Chapter 51
I stared at the Researchers while maintaining Stealth.
Their attire felt quite modern.
Was the 4th Floor a setting where civilization and technology were much more advanced than the other floors?
I walked down the corridor, looking around.
Besides the two who had just passed by, researchers were walking sparsely through the corridor.
My presence was too alien among the people in white coats, so I couldn't undo my Stealth.
The situation was different from that on the 3rd Floor. This was inside a building called a workshop.
If I were caught by people, wouldn't I naturally be recognized as an intruder?
‘I can't keep maintaining Stealth forever...’
But what was I supposed to do now?
I found the people, so shouldn't the Story Progression just happen on its own?
The basics of a Hidden Strategy were understanding the Background Setting.
For now, I am listening closely to the conversations of the passing researchers.
It was all either incomprehensible experiment talk or everyday chatter about what to eat for lunch later, so I wasn't really gaining anything.
Suddenly, the surrounding researchers bowed their heads.
An old man in a white coat wearing a monocle over one eye was walking in this direction.
Two people wearing mecha-like suits followed behind the old man. Were they perhaps the Security Force?
Anyway, he gave off the vibe of someone high-ranking.
I also stepped aside to the edge of the Corridor so we wouldn't bump into each other.
*At that moment, the Old Man suddenly stopped walking.*
Then he stared intently at the spot where I was standing.
“...?”
...What is it?
Our eyes met.
I'm in Stealth, though? Was I caught?
“Is something the matter, Sir Iska?”
“No.”
The old man withdrew his gaze from me and continued on his way.
I tilted my head and stared at his retreating figure.
Our eyes definitely met...? Ah.
I got a certain feeling and followed behind the Old Man.
If he let it slide even though I was caught, it probably meant he wasn't an enemy.
And if he wasn't an enemy?
Based on my hidden experiences so far, he was a necessary figure for the Clear Progression.
“But how did he actually know?”
Diul's Stealth Ability had never been seen through before.
And I didn't know why he pretended not to notice me either.
Following the old man all the way, we reached a door at the end of the corridor.
The two guards bowed their heads to the old man and went somewhere else.
Like that, only the Old Man and I, who were in Stealth, were left...
“Come in.”
The Old Man said as he opened the door without even looking back.
I really was caught.
I raised my Guard a notch and followed the Old Man into the room.
It wasn't certain yet that he was an ally.
I had to be ready to respond immediately if things seemed dangerous.
Click.
Half of the room was a space like an office, and the other half was a space like a laboratory.
I subtly distanced myself from the Old Man as he closed and locked the door.
The Old Man stared at me intently.
“Are you going to keep doing that?”
I undid my Stealth.
Since he could see me anyway, there was no reason to waste my energy maintaining Stealth.
“...”
So... what kind of situation was this?
According to my Sixth Sense, there was no hostility felt from the Old Man for now.
The Old Man opened his mouth again.
“Where are you from? The Northern Resistance? The Twilight Society? Or the Shadow Sword?”
...I'm sorry, but I have zero idea what you're talking about.
Knowing absolutely nothing, I kept my mouth shut tight.
“You must be curious as to why I pretended not to see you.”
I nodded. I was curious about that.
The Old Man took out a cigarette from his desk drawer, lit it, and took a drag. Smoke drifted up.
“I do not know for what purpose you infiltrated this place... but whatever it is, it cannot be with good intentions. I will not ask about anything else, so just answer two questions for me. Are you an enemy of the workshop?”
“...”
...How should I answer this?
Yes? No?
The Old Man was definitely someone affiliated with this workshop, yet he was showing a strange attitude, hiding me, an intruder, and having a conversation.
Even what he was saying now somehow made it seem like he wanted me to be an Enemy of the workshop. No, he was already viewing me as one.
I slowly nodded.
The Old Man also nodded and asked again.
“If so, if this Workshop were to be blown up entirely... would that align with your goals as well?”
...Blown up? The Workshop?
The atmosphere was practically demanding a specific answer, so I nodded again.
The Old Man took a deep drag of his cigarette, exhaled the smoke, and said.
“Then we can help each other, because I intend to blow this Workshop away.”
“...”
“I am Iska, the Chief Researcher of this Floating Workshop. What do you say? Will you cooperate with me?”
Floating Workshop?
Only then did I open my mouth and ask.
“...Why are you trying to blow up the workshop when you're a researcher?”
