air blasts pummeled the room.
"Uwaaaah! You bastard! Get out, get out, get OUT!!"
"No, dude, calm— urk!"
Thud! Trying to restrain him, Esher took a solar plexus punch—counted as lethal, early return.
"Grrraaaah!!"
Still, Kain raged on. Like a beast, limbs swollen with muscle and mana turned deadly weapons. Each thrash flickered the ceiling lights; the floor quaked like an earthquake.
"Crazy fuck. Real 5-star prospect."
Mel shuddered and turned away. Stay here, and she'd get caught in the berserk grizzly's rampage—like Esher just did.
Time to bail.
He threw open the suite door and stepped into the hall—
Thud!
His skull rattled.
"...?"
Vision blurred; the world flipped. Blinked, and he was face-down on the floor.
"Wha......"
Mel was baffled. Hit his head? Tripped?
More importantly, where was he? What time was it?
Step.
As fractured thoughts reformed, footsteps approached. That snapped Mel alert.
Who? Who dares floor the councilor's son—
To find out, he had to move. See the perp.
Mel strained to lift his head. In his tilted view, someone beamed down at him.
"Hey, Mel."
This blond... What was his name? Gianfranco? Ferragamo Toronto?
Too insignificant, or maybe the head bonk—name wouldn't come.
Swoooosh—
The guy raised something. Hall's red lights glinted.
An axe. Its sharp blade triggered Mel's survival instincts. His spine quivered in terror.
"H-help..."
Crunch!
The axe slammed down.
My head split.
No, not the head. If it split, no thoughts.
His smartwatch wristband. The blade buried in it; shards peppered his eyes.
"You fucker......"
Mel muttered blankly, then early return.
* * *
Crunch.
I stepped deliberately through the suite's wreckage.
Total mess. Sofa shredded to particles, floor and ceiling pocked with holes—ready to collapse any second.
"Definitely 5-star material."
Kain was a legit 5-star prospect. Combat stats rivaling 6-star, pure physical monster. No way someone like me beats him head-on.
Mental game's probably not flatfish-level either. Just a bit weak to ghosts.
That powerhouse rampaged wildly... and "suicided."
Not really—just smashed his smartwatch.
"Good work."
I flicked a casino chip into the air. The male ghost reached out and caught it.
Our half-smashed-face friend.
Sounds kinda cute described, but up close? Split visage exposing bone shards, veins, teeth, tongue—properly gruesome.
"Works like a charm."
I picked up the wine bottle rolling on the floor.
Looks ordinary, but this too is Notebook in action. Infusing an existing object with 'form' memories to reshape it.
So this wine bottle...
I dismantled the memory. The neck curled inward, base shrank, compressing thin and small.
A casino chip.
Mana stones don't need a separate 'medium' to hold memories. That's why ghosts can touch 'em.
"Hm."
I checked my wristwatch.
[20 : 30 : 00]
9 hours and 30 minutes gone.
By this place's clock, day 4 plus 4 hours.
Plenty of time left, but to wrap the plan, gotta hustle.
Ruuuumble!!
"Whoa!"
Sudden roar behind me. Turned—the suite door had slammed shut on its own.
What's with the drama?
I pushed the handle. Opened smoothly.
"...Where the hell am I?"
But the hallway was off.
Everything blood-red, rooms lining both sides seamlessly.
[444]
[444]
[444]
[444]
[444]
[444]
[444]
[444]
[444]
[444]
All Room 444.
"Okay... that's a little creepy."
I let out a dry chuckle.