Chapter 14
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Episode 4 - New Record [2] ─────────────────────────────────
The noise the Anomaly created sounded like footsteps, like when a person has just come out of the bathroom and walks barefoot, making that sound against the floor.
Placing my hand on the shelf where there were packaged products and small boxes.
I slowly moved the products to see to the other side of the shelf.
Slowly and without making noise, I moved them, and looking through the darkness of the place, I could see a hallway that led directly to the door.
That meant that I was at the back of the store entrance.
So I slowly turned my body and looked behind me.
'As expected.'
A wall covered with shelves full of beer from various cheap brands.
Then I turned my head to the left, noticing that there was a door that was possibly a storage room.
'First, I should go to the storage room and look for the key. If it really isn't the key, then there should be an exit in the storage room from which I will need to look for new clues.'
Already forming an idea of the possible events to create.
I began to move while crouching, trying not to be discovered by the Anomaly.
Meanwhile, the golden illusory quill in my hand, I began to move it and write.
"Sherlock Holmes manages to reach the storage room door just before being discovered by the Anomaly, and because he closed the door in time, the Anomaly was unable to enter."
This was to ensure success in entering the storage room without being killed by the Anomaly and possibly starting over.
Also, I was not sure if the restart after dying would make the Anomaly change location just like myself.
Making me have fewer chances of reaching the storage room and dying a second time.
'Besides, the amount of Supernatural Power that this ability consumes is absurd, but the good side is that my Path automatically gave me an enormous amount of Supernatural Power compared to fusionable paths.'
Perhaps this was one of the advantages of having a Divine Path.
The amount of Supernatural Power was abnormally superior to that of any Path.
Of course, as a reader, I more or less intuitively knew that my Path has an enormous amount of Supernatural Power, almost on par with a Path 7 of the Fusionable Paths.
After moving slowly, I was less than two meters from the door just when I heard the barefoot steps of the Anomaly.
Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!
Suddenly, the steps became faster than normal. I looked back and realized that the Anomaly was already coming toward me.
At the same time, the hair on my entire body stood on end, and I felt goosebumps.
The face of the Anomaly was black and white, which reminded me of the entity that appeared in one of the Backrooms levels known as The Smile.
The rest of the Anomaly's body was elongated and completely black, with long claws.
The way it ran was sometimes that of a human, other times that of a four-legged animal.
I quickly sprinted, reaching the door that led to the storage room.
When I reached the door, I quickly grabbed the handle and turned it, opening the door, then pushed it toward myself and entered immediately.
Clank!!!
I closed the door as fast as I had entered. After about a second, the low, screeching growls of the Anomaly resonated strongly.
Scrrrk!!! Scrrrk!!! Scrrrk!!! Scrrrk!!!
Then the Anomaly began to scratch the wooden door like a cat.
I began to suspect whether this Anomaly had enough strength in its claws to tear apart the wooden door.
'Forget it, I need to investigate this place quickly, but before that…'
I knew that the Anomaly might not stop scratching the door, therefore…
"... After a minute, the Anomaly got tired of scratching the door, and because of that, it moved far enough away to allow Sherlock Holmes to leave with some luck."
To give logic and more strength to the probability that these words would become reality.
I not only need to favor my situation and that of others, but I also need to give myself some negative wording, for example, the last sentence I wrote.
Otherwise, the probability would drop to less than 50%, causing my words not to become reality.
'Fortunately, I already know how this ability works and what its limitations are… Mhm, I should call it "Probability Phrases." Yes, that's fine, so as not to call it simply an ability.'
Next, I began to look around the warehouse.
First, the typical things in a warehouse, full of boxes, others stacked on top of each other, etc.
Unexpectedly, the warehouse of a simple shop was somewhat large, with enough space to fit a vehicle.
On the other side of the warehouse, at the back, there was a table with some things on it.
As I approached, I took a list with things to buy, as well as dates, etc.
When I first reviewed the products that were going to be bought, I looked at the date.
"Wednesday, February 7."
There was no year; however, that was not a problem.
'These should be the things to buy in about… three days. Is this another clue?'
The automatic exit was three days later, which meant that to leave there might be more than one way.
And this possibility was time itself.
'However, this is not enough. I need to find out more.'
Then I looked at the other dates; this time they were from some old products that had not yet been sold, and their expiration dates were close or even today.
Then I looked at the rest and found nothing relevant, so I left the list on the table and looked around some more.
After checking, I found nothing else. I walked to the other side of the warehouse after searching around the table, finding nothing that existed.
'I only found one clue related to the expiration dates of the products, so it is considered a possible clue.'
Walking toward the other end of the warehouse, I noticed a metal roll-up door used to keep the main entrance secure, like in warehouses.
