The Ritual Chamber of Corpses
Passing through the security room to the basement wasn't as hard as I'd expected. These monsters didn't have a shred of human reason, so when Lee Na-hyun—who had access to the basement—approached, they barely glanced her way.
If they were human, they'd have gotten nosy, checking what was inside the cart or some bullshit like that. This worked out perfectly.
Drurrrrlk
The path down to the basement was a circular ramp like an underground parking garage, with stairs and a slope side by side, so pulling the cart wasn't too tough.
Of course...
"Ugh... hrrghhh~"
Lee Na-hyun was dying, pushing a cart that had to weigh well over 100kg with an adult man and woman crammed inside. The wheels had stoppers, so it wouldn't accelerate and slam into the bottom, but a frail library girl like her must have had her arms completely shredded just steering it.
"Haaak... haaak..."
Judging by the cart coming to a stable stop and her panting, we'd arrived at the basement.
"W-we... we're here. Get out quick."
"Nngh."
It was cramped with Kang Jia and me tangled up inside, so getting out was a hassle.
"Phew... thought I was gonna die."
Looking around, fluorescent lights had been replaced by candles flickering everywhere.
"The door you see over there—go in, and you'll find that weird drawing on the floor you mentioned. Check it out."
"Got it. Cover me."
Lee Na-hyun nodded and pulled the cart toward a different door from the one she pointed out. Probably where the staff were holed up.
"Jia, let's go in."
"Yeah ♡"
Kkiiieeeek
The unoiled iron door creaked open slowly with a deafening screech.
Pfshaa!
"Urk."
A nauseating stench assaulted my nose. The thick, rotting organic smell of decay hung heavy in the air—you could practically feel it on your skin.
Looking down, sure enough, there was the Shakallu-Enshar Magic Circle drawn just like in the Equinox Book. At each point of the circle sat golden chalices filled with what looked like blood, and right in the center...
"Urk...!"
A heap of fetal corpses.
Fetuses with limbs torn off, leaving just torsos and heads. Others with heads severed separately. Dozens of limbs. Fingers. And chunks reduced to minced meat. Maggots crawling over it all.
This was hell.
This place is hell.
"Eugh... Oppa, this place is weird. It stinks. Makes me feel sick!"
Even Kang Jia, the biggest psycho I knew, recoiled. Of course, her disgust wasn't about how could they do this to babies?—just the overwhelming stench and grotesque sight.
Either way, it was inhuman enough to make even a freak like her wrinkle her nose.
Time to get to work, fast.
"Jia, get out what we brought."
"Here ♡"
What she pulled from her skirt pocket was a small rag and a 10ml bottle of detergent.
Randomly domestic items, but the most practical way to erase that magic circle.
Scrub scrub scrub
I cleared away the blood-filled chalice and rubbed the circle's point with the detergent-soaked rag, but it wouldn't budge—like it was done with permanent meteor paint. No reaction at all, not even fading a little.
If it were paint or blood, a strong detergent should show some effect, but nothing. Whatever they used, it was like the stone floor itself was discolored red. Maybe the blood had seeped in and warped the material...
"Fuck."
Of course it wouldn't be that easy.
That's when I spotted a small altar behind the magic circle.
And on it, a pitch-black dagger.
What if I scrape the floor with that? Could it erase the circle?
Just try it.
Anything's worth a shot. Peeling this off might collapse this whole Altered Common Sense world.
"Lulululu~ Lulululu~"
As I stood to head for the altar, I saw Kang Jia on her belly, wiggling her ass while scrubbing the floor. Humming happily, too. What the hell?
"What's got you so thrilled?"
"Huh? Ohh~ Cuz mopping like this feels like doing housework after marrying you, Oppa, hee hee hee hee ♡"
What an idiot.
"Huh? Oppa, whatcha looking at?"
My eyes must've wandered to that wiggling ass without thinking.
"Jia, you want me staring at your ass? Huh? You perv! Hee hee ♡ H-here..."
Still on her belly, she flipped up her skirt with one hand.
Her pale pink panties were exposed, and her wide, birth-ready hips—disproportionate to her petite frame—shook seductively.
