Chapter 89: Elyssia B III.
The whole group looked around the room once, scanning through each item around the house.
Airi spoke with an annoyed voice:
"What the hell does this house have?"
Ayaka sighed.
"Anyway, still need to complete the trial, just try searching."
Takeshi nodded.
"In a bit I will try searching this whole house to see if there's anything good."
Knock... knock…
A crude knocking sound rang out merging with the rain and thunder outside, like a disjointed music piece.
The whole group was nonchalant. Immediately went into an alert state, turned sharply over. Eyes fixed on the door with anxiety. The sound of their hearts beating was like someone punching their chests.
Elyssia also tried to appear panicked along, her voice small:
"What happened?"
* "Not good, likely that boy. If so the man likely will chase here immediately, must do something."
Takeshi spoke with a small but firm tone with a simple warning:
"Everyone be careful."
Knock... knock…
That sound still rang out without slowing or decreasing.
STAB!!!
BOOM!!!
A sword as if piercing through flesh, then pierced through the door, blood on the blade still remained and dripped down to the stone floor and soaked in.
All four kept the same expression, that was shock, two eyes wide, staring fixedly at the dripping sword. Their hearts were like drums in their chests and jumping chaotically.
SLIDE!!!!
The sword was pulled back, leaving a small crevice on the wooden door still stained with blood. The door slightly moved inward because of that stabbing force.
An eye looked into the crevice on the door, soulless and bloodthirsty.
The door slowly pushed open in a deliberate way, a "creak" sound rang out hauntingly and covered their minds.
All four people slowly stood up, ready for all emergency situations without anyone saying a word. Eyes still followed without leaving the gradually opening door.
Elyssia immediately turned and ran, she knew who stepped in, spoke loudly and warned:
"Run fast... follow me."
She ran toward the crevice at the base of the stairs and leading down below. The remaining three also were very surprised, but had to run along.
Elyssia grabbed the stick with the glowing stone on the stairs and led the way.
Hearing a loud sound, the door burst open no longer slowly. The man saw all four of them running, he also ran along, face clearly showing madness and bloodlust.
Running into the tunnel, Airi ran after Elyssia, voice hurried and confused:
"What happened?"
Elyssia while running spoke:
"I don't know, but I feel danger. He also chased immediately after, seems he wants to kill us."
…
BOOM!
Elyssia burst open the door, in front of her were those wooden crates, but she already knew and ran to the right.
* "Damn it, two houses connected. Likely have to run outside for real."
She immediately didn't think much but ran to the stairs and ran up.
Airi running after also frowned in confusion.
* "Could her eyes see that fast?"
Running up, but time didn't give them rest. Elyssia knew that, she ran straight to the door and spoke loudly:
"Outside."
All four immediately ran outside and disappeared from each other's sight.
Elyssia knew that, but she had no other way, stood still and face sank full of regret.
* "No other way, sorry."
* "So I lost another good house."
Looking around, she began searching for other houses again.
…
The sound of panting rang out again, Elyssia was running with Airi, Takeshi and Ayaka. All four burst open the door and immediately ran outside.
Elyssia once again was hit by the raindrops she was used to, no longer shivering because of it.
Stiffened for an interval, she opened eyes wide when in front were many Elyssias walking through each other.
* "Huh? See it. What after all?"
* "When was the last time I could see them? Why now suddenly appearing again? Is there a reason?"
Frowned observing, she remembered the last time she saw her own self outside like this.
* "Last time was the only time I saw, then disappeared. Now appearing again."
* "If so, surely the issue lies in stepping out or into a house."
She walked near the copies wandering around, some copies had listless faces sitting on the ground like they lost their souls.
Observing them, she put her hand through their bodies, no sensation, no shivers, as if just putting the hand forward.
* "If now I step into another house, then step out then certainly cannot see anymore."
She had a premonition the trial would plant necessary things outside, not inside.
Pressed close to a copy absorbed in thought, she stared fixedly at the mouth mumbling something.
* "Is the trial observing copies and collecting information through lip-reading?"
* "I still have the feeling it's inside the house, moreover if meeting another 'me' inside a house, can exchange information more easily compared to this lip-reading."
She turned and wanted to find a house, she was wanting to confront her own self in any house.
Walked to the familiar door she had looked at too many times, so much that she didn't bother noticing any details.
Put her eye to the crevice and looked inside. Elyssia, Ayaka, Airi and Takeshi, each person sat in one posture, someone lying on the table, someone propping hands,... They seemed quite discouraged.
