[Cough… cough, cough…]
A low, heavy cough sounded unhurriedly from behind the wall.
It was a man, and judging by the sound of his voice, he seemed to be already getting on in years—he felt at least in his forties or fifties, and at most perhaps around his sixties.
Was it someone else who had been imprisoned here?
Kaguya climbed up from the ground and cautiously moved closer in the direction from which the sound was coming.
[Who's there?]
Kaguya had thought that she was being careful enough, that she should not have made much noise at all. Yet she had only drawn slightly closer, and from behind the wall there immediately came the other party's somewhat nervous inquiry. Faintly, Kaguya could even hear the sound of chains trembling and clashing.
The girl stopped her steps and stood perfectly still.
The power of blessing did not sense anything. Perhaps because a wall lay between them, Kaguya was unable to determine what exactly was being held on the other side. However, after some thought, Kaguya judged that the possibility of the one behind the wall being a player was probably not high. It was entirely possible that it was yet another role being played by something bizarre. In that case, a single wrong sentence could very well get her killed on the spot, so it was better to avoid responding as much as possible.
[You… were you also imprisoned here by those bastards?]
Although he received no response at all, the person behind the wall seemed to have already decided that Kaguya was, in some sense, a "companion". As a result, he soon began to chatter away nonstop.
[My name is Howard. I… I am a firefighter. I remember that I should be a firefighter.]
Within the muttering voice, the man's mental state seemed somewhat confused and dazed.
[I don't know how long I've been locked in here. Every day—every single day—I've been locked in here, unable to go anywhere.]
[What time is it outside now? Has it already been several years? Do you know the situation of the X City Fire Department?]
[And also, is the Red Nut Grey Cave still in operation? Are those goddamn bastards still keeping that place open?]
The man's voice gradually grew agitated, and Kaguya could even hear the sound of him forcefully pounding on the wall.
But she merely stood where she was, standing about one meter away from the wall, completely motionless, silently listening to the other party's voice.
[Please… just answer me once…]
The man's voice behind the wall was on the verge of complete collapse.
[I have… I haven't spoken to anyone for a very long time…]
[No, no, no… is it a hallucination? Another hallucination again? Is there actually anyone there at all…]
The muttered self-talk and the neurotic low growls sounded interwoven.
Kaguya heard the person behind the wall strike the wall repeatedly, heard him pacing back and forth without pause, his breathing extremely heavy, and then he suddenly fell silent—so abruptly that it was as if no human voice had ever sounded from beginning to end, and everything sank into stillness.
Behind the wall, what exactly was going on?
In the midst of the silence, Kaguya quietly retreated, backing up to the very center of the room, and then sat down on the floor.
In the next instant, her pupils involuntarily constricted.
She felt something touch her leg—soft and yielding, with a texture like that of a cloth doll.
What was that?!
Kaguya could not help but panic for a split second, but immediately afterward she reacted, because that sensation moved slightly across her leg, clearly writing something. Relying on her excellent spatial imagination and memory, Kaguya quickly understood what that transparent thing had written on her leg.
Maki… so that's how it is. It was Maki's invisibility doll under her control. Had it followed along without her noticing at some point? Because it had concealed its form, she had never noticed its presence.
The tension in her heart abruptly eased.
Realizing that she still had companions she could rely on, Kaguya could not help but feel a sense of relief, and then she paused slightly, taken aback by this change in her own emotions.
She would not forget the Shinomiya family's house precepts. Relying on others, depending on others—such emotional changes were, for the Shinomiya family, representatives of "inferiority". The Shinomiya family could only make use of others, could only treat people other than themselves as items to be used at will. And her current behavior, no matter how one looked at it, could not be considered in accordance with the family precepts; as a member of the Shinomiya family, it was extremely unqualified.
It was truly laughable. At a time like this, was she actually still thinking about whether she counted as a qualified member of the Shinomiya family?
Kaguya could not help but feel a trace of self-mocking helplessness in her heart.
No matter how she thought about it or what she did, the fact that she was currently trapped alone was already laid out plainly before her eyes. So in the present circumstances, what she could do now was what mattered most.
"Hu…"
After taking a deep breath, Kaguya steadied herself. She first glanced at the surveillance camera inside the room out of the corner of her eye, then slightly shifted her body. After ensuring that the angle would block her movements, she extended a finger and made writing motions on the floor.
