N-A-A Page 125
Page 125
As the human Shura appeared to delay Chris Walker's progress, Asuna Yuuki also drew her razor, the shimmering crystal rapier, not because she wanted to fight, but because she wanted to use it to illuminate the path ahead.
Meanwhile, Kotoko Iwanaga condensed a burst of dark particles, creating her IBM, and together with Shura, went to delay Chris Walker's progress.
After opening the door on the side of the hall, what appeared before the four members of the team was a dark and deep corridor with clutter piled up on both sides.
"Forward!"
Yuuki Asuna, wielding a rapier that gleamed with light, led the charge. Although she was terrified of the eerie environment, as the only melee class in the team besides Asagiri, she had to take on the role of the team's trailblazer, especially since Asagiri was unable to use her Persona abilities after summoning the Human Shura.
Just as the four members of the team had run less than ten meters forward, Kotoko Iwanaga suddenly swayed, and Asagiri also sensed that the human Shura she had summoned had been destroyed.
It took less than five seconds in total.
In less than five seconds, the powerful human Shura and the black IBM particles known for their defensive capabilities were destroyed by Chris Walker, and...
Chris Walker directly tore him apart.
[Your Persona, Shura, has been destroyed. The trait "Rebirth of the End" has been activated, increasing your attack resistance and curse resistance.]
As heavy footsteps sounded behind her again, Asuna Yuuki, who was at the forefront, saw that the road ahead was blocked by a pile of debris, with only one gap left below that could be squeezed through.
She frowned slightly, and a glint of light appeared on the rapier in her hand. She was preparing to use her skill to clear away the obstacle in front of her, but Kotoko Iwanaga suddenly spoke up to stop her.
"Crawl through the gap!"
Although Yuuki Asuna didn't understand why, in this emergency, she still trusted Iwanaga Kotoko's judgment as always. However, instead of crawling into the gap directly, she made way for Kato Megumi and Iwanaga Kotoko to crawl through first.
As the two passed through the gap, Chris Walker, whose tall and muscular physique was exaggeratedly imposing, had already reached within five meters.
Although his movement speed wasn't particularly fast, it certainly wasn't slow either. Even with his tall and strong physique, he was still much faster than the average person.
"Sword technique, like flying stardust!"
Asuna Yuuki switched her weapon to the Exorcist Longsword and unhesitatingly activated her skill. Eight flashing sword beams appeared in the air and pierced Chris Walker's body at the same time.
"Bang, bang..."
Chris Walker took the hit head-on, but he only staggered back half a step. He wasn't pierced at all, and there wasn't even a scratch on his skin.
Taking advantage of the opening, Asuna Yuuki immediately squeezed through the gap, while Asagiri was about to crouch down and enter the gap as well, Chris Walker had already recovered and was about to attack him.
"I confronted him."
The moment Asagiri finished speaking, Crazy Mita suddenly appeared, a maniacal smile on her cute face, holding a grenade with its pins removed. She charged straight at Chris Walker, who was standing there, shouting excitedly.
"I'm going to explode!"
"boom!!!"
As the grenade exploded, kicking up a cloud of smoke and dust, Asagiri had already slipped through the gap and successfully reunited with Kato Megumi, Yuuki Asuna, and Iwanaga Kotoko.
Chris Walker, who had taken the blast head-on but remained unharmed, showed anger on his face. He stomped his foot heavily on the ground, causing the entire building to tremble slightly, and let out a furious roar like a wild beast.
Strangely, this obstacle, made up of miscellaneous items like tables, chairs, and fences, with gaps everywhere, should have been easily breached by Chris Walker's terrifying strength. Instead, it just roared there, like a hunter who had missed its prey, angry and resentful.
It glared at Asagiri with eyes filled with resentment, then turned and left, its massive body gradually disappearing into the corridor.
"Phew...that was a close call..."
Relieved, Asuna Yuuki leaned against the wall, still shaken.
"This dungeon actually has such terrifying monsters..."
Asagiri's face showed no sign of tension or fear; she simply spoke in a calm tone.
"If it weren't for that foolish gladiator, we wouldn't have been discovered by Chris Walker."
Kato Megumi remained calm, though her breathing was a little rapid due to the intense exercise, her emotions were very peaceful.
Why didn't he chase after us?
"That's the reason."
