228 – Returners Are Mentally Weak (7)
-Entered on the 23rd floor.
Once again, I returned to the dark forest from before. I held onto her her aching head and tried to organize her memories of her.
“… Were those two monsters?”
Is it because I am free from the effects of the fog? My memory is halfway back. The details are blurry and hard to grasp, but I remember who the two people who weren’t at the campfire were. There is one man and one woman.
But what’s a little strange… The point is that those two didn’t do anything notable. He did nothing to induce conflict or instigate suspicion. At least that’s how I remember it.
“… “
Well, let’s say that’s the case. The next thing to think about is ‘disadvantage.’
Although the ‘disadvantage’ itself cannot be remembered even now that it has returned, its impact is still vivid. My head hurts like a stabbing pain, nausea keeps coming out, and my eyebrows furrow involuntarily. This is evidence that you are under extreme stress.
Can you hold on? I don’t know. I really don’t know. It’s so unpleasant that I can’t guarantee it. I can’t say for sure that I can brush it off later.
It’s not just this. When I feel strong emotions, I can regress at the same time as someone else. But what if, as a result of mental instability due to disadvantage, you unintentionally feel feelings for someone else? A new regressor is created, and a new variable is created.
If possible, we must find a way to clear it without being ‘disadvantaged’. It is best to kill the two monsters as soon as you enter and then clear.
“Whoa… “
So what you need to think about now is ‘what’ to do. I don’t know to what extent smoke erases memories, but let’s assume the worst. If even the memories before regression are erased.
[8/8]
“Oh.”
Just before making a plan, a message window appears before your eyes. I haven’t reached the bonfire yet? Did I delay it for too long? An insidious fog slowly tightens around the surroundings. Apparently there was a time limit, and it actually seemed quite tight.
“… “Just wait.”
I need more time. And the time depends on the writing.
[You have suffered damage.]
[It returns to the moment when you first entered the 23rd floor.]
***
Back to the plan.
There is one very intuitive way to find the two monsters. This is a method of leaving marks on the players’ bodies before entering.
Let’s think about it. What if you enter an unfamiliar space, and only eight people have scars on their bodies? What if you remember that eight people were together at the bonfire just before? Unless you’re an idiot, you’ll notice this.
But leaving a mark is itself a problem. How do you injure your body? Actually, I can’t hurt my body, so there’s a lot of room for misunderstanding. How to scratch armor? Dwarven armor is not easy. I don’t know if I should gather my strength for a long time, but they are not fools and there is no way they would allow it.
Then what is the next best solution?
“This should be enough.”
A chunk of leaves plucked from a nearby tree. This will do. Even if all my memories disappear, I can definitely recognize this. It’s extremely routine, but it can also be made extremely heterogeneous.
“… “
But… Is leaving a mark enough? Really? Are there really no variables?
No. Variables exist.
As I walked towards the bonfire, I prepared the final safety measures. From what I saw earlier, it seemed like we were running out of time, so we need to move as quickly as possible.
“You’re here.”
“You’re here.”
Players who welcome me like before. I breathed magic into the leaf in my hand and asked a question.
“Wait a minute, sorry for meeting you for the first time… “
“… “What?”
“Suddenly?”
“Hurry up, we don’t have time.”
“Uh, so… “
[8/8]
The gloomy smoke is closing in. The moment that smoke touches me, I will forget all my memories. So, just before reaching the smoke, record at the very last moment…
Record…
Record…
…
…
…
“Is everyone okay?”
“Yes. I’m fine. There is nothing wrong with my body… “
The smoke suddenly dissipated, and my previously frustrating vision became brighter. The visible scenery is the same. Small bonfire. A village that is incredibly clean. Even the dark sky.
“Something… I think I was trying to do it.”
However, it feels oddly unpleasant in my mouth. I think I was trying to do something a little while ago… I don’t remember.
〈23rd floor〉
-Find and kill the two false beings. They will seek the lives of climbers.
-For each day that passes, climbers are given one disadvantage.
-Every day before the sun sets, there is a mission you must complete. If there are uncompleted missions, you will be at a significant disadvantage.
The thoughts that were messing with my head dispersed the moment the message window appeared. Wait, two false beings?
