Memoirs of the Returnee - Chapter 155



Only Krnovel

The Regressor’s Notepad 155

Test (2)

The forest of [Planarium].

I’m walking and drinking coffee with Solliet.

“Where are the tickets, Zion?”

“well.”

“Treasure Hunter” doesn’t work either. After all, achievement points aren’t treasures.

“I’m just spreading the word for now.”

“I know. Show me.”

Soliet has been in a state of active magic since a while ago. So it’s hot when you’re next to her. If you put potatoes or eggs on her, they’ll probably cook.

Gulp────!

“… … .”

Gulp───!

“… … .”

Perhaps because of that, the sound of hunger is louder.

“Do you think some wild boars just appeared from somewhere? Maybe two.”

I was humorous.

“… … Is that Zion too? I think I saw it too.”

This doesn’t seem humorous to me.

Meanwhile, we arrived at the farm.

“Let’s think about it while we eat first… … What is this?”

I saw the sign for [Ascal Farm]. There was a reservation board hanging in the corner that wasn’t there before.

“It looks like a reservation board. It looks like someone made it and left it.”

My face drawn on a piece of paper on a cork board. Names listed left and right below.

Of course, it seems like Raye did whatever she wanted.

It’s not that it’s not, it’s because it’s the first in the reservation order.

[Ascal Farm Pre-Order!!]

[I wish the owner would write down his business hours here!! If you rest all day, when will you make money?!! When will you eat!!]

[If you don’t follow the reservation order, you’re in real trouble!! < < Seriously!!! < < Real facts!!]

[1. Raye]

[2. Cain]

[3. Escher]

[4. Mel]

[5. Elise]

When did Elise come and go?

I opened the farm gate, and there was a man lying on the ground.

“… … Oh, that’s surprising.”

It was Gerken.

“What are you? I thought you were a frostbite.”

Like a caterpillar in a sleeping bag. He looked at me and slowly got up. I narrowed my eyes.

“Are you trespassing?”

“I think I forgot. I have a stake too. 10%.”

“… … Oh, right.”

I went to the farm kitchen and stood there. I turned on the faucet that Growl had made. Drip drip – I asked while wiping my hands under the running water.

“Hey Gerken. Have you eaten?”

"no."

Gerken quickly shook his head as if he had been waiting for this.

“Just wait. I’ll do it.”

“… … Do I have to pay too?”

“No. You have a stake, and Soliet is a party member, so it’s free.”

“No, I will give it to you. I have received so much from Zion so far.”

Solliet quickly waved her hand.

“Okay, then. It’s 300 AP.”

He's a strangely stubborn guy in this regard, so there's no need to try to convince him.

“Yes, thank you.”

This is the first time I've heard someone say thank you for giving me money.

I opened Gerken's icebox. There was quite a bit of large meat inside.

“Oh. I guess it’s stuffed with meat?”

“… … .”

Gerken raised his chin in silence.

I'm so good at my job – that's what my face looks like.

“Okay. If you fill up the ingredients, I’ll keep giving you free meals-”

“Okay. Okay.”

“… … .”

He is very quick to respond to questions that will benefit him.

… … .

Salmon salad. Mushroom soup. Wild boar tomahawk steak. Mango ice cream.

We ate a hearty meal of four dishes.

“Zion. It was really delicious.”

Solliet put her hand on her belly button with a pleasant expression. Gerken was still savoring the mango ice cream.

How many minutes does it take him to eat one of those?

“Then, shall we go and find the tickets?”

I got up. At that moment, Gerken placed the ticket on the desk.

“Consider it as the price of a meal.”

"oh?!"

I quickly reached out and picked up the ticket. It wasn't an ordinary ticket. First of all, it was almost as big as two cell phones attached together.

“Where did you find it?”

“… … .”

Then, Solliet suddenly started searching through her belongings. It seemed like she was looking for something to give her.

“I found it by luck here and there.”

Although he speaks modestly, he probably found it through "Myeonggyeongjisu".

I looked closely at the ticket.

It's more like a small map than a ticket. It has a radius around it, and a green dot flashing in the center.

“Isn’t this a map?”

“It seems so. The green dot is the location of the person holding the ticket. If you move while holding the ticket, the map that is displayed will move accordingly.”

"hmm……."

I was suddenly taken aback by Gerken's smooth speaking.

“It wasn’t free for nothing. You won’t know from here on out, so let’s find out together, right?”

“… … .”

When things are at your disadvantage, you just keep your mouth shut.

