Chapter 189 (1/2)

811'>

Chapter 189 – The Underground Laboratory

First, Hikaru investigated the rooms to the right.

「I knew it. A nap room.」

There was nothing else but beds. Hikaru checked the Soul Board of the man sleeping in one, but he didn't have any high stats, and there was nothing odd about his name. He seemed to be just a researcher.

Next, Hikaru opted to check the large room up front. He could feel the presence of people from beyond the double-door. He opened it slowly.

What the…

The room was even bigger than he expected, almost like a gymnasium, although not that bright. Magic lamps hung high above the ceiling, s.h.i.+ning light down below. There were huge desks everywhere, separated by bookshelves. Researchers wearing white lab coats were walking about.

「The mana reaction from this thing is very faint…」

「It's said to emit a similar light to that of a blue-eyed fish's scales, but the principle seems to be different…」

「We're running low on stocks…」

A peculiar kind of commotion reverberated inside the room, from whispers to soliloquy. The people were of different races—humans, demi-humans, elves, and demons. The only thing they had in common was that they wore the same white coats.

There were at least forty to fifty people about. Fully-armed men stood in attention by the wall in equal intervals. They didn't appear to be temple knights.

What are they studying here?

While it was a little dark, the light still shone on the room. Even with Stealth on, Hikaru hesitated to get close. Blacks clothes suddenly slipping into a sea of white might actually draw their attention.

What now?

Then, a bell rang out. The researches all glanced at Hikaru's direction.

「What?!」

How? I didn't sense traps here. I'm not even moving right now. Do they have something that can see me—

「Food is here.」

The door opened behind him. Someone brought a cart carrying a pot filled with soup and heaps of bread.

「Wha…? Ah.」

Hikaru quickly leapt aside to the wall. The cart went straight through where he was standing and into the middle of the room. The researches were actually looking at the cart.

Don't scare me like that, sheesh. So that was a bell to signal dinnertime.

Hikaru's whole body almost went limp. He only had himself to blame, however. He focused too much of his attention in surveying the room that he neglected his Mana Detection.

Now's my chance. Both researchers and the armed men—most likely guards—flocked towards the cart.

「Go on. Eat, all of you.」a man said as he pushed on the researchers' backs.「We don't want you collapsing from hunger.」

Hikaru used the opening to get closer to the tables to check the reagents and pieces of paper. He had no idea what some of the reagents were, but most of them seemed to be rare.

Isn't this a branch from the World Tree that's said to be found in a hidden elf village? What extraordinary amount of mana…

These branches, each able to fetch at least a million gilans, lay sprawled about. Hikaru looked at the papers. Most of them contained writings by the researchers or past thesis.

Wait, all of this is related to one thing.

He didn't expect the words to come up here. Hikaru felt a bit p.i.s.sed.

I should've brought Drake with me. If only I knew information about holy mana would be here.

The term “holy mana” frequently appeared among the notes.

Hikaru surveyed the room once more. After receiving dinner, the researchers sat down to eat at the center of the room where it was s.p.a.cious.