Chapter 86: The Search Ensues
The sun set quickly. Noah watched helplessly as the glowing sun sank completely under the sea, and the whole world became buried in darkness. It was a similar sight she had woken up to yesterday. The night came sooner than when the sun rose to the heavens.
Noah had planned to wait until just midnight. If she were to descend to the operating room, there would be no turning back. Frightened to death, she prayed earnestly for Kyle to return without her having to go down.
However, she ran out of time as the hands of the clock pointed at exactly eleven o’clock. It was still an hour before midnight, but intuitively, she knew it was time to move.
The scenery beyond the round window was almost pitch black, and something felt strange. She exhaled a deep breath and rose from her seat.
“Mu, let’s go.”
The child, who looked out through the window with her, hopped off the chair. Noah was already finished preparing. She wore light pajamas with a shawl wrapped around her so that if anyone saw her, she could excuse herself, saying she had come out for a drink. She also bought the pouch containing helpful items.
She slowly opened the door and crept into the hallway. The hallway was brightly lit even though the night was deep. Noah lightened her steps, walking swiftly over the long corridor towards the elevator.
Suddenly, there was a sound of dragging. It was coming to her side. Noah stiffened until she saw an approaching waiter, pushing a serving cart.
“Madame? What is the matter? May I help you?” He asked.
“…No, I just want to get some fresh air.”
“The door to the walking deck is on this side, madame.”
“Thank you.” Noah opened the door he was pointing at and arrived at the deck. The sea breeze blew against them, sweeping her shawl away.
“The ship stopped,” muttered Muell.
“…Yes.”
It explained the strangeness she had felt earlier in their room. The ship had stopped moving. Noah leaned over the railing. She could see the waves crashing into the ship, but the ship remained steady.
Muell, who was dangerously walking on the railing, suddenly spoke. “I can’t feel the flow of mana under the boat.”
Like trains, the ferry was driven by a steam engine that utilized mana to function excellently. If the supply of mana was cut off, it would naturally stop operating.
Noah placed her head over the railing and looked up. If the mana machine had broken down, it would have been the first report to the captain’s office, but there was no response still. Her worst assumptions were becoming reality.
So the ship itself, even before it even started, might have already been taken over by a group of people who were after us..’
“…Let’s go, Mu.”
There was no time for further delay. They had to go down and get Kyle out, and figure out who was after her and Lenia. She hugged Muell tightly, desperate for comfort, and returned inside. Soon, they were standing in front of the elevator.
Just in time, the elevator stopped on the fourth floor, where they were. The elevator guide was still out of sight. She opened the door with trembling hands and entered the square wooden box, feeling completely trapped.
“God, Buddha, Jesus. Please don’t let anything bad happen…” Noah pressed the button, praying to the gods she had never believed in in her entire life.
First floor, the button that leads to the mana operating room.
The elevator rattled as soon as her finger touched the button. She then flung her arms around Muell, on the verge of breaking down.
“It’s all right, Noah.” The little boy said, rubbing Noah’s back. Without him, Noah might have had a heart attack already.
The elevator began to descend slowly. Outside the door, they passed the lobby on the third floor, but the elevator went down further. A few seconds passed, which felt like an eternity to Noah, and the elevator hit the floor with a dull sound.
Let’s calm down, Noah. Stay calm, Noah. Can someone hypnotize me?
She pushed open the door of the elevator, and a panoramic view of the mana operating room was revealed in front of her eyes.
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