Chapter 8: Opia (Pt.3)

Walking down the spiral staircase, the torchlight pierced through the gloom, yet it felt like a never-ending descent. After a while, their footsteps came to an abrupt halt, confronted by a cemented wall at the end.

"Huh? What?" Eric said, dumbfounded. "No way this was unfinished! So much hype just for it to end in a dead end?"

"Don't jump to conclusions yet." Yohan glided his fingers across the wall. "It's solid, but it might be a false wall."

Surveying the tight, claustrophobic space, he pressed against individual bricks, hoping to trigger a hidden mechanism. His eyes lit up when he spotted a wooden stick protruding from the brickwork.

"Hey, Eric, could you light the stick over there?" Yohan asked, pointing toward it.

Eric nodded, struck a match, and carefully placed the flame near the wick, yet it refused to ignite.

"Well, it is an old torch," Eric muttered.

"It's still worth a shot. Anyway, we should head outside," Yohan suggested, turning away and walking out.

'I feel like I'm solving a puzzle in a dungeon game,' Yohan thought. He'd had his fair share of experience playing problem-solving games or even obbies filled with baffling solutions.

In situations like this, he knew he had to think outside the box. Many developers loved to troll their players by hiding the solution in either the most obvious or the least obvious place.

On their way up, Eric wore a puzzled expression. "How are you so sure that the activation mechanism isn't something straightforward?"

It made sense to assume that the technology and knowledge back then weren't very sophisticated within the game's setting, but this game had been designed in the 21st century. It was undeniable that some mechanics were deliberately ahead of the time period portrayed in the game.

Moments like this reminded Yohan of the artificial nature of time in the game world.

Lost in thought, Yohan wandered out of the ruins' compound. Eric, accustomed to Yohan's cryptic and often questionable behavior, sighed and waited. Yohan had claimed it was his first time in Vine, but his actions suggested otherwise. There was a subtle hint that he was familiar with the area, though Eric couldn't put his finger on it.

Usually, Eric would have impatiently demanded an explanation—after all, this outing had been his idea—but despite the unexpected discoveries prompted by Yohan's intervention, he felt a growing trust in whatever Yohan was doing.

From afar, Eric watched as Yohan's shrunken figure crouched at the far edge of a grassy patch. Yohan's hand tore into the soil, wet dirt splattering across his skin. After a while, he stood up, holding a mud-caked object. Shielding his face from the wind that swept his hair into his eyes, he shouted at Eric:

"I found something!"

Meeting back at the entrance of the spiral staircase, Yohan led Eric to the dead end for another attempt.

Wiping the dirt off the object, Yohan pressed a small trigger, and a loud click echoed.

"W-what, hold on. Is that a gun?" Eric asked, panic rising as he prepared to snatch the item from Yohan's hand.

"It's not," Yohan reassured him. "It's a lighter—with a different-colored flame."

"Huh, colored flame? But isn't that only something fire users' Calibre can do? I've never heard of or seen a lighter capable of storing a Calibre's flame."

"What do you mean? It's just a flame with altered properties—" Yohan abruptly stopped.

Fixing Eric with a sharp look as if he'd misspoken, Yohan quickly corrected himself. "You're right. Although it's just a theory, it's possible to replicate such containment, if you're insane enough."

"You have to understand, though, that this isn't a trivial discovery. This basement has been hidden for ages, and even the way of accessing it would challenge anyone's faith in God. We're dealing with something morally extreme, and likely unethical."

'Shit, I forgot the chemistry in this world is completely fucked up too.' In his previous life, Yohan had come across many inconsistencies with what he understood. He'd had to adapt countless times to avoid raising suspicion. What seemed like common knowledge to him often sounded like gibberish to others.

'How could I forget? Colored flame only exists in the manifestations of ability users. The only natural flame here is blue. Who on the dev team thought it was okay to throw basic chemistry knowledge out the window?' Yohan furrowed his brow. He was at a loss for words and didn't have the energy to explain.

Noticing Yohan's darkened, troubled expression, Eric decided not to press the issue. Amid the awkward clicks of the lighter, Yohan managed to ignite the torch. The greenish flame flared, growing rapidly as a low rumbling sound filled the space. The wall blocking their way dissolved like an illusion, revealing a long hallway. Torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their green light illuminating the path forward.

"Stay close," Yohan instructed.

Walking further into the tunnel, Yohan slowed his pace, his sharp gaze scanning the arches as though searching for something specific. Reaching a sharp curve, he tapped Eric on the shoulder and said, "Do me a favor. Help me smash that wall."

"Okay, what now?!" Eric exclaimed in disbelief. Every step into this place seemed to heighten the absurdity of their situation. Now he was being told to smash a historical wall beneath an abandoned church.

"If we go further, we'll encounter traps and puzzles—far too many for me to bother dodging or solving. This wall hides a shortcut to the research room."

"Oh, and how do you know that?" Eric folded his arms in rebellion, narrowing his eyes.

