Turmoil (4)
[A sub-quest has been triggered!]
Main Objective: Safely escape the underground labyrinth (0/3)
Additional Objective: Rescue Vittorio (0/1)
The health and mental strength of quest participants will be quantified.
Check current status of 'Leonardo': Health (100/100), Mental Strength (80/80)
Check current status of 'Suspicious Innkeeper of Sinistra': Health (40/80), Mental Strength (20/100)
Check current status of 'Street urchin Vittorio': Health (30/60), Mental Strength (30/60)
If any participant's [Health] or [Mental Strength] reaches 0, the quest will be deemed a failure.
Quest Participants: Leonardo, Suspicious Innkeeper of Sinistra, Vittorio
Time Limit: 04 hours 58 minutes 30 seconds
...Why am I in this state?
My health is halved, and my mental strength is only at 20. Combined, that's just 60. How is it reasonable that I have the same total as poor Vittorio, who's been kidnapped and suffering?
Am I just a burden that's drastically raising the difficulty of this quest?
'Damn it! It's obvious that the reset is the cause.'
No matter how I think about it, the reason my health and mental strength are in such a pitiful state is because of the reset. The accumulated fatigue from repeated resets is reflected solely on me, making my stats plummet.
'In other words, I can't afford another reset.'
As the resets continue, my condition won't improve but only worsen. Just looking at these numbers shows that I've already hit my limit. If I were to reset once or twice more, I'd be out before I even get to attempt this subquest. I pressed my fingers against my temples, feeling the throbbing pain intensify.
"Leo."
As I etched the details of the subquest into my mind, I called out to Leonardo. He approached, concerned that my condition had worsened. I grabbed his arm tightly. This scenario cannot reset again.
"The seal is going to crack."
So we have to use every means at our disposal. Even if it raises suspicions. If I had even a bit more mental strength left, I might have chosen a different approach, but with my current sluggish mind, that's not an option.
Leonardo looked bewildered and responded, "What?"
"The seal that's keeping them trapped. It won't just be a slight gap; it's going to crack."
"I'm not sensing anything like that—how can you be so sure?"
"I have my ways. The instability of the seal—you've already anticipated that with your perceptive abilities. The Count will demand an exchange of the corpse and Vittorio. Right after that, the seal will crack. That's the moment to act. When the vibrations occur, we need to seize the opportunity to get Vittorio out."
Leonardo fell silent for a moment, processing my words, then asked in a restrained tone, "You speak as if you've come back from the future."
The scenario note is a future presentation document that includes the criteria for fulfilling necessary conditions. Therefore, his words might not be incorrect. The character setting I've already established for the "innkeeper" feels excessive on its own, so adding a prophetic aspect seems like overreach. I briefly entertained that thought, only to be struck by the idea that this prophetic element might explain some of the unresolved aspects up to this point.
In an instant, images of various types of prophetic characters I had encountered flashed through my mind. Prophecy is an act of revealing hidden truths, and peering into the future to prepare for it reflects humanity's long-standing desire to avoid misfortune. Thus, prophecies are either revered or thoroughly scorned.
The prophets of mythology often speak of the future but are cursed never to be believed, while some prophets preserve their prophecies in written form, deliberately vague to avoid the penalties of revealing too much. The future must always remain shrouded in mystery and the unknown. The fundamental reason for humanity's longing for the future is suspicion; even those who speak of it must not unravel its mysteries. Thus, the action I needed to take here was as follows:
"Your metaphor is rather dreamy."
Boasting about seeing the future does nothing but make one seem less credible. What needs to be shown here is simply the silent confidence and a demeanour that suggests retreat. Leonardo, picking up on my subtle tone, stared at me intently.
On the surface, Leonardo appeared calm and undisturbed, but it was evident he was busily retracing memories that could serve as clues. He gripped the coffin tightly and moved forward. This time, it was my turn to take the lead.
"Let's go. The kid's condition is getting worse."
[Checking the current status of 'Vittorio': Health (25/60), Mental Strength (25/60)]
Leonardo doesn't ask how I know that. He simply studies me closely.
