Chapter 44: 44, A Spider's Web of Time Twice-Lived Tragedy
With Yuki incapacitated, Caleb, who had exhausted his MP, and Phoebe rushed toward the teleportation magic circle, chased by a giant centipede. Caleb, just like in the memories, acted as a decoy while Phoebe leaped into the teleportation circle he had activated, sacrificing his life for her escape.
However, lacking necessary keys and in various states of deprivation, the teleportation sent Phoebe reeling, knocking her unconscious. When she came to, she found herself in a forest, where she was quickly discovered by a massive spider, cocooned, and carried away. Had she met herself there? Was this the true sequence of events?
It's harsh—witnessing death twice is unbearable. Yuki, as a player, is alive, but despite not seeing Caleb's death firsthand, the situation was undeniably fatal for him. From the memories, it seemed Caleb was Yuki's partner. Now, Yuki had lost the means to return to her home with both her partner and Phoebe.
This loss of a way to reach Phoebe's homeland meant she also lost the chance for revenge against the All-Mosquitoes.
That's more than enough reason to quit the game... In fact, this is something that shouldn't even take place in the game. As these thoughts flooded my mind, I envisioned Phoebe, the familiar blacksmith, attending to customers, preparing coal while trying not to cry, and sorting through iron materials. In the end, she swung a hammer, forging just like I would.
What was that just now? Could it be Phoebe's memories I experienced?
**"You have received the rewards for completing the Resonance Trial on Hard difficulty:
Phoebe's Memory Crystal (Sorrow)
Lena's Memory Crystal (Pain)
Your Resonance Level has reached 8.
Phoebe has gained the Eye for Appraisal skill at level 5.
Phoebe has acquired the Blacksmithing skill at level 9.
Lena has gained the Aerial Posture Control skill at level 5.
Lena has obtained the Fairy Blood skill."**
Wait, what's a Memory Crystal?! Does "Pain" refer to suffering? Was Phoebe tortured through this experience? Of course, it makes sense—it's a tough job for someone who's not suited for it.
And it seems like we've both learned each other's skills? But I already have the Eye for Appraisal, and I handle the blacksmithing myself… It sounds challenging to effectively utilize the skills that Phoebe has learned. As for the Aerial Posture Control skill I acquired, I can't fly, so I have no idea how to use it.
And just what is this Fairy Blood?
**Fairy Blood**
The skill "Fairy Blood" doesn't show up on the status screen and cannot be detected by the perception skill or any status-checking magic.
This is useless; no matter how much I investigate, I can't find a practical application for it… I doubt I can make good use of this reward skill.
**"Ending Soul Dive."**
Everything turned pitch black, and then I woke up.
"Ugh, that was quite a grueling task…"
I could hear Phoebe's voice. As I sat up, I saw Phoebe also struggling to get to her feet… It must have been all that blacksmithing work.
"I'm sorry… it's tough for someone untrained."
"No, I enjoyed seeing Lena's daily life… I even learned about Yuna's parents, but I'm curious why Lily wasn't there… Your sister, Yuna, was…"
"Yuna and Lily are the same person… and Renna looked completely different, didn't she?"
"…What do you mean? Lena's appearance didn't change at all, did it? Hmmm, maybe it was just a strange sensation from reliving the memories?"
Wait, did Phoebe not take the form of Renna? As I think about it, I realize she was acting through a kind of proxy of my experiences… I can see how some might think unwholesome thoughts about it; I, however, was too caught up in the moment to consider anything like that.
"Phoebe, you must understand what I experienced. I was dealing with a memory related to Yuki and the swarm of All Mosquitoes attacking your hometown… I get now why you lied about needing to buy time…"
The suggestion to create keys for other fairy gates stemmed from the fact that the Infernal Gate had proven ineffective.
"...Yuki, I want to see you again, but will that be possible?"
"It's unlikely... You've lost so much, and your will to rise seems broken."
To be honest, the situation we faced felt like a game-ending event. If Phoebe died, I probably wouldn't log into Fantasy Freedom again.
"Ah, it seems you've overcome the trial. Your bond has grown stronger as you've come to understand each other's past."
"Thank you for your help."
"This resonance trial can only be attempted once, so I hope you both do well moving forward. Now, others are waiting, so please head outside."
"Yes."
Encouraged by the old woman, I stepped outside…
I should check the memory crystal back at Lily's home.
'Fantasy Freedom Bulletin Board / Quest Board Part 32'
16 Anon
Seeking
攻略情報 for the Resonance Trial
Response
Thankful
I made it to the trial, but I can't clear it…
22 Anon
The Resonance Trial varies wildly depending on your summoned beasts and tamed monsters, so there's no clear strategy >> 16
31 Anon
Basically, it's like re-experiencing the story of your partner in resonance... Even if you fail, you can retry, so don't give up until you clear it.
38 Anon
Depending on the content of the re-experience, you might get a title. The title is "Even If it's a Fantasy," and you earn it by saving an NPC ally who wouldn't normally be saved, finishing the re-experience. It grants a permanent slight MP recovery, making it quite powerful.
40 Anonymous:
But for some, earning that title can be quite challenging. If your partner specializes in support magic, or if you have an inexperienced partner from earlier days, surviving against a boss meant to be unbeatable can be tough. Plus, there's the issue of resonance—your partner might act in ways that feel out of character.