Kotoko Iwanaga raised her cane, trying to touch the barrier, but before her cane could touch the debris, it was blocked by a layer of black mist.
"This is……"
"Just like I said, the Giant Mountain Mental Hospital itself is eerie."
Kotoko Iwanaga observed the layer of black mist that the end of her cane touched and said thoughtfully.
"Although this barrier looks like just a pile of junk, it is part of the 'weird,' which is why Chris Walker, who is also a 'weird,' cannot break through it. As for whether we can destroy it... I don't know, but even if we waste our physical and mental energy to destroy this barrier, it will not benefit us at all."
"I see."
Asuna Yuuki nodded, her expression complex.
"That Chris Walker... he's way too strong. Crazy Mita's grenade, my Stardust Splash, Human Asura, and even the holy attribute skill used by that gladiator player before, none of them could penetrate his defense..."
"So it became interesting."
Hearing Asuna Yuuki's worried words, Asagiri responded with a smile and even a hint of anticipation, eager to try.
"In a dark and terrifying environment, while being chased by monsters, searching for a way to escape... just thinking about it..."
"I just find it very interesting."
66
Chapter 66 The Inside Story of the Giant Mountain
"Is this really interesting...?"
Seeing Yuuki Asuna's slightly helpless expression, Asagiri said in a serious tone.
"Of course, clearing horror dungeons with beautiful girls, while enjoying the thrill, you can also appreciate their adorable appearance with tears in their eyes, trembling with fear, yet pretending to be strong. Isn't that a kind of enjoyment?"
"Are you... are you a pervert...?"
Hearing Asagiri's words, Asuna Yuuki recalled how she had been on the verge of tears and almost reached her limit over the weekend, only to be excited by him even more. She also remembered that he had said something similar during the newbie dungeon a long time ago. Her pretty face flushed slightly as she spoke.
"You...you're definitely a pervert..."
"Really? You like this?"
Upon hearing this, Kotoko Iwanaga showed an eager expression and raised her hand.
"Hey, hey, I can cry too! I can cry! I'm really good at crying!"
Kato Megumi sighed, her tone gentle yet carrying the authority of an elder disciplining a child.
"The three of you, can we talk about crying after we clear the dungeon?"
Asagiri raised an eyebrow, looking slightly surprised.
"What, you want to cry too?"
Kato Megumi adjusted the hair tie she used to tie her hair into a high ponytail and said in a gentle tone.
"If you guys keep playing with abstract concepts, I might actually start to cry."
"Okay, let's get back to the topic."
Asagiri switched seamlessly between the abstract and serious player states. She immediately suppressed her smile, looked at the dark and dimly lit corridor on the other side, and pondered the current situation of everyone.
"First of all, we can be sure that Chris Walker was not only the most dangerous patient in this mental hospital when he was alive, but he should also be the most terrifying one after he became a ghost. If the four of us use all our strength, we might be able to destroy him, but according to Necro, this mental hospital itself is ghostly. We cannot rule out the possibility that even if we destroy Chris Walker, he will be resurrected like that withered man before. So it is best not to fight those mental patients and save our physical and mental energy."
"Yeah, I agree."
After Asuna Yuuki, Megumi Kato, and Kotoko Iwanaga all expressed their approval, Asagiri continued.
"Although this dungeon is full of urgency from the start, I believe that, like previous dungeons, this dungeon will follow two paths: one for ordinary players and the other for those who want to achieve a high-level completion rating. Judging from the current situation, escaping is the main task for ordinary players, while exploring why this mental hospital has become so strange, what exactly happened to those mental patients, and the truth behind all these strange events is the hidden mission for high-level players."
"If the difficulty of this instance is merely dodging the searches of those mentally ill patients and stealthily gathering intelligence, we should have Phantom with us, so we shouldn't worry. But..."
At this point, Asuna Yuuki suddenly frowned, walked up to Asagiri, and stared at him with a serious expression.
Why did you let me go through the gap first?
"I……"
Yuuki Asuna didn't give Asagiri a chance to speak, interrupting her directly.
“You are the only one in the team who can turn back time to revive. Once you die, time will automatically turn back. This is a one-time opportunity, so you absolutely cannot be the one to cover the rear. What if Chris Walker catches you but doesn't kill you, preventing you from committing suicide and making it impossible for you to rewind time, or what if even if you rewind for a full minute, you still can't escape the danger? I know you want to protect me, but next time we encounter this situation, I will cover the rear.”
