This… This looks way too much like it!
Klein marveled silently. Though he knew Roselle had written the Hero series and had even illustrated it himself, this level of resemblance was master-class cosplay.
Then again, this was a world of supernatural abilities—it could easily be a "Faceless" who had transformed precisely to match Roselle's illustrations.
Just as he was getting lost in these wild theories, "Tower" and "Judgment" wrapped up their conversation and requested to end the "video call."
Realizing his wandering thoughts, Klein broke the connection to "Tower's" crimson star, sending him back to reality.
Taking on his "Fool" persona, he then prompted Miss Judgment to share her findings in detail. Xio was unsurprised by this—she and Fors had been given this as their task, so it made sense for Mr. Fool to check in.
After Miss Judgment faded from the gray fog, Klein absentmindedly tapped the edge of the ancient bronze table, deep in thought.
"Miss Judgment plans to observe the Aurora Order's 'Giant' attack 'Iron Man' tonight… Or, perhaps it's more accurate to say, 'Iron Man's' hunt…
"Well then, it's probably best if I avoid snooping around myself. If Miss Judgment spotted me and I ended up exposed… Admitting I'm 'The World' would be mortifying…
"Yes, let's go with that. Miss Judgment will report to me afterward anyway, no need to risk my identity just to see it firsthand."
With that decided, Klein figured he'd been in the washroom long enough—any longer, and the officers might think he'd fled the scene. So he quickly simulated the feeling of descent and returned to reality.
By this time, Jurgen, his lawyer, had already finished the paperwork. Seeing Klein return, he said with a wry smile, "The explanation you gave for having gunpowder residue—'The Crag Club'—proved quite convincing. Otherwise, you'd likely be in Magistrates' Court by now."
Yes, and it only cost me two pounds in attorney fees… Klein forced a smile and replied, "Thank you for your help, Mr. Jurgen… Actually, I'd like to propose a formal working relationship between us. How do you feel about that?"
Jurgen's expression softened, and he extended his hand in a professional but warm manner:
"Agreed.
"I sincerely hope I don't see you here too often, though."
Not exactly up to me, Klein mused with a wry chuckle.
...
Returning to the restaurant in Damir Port, Ebner finished his remaining dinner, then picked up his belongings and headed for the town's only school.
As the school's headmaster, Gaston Verpán had already received Ebner's telegram, so he was unsurprised when the young man showed up at his door.
After leading Ebner into his quarters, Gaston observed him with pride, and Ebner, in turn, noticed that his friend's place had undergone some surprising changes.
Half of the first floor had been converted into a steam workshop.
"Mr. Gaston, it's been a while." After setting down his luggage, Ebner noted the meticulously groomed gentleman and greeted him with a smile.
Gaston responded with a polite nod, and after some brief pleasantries, he got to the point. "You're here to have another go at the Dream Labyrinth Tower?"
Ebner didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced around and noticed the workshop whirring softly as it set up a spiritual barrier.
Seeing where Ebner's attention was, Mr. Gaston cracked a rare smile. "This is my personal workshop, based on the one Roselle set up in White Maple Palace. Though the materials here can't compare to the Emperor's, it matches his workshop in functionality."
Wow, what a humblebrag… Knowing the details of Roselle's workshop means you probably spent a good amount of points to unlock it through 'directed exploration' in the Labyrinth Tower. If you have a workshop like this, there's no doubt you're eager to show it off, Ebner thought with some amusement.
Outwardly, he responded with mild astonishment, "You mean the White Maple Palace steam workshop that was lost to the fires of war? Impressive… And you say you built it yourself? Does that mean you're an 'Artisan' now?"
"To be precise, I'm now a 'Machinery Specialist,'" Gaston replied, keeping his expression as restrained as possible.
This vague answer confirmed Ebner's guess entirely.
Didn't expect him to enjoy humblebragging… Ebner's mouth twitched as he obligingly praised Gaston a few more times, then, feigning curiosity, he asked, "Did you challenge the sixth level of the Dream Labyrinth Tower after your promotion?"
The praise served a dual purpose—to subtly steer the conversation and to establish a friendly rapport with the "Artisan," opening the door for further questions.
Gaston, recently promoted and itching for someone to share his achievement with, finally sighed and admitted, "I attempted it once, but I failed…"
"Didn't a sign at the Tower say, 'Once you enter the scene of the sixth floor, you can't leave until you succeed or die?' Was that just an exaggeration?" Ebner asked.
"It's true… I was able to escape only by using the 'Exit Talisman' I bought with points," Gaston explained with some regret.
Using points for a talisman? Roselle, you created a dreamscape that feels just like an MMORPG… Ebner thought, before pressing, "What did you encounter on the sixth level?"
Gaston hesitated for a moment, then, reminded that Ebner was his good friend's student and generally agreeable, he explained:
"I entered a city called Raccoon City. There were two tasks—'Identify the mastermind behind the zombie outbreak' and 'Discover the origin of the infection.'
"Completing either task was considered a win. Completing both earned extra rewards."
This is totally a game—"Good Ending" and "Perfect Ending" type stuff! And… Raccoon City? Zombies? This has to be Resident Evil! I wonder if it's based on the movie or the game version… Roselle, you're truly a master gamer.
Maintaining his composure, Ebner asked, "Raccoon City? I don't recall that name… Which country is it in?"
Gaston shook his head firmly, saying, "It's likely a fictional city. Its level of technology is slightly behind ours, but much higher than in Roselle's time…
"Truly, the Emperor was a genius, able to predict so accurately what the world would be like over a hundred years later."
With this heartfelt remark, Gaston returned to his story.
"The city is large, with nearly a million people. With such a population, if it existed on the Northern Continent, it would be famous…
"But upon entering the dream scene, I realized that 90% of the population had been infected by some unknown toxin, turning them into 'zombies.'
"You can't imagine how terrifying it was!"
Oh, a zombie horde… pretty standard in movies. Ebner pondered, then frowned. "Similar to creatures infected by werewolves?"
"Weaker than that—comparable to 'zombies' awakened by dark magic, but extremely contagious. One bite, one scratch, or even close contact means immediate treatment with Sun Holy Water to 'purify' the infection. Otherwise, you're one of them… and then there are special mutants with guns and cannons that are a real challenge. I had to use several magical items to kill just one."
"I suspect the mastermind must be studying a Demigod's body from the Abomination pathway, which likely caused the spread of the toxin and the city's downfall… Unfortunately, on the sixth floor, mere guesses don't count. You need hard evidence to complete the task."
Here, Gaston showed a regretful expression. "And after that, my supplies ran out fighting the mutant, and I could only use the Exit Talisman to escape."
So, you didn't even get close to completing the mission… Understandable, though. Without knowing the plot, you'd need a lot of luck and solid tracking skills to find the surviving 'main characters' and discover Umbrella Corp's existence to gather relevant intel.
All things considered, you were wise to buy that Exit Talisman in advance, or someone else might have taken over this 'access point.'
Level six is clearly very challenging—it'd be safer to grind points on levels nine through seven before tackling it. Hmm, guess I'll be farming points for some time…
The thought gave Ebner a strange sense of nostalgia, as though he were about to stay up all night grinding levels in a game again.
(Chapter End)