Memoirs of the Returnee - Chapter 119



Only Krnovel

Returner’s Notepad Episode 119

Change in thinking (3)

… … 2 hours ago.

Gerken began exploring the maze.

As always, there was no team.

Solo play only.

However, it was not hasty. It was meticulously calculated and perfectly conceived.

First, the size of the maze was roughly inferred through magic drawing, and then the area beyond the wall was sensed using “Strengthening Technique: Bright View Index.”

“Myunggyejisu” is a technique that radiates magical energy like sound waves to identify geographical features. Although the level of the spell itself is only low to medium, its performance varies greatly depending on the level of proficiency, so Gerken can sense a radius of up to 200m while standing in place.

Therefore, he moved forward while maintaining the “myeongjyeong index.”

It wasn’t difficult.

Until I was ambushed by a certain ‘phantom beast’… … .

“So what kind of trap is this? “Just tell me that.”

I cut Gerken’s story, which seemed to be long.

He only summarized the conclusion.

─From this area, many octopus-like phantom beasts wander around.

Shoot!

Meanwhile, flashes of light keep shooting out from the side.

I zoomed in on the SZX-9500, which fires a flash like a camera.

What a floating mechanical octopus. An octopus whose only eye is like a lens and its tentacles sparkle like optical fibers.

He puts his three legs together in a triangle and shoots! It keeps emitting light.

─The octopus senses sound, magic power, and movement, chases you, and releases an unknown magic spell. It seems to resonate with the entire maze, imprisoning humans in this prison… …

Gerken looked me up and down.

─… … I don’t know why. why are you

“I know.”

Shoot!

─Are you resisting?

“no.”

Shoot!

It’s strange.

It’s not that I’m trying to resist, or that I’m trying to resist, but it means that it’s not working naturally.

I swung around to the cell where Gerken was trapped.

“then. “You can’t get out of there?”

─Not yet. no method.

“Hmm, I see. Well then, good luck. “Get out on your own.”

I waved my hand and turned around.

─Hey.

Gerken caught it. I just turned my head and looked at him. The corner of my mouth twitched for no reason.

─… … I can help.

I can help.

It can be interpreted in so many different ways and has so many implications that I don’t really understand it.

“what? “I can’t hear you very well?”

─… … .

Gerken bit his lower lip slightly. I took my eyes off the guy. I took a step forward.

“I’m going. effort.”

─If you help me, I will help you.

Then Gerken’s words became a little more specific.

“help? “You want to party?”

─If you want.

Well, if Gerken is a party member, I have nothing to lose. At least in this evaluation, I will never betray you, and I am a sincere and strong person.

But I don’t want to do that.

“I want to help, too. There is no way. There is no way. “There are no hints-”

Shoot!

“… … “No, but that bastard.”

The octopus that keeps flashing from before is annoying.

I ran to the octopus. The octopus didn’t even run away. He was about to split the head open with his fist, but then stopped.

Sniff- Sniff-

It smells.

This octopus somehow smells like money.

“… … What is this.”

I looked at him closely.

Gerken guessed that it was a ‘phantom beast’, but for some reason it didn’t seem to be a ghost beast.

Rather, it is closer to a ‘piece’.

An object that smells like money.

“… … .”

Is there a law that says you can’t take something for an evaluation?

I was a little worried.

“I think this will make some money… … .”

I put my hand on the back of the octopus’ head. There was a similar power switch. Click- As soon as I pressed it, the mechanical octopus lost power. As he fell to the ground, he spit out a key.

“oh.”

How did you know how it worked?

I do not know either.

It’s probably the instinct of a “treasure hunter.”

[…] … You can easily determine the value of the item.]

There was a paragraph like this in the relic interpretation.

Making value judgments easier also means that it is easier to understand how to use the item or its structure itself.

anyway.

I put the mechanical octopus in my inventory.

For reference, there are standards for the [Dungeon System] inventory. Living creatures cannot be placed, and the space they occupy varies depending on their size and weight.

The “Mechanical Octopus” took up as little as 3×3—that is, 9 spaces.

“… … this.”

Next, I picked up the keys lying on the floor.

I waved it as I returned to Gerken.

“hey. “I think I found it?”

The Gerken inside the cage sparkled its eyes.

“I wonder if it’s right for me to help my competitor.”

I waited for a while.

─… … .

“what. Don’t you say anything? “If you don’t like it, just go.”

─Thank you. If it opens.

Just one word, thank you.

However, I know better than anyone that Gerken finds these words difficult. In fact, it is extremely rare for him to express his likes, dislikes, preferences, etc.

This is because he is a man who knows the ‘weight of words’ more than anyone else.

The truest traitor.

To me, that is Gerken’s perception.

