Labyrinth City Mesugaki Pawn Shop

19. The Curse of Oblivion (2)

At the moment my head became dizzy, I felt a foreign body in my back.

“Ah.”

The holy sword that I had apparently thrown into the pawnshop was stuck to my back like a magnet on a refrigerator.

A holy sword stuck in its sheath as if it would never fall off.

…Come to think of it, I didn’t notice anything strange.

Why did the holy sword follow me beyond the round?

The time I took over the holy sword was after I left the pawn shop and went to the forge. So, it’s normal that there shouldn’t be any, but what’s clinging to my back right now is the holy sword itself, which has no room for denial.

[The holy sword Ascalon is bound to the player adventurer ‘Einheri’.]

Could this be the meaning of belonging? …Things that follow beyond rounds?

“Then you’re a piece of baggage that can’t even be used…”

I don’t know if I can use it properly, but now it’s just a bag with a snuff injector that puts snuff film directly into the brain, nothing more and nothing less.

13:38 [Holy sword Ascalon has succeeded in resisting the status quo 1st wish-false world!]

13:37 [Holy sword Ascalon has succeeded in resisting the status quo 1st wish-false world!]

13:36 [Holy sword Ascalon has succeeded in resisting the status quo 1st wish-false world!]

.

.

.

Look, this sh*t was still going on in the notification window.

At the same time as the alarm, Legarete’s memories flooded in again. When the holy sword was removed from his back, the flood of memories stopped like a lie.

“Should I keep carrying it in my hand…”

I tried to tie the waist dance just in case…

13:25 [The holy sword Ascalon…

f*ck! I’ll carry it in my hand. Carry it! It’s so picky, really.

I needed time to organize my thoughts. I couldn’t figure out where to go.

More than anything, it was too big a risk that I had no idea where Yan, who I thought would have a clue to solve this situation, had gone.

“Should I really be prepared to die more than 10 times and search the whole city…?”

Assuming that the alchemy workshop where the pawnshop is located is located in the center of the city and runs continuously for 15 minutes, it was thought that it could be reached anywhere.

It would be nice if I could find Yan that way, but what I was worried about was if I couldn’t find it.

If Jan goes out of town.

There was absolutely no answer to this. It’s just saying to die after all the remaining achievement points are a mess.

And that wasn’t the only problem left.

The Curse of Oblivion.

Did this really have an effect on Yan? If so, then Yan and I would be in a state where we had never met in the first place… I couldn’t understand how to explain it.

‘Actually, I’m a sloppy ♡ employee who opened the boss’s goods during delivery. ‘ Called?

Will Yan really trust me the day I see him for the first time?

“Why are you going out at this time?”

Something familiar remained at the pawnshop’s counter.

“Why is this still there?”

-I’m going out, crap♥

If all of Yan’s memories had been erased, the memo wouldn’t have remained. That’s what…

“Has Yan’s memory not been erased? Why?”

Fortunately, everything related to Yan was left at the pawnshop. The room I slept in and the kitchen.

“Then find Yan…No, no.”

As I thought about it again, I thought that maybe the act of trying to find Yan was the wrong choice.

I went to the blacksmith’s shop in search of Yan before, but he didn’t exist there either. He was only told that he suddenly disappeared.

Recklessly searching for Yan, who may or may not exist, may be an irreplaceable handshake.

If you really go outside, it’s just an act of blowing achievement points.

Then, now that I’m in a situation where Yan can’t come up with a solution, I have to come up with a solution myself…

After entering the mansion, fight Legarete 1:1 and win?

It was bullsh*t that wasn’t even worth worrying about. No, how do I beat a level 90 level boss…?

Even at the same level of 90, the difference between a boss and an adventurer was stark.

The difference in durability between the K-2 Black Panther Tank and Damas.

You can tell just by looking at Legarete’s 1,900 lines of stamina.

If it were me now, it would probably be the sun and the fireflies.

Fighting and winning against Legarete head-on was an idea that only old people who played one-coin no-hit games would try.

