Tap, tap.
The man who had been rummaging through the contents in front of the campfire sighed inwardly.
Just how much longer do I have to stay here?
…No, come to think of it, can I even leave?
The man, who had been grumbling to himself, recalled the day he had entered this place… that is, inside the Singularity.
I didn’t notice it at the time, but now, sitting in front of the campfire and reflecting on it, it really seems like I didn’t have all my wits about me when I made this plan.
Waiting inside a singularity for another singularity to enter?
Of course, there was at least some minimal level of safety precautions in place to achieve the goal.
The current singularity I’m in, “Actual Board Game,” can designate players to participate.
And the method was incredibly simple.
All you had to do was place part of the player’s body into the singularity.
Anything would do: hair, fingernails, fingers, arms, etc.
Anything of the person you wanted to include was acceptable.
Though the simplicity of the method meant that the compulsion wasn’t exactly strong.
Given that it was still a ‘game’, the other person would have to open the lid of “Actual Board Game” first, after all.
In any case…
The current ‘player’ status for the objective, which was already registered, was 7496 – KR.
Acquiring a part of 7496 – KR’s body turned out to be easier than expected. At a previous ‘Foundation’ meeting, a small portion of 7496 – KR’s body was distributed.
A tiny piece of blue jelly.
Switching it with a jelly that had lost its strength and was only squishy wasn’t all that difficult.
The only uncertain factor was whether it would be recognized as part of 7496 – KR’s body, but since there was a reaction from the singularity, it seemed the registration was confirmed.
The real issue began after that.
Using records smuggled from an external laboratory, we learned that 7496 – KR had a strong liking for board games, which was why we chose “Actual Board Game.”
If 7496 – KR liked board games, wouldn’t placing one here naturally draw them in?
With the number of participants limited, once someone accidentally opened the lid, the only entity that could enter would be 7496 – KR.
That was why the man sat there, fumbling with the campfire.
He was one of the extras brought in to complete the required number of participants.
Though he had volunteered out of a desire to meet 7496 – KR, fueled somewhat by consuming a bit of retort food. Despite being caught trying to smuggle items and risking disposal, he still held a deep affection for singularities, even though he didn’t like all of them.
The more time passed inside the “Actual Board Game,” the more the man felt his spirit being weighed down.
Even if there were minimal safety precautions in place, there was no guarantee that 7496 – KR would open the lid of the “Actual Board Game.”
Placing it at the expected location and waiting for it to be picked up just seemed strange.
If it was ignored and taken somewhere else?
It would likely be picked up by someone other than 7496 – KR, making that a possibility that couldn’t be ignored.
If that happened, the people inside wouldn’t be having a pleasant experience.
Despite this, the plan had been approved.
Perhaps it was natural, given that the person pushing for it held the equivalent of a ‘Doctor’ title in the Call of Twilight.
Seemed like all these so-called ‘Doctors’ on both sides were just as insane.
In fact, the man was initially somewhat optimistic.
The explanation made it sound quite plausible. It was a chance to personally greet the 7496 – KR he had only seen vaguely in his dreams, a brief but almost exclusive opportunity. He thought it would have been a mistake to pass it up.
However, as the indefinite wait set in, his thoughts began to change.
Specifically, from the moment he obtained the key to the next stage.
As time seemed to stop, darker thoughts crept into his mind.
With no sense of time passing, it was impossible to determine how long he’d been there.
Only an overwhelming sense of unease remained.
He waited endlessly for 7496 – KR, eating the food he’d brought when hungry and sleeping in the sleeping bag when tired. The crazy individual who insisted on coming along would incessantly read something he’d brought, while the woman who had likely joined for similar reasons was not much different.
She stared blankly into space with a depressed expression—it seemed she wasn’t entirely sane either. Though, in a group where no one was quite sane, that wasn’t exactly surprising.
Was it a mistake to solve the first problem and have nothing to do?
If so, why didn’t anyone stop me?
The man rummaged through the campfire and retrieved the cooking foil he’d placed inside. Inside the burnt foil was a charred sweet potato.
…I think this is the last one.
The pleasure of eating is about to vanish.
Swallowing tears, the man peeled the burnt skin off the sweet potato, revealing the steaming, golden flesh inside.
As he savored his last indulgence, he noticed something.
“Eh?!”
A small silhouette appeared in the distance.
Noticing the sound he made, the others turned their heads in the same direction, and a spark of life returned to their eyes.
It seemed they had been equally tired.
