Obelisk Raid (4)
The Murder Clown's pattern: Tag.
Inside the Murder Clown's barrier, the space twisted into something strange and uncanny—a maze of massive platforms and thick walls. Not only that, but the rest of the party had been scattered all over the barrier. Only Erinn was left at my side.
"What's this~? Why's only Heojeop here~♡"
"How am I supposed to know that?"
"Did you follow me~?"
Why would I follow you.
"It's not that. That thing split us up on its own."
"Hmm~♡"
What is she even suspicious of?
"But this place… it almost looks like a maze~?"
"It's not a maze. No matter which way you go, it'll lead to the exit."
"Really~?"
"Instead…"
I pointed at the colored platforms among the ones laid out in front of us.
"See those platforms? Every time you step on one of them, that thing's going to start spouting weird nonsense."
I told Erinn again, just to be sure.
"Just ignore it and keep running."
"Running, huh. From who~?"
"You'll know when you see it."
Just in case, I tried raising my mana. The barrier trembled slightly, but it didn't break. That meant the barrier had been woven extremely tightly—and that my mana still wasn't enough to tear it down.
"Figures. The barrier won't break. Looks like we have no choice but to clear the game."
"That thing isn't doing anything, though~?"
"It only starts once we move."
"Hmm."
Erinn glanced at me, then asked,
"You know a lot about this, Heojeop♡"
"…I studied monsters a bit at the library last time."
"Did you~? How diligent of you~."
Erinn gave a little nod and stepped forward. I followed after her, and before long we stepped onto the first platform.
"Oho! Our first contestants have appeared! Now that the game has begun, the tagger will start chasing you! Ah, of course, only those who are participating, that is."
Erinn looked around blankly, then turned to me.
"Nothing's happening~?"
"Not this platform. Only the colored ones."
"Really~?"
Like the one sitting right in front of us. Erinn scanned the area for a moment, then stepped onto the platform without the slightest hesitation.
She really has no fear—though I supposed that kind of confidence only came from absolute faith in her own skill.
I need to get to that level myself someday.
With that thought, I stepped forward alongside her. The moment we planted our feet on the blue platform, the Murder Clown spoke up with that insufferable laugh of his.
"Ohoho! You've stepped on a blue platform! Here, you may receive the Murder Clown's essential advice! And now, the advice!"
"……."
That was exactly what I'd warned the party about. The Murder Clown's advice.
"I think this!"
"You heard what I said earlier, right?"
As the Murder Clown delivered his advice, I spoke over him.
"From here, five platforms ahead! The tagger is waiting right in front of you."
"Ignore it and keep going."
In truth, every piece of the Murder Clown's advice was a device designed to steer you straight into the tagger. Most of the time, doing the opposite was the correct move. But not every tip was the kind you could simply reverse and be fine—which was why I'd told them to ignore it entirely.
It was a good thing I already knew this. Anyone who didn't would have no idea the Murder Clown's advice was all lies, and they'd walk right into the trap.
Erinn listened to me and pressed forward. I just hoped the others would stick to what I'd told them, too.
No matter how strong the party was, combat power barely mattered inside the Murder Clown's barrier. The "tagger" in this game was completely immune to every physical and magical attack.
I mean, think about it—if you could just brute-force a section that was clearly designed as a gimmick puzzle, there'd be no fun in it and no point in making it. That was probably the idea.
As Erinn and I ignored the Murder Clown's advice and kept moving forward, he seemed flustered, watching us as he spoke.
"What a foolish choice! To ignore the Murder Clown's advice…"
We paid him no mind. As Erinn and I continued stepping across the platforms, the Murder Clown called out again.
"One platform remaining! Do you truly intend to face the tagger head-on?"
"It's fine. Keep going."
Just as I'd said, Erinn stepped onto the fifth and final platform. And of course, the tagger the Murder Clown had warned about was nowhere to be found.
Obviously.
Just think about the name of the game. This was Tag. In tag, the tagger chases the people who are running away.
If we'd listened to the Murder Clown and gone backward, we would've run straight into the tagger. Even Erinn wouldn't have been able to do much against a tagger that shrugged off every attack.
Once we stood unharmed on the fifth colored platform, the Murder Clown's voice rang out again.
"Ohohoh! How amusing! To think you'd see through the Murder Clown's trick!"
"He called it a trick~?"
"It's a trick if you don't know what's going on."
To anyone experiencing this for the first time, the Murder Clown's advice sounded nothing but sweet. Even if you held to the principle of never trusting a monster's words, there were still hard choices—like having to abandon an item that had just appeared one platform behind you.
That was why this thing had such a nasty reputation. Unless you'd looked up a guide beforehand, any player who'd never faced the Tag pattern was almost guaranteed to die.
Erinn let out a little giggle.
"This time, the Murder Clown's advice is as follows! One platform behind your current position, I have left a gift! It is an item useful for the game, so I recommend you check it and take it with you!"
Just as he said, a treasure chest appeared on the platform directly behind us. A useful item, only one step away. At a glance it looked easy to grab, and even if it was a dud, there seemed to be no downside—but that wasn't the case at all.
Open that thing, and the game was over. Because that treasure chest wasn't simply a box that handed out items.
"Don't even think about opening it. It's a device that summons the tagger."
