kingnovel Chapter 59 (Bonus Chapter as Compensation)
Chapter 59 (Bonus Chapter as Compensation)
"...A demon contractor has appeared at the Nisolia City Museum."
The girl opened her eyes, waking from a disturbing dream. Her body felt tired, her muscles ached, as if she had just been through torture. She felt as if she were trapped in a nightmare, a disturbing dream that left her breathless.
The feeling of suffocation lingered in her mind. She remembered hands covering her mouth, the terror making it impossible for her to breathe. Then, she smelled blood, a stench that made her stomach churn and she felt utterly nauseous.
Gradually, the sound of the television and a calm woman's voice reached her ears, pulling her back to reality from her nightmare.
"According to information released by the government, the attack has resulted in 20 deaths, and the number of injured has reportedly exceeded 500."
The girl was confused and tried to understand her situation. She found herself in an unfamiliar place with white walls all around her, a stark contrast to the pink, girlish decor of her own room.
"Mother?"
The girl's voice trembled as she called out, seeking familiar comfort.
"simple?"
Her mother's soothing voice responded to her, becoming her support amidst confusion and fear.
"Mother."
Jane's voice trembled as she nestled tightly in her mother's arms, finding solace in her embrace.
Are you alright? Do you feel unwell anywhere?
The mother's voice trembled slightly, revealing her concern for her daughter's safety.
"I...I'm fine now, Mom. I'm okay."
Jane tried her best to appear strong and comfort her mother, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her true feelings.
But how could a mother not know how her daughter felt? Seeing her daughter hugging her tightly, Kaya noticed that she was trying hard to appear strong.
'This...she really is my daughter.'
She remembered the things she used to do when she was young.
“It’s okay, Jane. You can cry now.”
"Really?"
"Yes, I'm here."
As Kaya spoke, she felt a slight dampness on her chest.
She gently patted her daughter's back, comforting her. She knew her daughter was just a little girl who had never experienced anything like this before.
Dong dong dong
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
“Miss Kaya, may I come in?” It was the voice of a serious-looking woman in her early twenties. “The video you requested is ready.”
Kaya looked at her daughter, who was silently weeping in her arms, and heard the woman's words.
"Please wait a moment."
She replied that she decided to spend a little more time with her daughter.
"Understood, I'll wait."
So she comforted her daughter like a mother would, letting her cry as much as she wanted.
......
creak
The door creaked slightly, and a serious-looking woman entered the room. Her calm demeanor contrasted sharply with the atmosphere before her.
“Miss Kaya,” she greeted respectfully, holding a small tablet computer with a slightly glowing screen.
Kaya stood up from her seat, her eyes filled with anticipation. There must be a reason why she specifically requested the recording.
"You said the recording is ready, right?" Kaya asked, her eyes fixed on the secretary.
“Yes,” the secretary confirmed. “As you requested, we have found usable video footage.”
"Then, show it to me."
The secretary hesitated for a moment before speaking: "However, there was a problem. The footage captured by the cameras that were in use at the time wasn't very valuable."
Kaya frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure in her expression. She had hoped the video recording would reveal the truth about what happened that day, but now it seemed her hopes might not be fulfilled.
“What do you mean by ‘not much value’?” Kaya’s tone was a mixture of curiosity and impatience. She didn’t like things being handled hastily.
"Hmm." The secretary began to explain, her tone calm, "The view in the video was mostly obscured, the screen was full of shadows, and there was only a blurry figure moving in the shadows, which was almost impossible to see clearly."
Kaya's curiosity was piqued. She decided not to give up, and despite the difficulties, she was determined to find out the details.
"Could you explain what 'shadow' means in more detail?" Kaya asked further.
“Let me demonstrate,” the secretary replied, tapping the tablet screen to start a recording. The recording began, but the image quality was less than ideal. Initially, the camera only captured some normal footage.
But soon, a small-scale battle broke out. The vibrations of the battle could be felt through the video footage, but the camera angles provided very limited information.
In the chaos of battle, the already blurry camera view became even more distorted. Shadows filled the screen, obscuring the image. In this darkness, a figure moved through the shadows—a small, seemingly petite figure.
No detail of the figure could be discerned; clothing, hair, and even gender were indistinguishable, leaving only a mysterious outline.
"Aren't there any cameras at other angles?" Kaya asked, her tone clearly showing dissatisfaction.
“No,” the secretary replied. “The shockwave from the attack destroyed all the other cameras; only this one survived.”
Kaya remained focused, her mind already racing as she considered how to extract more clues from the limited information available.
“We need to analyze this figure,” Kaya said firmly. “I hope to extract all usable details from the video. Enhance the shadows, find any possible features, anything that can help us identify this figure.”
The secretary nodded in understanding. "Of course, Miss Kaya. We will do our best to enhance and extract any possible details."
