"What are the odds of this being yet another trap?"

"We either discover or we don't. Not much of an option. Still, does it require a key or some sort?"

"From the looks of it, it has a gateway control. Look here. All we gotta do is press it."

To be more specific, we are standing in an area that quickly became the opposite of the atmosphere of what we are familiar with yet. Heat and lack of room to freely breathe oxygen weren't elements spread throughout the entrance of this cave. Correction; mine.

At first glance, I had assumed that this was a cave only due to its entrance, but now that I look at the rich mitral possessing the mine's gate affinity, it became clear that the interpretation of this place being a cave was nothing more than a deceptive interpretation of mine.

Unlike a normal cave with a dark beginning and perhaps humid ground, we couldn't even begin to enter it because there was a gate right at the start. Much like a prison cell, the gate had similar identical features to it; having bars from all the way to the top of the entrance to the end. Furthermore, what contrasts greatly the mine from where we stand now; which is still sandy beach property is that what lies ahead beyond the gate is artificial turquoise ground made up of enigmatic shapes. The main difference to capture is that it would be a stable ground for us to venture into.

Knowing that, Sagasuga and I couldn't help but be alerted since the scenario ahead differs far too much from the wild savage life that we are used to it.

Alternatively, it looked as if there was a gateway switch next to the right edge of the bars; yet again bearing similances to that of a prison cell's switch. Normally, this would imply that we would need a key to open it, but Sagasuga just opened it by manipulating the maneuver from up to down which unlocked the gate immediately to my surprise.

"Doesn't this look way too artificial and man-made?"

I asked that question to Sagasuga as we crossed the entrance slowly; being cautious of potential unknown threats. Simultaneously, we were blessed with a haphazardous cold that was so cold that it felt like blissful rejuvenation. Before Sagasuga could answer, he did the same as I which was no other than the action of steadily inhaling the glacial oxygen that the mine had to offer.

"Feels good... But yeah, Kawahara, this is completely different from anything we have witnessed so far. Which can only mean..."

"Yeah..."

Noticing the quick change in temperatures, Sagasuga and I didn't hesitate to put our uniform pieces back to our bodies. Put more truthfully, it was I who went through the most change. Sagasuga just put his shoes back along with his socks. I had to undress my skirt and put everything back on. Even the initial uncomfortable uniform tie.

"Ready?"

Sagasuga had been looking at me as I put everything in its place and upon ultimately witnessing my backpack enlacing to my back, he finally spoke.

"Naturally."

The architecture of unknown times bare naked to our eyes started to unravel its pattern with each step we took. A golden stair of four layers was not far from us as there was no option but to go forward. There were two ways around the stair; however. We could either descend from the stairs on the right and left side of the four-layered stair without having to go through the layers or we could just descend the stair normally.

Most mines would remain unenigmatic throughout their entirety yet this entrance was beyond enigmatic as there were elements of wondrous coal to be served as demonstrations of man-made masterpieces. Particularly covered with a dark shade of gold; towering spade-shaped four avenues stood tall before we could progress forward to the linear path.

Furthermore, the ceiling was bearing a vast vertical distance which invited the question of knowing where we were walking under, currently? More concretely, if we were to walk on the island's savage atmosphere right now, where would we be right now? Because as far as I am concerned, this is undoubtedly underground. Lastly, there was just one thing that caught my attention.

"Why is there a door up there so high up?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it, Kawahara... It's right in front of the avenues too; in the middle."

We looked towards the door that was locked the exact same way as the gate. Precisely speaking, through bars. Looking at it closely, the door stood around 20 meters above us, but there was something else about it that didn't quite make sense to us.

"But there isn't a way to get there. It's in front of the avenues which are about 10 meters away from it and it's impossible to jump from all the way from the avenue to the door."

"And besides, that's only if you are on top of the avenue pillars which are around 20 meters tall, right?"

"True, Sagasuga. Quite enigmatic..."

If there was a way for us to be able to connect to the height of those pillars and then reduce the distance between the pillars and the door, then we could open the door, possibly. I am not sure whether it will open itself just like the entrance gate did, but if there is something we already know is that no door is under two difficult scenarios for no reason. It is highly likely that such a door will hold the answer to something crucial to the exam.

Plus, ignoring the fact that this mine reeks of artificiality is not an option. If something is artificial while this whole island is by far the most genuine natural piece, then it means that the ones behind the program and this exam most likely intended that we found this mine.

Acknowledging this, I got the goosebumps.

