Whatever that was, I didn't want to know. It lunged at me, and I managed to kick it away mid-air, its form then disfigured and struck against a wall, breaking it. I approached it, but it was already gone. I saw it skitter away in my peripheral vision. I wanted to give chase, but it disappeared.
Anyway, I discovered a whole new area. The impromptu entrance that I've made revealed a spacious area, and it was hard to describe it. They have these tall structures with hundreds of windows on them. The windows felt like several oppressing eyes; it was like watching me.
There were four square green patches on the ground and a circular platform in the middle. I thought the green patches were grass, but they weren't. They were grass indeed, but made out of a malleable material; it was another mock display.
There were no doors, and there were even windows near the ground level. The one decent thing about this place was that it wasn't invaded by the sickening yellow shade and the electric buzzing. The color was neutral, similar to the inside of a bureaucratic or banking institution.
It was bland, but it provided me with some comfort.
I leaped forward, aiming for the tallest structure, breaking one of the windows. The room was empty, as always, but the ceiling lights were a whitish blue. A nice change, I thought again.
I explored the area, opening doors and kicking away several foundations. Some things were worth checking; this time, it was a mannequin. It had no clothes on display; it was naked and white.
A large rectangular banner was displayed behind it, and again, I couldn't decipher the language. There was a structure in the banner, akin to a huge manor.
However, the size was colossal compared to a manor; I could tell that much.
I thought that maybe the words had some clue; it would be a boon. I can easily learn a language, but I don't have a lot of reference, nor is there anyone around speaking this kind of language. There was only one hope, one patron.
|| Divine Protection of Understanding Foreign Languages ||= You can understand any foreign language upon hearing or reading it once, but it doesn't apply to any ancient tongues.
Od Laguna, always looking after me, I've already made several promises to honor her name and creations; it seems that I have to pile another gratitude on the already huge pile of appreciation.
I turn to the banner, and the words now make sense, as if I've been reading these kinds of words for a long time. I furrowed my brows, looking for any clue.
"The Grand Re-Opening..." I muttered, eye squinting. "New York Boulevard Mall..." The banner displayed a grand expansion of a mall, a big shopping place, and there was a date at the bottom. I don't know how to read this; the numbers were confusing, but it was most certainly a date.
April 8, 2000.
I have no idea what that meant; there wasn't a format like that where I came from. This place is growing stranger every day. Maybe this isn't the work of a single malevolent party out to get me. I already had a somewhat solid grasp of this place; it was akin to a prison, but for what?
I ignored the banner and continued walking forward, looking for anything useful. A foul stench caught my nose, another lost soul. However, this time, the decay wasn't as advanced. It was recent.
A sharp turn and there it was, the poor lost soul. It was another one of those men wearing yellow armor, but this time, it was different. There was a mask on his face, and his armor was thinner instead of the bulky ones that I've come across.
An oblong-shaped device was strapped behind his back, and the tip was covered in red paint. It was an apparatus to help him breathe; I am confident with that assessment. This man was curled in a fetal position. I could be exhausted from the man. He was running away, most likely from a threat.
His last thoughts were of his caring mother, based on his curled position, a sad sight. There was a small rectangular card beside him, an identification card.
"Terrence Hardin. ASync Research Institute Employee Card."
A small smile appeared on my face; the divine protection to understand foreign languages was paying off. A heavy pressure on my chest dissipated upon learning a clue. Whatever this place was, a group of people was studying it.
Maybe if I return this card and mark this place, they'll thankfully give me the exit. It's a research institute; they'd surely want their dead back. That's a guarantee. I explored the area again, looking for any extra clues.
A device, shaped like a black baton, had a button near the tip of it. I pushed it, and the device lit up, projecting a cone of bright white light. A tool that the man must've dropped. I muttered a quick prayer for the man and the help he's done. I made sure to make a mental note of the location of this man, along with the man who died from a great height.
Those two men were of average build; they don't have any great capabilities, so I doubt they've strayed far from the checkpoint or starting point of their research institute. However, they might've been displaced like me and then died alone.
No matter, with my speed, I can cover a lot of distance. I've put the exploration of that room full of water on hold for now, discovering this ASync was of the utmost priority. I've left the area; now I am heavily scouring the surrounding area, looking for any signs of human activity.
There it was again, that slight tingle. My senses were telling me that someone was watching me. Was it that monster from before? I turned behind, and the sensation was gone, abruptly vanishing.