Chapter 24 - Clues

"Take cover!" Astherielle yelled in the midst of them, trying to run away from a sudden horde that would have overtaken them if not for Jaspreth screaming code red.

BOOM!

She used the grenade she had picked, causing the four of them to dive and cover their heads; splinters, rotten flesh, and dust fell over their heads.

However, before they could even catch their breaths, they heard more growlings coming from all around them.

"Let's go!" Jaspreth shouted, being the first one to get back on his feet. He helped the three get up, running towards the 'safe zone' that Zera had pointed out earlier.

It somehow survived the explosion. But now, the four friends have to figure out how to get inside. Its doors were shut tightly by metal shutters. A large padlock secured it on both sides.

Zera used force, pushing her body forward, letting her right shoulder receive the aftereffects.

"Raah!" she belted out as she rammed the shutters.

But the shutter door didn't even budge.

Beatrix crouched on one of the padlocks, frowning as she lifted it.

"These locks are one of those that needed a series of numbers to unlock." She muttered a curse, her eyes wandering around the small building.

Dropping the heavy metal padlock, Beatrix risked peeking around, hoping to find a clue. They could sense that a new wave of zombies was coming. The ground was grumbling, and the sound of their growls was proof of that.

The bomb that exploded had called forth the attention of all the zombies present.

"No wonder we had to wear masks," Jaspreth concluded. He also tried scouting the perimeter. Any clue as to the codes for the two padlocks was a big help.

"How did you find this building, Z?" Astherielle asked. She was also on high alert. Zera had come close to one of the locks, the other one that was close to her.

She then got back on her feet, looking upwards and gazing at the signage.

"The system. I used the map," she replied, pursing her lips as she squinted towards the sign with the butterfly image plastered on it.

If it weren't ruined, the signage would have been lighted, causing the butterfly design to glow and be more visible to anyone looking for the place, whatever it was.

"Could it also tell us the codes?" Beatrix stared at Zera. She couldn't tell if she was being serious or that was her sarcasm kicking in.

"I'll try." Zera turned away, then, clearing her throat. She didn't really know how it worked, but it occurred to her that the system could respond to questions related to the game.

"Can you give us the code to the padlocks?"

[Analyzing…]

[Error command. No data found]

A red x flashed before Zera's screen. She let out a sigh, thinking of giving a different question.

"How do we find the clues to retrieve the code?"

[Analyzing…]

Zera watched as images flashed before the translucent screen. It was an image of several buildings that bore some numbers on one side. It included the series of numbers at the front gate.

It flashed in a repetitive pattern twice. After which, Zera watched her screen disappear.

"Damn." She muttered, her eyes wandering around. "It's no good. We need to keep moving."

"What did you see?" Astherielle asked. She eyed Zera, who was slowly panicking.

"Well, it showed me several buildings. I think we'd have to scout each one to see the numbers painted on them, take note of it and finally arrange it to form the right code. But…" she gestured towards the vast expanse their surroundings covered.

"How are we supposed to cover every one of it? Plus, we can't tell what's inside that building. It just flashed green on my screen earlier with no sneak peek of what was inside."

"Did you forget who we are, Z?" Jaspreth had the weapons in his hand ready. He eyed each of them, gesturing with his head.

"Let's begin with the ones around here. Whatever lies inside that butterfly building, let's hope for the best. It could be our ticket to the next level. Who knows? We won't know unless we try. At least, we won't be running around in circles around here."

"I hate to take Jaspreth's side, but yep. We need to get going. Let's find those clues."

"Would you be able to identify them if we start searching the entire area?" Astherielle turned to Zera once more, her eyes imploring hers.

Zera took the time to look at her friends. She blew out a sigh.

"Yes. I can."

–

From a distance, Nayowmi could hear the sound of water dripping in a constant rhythm. She slowly fluttered her eyes open, adjusting her eyesight to the dim darkness of her surroundings.

"Huh?" she murmured, blinking once, twice as she realized she didn't know where she was. The cold hard ground she had lain wasn't comfortable at all.

The last thing she could remember was falling into the abyss again, as the ground beneath her feet had swallowed them.

She couldn't even think where the others might be. To add, she also couldn't bring herself to point fingers or get mad.

There was no point. Furthermore, did she really have the right to do so?

The four were a solid group. Nayowmi was an outcast.

"Hello?" Nayomi tried to call out. The weird vibe she was getting was finally sinking into her.

Letting her gaze wander about, she tried to look for her weapon but failed to find anything.

"Was I pulled out of the game? Was this the Asylum it warned about?" Nayowmi gasped, slowly getting herself to stand.

That was when she heard some chains moving from her right.

She squinted her eyes to get a better look.

Grrr.

Hearing the soft growl, Nayowmi stepped back only to leap aside as something tried to grab her from behind.

One by one, lights flickered from above her, illuminating the prison she was in and finally letting her see what surrounded her.

A good number of zombies were chained against the wall, and some were inside a cell while Nayowmi was standing in the middle of a circle. The only way out was a locked gate to her right.

She needed to push past the zombies before she could get there. Not to mention, it was secured by a large padlock.

Turning her attention to the zombies, a golden key glinted on the other side of the wall, a part where more of the re-animated dead swarmed.

"You gotta be kidding me."