Kaya's resolve remained unwavering. "I need a comprehensive analysis. To create a file on this figure, to estimate its height, leg length, build, and any clues that can help us understand who it is or what it is."
The secretary quickly jotted down the instructions on the tablet. "Understood. We'll do our best to extract as much information as possible from the video."
Kaya was determined to uncover the truth behind this mysterious figure. "Also, cross-reference this file with any available records or databases. We may not have many leads, but any clue could be invaluable."
As her secretary continued writing additional instructions, Kaya's gaze never left the tablet screen. Her hands gripped the edge of the table tightly, demonstrating her unwavering determination.
"Once the files are completed, they will be distributed to the relevant departments. We need to take the lead in identifying who masterminds this attack and figuring out why it happened."
The secretary's voice was reassuring. "We'll handle it, Miss Kaya. We'll utilize all available resources."
"Very well. You may leave now."
After the woman left, Kaya was left with only her own thoughts.
'That figure. For some reason, I instinctively felt he was very young.'
The demon contractor and his voice had been recorded by her watch, which she had activated during the battle.
But the image of the unknown attacker who fired the shot lingered in a corner of her mind. For some reason, she couldn't shake it off.
What is his goal? What if next time he really intends to target Jane's life?
Although there is no conclusive evidence that the man intended to kill her daughter, what if he did?
The question lingered in her mind, and she returned to her daughter's room.
......
Following the attack, the subsequent release of monsters forced the planned orientation activities to be cut short. We all returned to the academy, an unshakeable unease hanging in the air, like an inescapable shadow.
"I'm so sorry that our first trip ended like this," the club president said, his voice heavy with unease. His initial enthusiasm for the club had been dampened by the day's events, and he appeared visibly distressed.
“Anyway, I’ll keep everyone informed about our next trip arrangements. Have a nice Sunday,” he added, his waving goodbye carrying a sense of farewell and disbandment. As the meeting ended, the club members left in different directions. After the crowd dispersed, I returned to my room.
As I settled in, I couldn't help but reflect on my recent actions. The items I had stolen from the museum were safely hidden inside my bracelet.
Moonstone, Luminas, Celestial Flower, Rainbow Scales
All these valuable items were stolen directly from the museum's collection. I deliberately distracted myself while taking the moonstone to conceal my true objective.
My reasoning was simple: I didn't want people to think that moonstone was my only goal. It was a carefully planned move to keep my motives ambiguous, although I doubted anyone would care too much.
Anyway, with these materials in hand, I returned to my room and began to reflect on what had happened during my trip today.
'I never expected a battle between two high-ranking figures to be so different. As expected, games fall far short when it comes to making things seem realistic.'
Observing the duel between two high-ranking figures, I couldn't help but marvel at the gap in their abilities. This experience was eye-opening, even though the visual effects were far from perfect.
'Games simply can't match the realism of these battles.' I realized that witnessing such a high level of combat firsthand showed me the limitations of how games depict reality.
'No wonder the college's internship program is so popular.' This realization dawned on me. Facing such powerful figures, and seeing the gap between their strength and mine, I understood that I was still far from my goal.
"I'm still too weak." This fact lingered in my mind. Although I never considered myself particularly strong, my low ranking in the game gave me a sense of pride. I had thought that I could make up for the gap through hard training.
'That's not enough. With this level of training, how can I face her? How can I face the people I want to kill? What if that man had been stronger?'
However, this is not the case. Just like what happens in a museum, the game's plot cannot cover everything that happens in this universe.
What happens when I face an enemy far beyond the game's default level? A sobering thought comes to mind: it's foolish to assume invincibility simply because you know about future events in the game.
"How naive I was," I silently berated myself. My understanding of the game's progress blinded me to my own limitations. This fact served as a stark reminder that I couldn't overcome every obstacle solely through precognition.
“I need to work harder. The events in the story are about to happen. I don’t have much time to waste.”
The battle I had just witnessed kept replaying in my mind. I put myself in Kaya Hartley's shoes and wondered what would have happened if she hadn't been there.
'I will die. All my ambition, all my reasons for living.'
Everything will vanish like a bubble.
I stood up from where I was sitting, took the moonstone out of the bracelet, and stared at it.
That strange connection still exists, but I don't know how I can use this material.
'Should I use it as a weapon?'
I don't have many moonstones right now, which means I can't use them to make weapons.
'If that's the case, then I should go and find more of this material.'
I remembered the villain in the game who used the power of the moon, and I looked up.
'However, weapons are secondary.'
I released the magic in my hands, trying to form a small thread. It was difficult at first, but I gradually improved my control over the magic.
'I need to improve my mana control and magical abilities first. Without using its power, the weapon's power is meaningless.'
With this in mind, I picked up my training materials and headed towards the training field.
It's time to start training hard.