“I’m a little bored, though.”

I inserted the key into the magic bulkhead. There was no keyhole, but it was inserted properly, and when I turned it, the bulkhead was released for a moment.

“come out.”

“… … .”

That’s when Gerken walked out and the magical barrier was regenerated.

The prison flashed. Anyway, it seemed like another mechanical octopus had captured one more person.

─… … hmm? What is here?

But it was a familiar face.

Soliet.

“Oh wait. “I’ll open it right away.”

I went right over and inserted the key into the magic bulkhead. Solliet walked out while squinting.

“What happened?”

“You met an octopus, right? “Mechanical octopus.”

“yes.”

“That guy uses some strange magical magic, and if he gets caught, he’ll be thrown in jail.”

I explained it to Solliet, who did not know English.

“Oh, is that so?”

“yes… … .”

Then I made eye contact with Gerken.

His pupils were cold and sunken. The eyes were like those of a dead fish.

“… … what. why. “You can discriminate against people.”

* * *

A three-person party was formed.

It was a slightly unbalanced party.

First of all, not only are the members all prosecutors, but they are ranked 1st, 2nd, and 4,000th.

We moved forward as quietly as possible.

I didn’t get lost. He owed it to Gerken’s “Great Scenery Index.”

Although it is a rare thing, when this “bright landscape index” reaches its peak, it becomes the famous “Cheonnajimang (天羅地網).”

If Soliet is a talent that focuses on the sword, then Gerken is a magical talent that only appears once in a hundred years… … .

“for a moment.”

I stopped two such tremendous talents.

Actually, I’m the head of the party.

Sniff-sniff-

And then he smelled it.

Sniff-sniff-

It smells like money.

No, it smells like treasure.

Sniff sniff-

I walked following the smell.

After walking for a few minutes, I found a treasure chest at a dead end.

“oh. “There’s something there.”

Solliet looked surprised. Gerken had a doubtful look on his face.

“It could be a trap.”

I walked over and opened the box. I expected a little bit. About two gold coins?

Suddenly-!

“… … “Oh what.”

It was disappointing.

It was food.

Three red bean buns, a bucket of drinking water, a one-touch tent, and a piece of a card.

“I guess I need to collect the pieces of this card.”

The card seemed to be the thing needed to escape this maze, and there was an instruction manual in the tent.

[One-turn tent: Press the button to unfold. Lasts for 4 hours when used. You can safely hide your body from the phantom beasts of the maze.]

“It looks like something like this is everywhere in the maze. “There’s nothing much other than a piece of card-”

I turned around and was startled. Gerken’s eyes were fixed on the sweet red bean bun. Soliet also trembled and held out her hand.

“Can I have some water? Of course you discovered it… … ”

She licked her dry lips.

“ah.”

I guess I only thought about it from my perspective. The two people who ran the entire maze too quickly won’t have any food problems.

“You guys eat everything.”

I threw three red bean buns at Gerken and drinking water at Soliet. Gerken gave up one of the three to Solliet. Solliet also left about a third of her drinking water and gave it to Gerken.

For some reason, it felt natural.

As if something like this had happened before.

By any chance, was the old rumor that Gerken was trained by the Arkne family true?

“Let’s set up the tent and get some rest today.”

I looked at my watch.

Remaining time, 34 hours.

I wandered around this maze for almost 6 hours.

Rustle rustle rustle rustle!

In the midst of the noise of Gerken eating red bean bread, I pressed the button on the tent.

Flap-!

A tent that could fit four people was spread out in a corner of the maze. I opened the zipper.

“It’s cozy.”

The scarlet tent was equipped with things like lamps, pillows, and sleeping bags.

“come in. “Let’s get some rest”

“yes.”

Rustle rustle! Gerken came inside after shaking off all the crumbs.

“… … .”

“… … .”

“… … .”

The three of us sat in silence.

Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk

Soliet and Gerken ate their meals in the quiet tent.

Well, it probably won’t be enough. Especially knights, because their basal metabolic rate is no joke.

“I have more food.”

I emptied my backpack for the guys.

Lunch box, triangle kimbap, 3 liters of drinking water, ramen, pot, chocolate, meal kit, etc… … These are all items given to me by Terence Party.

“!”

“What?!”

Gerken’s eyes widened, and Solliet’s face became as if she had found gold.

“Where did you get all these treasures?”

“I met the party by chance. “I guess you didn’t eat much?”

“yes. “Everyone will do that.”

A growling sound came from Solliet’s stomach.

“I have this instead of food. “I’ll share it with you.”

She pulled out three weapons from her inventory. It was a sword about 60 to 70 cm long and made by tempering animal bones with fire.

