Chapter 100

My throat dried up from the rising fear.

What if the door closes while I sit still like an idiot? It’s like a horror movie!

I hurriedly got up and ran out of the room.

Luckily, the door closed later and I wasn’t trapped in the room. However, I witnessed the black shadow I had just seen disappear into the fourth room.

Damn. I would rather have Jenas come back to the cabin sooner rather than later.

“It looks like it’s telling me to come into that room…….”

I wonder if I’ll find something like the book I picked up in the second room again. For example, a clue that will get me a little closer to this island’s secrets.

Okay. To survive even a little longer, I must be brave.

I made a firm decision and passed the third room and stood in front of the fourth door. It’s the last room on the third floor. After taking a deep breath, I opened the door.

There are no ghosts to worry about. The room is cleaner than expected. The structure and furniture are also similar to the second room; bed, cupboard, and desk.

Unlike the second room, which seemed to have been empty for a long time, in this room, daily necessities were scattered on the desk, as if someone had been there a while ago.

I calmly go into the room.

“Nothing seems special.”

Then I found writing in the desk drawer. The first drawer had the word ‘Modification’ written in the imperial language.

Modification?

I tilted my head and slowly opened the drawer. And I found a flare gun that looks like a red revolver pistol placed inside it.

“Huh? It’s the same as mine.”

Even the ‘Alea’ written on the side of the flare gun is the same as mine.

There is also a bullet pouch, which holds more bullets than I have.

I took out the water-soaked flare gun from my crossbody bag and replaced it with the one in the drawer. Then, I took the large bullet pouch and put it in my bag.

“Did the owner of this room modify it himself?”

I think my guess is correct, seeing the word ‘Modification’ written on the drawer and the unusual shape of the flare gun.

In the second drawer, it was written ‘Daily Necessities.’ I opened the drawer and took out the lighter in it. Then I put down my wet Zippo lighter and put a new one in my bag.

“Are all these things Jenas’s?”

If so, should I put it back?

From a moral point of view, that’s true. However, it is not an easy choice in a situation where lives are at stake. I swallowed dry saliva and pondered.

As my thoughts grew longer, I suddenly remembered what the owner of the book had written. What’s more important than survival is that I don’t forget who I am.

‘I have to put it back…….’

“Right, those are all mine.”

“Aagh!!”

I was startled by the sudden voice behind me and fell to the floor.

I turned and saw Jenas leaning against the doorway, staring at me with an expressionless face.

“Uh, when did you come?”

“Just now.”

The handsome boy, who was standing leisurely with his arms folded, answered calmly.

I glanced at Jenas looking around the room and carefully said, “……I came here because I was curious. Sorry, I carelessly stepped in.”

He won’t even know that I picked up the book in the next room, so I didn’t bother saying that.

“I told you to respect my privacy.”

Jenas replied in a slightly irritated voice. For someone who has no emotional expression to say that, it means that he is furious.

Jenas walked in slowly with his hands behind his back. I hesitantly stepped back, wary of him. My back hit the desk. There is nowhere else to step back.

Jenas, who came closer to me, pointed at the flare gun in my hand with a nod of his head.

“Keep it.”

“Did you modify this flare gun?”

“Yeah, it’s more of a fabrication than a modification.”

I understand what Jenas said. Indeed, it seems difficult to modify, whether you build a flare with a gun or a gun with a flare. It makes sense to say that it’s completely new.

“Wasn’t it useful?”

Jenas tilted his head slightly and pointed at the flare gun in my hand.

I suddenly remembered that I had picked up this flare gun at the top of the mountain.

Why was this thing there? And not only that…….

I showed him the word Alea engraved on the side of the flare gun and asked, “Did you engrave this yourself, too?”

“Yeah.”

“What does this mean?”

“You know that.”

“I don’t know.”

I pretended to be innocent and saw how he would react. Then Jenas nodded.

“Oh, that’s not the language from here. That’s the name of this island, Alea.”

He’s obviously not from the earth, but he can read the alphabet.

‘That makes no sense. How does someone from the kingdom of Ingram know the alphabet……? So weird.’

Perhaps, among the myriad of modern things on this island, books and the like are included? If so, he probably learned another language while living on this island for a thousand years.

“The name of this island? What do you mean it’s not language from here?”

I pretended not to know anything and asked. Then Jenas tilted his head with a thoughtful expression before replying.

“I don’t know the details either.”

Then, he closed his mouth again and took a pause. I waited patiently for his next words. After a while, he added, “My older sister named it.”

“Do you have a sister?”

I was so surprised that I asked back, but I remembered that he had said that everyone who came with him died. That means he doesn’t have a sister right now…….

Contrary to what I was worried about, Jenas nodded with a nonchalant face.

“Yeah. Anata studied this language.”

“Which language is this?”

His sister’s name must have been Anata. I asked him again this time, pretending not to know, but Jenas only shrugged.

“Ask Anata about that.”

“Your sister? She’s here……?”

“Ah…….”

At my question, Jenas put on a slightly puzzled expression. The expression on his doll-like face revealed that he really looks like a young boy.

“Right, she isn’t here.”

Jenas muttered with a bitter face. Has he still not forgotten his sister?

I don’t know how long his sister has been alive, but I think it would be understandable if he was left alone after being with her all along. Did the kidnapper just kidnap people and leave the island unattended for a thousand years?

“Then I don’t know.”

“What’s with that irresponsible answer? If you make me curious, take responsibility.”

“I don’t know.”

