A blue and white sneaker. It was exactly the same as the one the boy in his memory had worn, from the robot drawing to the small stains and the worn-out parts.
"Amazing craftsmanship."
"It's the last line of defense against the monster in the dome's courtyard. After connecting the agents to GG and showing them the monster's last memory, I used a magic scroll to project the memory and extracted the image. Since it's the key to the creature treated as a strategic weapon, it's only natural that it was made properly."
[Gr-r-r-r... Uh... Ahhhh...]
The body surrounded by various shoes slumped, and the true form of Old Picture, a horribly burned adult male, was revealed, just as he was in the last memory.
"It's been a while. Is this the first time you've seen the monster's true form since the last play?"
"I wouldn't call this the true form. In a way, all three forms of the monster are based on his memories."
A pile of shoes carrying a doll, a half-giant when it went berserk, and now, the final form of Kim Dojin, a horribly melted adult male. While many 3rd-form variants can change their shape based on their abilities, they don't dramatically transform like this. The host's last memory, the form he saw at the moment of death, couldn't be so diverse.
The reason Old Picture became a 3rd-form variant with an unstable, unformed shape was one.
"Autism due to shock... I guess. Kim Dojin's memory shattered in the last moment."
The undeniable fact he saw with his own eyes: the death of his son and wife.
Kim Dojin's shattered mind, denying and rejecting reality, split into three selves: one that denied reality, one that wanted to escape into delusion, and one that was frozen in the moment of holding his son's severed wrist and foot and crying.
Three coexisting memories in a single moment. This was why Old Picture had such an unstable form. Despite this, it still existed as a single entity because, although the split selves accepted the situation differently, their ultimate goal and deepest desire were the same.
Click, creakâ
Whooshâ
In the bitter silence, only the sound of Ian's lighter echoed calmly.
"That's why I hate old stories. Most of the old stories you hear in the wasteland are sad or cruel."
Ian, looking at the third form of Old Picture, a Kim Dojin who was almost a corpse, struggling to get up from the concrete floor, said:
"I thought it was just a crazy father. It's the same as what we often see in refugee camps."
"That's right. The monster has been emitting the same mental waves for years, which is why."
[Ah, Ahhhh... Waa... Ah... Mmmm...]
The weak and blurry memory. A small boy holding his father's hand and laughing brightly, and the boy's shoes emphasized in the static noise.
Old Picture, crawling towards the group with a body full of pus and sores, showing the shoe he had cherished like a treasure.
"Hey, Ian. You don't mean...?"
"Yeah, that's it. 'Please find our son. He looks like this, is this tall, and wears blue shoes like the one I'm holding. Please help.' The last memory of Kim Dojin, whose body was burned. Even if he denied it, the moment he reached the critical point, the memory of being happy in a dream would throw him back into reality."
For years, the mental waves emitted in the 47th district were nothing more than the voiceless cries of a father looking for his son, devoid of any malice or benevolence.
"Brother, was the Old Picture plan always like this? Not to calm the monster, but..."
"...Yeah. To make it believe that its delusion, the memory of the monster searching for shoes, was real. Before the model garden was built, Old Picture mostly wandered around in the giant form. The execution department initially aimed to eliminate it, but during the battle, one of the agents who is now the director saw the monster's memory and changed his mind. The clear goal, the occasional peculiar behavior of picking up old shoes, and the lack of aggression despite its power made him think it could be controlled."
"Of course. If we had left it alone, it might have..."
"Eventually acknowledged one of the memories as reality? If it had been in that state initially, it probably would have accepted the reality of his son's death. But the giant form based on the trauma of reality couldn't be controlled, so the dome decided to reinforce the delusional memory. The peaceful 47th district over the years proves it. They created the street, showed the old people walking as if nothing had happened, and even gave the mannequins that looked like a family of three. What's with the expressions?"
"Director Mong, that's... kind of trashy, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is. You're too sensitive, Ezel."
The professor, after giving his long-time internet friend a smack on the back of the head, turned to the rest of the group.
"Who has some water? I think something got in my eyeâAhem!âI keep tearing up..."
Oh, this is worse. It's like a faucet is turned on.
"Ian, you too. You look like you're going through menopause or something."
"Hey, you try having kids and getting married! When you have a child, you can't help but cry at something like this! It's not just someone else's problem!"
Ian, wiping his tears with his uniform sleeve and shouting. The professor, who had paused at his meaningful words, then said:
"Wait, 'had'? Jo, are you...?"
