Escape the Infinite Chambers Chapter 123 - Escaping from Arcanum Train (XVI)

Chapter 123 - Escaping from Arcanum Train (XVI)

Editor: Kitty
“But the question is, who among us can accomplish that?” Crow went on: “Someone who can hold on and open the music box even if everyone around them is asleep.”
The four people eyed each other. In fact, if they did not put it to the test, no one knew where their limit was. When he figured out this point, Crow proposed: “Why not test this first? When I close the music box…… to find who would be first to fall asleep.”
Several people agreed one after another, so they all sat around the sofa seat beside the music box. Crow reached out and closed the box. The melodious violin instrumental music stopped suddenly. All of them could clearly smell the sweet and greasy smell wafting in the air. It was very sweet like the fragrance of flowers and honey, and it made people feel drowsy.
“It’s so sweet that it’s disgusting,” Wolf spoke, trying to draw attention. He said: “We’d better talk more so we can better concentrate.”
“That’s too bad. What if I don’t want to talk to you at all?” Owl expressionlessly looked upon Wolf.
“Honestly, I think you should be the least likely of us to fall—” Wolf answered Owl and sized him up, “Because you can’t smell anything.”
“You’re not me. How do you know I can’t smell? Of course, I know you must have a good sense of smell, just like a dog!”
“Are you mocking me for being a dog?”
“How could it be?! I just praised your sense of smell and said that you are a dog—you admitted it yourself clearly, though!”
Wolf and Owl continued their conversation as both of them retorted against one another and started arguing. Crow and Black cat remained silent as usual, and in this seemingly harmonious atmosphere, as time passed by, after about ten minutes or so, the first person fell asleep.
Black cat had been sitting beside Crow. He felt that the person next to him suddenly froze and leaned on his shoulders. Black cat lowered his head to take a glimpse at Crow.
Crow was a young man with a peaceful disposition. From his eyes, one could see that he was a gentle and firm man. He leaned against Black cat with his eyes closed. His black hair was soft and fell on Black cat’s shoulder. Black cat’s breath faltered. He could not help but touch Crow’s cheek but soon realized that his action was not natural. So he turned his head to Owl and the other and said: “He fell asleep.”
Owl reached out and opened the music box. Within half a minute, Crow opened his eyes again. He was at a loss for a moment, but soon he woke up and said, “Did I fall asleep?”
“Yes.” Owl expressed his concern: “You’re not in a good state of mind.”
“Probably&#k2026;” Crow sighed and continued, “That’s bad. I did not realize I was asleep. I always thought I was awake, it felt just like a dream.”
“What should we do now?” Owl said uneasily.
“I was the first one to fall down, so I can be ruled out. I shouldn’t be the guy who turns on the music for everyone. Now we can test the second person who fell asleep&#k2026;&#k2026; By the way, if I fall asleep, you try to wake me up&#k2014;for example, you can shake me hard. It is said that sleeping humans wake up from a conditioned reflex when they fall back&#k2026;&#k2026; Of course, if these methods don’t wake me, open the music box.”
Owl became more worried and said, “But it’ll be dangerous! What if you can’t wake up with the music box open?”
Crow finally laughed and said, “Then let me die here.”
“This joke is not funny at all!”
“It’s worth a try.” Crow said, looking very lethargic: “I have no other solutions to offer, and we can’t continue to stay here and waste time. To tell you the truth, I’ve had enough of staying in this train!”
They had no choice. Even though Owl was very reluctant, he finally agreed, and they closed the music box again. Soon after, Crow fell asleep again. Owl motioned to Black cat sitting next to Crow: “Wake him up.”
Black cat took Crow, dragged him to the edge of the sofa seat and positioned him to face upward while allowing his body to fall backward. This method was really effective. Crow awoke at the moment when he fell down, and afterwards, he was sent into the arms of Black cat, but Crow’s face was a little pale.
“How long did I sleep?” asked Crow.
“Less than a minute.” Black cat answered him.
“It feels like a century has passed.” Crow grinned bitterly. He sat up straight and said to everyone, “It seems that it works. Even if one of us is asleep, the person next to him can wake him up.”
But as Crow spoke, he suddenly closed his eyes and fell asleep on the sofa again. Seeing this, Owl sighed with regret: “It seemed that even if he woke up, he would not be able to stay awake for long.”
Just as Owl had just finished saying this, unexpectedly, Wolf, who was sitting next to him, suddenly fell forward and fell asleep on the table.