Seeing this, I thought.
'Combining the expiration dates of the products and the purchases within three days, does that mean this might open if I do something correct using the expiration date? However, how?'
The first thing I should consider was whether my thoughts were on the right track or if I was simply overthinking it.
For a test that tries to get out as quickly as possible and create a new record, many possible escape routes had to be considered.
For example, finding a key; however, after a long consideration, I thought there was no key.
That was because the shop owner would take the key and obviously would not leave it behind, because in any case, outside there was a metal roll-up door that covered the entire entrance.
Taking the key was very normal; however, the roll-up door of the warehouse was different.
Connecting the simple points, such as the dates, there was a high probability that this was the case.
'All that remains is that I don't know how to perform the action.'
After a few seconds, I decided it was time to leave the warehouse.
Most likely, I would find the answer outside the warehouse, right at the counter where purchases were paid.
Turning the knob of the wooden door, I made as little noise as possible to get out.
Once outside, I did not completely close the door behind me.
This was because perhaps the warehouse was the exit of this Passage.
Looking around, I noticed that the Anomaly was not nearby.
Once it was confirmed that I was not in danger, the next thing I had to do was look for a product that expired today.
'If I am correct, in convenience stores there are usually many expired products, so the owner takes them to the register to note the expired products and then call someone to take them away.'
Only then did I reach a conclusion and quickly began to write.
"Sherlock Holmes managed to guess the way to leave the Passage, so after obtaining an expired product, he registered it at the register and confirmed that this was the way out."
Of course, there was a possibility that even if probability allowed me to make this a reality, it was possible that it would give me an error.
That error would create a variable, and perhaps the variable was related to the Anomaly.
After some consideration, I took an expired product that had to be registered today so that it could be brought in.
Quickly, I looked for the counter. Once I found it, I crouched and walked toward it, then looked at the cash register where the money was kept.
"..."
I extended my hand and opened the cash register. I had a strong intuition for money, so without a doubt, I checked to see if there was anything and…
'Money!!!'
Taking out the bundles of bills called Lines, I counted them and was met with an enormous surprise.
'Damn it, it's ten thousand fucking Lines… Hahaha, I'm rich, damn it.'
Putting the Lines into my pockets and arranging some inside my black vest, I managed to fit all the bundles of bills.
'According to the novel, if you obtain Lines or any object or thing, you can take them out into the real world, so these Lines should exit into reality even if this Passageway is artificial.'
I even came to suspect that these ten thousand Lines were left as a reward by the Supernatural Registration Department and that no one had thought to find them.
However, that doesn't matter to me.
Because I had ten thousand Lines.
That was a huge amount of money that an ordinary person could never spend in their lifetime if they had normal expenses.
Leaving behind my joy and madness over the money, I looked for a notebook where the expired products were registered.
I quickly found it and then registered the expired product.
Next to where the notebook was, there was a stamp, and taking the stamp,
I placed the notebook where it was, then pressed the stamp firmly onto the page where I had registered the product.
After lifting the stamp, suddenly a sound came from the warehouse.
"...?"
I was stunned for a few seconds before realizing the meaning.
'So this was the fastest way out that could be found, just register an expired product to speed up the exit time and escape.'
Unexpectedly, it was very easy; however, for someone new and entering for the first time,
it was undoubtedly a fairly difficult test.
Additionally, calculating the time I was in here, it was around ten minutes, which in reality is equivalent to around 25 seconds or more.
'Isn't that an absurd record time compared to the other records?'
The current record was only seven hours, while if I leave right now, that would be equivalent to more than 25 seconds in reality.
'Besides, Doyle said he could tell whether I had escaped or had said that I gave up, while escaping would make the Supernatural Power in the crystal disappear, surrendering would be equivalent to an increase in Supernatural Power over the crystal.'
I quickly took action and began to run toward the warehouse.
At that very moment, the Anomaly jumped from a distance of three meters, landing in front of me.
'Damn it…'
Writing in the air as fast as possible, I only wrote a single sentence.
"Before the Anomaly could reach Sherlock Holmes with its attack, he managed at the last second to dodge and roll directly toward the warehouse door."
To make sure I could dodge the Anomaly's claw attack,
I had to write so that the words would become real; however.
"..."
"I have failed."
Unexpectedly, my words did not become reality.
As I dodged the Anomaly's claws, at that moment two of its claws pierced the corner of my abdomen, tearing it apart.
My internal organs, my stomach, my viscera, and my intestines, spilled out through the tear.
The Anomaly, without stopping, moved its head and opened its enormous mouth.
Long, white fangs, while it maintained a strange and distorted smile.
The Anomaly's mouth finally tore off my head, leading to my death without me being able to do anything.