Jenas shook his head and kept his mouth shut. Then he turned his head away as if to ask me not to ask about it anymore.

Damn, what the hell? He always answers only half of my questions, driving me even more crazy.

However, one thing is fortunate: Jenas did not seem to notice that I, a Korean, possessed Margaret’s body.

‘I’d like to discuss this with Enoch and Kayden as soon as possible.’

“Oh, and…….”

Jenas suddenly rushed to the desk and rummaged through the bottom drawer. It’s a drawer I’ve never opened before.

He took out a flashlight and telescope from the drawer and handed them to me. It’s the flashlight I desperately looked for every night fishing.

“This is a gift.”

I politely accepted the flashlight from him. Staring at the flashlight in my hand, I asked, “You said you won’t go with me. But why are you taking such good care of me?”

At my question, Jenas tilted his head. “I hope you survive, Meg.”

“Why?”

“It’s a pity that everyone died so easily.”

I wanted to find out what it meant but I don’t even know what he was thinking because he had no facial expressions.

“Jenas, I don’t understand why you couldn’t escape when I think you’d have found a way to escape.”

The door must have opened several times over the course of a thousand years, but it’s hard to understand that a genius wizard like Jenas couldn’t escape.

“Because I can’t escape. And I like it here.”

“Here? What’s so good about this place? It’s dangerous here.”

“It’s fun.”

You’re having fun on this crazy island full of monsters?

On the outside, he looks normal, but on the inside, he seems insane. Well, he’s lived on this crazy island for a thousand years, and there’s no way he’d stay sane.

“You know that monsters roam this island, right?”

At my question, Jenas stared at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression before answering after a while.

“They weren’t here from the beginning.”

“……what?”

What else is he talking about? I mean, how come a new story comes out one by one like peeling an onion?

“At first, they were all ordinary creatures. But they gradually evolved.”

“The monsters?”

“Yeah.”

This might be the reason why monsters seem to be created by taking samples of ordinary animals. And evolution is still going on.

“They only show up from sunset to night, do you know why?”

“They weren’t like that originally.”

“What do you mean?”

“At first, they only showed up at dawn, then at night, and now at sunset. But I don’t know, they seem to be getting stronger and getting immunity to the sun, so they might appear during the day.”

If Jenas is right, do I have to worry about monsters during the day now? God, that’s awful.

Then, Jenas suddenly rested his chin and stared at me in the face.

“And there’s something I didn’t expect…….”

His red eyes scanned my face.

“The monsters seem to like you, Meg.”

His words sent goosebumps all over my body.

‘Why do monsters like me? And how does he know that?’

I held back the questions that intrigued me. I suddenly started to get scared but Jenas continued talking regardless of my reaction.

“And I think there is someone in your group who can use mana.”

Could he be talking about Enoch using his sword against the monsters in front of the cabin?

That’s because I shared my mana with Enoch, but he doesn’t seem to know that I am the one who can use mana.

Jenas muttered with a very troubled face.

“How did that person use mana that I can’t do with this body?”

“How do you know that?”

“I watched through the eyes of a monster. It’s hard to handle and has no attack power since I can’t use magic, but that’s possible.”

‘What? The eyes of a monster?’

Kayden said that a wolf-type monster was watching him. I couldn’t believe it, but someone was actually watching through the eyes of a monster!

“Have you been watching us all along? Why?”

“I didn’t keep watching. Only when I was bored? And don’t you think it’s natural to watch if there are people?”

I was stunned at Jenas’ question, not knowing where to start pointing it out.

“Jenny…… no, Jenas. It’s driving me crazy. Can’t you tell me at once? Why are you talking so tantalizingly, dangling information one by one? Why don’t you ever answer my questions properly?”

I took a deep breath and continued, “Why were you just watching? If you knew we were there, you could have come to see us. And how did you borrow the monster’s eyes when you can’t even use mana? Have you been controlling monsters all this time? Are you related to the evolution of monsters?”

I have too many questions.

Then Jenas smiled as if he was having fun.

“I’m telling you because it’s interesting. I’m usually not like this.”

Do you think it’s interesting?

Jenas stared at my face and opened his mouth again. “It’s strange that only you have changed, but I don’t know why.”

Jenas stared at me with a puzzled face. Then he turned his head and looked at the open door, then looked at me again.

“By the way, Margaret.”

He called my name in a low voice. Then he asked, “Did you see everything?”

“……huh? What?”

“This cabin. Have you looked around?”

“……no.”

I had an ominous feeling, so I denied it, but Jenas suddenly burst into laughter. As if what I’m doing is very funny.

After laughing like that for a long time, he looked at me.

“What do you mean, you’re on the third floor right now.”

I stopped breathing. Looking at me with creepy red eyes, Jenas said, “I told you not to go up to the third floor.”

I felt a chill run down my spine. There was an air of intimidation that made the hairs on my neck stand on end.

Before I knew it, a large shadow was falling under my feet. It was the shadow of something that appeared out of the window with my back to it.

Jenas, who was facing me, looked over my shoulder and stepped back with a smile.

“I won’t help you. This is your fault.”

“What the hell are you—!”

-crack!

Before I could ask what he was talking about, I heard the sound of a window breaking. Something long and thick came in and wrapped around my waist. It is an unknown monster.

I looked at Jenas in shock, and he shrugged his shoulders and waved his hand at me. At the same time, I was dragged out the window in an instant.

“Ahhh! This fuxking monster! This is the third floor!”

Also outside the third floor.