“I prepared in the snowy mountains.”

Gerken also unpacked his backpack. There were many things like the hind legs of animals that had been frozen using magical magic.

“Hey, clean it up. “It’s almost a corpse.”

“… … .”

I put Gerken back into my backpack.

Tiring-

「A message has arrived from ElizeEEM.」

「Sender: ElizeEEM」

: Are you trapped in a maze prison?

Suddenly, I received a note from Elise.

Does this guy have EXP left? It costs 3 each time I send it, so why do I keep sending messages?

“No, I’m not trapped. Are you trapped? 」

If you were imprisoned, I planned to help you. Give and take.

「Sender: ElizeEEM」

: You must have been trapped. I feel like you entered the maze without any thought or preparation.

Well, Elise’s party member is Raye. If the two of us put our minds to it, we won’t be subject to a phantom scam or anything like that. Because he has a higher level of magic magic skill than most active soldiers.

I said while eating triangle gimbap.

“This tent only lasts 4 hours? “Let’s take a break, even if it’s just for 3 hours.”

“I agree.”

Gerken nodded and grabbed the chocolate first, while Soliet prepared to boil ramen.

* * *

From then on, it was a series of farming and advancement.

I find the way with Gerken’s “Bright View Index,” I find and open the treasure chest with my “Treasure Hunter,” and the three faces come together to look down into it.

I find the way with Gerken’s “Bright View Index,” I find and open the treasure chest with my “Treasure Hunter,” the three faces come together and look down into it, and when a mechanical octopus appears, I take care of it.

By repeating that process, the card piece was completed.

It was a card key.

Why is a card key used to enter an apartment or something?

The only remaining problem was the maze itself.

“… … “There are 24 hours left.”

Solliet said. Gerken went away for a moment to scout out the surroundings, and we were crouched side by side in the corner waiting.

“That’s right. “I’ve been wandering around for 16 hours and it doesn’t come out.”

Passasat-

Suddenly, a buzz arose. Both of our heads tilted in that direction at the same time. What a mole it was.

“Is it a familiar?”

“It looks like that. Probably a different team.”

Soliet approached the mole. I also stood next to her.

“Do you see us?”

The mole looked at both of us in turn.

“What kind of team are you?”

The mole ran away without answering Solliet’s question.

Just then, Gerken returned. He said, gesturing to us.

“found.”

“You found it?”

Gerken nodded.

“I definitely feel a different wave.”

… … .

Same time.

In the middle of the maze, Elise stands blankly.

Blinking my eyes, I am thinking back to the scene I just saw through the mole’s vision.

Solliet and Zion.

The two people were sitting side by side. They were close together, like they were best friends.

Did they form a party with each other?

Did we promise to have a party from the beginning?

“… … .”

Elise is curious.

I have no reason to be curious, but I am curious.

Since when and how did the two become close?

From the time Shion brought up Nightmare to Solliet, until now, just three months later, what on earth has happened in the meantime?

Elise bit her nails without realizing it.

-Ellie. I think I’ve almost found everything.

Suddenly, Raye whispered softly. Elise looked at him in surprise.

-Oh! really?

-oh my god.

Kane and Escher reacted as quietly as possible. That mechanical octopus might come.

-huh. Follow me. Let’s go right away.

In this maze, the combination of Elise and Raye is overwhelmingly advantageous. The two of them can command a total of close to 50 familiars.

-Follow me! let’s go.

-… … huh.

-Good~ We’ll really be in the top 10, right?

Elise Party walked along with Raye.

But I kept feeling dazed.

I felt strange.

Should I say it is well-organized?

Should I say my heart feels tight?

It’s something I’ve never felt in my life.

So it’s a feeling I can’t explain.

also… … .

Elise doesn’t know why.

Why does Zion’s face keep coming to mind? That happy smile while riding a hot air balloon continues from last night.

Even while walking, eating, or fighting while trying to find the way through the maze, why does it float like a cloud and disperse again whenever there is a gap?

Elise opened her inbox.

[5029]

There was still no reply.

“ha.”

-surprise. Ellie!

Raye tapped Elise’s arm.

-Why are you sighing so loudly? What’s going on?

Raye asked hastily. Elise responded that she was tired.

-What.

-just now! I sighed loudly.

-… … Did you do that? sorry.

Elise shook her head.

I don’t know why, but I’m sure I’m getting weird.

At least not in a normal state.

Is it because I’m tired, or is it because my mentality is damaged by various events?

It needs to be corrected before it gets any weirder.

-let’s go. Are you sure you found the way?

-huh. Just follow me.

There is no need to worry about it in the first place.

No matter what Solliet and Shion do or what their relationship is, it has nothing to do with him and is of no use to him… … .