"Why a mine though?"

"Hell if I know, Sagasuga. As far as I'm concerned mines hold the utility of extracting natural minerals or constructing ways to travel through."

"I see... Well, that could be an option. Maybe this mine is an alternative?"

"What do you mean?"

As I questioned Sagasuga, we were walking down the long vertical hall covered with geoglyphs and materialistic representations of ancient architecture that I was having trouble identifying. My knowledge regarding architecture isn't the greatest, but I knew that if I could identify some of the patterns here that it could give me an answer of some sort.

Yet throughout the hall, I could not figure out what these bizarre geoglyphs represented in the first place. On the occasional sight, lines would differ along with the patterns but the geoglyphs gave no clues whatsoever. The symbols were utterly unknown to my knowledge and there weren't any animals or godly figures molded right into it. Pure arcadian-like architecture consumed this hall in its grace.

"Just a guess but this mine; if long, could be a far stable place that offers conditions that the island wouldn't. For example, the temperature here is fairly balanced. I dare say that the current temperature is around 20 degrees Celsius. Yet a while ago outside, the temperatures threatened mighty fourth degrees. This is good."

"You're assuming that this isn't just a mine but something else entirely? Like a hidden city?"

Then, Sagasuga stopped his tracks midway through the hall which was being perpetually influenced by a rising tide of calm air.

Subsequently, he looked towards the end of this hall and the elements of ancient architecture within the hall before speaking.

"Maybe this is actually a lost civilization?"

"I doubt it. I am only saying I doubt it and not flat out denying it because the architecture here is utterly unrecognizable and I consider myself to be someone fluent in architecture."

"How far does your knowledge in architecture run in your veins, Kawahara?"

Given that I was walking slowly, just like Sagasuga, I stopped my march and looked at him by turning my back on the path on the north; thus redirecting myself south.

"Vernacular, prehistoric, ancient, Asian, Islam, middle ages, renaissance, early modern and modern architectures would be all I know."

"That's quite a lot. And you are telling me despite knowing all of that, you can't identify anything here?"

I puzzled my arms and shook my head to symbolize that I didn't.

"Look, the fact that I don't know it means that it's partial to all my knowledge yet the structure looks absolutely ancient and not modern."

"True enough. If I were to say, this is far more ancient than something modern like we are familiar with."

We resumed our tracks after that trade of words.

Admittedly, once we got to the end of the hall, an even vaster hall held its reign strongly.

A small right side that would lead to a dead end was nothing to be alarmed of, unlike a particular feature that this hall's ground had and the previous one didn't.

"Really now? Railways? But I don't see any train or at least some sort of carriage."

Sagasuga wasn't quite looking further ahead, so I enlightened him on something that I had already taken into consideration and absorbed into my own knowledge just by glancing towards the seemingly endless hall to our left.

"The railway doesn't just go towards the end of the hall, Sagasuga. As far as I can tell, there is at least one conjunction that makes the railway go down to the left up ahead."

If I were to illustrate in a map, thus far we have entered a mine that had a staircase of four layers adjoined with side slim staircases without layers. Then, we went forth towards a semi-long hall that had a very linear end. And now, we are in a horizontal hall that has a right dead end with a massively vast left side to explore. Put even more simply, it's the equivalent of walking into a linear vertical line and then colliding with a horizontal line.

More importantly, the height of the ceiling had drastically decreased in comparison with the initial colossal difference in height when it comes to the beginning hall.

"So we follow the railways, yes?"

"No, we will explore every corner. We won't limit ourselves."

"I agree with that line of action. Now, could it be that he knows about this mine and he's leading here on purpose?"

"No shit..."

This whole scenario is pissing me off so bad. Under no circumstance would I actually downright play into someone's palms like this, but the fact that I have little to no knowledge of this island and this mine means that I have no option but to make discoveries. Even if that means getting baited.

Something I forgot to mention is that the illumination of this mine is purely reliant on the reflection of the luminous architecture buried in the halls' walls. It is so powerful in terms of illumination that it creates a devastating contrast to the lingering shadows ever-present in this mine.

Shards of unknown minerals varying from color to color emit a stark light in each of them to the point of blessing this dark hall with sufficient passage.

Railways of unknown substance served as our guide until we walked midway the hall and found out that although a railway diverged to the north way, which would essentially mean south; by initial standards. Alas, the railway was nonetheless connected to yet another linear railway that would go all the way to the end of the hall.

"You were right, Kawahara. This railway does have one conjunction."

