Shatei Kyokufuri Yumi-Ojisan

Data.83 – Old Bowman, The Gemini Trial

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‘Welcome to the Gemini labyrinth-nyon! Here, you will take on a dungeon-nyon!’

There were two Charin’s standing in front of a black and white castle that was the dungeon’s entrance, and they were explaining the contents of the trial.
One was wearing a black dress and the other wore a white dress.
Their hair was worn in side tails, which were on opposite sides, as were their accessories.
But their hair color was the same, as it was the usual blonde.

‘First, this is a solo-only dungeon-nyon! While you can use your Unisons, there are some areas inside where you can’t summon them-nyon! And so they will be forcefully banished, so be careful-nyon!’

‘But being solo makes me anxious-nyon… And the whole point of playing MMOs is to work together with friends…’

‘If that is what you’re thinking, then I have news for you! When you enter the dungeon, the most reliable ally will join you-nyon! Together, you will cooperate and solve puzzles while defeating powerful enemies-nyon!”

‘Reliable ally…? I don’t really understand, but I’m relieved-nyon! And what are the requirements for the medal and special reward-nyon?’

‘Obviously, the requirement for the medal is finishing the dungeon-nyon! But if you want the special reward, you’ll have to finish it after acquiring the 2 medals hidden inside, ‘Castor’ and ‘Pollux’-nyon! You likely won’t be able to find them if you try and take the shortest route through the dungeon!’

‘So that means you’ll have to take detours sometimes-nyon! Also…are there any special requirements for defeat?’

‘Aside from player death, you will fail if your reliable ally is killed-nyon! And so you will have to be careful-nyon!’

‘Woah.
That’s so unfair-nyon!’

‘You’ll find out if it’s fair or not once you go inside of the dungeon-nyon! Now, since you know the rules, it’s time to enter the dungeon-nyon!’

…Well, there it was.
As there were two Charins, the explanation was very lively.

The thing that was most notable to me was that you needed 2 medals to get the special reward.
While looking for treasure in dungeons was quite common in regular RPGs, it was unusual in this game.
I wonder how they had hidden them…

Also, this business about a ‘most reliable ally’…
As far as companions went, I was immediately reminded of the white goat in the Capricorn labyrinth.

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It had been decently capable, but there were a lot of issues as well… It was…interesting.
I remember being surprised when it suddenly started talking.
Something about naming it ‘most reliable ally’ just seemed questionable.
And I wasn’t really looking forward to seeing it…

Well, the trial…had begun.
And so I braced myself and stepped foot into the black and white castle.

◆　◆　◆

Not only was the exterior black and white, but everything inside was also in a uniform black and white.
The floor was covered in black and white tiles, and there were large mirrors hanging on the walls.
Could there be hidden passages inside of the mirrors…?
However, it would be no easy task to go around and check every single mirror.
And I didn’t think management would add such a ridiculous gimmick.
Regardless, I decided to touch the closest mirror anyway.

When I stood in front of the mirror, I noticed the presence of ‘me.’
There was another me reflected in the mirror…!
I turned around, and there he was.
So…the most reliable ally…was me!

Wait, wait.
This was confusing.
To put the situation simply, there was a man standing behind me who was a complete copy of me in terms of face, body and equipment.
Perhaps he was similar to the AI warriors during the turf war.
They copy a player’s current specs and an AI controls them.

If this was the ally that Charin was talking about, it made sense that I would die if it died.
After all, it was me.
I had been very surprised when I saw its reflection in the mirror, but it was nothing now that I understood what was happening.
I wasn’t sure if it was really the most reliable ally that I could have, but I would try to clear the dungeon with it.

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When I walked, ‘I’ walked as well.
However, it wasn’t like we were perfectly synchronized either.
And if I gave out an order, it would obey me willingly.
It really did feel like I had an extra Unison.

And so I continued to make my way through the dungeon while occasionally glancing over my shoulder.
As this was a dungeon, there were also monsters.
I was excited to finally get back to fighting…or so I thought.
But then the other me defeated them before I could do anything.
As the other me also had the evolved weapon, Blackwind Dark Cloud Bow, the enemies in the first levels of the dungeon were no threat at all.

Because the castle was black and white, and the monsters here were all based on chess pieces.
And so giant stone statues that looked like knights and soldiers would attack us, but we were able to crush them without difficulty.
Hmm.
I wasn’t quite sure if it was that the enemy was weak, or that we were too strong.
My firepower was being doubled now, and this was supposed to be a solo dungeon.
And since a lot of the content I took on was meant for a part, it was no wonder that solo content would feel lukewarm.

It might sound like I am boasting, but from an outside point of view, I was an MVP player who was wearing rare evolved equipment.
And if it was so difficult that I was having trouble, then a lot of people wouldn’t be able to beat it at all.
Well, I guess I didn’t mind an easy trial once in a while.

I left the combat to Garbow and ‘me,’ and I focused on finding secret passages and rooms.
Like touching the walls and mirrors…
Hmm.
There was nothing…

It would be the worst if we start a boss fight before I’ve found anything…
As I thought of such things and looked into the mirrors, I realized that something was odd.

“This…there is a hallway that you can only see in the mirror’s reflection.”

When actually looking at it, it was just an ordinary wall, but in the mirror, there was a hallway leading out.
I see.
So the truth was in the reflection then.

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And so I dashed into the wall, similar to a scene I had seen in a movie, and then I went right through.
I had finally found a hidden passage…!

After walking down the passage and turning a corner, there was a door.
It seemed very likely that this was where the medal was hidden.
I made sure that Garbow and the other me had caught up, and then I put my hand on the door knob.
There was a ‘beep!’ sound, and a window appeared in front of me.

—The Mirror Puzzle area is behind this door.
—You cannot take your Unison with you.
—Furthermore, skills, charge attacks and items are banned.
—Keep this in mind when opening the door.

So this is the place that Charin was talking about.
But it wasn’t just the Unison.
It felt like it was banning everything about me… But I guess it couldn’t be helped if it’s a puzzle.
And so I put Garbow away and opened the door.
I was enveloped by light and before I knew it…I was in a different hallway.

There was a great platform at the end of it, and a small treasure chest was sitting on top.
I was sure that the medal was inside.
I wanted to take it as soon as possible…but there was no floor in front of me.
Instead, there was an unless, gaping drop.

As for how to get across this gap… The hint seemed to be the mirrors that covered the right side of the wall…!
In the reflection of the mirrors, I could see platforms that hovered over the pit.
If the reflection was the truth, that meant there were places I could stand on, I just couldn’t see them.

And the other me was beyond the mirror as well.
In this area, he and I were synchronized.

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If I moved forward, so would he.
And if I moved back, he would as well.
However, it was the opposite when moving left or right.
So he went left when I went right, and if I went left he would go right.

So I would have to control the other me so that he walked on the platforms in the mirror and reach the treasure.
First, I would look at the reflection carefully and take the first step on the air.
…Alright, it did feel like I had stepped on an invisible platform.
Next, since there was a passage stretching out to the right…

“No…!”

That was close…
If it was going to the right in the mirror, that meant it was to the left in real life.
Reverse.
Reverse… I needed to remember that.
But as long as I take my time, I should be fine.
Besides, I could just extend the tip of my foot out a little and make sure there is a floor…

However, such hopes were immediately dashed.
Once I was one third of the way through, the platforms behind started to crumble.

“Ah…so that’s how it is…”

While the destruction was slow, it happened steadily and surely.
The platform that I was on would also break eventually.
And so I had to stay calm…!
It should be easy as long as I remembered it was reversed.

Right is left! Left is right!
And like that, the dangerous brain training began.