"Tell me what you are trying to do, then I'll give it to you." Silas simply smiled like a villain. "And I'll cover for you while you're gone."
"..."
"What will you do?"
"What will you get from knowing what I'm about to do?"
I asked, not giving him the upper hand.
"Knowledge is always useful."
"And ignorance is the savior of many lives."
"So, you won't tell me."
"No." I stood, ready to return to my room. "I need something to save those who are trapped there, that's why I'm going. It is up to you to decide if you are going to help or not."
"Save them?"
"There's no tickets to enter the Carnival."
"...?"
"Oh, right. Can you give me the earpiece again? How many do you have?"
"I have two." He took two from his pocket then handed me one. "Why do you need it?"
"Just to try."
I returned to my room and quickly grabbed the tablet Dean gave me before returning to the living room.
I put it on the table, then turn it on. The screen glitched for some time before it got barely clear.
"This—" Silas seemed too confused. "Team A."
"Yes." I turned the microphone on then spoke. "Dean, can you hear me?"
But nothing happened. As if my voice never reached him or the other two.
"Let me try." Silas approached. "I may do something."
He touched the tablet with one hand and the earpiece with the other. A blue glow suddenly appeared in his eyes for one second, then he just returned to set straight.
"You can try now."
"Is that your specialization?"
"Kind of. I just gave the tablet the same property of the earpiece. It won't be activated for more than ten minutes."
Woh—
What a useful specialization…
"Okay." I returned the try. This time I heard their sounds too even without speaking yet. "How did things go?"
"Nathan? I thought that the signal was gone forever." Drew answered while seeming excited somehow. "Things got too bad. The leader didn't listen to us so we split into two teams."
"Did you find a good place to hide?"
"Yes. Fortunately, we have enough food and water for a week." Adeline was the one who answered. "And by the way, there is something very wrong happening."
"Like what?"
"Civilians. Lots of civilians." Dean emphasized. "The Disaster Management Authority's agents are here to try to do something about it but what can they do? It seems like no one can leave unless the show is done."
I and Silas looked at each other then, as a yellow envelope suddenly showed itself on the table.
I didn't touch it, but surely I needed it.
"This Vessel became out of control. Maybe the containment team is about to move." Silas talked through the microphone, making them aware of his existence. "You barely have any experience with this kind of situation so do your best to hide. Nathan seemed to know a way to get you out."
"Okay."Dean answered "we have to stay silent for sometime so I'm going to turn the microphones off. Speak to Adeline through the earpiece if anything happens."
"Deal."
We finished the conversation, then sat in silence for some time.
"Did you see the place they're in? It seemed more like an old bus."
"Yes." I answered, my eyes drifted to the envelope on the table. "Isn't this a big problem? How could the government or whatever deal with this?"
"They have so many qualified smart people. The Disaster Management Authority doesn't just hire anyone."
"Right. I hope that they will solve it in a good way."
"In the worst case scenario, they'll give up on the people who are trapped there and lock the Vessel."
"...?"
"But this is after doing all what they could do."
I nodded, the blue man from before came to my mind. He seemed too honest about his job, to the point I didn't imagine him just gave up on so many people so easily.
"Can I take this?"
"So you are planning to enter that one too?"
"After finding what I need, yes."
"You don't seem like some who'd sacrifice his life for others."
I didn't know if that was an observation or just a simple attitude, but it was true anyway.
I'm not the one who'd jump on hell to save anyone. I was saving myself first here.
"Yes. This is for my survival, don't expect too much from me."
I'm too selfish to do anything for others, not when it costs me so much.
Or was I being a liar?
"Would you give me the item or not?"
"Okay, take it." He handed me two simple classic ear cuffs. "Just put it on and you'll be fine. Make sure not to focus too much on the things you will hear from time to time eventually."
"Is it something the company gave to you?"
"Yes."
"Okay." I didn't ask much about that topic. Instead I mentioned something more important. "If anything happens and they need me, just tell them that I've opened the envelope before I saw the warning and I'm in the Vessel."
"That sounds good."
"Deal."
I shook his hand, then headed to my room and closed the door behind me.
"Now I have to do the work."
It was tough, and I really didn't want to do it with my shaking hands but it seemed that my opinion wasn't considered at all.
The system showed up, giving me the information about the Festival Vessel, again.
[Festival Vessel mission:
PHY-M-3301
•State: failed.
•Re-enter state: delayed (4 days at most.)
The greatest magician of all time decided to give the greatest show to a very few people, so he made a festival and hid his golden tickets there. Find the ticket so you'll have the chance to watch, and survive, his Last Show.
•Condition for success: find the golden ticket for the Great Carnival that was happening.
•Rewards: 1000 S.P.s
•Penalty for failure: lose yourself forever in the carnival.]
So it changed again, showing a reward this time…
"Any hints?" I asked. Nothing responded, so I asked again. "Anything that can help?"
[Demarcation process 92%]
What?
What does that have to do with help?!
"This is totally unhelpful."
I gave up, and started to get ready. I wore my suit, put on my ring and gloves. I found the expensive ring I took from Tristan's drawer and just wore it without much thinking.
I put on the ear cuffs Sials gave me, and with some hesitation, I put on the hat I bought.
The mask was unnecessary since meeting people there wasn't an issue at that moment.
"Okay Nathan, you can do it."
I have to find the tickets… do it or die, do it or die.
This was so terrible and terrifying.
With a shaky breath, I took out the paper from my pocket and gave it a look.
If you search, you'll find something.
And that something maybe the thing you needed the most… more than what you are looking for.>
"...?"
Why was it not 'do you want the tickets? We can give it to you.' like the previous time?
"This feels like a puzzle."
The paper swallowed me before I got the chance to think more about what was written on it. The dark place I found myself in this time was empty with no sounds.
Then when the place changed, I was in the crazy familiar street again. Waiting for the Festival to reach me.
"Last time I lost my energy in harming myself to stay awake."
At least, this time I'll be in my full mind… since I could perfectly hear the sounds but no music was involved.
"Did I buy the earpiece for nothing then?" My 600 S.P.s has gone in vain…
Feeling sorry for that won't help so I rearrange my thoughts again. Making sure that I was thinking about what I have to think about.
The tickets…
If I was a magician and I needed to hide something, where would I put it?
In one of the stalls, or as a gift of a random game? Or maybe in a shop, like anything else.
"The thing is,"
Did he want anyone to find it, or not?
The festival had already reached me at that point, so I looked around, looking at things in general.
The anomalies were everywhere, no humans were there. And the goods still made me want to throw up, just like before.
But, before I was at least thinking straight this time, I could see the various things that they showed.
Tools, Spells, weird glasses and accessories, books… and too many things that felt ominous.
Tickets. I was looking for the Tickets.
The street was never ending and I knew that from before but decided to walk through it with full focus again, trying to collect information.
Fortunately, my hard work paid off, and after two hours I recognized a crazy observation.
This place is repeating itself.
The anomalies were different but the things on sale were the very same, even if the seller was different!
"So it's the goods—"
Yes,
Having a starting point again was a great thing.
Except that I didn't know that that wasn't even the start back then.