Chapter 54: Password Lock

The scene fell silent for nearly half a minute before everyone snapped back to reality.

Noah and the others surrounded Ska like mad, their expressions of shock beyond words.

“Key! You have a key?!”

Xin stared at the golden card in Ska’s hand in disbelief.

“Why do you have a key?!”

Ska looked around at everyone and said in a matter-of-fact tone,

“What do you mean ‘why’? Did you think I wouldn’t leave myself an escape route? Besides, I’ve been undercover in the Truth Organization for so long. Having a key card is only natural.”

Through Ska’s explanation, everyone learned that he had been infiltrating the Truth Organization for a long time.

To gather evidence of the organization’s blasphemy against the gods, he had purposely stayed here to observe Gexiusi’s experiments.

Now that Gexiusi was dead and he had finished filming the evidence of his attempt to ascend to godhood using divine miracles, it was time to return and report on his mission.

Naya, who was more shocked than anyone else, quickly came up to Ska and said with a frown,

“Is it really a key card? Can I take a look?”

Ska didn’t have much wariness toward Naya, since he was the only one among them who was knowledgeable about the various organizations.

Naya reached out and took the key card, turning it over a few times before finally confirming that it was genuine.

“I never thought… we’d be able to get out this easily…”

Naya handed the key card back and said in a deeply frustrated tone,

“Then what was the Primordial Organization’s effort for so long all about…?”

“Hah! Look on the bright side!”

Xin slapped Naya on the back.

“As long as we can get out, who cares what method we use!”

“I suppose so…”

Naya sighed and nodded.

This card was the key to the research institute’s back door, so there was no need to run all the way to the main gate.

Ska pointed to a small door behind the operating table.

“Come on, everyone. It’s right here.”

The door looked as if it had been carved directly out of the wall.

It seemed that when the research institute was designed, the architect hadn’t intended to leave a back door.

Noah instructed everyone to follow and stepped over to Ska.

She hesitated for a moment before saying,

“Um… Mr. Ska, there’s something I’d like to ask you…”

Ska was adjusting his firearm equipment, since they would be leaving soon.

Upon hearing Noah’s voice, he turned to look at her.

“Oh, what is it? Go ahead.”

Noah was still confused about her identity.

Gexiusi had said she was the director of the research institute, but Naya had said she was Geheluosi, the vice leader of the Primordial Organization.

The two conflicting memories cycled through her mind, making it impossible for her to determine who she really was.

Noah pondered for a moment before asking,

“Um… to be honest, I have amnesia, so I don’t know who I am. Gexiusi said I’m the director of this research institute. Is that true?”

After hearing Noah’s question, Ska immediately waved his hand.

“Heh, don’t listen to that lunatic’s nonsense. The leader of the Truth Organization already called the director back to headquarters a long time ago. The director took so many resources with her. If she hadn’t shown up, the Truth leader would have torn this place apart by now. So you’re definitely not the director.”

After hearing Ska’s explanation, Noah finally let out a long sigh of relief.

But before she could thank him, Ska added,

“However… you and the director look exactly alike. Could you be twins?”

Noah was immediately stunned.

She frowned, feeling that things were even stranger than she had imagined.

The director looked just like her, and she had lost her memory and didn’t know her identity.

So how could he be certain?

With that thought, Noah immediately retorted,

“She and I look the same? Then how are you so sure I’m not the director?”

“Ah, your chest is too flat…”

Ska replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

“I’ve seen the director… She’s much bigger than you…”

“You motherf—”

Noah just covered her face, feeling like she wanted to kick him too.

Jokes aside, now it was certain that Gexiusi had been raving nonsense.

Noah sighed and decided not to dwell on her chest issue.

“It’s okay, dear. Don’t worry about physical flaws. Even if you’re flat—Ah! Why are you kicking me!”

Naya had just tried to comfort Noah a bit when he got kicked to the side by her.

Noah glared at him angrily, then turned her head away and refused to talk to him.

The password lock on the back door was embedded in the wall.

It had buttons and a card slot.

Under everyone’s expectant gaze, Ska swiped the key card through the slot.

The lock beeped a few times, and a mechanical voice came from it.

[Please use a valid magnetic card to open the door.]

Only after the mechanical voice faded did everyone snap back to reality.

Noah couldn’t even believe her ears.

She pointed at the password lock and said,

“Uh… did I hear that wrong?”

“It can’t be that we all misheard.”

Xin also came to her senses.

She walked up and shook Ska’s shoulder.

“Hey, does this thing even work?”

Ska hadn’t expected this either.

He brought the key card closer for a better look.

“Huh? That’s strange. This card’s expiration date is September 12, 3038. That’s still several months away!”

“Give it here! Let me try!”

Xin snatched the card and swiped it through the slot several times.

Each time, the prompt said the magnetic card was invalid.

Xin scratched her head in frustration, then turned back to Ska.

“Do you have any other way?”

Ska nodded.

He took out a memo from his pocket and gestured for everyone to quiet down.

“Everyone, hold your horses. Opening the door isn’t the only method. Look, I also have the password here.”

Everyone immediately felt relieved and praised Ska for being meticulous.

Ska took the key card that Xin handed back, frowning in confusion.

He felt something was off, but couldn’t put his finger on it.

Opening the memo, Ska saw the door lock password he had written down earlier: 0413.

After seeing the password, he paused for a moment, then flipped through the memo back and forth, muttering to himself.

“0413… The password is 0413…? I could have sworn it was 5624…”

Xin was getting impatient.

“What’s there to hesitate about? If the memo can be wrong, why did you write it? Hurry up!”

“Fair enough…”

Ska nodded and entered the password, 0413, on the lock.

The lock beeped a few times and then a voice came out again.

[Password error. Please re-enter.]

Everyone was stunned.

After a long moment, Xin pointed at the memo and said,

“So… what was the point of writing it down?”

“Don’t rush! Don’t rush, don’t rush!”

Ska was getting anxious too.

He frowned deeply, thinking hard about the real password.

“I remember it was 5624… Wait, wait, let me try again…”

After entering the password once more, the lock spoke again.

[Number of incorrect password attempts has reached the limit. Please contact the administrator to reset the password.]