“Oh! It’s something worth celebrating!” Owl looked at Wolf and said, “He is the second one.”
So the only people awake were Black cat and Owl.
Black cat picked up Crow, subconsciously held him in his embrace, touched Crow’s hair, and said to Owl, “I don’t think I can hold on for long. I’m dizzy now.”
Owl could not help but lick his lips: “It seems that I’m the only one who can hold on to the very end.”
As Owl said this, Owl reached out and opened the music box. The wonderful music resounded through the whole carriage again. Then Wolf and Crow woke up, and their faces turned pale.
“I think it’s better not to continue this test.” Owl said, noticing Crow’s pale face, and he could not help sighing: “Although you can wake up if you are asleep, it seems to have a certain impact on you. This smell in the air must have a certain toxicity. If we continue to stay here, even if we don’t sleep and keep the music box open all the time, we will surely die.”
“Let’s get started.” Crow took a deep breath and relaxed as much as he could. He looked at Owl and said, “Well then, make sure you stick by the box while we find the key.”
“What I don’t understand is the difference between looking for the key with the music on and looking for the key without it?” Wolf seemed to be concerned by the fact that he fell asleep. Disturbed, he looked at Owl.
“This is the hint given to us on the door. Only if we stop the music can we find the key. So who knows?” Owl managed to squeeze out a smile. He was obviously delighted.
“It means we have to put our lives in your hands, right?” Wolf was discontent.
“Stop arguing!” Crow frowned and said, “I should be the most nervous! I will be the first to faint, and as long as all of you don’t fall asleep, Owl will not play the music, and that means that I will sleep longer and be the first to die!”
The current situation they were in was awful, and everyone’s mood was a little low, but no one wanted to stay in this damned carriage, so they had to take action. Therefore, Owl stood by the music box, and the rest of the people dispersed. As they waited for Owl to turn off the music, they started to search for the key.
After Owl closed the lid of the music box, he began to pay attention to his companions. He had to pay attention to Crow and the others so that he could judge their condition in the shortest time.
In fact, there was no difference between carriage No. 7 with music turned on or turned off except for the increasingly obvious sweet smell in the air. This smell wafted through the whole carriage No. 7. No matter where one was, one could still smell it. They searched through everywhere in this train car, including the crew’s lounge and toilet. This time, several people tried their best to stay awake longer, but Crow was the first to fall asleep. He caught everyone by surprise when he immediately laid down on a sofa seat and slept, but no one woke him up this time. Black cat and Wolf continued to search for the key. The smell was still very strong; thus, several people began to get restless. It was clearly written on the connecting door of carriage No. 7 that only when the music was turned off could they find the key, but the music had been turned off. They searched at the fastest speed possible, but they still found nothing.
So Wolf was the second to faint. He straightforwardly sat on the ground and leaned against the wall. Shortly after, it was Black cat’s turn.
Seeing that everyone had gone to sleep, Owl could not help but heave a sigh. Just as he was about to open the music box, Owl suddenly heard a soft and weak sound.
Yes, because everyone around him was sleeping, the whole carriage No. 7 had become very quiet, and even the sound of the train rumbling could not really be heard. Therefore, the weak sound became clear at the moment. Moreover, the origin of the sound was in Owl’s hand. It came from the music box.
It sounded like a clock ticking away.
There was something in the box!
Owl immediately picked up the music box. He heard the sound travelling out from the interior of the music box! But he couldn’t do it now; it was too late!
Owl opened the music box and started the music again. He had to wake the other people up so that he could tell his companions about his new discovery.
But Owl did not have time to move. When he was about to open the box, he suddenly found that a shadow was hanging over him. A man approached Owl, walking almost silently, without any sound. Or rather, Owl’s attention was so focused on the box that he did not pay heed to his surroundings.
When Owl realized that there was someone standing next to him, he subconsciously raised his head and wanted to see who it was. But as soon as he raised his head, he saw only a flash as a silver knife descended in front of him!
His sight instantly sank into eternal darkness!
Owl was slow to feel pain, but he also realized that his eyes had been cut, and that the man’s movement was very fast. He sent a knife down to his throat to cut his vocal cords so that he would be unable to speak. The man also cut his spinal nerves to paralyze him.
Owl was not able to move.
The man reached out and took the music box from Owl’s hand, played the melodious music again, and stuffed the box back into Owl’s palm.
T/N: !!! Any guesses as to who did it?
This chapter is unedited and the edited chapter will be up soon. The edited chapter is up!