Chapter 8
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Episode 2 - Supernatural Registration Department [2] ─────────────────────────────────
I retraced my steps along the path the guide had previously taken me to reach the office of the leader of the School.
Once I went back, I returned to a spacious hall with a counter where there was a blonde woman with blue eyes, wearing a uniform.
The hall had seats on both sides and pots with tall blood-red flowers. At the back, a double glass door could be seen, through which pedestrians and the street were visible, with carriages and bicycles passing by. Streetlamps illuminated the roads beneath a sky covered in white smoke and the faint light of the moon.
As I approached the counter, the receptionist raised her gaze and smiled.
"What can I help you with?"
Lowering my voice slightly, I replied:
"The leader of the Black School told me that here they would give me the keys to my dormitory and its location."
The receptionist nodded, turned toward the back where there were cabinets with locks and serial numbers, opened one, and took out a pair of keys along with a card.
"Room 508, on the fifth floor. The building is right next door."
Taking the keys from the woman, who appeared to be in her twenties, I replied:
"Thank you. I am Sherlock Holmes. I believe we will see each other often."
The receptionist nodded with a slight smile.
"I believe so too. I am Charlotte Hillston."
I nodded in return, turned around, and headed toward the exit.
Once outside, I took a deep breath and for a moment was about to cough violently. I pursed my lips and thought:
'Damn it, I could get sick if I breathe like this… The air is very toxic in this world.'
I looked toward the adjacent building and noticed that it was a massive five-story apartment building, with an entrance for carriages and steam vehicles, as well as space for bicycles.
As I walked along the sidewalk, I observed steam lamps illuminating the streets.
It was at that moment that I realized, once again, that I was in the world of
***
Once inside the building, I headed straight for the stairs. After a few minutes, I finally found the room corresponding to number 508. I opened the door with the key.
The first thing I saw was a fairly spacious room with several pieces of furniture.
On one side of the room there was a hallway with four doors and one at the end: a bathroom, an office, two bedrooms, and a storage room. At the other end of the room was a fully equipped kitchen, and directly opposite the entrance, double glass doors with curtains led to a balcony equipped with a chair and a table.
As soon as I entered the room, the first thing that caught my attention was an iron box placed in the center of the small table between the sofas.
On top of the iron box rested a letter.
…
Supernatural Fragment.
In accordance with the instructions of your request, this is the Supernatural Fragment that you have chosen.
Please remember that once you ingest the Supernatural Fragment, there will be no turning back.
Finally, when the synchronization of the Supernatural Fragment is complete and you are able to advance to a Pathway 8, you must have the necessary contributions, obtaining Ghost Passes to acquire the Supernatural Fragment corresponding to Pathway 8.
Sincerely,
Supernatural Registry Department.
From the
Leader: Dawne Johnson.
…
Realizing that the box contained a Supernatural Fragment, as mentioned by the leader of Dawne School, I quickly placed the raffle box next to the iron one.
Then I took the iron box and lifted the lid.
Inside it was a black-colored cushion, and at the center, a kind of crystal the size of a thumb.
The crystal was not completely transparent, and its shape was that of a perfect triangle with four points.
At the center of the crystal there was a surface with a design that looked as if it had been chiseled.
The drawing depicted an eye from which several hands emerged.
Although the Fragment possessed a semi-transparent coloration, the design within the crystal was inherent to its nature.
"A Supernatural Fragment is what grants Anomalous power, and whoever consumes it will automatically be designated as an Anomalous."
An Anomalous is a human who, after ingesting a Supernatural Fragment, acquires supernatural powers and awakens a variety of abilities.
There are two ways to obtain a Supernatural Fragment.
The first is simply to eliminate an Anomaly of any Sequence.
The Fragment is located in its head, and the Path obtained may be random or specific.
For example, the Supernatural Fragment of a broadcaster could belong to the Psychic Path.
'The jester's and that Anomaly from the third scenario… I don't know their possible Paths.'
The Path refers to the power that can be obtained by consuming the Supernatural Fragment.
For example, the Path of Light, one that is quite common among Anomalous beings.
The design or symbol that such a Fragment would have would be that of a radiance, and the person who obtains it can immediately recognize which Path it belongs to.
Now, the second way to obtain a Fragment is to participate in the "game" of an Anomaly of a Sequence higher than 7.
Upon concluding the game, the Anomaly may give you a random Supernatural Fragment, not a specific one.
