Future Diary Survival Game-Chapter 88 : Discovery (2)

Chapter 88: Discovery (2)
Aina nodded.
“Come to think of it, that guy participated in the game five times.”
“Yeah.”
“But isn’t the possibility slim? There are too many participants in the game.”
“No. He must’ve met him.”
He must’ve met him — that’s why the search function showed me that information.
And Edgar once said he’d kept an eye on at least one person from each generation.
If that, too, was a hint—
“The Doppelgänger must’ve been someone Edgar paid attention to.”
“How on earth do you know that? What you’re saying sounds a bit too strange to call foresight.”
“As you know, I’m a mysterious person.”
“I didn’t think you’d actually say that yourself.”
“Anyway, let’s go see Edgar.”
Benjamin asked,
“That man is dead, isn’t he? He was completely melted into Mason’s blood.”
“He’s alive. Maybe he realized that Aina could see souls and somehow managed to hide his own. That’s Edgar’s talent, after all.”
“Hmm. Let’s say that’s true—what do you plan to do when you find him? You know he’s not the type to answer questions obediently.”
“We’ll have to add a bit of intimidation.”
I sighed and stretched out my arm toward Aina.
“Let’s draw blood one more time.”
After drawing blood twice in a row, I was genuinely dizzy now.
At times like this, I missed Armelia’s ability.
After taking a short rest and regaining a bit of clarity, we moved to where Edgar was.
For the record, I had Her Highness the Princess on my back.
I carefully stepped closer to Edgar.
If the compass hadn’t confirmed it, I would’ve doubted it was really him.
“This is… Edgar?”
It felt like I was being forced to study anatomy.
Maybe there was still some of my blood’s influence left, but beneath his peeled skin, I could see veins and muscles.
His heart thumped beneath his ribs, his eyes were hollow, and some unidentifiable fluid oozed all over his body.
And surprisingly—
“Oh? Everyone.”
Even in that condition, he could still talk to us.
I forced myself to stay calm.
“Long time no see.”
“Hmm. If it’s not something important, could you please leave? I’m a bit busy resurrecting right now.”
“It’s important.”
“Even so, please leave.”
“I just have a few questions to ask.”
I gently laid Her Highness on the ground.
Then I sat down beside Edgar.
Edgar twisted what was left of his lips into a crooked smile.
“Well, that’s a relief. So you only came to ask questions.”
“……”
“For a second, I thought you came to pour your blood on me again.”
“If you don’t answer, that’s exactly what’ll happen.”
“……”
“First, I’ll explain the situation. You might as well know—it’s information that’ll benefit you too.”
I told him that a monster called a Doppelgänger had come for us.
That it had kidnapped and put Armelia to sleep, and that it had perished by my hand—or more precisely, in my blood.
Edgar listened with interest before asking,
“So what’s your question?”
“The Doppelgänger is dead, but Her Highness still hasn’t awakened.”
“And?”
“But originally, Doppelgängers don’t have sleep-inducing abilities. The one that came for us was a special case. I want to learn more about that particular one.”
“Then just find out.”
“To do that, I need its real name.”
At that, Edgar finally nodded and chuckled.
“I’d say monsters don’t have real names… but it seems you’ve already figured that part out.”
“……”
“That monsters were once human. And that you know about the Rematch for the Defeated, too.”
So he knew as well.
Edgar struggled to lift his head and looked toward the sky as he continued,
“You’re right. The Doppelgänger was probably one of the participants I met in the past.”
“Judging from how you talk, you already have someone in mind.”
“Yes. To be honest, we went through the Frozen Season Quest together. Though I was dead most of the time, so we only spoke near the end.”
“Who is it? Say the name.”
“His name is Hayward Pyson.”
I immediately activated the encyclopedia function.
<■ Hayward Pyson
– Race: Former human. Currently a monster.
…
…
Traits:
A participant in Magireta’s game 172 years ago.
Eliminated during the Third Quest and dragged to hell.
For amusement, Magireta attached the arms of various races to his body.
Currently survives by rolling around using the numerous arms covering his body and devouring low-grade monsters.>
Disgusting content.
Disgusting, but irrelevant.
I punched Edgar in the face.
Thud!
“Gah! That hurts. Why has my face become everyone’s punching bag lately?”
“That’s not the name I wanted.”
“Heh. You figured that out right away. You really are something.”
“Say the name of the past participant you suspect became the Doppelgänger!”
“Then what will you do for me in return?”
“I’ll let you live—for now.”
I tilted the bucket beside me toward Edgar.
He moved only his eyes to glance at my blood and laughed.
“You can pour it if you want.”
“What?”
“Anyway, it’s been confirmed that your blood can’t kill me. I mean, just look at me—here I am, working hard to resurrect again.”
“But if I pour my blood on you again, you won’t be able to participate properly in the next game. The current quest was the Frozen Season—you could pass it without doing much. But who knows what the next one will be.”
“Then I’ll just be eliminated next time.”
