Chapter 32 - Here

[Please use the Proceed Command if you wish to open the door. The Priestess wishes you good fortune!]

"Are you sure about this, Z?" Jaspreth's voice momentarily jarred Zera from staring at the translucent screen in front of her. He was standing behind Zera. The four of them were now facing the metal door that had suddenly appeared out of the blue.

Zera took a deep breath. If she was to be honest with herself, she wasn't even aware of what she was doing or if this was the right thing to do.

What if they walked right into a trap instead of ascending to the next level?

Turning to face her friends, Zera eyed each of them. The chocolate bars did their wonders and replenished the energy they had lost while trying to survive the zombie apocalypse.

"I don't know what will be waiting for us on the other side. But it's better than being trapped here full of uncertainties, right?"

"I just want to get out of this level and be done with the stinky zombies," Beatrix grimaced, probably recalling the smashed bodies and the sound of bones cracking coming from the re-animated dead.

"Count me in. I would miss the use of the simultaneous weapons, though," Astherielle sighed. She looked at her friends. "But I would rather move onto the next stage with you guys."

"Me too," Jaspreth agreed. The three of them turned to Zera with a determined gaze.

Zera took a deep breath and heaved out a sigh. Either way, they needed to keep moving forward. Else, They'd be stuck in the building, not knowing how to proceed with them being locked inside.

Narrowing her gaze towards the door, Zera opened her mouth.

"Proceed."

–

"Oof!" Nayowmi rubbed her forehead before smashing the zombie's skull with the back of her shoes.

The greenish liquid that oozed out from its head, together with a few of what Nayowmi knew were brain parts, scattered on the floor. She grimaced as she stared at the small crack she managed to open on its skull, muttering a curse.

"Ugh," she muttered, blowing her hair away from her face. Some zombies managed to escape their chains because of the bombs going off outside and had shaken the entire building.

They now lay unmoving on the ground.

Nayowmi wiped away the sweat that trickled down her face. Now, most of the zombies left were locked in the prison cells.

The monsters were growling, wanting to get close to Nayowmi. If the metal gates that kept them imprisoned were opened, Nayowmi would have no place to run. The ceiling was too far from her reach.

Eyeing her surroundings, Nayowmi tried to see if she could find a way by herself. The system also stopped working for her. All the commands she had learned were all spoken to deaf ears.

"A change of clothes would be nice," Nayowmi muttered. If she were to last for another hour or so inside the stinking prison, she might as well just become one of the zombies.

"Fairly acceptable outcome. I'd probably end up in the real Asylum."

Just as she was feeling bitter about everything, the ground beneath her feet started shaking. The entire building did, actually for reasons she couldn't even understand.

The sudden movement almost had Nayowmi fall on top of the recently dead zombie she had just finished off if she hadn't caught herself.

Her eyes immediately glanced towards the closed cells, her heart beating hard against her chest.

She could already imagine what could happen if those prison cells would suddenly slide open, and all of the zombies held inside will come at her all at once.

The mental image made her shiver with dread.

But to her relief, it wasn't the case. However, when Nayowmi looked up, she noticed that the ceiling had moved a little farther. A strange object was swinging in the middle.

Nayowmi tilted her head to the side, trying to figure out what it was.

Squinting, Nayowmi cupped her hands over her eyes to make her see better.

"A pendulum?" she muttered, making out two circular balls swinging back and forth. They briefly touched each other, throwing each high enough not to graze the ceiling.

The second thing she noticed was a second floor. An array of cages filled it with an area in a circle to overlook her spot below.

"What the hell?" Nayowmi wanted to curse at whoever was responsible for adding another floor of zombie prison inside.

She was already troubled about what to do with the current set; there was another set she needed to face.

Out of the corner of her eye, Nayowmi noticed a glowing bluish line taking shape on the bare wall of the second floor.

The other door which she had eyed earlier had begun to disappear. Turning her attention towards the key, which was positioned where most of the chained zombies were gathered, she watched it vanish into thin air as well.

"Okay," Nayowmi spoke out loud. "So now the quest has shifted, and I need to get to the second floor somehow?"

She was talking to no one in particular, but Nayowmi wanted to believe it was the case.

After the Priestess had left her be, she was also left to her thoughts.

Apparently, she had no choice but to rejoin those kids. Unless she had some other way to make it out of the game or win it by herself, then she would instead do that.

Thinking of the reward, Nayowmi blew out a sigh. As much as she hated her situation, she would hate herself more if she at least didn't try to win.

That was the only thing that made her join the game in the first place.

Nayowmi wasn't one who would often play RPG.

She wasn't the player type, period. But desperate times called for desperate measures.

She believed that principle now.

She was desperate. And if she successfully wins the reward, her younger sister could receive the operation she needed so she could walk again.

"For Lara," Nayowmi murmured, her eyes zeroing in on the now visible metal doors from upstairs.

She had it in her sights when it slowly slid open, revealing four silhouettes she immediately recognized, recalling the brief image of them fighting off with zombies as the Priestess had shown.

With a sigh, Nayowmi waved her hands in the air. calling for their attention.

"In here!"