When the plot-skips players into the game world

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"And I didn't bring Gryphon, yet I'm wearing armor and carrying a weapon... so I must actually be here to collect taxes."

He said this, suddenly covered his forehead, and stared blankly ahead.

"Then my memory might also be incorrect..."

Next to him, Jacaranda and Living Silver exchanged a glance and finally opened up, saying, "In our recollection, we seem to have come here for a vacation. But if that were the case, we wouldn't be carrying so much medication... It's inconvenient, especially with the violent storm outside."

"You wouldn't come to a ghost inn for a holiday because you have ghosts in your minds."

Aiwass answered calmly, "Your smuggled medication is either valuable or in easily breakable glass bottles. In this stormy weather, your packages are dry. This indicates that you were already staying here."

"And I noticed that there are more than one of these packages in your room. So it's very likely that this is where you sell the medication, or rather... this is one of your warehouses."

With that, he took out the Dream Intoxicant he was holding and handed it to them.

Jacaranda and Living Silver had already forgotten that they just sold the medication to Aiwass.

Living Silver picked up the medication and sniffed it after opening it.

He stated confidently, "This medication is genuine and not expired—it must be a new medication from within two years."

"Yes, I just smelled it too. This doesn't have the concentration that an expired medication should have."

Aiwass held Daiya, changing her position so she could lie better in his arms, and then continued, "The expiration date written on it is just for selling it off at a low price without arousing suspicion. So it's either fake or smuggled."

"You might not even be a couple at all, but rather partners—your belief that you're a couple could be because Daiya, seeing you close together, subconsciously thought so. In her perception, the only people who can stay in a room together would be a couple..."

As Aiwass spoke, both Jacaranda and Living Silver also showed pained expressions.

He was silent for a while, then said softly, "And I'm definitely not a teacher, nor a kidnapper... Both identities are fake."

There were nine seats at the Round Table.

Even including Merlin, there was still one person short among the seven, but if you include that Earthbound Spirit girl, it makes nine.

—Originally, it should be layered nine times, a great pity.

Merlin had said so upon entering. Now thinking back, that might have been the hint he gave.

It appears that each of them is in a layer of the Dreamland. But that doesn't mean there's no one in reality...

The deeper Isabel went, the worse her condition became.

Then, the person on the Real Layer, Zero Layer, might be her inner Incubus that's out of control. And the person on Layer Negative One, is that little girl Earthbound Spirit—who is also adept at fabricating dreamscapes and illusions.

One of the little girls attracted and controlled them, while the other created false memories and identities for them. The violent storm outside is to prevent them from leaving. It also serves to justify Daiya's fever.

—So despite everyone theoretically having come in through a violent storm, only she had a fever!

In their memories, everyone believes Agni is a kidnapper—but how could a kidnapper have a weapon specifically for hunting Demons?

And those crisp bills look more like a reward than ransom...

Moreover, if he truly were a kidnapper, he would have definitely killed the victim after getting the money in this stormy weather.

Plus his father was shot in the back, with no signs of struggle; yet Agni stripped the man's clothing and put it into a bag. He tossed it carelessly with the expensive White Crown Coins, not at all bothered by the possibility of the money being stained with blood. As if he didn't know the value of the money at all...

Considering all this, there was only one possibility—

As realization of the truth dawned on him, Aiwass suddenly experienced waves of headache.

The solemn voice of the elder also rose within him:

"You have realized your own identity, the memories sealed within you are awakening...

"Daiya Camelot's father realized that his daughter had become a Phantom Demon Egg, but he was concerned about his image and status and didn't dare hand Daiya over to the Supervisory Court, nor did he dare continue to raise her."

"So he contacted you... a Demon hunter."

"He arrived at Shepherd Bay County with Daiya, under the guise of tourism—a place with weak Inspectoral strength. He gave you a handsome deposit, asking you to abduct Daiya as a kidnapper, to make her disappear from societal levels."

"After this incident hit the news, he secretly contacted you again, trading a stunningly large sum as a nurturing fee, hoping you would take Daiya to the countryside to raise her—if she lost control, to kill her before she turned into a Phantom Demon. And if she grew up normally, he would come to see her secretly."
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"But while trading in the grove, Daiya discovered you. She couldn't comprehend what she saw, suffered a heavy mental shock, and the Incubus inside her awakened and went out of control—you both were easily manipulated by the Incubus, who used you to kill her biological father."

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"She wanted you to play the role of her father, so you changed into his clothes. She hoped you would become the good father who wouldn't abandon her, and thus you carried her through the storm."

"But she kept using the power of the Incubus, which led to her losing control more and more violently. After you arrived at the inn, Daiya finally lost control completely—"

The next moment, several tasks emerged in front of Aiwass.

[Fatherly Love: Find a reasonable way to heal Daiya (Points: 500)]

[Father's Protection: Prevent Daiya from being killed by others (Points: 500)]

[The True Self: Recall your true identity (Points: 1000)]

After the Blur of these three tasks, they transformed into something new—

[Free Will: Escape from Daiya's mental control (Points: 500)]

[Morality and Duty: Execute the uncontrollable Daiya before the Phantom Demon fully hatches (Points: 500)]

[The Extra Person: Kill the person possessed by the Earthbound Spirit "Alice" (Points: 1000)]

"This is..."

Aiwass subconsciously tightened his hold on Daiya in his arms, and his feelings became complex.

Isabel had already passed out. She hadn't told Aiwass what her mission requirements were on her end.

Although Merlin had said that they should remain on Level Zero... in reality, their essential task was [Return to Reality]. Remaining on Level Zero was just the means for them to return to reality.

Now the question was, did this return to reality—include dying in reality?

But dying in reality would lead to falling into Level Minus One...

...If he killed the Phantom Demon · Daiya, would Isabel's mission fail?

It was her who had brought down the intelligence with great difficulty, yet the content of the intel was to kill her...

No one understood the danger of the Phantom Demon Seed better than Aiwass—at this moment, Daiya's demonization was like it had hit the pause button. As soon as she returned to reality, she would irreversibly start to lose control, collapse... and then kill everyone present.

If Aiwass and Isabel truly returned to Level Zero but did nothing... then everyone would fail together.

But if Aiwass didn't go back, then they would still fail.

Unless Isabel was left behind on this level. But that would mean only she would fail.

—Would that be fair to her efforts?

Aiwass suddenly raised his head, his gaze sharp as he looked at Merlin, "Is this the drama you've been waiting for?"

"Yes."

Merlin stopped pretending to be a Detective and replied with his earlier tone, smiling slyly, "So, how will you choose?"

Aiwass was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath.

Forget it, it doesn't matter if this can win or not...

"...Both she and I can just die once, that's fine."

Aiwass said calmly, turned the gun around, and aimed the muzzle at Daiya's temple.

Bang!

A single shot.

Afterward, Aiwass pressed the muzzle against his own chin, tilted his head slightly, and looked toward those sitting around the Round Table.

Although his gun was aimed at himself, it seemed as wild as if he was targeting everyone present.

"If there's no losing at all, it's not called gambling... If you want to gamble, you can't be afraid to lose. If you want to win, then don't think about winning first.

"—If worst comes to worst, I'll just accompany her to take a look at Level Minus One."

Aiwass laughed nonchalantly: "No matter which level this is now... See you in a bit, everyone. Or see you in hell."

He pulled the trigger.