43 Anonymous:
Oh, I managed to defeat a ridiculously powerful boss and survive using my partner's abilities, and I got the title "Even if it's a fantasy." In my case, it was mostly thanks to a long-winded exploit, though...
50 Anonymous:
Ugh, so the strategy guides are mostly useless... Is there anything I should be particularly careful about?
53 Anonymous:
You should be aware that everything from the re-experience is completely transparent to your partner. If you do something weird, their affection level may drop, and you could even lose resonance skills. There was actually a fool who tried something strange during their partner's re-experience, ended up disliked, failed the trial, and lost their resonance skills because of it.
60 Anonymous:
I did manage to take down a super tough boss with exploits, but my partner's appreciation is through the roof! I've never seen anyone conquer despair like that!
71 Anonymous:
Well, unless you're specifically aiming for titles, you should be able to clear everything. After all, your partner succeeded and led you to meet the players. Plus, you can randomly earn resonance skills as quest rewards, so you might even gain the ability to fly!
77 Anonymous:
Flying skills are rare—how lucky!
"I want to strengthen my bond with my partner and gain some resonance skills," one user said.
"But it's embarrassing for my partner to know about my real-life circumstances," another replied. "I feel like I'd die if they saw my dark history."
"I think I was hugged a lot after going through some tough experiences. My Dryad is such a good girl…" another user added.
"Hey, speaking of which, I received a memory crystal as a reward, but I don't know how to use it, so it's just sitting in my storage," they continued.
"Memory crystals can be used to grant permanent attributes or special effects when equipped. Some people even use them in crafting to make unique equipment, which can't be stolen," came the information.
"Got it... I've always admired unique equipment, so I'll work hard with my Harpy and clear the trials together." And as the discussion flowed on…
A post read, "Phoebe's Memory Crystal (Sorrow), Lena's Memory Crystal (Pain). These are crystallized memories that can attach attributes to equipment or serve as crafting material. When created or used, the conditions 'Phoebe, Lena' are applied. Holding it to your forehead allows you to glimpse fragments of specific memories."
"Hmm, so these can be used as enchanting items or crafting materials…," someone mused.
"It definitely has a negative vibe, with terms like pain and sorrow."
"Well, pain and sorrow eventually become sources of strength... probably..."
Now that Phoebe can use her appraisal ability, she should be able to see the information from memory crystals.
"Special conditions met. Recipe: Fairy Gate Key has been updated."
Oh, the recipe for the Fairy Gate Key has been updated. I remember it was also updated when I created the fire light, but I haven't checked it yet. I need to do that.
Checking the recipe for the Fairy Gate Key, I see it now includes keys of various elemental attributes, like water, wind, and light, in addition to just fire. Unlike before, when the broken Fairy Gate Key was part of the materials required, it seems I can mass-produce these as long as I have the right materials. The downside, however, is that all the materials are quite rare.
Each elemental crystal, especially the larger ones, is in high demand, and they won't be easy to gather. Plus, if I create more than three of them for the third quest, I will meet the failure condition... But after experiencing that memory again, I intend to make at least one more. I also want to prepare a trump card besides the Fairy Fire Gate.
"Hmm? Is this recipe a result of using my appraisal on the memory crystal?"
"What kind is it?"
I read the recipe aloud to Phoebe.
"Fairy Gate Key of Memory
Materials:
Phoebe's Memory Crystal (Sorrow)
Lena's Memory Crystal (Pain)
Ice Crystal (Large)
Best used as a wand for fairies,
It will become a key filled with the powers of time and snow."
The others require high-rarity ingots, but this one only needs crystals. It asks for snow—no, ice crystals—and a fairy wand is ideal, utilizing the powers of time and snow…
"Clearly, this recipe could mimic Yuki's wand…"
"Lena, if possible, I'd like to create that key!"
Well, that's true… Phoebe doesn't have strong offensive capabilities, but a wand modeled after Yuki's powers should definitely enhance Phoebe's abilities. I can only wield two weapons at a time; dual-wielding seems suited for experts, so it's best to create a weapon for Phoebe instead...
"Then we'll need to find some ice crystals. Honestly, the quickest way to gather them would be by earning points from the summer event..."
"Let's go right away!"
"Ah, sorry, but can we grab a meal first? I'm starving…"
I'm running out of time for quests, and if I don't log out soon, I won't make it for lunch.
"Okay, understood! I'll eat too."
With Phoebe's words echoing behind me, I logged out.
■■■
Lena disappeared, enveloped in a white light. She must have returned to that house I saw in the trial.
"…Mom…"
Memories flowed back to me during the Resonance Trial: happy conversations with Yuki, Caleb, and my mother… such moments are impossible now…
"…I miss you, Mom…"
I had been trying not to remember those happy moments, the ordinary days that would never return. If only I could, I would have tea time again with Yuki and the others… of course, with Lena too...
Tears flowed freely; I was glad Lena couldn't see me. If she did, she would definitely worry, and I didn't want that...
I lay down on the bed Lena made for me and closed my eyes. It's okay… surely, things will work out somehow…
I need to defeat that monster… defeat it… and then what?
"Hey, Yuna… is there anyone named Yuki in your friend list?"
"Nope!"
After dinner, I had asked Yuna that question. It was a long shot, but as expected, there was no one. I thought maybe Lily, with her connections, could help, but…
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