As soon as Sagasuga attempted to praise me, I corrected him while kneeling down just so I could further see the horizontal breach that would dictate whether or not the railway would go all the way to the end of the hall or if it would yet again diverge. Through a quick discovery, I was able to label something else.

"Wrong. It has one more. There's possibly a dual path ahead."

Copying my action, Sagasuga kneeled down and gained the knowledge of yet another conjunction within the railways not far away from our current location.

"That's true. Then, wanna split?"

"No. Firstly, we'll explore this hall completely and then..."

Then what? These halls aren't exactly small. As a matter of fact, their lengths are extensive. Meaning that if the dual halls have the exact same length then we would be wasting a lot of time. But I believe that's better than being split up with Sagasuga, as he could run away with his words. Nothing tells me that he hasn't been here before. He could just be faking his lack of knowledge and try to elude me through his "persuasion", potentially.

"Hm?"

But as I look at him, I can't trace signals of lies. It's not often that I don't trust my intuition but I won't this time. Therefore, I'll rely on cold logic.

"Let's go forward and see the end of this hall, then we will take the other conjunction and see where it leads. If it's a dual path with the same length, then it will most likely have the same end too."

"That's why I suggested that we spl-"

I interrupted him without a second thought.

"No means no. Or what? Do you have a problem with my pattern of action here?"

"I was just trying to make faster progress but you seem far more skeptical than before. More cynical too. Your eyes are tired, Kawahara."

Putting a silent front, I went forward as Sagasuga did the same.

This could all be a setup. If Sagasuga is somehow aligned with the one behind this, then I am being manipulated right now. I need to further analyze Sagasuga's pattern of action. Is he trying to create a diversion in order to screw my progress?

I don't know.

It's terrifying having such an abysmal lack of knowledge, but I cannot falter here.

With that in mind, we quickly arrived at the end of the horizontal hall, and just before it could end, we came across the other dual path. We then consequently looked towards the hall and it wasn't linear whatsoever. Just a few meters in, through my vision, I was able to detect a curve, which was not in the other dual path. It's different and it most likely holds a different end. It is not a coincidence that the structure has changed. Surely, they can end in the same destination yet if such was the case, then wouldn't it make more sense to build two very linear paths that would unite both conjunctions?

I think so, therefore...

"Sagasuga, let's go through the other linear hall."

"Why?"

Sagasuga pierced my veil with his eyes of undying curiosity and at that moment alone, I started to make up lies and limited Sagasuga's knowledge regarding my honest opinion. From this point onwards, it would be crucial that I didn't offer Sagasuga advanced pieces of information and would then allow him to only further realize later on upon witnessing with his own two eyes.

Going ultra-silent right off the bat will raise suspicion, so this is the correct line of play.

Ergo, the moment my footsteps baptized the shivering ground of rails in the sequence of going back to the initial dual path, I lied.

"You were right in the sense where they most likely have the same end. So, by going through the first one we would be able to go back a lot faster and then progress towards the other hall. If by some chance this hall on the right doesn't have the same end, then we would be going towards a different path. That's why the initial position is preferable, just in case."

Though this doesn't completely qualify as a lie, I call it half-truth.

"I see. In the odd case that the paths don't collide, we can just find out everything about the first path's content. Then again, doesn't the same apply to this one?"

This was easy to counter.

"The reasoning does apply, however, it's preferable to take the path closest to the entrance because if we go deep enough into the second hall then we might find other paths and be stuck. We don't want that, so we will take the first dual hall, alright?"

"Okay, sure."

Shortly after, we reached the first hall's entrance that did not have a gate whatsoever. It was a pure linear hall with the direction of going down south.

Embodying the exact same architectural structure from all the halls thus far, nothing but a singular linear path was all this hall offered.

Oddly though, the end of the linear hall that went down south for quite a while brought forth a new natural perspective.

"Light...? What?"

Sagasuga couldn't help but wonder why we were witnessing traces of solar light at the end of this hall. The source of the solar light was coming all the way from our right side and Sagasuga wanted to rush off towards where the light was coming from, but I didn't let him with a persistent hold on his right shoulder.

"Wait, Sagasuga. Don't fall into the curiosity. We must first check the entirety of this hall."

"Seriously? If there is a light above then that means we are closer to the end."

"That's exactly my point... There's no rush here, let's just explore instead of seeking a way out."

In addition to my point, there is yet another dual path. Supposedly, if where the solar source of energy is coming from is the outside atmosphere, then we have little to no reason to seek a way out.