As life returned to their bodies, the small, wiggling silhouette became clearer, revealing none other than the expected arrival: 7496 – KR.
Moreover, 7496 – KR was heading directly toward them.
The direction they were walking in suggested—
“Indeed… they certainly seem to possess intelligence beyond expectation. They seem to have stopped by the village first, outsmarting us. Apparently, they’ve noticed something amiss. Good, very good.”
The man glanced at 7496 – KR while listening to the mutterings of the middle-aged man who was once called ‘Doctor’ at the Foundation.
A shape that seemed like it would squish if touched.
An undeniably cute face, despite being inhuman.
Foolish-looking fur that flailed about as it moved.
What appeared to be some kind of clothing.
As it approached, it seemed to have altered its form slightly.
Tucked in its arms was a doll.
He had heard rumors that one of the sub-entities was contained in a doll, but the lack of movement suggested it could just be an ordinary doll.
Nice. Good.
The man felt a sense of reward for all his suffering so far.
If only they could be taken away as planned, it would be excellent.
Gazing fondly at 7496 – KR, the man turned his eyes to the middle-aged man who planned all this.
His future depended on this man.
Though his decision to personally execute the plan rather than delegating it was admirable, there was something off about him.
“Hmm, hmm….”
The gleam in his eyes confirmed the man’s suspicion that he wasn’t quite right.
Not that I’m any better.
The man stifled a quiet chuckle and wiped the expression off his face.
According to the plan… according to the plan.
However, watching the approaching 7496 – KR, the man couldn’t help his sneering smile from broadening.
—
—
—
—
Hm.
Though I came here without a choice, I’m starting to worry if I made the right decision.
The closer I got, the clearer the eerie silhouettes of the people became.
While their attire was familiar and modern, their faces struck me as odd.
The middle-aged man leading the group was staring at me with a disconcerting intensity, and the man behind him was trying—and failing—to suppress a twitching upward grin.
Perhaps the woman beside him seemed the most normal?
There was a complicated look of emotions on her face.
She felt somewhat familiar, but no matter how hard I tried to remember, I couldn’t place her.
Whoever she was didn’t matter anyway.
Since I can’t speak, there’s no point in identifying anyone.
In any case,
Judgment based on appearances aside,
The closer I got, the stranger they felt.
And the fact that they didn’t look surprised to see me only amplified the strangeness exponentially.
If I were in their position, I’d probably fall backwards in shock upon seeing someone like me.
Though, they did seem to feign surprise a little.
Perhaps?
When we were close enough to make eye contact, the middle-aged man extended his hand and spoke up as if warning me not to approach further.
“Are you, perhaps, someone who was forcibly brought here?”
…Huh?
What?
Calling me a person after seeing what I look like was surprising.
Well, technically, I used to be human but not anymore, so it felt odd.
Since I couldn’t speak, the situation was even more baffling.
Shocked and confused, like receiving a hard blow to the back of the head, I stood there dumbstruck. The middle-aged man chuckled as if reading my thoughts and continued.
“Your village… I’ve seen people resembling you there. So, I presumed that maybe your form changed upon entering here.”
Hmm.
Plausible explanation.
Although I was still cautious, his reasoning was convincing enough that I nodded and cautiously approached them.
Didn’t seem to be entirely wrong, did it?
At that, a wide grin spread across the middle-aged man’s face.
Almost… unsettlingly wide, making my jelly pause for a second.
“Haha… I was just so thrilled. We couldn’t proceed without the final member here due to debt issues. We’ll leave this place as soon as possible.”
Hmm…
Why is he rambling on about things I didn’t ask about?
Despite the strange behavior of the man, my suspicion lessened significantly when he suddenly pulled a golden key from his pocket.
The man behind him must also be excited about the promised reward.
Well, while I couldn’t confirm if everything he said was true,
The golden key he produced seemed trustworthy enough.
Staring into its radiant glow, I could confirm two things at the very least:
This place was likely inside a singularity, as predicted.
And to escape from here immediately, I’d have to stick with them for now.
It seemed I had no choice but to temporarily rely on them. They appeared to possess some information, unlike me who knew nothing.
Though mentioned something about being used in experiments… who exactly put them here anyway?
Could it have been those troublemakers from before?
If that’s the case, are these people good people?
Or… hmm, I’m not sure.
For now, it seemed wise to remain cautious.
Their true identities were still unclear.
In movies, people like that tend to betray others.
It’s not bias—it’s science.
—
