Chapter 2

The Storeroom (2)

    Upon hearing that, Tartarus responded, "Who says you haven't gained anything? At the very least, you've formed a pact with this room the moment you were stabbed. From now on, no one else can make a pact with this room. The most they can do is stay here with your permission."

    ‘Seriously?’

    "Moreover, I, for one, will consent to be your weapon three times in gratitude for feeding me your pathetic spirit. Remember my generosity," Tartarus boasted.

    "Are you insane? I've died once, and all I got is this crappy storage room and a foolish chain like you, which can only be used three tim--"

    "Zap! Zap! Zap!"

    Before he could finish, Tartarus shocked him with an electrical charge.

    "You really don't get it, do you? You daft man. Since you're the owner of this room, everything from the dust, the shelves, that meddling spirit, and even myself belongs to you. Moreover, this room contains countless treasures that no one has bothered with. Even that foolish old man doesn't even dare enter this room," Tartarus said, cuddling herself into the shape of a smirking smile.

    "And I'm more useful than you think. Don't assume I'm just an ordinary chain. Remember, I am the cursed mythic chain, Tartarus." As soon as Tartarus finished boasting, the electric current stopped.

    "Anyway, I need to explore this room properly. Are you going to let me go now? I need to change my clothes," Esther said. After a moment, the black chain jangled for a while then unlocked his ankle with a loud snap and slithered back into the chest.

    "The toilet is through that door. Knock three times and say, 'Toilet of the Abyss,' and it will turn into a bathroom for you," the chain said, sounding somewhat irritated.

    "Hey, does this mean the room connects to other places?"

    "Yes, but you need to know the keyword for the specific place. Otherwise, it won't open. I'll only tell you this one. The rest you'll have to figure out yourself. The first owner of the room created it. Later, some mysterious folks added more to it. And they didn't just add; they left many things behind."

    "So, where exactly is the 'Toilet of the Abyss'?" Esther asked, certain that it wouldn't be anything pleasant, especially if recommended by Tartarus. "Such a peculiar name, who came up with that?"

    "You'll find out once you're in there. If someone is already using it, outsiders can't enter. Even if you go in, no one will notice. And if someone's inside, the door will warn you. As for who named it... I can't remember either."

    Seeing some benefit in this pesky chain, Esther realized she was an excellent source of information.

    With a curious gaze, he approached the door and knocked three times,

    "Toilet of the Abyss."

    Instantly, the carved brown door transformed into a white door with a sign reading,

    "Professors' Bathroom"

    Esther pursed his lips and blinked in surprise as laughter echoed from the chest.

        ‘This is not so bad, though… Sending me to stay in this room, did you? I’ll enjoy it to the best. The young man took his clothes and showering utensils. ‘Why did I say toilet, but it turns out to be a shower room?’

        When he opened the door and stepped out of the room, his mind became a blank slate. In front of him appeared a garden adorned with various types of flowers, including some he did not recognize. Some flowers emitted an enticing fragrance, while merely gazing at others for a long time seemed to clear his mind. As the young man wandered further inside, he came across what seemed like three small swimming pools, each with different bubbles and water effects, which he found pleasing to the senses. The ceiling allowed a view of the sky, but from the outside, it probably looked like an ordinary roof. Additionally, there were various types of showerheads on the room walls for bathing.

    "My goddess… so luxurious... even has a lion's head faucet. I wouldn't mind waking up at four AM every day to use this," he mused, quickly getting ready to bathe, although tempted to try swimming. Although no one knew who used the bathroom, there must be some who wondered about not being able to enter here.

    After bathing and attending to his personal needs (the bathroom included a separate toilet), Esther re-entered the room.

    The door he had used was a secret one, not the main entrance. No wonder the bathroom seemed so large, but the door was tiny. And as soon as he closed it, the entrance to the bathroom vanished by magic.

    ‘I guess I need to be careful. If the creator put a door leading to somewhere dangerous, that could be problematic.’

    Now dressed in a simple white shirt, black jeans, and ordinary leather shoes - reinforced with metal for close combat - Esther tried a few punches and kicks in the air before looking around the room and sighing.

    Creak, creak.

    As soon as he was dressed, Tartarus, having hidden in the chest, emerged to lock onto his leg as usual.

    "Hey, why are you locking onto my leg again?" the young man asked, now accustomed to the chain, his initial fear quickly replaced by annoyance.

    "I've been cooped up in that chest for so long, just let me out for a bit of fresh air," the black chain replied.

    "Can't you transform into something else? Aren't you a spirit weapon, Tartarus blah blah whatever you call yourself?" Esther complained.

    "I can, but I won't. Keep it up, and I'll make it so heavy you won't be able to move," the chain threatened.

    ‘...Do as you wish.’

    Realizing he still had some time, he thought about exploring the room but immediately stumbled upon something.

    Creak.

    A key lying quietly under his foot glowed, changing to a glossy blue-black as it came into contact. It was paired with a rusty Rapier sword that was almost entirely consumed by rust except for some bloodstains indicating recent use.

    ‘Hmm, a room key, huh... But why did it change color? And this sword, isn't it the same one that used to stab me?’ Esther pondered, bending down to pick up the key and sword. As he reached for the sword, the black chain swiftly snatched it, crushing it into pieces, and the manacle part absorbed the remnants.

    "Yuck, that hit the spot. Let me have some of your blood to wash it down," the sadistic chain said, and immediately after finishing its sentence, dozens of sharp points burst out from the chain, aiming to pierce his body.

    "Hey, you can drain, sure, but do it nicely like last night. No need for stabbing," the young man protested immediately.

    "Tsk."

    Initially, he thought to use the key to release Tartarus, but reconsidering, he wasn't sure what the capricious chain might do next, so he let it be.

    At that moment, the blue-black key shrank and sprouted a tiny chain from its side, transforming into a regular necklace, as if it wanted him to wear it. Esther eyed the necklace with distrust for a while before putting it on.

    Silence... Nothing happened.

    ‘I survived, damn it.’

    Esther was still wary about the items in the room he had noticed since waking up, like the document bag that seemed to wriggle slightly, a pile of books emitting a burnt smell, strange gadgets resembling ship's coral stuck near the ceiling vent – which he was sure wasn't there yesterday.

    "I'll check it out some other time," the room's owner shrugged, dragging the chain as he went to open the door. "Let's hope it hasn't changed when I come back."

    "...who knows."

"I wasn't asking you!!"