…However, there was no way at all.

“I don’t know how I can do that just once.”

How to make small peppers spicy.

I carefully looked at the holy sword in my hand. Maybe it’s possible- I shake my head and blow away the vague thought that came to me. Leave that as a last resort.

Then the only way left…

“It’s okay if I don’t fight. There is no need for me to step forward.”

It was a stereotype.

The illusion that the adventurer himself must be included in the party, just like in the game. I had always thought that I had to take the lead and fight against Legarete.

There was absolutely no need to assume any role, whether it was the front, rear, or auxiliary. Is there any reason to fight fair and square with a fixed roster of 5 players including adventurers?

It was the same context as what I was trying to solve through Yarn.

“This isn’t a game… Then there’s no problem with progress even if someone other than me fights instead.”

Enforcing the rules as a game was always given in terms of penalties, and there was nothing that put restrictions on the actions I had taken so far.

Even right now, except for the short waiting time of 15 minutes, were there any restrictions given to me?

No.

The curse of oblivion of being forgotten by everyone The biggest risk was Yan, but it wasn’t an environment where he could get help anyway, so there was no need to worry about it in the first place.

In other words, a situation where the risk itself has disappeared.

It’s a pity that Yerica and Floren broke up… But neither of them were too good to deal with Legarete.

Even if you can’t do it, you must be an adventurer who has been to the 16th or 17th floor or higher to be able to react and avoid Legarete’s attack.

But the problem is how to find someone who can fight the witch and win…

“Yes.”

There was only one place.

The strongest hand that I can use only once in this place, in a world resembling a game.

This is where Yan warned.

The place I most should not go to, the place I might hate the most in this city.

“…Would you be beaten to death?”

It was the porters association.

**********

[…The wish must come true.]

Jan Estoria pushed her hand lightly with her fingertips as her monkey approached her with her grotesque noise.

It was just a colorless, odorless and intangible, simple illusion of magical power, but the results it would bring were by no means light.

An illusion with the ability to force a wish according to a contract as soon as it touches it. Most people might be mesmerized just by looking at it and come into contact with it, but Yan was not one of those people.

Witch Jan Estoria.

Among the 5 previous witches produced by the Mage Tower, the one who competes for the top position in terms of abilities.

If you were to fall for such a fetish, you had to return the name of the witch.

[Your wish must come true…]

As the monkey’s hand pushed it away and tried to get closer again, Yan slapped the back of his hand.

“Be quiet!”

KANG!

Contrary to the light action, the monkey’s hand fell straight to the floor, and cracks and cracks spread all over the place.

Overwhelming power, the shattered illusion soon flinched and then slowly began to dissipate.

All that was left was the cracked floor.

Yan’s attitude, as if it was a natural result, looked very familiar.

“Seeing that they are trying to influence even me outside the city, it seems that they have been treated very poorly♡”

Looking at the structure of the curse in the illusion, it was obviously related to the second wish. Is it psychic? It seems that the third wish has not been made yet.

However, to see it look like this from the second wish, it was a really sloppy process.

“When I go back, I have to make a mess of the poor guy♡”

“Yan Esttoria, did you come to visit me too?”

A knight wearing rustling armor approached Yan from behind. On the full plate shining in silver was the mark of the Knights Templar, depicting an angel with two wings spread wide.

It was Raffy Midnight, the leader of the Knights Templar.

In the hands of Raffy, the commander of the Knights Templar, there was a monkey hand that was neatly divided into four pieces. It was a trace created by perfect knife skills.

The severed monkey’s hand trembled and then slowly began to dissipate, just as Yan had struck it down.

“You’ve already visited four times?”

“I’m asking just in case… Is this incident related to you?”

What came out of the cold steel helmet was not a heavy voice, but a thin, beautiful voice.

The blue eyes shone through the long eyebrows that could be seen through the visor of the helmet.

“I’m sorry, but that wasn’t what I did. Ignorant dimensional barriers like that aren’t my specialty, so there’s nothing I can’t do.”

