25. K: in the dark corridor

Stretching my tired body, I calm down my tired mind, and then glance at the giant rabbit’s corpse laying ahead of me.

“what to do, with it? should I leave it here? but it may bring other monsters because of the scent of blood? and I still need this building.

Not like I can move it though.”

Thinking so, I quickly made a choice.

“Guess I will leave it here for now, so I better make a go for it, before anything get closer.”

Having made up my mind, I move back to my safe-room and get myself a new sword, but this time I also bring a spear and a small circular shield with me.

“I guess, I should at least take a look at the floors below stairs, while I am here anyway.”

Reaching such a decision, I start to get out of my safe-room, when a certain manual on the table appears in my field of view.

“oh, I totally forgot about the manual. Well, I will read it before I log out later.”

Having made plans for tonight, I get out of the room’s door, and head to the stairs’.

Opening the door, I get down to the floor below, where I once again move down the stairs to the other floor.

Carefully walking, while keeping a cautious mentality, so that I don’t fall in the same situation as I did before when meeting the rabbit, I step forward.

Step by step, I walk. At the same time, I check my surrounding for any anomalies or movement.

Like that, with a slow-paced movement, I kept walking until I reached the end of the corridor, but even to now, nothing impressive has happened.

Turning and walking back without lowering my guard down, I check each door I pass by, but all of them were closed.

Understanding that this is all I can do on this floor, I move back to the stairs and get to the next floor below.

But the moment I reached it, I find an unexpected result. Or should I say that it’s actually the most expected result?

It was dirt.

When I glanced at the stairs to the next floor, they were filled with dirt and rocks.

as if dirt overflowed from below, or maybe climbed to the top?

But not stopping here, I started my floor check.

While also not forgetting to keep the same level of vigilance from my surrounding as I did before.

One by one, I checked the doors, but the first was closed.

And so was the second.

Even the third.

And the fourth.

the Fifth.

And so on, ......

When I started to think of my searching as hopeless, the ninth door was actually open.

Though, it was hard to see, because I had to push it a little, before it went back, creating enough space for me to move past it.

Pushing the door, and then entering, my focus is immediately moved from the door to the dirt on the ground.

Removing my eyes off it, and looking ahead in search of its origin, I look to the windows.

Broken windows, that have been covered by dirt. The same dirt, that is almost filling the room, and not only this room, but also possibly the whole floor of this building. With the same happening to other floors below, and the buildings that I had seen in the distance before.

After all, it should be natural for a building buried underground, to have its lower floors invaded by dirt.

Still, it is weird, that not only has this all happened in a relatively fast time, leaving the corridors, and furniture on the above floor to look clean, even if it’s only to some degree.

But it’s also happened in a way, that didn’t destroy the building’s walls, or break through it, but instead, the dirt itself invaded from inside, contrary to the expected direction which is outside.

It’s as if it was guided by something else, not nature.

Of course, that is not taking the possibility of this place having different natural phenomenons than the one we know of.

Creak.

Suddenly hearing a creaking sound, and feeling the cold on the back of my neck, I quickly grip my sword, and in one swift movement, I make a slash.

Crack.

Turning back, and looking behind me, all I see is a sword stabbing a door, that door that was probably moved by wind, the same wind that made me feel cold sweat literally, just now, but no other thing was there.

I was on edge more than I thought, to the degree of getting scared of the wind.

What an embarrassing situation, but luckily I am alone, or I would have become a laughing stoke.

Thinking of that, I take some deep breaths to calm my racing heart and my tired nerves.

Feeling better, I once again glance at the corridor ahead of me, which has proved itself to be nothing more than a dark and scary corridor, with some ability to pass as a hunted house, if some preparation were taken.

If such things happened, I would even bring Himari for a tour inside if we could.

But alas, there is no possibility for that.

Having such thoughts, and fantasizing about taking my little sister for a trip to the amusement park, I climb up the stairs.

Reaching the roof again, I stand there for a while, enjoying the light of the sun, and the blue sky after such a nerve wrecking search below in the dark.

“I mean, what was I even looking for? in a silent underground floor like the one here? it’s not like I am here on a scouting quest, nor am I on an investigation mission. I should just stick to normal places next time, though no one can stop himself from the curiosity of uncovering the unknown if he was in my same situation.”

Having been stranded in the middle of nowhere, with no understanding of your surrounding, and having mysterious traces and weird signs, literally under your feet.

“honestly, it’s just how human beings are. You can’t expect a sane person to just ignore all of these things once he sees them after all. But instead, he will do his all trying to understand and uncover their mysteries. And that’s how mystery movies came to existence.”

Though such things are honestly not important to me at the moment. What’s important is having a plan of action for my next move. But honestly, I am already tired of this too much thinking, not to mention that I already have things that I want to do today. But seriously,...

“I hope nothing weird exists in that manual, or my head will explode from overthinking.”

Sigh.

And like that, in a gloomy and tired mood, I moved back to my safe-room, to read the manual.