"H-how 'bout a quickie? Yeah? Just cum inside once real fast. Pleeease? ♡"
She's consistent, I'll give her that. Thinking about sex in this corpse field, in this time-sensitive crisis.
"Haa... quit the crazy talk. Keep scrubbing that. I'm grabbing the dagger."
"Tch... no dice... Fiiiine~ Fiiiine~"
I shook my head and approached the altar.
The black dagger was clearer up close—not modern at all. Like an obsidian blade chipped from the Stone Age. No fancy handle scales; just leather wrapped crudely around the grip.
"What... the hell is this made of?"
At first glance, its pitch-black sheen screamed worked obsidian, but holding it close, it wasn't glassy like that. Sparkly bits inside, like stars twinkling.
A milky way in the night sky.
Mystical eyes.
...Sucking me in deeper.
I yanked my gaze away. This dagger was laced with some kind of Altered Common Sense, no doubt.
No violent urges or loss of self, but losing your focus like that was dangerous enough.
I positioned the blade tip on the floor's magic circle, avoiding looking at it directly.
Crackle-zzt!
"Hngh?!"
I hadn't even scraped, but crimson lightning arced up.
Sizzle!
"Grrghhh."
"Oppa! You okay?!"
Something about the blade scorched the spot like lightning had struck. The magic circle was damaged. But the flames burned my hand too.
"Ugh, stings."
"Awoooo! O-Oppa! Be careful! Hoo~ Hooo~"
Kang Jia grabbed my hand and blew on it frantically with her little mouth.
I'd sworn not to let my guard down around her, but damn if she didn't keep worming into my affections.
Smack!
"Enough. Let's go."
I yanked my hand away roughly on purpose and tucked the dagger into my inner shirt pocket. The tip wasn't sharp enough to pierce it.
"Wah... I'm worried about you, Oppa. Be more careful from now on, okay?"
"...Yeah."
I led Kang Jia to the door.
A few seconds passed.
Knock knock
"Yuhan, it's me. Come out quick."
A whisper against the door.
I slipped out with Kang Jia right away.
"H-how... how'd it go?"
"I damaged the magic circle a bit... but who knows if it'll work. We'll watch and see."
I figured Lee Na-hyun would be thrilled to hear we'd wrecked it, but her face darkened drastically instead.
"...No."
"Huh? What're you saying?"
"N-no... no next time. If the pr-pr-principal finds out the circle's damaged... I-I... I'll... I'll..."
She was panicking, trembling all over.
"Wait, but we did damage it—maybe the Altered Common Sense is gone? We could just check the janitors upstairs and—"
"No!! I can tell. I-I... I know. The Altered Common Sense hasn't budged. It's f-fine. St-strong as ever!!"
She exploded with rage, loud enough I wondered if it was safe.
Then Kang Jia cut in.
"Hey, you fucking bitch. That your big bro's fault? I'll kill you...?"
This was bad.
Fighting here wouldn't help shit.
"Everyone calm down. Getting out is priority. Na-hyun, lead us out. I'll handle breaking the Altered Common Sense somehow."
"...Ha, haha... ha... Y-yeah. Y-yeah. Get... get back in the cart. I'll... l-lead you out."
She giggled like something was broken, then nodded obediently.
Just like Kang Jia—her mind shattered in one solid spot. Hard to tell since we weren't close yet.
"Jia, let's get outta here first. Calm down."
"Sh... shiiit... I hate her! She pisses me off!"
Squish squish
"Good girl Jia~ Listen to me. Yeah?"
I gently kneaded her ass, and her expression softened bit by bit.
"Tch... Hey, you! One more time you sass Oppa, you're dead for real?"
"A-ah ha ha, haha, y-yeah, sure. S-sorry."
I grabbed Kang Jia's hand, shoved her into the cart, then climbed in after and hunched down.
The cart cover draped over my back.
First, escape. Then think.
Drurrrk—
Lee Na-hyun started pulling, wheels rolling again.
But...
Wait... isn't this the wrong way?
The direction felt off—not toward the circular stairs.
This was the opposite way.
"Na-hyun...?"
"Ha... ahaha... ha ha ha ha."
Wait, no way... she couldn't be...?