Elyssia without hesitation pushed the door open, she was ready to face them.
* "Should I pretend to be surprised or tell them?"
Seeing the door opened, all four people in the room immediately stood up alertly, eyes full of surprise looking at the other Elyssia standing outside the door with a cold face.
(Elyssia inside the house is B, Elyssia outside is A).
Elyssia B with skeptical and alert eyes, stared fixedly with seriousness. She spoke loudly with an interrogating voice:
"Who are you?"
The three saw Elyssia B speak then turned over, then turned back looking at Elyssia A with alertness not yet gone.
Elyssia A, voice nonchalant:
"I am Elyssia."
Ayaka panicked.
"Two Elyssias?"
Takeshi: "I think this is a differentiation trial."
Airi glanced at both, then spoke loudly:
"This can be grasped. Now we need to ask to know."
Elyssia B was silent, she was disappointed when they were in here with her initially, yet didn't believe. But she also understood the current situation.
Elyssia A stepped inside. Seeing that, Airi pointed toward the table and said:
"Come inside and sit to make talking easier."
Airi cast her gaze looking at both Elyssias.
* "Could it be a monster? Possible this trial has it. Or the trial forces finding the real Elyssia."
Ayaka, Takeshi and Airi left their seats for Elyssia A to sit. Both Elyssias sat opposite and looked at each other. Takeshi, Airi and Ayaka stood to one side and observed.
Ayaka was prepared to speak, but at this time Elyssia A spoke:
"Straight to the point, okay?"
"Have you guys met me or anyone else besides all four?"
Ayaka quickly answered: "Not yet, explain more clearly."
Elyssia A: "I came in from outside, outside there are many houses like this, there are many of 'us' in the houses like you."
Airi "hmmm" once: "Temporarily will absorb. So you were also in a house like us, then went out and came to another house with us."
Elyssia A nodded.
"Right."
Takeshi clicked his tongue once, he was still quite hard to believe.
"Sounds too hard to believe."
Ayaka pointed at Elyssia A.
"Her person is also wet, could truly be outside."
Takeshi shook his head.
"Who knows?"
Elyssia B still remained silent and listened to everyone speak, but then she also spoke:
"If as you said, it means there are also all three of them?"
Elyssia A nodded.
"Right."
Elyssia B: "Then now we go out and go to a house, we will meet other people like that?"
Elyssia A nodded.
"Right."
Then Elyssia A lowered her voice:
"But you don't know, once having stepped outside, will not be able to return to the initial house anymore."
Elyssia B: "Why?"
Elyssia A: "Because the trial set up so, stepping out is impossible to know which is the initial house. And especially if someone else runs out, they will disappear, only when inside the house can see each other again."
Takeshi: "Then what did you come to this house for?"
Elyssia A: "Outside, every house is pitch black and looking roughly the houses are also different. But when going inside, everything is the same."
"I just find any house to continue the trial and shelter from the rain too."
Elyssia B: "Then what have you collected?"
Elyssia A shook her head, seemed quite hard.
"Quite hard, all vague information."
Elyssia B: "Just say it."
Elyssia A: "A paper with information in it: four minus zero equals wait. Four minus four equals go."
"You guys can imagine and consider the minus sign as a dash."
"I know the information is that paper implies: if a house lacks people then stay there and wait, but if a house has enough people then must go."
Airi spoke seriously, looking straight at Elyssia A:
"Then you know that so what did you come in here for?"
Elyssia A remained very calm.
"Naturally to explore, if so I would have to wait for very long. But if I enter a house with enough people and explore together, then leave and find a house lacking people with the information I already know, that will be better."
Ayaka: "Let's consider it so, but the problem is trust."
Elyssia A nodded.
"Right, you guys can let me go first and observe also fine."
She pointed toward the stairs, face still not turning away and spoke:
"There is a tunnel there."
"It leads to another house of a man, he only needs to see you guys and another boy, he will immediately rush over and kill without negotiation. We are very weak, so must be careful."
Takeshi went close to the wall and peered toward the stairs, he opened eyes wider a bit because truly there was a crevice there and a door. Stepped near and observed, he turned back and said:
"It's true, yet we didn't notice. Everyone said search carefully, unbelievable."
Elyssia A seeing that confirmation from Takeshi, she continued:
"What do you guys think?"
Elyssia B: "So, for what reason did you have to run out?"
"Just suspecting like that, although knowing this is a trial where anything can happen."
Elyssia A pointed up, eyes still aiming toward Elyssia B.