“Just as I am not asking anything about you, I believe you have no need to ask about that.”
He was saying he wouldn't tell me.
“Do you doubt the true intentions of my words? Am I not proving it by hiding you, an Intruder, like this? Just know that I otherwise have absolutely no reason to do so.”
“No, I understand. I'll cooperate.”
I accepted the proposal.
Blowing up the Workshop, I still wasn't sure if this was the correct progression...
Anyway, he was the only person I could interact with right then.
And I figured he might just call the Guards immediately if I refused.
“What exactly do I need to do to cooperate?”
Iska stubbed out his finished cigarette in the ashtray and said.
“There is something called a Master Code. You just need to bring that to me.”
To summarize Iska's explanation.
The Master Code was, simply put, the workshop's Highest Authority Code.
This workshop was divided into sectors from Sector 1 to Sector 10, and among them, there was a room in Sector 1 where the Master Code was stored.
He was asking me to go there and copy the Master Code for him.
“The only one who can enter the Master Code Room is the Workshop Master. To be precise, the Master Key he possesses is required. Therefore, the order of things is to snatch the Master Key from the Workshop Master first, and then move to the Master Code Room.”
...That sounds like a considerable difficulty?
Still, hearing him talk gave me a bit more confidence that I was progressing correctly for now.
The feeling I got when clearing the hidden elements up until now was exactly like a game's Story Progression, with lots of explanation.
“You use an unknown power, not magic power. I am saying this because I thought it might be possible with an ability capable of infiltrating this Floating Workshop without any commotion... What do you think?”
Was he talking about Diul's ability?
I asked.
“But how did you recognize my Stealth?”
Iska tapped the lens of his monocle.
“I just possess Special Eyes. Aside from me, there will be no one in this Workshop who can see through your ability, so you do not need to worry about that part.”
Iska took something out of his pocket and handed it to me.
It was a small object like a USB.
“It is a tool to copy the code. When you enter the Master Code Room, there will likely be a device that looks like a capsule in the middle of the room. Touch this tool to it. When a blue light comes on the tool, it means the copying is complete.”
I took the tool and asked.
“How should I snatch the Workshop Master's Master Key?”
“The Workshop Master always carries the Master Key on his person. He is usually in Sector 1, so find him and snatch it.”
“...Is that it?”
“Just be careful of the Workshop Master's Exclusive Escort. He is a monster who even served as an Executor for the Imperial Family. Snatch the key secretly so you are not caught.”
No, not that.
Isn't there a more detailed method?
Iska's words were just “the Workshop Master has the key, so figure it out and steal it secretly\~”, and that was it.
Iska went further into the office, brought out a white coat and something like a card, and handed them to me.
“It is my Apprentice Researcher's ID Card. You will not be suspected even if you walk around the Workshop without hiding yourself.”
Even giving me a fake identity.
Was the 4th Floor hidden theme perhaps something like an Espionage Infiltration Action?
I put the tool and card in my pocket and threw on the coat.
“The Master Code is renewed every hour on the hour. So, if you copied the code at 1:20, you must bring the code to me before it strikes 2:00 exactly. Do you understand?”
“Yes... for now.”
Finally, I even received an object like a smartphone that contained the Workshop Interior Map.
“Then get going. It does not matter how long it takes.”
I came out of Iska's office as if being pushed.
I put my hands in the coat pockets and walked down the corridor feeling a bit awkward.
The researchers wandering the corridor passed by without any interest in me.
I did receive a quest for now, but... hmm.
Well, I'll know once I try.
The mission was largely two things.
Someone was stealing the Workshop Master's key and taking it to the Master Code Room to copy the code.
And the entire process seemed to be at my discretion.
I decided to check the location of the Master Code Room first.
The Master Code Room was in Sector 1, and the place I was currently located was Sector 6. Getting out of here was the first priority.
Suddenly remembering, I opened the Shop Window.
\[Shop\]
- Physical Damage +10% (500P)
- Magic Damage +10% (200P)
- Willpower +10% (100P)
- Attribute Conversion (500P)
- Force Field (50P)
- Slow (50P)
- Stop (100P)
- Special Gacha! (5,000P)
Points Held: 30,500P
\[You have purchased “Magic Damage +10% (200P)”.\]
“It still works.”
I tried purchasing Magic Damage, and the purchase went through.
Could I keep using this as long as I was on the 4th Floor? That was one piece of good news.