"Hey, Vex!"
"...Oops!"
Vex innocently asked Ian, but fortunately, Ian answered calmly.
"No, it's fine. It's in the past. I had a daughter and a wife. They're all gone now. We'll talk about it later. Both of you, take this."
Whirrâ
Thud!
"This is..."
"Ak-47. One of the few intact ones that flew out when the truck exploded. It's only loaded with one round, so use it in a pinch and then scavenge more."
Ian casually threw the gun, which had burn marks, to the professor and Vex. Watching this, Director Ralph Mongclaire, the head of the inspection department, asked in disbelief:
"Wait a minute. So you're saying you want to join the war against the Raptors? With just one almost destroyed rifle?"
"What's so surprising? Director, are you suggesting we leave it here?"
"No, I just don't think it's necessary. Old Picture is dealt with, and the city's defense systems are working. Unless the Nest moves here en masse, we can defend ourselves. The BDSM did a great job. Even without joining the war, the dome will treat you fairlyâ"
"Stop it, you bastard. Of course, they'll treat us fairly, but I'm already feeling disappointed. Everyone knows the dome can handle a dozen Raptors if nothing goes wrong. But if a Swarm Alpha-level leader comes with the guardâ"
"Cough! Hack!"
"âit's a different story, but those guys are too big for a surprise attack. Ian, what's wrong with you?"
"I got a chill. It's nothing, don't worry."
"...Strange. Anyway, the Raptors we've caught are like fish in a net. That's what I'm saying."
"Hmm. So, Professor, you're saying... you want to be included in the spoils of war?"
"Of course. Our BDSM's performance is enough to deserve it. If we hadn't been here, the inspection department would have been fighting Old Picture for their lives, and they wouldn't have known about the conspiracy between the execution department and the Raptors. They would have been beaten to death. Of course, we should be included in the rewards and have our rights to the spoils recognized during the battle."
Vroomâ Click!
The exosuit, which had carried the five of them, stood up.
"Professor, you... where did the depressed, versatile killer go? You've become a businessman."
"You're almost a politician. Where are you trying to sneak off to?"
"That's not it, you bastard! I'm worried about your people getting hurt! Your group joining us would be a big help!"
Vroomâ!
The exosuit's battery supplied power, and the mechanical exterior began to glow with a faint blue shield.
"Fine, I agree! Worrying about a group that took down a 3rd-form variant with just a truck, I must be crazy. I'll open the execution department's armory, so take what you need and join the battlefield. I'll include you."
"Yay! Director! It's a deal! Whatever we get from the Raptors' vehicles is ours!"
"...Please stay within reason. I'm already in trouble for dealing with Old Picture."
The professor's ears barely registered the rest. He had obtained an incredible right from the director of the inspection department: the permission to loot Raptors' vehicles during the battle against the Raptors. Yes! Risking their lives to capture the 3rd-form variant and save the city, they deserved this!
"Hehehe. Hey, Ian. Did you hear that? Now we can officially loot the Raptors' vehicles in front of the dome."
"Hehehe. I heard it. With these two ears. The dome's armory, the Raptors' vehicles... Yeah, I invested my first asset, so it's only fair that we get something in return."
"Keeheehee! The dome! The pinnacle of old civilization and assets! The place every scavenger dreams of looting! War... there's no situation more chaotic than war... a few valuable items might go missing... Keeheehee!"
Clunk, clunk, clunk, clunk!
"Director Mong? Are you sure this is okay?"
"What's wrong?"
"Well, it's just that..."
Ezel, sitting behind, couldn't hide his unease as he looked at the grinning professor and his gang.
The professor in the game, who had looted the Leadflow Tower and laughed maniacally, kept coming to mind.
"Reason... within reason... Yes, brother, reason is good... Hehehe!"
'Something seems off...'
Ezel sighed deeply, trying to gauge the sanity of people who could take down Old Picture with just a truck and three people.
***
"Alright! We're done! Let's move out!"
"Yeah. No time for sentiment. We freed Old Picture to eliminate the threat from behind, so if we're late to the battle, it would be counterproductive."
Sad is sad, and busy is busy. If they hesitate now, they'll have more to cry about later.
"Ugh, does anyone have a tissue?"
"Just wipe it off with your hand. Let's move quickly."
Squish!
"Professor, you heartless bastard..."
"You're too sensitive, Ezel."