"It's not about protection."
Faced with Asuna Yuuki's serious words, Asagiri smiled slightly.
"I just wanted to peek at you lying down from behind. You have a nice figure~"
"Screw you."
Asuna Yuuki blushed slightly and gently nudged Asagiri's shoulder, understanding that the other was using abstract language to defuse the serious atmosphere.
Asagiri isn't the type to be thinking about anything risqué in a dangerous dungeon, besides...
Not to mention the way he was dressed and lying down, he had already seen all his body in so many different positions. Why would he need to sneak a peek at this time?
"Don't worry, I understand."
Asagiri reached out and gently pinched Yuuki Asuna's cheek, smiling as she spoke.
"Next time there's a dangerous situation like this, I'll leave it to you to handle."
"That's good."
Asuna Yuuki blushed and turned her head away, speaking in a slightly shy tone.
"You... can rely on me more, I don't mind at all."
"Hey...you two, can you stop being so mushy?"
Kotoko Iwanaga puffed out her fair cheeks, her voice tinged with barely suppressed jealousy.
"Let's hurry up and continue exploring."
……
Twenty minutes later, in a room that resembled an office, furnished with several desks, computers, and filing cabinets.
"The computer won't turn on..."
Asagiri tried to turn on the computer, but there was no power and the desktop computer wouldn't start. Then he bent down and took a look, and found that the computer case was also completely destroyed.
"It seems we can't get any information from the computer."
"Leader, take a look at this."
Kotoko Iwanaga held a flashlight in one hand, placed a file folder on the desk, and read the words on it by the light of the flashlight.
"Frank Antonio Manella, nicknamed 'The Bone Saw Chef,' has a fetish for eating humans, is extremely mentally disturbed, has a history of drug abuse, and is emaciated..."
Upon hearing Kotoko Iwanaga read this, Megumi Kato immediately realized what was happening.
"The evil spirit we encountered in that kitchen-like place before, was it this 'bone saw chef'?"
"Based on the description of its appearance, it should be it."
Kotoko Iwanaga opened the file bag and took out several printed files. Sure enough, they contained more detailed information about the "Bone Saw Chef," and there was also a photo that should have been taken when he was admitted to the hospital. Although there were some differences, it was still clear that he was the same emaciated demon with messy hair and beard that the four members of the team had encountered before, holding a human head in his hands.
Kotoko Iwanaga had no interest in how many horrific and heinous crimes Frank Antonio Manella had committed before being imprisoned at the Giant Mountain Mental Hospital. The only thing that puzzled her was a line of small print at the very bottom of the information sheet.
[Assessment: Frank Antonio Manella is qualified to be a test subject]
"Experimental subject?"
Upon seeing the small print at the bottom, Kotoko Iwanaga frowned, a thoughtful look in her dark purple eyes, and murmured to herself.
"Frank Antonio Manella's physical condition is terrible. He has a serious history of drug abuse. His strength, stamina, health, and various physical functions are all below the average standard of a normal adult male. But how could such a guy be qualified to be a test subject? What kind of experiment would choose him as a test subject?"
Upon hearing this, Asuna Yuuki pondered for a moment before replying.
"Could it be that he was chosen for experiments because he was a severely mentally ill patient who had committed many horrific crimes? Even if someone like that died during an experiment, would no one hold Jushan Mental Hospital accountable?"
"No, that's not the case literally."
Kato Megumi extended her fair index finger and gently tapped the bottom line of small print.
"If being a mental patient is enough to qualify, there's absolutely no need to add this sentence, right? Didn't you and Leader already analyze this when you came last time? Giant Mountain Mental Hospital is different from ordinary mental hospitals. It's more like a heavily guarded prison prepared for those dangerous mental patients. If that's the case, then every patient should meet the criteria to become an experimental subject. There's no need to issue any kind of assessment or evaluation, right?"
"indeed."
Kotoko Iwanaga nodded, deep in thought.
"According to the records in this document, although Frank Antonio Manella is a perverted cannibal, he is just an ordinary human being without any special powers. The protruding bones and blood-stained appearance we saw before may be the power generated by his twisted soul after he turned into a monster, but we cannot rule out that it was due to this so-called 'experiment' that he turned into that kind of monster."