'An eye with hands… it belongs to the Path of the Eternal. The original Sherlock Holmes had planned to enter the Supernatural world by starting precisely with the Path of the Eternal.'
The Path of the Eternal is one of those with the fewest Anomalous beings.
The reason is that Pathway 4 of the Path of the Eternal has never been found.
'In
This is because, in a Fused Path, there is no predetermined Supernatural Fragment for Pathways 8, 7, 6, etc. You would have to investigate and determine which Fragments are compatible to fuse and thus create Pathway 8 of the new path.
'Taking that into account, the fusion of Paths and the discovery of new ones by combining Fragments…'
Although it is a task with very low chances of progress,
fused Paths are considered those that possess the strongest supernatural powers, with the potential to grant unique and powerful abilities.
Looking at the Supernatural Fragment on the box, I took it and then noticed that there was a small note attached.
…
Eternal Path.
Supernatural fragment obtained from a Sequence 5 Anomaly, called "Eternal Wanderer".
Description: An Anomaly found within the range of the
…
'The supernatural powers of this Path are not specified, but as a reader of the novel, I have more or less an idea.'
Leaving the Supernatural Fragment in its place.
I thought that, for the moment, I would not consume the Supernatural Fragment and would leave it for later.
Meanwhile, my attention focused on the mysterious lottery box.
That box that, possibly, was the cause of bringing me into
Sitting in front of the box, I took a deep breath, then slowly let the air escape and opened it.
---
Feeling enormous anxiety about what I might find inside, I opened the box slowly.
Then, I tilted my head forward to see what was inside, and the first thing I found was:
"Clothes, a hat, a tie… Is this a joke?"
My first impression was disappointment.
I took out the clothes, which I recognized immediately.
In one of the protagonist's illustrations, an outfit exactly like this one appeared.
Once I set the clothes aside, I looked again at what remained inside.
The second thing I noticed was a small box made of silver; next to it, there was a notebook, and, remembering the paper that had flown when I was in the first scenario, I looked more closely.
Then, I saw that there was a diary; at that moment, when I saw it, I recognized it immediately.
'Isn't this the protagonist's Diary, where not only dozens of Paths are written, but also information about sects, cults, clans, gods, and Anomalies, as well as the names of mysterious characters important to the story of this world?'
I did not take the Diary immediately; I looked underneath it and found stickers similar to the ones I had been given before.
Also, a strange coin with a word engraved:
"Babylon…"
I was unfamiliar with both the word and the coin; something like that had never been mentioned in the novel.
Aside from the coin, there was a walkie-talkie that, obviously, did not belong to this era and, lastly, a case.
"This is everything the box contains. What should I look at first?"
Feeling anxious, I looked at the small silver box.
There were very valuable objects, but the silver box puzzled me, as did the walkie-talkie, which did not correspond to this era.
Taking the silver box, I removed the lid, and what I found was…
"Another Supernatural Fragment…"
Even so, I held back my disappointment, despite the fact that I had already been given a Supernatural Fragment before. However…
"And it's not the same color that all Supernatural Fragments have in common! This one is golden!"
I exclaimed, incredulous, upon seeing the golden color instead of the semi-transparent tone that characterizes Supernatural Fragments.
Taking the Supernatural Fragment with trembling hands, I quickly observed its design.
It was an enormous castle rising into the skies; inside it, a throne could be distinguished, and above the drawing, there was a word:
"Babylonian… Could this be the name of the Path of this Supernatural Fragment? But why is it golden in color…"
Puzzled, because the existence of a Supernatural Fragment of a different color had never been mentioned in the novel.
I looked at it for several seconds.
The first word that came to my mind was one:
"True God… Could this be a path that brings me closer to the Creator of everything? It is said that no path leads you to or brings you closer to the true God, but the color of this fragment is golden, which could represent divinity…"
A series of theories arose in my head; however, I had to leave it for later.
There were still things left to review and, as my former department head used to say: first finish what you were doing and then continue with what you left pending.
Suppressing my curiosity and my thoughts, I set the golden Fragment aside and looked at the walkie-talkie.
'This is the second strangest thing.'
I decided to turn on the walkie-talkie to see if someone would respond or what it might pick up.
At that moment, a sound of interference was heard, as if it were searching for a signal.
Just when I thought I wouldn't receive anything, a strange voice resonated:
〖Eat the divine Fragment〗