Beneath the desk, in one of the drawers. She took out a glass container with the appearance being almost fragile. This was the crude explosive she is attempting to work.
Let's test this first...
Selina's mind stormed for a location she could use as a test ground. The outskirts of the city is out of the equation. I only realized it when I was wondering the city that the guards are strict. If I were a regular citizen here, I wouldn't have trouble bypassing them but in my case...
Hmm... How about the basement? She recalled housing company agent, Welmer, about the state of the basement and what she should do before entering.
It was located beneath the stairs and down a series of steps. It is both isolated and soundproof, perfect for a personal productivity such as bombing the area!
What a way to describe my intention... Selina gave herself a self-deprecating smile before proceeding to the first floor, bringing a few matches, a candle being held by a metallic pan and her self-made explosive bottle.
Upon arriving, she first left the door open for a while. Letting the trapped air within the basement to be released and replaced.
After about five minutes. She entered the descending stairway, tightly holding the metallic pan along with the bottle and matches by her left hand.
It didn't take her long before reaching the cold rugged floor of the basement as the area is just below the first floor.
Darkness became dominant than the light illuminating the damped room. It was empty and Selina was only met by a stone table and a suffocating dusty air confined within the stone walls.
Due to this, Selina didn't waste any time as she ascended once more, then placed the metallic pan to the floor by her side and quickly lit a match. She only completed the stairs out of curiosity of the basement as she was still reminded by Martha's shared detail about her residence.
I thought there would be strange things that were still left after the previous owner's disappearance... But I guess the maintenance already took care of it.
Nevertheless, it made her relieved that any traces left was already been compromised long before she could deal with them.
Now with her lit match. She struck the plum to the bottle's oiled cloth starter, she did this before going out to a nearby bakery this morning.
Still doubting her self-made explosive. She figured that a regular frying oil should suffice for the world's scarcity or non-existent crude oil. It was still highly flammable and enough to be a fire-starter for the bottle.
Her plan is simple. Throw the bottle and let it be shattered by the impact of the fall, then the fire will consume the gunpowder, igniting it, and producing an explosion. The problem now is how powerful could such explosion be.
Putting these thoughts behind. She immediately threw the lighted bottle onto the basement and quickly withdrew her body to the side of the door leading to the basement.
Just before the bottle could reach the cobblestoned floor. The plum surged into the contents within, igniting the powders contained.
Due to the very limited space within the flying bottle. The combustion was quickly ensnared by the fragile glass, hindering it until the glass itself shattered instantly.
Bang!
The fire burst forth and a resounding explosion rang across the house, reaching faintly into the streets.
After the combustion. A dispersion of white powder lingered into every crevices of the basement for a few moments before it quickly disappeared from the aftermath.
Seeing this. Selina was left in shock, her right hand suddenly clenched her dress.
At that moment. Her expression gradually brightened as her face slowly reveal a beautiful glistening smile. Excitement and a sense of accomplishment arose within Selina as both of her feet consecutively leaped in joy. Yeess! It's a success!
This was her first time making an explosive item and from that first attempt she succeeded without fail.
Her dress frails to the wind along with her cascading hair as her small jumps slowly receded.
With her hope rekindled like the plum from her explosive bottle. She steadied herself and emphasized. Right! It's still not strong enough!
Maybe I'll add a few more powders? Oh! And I'll make the bottle bigger! Wait... No, the lesser the space, the better the compression of the air from the combustion... But I won't have enough room for more powders...
Selina's thoughts stirred as she escalated from the conventional grenades, focusing only to its explosion to gradually considering its firepower and destructive force.
But upon realizing where her mind is beginning to wonder. She herself a faint smile and said inwardly. Selina... you're drifting away from your initial plan!
Her right palm softly met her face in an attempt to prevent her mind from shifting.
Plap!
Okay! Now let's see if the powder made any kind of obscuration... Selina crowed with eagerness.
She then turned from the side of the door and descended a short flight of stairs. Sharp sulfuric scent accompanied by a metallic tang quickly surged her olfactory senses.
This made her cover her mouth with her right hand and mumbled. How nauseating...
Although the air reeked with burnt and acrid smoke were densely pack due to the confinement of the basement. Selina chose to pressed on as she needs to examine if there were any real obscuring smoke was produced.
To her disappointment. Only scattered black powder and lingering scent was present. There were no dense-white smoke permitted from the explosion.
A pang of doubt surfaced within Selina. I thought the black-rimmed sunflower would be enough... Was it just a regular powder after all?
There must be a specific chemical compound made for producing smoke... But... I'm unfamiliar in those kinds of things...
Sigh... Selina heaved a low breath as she turned to head back to the corridor.
Upon arriving back to the first floor. A short chime resounded across the hall followed by a series of knocks.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Hearing this, Selina's breath hitched. Her left hand holding the metallic pan almost lose its grip.
Visitors? This late? Confused, she still chose place the metal pan by the stairs of the basement and closed the door leading to it.
After adjusting a crease of her dress. Selina walked moderately towards the front entrance, deliberately attempting to conceal her previous actions.
Before opening, she first pressed her body to the door and strained to look at the magnifying glass featured to its wooden pane.
From the lens, Selina saw Martha and Marl in their pajamas being covered by their coats. The two of them both wore a long thin shirt followed by a simple plain-white pantaloons.
Mr. and Mrs. Heath? Why are they here? Selina murmured.
"Ms. Roy... Are you there?" Martha's voice muffled behind the door.
Thinking that it would unsettle the Heath family is she didn't respond. Selina twisted the handle and turned door open.
With a polite smile she said. "Mr. and Mrs. Heath? Why are the both of you here? I think it's already late..."