"Wasn't our primary goal coming to this mine chasing after the guy anyway?"

Why is he trying to argue with me here? It's as if he's telling me that we have nothing to gain here. In other words, implying that he has been here before. Well, if such is the case...

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

"Our goal changed. It's important to see where the railway actually ends and if there is some sort of carriage that can support our traveling. If there is one, then the necessity of traveling this mine by foot becomes optional."

"...Fair enough. It's not my fault if the guy gets away, alright?"

"He already did."

That aside, I turned to my left side and saw yet another dead end. Interestingly, just like the upper hall on the north side, the railways here also had a dead end to the left. However, there were two dual railways just like in the upper hall too. Furthermore, the railways were evenly split into two conjunctions the moment we stepped into this destination. Naturally, one of the conjunctions goes to the left where there is a dead end. As for the other, it goes to the right, where the beyond tells me the exact opposite of a dead end.

"So, if the other path is really dual, then there will be a connection up ahead, right?"

"If it is, Sagasuga."

Our minds had marked the short-lived goal of verifying whether or not the path was genuinely dual as we walked through the railways which had black glossy mini-sized pillars separating both of them. It further excelled in keeping a somewhat large distance between the two railways which would then make it impossible for collisions, should carriages intertwine the same path.

Nevertheless, what we found was not a dual path, but just the continuation of the hall.

"Christ, you were right, Kawahara. If we had taken that path, then we would probably be lost already. You still remember the way out, right? Hm... I wish we had paper and a pen. Then, we would be able to make a map on our own."

"We will never be blessed with something as artificial as a paper and a pen. Ink is a different matter though. Regardless, the fact that we didn't even get a map of this island in the first place already means that they are short on fucks to give when it comes to us."

Now, if there was no dual path, then would we turn back? Hell no.

"Sagasuga, let's check out the light source, but if it leads to the outside of this mine, then we will go back."

So far, this research has been unsuccessful, but I refuse to believe that this mine doesn't contain anything to offer. If there is something we already know is that the door that was beyond our reach in the beginning hall could have something that might turn out to be crucial.

But that creates an even bigger mystery. Could this mine have some sort of method that will make us be able to reach that door? Or maybe, it's something as simple as following the other path which could lead to that door from the other side.

Wouldn't that explain why it was impossible to reach that door in the first place?

"You're kidding me..."

On most occasions, Sagasuga is the first one to express his shock, but I took his place this time as I couldn't believe what exhibited outside of the gate. That's right; just like the entrance, we were caged inside the outer atmosphere due to the fact that bars were showing their fangs to us, ultimately keeping us from advancing any further.

That still nonetheless didn't exactly mean that we couldn't see what lied beyond. It was precisely because I could see what lied beyond that I bothered to express my shock in the first place.

"A bridge...? This just keeps on getting more confusing, I swear."

"It's not just any bridge, Sagasuga. If you look further you can see two linear dual staircases connected from the sidelines of the bridge. Plus, by the end of the bridge... Oh wait, I can't see it."

"Yeah, what the hell man, I can't see it as well. It's too far away."

Sagasuga tried to envision as much as possible, but he couldn't.

I lied just now. I did see what lied beyond the bridge and the information was so crucial that I had to hold my breath almost instantly without showing any sort of a surprise in my facial expression.

Looking away, I reflected on this new information. What was this new information? Well, the end of the upcoming bridge mirrors the same end game like this one. Alternatively speaking, it's another mine! Now, why would there be another mine up ahead if much like the initial gate this one has a maneuver that can be manipulated thus granting us the entrance?

...Unless...

"..."

Upholding permanent silence, I took a step back and looked firmly to the maneuver to see if it had any different functions from the previous maneuver. Similarities such as a manipulation switch and a rustic appearance could be witnessed. Nothing else was added to the contrast. Even so, I didn't move an inch, to see if Sagasuga would press the switch before I did.

Would it be that easy to simply access what lies beyond the bridge? We don't even know where exactly the solar light is coming from. Our vision is blocked due to the roof of the gate. Only by advancing can we move on from the ceiling and determine the point of the solar source.

"Kawahara? Do you not want to press the switch?"

He was prompting me into doing the action that I was trying to make him do it. Something told me that accessing the bridge was not possible. Supposedly, I know nothing about this, but if there is something hidden on the other side, then wouldn't it make the most plausible sense for this gateway to not open up?

"Do you?"

"That's what I'm asking you, Kawahara."

