Nikke, something’s seriously wrong with this evacuation point! Chapter 125 125: Breaking the Rules

[Abydos School Closure Counterasures Committee · Student Guidance Manual]

[To our beloved juniors:]

[In order to preserve the peaceful daily life we fought so hard to obtain, please carefully read and strictly follow the rules below. This is not only to maintain the most basic level of discipline, but also to ensure that we can continue existing forever.]

...

[1. Regarding Personal Hygiene]

[Please inspect yourself in the mirror every day. If you notice any subtle displacent of your facial features, or if the skin on your face begins to feel unnaturally smooth, imdiately stop thinking and proceed to the Counterasures Committee room to collect a mask and wear it at all tis until the issue is resolved.]

[Please rember: we are humans, not anything else.]

...

[2. Regarding Hallway Conditions]

[The desertification problem within the academy has already been improved. The hallways are now very clean. If you feel any foreign object inside your shoes, or if your ankles feel unusually heavy while walking, that is rely because you are overly fatigued. Please proceed to the Counterasures Committee room to rest.]

[Absolutely do not remove your shoes to inspect them, and do not attempt to pour out whatever is inside. Because once it is poured out, it can never be put back again.]

---

[3. Regarding Behavior]

[Running in the hallways is prohibited. Looking at clocks is prohibited. Violent movent accelerates the flow of ti, and the passage of ti accumulates interest. Please remain as motionless as possible.]

[We can no longer bear any more interest. As long as everyone remains still, that day will never arrive.]

...

[4. Regarding Lost and Found]

[If you hear knocking sounds coming from the lockers, ignore them. They are rely echoes left behind by students who already withdrew long ago.]

[Do not respond. Do not open the locker doors.]

[If you react in any way that allows them to notice you, they will believe they can return.]

[Do not let them co back. They do not belong here.]

...

To be honest, reading this docunt made Charon feel deeply uncomfortable.

At first glance it looked like so kind of warning left behind by upperclassn, but the content was horrifying no matter how he looked at it. It felt as though the person who wrote these rules perceived the world in a way completely different from ordinary people.

"…Rules. We did follow the rules. At least until now, I haven't violated any of them."

「Naturally. Because you were never among the entities these rules are ant to affect in the first place. Do you think your facial features would suddenly shift? Or that sand would appear inside your shoes?」

That was true.

After entering Zone One, all of Charon's equipnt and clothing beca bound to him. Aside from the weapons in his hands, he couldn't even take off his clothes manually. Everything had to be removed through the equipnt nu. The sa applied to his shoes.

In fact, he felt absolutely no discomfort whatsoever. The shoes provided inside Zone Zero were probably the most comfortable footwear in the world.

「Certain existences within this world must obey these rules. Otherwise, they undergo transformations they themselves do not wish to see happen,」 Rose analyzed.

「But as I said before, the core aning behind this docunt is painfully obvious. It practically screams its own intentions.」

Charon had only one response to that:

"Rose-emon, save ."

This was what true convenience looked like.

Even if he could figure it out himself, why would he bother exhausting his brain when soone like Rose existed beside him? Leave professional work to professionals.

「For the record, my current na is Sleeping Beauty…」

「…Fine, Rose. Since your tone borders on begging, I suppose I can explain it to you.」

She actually sounded rather pleased right now.

「Did you notice? The entire docunt revolves around a single concept: 'avoidance.'」

「The writer desperately wished for daily life to remain unchanged. More than that, she wanted ti itself to stop completely. Combined with the keyword 'desertification,' and based on my understanding of Abydos Academy, it's highly possible that the students of this place once began undergoing 'sandification.'」

「The masks were likely used to preserve the shape of their faces. The foreign objects inside the shoes may have been body parts no longer capable of maintaining human form. That is why the rules say that once you 'pour it out,' it can never be put back in again.」

「Because once the feet have completely turned into sand, naturally they can no longer return to human form.」

「That is my current deduction based on the text. If later evidence contradicts it, then pretend I said nothing.」

"That disclair is ridiculous," Charon complained. "But you still haven't explained how we're supposed to break through this."

「I've already explained this much… Fine, fine. Since I'm apparently your external brain now, I'll continue.」

Rose sounded slightly helpless.

「First, return to the first floor. Back to where we originally started.」

"Oh."

Charon had to admit – this felt fantastic.

Not needing to think for himself was great. All he had to do was follow directions and pull the trigger when necessary.

Following Rose's instructions, he returned to the original hallway.

"So what now?"

「Run.」

"…Huh?"

「Exactly what I said. Run. Sprint all the way to the second-floor entrance. Stop wasting ti!」

Charon didn't ask further questions.

He imdiately broke into a sprint, his heavy footsteps echoing throughout the corridor. A fully ard juggernaut charging at full speed carried an overwhelming sense of pressure.

"And then?"

「What do you an 'and then'?」

"So what's the logic behind this?" Charon asked while running.

「Didn't the rules already explain it? Stay still. Running is forbidden. Otherwise 'interest' accumulates.」

「So all we have to do… is generate interest.」

"…What?"

「Ever since I started accompanying you, have you completely abandoned independent thought?」 Rose snapped irritably.

「In short, the people here chose to freeze everything within a single peaceful afternoon in order to avoid the dood future brought about by debt. Honestly, it was a rather clever idea.」

「Unfortunately, they're blocking our path.」

At the sa mont–

A massive, heavy sound of grinding gears suddenly echoed around them.

Like the clock tower of so ancient city finally beginning to move again.

The ticking of a second hand rang through the air.

Outside the windows, the warm sunlight rapidly dimd. Within barely two seconds, the golden light transford into a dark blood-red glow.

The wallpaper around them began peeling away from the walls, gradually decaying into sothing filthy and rotten.

"Oh right, I still have another question," Charon said while observing the changing surroundings. "What about Rule Four? You haven't explained that one."

「That issue is…」 Rose sounded uncertain for the first ti.

「At present, it hasn't manifested itself yet–」

Before she could finish speaking–

Every classroom window around them suddenly transford into rows of standing shoe lockers.

Violent pounding erupted from inside them.

At the sa ti, sharp shrieks like the screams of evil spirits echoed throughout the corridor.

Several locker doors even burst open, revealing shriveled, mummy-like arms stretching outward from within.

"…Alright. No explanation needed. I get it now."

Charon's face darkened.

This was way too intense.

Compared to this, even the Mobius Grand Hotel felt ta.

「The spatial data is collapsing. If we fail to reach the second floor quickly, the 'creditors' of this place may co to collect their debt.」