Chapter 124: Room 107 – The Gate Room, The Fourth Trial (15)

– Han Kain

Ahri was holding a strangely shaped music box.

A style that was popular before World War II?

I guess even music boxes had trends back then.

“How do you know what kind of music boxes were popular back then? Have you seen one before?”

“I once encountered a spirit that took the form of a music box while on a job. Perro seems to be doing something over there; go check it out.”

Ahri’s age issue, which I used to brush off as a joke, now struck me as an odd contradiction.

I discreetly checked the Status Window again.

Ahri’s age was still displayed as ???.

“…”

Let’s leave it at that. Unnecessary suspicion will only create conflict.

Now is not the time. We’re in the middle of a trial after all.

I approached Perro.

He has been pecking at the wall with his beak since earlier.

The wall didn’t budge, of course.

If he were in his grotesque form, things might be different, but a mere parrot pecking at the wall wouldn’t even leave a dent.

There must be some meaning to this behavior…

For now, it was difficult to understand.

I wandered around, checking drawers and under the bed.

We searched the room for a while but didn’t find any suspicious items, unknown documents, strange safes, or secret passages.

Eventually, Grandpa Mooksung called us over.

“Everyone, change back into your clothes. It’s almost time for that dinner party or whatever.”

With no clear results, we left the room to attend the dinner party.

As soon as we stepped out, a notification appeared.

nn

From now until the end of the Fourth Trial, the participants’ Inheritances will be sealed.

nn

Now it was starting for real.

***

– Elena

A gentleman I had never seen before approached and handed me a drink.

“Miss Elena, I’m Stevenson.”

Before I could respond, someone else came up behind me.

“Oh! The star of tonight’s party is here! Miss Elena, care to join us at our table?”

“Thank you. I’m—”

Before I could finish, someone else interrupted.

“Seeing Miss Elena’s noble presence, it’s only fitting that…”

“…”

Ugh! This is overwhelming!

As soon as we entered the party hall, we were all absolutely stunned.

The initial room we started in was luxurious and large, but the ship outside of the room was unbelievably lavish, to the point of being almost surreal.

And the party hall showcased the pinnacle of that splendor.

A small orchestra on one side played classical music, while staff moved around offering elegant champagne and appetizers.

The walls were adorned with famous paintings and beautiful decorations I had never seen before.

Chandeliers on the ceiling flickered like flames, brightly illuminating the entire hall.

The most fascinating thing was the shimmering golden threads on the ceiling.

When the light hit them, they resembled a small galaxy as they sparkled in the air, making me stare at them for a while.

“What are you looking at so intently?”

When I turned my head, a young man who seemed to have stepped straight out of a classic movie was looking at me.

“The shimmering threads on the ceiling. Aren’t they fascinating? How do you think they made them?”

“Ah! You mean the spider webs.”

“Spider webs?”

“They spread spider webs and lightly dusted them with gold powder. It’s great for creating a surreal atmosphere. Of course, mere spider webs can’t match Miss Elena’s…”

I turned away before he could finish.

Sorry, but I’ve heard such remarks about 300 times since the party started. It doesn’t impress me anymore.

I turned to look at my teammates.

Their situations weren’t much different.

At least five people were swarming around each of them, introducing themselves and offering gifts.

A phrase I had heard earlier, “The star of tonight’s party.”

It applied not only to me but to our entire group.

It was remarkable and utterly glamorous.

The food was delicious, but…

No matter what, this place was still the “Gate Room”.

A space that was created for the trial.

Now was not the time to be leisurely enjoying a party.

In the end, Grandpa Mooksung started pushing people away and gathering us together.

It was only after about 30 minutes of being at the party that we managed to regroup.

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Every time we said anything, even if it was insignificant, the surroundings fell silent, and whenever one of us made a slight gesture, all eyes were on us.

What were these people’s objectives?

Unable to withstand the discomfort, we returned to our cabin before 10 PM.

Shortly after leaving the party hall, the orchestral music that softly filled the ship stopped.

As if there was no longer any reason to play music once the party’s purpose was gone.

***

After that, we continued to search the room and explore the ship but didn’t find anything significant.

However, we did confirm a few things.

As Elena said, many cabins were empty, and the ship was absurdly large.

Are all luxury liners this big?

According to Ahri and Grandpa Mooksung, ships of this size were rare worldwide.

The ship’s facilities were endless.

There was a pool, a botanical garden, and even a casino, which was impressive.

We were assigned two cabins on the Esper Ho.

Presumably, they intended for the men and women to sleep separately.

However, we had no intention of splitting up on this ominous ship.

Since each cabin was large, we decided to all sleep together in one larger cabin.

And then, midnight approached.

None of us slept, waiting for the next “scenario” to appear in my status window.

“…”

– Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

The cuckoo clock chimed, signaling the arrival of midnight.

Just as I was about to check the Scenario, something unexpected happened.

n n

Sage’s Advice: 3 → 2

nn

n n

Immediately press your back against the wall and cover your vision with the filter.

nn

Before I could think, I instinctively followed the Advice.

I immediately pressed against the wall and expanded the Status Window filter to cover my face.

My teammates looked at me in confusion, but only for a moment—

– Ding-di-ding-di-ri-ding! Ding-di-ding-di-ri-ding!

The sound of a music box, like a gentle tickle in the ear, filled the room.

From under the bed, behind the pillow, beyond the wall, from one side of the clock, under the table.

The sound of the music box came from all around.

When I turned my gaze to my teammates in panic, I realized why the Advice had issued a rare Life Warning.

In an instant, all my teammates had fallen into a deep slumber.

The fact that I, who covered my face with the filter, was the only one who resisted it meant that the music box sound had some magical power.

“…?”

I felt a wriggling sensation behind me. A squishy feeling—

n n

Sage’s Advice: 2 → 1

n

nn

Pretend to be asleep.

nn

I immediately let my body go limp and slightly opened my eyes.

“…”

I felt suffocated.

Faces emerged from all the walls in the room.

Suppressing the urge to vomit, I endured.

Sinister voices began to echo from the faces.

“Is anyone awake? I sensed movement.”

“Impossible. George, check it out.”

“No need. It’s obviously that parrot. I wanted to wring its neck several times because it kept pecking at the wall all day.”

“Did the bird sense something?”

“Who knows? The people seem to be all asleep.”

Deep male voices echoed.

“Hmm. Did everyone find someone they liked? If not—”

A slightly higher-pitched voice interrupted.

“I found someone.”

“The blonde girl? Indeed, I’ve never seen such a beautiful girl before.”

– Creak.

The floor creaked under something’s weight.

Simultaneously, all voices in the room stopped.

The room, which had felt spacious with five people, suddenly seemed cramped.

With claws the size of a child’s fist, a beak large enough to swallow my head whole, and a body that vaguely resembled an ostrich but covered with hideous tentacles and scales.

A Grotesque Creature had /genesisforsaken