"And I'm asking you, Sagasuga. Don't you want to see the source of this light?"

"What are you playing at exactly?"

I smirked a little bit.

His actions have been slightly suspicious thus far. However, he could simply make me not view him as a suspectable suspect if he obeys my original line of thought. Here is the catch: by acting as if he really wants to see what lies beyond this gate, he would be accepting his own goal earlier which was to see if there was someone else beyond this gate. On the other hand, by acting according to my plan, he would be abandoning the primary idea. Why would he do that?

Accordingly, Sagasuga is a smart individual. I consider him as someone who has his own individualism. I therefore minimally acknowledge him. The rational deceiving lie here would be to act according to his primal idea so that I wouldn't suspect him and as such, he will attempt to portray behavior that is connected with his primary idea.

"I am just confirming your intentions. If you want to go ahead and confirm if there is someone ahead, then I will abandon the idea of exploring the entirety. After all, the other path could be a simple dead end. Time could be nigh. Make your decision, leader."

He tried to not look skeptical but for a second I caught a glimpse of his suspective glare on my entirety. In the end, he replied just the way I expected it.

"Alright then. I'll follow my idea."

Expectedly, he didn't want to raise any suspicions whatsoever. I don't care what anyone thinks of this situation but Sagasuga's suspicion just has raised further and further. Now, let's see if all the pieces fall in.

"...Weird, the maneuver worked but the gate lock won't unlock itself. It's no good, Kawahara, this is locked."

How very clever.

"What a shame, isn't it, Sagasuga?"

"Indeed. Shall we take the other path then?"

For fuck's sake... This guy isn't even trying!

"Haha..."

"...? Is something in the matter, Kawahara?"

Jokingly, I laughed out loud for a bit which provoked yet another skeptical reaction out of Sagasuga. I'm not going insane nor am I paranoid, but I have a very big hunch that will be confirmed by going along with Sagasuga's train of thought, so I'll quickly compose myself and follow Sagasuga all the way to the other path on the north side.

"No, nothing!"

Eventually, we returned to the north side of the mine and turned to the left where we were blessed with the other path. The single curved path that would invite us to somewhere else that we supposedly had no knowledge of. Yet, I'm convinced that Sagasuga is quite the clever bastard at the moment.

Successfully, he flawlessly led me into thinking that this was something that he didn't have knowledge of. Rather--- he successfully displayed the stance of someone utterly dumb who was discovering a place for the first place. Naturally speaking, if you were already in a place where you have been before, you would unconsciously elaborate your knowledge, however, Sagasuga managed to successfully restrict himself.

Alas, my theory is flawed thus far.

"You've been oddly silent thus far, Kawahara. Are you not going to share your impression on the current scenario?"

Sagasuga is indeed right. I have been too silent.

We are just about to cross the curve which would mean that Sagasuga already knew about this. If he has been here before, then he knew from the start that the path I chose was a dead one. In other words, the place where he gains something is just up ahead.

I need to display an attitude that tells him that I don't know this nor that I am conspiring against him in any possible manner.

"No, I was just thinking as to why the gate back then didn't open. I mean, what gives, right? If we can enter the first gate, then how come we can't pass through the second one, right? Unless... Unless there is a specific path that would lead to a maneuver that could operate the other maneuver. You know, basic stuff, am I right? Hahaha!"

Ohhhhhhhhh!!

I saw it, I saw it. For barely a single second, Sagasuga's sharp glance became so serious that I almost burst out from laughing. The cracks started to show themselves. Very nice, nice. Taking that into consideration, I am probably right, even if that was just a wild guess. After all, even though it's a wild guess, there has to be a way to unlock the maneuver down below. Is it that strange to even think that there is another path of action here that revolves around another maneuver?

Now, let's think a bit here. In accordance with my theory, if Sagasuga already knew about this mine ahead of time, what would he think about what I had just said?

"Was that just a lucky guess?"

"Or was Kawahara already here before?"

"If so, then, is he leading me into believing that he hasn't?"

See? I too can fucking play that game...

"That could be it... Though, why would there be another maneuver in the first place? Just for the sake of complication? Or is it perhaps connected to that door we saw?"

"I wouldn't know, honestly."

Mercilessly, Sagasuga kept on assaulting me with his serious monstrous glare with every cold word in his explicit speech. Meanwhile, although the path was slightly curved at first, it simply contained two curves. The first curve was inclined to the right. After that, there was a linear path once again, which then turned into a curve to the left. In conclusion, if you take out the curves, it is linear, because it's essentially going to end the same way.

