Three tis?
Annan was montarily stunned.
Even if both sides were true, that would only account for dying twice... Where does the third ti co from?
Or could it be...
Annan gradually ca to a realization.
Multiplayer cooperative gas like "Parting Kitchen," "Foolish Ho Moving," "Super Rabbit Man," "Combat Brick Theater," and "Only’s Big Adventure" all involve puzzles and challenges that are fairly balanced for all players.
This ans that the difficulties and puzzles they face are the sa. Any one person could solve them.
However, in reality, it is not always the case that, in all cooperative gas, the puzzles and challenges the two sides face are identical or symtrical.
There are also cooperative gas where the puzzles and challenges faced by the two parties are different, such as "Forest Ice & Fire Man," "Twin Legends," "Bomb Diffusing Simulator," "Tick Tock," and "Escape from Life".
Gas like "Forest Ice & Fire Man," "Twin Legends," and "Escape from Life" at least share the sa screen... Of course, because the puzzles in "Escape from Life" are nearly synchronized, even in split-screen mode, it might be impossible to be distracted by what’s happening on the other player’s side.
"Bomb Diffusing Simulator" and "Tick Tock" along with the famous disconnection simulator "We Were Here Too" require that players rely on each other’s descriptions and interactions to gather information and help—strictly speaking, any single player’s experience of the ga is only half of the whole ga.
Let’s tentatively na this nightmare "Illusory Heat".
If this "Nightmare: Illusory Heat" is also a "two-player cooperative ga" of this kind, then the two people playing Frederick and Justus... might very well face completely different levels!
For instance, Frederick only has the "past" and "future" parts. While Justus might have a third part of the story. That "other" Justus who "betrayed Frederick" must co from this third section!
——This is probably why Naifertali woke up a bit later than Annan.
Annan understood.
Unfortunately, unlike a gar who can retain consciousness in their dreams before becoming a Transcendent, Naifertali loses consciousness upon dreaming and forgets large swaths of her nightmare experiences upon waking up, unable to relay the plot inside the dream to Annan.
And whether it’s the intentional design of "Bone Healer" Seti or not... this nightmare is not one that levels you up.
This ans that even if Naifertali clears the level several more tis, she will not beco a Transcendent.
Annan rembered the words of "Professor Grey" when he saw through Annan’s identity, and a chill ran through his heart.
...Is this also within your calculations?
Annan narrowed his eyes slightly, lost in thought.
If Annan wasn’t mistaken.
The "Bone Healer" Seti, the forr "Professor Grey" of the Grey Tower.
His true identity... is most likely that of Tricino.
That is, the Pope of the god of Murder and Conspiracy, "Tragedy Writer," ntioned in the introductory story of the "future" segnt.
In that introduction, it ntioned that "The Unfallen Shield" Justus agreed to a contract from Pope Tricino, which tasked him with escorting an idol wizard to the coal-ash barren lands to experience the "gap between dreams."
Given the nature of their relationship.
If Justus had only plainly asked for Frederick’s assistance, Frederick might have agreed to help him.
But until the end, Justus didn’t say anything to Frederick at all.
That reveals quite a lot.
——It’s still a secret society.
Annan thought to himself.
On the other hand, once Justus’s secret is known, all the puzzles will be solved.
Who exactly is Tricino, to make Justus so obedient?
From the story of the "young" segnt, it’s evident that Justus greatly admired Professor Grey. Moreover, the magical brew he drank was the very one that Professor Grey Seti used to seal the holy relics.
Conveniently.
Annan not only knew the properties of the holy relic-infused brew, but he even possessed a bottle of [Holy Relic Infusion (Justice)] himself.
Even though Justus’s bottle of Dragon Sleep Potion was lacking the dragon blood, which is a main ingredient, Professor Grey, after all, was an idol wizard capable of the "Supre Crown," and he might have optimized the formula.
Although it’s a type of potion, it’s not synthetically produced. So, the school of Transmutation, in fact, might know less about it than the school of Idols.
