Ch.85Cocktail Chocolate 6

When Misha left to check the CCTV, 09 sat on the edge of the bed.

Soon after, she lay down without even washing up.

Thanks to that, 09 had no reason to look inside the storage cabinet again.

However, that doesn’t mean I’m completely safe.

If she continues to stay in this room, I’ll never be able to escape from here.

Besides, if they check the CCTV, they’ll see footage of me entering 09’s room.

Then, the two of them will search this room thoroughly.

Somehow, I need to convince them that I’m not here.

But how exactly…?

Right… I’ll send a text saying I left work early.

Then she won’t bother checking the CCTV.

I hurriedly took out my phone.

But…

The moment I opened the messaging app, I couldn’t help but despair.

This is the 10th basement floor—regular cellular signals don’t reach here.

Am I going to be caught helplessly just hiding like this?

No… I can’t end things so pathetically.

Considering that both of them are Counters, they won’t let me go easily.

Even if it’s risky, I have to escape somehow!

I rolled my eyes as much as I could in the cramped storage cabinet.

Then suddenly, I spotted a small, shiny device.

An ipTIME…?

The moment I saw the wireless router, my mind cleared.

I grabbed the device without hesitation and frantically started searching for the password.

“123abc789…”

I immediately turned on my phone.

Fortunately, the ipTIME signal appeared on my phone as well.

I entered the code right away and prayed desperately.

Please connect… please…

I stared intently at the Wi-Fi icon that appeared at the edge of my phone.

Soon, the Wi-Fi signal showed just 1 bar out of 4.

It worked…! It worked!!

I gripped my phone with trembling hands.

I was so happy at that moment that my phone almost slipped from my fingers.

“Misha, I’m not feeling well, so I’m leaving work early. See you tomorrow.”

I pressed the send button.

But the message delivery confirmation didn’t appear immediately.

Is it because the Wi-Fi signal is barely one bar?

I pressed the phone close to the router and held it up toward the door crack as much as possible.

As if my dedication reached the heavens, the message was finally sent successfully to Misha.

Now I can only pray that Misha sees the text before she reaches the control room.

Soon, a small “Read” notification appeared under my message.

She read it..!

But Misha didn’t reply to me right away.

Her response came about 5 minutes later.

“Okay, unni.”

I don’t know what Misha was thinking during those 5 minutes.

But what’s clear is that she replied to me without much suspicion.

Only then could I finally relax.

“Haah…”

I let out a sigh of relief from inside the storage cabinet.

However, that comfort didn’t last long.

Because Misha came back into 03’s room.

“Hey, let’s go.”

“Why so suddenly?”

09 looked at Misha indifferently while lying on the bed.

The girl smiled brightly and made a drinking gesture with her finger.

“We got some good alcohol. Let’s have a drink.”

“Did you check the CCTV?”

“Ah, that?”

Misha narrowed her eyes and raised the corners of her mouth at 09’s question.

Then she briefly scanned the room with her eyes.

“She said she already went home.”

09 followed Misha outside.

Eventually, the lights in room 9 were completely turned off.

“Ugh…”

Only then could I finally get out of the storage cabinet.

I had been in there so long that my body felt like it was melting like jelly.

But I haven’t escaped from the research facility yet.

I immediately approached the door and listened for anyone outside.

“—.”

Fortunately, there was no sound from the corridor.

If they went to drink, they must be at the lounge bar.

I should be able to sneak onto the elevator while they’re eating and drinking.

However, my plan hit a snag from the start.

“Huh…?”

The exit door, which should have opened automatically when I stood in front of it, didn’t budge at all.

It opened just fine when Misha stood there…

Growing increasingly anxious, I repeatedly pressed the open button.

But the exit didn’t move an inch.

“Don’t tell me I need fingerprint verification to get out too?”

Just when things seemed to be going well…

The situation took a turn for the worse.

Sneaking into room 9 might be forgivable with a good explanation and some luck.

But if I’m caught still here after pretending to have left the research facility…

Anyone would find that suspicious.

In the worst case, I might be arrested…

In an even worse case, I might end up dead like when I was a man.

“Is, is there another exit?”

I turned my head to look at the other end of the corridor.

It was unlit, shrouded in thick darkness.

It had an ominous, frightening feel to it.

But… with the exit blocked, that’s the only way I can go.

I reluctantly began to move step by step into the darkness.

Lab Room 3.

I stopped blankly in front of the entrance marked with the number 3.

“The door is open…?”

As if waiting for me, the door was wide open.

Having come this far, what was there to hesitate about?

I hunched my shoulders and slipped into the lab.