“How many of us are there now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Weren’t there definitely eight of us?”
“There were definitely eight of them. “I also saw the number [8/8].”
Eight people came in, and ten came out. Two people increased.
“The two false beings that the status window was talking about… Was it something like this?”
“So you’re saying the two people here aren’t real people, but monsters?”
“I guess that’s it.”
Among the other players muttering with serious expressions, there is no one who looks awkward or stands out. Everything I saw at the bonfire, at the bonfire, at the bonfire…
My memory is vague. It’s not like I can forget the face of someone I saw just 10 minutes ago. This is clearly a ploy by TOP.
“I don’t remember.”
“Obviously, it was the person right next to me… “
This memory confusion doesn’t just apply to me, other players are also holding their heads in confusion. Everyone was looking around like a child who lost their parents, spitting out meaningless sentences and unable to calm down.
Around that time, confusion continued for a long time.
“For a moment. What is this?”
A man who discovered something attracted everyone’s attention.
“What’s wrong?”
“Look at this. “I don’t think I’m the only one.”
He took the leaf off his shoulder and held it up for everyone to see.
“Why the leaves?”
“This… When you touch it, it’s very crunchy. Therefore… It’s slightly frozen. And above all, I feel magic.”
“Frozen? Leaves? With magic attribute?”
“Oh, there are leaves on my shoulder too…” ” “
A leaf frozen by magic is resting on my shoulder. It must be a strange situation for anyone to see.
“… That, everyone.”
“Yes?”
And in my opinion.
“Maybe… I think I would have done it.”
That… It must be the leaves I froze. I don’t remember doing it, but the magic left in the leaf is definitely mine.
“You did it? What does that mean?”
“Therefore… I am certain that the magic power remaining in the leaves is my magic power. “I have a unique constitution, so my magic power is cold.”
As I blow out pure white smoke from my hand, the players who were alternately looking at the leaves and the smoke slowly nod their heads. Because they looked similar to each other.
“So these leaves are what you gave us, are you saying? Before the fog takes over and my memories blur?”
“Yes… “
“Why did you do that?”
“That… Please wait for a moment. “I don’t remember.”
I think this episode… Was it your first time? It seems strangely familiar, so I don’t think it’s the first time, but I’m not sure how many times it is. My memories are hazy.
However, it is unlikely that a person named ‘I’ would have committed such an act without sufficient preparation. It seems like there was enough time to get to the bonfire, so it can be said that time is infinite.
So, if leaves like that were left behind… That was clearly intentional.
“That… “This is the mark I left behind.”
“A sign?”
“Yes. I have a kind of intuitive quality. I think it probably gave you leaves as its characteristics dictated.”
“… You predicted that we would lose our memories? “So you marked it with that leaf?”
“That’s right.”
“… “It’s hard to believe.”
“But if it is a sign, then for what?”
“Maybe… This was probably to distinguish the people who were at the bonfire for the first time. Looks like not everyone has those leaves. I think I even knew that two monsters would appear.”
“… “
“… “
People’s hands tighten their grip on frozen leaves. As if submitting an important ticket, it is a bonus to place it in a place where others can easily see it.
There are two people who reacted here.
“… I’m not a monster. Fuck it, don’t be kidding. Huh?”
“Hey, what are you talking about? “Don’t be a damn thing.”
Two without leaves. There is one man and one woman.
The two people couldn’t bear the cold, expressionless gaze and lost their temper. However, after quickly understanding the situation with an unchanging gaze.
“… Not really. It’s true.”
“Do I look like a monster? No, right? I am a person. A monster may have taken my leaves when the fog formed.”
Now I tried to persuade him rationally… His pale face and trembling voice had no effect on people’s gaze. Since it was originally stigmatized… Any explanation is bound to be interpreted in a negative way.
“… “
“… “
Although no voices were exchanged, a strong sense of death flowed through the air. No one took action right away… If things continue like this, those two will be the first to die.
“Wait a moment.”
However, there was one problem with just killing those two.
“The leaf I was holding… It is cut diagonally.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Aren’t there leaves that are cut diagonally? This might be… “It’s a sign that they were trying to convey something.”
“… “Who, to whom?”
Of course.
“I, to me.”