But it doesn't matter. It's not a loss to me, and if it's a gain, it's a gain.

“Okay. Let’s see.”

“Yes. I will try really hard too.”

Solliet opened her eyes wide, as if she had nothing left to give. She glared at the ticket.

I also had second thoughts while looking at the ticket.

"……map."

Ticket.

Maps and tickets.

Map inside the ticket.

At that moment, the three of them were concentrating as if they were using some kind of supernatural power.

A red dot appeared at the border of the map.

“Phew.”

Soliet raised her hand, letting out a sigh of relief that she had accomplished something.

“Zion. I think I found it. When I focus my magic on my pupil, I see a red dot.”

“I can see it too. It just seems to have appeared.”

"ah."

A red dot that seems to be approaching us. Blink- blink- blinking threateningly.

I followed the movement of that point.

Suddenly, the words of the stone statue came to mind this morning.

──It's hide and seek! Come on! Let's find out! Lucky ones might get a 'ticket to go out'!

"……for a moment."

I only rewound part of the stone statue's speech.

──It's hide and seek!

“Stone statue. You said hide and seek?”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s hide-and-seek.”

Soliet intervened.

Hide and seek with the red dot.

──It's hide and seek!

“Hide and seek… … .”

Hide and seek.

A red dot slowly approaching.

tagger.

"……this."

I picked up the ticket.

If finding the ticket was the goal itself, it would be a treasure hunt, not hide-and-seek.

“I guess they’re chasing the ticket.”

So, this red dot isn't just getting closer.

They are chasing us.

“Hey, Gerken. If you have this ticket, then just having it is.”

“─It means you are participating in a test.”

Gerken continued on my behalf. I nodded as well.

“Right. So if I have this ticket, it seems like the thieves are chasing me.”

“The ‘destination’ is the place you can enter with this ticket. It means that once you find that place, you will be safe.”

"yes."

I completed the hypothesis with Gerken.

Soliet muttered seriously.

“I should hurry and get a ticket too.”

“But who is the drinker?”

I looked outside the greenhouse.

If the drunkard is easy, I think I can deal with him to some extent.

“… … Look.”

I opened the farm door slightly.

The location of the red dot on the map. I looked in that direction and activated the SZX-9500.

Swaaa …

The field of vision expanded in an instant.

Passing by all the grass, trees, and squirrels in the mountains.

A creaking, creaking, advancing entity has been captured.

"……what."

I was embarrassed.

Is that right?

“Why is that, Zion?”

A knight in black full-plate mail wrapped in chain mail, covered from head to toe in armor, holding a sword in one hand.

“Solid. You know how to ‘die.’”

“'To die'?”

Death Knight.

“Death Knight.”

“… … It’s not usually called ‘jukgi’ for short.”

“Let’s get moving. If we get caught, we’ll be in big trouble.”

The monster Death Knight is definitely not a monster that can be dealt with at the senior level. It could even destroy your farm for no reason.

“Let’s go. Let’s play hide-and-seek… … . Ah, before that.”

I took out my bag.

“Just in case, let’s take all the food here with us.”

* * *

We ran through the mountains of [Planarium].

“Run while keeping an eye on the ticket.”

However, there is no point in just running. The red dot is still chasing you, so you need to find your 'destination' quickly.

“I can’t see my ticket. I can’t see it.”

Soliet's answer, as she is the only one without a ticket, is anxious.

Anyway, back then, Gerken and I were running, aiming for a ticket.

"……wait for a sec."

Suddenly, a certain part caught my eye.

I stopped at the rocky area. Gerken and Soliet followed suit.

“Hey. Here’s a ticket.”

I flicked the ticket while placing my hand on the large rock.

“Isn’t it a bit translucent?”

Then Soliet muttered, looking around the surrounding terrain.

“Tickets… … .”

“Gerken. Isn’t that right?”

I didn't notice it when I was inside the farm, but when the sunlight shines outside, some of the translucent parts are revealed.

“Give me your ticket.”

"ruler."

I got a ticket to Gerken.

I overlapped that ticket over my ticket.

"……also."

Clap – clap your hands.

“Here it is. I found it.”

“Where is it? Please show me.”

Soliet and Gerken opened their eyes.

When you overlap two tickets in exactly the same location, a certain part of the map will appear as an X.

“I see.”

“Oh, that’s right. There are more than one or two.”

To be exact, there are four.

“Let’s just go to the closest place. Let’s go.”

I just nodded, and suddenly Solliet and Gerken's eyes widened.

“… … !”

