[To Those Who Come After:]
[Whoever you are, if you've found this, you're trapped here for some reason, seeking an escape. You've already learned things you shouldn't have, making your situation far more dangerous than others.]
[To escape, the method is simple: Find a security guard's uniform and put it on. You'll then find yourself in a guard booth. No matter what you see, stay calm. Confirm the other person is wearing a guard uniform, tell them you came to relieve their shift but arrived too early, and you'll leave unharmed. Don't panic—if you act too strangely, you might be forced to stay.]
[After this, you can exit through Stone Forest Path toward the cave's entrance. Don't take the Gentle Slope—there should be signs marking it. Whatever you do, don't leave via the Gentle Slope. Follow these steps, and you should escape. But wait—before anything, you must confirm your initial identity upon entering this place and fulfill certain roleplaying requirements.]
[If you're an explorer, you must visit the Heart at least once. If you're a rescue team member, you must complete a rescue procedure before switching identities. If you're a tourist, guard, or staff member… No, those three identities don't survive long enough to read this note, so I won't bother. In short, you must complete your first assigned role before switching—otherwise, it's like an "actor being too unprofessional," making you easier to expose.]
[There's another serious problem: Something new has appeared in the world where the guard uniforms are… No, more accurately, something has been appearing all over this cave recently. It's watching everything, furious and terrifying. I don't know what it wants, but its presence cannot be ignored. To evade it and escape, you must perform an operation here.]
[You might wonder why an action here could end everything. I can't explain in detail. I've been here for years—since Nutty Putty Cave was sealed, since those bastards killed my only friend. I returned, surviving in this nightmare for so long.]
[Those who caused endless tragedies thought throwing me into this hell would finish me. They were wrong. I stayed, studied, and learned how to survive. Eventually, I connected this place's electrical system to theirs.]
[That terrible thing lingers here, but what it truly wants is to reach them. So if you pull the switch, their power cuts off—and it will shift targets. That's your chance to escape.]
[Prepare thoroughly before acting. You have one chance. If you don't escape within 15 days of entering, you'll never leave. Once you pull that switch, there's no turning back.]
[I can't leave anymore. I'm becoming one of them. I missed the 15-day window—for me, even death is a luxury. But I don't regret it. I deserve this. I failed to stop the atrocities and even collaborated for a time. This is my penance. Stranger, if you escape, live well. That's all ordinary people like us can do.]
[As for me… After leaving this shelter, my final act will be confronting that thing. If I return sane, I'll record what I learn. If I don't… Don't interact with it.]
[—Wilbur]
The room was filthy, reeking faintly of decay.
Cans and water bottles littered the floor. On a small table lay discarded uniforms—explorers, firefighters, staff, guards—all piled haphazardly alongside scattered cigarette butts.
Words were carved into the wall with crayon, marking dates. Takakai counted—59 days in total. This man, Wilbur, had survived inside Nutty Putty Cave for 59 days. Or, more precisely, he'd retained his human consciousness for that long.
Nearly four full cycles of this dungeon opening and closing… How? Was he just that capable? Or was it because he was already turning into one of them, letting him survive safer than players?
And that switch Wilbur mentioned—pulling it would blackout somewhere?
Takakai already knew where.
{Maki, has anyone gone to the power distribution area? Don't sabotage the electrical system. The research facility has its own defenses—if the power fails, that white-dress apparition will slaughter everyone inside.}
Without hesitation, Takakai contacted Shijou Maki, relaying everything he'd learned.
{Kaguya-obasan entered the power zone. She won't act recklessly—we agreed to investigate first. Wait, something's happening here…}
While reviewing experiment files, Maki listened carefully to Takakai's words before walking to the dormitory door. An odd noise came from outside—the power distribution area.
Shinomiya Kaguya had been captured.
Two fully armed soldiers (played by apparitions) forced her to her knees, hands restrained. Nearby stood Professor Fernen, his lifeless eyes glancing at Kaguya before speaking:
[Violators undergo Procedure No. 3.]
Then he turned, walking toward Maki.
The soldiers began escorting Kaguya toward the observation zone.
Maki arrived just then, but Kaguya shot her a warning look. Understanding, Maki stayed put, helplessly watching Kaguya being taken away.
It happened abruptly.
Kaguya hadn't acted recklessly in the power room—she'd only stayed briefly before leaving to consult Maki and Fujiwara.
But while no one was outside when she entered, two soldiers stood guard upon her exit—with the suspicious Professor Fernen nearby. Immediately captured, one soldier drew a pistol, aiming at Kaguya's head.
Had things proceeded normally, she'd have died then and there. But Fernen intervened, demanding Procedure No. 3—imprisoning her in the isolation zone's cells as a special test subject.
Though still dire, it wasn't instant death. Given Fernen's dubious nature, Kaguya signaled Maki not to interfere.
Fujiwara Chika arrived slightly later, catching up just as Kaguya was being led through the research zone.
But Maki's eyes lit up—Chika had detoured to the archives, retrieving Maki's stealth doll (left there to investigate reports) and bringing it downstairs. Without hesitation, Maki directed the doll to follow Kaguya, covertly passing her a scalpel. Now, no matter what happened, Kaguya had some means of self-defense.
She's sharper than I thought. I rushed out without grabbing the doll earlier…
Maki's opinion of Chika improved—until she looked up at Professor Fernen, now standing before her and Chika, his hollow gaze fixed on them.
[Tomorrow, a new experiment in the research zone. You two will assist.]
With that, he left, ascending to his second-floor office.
Meanwhile, Kaguya was escorted past the observation zone to the isolation area's entrance—a place soldiers normally avoided.
The door opened, revealing a spacious preparation chamber.
After another door, the soldiers turned down a diverging path.
Kaguya spotted a posted [Isolation Zone Guidelines], memorizing its contents in seconds before assessing her surroundings.
This is near the examination room.
On the facility's 1st-floor map, this was just an empty hallway.
But as Kaguya was led further, she saw a descending staircase at the corridor's end—shallow, ending quickly.
What awaited was a circular hallway.
The outer ring held fully enclosed cells (their interiors invisible), while the inner ring seemed to be a solitary room labeled [Confinement Chamber].
Each cell door bore a label—D1, D2, etc.—with no names or photos. Kaguya was thrown into D6.
Once the soldiers left, Kaguya sat silently on the cold floor before exhaling slowly and standing.
Now, I need to figure out this place's workings… and survive. Can I do this alone?
Despite her stoic expression, unease swelled within her.
Then—
"Cough…"
A muffled cough came from the adjacent cell.