Martha first glanced at her husband before turning to Selina and asked. "Dear... We heard a loud sound coming from your residence... Are you alright?"
"I'm fine... But forgive me if I was mistaken but I didn't heard any loud sounds, especially here..." Selina assumed her usual poise of pressing her hands to one another beneath her abdomen.
"Really?" A worried look crept on Martha and Marl's face as they turned to one another.
"Well, I'm glad you're fine dear. Please be careful even if you're in a relatively safe neighborhood. Unexpected can happen often." Martha advised.
Selina nodded and replied. "I will Mrs. Heath. I'm grateful your concerns about me."
"It's late now, we don't want bother you any longer. Stay well dear." Martha said softly.
"Have a pleasant evening Ms. Roy." Marl added as he walk his wife back.
The couple gave a brief wave at Selina before returning to their residence.
A low breath escaped her lips after she closed the door. Selina muttered. Next time, I'll close the door before the explosion.
With this settled. She turned towards the stairs and ascended back to the second floor lounge.
From there, she saw the desk filled with bottles and materials she deemed can be used during her first production of an explosive bottle.
She slumped over the chair and onto the desk. Sigh... What can I do to make the smoke last longer?
As she stormed for possible answers. Selina turned her head to her side, and from there she saw the herbal encyclopedia she purchased back in the underground market.
Hmm... Could there be other herbs that can be used as a substitute? Selina paused for a moment. Before deciding to pick up the book. The title reads:
"201 Series of Herb Species."
We can try searching... She murmured as her fingers turning the cover over from its table of contents to the first page.
...
The dark world began to form rigid cracks before completely shattering from existence.
The vile and mysterious dreamworld once again took on a landscape of pure greenery, appearing as a wild meadow stretching far across the horizon to what seems like infinity.
Before terraforming, it shaped the figure of Selina once again from a mound of organs and flesh. The sculpture gained sentience as it was prophesized millions years into the past. Its eyes fluttered open.
Selina saw the spiraling murals from her feet and each being extended into the far distance.
Realizing that she had unknowingly fallen asleep while in her reading session. She gave a weary sigh and muttered. "You don't learn..."
Although she plans to sleep much earlier than her previous nights. The frustration of searching for something she doesn't even know herself kept her awake during the entire time she read the encyclopedia.
Refocusing on the present. A thought tugged her as she mocked herself. "Will I be sleeping more on the desk than the bedroom from now on?"
A faint self-deprecating smile formed from her face. "Hopefully not."
After shaking her head. She retracted her attention towards the extending vines, she recalled the mysterious tiny sparks of flying lights from her previous visit. But this time, it didn't appeared.
This reinforced her wariness about this mysterious world's nature.
What could be the meaning of those fireflies? Is it just an aesthetic because the mysterious dreamworld thought my imagination was too bland? Selina mused silently.
Putting those thoughts aside. Selina began to visualized the man she encountered while in the underground market. She suspected that he was collecting for the supplementary ingredients for the Spectator formula and that there's a high chance that the man is acquainted with a secret organization, leaning towards the Spectator potion and its subsequent sequences.
She didn't give much anticipation to it as beyonders seems scarce, almost to none and after arriving into Tingen so far, Selina haven't encountered any sort of beyonder activities except from her wedding and escape from Milo.
If the man truly had a connection to a secret organization. This could be her chance at involving herself into the world of beyonders, furthering her contribution to the Tarot Club and Mr. Fool!
The world responded to Selina heed as the ground began to contract and emerge from the flesh soil.
The soil was a congestion of organs and flesh that gradually coalesced into a figure and a statue of a man.
The man's face squirmed and reverted. Constantly changing and returning from a healthy skin to an amalgamation of flesh. Until his visage finally stabilized into a figure with a refined bearing, long straight nose, and a rarely but prominent white strands of hair.
He wore a black suit and a half-top hat of identical color. On his right hand was a cane adorned with silver along with a pair of gold-framed spectacles on his face.
Selina observed the gathering flesh as it reformed into the man she saw from the underground market.
Mhm... It's him... Selina confirmed after a careful examination.
Now I know his face, but how can I make contact with him? While pondering, her right hand rose to her chin while her left supports it.
I can't bluntly disclose it... Unless I want him gone from the city... It would really alert him and possibly even the organization behind him.
Hmm... That gold frame seems quite expensive, it could suggest he's from a wealthy family. And his steady clinical gaze can indicate a professional background, possibly a doctor or a dentist since such jobs required a habit of precision. Selina tried her best to assess the man based on her observative skills as a past secretary.
His hair is also tidied hastily, it could reflect different things but my best bet is he offers minimal attention to vanity and discipline. His skin is also paler than a regular individual, although I would say all of that to myself as well... She casted her gaze to her arms as her thoughts formulate one variable to another.
There's a high chance he's a professional doctor... But the question is, where is his working place?
After a bit of thought. Selina still felt a slight error to her assumptions, prompting her examine the sculpture once more. But at that moment, she suddenly realized a discrepancy:
That she is currently living in a world reflecting the past of Earth!
Doctors at those times were often busy due to medical attentions required by patients and surgical procedures without modern equipment. As such, even evenings were precious to them as they need to replenish themselves for a much productive day once morning arrives.
And the man in question had the time in his hands to browse for miscellaneous items, attempted to gather necessary supplementary ingredients and even wonder the market for a bit!
This could imply that the man had no families to return to, no reasons to go to work by tomorrow or rather a day-off, or...
"He could be working as a doctor in a place that doesn't require repetitive supervision and only attentive medical care." Selina concluded her train of thoughts, then continued with inquisitiveness. "It can be a pharmacist, a therapist or...
"A psychiatrist of a mental asylum."