I gaped in disbelief.
It shocked me how easily he accepted the idea of being eliminated.
“Are you really okay saying that?”
“There’s the Rematch for the Defeated, isn’t there? I don’t mind ending up in hell and turning into a monster. Now that I know there’s a game even there, what’s there to fear?”
“You…”
“Besides, I’m confident I can win the Rematch for the Defeated. If I win, I can return to the human realm and enjoy the same game again, right?”
“……”
“Isn’t it wonderful? A game that continues infinitely, whether I live or die. If I’d known this earlier, I wouldn’t have needed a wish for immortality. Still, I suppose I should be thankful—I got to meet you because of it.”
This was bad.
Edgar no longer feared death.
No—he had never feared death to begin with.
What truly terrified him was being unable to enjoy the game forever.
The existence of the Rematch for the Defeated gave him endless composure.
What do I do?
As I bit my lip, Edgar spoke again.
“…Though I said all that, to be honest, I don’t really like the idea of becoming a monster.”
“What?”
“That Doppelgänger fellow used to be a pretty good person when he was human. But once he became a monster, his personality completely changed.”
“So you knew him well?”
“Knew him? She was my wife.”
For a moment, I thought I’d misheard.
Sienne’s trembling voice broke the silence.
“Wife? You had someone like that?”
“How rude. Do I look like someone who’s stayed single for 300 years? Romance isn’t something only you can have, Sienne.”
“……”
“She was a good person. Back then, I owned a tool shop. Every morning, we’d open the shop together, and every evening, we’d close it together.”
“……”
“I always ate the lunchbox she made for me. Sometimes we’d travel far away on holidays.”
I couldn’t bear to listen any longer.
I tried to stop him, but I was too late.
“Well… I eliminated her in the twelfth quest.”
“……!”
“We were separated often and did quests apart, so honestly, I didn’t expect her to survive that long. I thought she was just an ordinary woman, but she had surprising potential.”
“……”
“When we met again in the Twelfth Quest, she cried her heart out in my arms. She kept saying, ‘Don’t worry about anything, I’ll protect you. I’ll protect you…’ over and over.”
A heavy silence fell.
I ground my teeth and asked,
“Why did you eliminate her? You said she was your wife.”
“Why… was it again? I think it was just the nature of the game, but I don’t quite remember. When she cried with that betrayed look at the end, I actually felt really bad… heh.”
I grabbed his neck and choked him to shut him up.
“That’s enough. Just say the name.”
“Heh. Right, I got sidetracked. My apologies.”
“The name!”
“Anyway, just like how my wife’s personality completely changed when she became a Doppelgänger, I might change too if I turn into a monster. I don’t want that. I want to remain myself.”
“Staying as you are is the most horrific thing imaginable.”
Ignoring me, he continued,
“I’ll tell you my wife’s name. In return, once your Armelia wakes up, please help restore my body.”
“……”
“I still owe too many deaths from that letter incident. I can’t keep dragging myself along under your blood’s influence forever.”
“I’ll speak to Her Highness. If she agrees, you’ll get your treatment.”
“Well, that’s good enough for now.”
He smiled.
“Louise Danahan.”
I immediately opened the encyclopedia.
<■ Louise Danahan
– Race: Former human. Currently a monster.
…
…
– Traits:
Once the mistress of a tool shop, she gathered and sold herbs for profit.
Possessed exceptional talent in pharmacology.
Once a human woman, she was eliminated during Magireta’s quest and dragged to hell.
There, she was remodeled and became one of the Doppelgänger monsters.
Using her knowledge of pharmacology from her human days, she began independent research using various herbs found in hell.
Through this, she developed a unique “sleep ability” that other Doppelgängers lack.
When she envelops her prey, she inserts part of her mud through the nose or mouth, putting the target into an eternal slumber.
To awaken the target, the mud inside their body must be removed.
However, this process can only be done by Louise herself.
If someone other than Louise tries to wake the target, they must destroy over 80% of Louise’s mud.
In doing so, Louise will instinctively retrieve the mud she placed within her prey to sustain herself.
– Additional Notes:
Originally, Louise stood 1.8 meters tall—larger than the average Doppelgänger—but after consuming the first-place reward from the Second Quest, ‘Talent Enhancement Pill’, she grew significantly.
Estimated current height: 510 meters.>
……
It felt like my heart had stopped.
What was this?
I reread the encyclopedia carefully.
<If someone other than Louise tries to wake the target, they must destroy over 80% of Louise’s mud.>
It was destroyed.
Not just 80%, but one hundred percent—completely annihilated.
She had melted entirely in my blood…
“Aah. Aaaah!”
“What’s wrong, Mason?”
“...It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing, is it? You got the info from her real name, right? What did it say?”
Aina’s voice sounded strange.
Behind me stood my four companions.
I slowly rose to my feet, positioning myself with the real Armelia—still asleep—behind me.
Then I picked up the bucket of blood.
Berseum asked,
“What’s going on? Why the grim face?”