Turning his head and looking forward, Yan’s gaze caught a glimpse of the city covered with a hemispherical membrane.

The Labyrinth City, surrounded by an unknown gray membrane, was completely cut off from communication with the inside.

When a soldier approached and touched the screen with his hand, he was sucked in without a chance to do anything, and access was prohibited.

Fortunately, it was a barrier that would not react unless touched, so I was controlling the situation by biting the crowd, and I was constantly trying to contact the inside of the city, but none of the means were producing meaningful results.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s not you, but if you’re involved-“

“And you seem to be misunderstanding something. Even if I did, what do you think you could do with me?

Raffy unknowingly grabbed the sword at his waist at Yan’s smile, his mouth smiling but his eyes not smiling at all.

“You will die if you pull it out.”

I thought wrong. She had the appearance of a young girl, but she was only superficial, and her true identity was a witch that even the Empire treated as a strategic weapon and feared.

The guardian of the devil’s realm and the strongest power that only 5 have come out since the history of the empire.

The Witch of Greed, Jan Estoria.

Her hand holding her sword trembled involuntarily. She squeezed as hard as she could, but to no avail.

“…Do you mean to confront the church?”

Raffy’s helmet swayed at Yan’s flick of her fingers, and it immediately split in half.

The efforts of the dwarves pounding the helmet for ten days and nights were worthless.

“Does facing and sleeping have meaning?”

hehehe.

Goosebumps rose all over Raffy’s body, who didn’t even feel that her magical energy was moving.

‘Tingleur’

Her helmet, split in half, fell to the floor, revealing herself from within was none other than a blue-haired woman as if a wave was rolling in.

It happened with a light gesture.

“I couldn’t do anything anyway.”

Raffy bit her lip at those words. It’s embarrassing, but what Jan said was true. Contrary to her flimsy figure, she couldn’t even move her body due to the overwhelming sense of intimidation that surrounded her.

The only thing she could do was tremble like a shocked frog.

“So wait, it’s annoying if you overreact to being inside while wandering around, mentioning the name of the goddess for no reason.”

“You know what’s in there…?”

“There is one more witch.”

“…?!”

It couldn’t have been. There was no way a sixth witch could exist.

If they had known that fact, it was clear that the church would have risen up early. He must have come to the search with all the fighting forces of the Order, including the Heretic Questioners, not the Templar Knights.

“I’m not a real witch like you think, but if I mess with it, the whole city might blow up? That’s because it’s going to be very difficult for the church to take care of itself. It’s advice, so heed it carefully.”

Yan patted Raffy on the stiff shoulder and walked past. And-

“…■■■■■ ■■■”

One step, two steps, and Yan disappeared as if it were a mirage.

But even after Yan disappeared, Raffy couldn’t move from the spot. Instead of looking back, she could only take her hand off the raised handle.

After a while, the surrounding bushes began to squirm, and the hidden personnel began to creep out. All of them were wearing her armor with her mark on it.

“…Hermi Seapearl, I thought you were going to die. No, Captain, so let’s put up with it, so why bother crawling around and getting on the witch’s nerves…”

“Hey, I thought the captain’s helm would be wrapped as it was when it split.”

“Is it cheap? I think I’ve already leaked a drop.”

“Hey, peeing guy.”

“That’s what a guy who didn’t know how to cum or a guy who was tired.”

“Damn, you filthy bastards, please close your mouth!”

Each of the knights was warming up by making jokes.

As if you had a bad dream.

He moved his arms and legs around and brushed his hair. As if they were trying to forget that they were momentarily caught up in fear.

Turning his back to avoid being seen by those knights, Raffy finally let go of his stiff expression and picked up the halved helmet that had fallen to the ground.

“Why…?”

A word secretly thrown by Yan, who passed by as she slapped him on the shoulder.

“…Deliver it to the Archbishop.”

When was it added?

What was inside the helmet that had been split in half was none other than a finely folded note.

Why does this note feel uneasy, as if it could be the beginning of trouble?