As we descend, the air becomes humid and damp, wrapping around us like a dense fog. The high, narrow walls of the dungeon, covered in grime, give the sensation of passing through the innards of a colossal beast. Instead of gazing at the Count, I stare into the void.
Unfortunately, the map of the fourth level remains incomplete, with less than 100% exploration achieved. No, it hadn't been completed. During the last transfer of Leovald's body, I had barely filled out half of it. Since then, I had no opportunity to return, and considering that those entities linger in the area, even if I had the time, fully completing the exploration would have been difficult.
But the information I was seeing now was different from what I knew.
[Sinistra Underground Labyrinth Level 4,
[Completion bonus for exploration progress will be provided.]
I learned something else that isn't affected by the reset. This 'system' appears to accumulate information rather than reverting, even after a reset. At least I'm relieved that I didn't just suffer and end up with scars during the last loop.
'Count Bermont. And all the Count's subordinates tagged.'
I designate Leonardo and Vittorio with separate colours. Markers began to appear side by side on the monochromatic map. Like a master gazing at a game board, I observed the shapes from a distance and added,
'They're all tags.'
The map soon became densely packed with white triangles. Just as a colony of white ants takes over an area to build their empire, the swarming white triangles coalesced, forming what looked like a large circle. There it is. That white circle is the location of the seal in the centre of the labyrinth. If a rift is formed on the seal, will all those white triangles come pouring out?
The writhing white circle at the edge felt like an egg about to hatch. It wasn't hard to imagine how they would swarm out the moment the balance was disrupted.
"They're lying in ambush."
Leonardo nodded, keeping his gaze on the direction I pointed out.
"If the seal suddenly becomes unstable, my sense of direction will be affected too. When I can feel them approaching from all sides, I might miss the signs of a human coming close."
"Then leave the humans to me. Besides us, there's only that one person."
"Be careful not to get hurt."
"As you command."
As we drew closer to the centre of the labyrinth, a narrow path opened up to the side, revealing a round cavity. Darkness rippled in the middle of the cavity, and the smell of stagnant water hit us. It looked like a deep circular pit had been dug in the centre.
In the distance, I could see the silhouette of Count Bermont. And there was his subordinate, roughly gripping Vittorio by the scruff of his neck. The rest of the subordinates remained hidden in ambush, and Lord Lopez was also absent from this place.
"You've arrived."
From the moment Leonardo and I revealed ourselves, the Count's gaze was fixed on the coffin, not moving an inch. Count Bermont spoke.
"It's a trade."
While the Count droned on, I looked at Vittorio. The pale-faced boy was struggling to blink in our direction, blood streaming down his forehead. It seemed that blood had gotten into his eyes, making it even harder for him.
"Let's place them at both ends and take what we want—"
Clunk, swoosh!
An arrow shot from a crossbow, swiftly piercing the shoulder of the Count's subordinate, not the Count himself. It was a metal arrow, crafted by melting metal and pouring it into a mold, not a wooden bolt. It was my first time aiming at a person, so I might have missed. Or perhaps it was just due to my condition. Moreover, the subordinate had quickly jumped in the way, preventing the arrow from hitting the Count. But that wasn't particularly important.
"..."
Clunk, swoosh!
I quickly reloaded the crossbow, diverting the Count's attention. After all, you were hiding as well. I already knew you had no intention of letting me go, so there was no need to act as if I were betrayed.
In the meantime, the underground began to rumble with a sound like thunder. Ignoring the Count's minor protests, Leonardo took the tremor as a signal to launch into action. Like a beam of light, he dashed forward, swinging his sword and cutting down the ambushing subordinates as he swiftly grabbed Vittorio. Although the fact that the subordinates weren't human meant they wouldn't die immediately, it was a minor detail. The white triangles marked on the map trembled as if someone had disturbed a beehive. At the centre of the labyrinth, the surface of a deep, trench-like pool rippled with blue, bubbling and churning as if the water were boiling.
'If the seal cracks rather than breaks or disappears, it shouldn't be that difficult to handle—'
['Sub Writer 1' activates