"Remember the rumors you mentioned about a certain madness plaguing this town? I have a strong suspicion that its origins lie here, in this place." Yohan's voice remained calm as he elaborated. "The stories blame divine wrath or demonic curses, but in reality, disasters like these are usually caused by humans. Finding this hidden basement confirmed my theory—this is a site for a social experiment disguised as a supernatural phenomenon. If there's an experiment, there must be a research room. And given how hidden and protected this place is, I think you understand the stakes now."

Eric stood stunned, processing the explanation.

The truth was, this situation mirrored a stereotypical game plot. A disease outbreak or calamity would pose as a quest for the player to experience. The hidden pathway, discovered through familiar puzzle-solving methods—glitchy invisible walls, coloured torches and oddly textured soil—fit neatly into such a narrative. That familiarity was how Yohan had unearthed so much so quickly.

"Wow. I never would have considered something like this, let alone suspected it," Eric admitted, astonished.

"Sorry for keeping it to myself earlier," Yohan said.

"It's fine. Just stand back," Eric warned, stepping closer to the wall.

Clenching his fist, an aura enveloped his arm, enhancing his strength. Taking a deep breath, Eric concentrated on the spot Yohan indicated and delivered a powerful punch. The wall caved under the force, sending shards of brick and stone crumbling to the floor. A new pathway opened, its design distinct from the green-lit hallway behind them.

As they stepped into the newly revealed passage, the open wall began to seal itself, restoring the facade as though it had never been disturbed.

"Alright, when we reach the end, walk straight through the door without stopping," Yohan advised. "If you hesitate, the entrance might lock permanently."

Their uneven footsteps echoed through the warmly lit corridor, a stark contrast to the eerie green glow of the previous tunnel. The cozy atmosphere felt unsettling, given the circumstances. Eric's eyes wandered to the personal touches—vases and pottery interspersed with paintings—lending the space an unexpectedly homely feel.

"It's almost unbelievable that this was built 300 years ago," Eric remarked. "A lot of the items here look timeless."

The attention to detail, from the intervals of art to the intricate craftsmanship of the furnishings, suggested that the owner of this hidden sanctuary was an avid collector.

Eventually, they approached a massive steel door that towered to the ceiling, its handles sculpted into the shape of lion heads. The craftsmanship was so extravagant and intimidating that it demanded admiration. But instead of lingering, both men walked directly into the door without stopping.

Eric's hesitation was palpable as he approached the imposing structure. Its sheer size and apparent solidity made him instinctively brace for impact. Yet, to his shock, the door turned translucent the moment he touched it, allowing him to pass through effortlessly. Before he could register the experience, the door solidified once more behind him.

Distracted, he turned to comment on the phenomenon but stopped in his tracks. Above them, chandeliers hung over a chaotic sea of tables stacked with papers. The floor was slick with strange, goo-like substances that reflected the dim light ominously.

Moving closer to one of the tables, Eric noticed that most of the papers were blank. His bewilderment deepened as he glanced at the dozens of tables aligned in perfect rows, all similarly buried in piles of seemingly useless documents.

"Hah… I hate this part the most," Yohan muttered under his breath. "What you're seeing is another facade. I have no idea how many illusions or misdirections this place has to ward off intruders, but we need to locate a specific paper among all this junk. And whatever you do, don't step on the black goo."

Yohan began flipping through the papers methodically, creating a cascade of sheets as towers of documents toppled from the tables onto the ground.

This task wasn't challenging in the conventional sense—it was meant to be tedious. Yohan knew this all too well. In game design, such tasks were crafted to test the player's patience and perseverance rather than their skill.

Despite the monotony, Yohan's heart raced with anticipation. This was the final step to unlocking the research room. Unlike his past life, where the disease outbreak had already spiraled into chaos during the war, this time he had the chance to uncover the source of the problem early.

To him, it was a testament to whether he could change and alter reality from the original events that he knew. If he succeeded, it would mark the beginning of his efforts to reshape this world—perhaps even toward his ultimate goal of achieving peace.

Yohan also realised how smoothly the operation went. Eric did not ask many questions about his confidence in knowing such information and the unclear connection between the rumour and his conclusion. It was obvious that Yohan skipped many steps to arrive at the conclusion he partially shared with Eric, as he had seen the end of the outbreak. Although he wasn't clear with who had started it and why, he knew where it was from. 

Based on his memories, there was a report that stated that a cult member had access to an unreleased medicine made from a local herb and mixed it with the alcohol in the Vidar's alcohol production factory. The yeast used in the alcohol react to the medicine and caused the fermentation to be poisonous, producing a high level of ethanol. This caused the hallucinations to be enhanced, with properties targeting the victim's greatest fear. Although there was a magical effect in it, it was just alcohol poisoning.  

'That's very creative of the developers,' Yohan scoffed. When he heard about a cult in an abandoned church as their operational headquarters, he knew the medicine was likely a drug and the rest was fictional. 

'Wait, but how does alcohol poisoning have to do with eyes?' Yohan entertained his series of logic although he knew the answer. From now on, Yohan swore to himself not to question the originality of the plot anymore.