Raffy swallowed his saliva.

******

“Heh…Heh…”

He thought he played hard, but he didn’t.

I spent so much time at the pawnshop that I spent most of the time running back to the plaza.

Do I really have poor stamina?

“Still, I made sure to check the time once.”

It took about 5 minutes from the pawnshop to the plaza… The remaining time was only about 30 seconds.

It didn’t matter if the episode was going to fail due to lack of time anyway.

Also, there was something I wanted to check.

00:20

In the distance, pink and green hair can be seen among the adventurers strewn about in front of the square’s return portal.

“Ah, Floren! I’m not throwing it away! My spare robe…!”

“Robe, mop, not different, please discard.”

Somehow, I just laughed when I saw the two arguing over the robe.

00:10

Yes, it would have been better to just flow without knowing.

No matter how much life goes back and forth, watching someone die is never easy.

In the mansion, on the streets, in the forge. A sense of indebtedness to the women who had died horribly just because they were by my side occupied a part of my heart.

I could have avoided it now, when it was erased from my memory and not connected at all.

Even if it’s an episode to go back to, isn’t a good thing a good thing? Just in case, it might be better to get away from the plaza a little longer.

As soon as I moved to the corner, the timer expired.

00:00

-The floor boss is freed.

-The floor boss goes berserk.

-The stats of floor bosses are greatly increased.

-The floor boss will target a random target.

I closed my eyes tightly. I waited for Legarete to come soon, but…

00:00

00:00

00:00

….Nothing happened even though the set time had passed.

The time that just flickers while standing still.

What is it?

I opened my eyes, but only a noisy plaza greeted me.

“Why?”

I felt an unknown discomfort.

Things that were supposed to go ahead as planned, like cogwheels meshing, began to slip out of order.

Exceeded time, Legarete not coming, and…

-The floor boss will target a random target.

“The wording has changed.”

From targeting me first to targeting a random target. That’s what…

“Kyaaa

Screams and explosions started from far away.

“Shoot, shoot! Respond!”

“Witch, witch is crazy!”

Like adventurers accustomed to a crisis situation, everyone turned their heads to the source of the commotion. No one gave an order, but everyone formed a formation as if they had promised and started responding individually.

The string of the bow was drawn, a spell formed at the end of the staff, and the warriors drew their shields with all their might and aimed their swords through the shields.

The square became quiet with thick smoke, and people covered in blood ran away here and there with white faces. In a moment, the sound of shoes resonated.

Another angle, another angle, another angle.

When the tension reached its peak, a faint silhouette appeared through the smoke. White blonde hair, a white dress, and shoes stained red with blood on the floor.

“Le Garete..?”

And the red hatched, instant-death wide-area flag that lay over the adventurers. I was the only one who could know that.

“Avoid everyone!”

I ran and shouted, but it was already too late.

Pair.

Kwajik.

Over a hundred adventurers were crushed and disappeared in an instant. All that remains in the place are the remains, which are presumed to be ‘people’.

Blood overflowed along the bumps for drainage of rainwater.

“Is one still alive?”

Legarete was coming across a sea of flesh and viscera.

The bottom of the dress was already stained red.

Legarete approached me before I knew it and smiled broadly.

′′ Oh, you’re really cool…. Hello. My name is Legarete White, the witch of lies.”

He treated me as if he were seeing me for the first time, his expression, eyes, and tone were all full of interest.

It was a completely different reaction from before.

It must have been.

The curse of oblivion.

So that also affected Legarete herself?

I understand why the conditions of the boss have changed.

Because you didn’t remember me anymore, because my top priority was gone from memory

That’s why it changed.

“Then, goodbye.”

It is no longer a matter of one person dying.

Right now, if I hadn’t been in the plaza, Legarete would have continued to roam the city, and she would have killed everyone left.

Endlessly, forever, until I accidentally get caught in the range and die.

If I don’t arrive in time, it’s become a f*cking situation where innocent people will die if they don’t die first.

“f*ck.”

Kwajik.

Darkness has come.