The piano crashed onto the floor of the level below, causing tremors to ripple through the structure.
Dust rained down in showers from the ceiling above.
"Cough, cough..."
Mono steadied himself, waving a hand to disperse the billowing dust.
He brushed the wood shavings and grime off his shoulders.
Fortunately, he had a paper bag over his head, otherwise he'd be covered in filth.
Six silently watched Mono.
Mono finished dusting himself off.
Turning his head, he saw Six's state—her head was covered in wood chips, her gray robe dusted with white powder, and her once somewhat presentable face was once again smudged like a messy kitten's.
Um...
"Pfft..."
Six's expressionless face paired with such a disheveled appearance was unexpectedly comical.
As Mono's snicker sounded, Six's gaze slowly shifted to him.
"Stare?"
Under Six's gaze, Mono's laughter cut off abruptly.
Though her face showed nothing, Mono could clearly read the meaning in her utterly emotionless eyes.
Suppressing his chuckle, Mono then raised his hand.
"Look at you, you need to pay attention to cleanliness. Hold still, let me help you."
Mono reached out, patted the wood chips from Six's head, took her hand to brush off the dust, and used his sleeve to wipe her smudged face clean.
"There, that looks much better now."
Mono smiled.
Six finally released her intense stare.
Her tightly clenched little fists also relaxed.
After cleaning Six's face, Mono jumped down from the piano.
This was a room on the first floor, completely empty except for the piano that had just crashed down.
There were two doors in the room, one on each side.
Mono walked to the wooden door on the east side and found it similarly locked.
He headed toward the west side.
The door on the west was a latticed iron gate. Looking out from inside, he could see a pit filled with countless piles of garbage.
This was exactly the same garbage pit Mono had seen when crossing the plank earlier.
Inside was imprisoned a Ceramic Figurine. It was still using a metal object to toy with a thoroughly dead frog—cut open and gutted.
Mono got a clear look at the metal object in its hand.
It was a key.
Mono turned his head to look at the wooden door on the east side.
The item in the Ceramic Figurine's hand was undoubtedly the key to that door.
Facing a mere Ceramic Figurine, given Mono's current capabilities, he naturally had no cause for concern.
He reached out, grabbed hold of the iron gate.
Then, holding his breath, he pulled upward.
Huh?
The door didn't move!
"Hey, Little Six, come lend a hand." Mono indicated he had backup.
Without a word, Six walked over.
Together, the two of them pulled the iron gate upward.
"Clatter...?"
Rusted shut, it was somewhat difficult to move, and the noise it made was considerable.
The Ceramic Figurine trapped inside was instantly alerted. It turned its head and, upon seeing Mono and the other, froze for a moment.
Then it immediately threw down the frog on the ground, brandished the key, and charged toward Mono
and his companion.
Two seconds later, it successfully reached in front of Mono. But before it could leap.
A figure flashed by.
"Thud!"
The Ceramic Figurine was seized by the neck by Six. "Snap...?"
Something was torn off. The Ceramic Figurine went completely still.
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