The professor, after smacking Ezel on the back of the head, turned to the rest of the group.
"Who has some water? I think something got in my eyeâAhem!âI keep tearing up..."
Oh, this is worse. It's like a faucet is turned on.
"Ian, you too. You look like you're going through menopause or something."
"Hey, you try having kids and getting married! When you have a child, you can't help but cry at something like this! It's not just someone else's problem!"
Ian, wiping his tears with his uniform sleeve and shouting. The professor, who had paused at his meaningful words, then said:
"Wait, 'had'? Jo, are you...?"
"Hey, Vex!"
"...Oops!"
Vex innocently asked Ian, but fortunately, Ian answered calmly.
"No, it's fine. It's in the past. I had a daughter and a wife. They're all gone now. We'll talk about it later. Both of you, take this."
Whirrâ
Thud!
"This is..."
"Ak-47. One of the few intact ones that flew out when the truck exploded. It's only loaded with one round, so use it in a pinch and then scavenge more."
Ian casually threw the gun, which had burn marks, to the professor and Vex. Watching this, Director Ralph Mongclaire, the head of the inspection department, asked in disbelief:
"Wait a minute. So you're saying you want to join the war against the Raptors? With just one almost destroyed rifle?"
"What's so surprising? Director, are you suggesting we leave it here?"
"No, I just don't think it's necessary. Old Picture is dealt with, and the city's defense systems are working. Unless the Nest moves here en masse, we can defend ourselves. The BDSM did a great job. Even without joining the war, the dome will treat you fairlyâ"
"Stop it, you bastard. Of course, they'll treat us fairly, but I'm already feeling disappointed. Everyone knows the dome can handle a dozen Raptors if nothing goes wrong. But if a Swarm Alpha-level leader comes with the guardâ"
"Cough! Hack!"
"âit's a different story, but those guys are too big for a surprise attack. Ian, what's wrong with you?"
"I got a chill. It's nothing, don't worry."
"...Strange. Anyway, the Raptors we've caught are like fish in a net. That's what I'm saying."
"Hmm. So, Professor, you're saying... you want to be included in the spoils of war?"
"Of course. Our BDSM's performance is enough to deserve it. If we hadn't been here, the inspection department would have been fighting Old Picture for their lives, and they wouldn't have known about the conspiracy between the execution department and the Raptors. They would have been beaten to death. Of course, we should be included in the rewards and have our rights to the spoils recognized during the battle."
Vroomâ Click!
The exosuit, which had carried the five of them, stood up.
"Professor, you... where did the depressed, versatile killer go? You've become a businessman."
"You're almost a politician. Where are you trying to sneak off to?"
"That's not it, you bastard! I'm worried about your people getting hurt! Your group joining us would be a big help!"
Vroomâ!
The exosuit's battery supplied power, and the mechanical exterior began to glow with a faint blue shield.
"Fine, I agree! Worrying about a group that took down a 3rd-form variant with just a truck, I must be crazy. I'll open the execution department's armory, so take what you need and join the battlefield. I'll include you."
"Yay! Director! It's a deal! Whatever we get from the Raptors' vehicles is ours!"
"...Please stay within reason. I'm already in trouble for dealing with Old Picture."
The professor's ears barely registered the rest. He had obtained an incredible right from the director of the inspection department: the permission to loot Raptors' vehicles during the battle against the Raptors. Yes! Risking their lives to capture the 3rd-form variant and save the city, they deserved this!
"Hehehe. Hey, Ian. Did you hear that? Now we can officially loot the Raptors' vehicles in front of the dome."
"Hehehe. I heard it. With these two ears. The dome's armory, the Raptors' vehicles... Yeah, I invested my first asset, so it's only fair that we get something in return."
"Keeheehee! The dome! The pinnacle of old civilization and assets! The place every scavenger dreams of looting! War... there's no situation more chaotic than war... a few valuable items might go missing... Keeheehee!"
Clunk, clunk, clunk, clunk!
"Director Mong? Are you sure this is okay?"
"What's wrong?"
"Well, it's just that..."
Ezel, sitting behind, couldn't hide his unease as he looked at the grinning professor and his gang.
The professor in the game, who had looted the Leadflow Tower and laughed maniacally, kept coming to mind.
"Reason... within reason... Yes, brother, reason is good... Hehehe!"
'Something seems off...'
Ezel sighed deeply, trying to gauge the sanity of people who could take down Old Picture with just a truck and three people.