Rummaging through the pages, a sudden shift in scenery caught Yohan off guard. The once pristine marble floor transformed into rough cobblestone, resembling the texture they encountered upon entering the green-lit hallway.

The scattered papers Yohan had been trying to gather vanished, leaving only his outstretched arm, still reaching below the table, visible in his line of sight. Raising his head, he saw Eric turned around and eagerly announced to him.

"I found the written script. But in my rush, I dropped it, and it got smeared with that black goo. When I accidentally stepped on it, the whole facade dissolved."

"Did you tear it by any chance?"

"… Yeah, how did you guess that?"

Yohan momentarily displayed a deadpan expression before smiling and commending Eric's resourcefulness.

'It's unbelievable how cliché these game mechanisms are. When did I start playing such a shitty plot?' Yohan mused internally. In his first run, nothing had been this seamless. On the contrary, it had tested his mental fortitude to the limit, leaving him far from enjoying the experience. If he could leave a game review, it would have been a one-star review. The pressure from the system to maintain his in-game persona kept him constantly on edge, leaving little room to critique the absurdity of the situations he faced.

This abrupt change in 'gameplay' felt startlingly artificial, as if he were a beta tester for an amateur developer's prototype. While it was a stark reminder of the game's constructed reality compared to earlier moments, it also felt… unnervingly real. Ever since leaving New Eternal, Yohan couldn't shake the unsettling sensation lingering in the back of his mind.

Standing upright, he surveyed the room. Almost immediately, his eyes locked onto the grotesque sight of decayed flesh barely clinging to skeletal remains, suspended loosely in rusted chains. Nearby, built-in cells housed human skulls and tattered rags. The morbid scene made Eric recoil in revulsion, hurriedly covering his mouth to stifle his gag reflex.

"W-what… No way. You were right all along," Eric muttered through his hand.

He cast a quick glance at Yohan's face, which remained unflinchingly stoic.

"Alright, we need to find a key. Search everywhere," Yohan instructed calmly.

Without hesitation, Yohan strode to a corner, rummaging through the contents of abandoned crates just outside the cells. Meanwhile, Eric struggled to will his body into motion, his steps tentative and unwilling to bring him near any objects.

"Hey… I don't mean to question your 'instinct,' but you seem to know an awful lot about dungeons," Eric remarked cautiously.

"Not really. It's just been my luck," Yohan replied honestly. If the developers had been more inventive, he wouldn't have progressed this quickly. All he'd done was take calculated guesses, and so far, his choices hadn't proven wrong. Yet his candid reply only deepened Eric's bewilderment.

"Okay, but seriously, you're not secretly the owner of this dungeon, are you? How old are you? Three hundred and twenty years old?" Eric teased with a nervous chuckle.

"Unfortunately, I'm not that ancient," Yohan quipped.

Dusting off his pants, he twirled a golden key between his fingers. Its intricate design featured spiraling heart patterns.

"This could unlock any of these cells. Let's test them one by one."

Approaching the nearest cell, Yohan inserted the key and twisted it, producing a satisfying click. The iron bars shifted inward slightly, creating just enough space for him to enter. Inside, he carefully lifted a ragged cloth draped over a skeleton, revealing a small, half-burnt notebook.

Picking up the fragile notebook, he flipped through its pages delicately, mindful of their deteriorated state. As expected, only one page was legible, deliberately designed to provide clues. Its charred edges conveniently obscured key parts of the text.

Exiting the cell, Yohan handed the notebook to Eric and shared what he could decipher.

"It says: '02-04-1XXX. I've lost count of the days I've been trapped here. Each day drains my soul, and I long for fresh air and open skies. The mad scientist, once our local priest, keeps rambling about God's wrath and humanity's weakness. Consumed by his beliefs, he's built an underground lab, claiming it's for a miracle cure. Each day, he gives us capsules filled with white powder. And, to be honest, it feels incredible. He says it's for soul ascension, and for a moment, I can feel it. I crave more. More and more. That fleeting sense of enlightenment is irresistible. He promised us paradise, a rebirth free from human flaws. This pill is our salvation, and it's meant to be shared with the world. Yes. It's my time now.' The rest is unreadable due to the burnt edges," Yohan concluded.

Eric, who had been listening intently, pointed to the beginning of the entry and remarked on the contradiction.

"Here, she writes about how miserable she felt being stuck here, but by the end, she's practically worshiping this experiment. It's like her mind was completely warped. That pill must have done something to her."

"Well, think about it. A white substance in capsule form that gives an instant rush of euphoria, alters brain chemistry, and makes you dependent on its effects—it sounds like an unregulated drug to me," Yohan commented.

"You know way too much," Eric muttered, moving toward another cell and noticing similar notebooks.

Gathering all the notebooks revealed a pattern of symbols: ♤, ♧, ♡, ♢.

"Oh, I've seen this before! These symbols are on the door. Maybe we need to arrange them in a specific order," Eric suggested enthusiastically. "Leave it to me!"

Excitedly, Eric manipulated the door mechanism, sliding the symbols into place and twisting knobs. After several failed attempts, the door finally creaked open, revealing a gap.