Or not.

Of course, the path wouldn't end in the same way. It was already witnessed that such was not the case. This path was naturally far different and on the second curve to the left, after a short linear path, appeared a third curve to the right. However, the curve itself strangely twisted itself and started to go all the way to the north. It was no wonder it didn't connect with the other path, the diversion made it impossible to.

From time to time, midst this silence, Sagasuga would cross glances with me. He's suspecting me, currently. I have implied that I have knowledge of this mine because my guess wasn't off the mark. If such is the case, then I might as well step my game up.

"Hey, Sagasuga?"

"Yeah, what's up, man?"

"I was thinking and what if... What if our words are connected to this mine, somehow? Sorta like how they could serve as passwords?"

Sagasuga's response gave me such a jubilant joy just from him going all the way to stopping his tracks to the point of his eyes supremely widening in shock.

Compelling enough, he regained his posture and redirected his shock from another complete perspective.

"That's genius, Kawahara! Could that imply that the words have a secondary usage, after all?"

"After all?"

Capitalizing on that tongue slip of his, I stepped in ruthlessly. Being caught in a wave of missteps, Sagasuga tried to correct himself as much as possible while making sure that he wouldn't leak out any sort of reaction that could indicate his knowledge about this mine.

Although, it's completely useless. I am this close to buying the idea completely.

"Er, you know, the words have to serve a purpose, don't they?"

Here, I could've capitalized on the fact that Sagasuga just said that the words supposedly serve a purpose. The important thing to notice is that if they do serve a purpose, then that purpose is primary. In no conceivable way is it implied that they serve any sort of secondary usage.

Yet Sagasuga went an extra mile to deliberately say that there is a chance that they do have a secondary usage.

This means that the fucker is firmly aware of their primary usage and... If that implication wasn't random, then he could very well be saying that the words have more than one purpose; outside of the one, he supposedly knows.

I could just speak my mind right here and now, but why? I supposedly know nothing about this.

But to him, I am a suspect that knows about this mine, right? Therefore, I'll cast a serious glance just like Sagasuga, as if I'm suspecting him, which will only further increase his suspicion.

Even if I actually don't know what he knows.

"True enough, Sagasuga. Anyways, I'll pull the switch this time. You've done it twice."

"...Okay..."

A rather meek response, but it was intentional from me to create such a response in the first place. By not showing any sort of initiative during the first switch and the second switch, I have implied that I know nothing of this mine. HOWEVER, this time around, since we are most likely at the grand final destination, I have to imply that I have been here before and so, taking the initiative to make Sagasuga paranoid is only but necessary and essential.

More accurately elaborating... We stumbled on yet another gate that had a maneuver similar to all the rest. If the maneuver did not work, then all the work thus far would leave many questions, but it would go against common sense for this maneuver to not work.

In view of that, with a firm hold on the upper maneuver, I brought down the switch which unlocked the gate; unlike the previous one.

"Oh, what? This one works? Who would've thought..."

Sarcastically, I said that to Sagasuga who was trying his best to put up a calm front, but I bet that he's internally asking himself questions regarding what I could potentially be plotting.

I don't blame you, Sagasuga. You are up against someone who likes the ideology of lies.

Ultimately not replying to my sarcastic words, Sagasuga went inside as I did too to find out what lied ahead.

I'll admit to thinking that there was going to be yet another hall ahead of us, however, I did not expect this.

"A computer?"

Given that I was taking the initiative, I fired that question at Sagasuga by looking towards the entirety of our current location. Further elements such as two gates; one on each side of the computer machine, were able to be absorbed into my knowledge.

Brutally contrasting the abrasive extensive halls with long lengths that we have walked into before, this was more of a room than an actual hall. Simply put, all it had was a computer machine ahead of us with two gates serving perhaps independent separate purposes. Aside from that, it was the gate where we just walked in. A very short location, therefore.

"Now that's surprising. I thought this island wasn't relying on technology yet to find a computer here... Let's check it, Kawahara."

"Sure thing."

It's not surprising at all. This mine is artificial. If you are under an artificial atmosphere, then where is the surprise in seeing a piece of technology?

Purposedly though, Sagasuga went ahead and demanded that we both checked out.

This is it. His whole plot is summed up to this moment.

But, haven't I been too nice lately?

I have, haven't I?

I played into the palm of his hands too much, so it's about time I continue my facade.

