Chapter 034. Glasha Labolas’s Trial (4)
Wait until morning, but morning never comes?
That was no different from giving someone a problem with no answer and telling them to solve it.
Now I understand why they’re so obsessed with the clues.
If the clues had something to do with bringing dawn, then they absolutely had to find them somehow.
After calming down, the man continued his explanation.
“Normally, all we have to do is find the predetermined clues. But whenever someone new enters, every clue we found gets reset.”
He grimaced.
“And they come back in completely different forms.”
Only then did Mikael understand why the man had been so angry.
All the clues they had struggled to gather had been erased in an instant.
They had been forced back to the beginning.
Mikael was still curious about why the man had saved him, but his next request pushed that question aside.
“That’s why we need your help.”
The man looked straight at him.
“You’re the only one here who hasn’t died even once.”
“You’re saying that like you’ve died several times yourself.”
Instead of answering immediately, the man started walking.
“I’ll explain on the way. We don’t know when that damn furry beast will start chasing us again.”
Mikael agreed with that.
Even he had been dumbfounded when he saw how cleverly the cat had followed his blood trail.
Three minutes passed as Mikael followed the man.
There was still nothing but endless alleyways around them, yet the man suddenly stopped as if they had reached their destination.
“As you’ve probably noticed, entering the buildings in this world is impossible.”
Mikael nodded.
He had searched the alleys himself while looking for a hiding place, but all he had found were endless walls without entrances.
“That’s why we chose this place.”
Tap. Tap.
The man tapped a manhole cover with his foot.
“Underground?”
It made sense.
If they wanted to avoid a cat with such a wide field of vision, somewhere below ground where it couldn’t see them would be ideal.
Creeeak.
The man grabbed one of the holes in the manhole cover and lifted it.
Then he gestured at Mikael.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and get in!”
But Mikael hesitated instead of entering.
“Why? Is something wrong?”
“Ahem. It... smells down there, doesn’t it?”
Mikael cleared his throat and frowned.
He had been through countless hardships, but strangely enough, just like during his days at the monastery, he was extremely sensitive to bad smells.
The man, who had only his head sticking out like a mole, stared speechlessly at Mikael after hearing such a ridiculous concern.
“It doesn’t smell!”
Mikael still didn’t fully trust him.
Nevertheless, after such a confident answer, Mikael covered his nose and climbed underground.
Drip.
Drip.
Drops of water fell from the ceiling.
Since the place was enclosed, every sound echoed through the tunnels.
Normally, the man might have enjoyed the echo.
But another sound soon made his face twitch.
Sniff. Sniff!
Sniff. Sniff!
Mikael kept inhaling through his nose while walking beside the stream of water flowing through the sewer.
Strangely enough, aside from the dampness, there was almost no smell at all.
How does it not smell? Does nobody even use the bathroom here?
It contradicted everything Mikael knew, so he kept sniffing in disbelief.
“Could you... stop making that sniffing noise?”
Unable to tolerate the irritating sound any longer, the man finally complained.
Only then did Mikael stop sniffing.
Instead, he called out to him.
“Hey.”
“Call me Jin. That’s my name.”
“Fine, Jin. How about finishing what you were saying?”
At Mikael’s impatient tone, Jin narrowed his eyes.
“Usually, when someone tells you their name, you’re supposed to introduce yourself too.”
“You dragged me here against my will, and now you’re asking for manners? Mikael.”
“Fine, Mikael. You asked me earlier if I’d died several times, right?”
Step.
Step.
Jin started moving again.
At the next corner, he turned right.
“You were right. I’ve died many times.”
His voice lowered.
“We’re souls that can’t truly die, no matter how many times we’re killed.”
“We can’t go to Hell. We can’t go to Heaven.”
“That’s what we are.”
So that’s why his hand was cold.
Warmth came from life.
Jin was nothing but a soul, so naturally his hand had been cold.
And since they were souls, they had no reason to use water like living people did.
That also explained why the sewer had no foul smell.
After finishing his explanation, Jin pointed toward a place piled high with discarded metal.
The scrap had been stacked together to form walls.
It looked surprisingly comfortable, almost like a makeshift home.
“You said ‘we.’ So you’re not alone?”
Jin had already implied it with his words, but the walls made from scrap metal were far too large for a single person.
“Well... yeah.”
Jin let out a sigh as he thought of his companions.
He looked strangely exhausted.
Apparently, the people staying with him were troublesome.
Clang—!
The sound of metal cups crashing together rang out from beyond the scrap walls.
“Hahahaha! Drink! Drink!”
“We’re already screwed, so let’s drink ourselves to death!”
It sounded like a drinking party held by exhausted adults who were tired of life.
From Mikael’s perspective, the loud laughter sounded rather friendly.
Jin had a different reaction.
“Haah... Those idiots again!”
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
Jin stomped toward the drinking party.
No matter where you go, people are the same.
Where there were hardworking people, there were always people who slacked off.
But that didn’t necessarily mean the lazy ones were useless.
Everyone had different talents and interests.
Thinking positively, Mikael followed Jin.
Fwoosh!
A medium-sized campfire burned in the middle of the scrap-filled hideout, warming the surrounding area.
Several people were gathered around it, drinking and enjoying themselves.
It actually looked rather peaceful.
At least, that was what Mikael thought.
“Absinthe! Stop drinking! We need to find the clues!”
Jin reached for the metal cup held by a green-haired woman named Absinthe.
Absinthe twisted her body away, protecting the cup from Jin’s hand.
Then she threw back the entire drink.
“Gulp, gulp... Khaaa! Huh? Clues?”
She waved him off.
“Forget it. I don’t care. Everything got reset anyway. How are we supposed to find them all over again? I’m just going to drink.”
Jin stared at Absinthe with an empty expression as she casually abandoned her duties.
Across from them, a heavily bearded middle-aged man burst into laughter at their exchange.
“Gahahaha! Absinthe, stop talking and have another drink!”
“Yeah! Tequila, cheers~!”
Clang—!
They smashed their cups together.
Jin grabbed the back of his neck.
Still, he couldn’t give up yet.
“Tequila! What happened with the fur?!”
“Haaah? Don’t know!”
Tequila waved dismissively.
“The rats are going to show up soon anyway. We can deal with it then!”
“Even so, we need to prepare while searching for the clues again!”
Pour—
Gulp! Gulp!
“Enough!”
Tequila poured himself another drink and gulped it down.
“When it’s time to drink, you drink!”
He slammed down his cup.
“If we don’t even have this anymore, I’d rather get killed by that fucking cat!”
Tequila clearly had no intention of listening to Jin’s nagging.
Jin struck his forehead with his fist, completely at a loss.
At that moment, someone beside him offered him another cup.
Compared to the others, this metal cup had a noticeable shine.
It looked newly made.
“Jin, don’t be so harsh. Why don’t you have a drink too?”
It was an old man whose white hair suited him perfectly.
His kind smile naturally made others feel comfortable.
But it had no effect on Jin.
“Rum... Stop making stupid cups like this and make us something that can stop that monster!”
“Hic! You noticed? Hoho.”
Apparently, the old man was just as bad as the others.
They all seemed to have their own roles.
Yet not one of them appeared to be doing what they were supposed to do.
Mikael’s brow furrowed.
“By the way, is that guest over there the new arrival?”
A red-haired woman called out to Mikael from one side of the hideout.
Hmm? Is she the bartender?
There was a metal table decorated to resemble a bar.
