Story Reader / Affection / Lilith: Daemonissa / Story
Less than ten minutes after the third round ended, Faulkner, Rabio, and Eleanor confirmed their selections for the next round in sequence.
Then Collins.
The ten-second countdown appears on the screen of your terminal. If you do not make a choice now, you will be defeated.
Faulkner and Rabio's sudden shift in attitude has pushed things toward chaos. They're already pushing to move the game into the next round.
The result is submitted immediately.
Result of this round: No. 3 and No. 4 are defeated.
You inject yourself with the serum before the red on the screen can fully sear your vision.
The concentration indicator on the screen suddenly jumps to the third space.
Lilith sits in a leather chair with her feet propped up on another undamaged chair.
Things are getting a bit stale...
Deception, betrayal... such a played-out aesthetic, Aunt.
She breaks open a fortune cookie and takes out the well-preserved slip of paper from inside.
Luck sought is not luck.
Thought something different might happen, but they're just left hoping for a lucky break.
Lilith taps a card on the terminal screen. She doesn't even properly look at the available options.
Result of this round: No. 5 is defeated.
Speaking of which, Mr. Collins and Mr. Rabio have had some really good luck these past two rounds...
Eleanor's voice comes through the terminal as she speaks over the public channel.
Meanwhile, the Punishing Virus concentration indicator on the screen flashes a warning. Danger is closing in. If the levels rise any higher, they'll breach the protective suits' limits.
Collins and Rabio's card plays are perfectly identical—a pattern that might explain their winning streak.
But Collins has no reason to cooperate with Rabio.
As stated at the beginning of the broadcast, players can participate in the game without wearing terminals.
After the gunshot rang out, the bullet likely hit the mechanoid who called himself Collins.
This suggests one thing: the rooms aren't completely isolated from each other.
And if that's the case, the killer would only need to take Collins' terminal to impersonate him and carry out his previous operations.
And the sources of help available are a sensitive, easily angered rogue Construct and a mysterious lady of unknown background.
As expected, there's no response.
Still silence.
Based on his past behavior, he should have made his decision by now. But this time, he hesitates.
Seizing the opportunity during this brief pause, Eleanor takes the initiative and submits her choices for the round ahead of him.
To sow distrust. To encourage conspiracy. To pit players against one another in a web of attacks and betrayal.
Continue.
The Construct surveys the devastated room interior, the terminal carelessly tossed into a corner.
My draw for this round is scissors and paper.
Paper.
Faulkner feels utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. But beneath the fatigue, a sharp, burning anger begins to take hold.
The virus is already eating away at his mind.
"This can't go on," he thinks, forcing himself to stay calm.
The voice from the other end of the terminal helps Faulkner regain some composure. He stands up.
Right.
Those who have already made their choices can't receive private communications. Eleanor will likely have to wait until the next round to make contact.
After Faulkner makes his choice, you make yours as well.
The results begin to unfold.
Result of this round: No. 1 and No. 2 are defeated.
Eleanor's choice aligned with mine and Faulkner's—maybe by luck, maybe not. Either way, it led to Rabio and Collins' defeat.
The filtering device, whose operational sounds had become nearly inaudible, begins to hum once more. The Punishing concentration decreases accordingly.
Rabio gently pushes the door open, slipping silently out of the ventilation duct and landing softly on the floor.
Stepping into a room with an even higher concentration of the virus fills him with a pang of regret, but he can't afford to let the remaining enemies on the field form an alliance.
Prepare your last words, Kurono's lapdog.
What are you playing this round?
Rock.
Does it even matter?
Rock and... paper.
Too much of a Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes—out of all the nonsense Rabio has spouted, it's the only thing Faulkner agrees with.
No. 1: Paper No. 2: Paper No. 3: Paper No. 4: Rock No. 5: Paper
Before the results even appear, you've already strapped the terminal back onto your hand.
Starting with the most unstable factors is definitely too risky.
But then again, from every other angle, you can't get a read on Eleanor. She never shows a hint of emotion, making it impossible to figure out where she stands.
Your eyes scan the dazzling colors in the results column, just as the hum of the filtration device nearby cuts out again.
As the device ceases operation, the Punishing concentration in the room begins to rise. On the terminal, the indicator gradually spreads from light green at the far end, approaching the X-shaped endpoint.
The process of adjusting the descending walls is designed to keep everyone isolated, ensuring no one can collaborate or interfere.
With randomly assigned participant positions... this device couldn't possibly create perfect divisions.
If the game's goal was simply to weed out the lucky, they wouldn't have built it with such intricate mechanisms.
The designers likely left this loophole open on purpose, maybe even encouraging the participants to exploit it.
More importantly, your opponents have most likely already done the same.
And so, you finally return once more to the entrance gate damaged by the collapsed wall.
Pushing aside the debris piled atop the twice-damaged ruins, you find a gap just wide enough for one person to squeeze through.
After a quick check of the Standard Pistol, you slide it into your waistband. Then, you grab your combat knife and slice off every Babylonia emblem and identifying mark from your clothes.
Better not to reveal too many clues about identity before confirming what the other party knows.
Shredded fabric litters the floor. The helmet of the protective suit is covered with numerous scratches. The final step is to inject the Serum.
Stepping forward, you notice the Punishing concentration rising steadily on the terminal display.
If we lose this round, the Punishing Virus concentration in the room...
Ordinary humans probably won't survive, right?
Lilith sits at a card table, utterly bored, and picks up her terminal.
Still kicking, Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes?
Lilith hears the voice, but it's not coming from the terminal in her hand.
She looks toward the ruins where a figure in a standard protective suit appears before her.
So, you've decided to go full beast mode after all.
She maintains her enigmatic smile.
Should I be surprised you managed to cross over from another room, or should I say I was expecting you?
So, these rooms aren't completely isolated.
By paying a certain price—like you did—you can reach other areas.
You, who are in a protective suit, approach Lilith.
I saw the results from earlier. You tried to reach out to Mr. Faulkner, didn't you?
Too bad he changed his tune so quickly.
Now's not the time for sentimentality.
You continue walking forward. On the terminal strapped to your arm, the Punishing Virus concentration has reached an alarmingly high level.
Speaking of which, you didn't come here for chit-chat, did you?
You seem awfully confident about that.
Lilith gauges the distance between you and herself, suspecting that you're doing the same.
The next two sentences bring that satisfied smile back to her face.
Could it be that the hunter is carefully disguising themselves, biding their time for the perfect moment to strike?
So then, how long does the hunter plan to keep hiding their true intentions?
But how are you going to prove you can deliver?