For ordinary people, deciphering such content would be extremely difficult. However, both Kaguya and Maki possessed very strong memory and recognition abilities. Just as, during the first run of the Shirakawa Apartments, Maki had been able to communicate with Takumi in a dark environment by writing on the back of her hand, Kaguya and Maki could now also use this method to exchange information with each other. In a certain sense, this could be considered an unreasonable form of communication that only geniuses like them could accomplish.
[I will now begin recounting in detail the specific situation I saw in the Power Zone, including the basic structure of the Power Zone and the safety notices inside the Power Zone. Are you watching? If you are, tap my leg twice.]
After finishing writing this sentence, Kaguya felt her leg being lightly tapped twice.
[Then, I will now begin recounting what I saw. What follows is the content of the notice posted at the entrance to the Power Zone.]
[This area is the power core zone of the Cave Research Base. It is responsible for maintaining the power supply of the entire Power Zone. Maintenance work in this area is of extreme importance. Only personnel with Level 4 clearance or above may enter this area to participate in maintenance work. All maintenance and repair work in this area must strictly comply with the contents of this notice.]
[1. This area contains one main circuit system and three backup systems. Each backup system can be activated immediately after the main circuit system stops operating, ensuring the safety of the base's power supply. It is imperative to ensure the stability of both the backup systems and the main system. Under no circumstances may the base be exposed to the risk of a power outage.]
[2. Each power system is divided into four different power supply subsystems: the Quarantine Zone, the Observation Zone, the Research Zone, and the Living Zone. Each system can operate independently. The Living Zone and the Research Zone systems are Level 2 safety standards, the Observation Zone is Level 4 safety standard, and the Quarantine Zone is Level 5 safety standard. At all times, the stability of the power supply to the Quarantine Zone must be ensured, and the power supply to this area must not be interrupted.]
[3. The offices of Professor Vernon and General Gallagher have independent power supplies, with a Level 5 safety standard. Even if the Living Zone loses power, these offices will not. The circuits in this area require separate maintenance. Each maintenance operation must submit the relevant application documents in advance and obtain approval.]
[4. In addition to this area, there are three external backup power systems distributed in other areas. When it is necessary to completely cut off the power supply to the Power Zone, a request may be submitted to higher authorities, and the base's circuit system will be temporarily taken over by the external circuits.]
[5. Private connections to the power circuits are strictly prohibited. All repair and maintenance work must be carried out in accordance with the specified standards. It is not permitted to add new lines to the existing circuit systems.]
[6. Please do not litter in the Power Zone. The patrol team has, on more than one occasion, discovered discarded empty cans, cigarette butts, and old clothing thrown about in the Power Zone. These items are not permitted to be brought into the Power Zone. Writing or drawing at random on the walls of the Power Zone is also prohibited. Should similar situations be discovered again, severe punishment will be imposed on the violators.]
[7. Any personnel who have not obtained authorization to enter the Power Zone will be locked onto immediately upon entering this area. If you have not obtained the corresponding authorization and have already entered this area, please do not touch anything within the area. Exit through the main door and accept the punishment you are due to receive.]
After finishing writing the contents of the notice, Kaguya's finger did not stop. Immediately afterward, she began to sketch the scene she had seen inside the Power Zone, giving a simple description of the positions, sizes, and structures of the various items within.
At this moment, Maki and Chika had already reached the time to turn off the lights and go to sleep, and thus had no choice but to return to their dormitory rooms and lie down on their beds. Even so, Maki continued to communicate remotely with Kaguya, using the unsteadily walking doll under her control to convey messages.
One main circuit plus three backup circuits, and in addition there were three external circuits as well. Tsk… in that case, it was basically impossible to cut off the base's power. And according to what Takumi had said, if the circuits were truly cut, her side would very likely be driven into a dead end.
It really was quite difficult to deal with…
Thinking this, Maki was frowning as she pondered what to do next, when she suddenly caught a whiff of a bloody scent.
Creak—
The dormitory door, at some point unknown, slowly opened.
Through the gap in the blanket, Maki saw a tall shadow standing at the doorway, standing in the corridor beneath dark red lighting. It slowly took a step forward and, just like that, entered the pitch-black dormitory.
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