Unlike Lab 1, Lab Room 3 was very dark.

The corridor’s outer wall wasn’t made of glass either.

Instead…

Cylindrical glass tubes were lined up in a row.

Inside them, pink liquid was filled to the brim, with bubbles floating up.

It was like a scene straight out of a sci-fi movie.

I passed by those eerie glass tubes one by one, then suddenly became frightened.

Human figures floating inside the pink glass tubes, connected by hoses.

It was like a massive human experimentation chamber.

Each test tube had personal information written below it.

“Wait… this person looks familiar?”

Among the creepy glass tubes, one particular specimen caught my eye.

It was a woman missing one arm.

“Isn’t this the spear user who fought against Jeoksa before?”

I remember now.

One of the two rankers from the medical institute who coveted Jaehee.

The spear user who lost an arm in the explosion and fled.

“But why is she in here…”

<Ranker, Jung Hayeon>

After being defeated by Ilshim’s ranker Jeoksa, requested body modification at the research institute.

Pain sensation removal and muscle tissue reinforcement in progress to prevent body distortion from any attack.

Progress: 42%.

So after being defeated by Jeoksa that day, she even resorted to body modification for revenge.

With a devastated heart, I placed my hand on the glass tube.

Though I’m clearly on Jeoksa’s side, I feel somewhat sorry for her.

But I soon managed to erase that emotion from my mind.

Now is not the time to worry about others.

As I passed by the glass tubes one by one looking for an exit, one tube with a different color caught my eye.

While all the aquariums I’d seen so far contained pink liquid, the one at the end was red.

It looked eerie, as if filled with blood.

I slowly approached that glass tube.

The silhouette of a woman could be seen inside.

Her brown hair floated here and there with the rising bubbles.

Because of this, her face wasn’t clearly visible.

Despite the urgent situation, I moved forward as if entranced, wanting to see her face.

Finally, her face began to become visible bit by bit.

But the moment I saw her face, my expression completely froze.

“—!”

A metallic sound escaped my lips.

At the same time, my legs gave out as if my soul had left my body.

I collapsed helplessly to the floor.

And stared blankly up at the woman.

The person inside the red test tube was someone I thought was dead…

It was Jisu noona.

Stab wounds all over her body.

Though her eyes were closed, the facial features were identical.

It really is noona.

At this unexpected reunion, my face went numb.

My legs were so weak that I couldn’t stand up at all.

I crawled toward the description panel with the specimen’s personal information.

<Seo Jisu>

B-rank hunter.

A unique multi-ability user with both sword and flame attributes.

Was in a vegetative state when discovered.

“So you were alive after all…”

I bit my lip hard while hugging the description panel.

I bit so hard that blood trickled down my chin.

I just sobbed, as if releasing all the pent-up anguish.

I thought I’d never see her again…

I need to wake her up.

Wake her up and somehow escape this hell together.

The moment that determination formed, as if by magic, strength began to return to my legs.

I straightened up and frantically searched for a release button that must be somewhere.

Soon, I discovered a small sealed room that looked like a central control room.

Inside were various levers and buttons whose functions I couldn’t understand.

But among them, I couldn’t find the button to open noona’s glass tube.

To begin with, I needed to solve the central computer’s password to use any function, but there was no way to do that.

Instead, I found a suspicious red button in the corner of the control room.

It had the letters ‘EE’ written on it.

Emergency Escape.

That’s what it means.

I’ve heard that important facilities have several hidden escape routes besides the entrance.

Surely this button must be one of them.

But the thought of leaving noona behind makes my heart heavy.

I stared blankly at the red test tube containing her.

Then I soon pulled myself together.

Yes, I can’t save noona right now.

Not yet.

Let’s make thorough preparations and come back.

I’ll become stronger.

Until I can defeat the Counter rankers.

And if that’s too difficult…

Until I can at least safely extract noona.

With my resolve firm, I slammed my fist on the escape button.

A red holographic number appeared from the dark outer wall.

Soon, the wall split open, revealing an elevator.

I stepped inside without hesitation.

“—.”

After some time, the elevator came to a stop.

Soon, the sound of birds chirping could be heard from outside.

I don’t know how much I’ve missed that sound of nature.

As the elevator opened, lush greenery came into view.

I stepped outside toward that nature, one step at a time.

First, I need to get down from this mountain.

Go home and prepare slowly, very meticulously.

A way to help noona escape.

I clutched my throbbing head.

My mind is so filled with thoughts of noona that I can hardly bear it.

But.

That thought was completely erased, as if cold water had been poured over me.

“Did you enjoy touring the lab?”

Because a familiar voice came from behind me.