Supposedly, as Sagasuga approaches the computer machine, one could tell that he is about to reveal information to me which would then make me reveal information to him that would benefit him. So, in accordance, I have to act as if I am in his place right now. Otherwise, this is over.

"Wait, Sagasuga..."

"Hm...?"

Preoccupied with something on his mind, Sagasuga slowly but surely stopped walking towards the machine and faced me with a mixture of calm and perplexity all over his facial expression.

"I was thinking that maybe this machine requires you to put out a password."

"Yeah, same. That's what we talked about not long ago. Why bring that up now, Kawahara?"

Now, if I had to make yet another gamble in regards to the accuracy of the odds here...

"Because we might not have the correct password."

"What do you mean? We have six words, the chances are high."

Notice how he doesn't explain his second sentence at all. He already bought the idea that I know about this place. Or... he is on the verge to buy it.

Resuming; the words are apparently passwords or some kind and having a high number increases the chances. Of what, exactly?

I have to make something up here, otherwise, my facade will fall.

"We might fail nonetheless. It's too early to attempt this, Sagasuga."

"Attempt what, Kawahara?"

And now he's attempting to confirm my knowledge, which I have none.

Puzzled, I crossed my arms in sequence.

"...I can't tell. You might be recording this and exposing that sort of information is..."

"...I see. Ah, man. You beat me to it. But how? I even had that beach from the ravine as my starting point. What gives?"

!

He fucking bought it. Holy shit, it happened!

No, no! Control yourself! You can't laugh, not even for a damn second.

Stiffen your expression and don't let your emotions control your body movements.

Breathe deeply and then...

"I was allocated just a little further on the east, Sagasuga. I also arrived before you did. In-between that gap, I had already explored this area."

Not true. I was allocated precisely the furthest away from here.

However, more importantly, Sagasuga, frustrated, got on his knees and almost wept out of comedy.

"What the hell!? I thought for sure I was the only one who had this mine to his knowledge!"

Without Sagasuga noticing, I was punching my back with my right hand.

In order to avoid laughing, I need to give my brain and body something else to focus on. Strong physical trauma will alert my body drastically thus diverging from the very crude fact that I can barely contain myself right now.

"Well then. You most likely came here with the same purpose as I did, Kawahara."

"What did you expect? It wasn't something I could just miss out on."

"I can see that now. Good job pretending to not know anything about this. You even went as far as making me believe that you knew nothing about the ravine."

"I know it breaks your heart, but it wasn't anything personal."

Chit-chat aside, we directed ourselves to the computer machine. Realistically speaking, it was just a monitor attached to a keyboard face-up. It had no cables whatsoever. Which meant that it was running on a long-term battery. Such things are not cheap, by any means.

Sagasuga took the lead and kept on delivering information crucial to my knowledge.

"I was lucky, honestly. During the first day, after witnessing this machine, I just had to wander towards another mine and far to the east I found another one and went through the same process. As you already know, I couldn't make full utility out of this mine because my word isn't the corresponding one. That's why I was lucky. Because my word was the corresponding one in that mine I told you about."

With haste, I had to absorb this new information as fast as possible.

First of all, there are other mines out there on this island. If beyond that bridge lies yet another mine, then there is a very high chance of there being ten mines in total. The essence of my reasoning as to why there are ten mines comes from the additional information Sagasuga just told me, that being: the mines correspond to a word and if such is the case, then the chances that there are ten mines in total becomes more and more credible.

Nonetheless, this raises the question. Why was Sagasuga lucky? I could make this question, but Sagasuga seemed deeply inclined in explaining more.

"But this mine isn't corresponding with my word, so I had to gather more. It's just, there is one very big problem, as you can see here."

On the screen, there was a digital keyboard where you could type anything and insert that word to see if it corresponded. Below was a message that said: "You only have two more tries".

In other words, Sagasuga had already blown up one of the opportunities like that.

"As you already know, there are only three tries, so at first, I tried my word and utterly failed. Though, I'm surprised, Kawahara. You are really cautious. I mean, you didn't even try it."

Following my facade, I constructed more fabrication to my lie.

"I did think at first, but three times is a little bit risky, you know?"

"Frankly, looking back at it, it was an impulsive action. I should've saught the others first BEFORE attempting."

This explains why Sagasuga formed a group with Tatsu and Tsudo. He is more than clever, I must admit. Pulling something of this level isn't exactly the easiest thing in the world.

"No use in regretting it now. It's weird though. How come you were able to unlock the password of the other mine but not this one? I thought that the fact that you were allocated near this mine would imply that this time would be the one correspondent to your word..."

