deltrittennovels Chapter 485 is here!
Chapter 485 is here!
[Self-service key machine: Find a key that shouldn't exist]
This is the riddle that Xia Taotao was assigned.
Looking at the somewhat eerie description on the question, Xia Taotao racked her brains trying to find the answer.
"It's obvious that this refers to the key to room 105."
The squirrel familiar sat on Xia Taotao's shoulder and spoke to her.
Inside the self-service machine, the slot that originally belonged to key card 105 was empty, while the other key cards lay neatly in their respective slots, presumably implying that "keys that shouldn't exist" were missing.
"I think so too, but we can't see it at all here. How are we supposed to find it?"
Xia Taotao pressed her face against the tempered glass of the shop window, trying to peek inside.
The rabbit's little face was squeezed flat against the glass, as if it was trying its best to stick its head inside to search.
Inside, it has a structure similar to a traditional vending machine. The keys have been replaced with cards, which are more secure than traditional keys, and the edges are wrapped with protective cloth strips to prevent them from being broken when they fall into the collection slot.
Within one's field of vision, apart from the grid, there are no other hidden compartments or similar things to be seen.
"Hmm... I didn't see it... Where could it be...?"
As she left the glass, Xia Taotao looked the self-service key machine up and down and muttered to herself.
The familiar also showed a strange expression at this moment, and even used its small size to squeeze into the machine to explore, but could only shake its head helplessly.
"No, I looked in the most hidden corner too, but I didn't find the key to room 105."
"Do you think it's possible that the key is actually hidden behind the vending machine or in some other concealed corner?" Xia Taotao asked.
It was subsequently denied by the familiar:
"Impossible. I just checked the area below and behind me, and I didn't find anything except dust."
The two looked at each other in silence.
I didn't see it in the key compartment, inside the machine, or even in a hidden corner. So where could it be hiding...?
"...Perhaps we can try a different approach."
As he was thinking, the squirrel familiar suddenly spoke.
Xia Taotao blinked, and before she could speak, the little squirrel pointed to the electronic screen on the machine.
It has the same structure as most vending machines—scanning a QR code or swiping an ID card with a camera will give you a key card to open the room.
Guided by her familiar, Xia Taotao walked to the screen, opened the card retrieval interface, and saw a complete overview of the rooms in the Shelter Inn.
Due to the heavy snow and the magical storm, the inn was empty, and all the rooms were available. The full list of room numbers initially confused Xia Taotao, but she quickly calmed down.
Her slender fingers scrolled down to the first-floor room list, where room 105 was prominently displayed.
But when Xia Taotao tried to click, a message popped up saying "[The key to this room has been taken]", and the key had been taken a long time ago, probably the initial time of the screen system's default settings.
"Oh, is the machine broken?" Xia Taotao tilted her head, and her rabbit ears tilted as well.
But the squirrel familiar's eyes darted around, as if it had suddenly realized something, and it quickly reached out and patted Xia Taotao's shoulder from under its bottom.
"No, it's not broken. I understand completely now!"
"Think about it carefully, Peach." Su Tianqing used her familiar to express her thoughts.
"Since Kalia's treasure is protected by magic, do you think it's possible that other magical girls have already found treasures before us?"
"However, they obeyed Senior Kalia's request and strictly kept the treasure's secret, which is why we were able to experience an authentic treasure hunt."
After listening to the familiar's words, Xia Taotao nodded in agreement.
This analysis makes a lot of sense. The story of Kalia's treasure is quite widespread in the magical girl community in the north; even I, far away in Chengdu, have seen it on forums.
It's understandable that other magical girls would come to visit in groups.
"But if that's the case, where would the key card be?"
"That's why I said we should do the opposite!"
The familiar said confidently.
"Think about it carefully. If we were magical girls who had participated in the treasure hunt before, and we successfully found the treasure in the inn, how could we restore the scene to its original state?"
"Hmm... First, restore the magic barrier, then return the found items to their original places, or return them to the Hero Association staff."
"That's it! Let's expand on this idea—if we've already found the treasure and want to return it to the self-service key machine with the key card, how would we do it?"
"Mmm..."
The rabbit girl blinked, her little head spinning rapidly as she tried to come up with a reliable conclusion.
Soon, he spoke up:
"I'll put the key in the recycling bin of the self-service key machine, and then... ah!"
Xia Taotao hopped slightly, like a startled little rabbit.
"I understand! So the key is located here—"
The rabbit girl looked down at the key card recycling bin specially set up on the machine, reached inside, and her rabbit eyes immediately lit up with a bright light.
With a soft click, a completely different metal key appeared in Xia Taotao's hand.
……
"I found it!"
Xia Taotao's excited voice rang out from the stairwell.
Xia Youyou was listening intently to the "song that shouldn't be playing" on the second-floor balcony when she heard a noise coming from the stairwell. She quickly turned around and looked at her excited older sister.
The pink-haired bunny girl clutched a metal key tightly in her hand, its surface gleaming with a faint magical light, as if some kind of magic protected it from wear and rust over the years.
Such faint magic power would probably be difficult for even Inari to detect, let alone others.
"Wow, sister, you found the key! So fast!"
Xia Youyou was overjoyed and took the key from Xia Taotao, examining it carefully.
"Wow, that's amazing... It really does say 'Room 105' on it."
"Hehe, guess how I found it? I found it in the recycling bin of the self-service key machine!" Xia Taotao said with a smile.
"There's a magnet hidden inside, and the key is stuck to it. You can only find it by reaching in and feeling around!"
"Wow, it was hidden so well! You're amazing, sister. You even managed to find a place like that." Xia Youyou's admiration for her older sister deepened.
Then he said in confusion:
"But if it's a magnet, won't it demagnetize the other key cards?"
"The key cards at this hotel are all chip cards, which won't be demagnetized by magnets, and the magnets aren't that strong either. They won't be attracted unless you deliberately stick them to them."
"I see……"
With a look of sudden realization, Xia Youyou turned to look at the balcony, and the two sisters fell silent at the same time.
After solving the first puzzle, the second puzzle came into view.
[On the second-floor balcony, I heard a song that shouldn't have been playing.]
How can this puzzle be solved...?