Anyway, why is this place so huge?
I struggled to find my way while checking the Workshop Interior Map.
It took a long time just to find the way out of the building.
‘There's an elevator too.’
After taking elevators several times and coming down, I finally came outside the building of Sector 6.
As soon as I came outside, a gust of wind blew in.
“...?”
The surrounding fog... or is it? Is it a cloud?
Surprised by the unimaginable scenery, I moved toward the exterior of the workshop.
“Wow...”
What is this?
Earlier, when he called it the Floating Workshop, I thought it was just the name of the workshop.
That wasn't it.
It was a workshop that was literally floating.
The scenery spread out around it was entirely sky. Like a small island, the entire workshop was flying through the sky.
“It's dangerous if you stay there.”
A passing security guard spoke to me.
“Ah, I'm sorry.”
Fortunately, it didn't seem like I raised any suspicion, as the guard went on his way.
I also stopped sightseeing and moved toward my destination again.
But there's some romance to this. A workshop is floating in the sky.
Chweee-!
Just then, a small airship landed on the ground nearby.
As a strong wind blew, a researcher walking from the opposite direction dropped the stack of documents she was holding.
“Ah...!”
I helped the flustered researcher pick up the documents.
“Ah, thank you!”
The researcher, having picked up all the documents, smiled brightly and repeatedly expressed her gratitude.
“Thank you so much. To think there's someone this kind.”
“It's nothing, really.”
“Are you a researcher from Sector 6? I'm Celona from Sector 3. The researchers in our sector wouldn't even pretend to notice each other even if something like this happened. I'm jealous\~. I guess Sector 6 doesn't have such a bleak atmosphere.”
Ah, did I help for nothing?
It was when I was caught smiling awkwardly at the researcher who suddenly started small talk.
People got off the airship that had just landed.
Naturally, our gazes also turned that way.
People looked like prisoners in handcuffs.
“Don't dawdle, walk!”
A guard kicked a child who had fallen and was in pain.
The child limped along with the procession, looking completely terrified.
Unlike me, who watched the scene with a stiff face because it wasn't normal behavior by modern ethical standards, the researcher spoke in a still-cheerful tone.
“It looks like this month's fuel has arrived.”
“...Fuel?”
“Anyway, couldn't they land a bit further away from the building? All my documents almost flew away.”
The researcher grumbled.
“Ah, was I keeping a busy person held up? I'm sorry. Let's see each other again later if we get the chance\~.”
The researcher left with a smile.
I alternately stared at the airship leaving again and the procession of people who had gotten off it.
Fuel...? The only things that got off were people?
Could it be that those people?
“Romance is canceled.”
Was this perhaps a Dystopian Setting?
I took my eyes off them and went back on my way. Let's just focus on the clear.
Following the path connecting the sectors, I arrived at Sector 1.
Having reached the vicinity of the Master Code Room while checking the interior map, I looked around and activated Stealth.
Hmm... Surprisingly, there are no guards?
After one followed the incredibly long corridor all the way to the end, there was a large door.
Next to the door, I discovered a complex circuit pattern like a recognition device.
I wondered if the door would open if I scanned the Workshop Master's Master Key here.
“Maybe this is easier than I thought?”
Since there was no one around, it seemed like the rest would be easy as long as I got the Master Key.
Of course, how difficult it would be to get the Master Key was the problem...
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
But couldn't I just go in with Teleportation?
Teleportation allowed me to move as much as I wanted as long as the Destination was an empty space, even if the Interspace was blocked. Also, even if the Destination wasn't visible, I could use it just by setting the direction.
It meant this door wouldn't be an obstacle at all.
Surely the door's thickness wouldn't exceed 10 meters.
I used Stop Time and Mental Concentration.
Excited at the thought of getting a free ride, I immediately used Teleportation, but...
Crackle!
Sparks flew, and with a shock as if I had crashed into something blocking me, Teleportation failed and my body was bounced backward.
“...??”
What the.
While I was panicking, the corridor suddenly dyed red and a siren blared.
- Intrusion Attempt Detected. Incineration.
The entire long corridor ceiling rattled open.
*At the same time, my Sixth Sense blared a loud alarm, screaming Death, death, death!*
“Well, crap...”
I'm screwed.
\[Would you like to exit the Tower?\]
I'll retry.
I immediately pressed the Emergency Escape Button and escaped outside.