“What!”

They looked at me and took a step back.

"why?"

“Shi, Zion. Head. Head… … .”

I looked up.

There's nothing.

“It’s Jeongsuri, Jeongsuri.”

“Jeongsuri?”

I took my smartphone out of my pocket. I looked at the top of my head in selfie mode.

“… … What is this?”

There was a tree trunk growing in Jeongsu-ri.

Looking closely, it was hair.

Her hair had grown long like a tree trunk… … and was bearing some kind of ‘fruit.’

Stop-

The fruit fell from the end of the stem. The hair also returned to its original state.

“… … Ah. So this is how it is.”

It's probably "Augmentation: A body where good fruits grow." Augmentation from [Bethundun].

“You. Who are you?”

“… … Is this Zion?”

Because of that, Soliet and Gerken suddenly start to suspect me.

In particular, Soliet pursed her lips with a serious expression on her face.

“Is this… the ‘Abyss’?”

“What are you talking about? I’m Zion… … What the heck!”

I looked at the ticket absentmindedly and was startled.

The red dot was getting closer in an instant, as if it was teleporting.

Boom───!

A vibration that rings ominously at that moment.

I looked back quickly.

… … Iron Claw!

The clanking of iron chains. Then, the resonance of magical power that settles like soot is on a different level from other monsters.

It's a death knight.

“Run!”

Kwa────!

Something like a sickle flew in and cut the oddly shaped rock like a tofu.

We crouched and ran. I even rolled the dice.

[2]

Add to agility!

Kwadadadada───!

The destination was marked with an X on the ticket. We ran as fast as we could, and the Death Knight was in hot pursuit.

Is it really that fast when you detect an enemy with your naked eye? Isn't that a real trick?

“Over there!”

Location shown on the map on the ticket.

A door is cleverly hidden among the bushes in the mountains.

We barely made it. We quickly opened the door and rushed inside.

“Oh, I’m going to die.”

"phew……."

“… … .”

The three of them exhaled with bated breath.

“Zion. Are you okay?”

Solliet asked.

“Uh. Not yet.”

I tried to close the door, calming my heart, but what the heck.

It doesn't close.

It's open and doesn't budge.

“… … What is this? Why is this happening? Hey, it won’t close!”

“Huh? How could that be!”

Solliet grabbed the doorknob. Knock-knock- no matter how much she pulled, it wouldn't budge.

Gooooooooooo───!

A Death Knight runs towards you from beyond the horizon, scattering crimson aura. A persistent pursuer.

In that urgent situation, I suddenly looked up at the door.

I found some numbers written there.

[2]

2.

2 people.

Just 2 people.

There's no way it'll close since three people came in together.

“Ugh… … !”

I looked at the red-haired Solliet standing in front of me, clutching the doorknob and struggling to close it.

“… … Soliet.”

“Yes, believe me. I will close it!”

Soliet is pulling the door with her machete still activated.

Then it will break.

I put my hand on her back.

“No. That’s not it. You don’t have a ticket, so it’s okay.”

“What do you mean okay… … huh?”

Solliet, realizing something, looked back at me.

“Take a rest outside.”

I'll make it easy for you.

“… … No, wait-”

I pushed his back hard.

Very hard.

Soliet lost her balance and fell forward, and bang!

The door closed by itself.

"phew."

I turned around, wiping the sweat off my body.

“… … .”

Gerken was standing.

His subtle eyes were pierced for no reason.

“It’s safer outside for people without tickets anyway. You know that.”

“I know. I would have done the same thing if I were you.”

Look at this. Gerken agrees too.

I looked around inside.

“Isn’t there anything?”

It's a very small cave. It's a cave that would be full if 4~5 people came in.

That's it.

“I guess this isn’t the destination.”

Well, it's a door that opens without a ticket. It's just a hiding place where you can hide for a while.

“No. There is a passage over there.”

Gerken pointed somewhere.

“Oh, really?”

There was a passage like a dog hole.

I went over there and tried to look inside.

Boom boom boom boom───!

There was a knock on the door outside.

“… … This is a surprise.”

“… … .”

Gerken was also startled.

We looked at the door in silence.

“What… nothing-”

Boom bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang─────────!

“… … .”

“… … .”

Boom bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang─────────!

As I quietly watched the incomprehensible phenomenon, I spoke to Gerken first.

“A Death Knight, huh?”

Gerken also nodded.

“Yeah. It’ll be a Death Knight.”

There's no way Soliette would do that.

… … Let’s think about it that way for now.