"Are you saying there's possibly a pattern?"

"A clue would be nice, honestly... Anyway, what do you plan on doing? Are you going to try your luck, Sagasuga?"

Despite us staring at the screen, none of us had typed anything. Sagasuga, however, wanted to, but he reasoned something first.

"I think it would've been too easy if the password was something under a specific number of letters. For example, you have two words that are: "the". If the password input was under a three-digit label, it would be crystal clear that the match would be compatible yet that's not the case."

Sagasuga's reasoning leaves me with an even bigger question. If Sagasuga and the mine his word was allocated towards were not close to each other, then what is tying them together? Nothing?

No, that's impossible. I know for a fact that this is simply a hidden criterion of this exam. They refuse to give us fair treatment so we are forced to think through situations like this with our brains; long and hard.

Just to make sure of something, I struck Sagasuga with a question.

"What did you learn from that mine, exactly? Your word worked, right? Something must've happened."

"Yeah, I was going to get there. Although the structure of the mine was different from this one, I did obtain something there."

"Well, what?"

It's been confirmed by Sagasuga that you can actually obtain something if your word corresponds with the mine's machine input.

To demonstrate what he had obtained, he took the object out of his bag. I felt slightly dumb as I realized the ultimate truth behind the object.

"I fucking knew it was too good to be true."

"Look, I had to lie about the ax, obviously. If I were to spread such valuable information to them, then it could lead to scenarios of disadvantage."

It's not as if I bought the story about his ax before, but now this makes sense. Still...

"I don't get it. Your reward was an ax, which is controversial, but is the mine's structure different in regards to our current location?"

"No, it's not... It's the exact same. There are two gates as well."

"Sagasuga, then what did you find in the other gate? You did find that ax in one of the gate's hall's end, right?"

"Yes, that's correct. One of the paths led to the ax, but as soon as I returned back, the other gate became permanently locked."

That brings another question.

"How did you know that it was unlocked in the first place?"

"I put it wrongly. To be more truthful, only one of the paths was available to me."

"What are you saying, Sagasuga?"

"I'm saying, even if you insert the password successfully, only one path which will lead to the reward will open. Or, so was the case when I checked the other mine."

Taking all of that into account, I stopped being lethargic and checked both of the gates to see if there was any difference in their structures and noticeably, the gate to the left was far stronger and rigid, unlike the right one which was nonetheless resistant but not as adamantly structured as its former.

Failing to consider their differences in the structure was out of the question so I rapidly concluded something.

"Even if we get the word right, I doubt the left gate will open. Tell me, do you re--"

"Yeah, it was the left one too."

"...I see."

Knowing this, I scratched the back of my head and sat down on the cold floor to think a bit.

Why did Sagasuga's word work on a mine that was partial to the location it was allocated? A pattern here is necessary. There can't just be no pattern. No. No exam is irrational. They are strictly developed in manipulative deceptive ways. This means that the pattern here is a deceptive one.

But there must be some sort of clue that connects to the pattern, yet what...

What...

Wh---

"Sagasuga, let me examine the ax for a second."

"Why? Do you think you'll find something there? I've looked into it and it's regularly shaped with nothing strange to it."

"Just give it, it might turn out to be crucial..."

"Alright, if you insist."

Why an ax though? Are they promoting the idea of killing just to see if we will actually do it? That's fucked up.

As Sagasuga handed me his ax by lending me its holding edge and not its razor's, I took a neat glance at it entirely.

I turned it from back to front and found a simple mediocre ax that had the only purpose of being used for executing.

Furthermore, I religiously examined the sharp edge of the ax's blade to see if I could find anything, but in the end, nothing.

Nothing!

So, in a feat of rage, I threw the ax at one of the gates to see if it would break.

"Useless piece of sh-"

Then, as the ax's holding edge broke, given that it was made out of wood, we saw an iron tag coming out of it.

"What is that?!"

"I don't know, let's check it!"

Excited, we rushed to the left gate and penetrated our eyesight on the wood edge that had leaked out an iron tag.

Sagasuga immediately took ahold of it and then showed me.

"9?"

"It says number 9 for sure, Kawahara. What could it mean?"

Put more concretely, from the ax's holding edge lied an iron tag inside and the iron tag simply contained a metallic number carved on the tag.

"Your word is probably the ninth. With that said..."

This is it... Something about this connects to the pattern.

A pattern that must be discovered before it's too late.