"Saint of Thieves Alfonso" managed to create a Transmutation agent from the extract of the Courage Holy Relic, which granted him the qualification to host the [Courage Holy Relic].
If at that ti, it hadn’t been decided that Alfonso should use the [Courage Holy Relic].
Or perhaps... the forced adaptation technology of the "Courage artifact" had been perfected only by the ti Alfonso could use it smoothly.
——There should have been experintal subjects from the previous generation.
Realizing this, a chill ran through Annan’s heart.
It all connected.
Everything connected——
"A mont of rage. Endless regret."
These were the words Justus spoke at the very beginning of the nightmare.
When courage is ntioned, one tends to think of recklessness, then of rage.
Justus’s personality change might not be because it was the exact opposite of what the outside world had rumored——From what Annan had seen of Justus as a child, he didn’t seem to be the type to get angry or take his anger out on others.
He was more like the typical hot-blooded male protagonist of a story... reckless, cheerful, valuing friendship, and not very smart.
His anger towards Winter could have been due to the extract of the Courage artifact altering his mind.
Ingrid’s death did bear so connection to Winter, but it was a far-fetched one——the Lady of the Storm had chosen self-sacrifice, which ant she was nearly at her limit. And at that ti, there was indeed no better choice for a successor to the Lady of the Storm than Winter.
It wasn’t exactly fair to bla the wise ones... In fact, they could hardly be faulted.
Regardless of whether the judgnt of the sages was right at the ti——
After all, the earthquake occurred within half a day after they received the ssage. If they had been evacuating, perhaps the number of casualties would have been even greater.
And during the short twelve-day gap in protection, only the Spotted Bone Forest experienced an earthquake, with other places remaining unhard. Moreover, only the Stone Forest was destroyed as a result.
Even the houses in the city had barely cracked.
The combined number of dead and injured might have been less than ten...
Justus, who was also in the Spotted Bone Forest, stayed in the barbecue shop the whole ti and ca out unscathed. If it had been a stronger wizard than Frederick accompanying Ingrid in the alley, they might have simply carried her out... Or if it had been a more able wizard with spells like "Turn Stone to Mud" or "Position Swap", they could have escaped successfully.
It was precisely Frederick. It was precisely Ingrid.
Ingrid’s death was more so because she happened to be in an alley taking a call, where she couldn’t escape when the disaster struck. It was also because the buildings beside her were so of the few super tall structures in the city.
The sages’ true responsibility, however, was why, after the earthquake had already occurred in Spotted Bone Forest, they didn’t instruct residents to stay in relatively safe areas. Although this issue was glossed over because indeed, no earthquakes happened in the following eleven days... their handling of the situation was problematic.
——However, their conclusions had nothing to do with Ingrid’s death.
Why then, would the Wolf Professor choose to take revenge on the Winter Principality?
What if... the Wolf Professor was neither Justus nor Frederick?
Can Justus’s self-healing ability really recover from the heavy consumption of the extract from the holy remains, this "poisonous alcohol"?
If the extract could change Alfonso’s mind...
Then why couldn’t it change Justus’s mind?
——Unless, Justus’s mind was already altered by it.
Annan seriously suspected that Ingrid’s death had sothing to do with "Grey Professor" Seti.
If he was sending a recording, couldn’t he find a quieter place?
Seeing as it was such an important matter, and it wasn’t a simple issue that could be explained in a few words, he insisted on recording so much in such a noisy place... Perhaps he had anticipated that if Ingrid couldn’t hear clearly, she would go sowhere closer to take the call.
And he also calculated that an earthquake would occur in Spotted Bone Forest.
He guessed that Ingrid would die. He also guessed that Justus would witness it all and still safely survive.
If he was truly the Pope of the Tragedy Writers.
Then maybe he could actually do such a thing.
"Could this be what ’those unfortunate are destined to be sacrificed in the furnace of misfortune’ ans?"
Annan murmured softly.
And if Ingrid’s death was part of his plot.
Then Justus accepting that contract and heading to the Ashen Wastelands.
It was probably the sa as the incident in Spotted Bone Forest many years ago.
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