"Who would open something that looks that suspicious~? Unless their IQ is lower than a monkey's♡"
By this point, it should have been clear what kind of monster the Murder Clown was….
"That monster~ does he only ever talk nonsense~?"
"Yeah."
I answered simply.
"He's a lying clown."
Erinn giggled at that. Then she turned back to look at me.
"Sounds a lot like Heojeop~♡"
"…What are you talking about?"
Why am I a liar.
"Pffft."
If you're going to laugh like that, at least tell me why so I can laugh too, you brat.
But Erinn didn't explain. She just walked on ahead.
"So we just go to the next colored platform, right~?"
"…Yeah."
Erinn started walking toward the next colored platform just as I'd said, and I followed behind her. The Murder Clown opened his mouth again.
"You're not going to open the treasure chest? My, my—taking the hard way when there's an easy path through the game! Of course, it's your choice, but I don't think it's a good one."
Well, for once he wasn't entirely wrong. It would make the game easier—by getting you eliminated.
Erinn and I ignored every word and headed for the next colored platform. The Murder Clown started laughing that insufferable laugh of his again.
"Ohohohoh!"
Every time I heard it, I thought the same thing: this guy laughs like a complete maniac.
"How fun, how fun! To see through the Murder Clown's trick not once, but twice!"
The Murder Clown went on.
"This time, I'll give you sincere advice. After you cross two platforms, flames will erupt ahead of you. They'll be extremely hot, so you'd best be careful!"
Once pure lies stopped working, the Murder Clown changed his pattern—half truth, half falsehood.
At first glance it looked like you'd have to figure out which parts were lies and which were true. But all you had to do was what I'd already told the party.
Just as the Murder Clown said, flames would erupt two platforms ahead—but they weren't hot at all. The moment you hesitated at the sight of the rising fire, the tagger would catch up.
"Just like I said—ignore it and keep going."
"Why do you keep repeating yourself~?"
"Because hearing that kind of thing can still throw you off."
It was only natural. Just because I'd warned them didn't mean the constant stream of advice wouldn't shake anyone's resolve. All I could do was hope the others kept my words firmly in mind.
But when I said that, Erinn looked at me for a moment, then flashed that mischievous little smile of hers.
"You're worrying over nothing~."
"What?"
"You already told me, didn't you~? Don't trust a word that monster says. And…"
Erinn continued,
"I trust Heojeop, so I'm fine~♡"
"……Then that's good enough."
With that, Erinn moved forward. And just as the Murder Clown had said, flames erupted right in front of us.
"My, my. Walking straight into a fire pit of your own free will."
"It's not hot. Just walk through."
I said that and started to step forward—when Erinn suddenly grabbed me.
"…What?"
"Hmm. Looks like he's not a total liar after all~?"
Saying that, Erinn pulled me back and stepped forward herself. The instant she crossed onto the platform, the flames flared violently, and I felt the heat wash over me.
"……Heat?"
I froze, staring blankly at the fire that had swallowed Erinn—then the realization hit me and I shouted.
"Erinn!!"
Feeling heat meant the Murder Clown's advice had become the truth. Instead of the harmless illusion of fire that wasn't hot at all, real flames had erupted.
Don't tell me this changes with difficulty too?
I'd thought it didn't. From the Hard difficulty where the Murder Clown first appeared all the way up to Extreme, the only difference was how fast the tagger chased you. The Murder Clown's pattern itself had always been identical.
But it had changed. This time it wasn't half-truths—everything had been true. And Erinn, who had just walked into those flames….
"I… I…"
Beyond mere shock, my whole body was shaking hard.
If someone asked whether Erinn was that precious to me, the answer would have been no—but this was probably the body's memory of its relationship with her, bleeding through.
The fact that my bad call had gotten her swallowed by fire was a problem too. In every practical sense, I was the one responsible for this.
For a moment I couldn't say a word. I just stood there, dumbfounded, reaching a trembling hand helplessly toward the flames.
"Dummy~♡ You want to get burned~? Get back already~."
But somehow—a voice I shouldn't have been able to hear reached me. Following it without thinking, I stumbled back a step, and a message appeared.
Hero Erinn activates [Gale Slash]
Fwoosh!!
A pure white blade cleaved through the flames. And then I saw it—that brilliant platinum-blonde twin-tailed hair.
"E-Erinn, you're ali…"
"Of course I'm alive~? Did you really think I'd charge in mindlessly like some Heojeop~♡"
"……."
…Is she a monster? How is she completely fine after that fire.
My legs nearly gave out. Part of it was relief, but most of it was this body overreacting.
Erinn quickly caught my arm and pulled me onto the platform where the flames had died down. Once I was standing there, drawn by her strength, she giggled.
"Pfft, you look so dumb~ What kind of face is that~♡"
"……Sorry."
"Is that what you're apologizing for~?"
"No, I mean—you…"
I didn't want to be like this either, but my body felt awful. Apparently the thought that Erinn had burned to death had hit me harder than I expected.
This is what I get for ending up in my childhood friend's body…
What a pain.
Of course… I was genuinely sorry, too. It had been my misjudgment. If Erinn hadn't been the Hero, she would have burned to death right there.
So I tried to apologize again.
"I made the wrong call…"
"It's fine."
"…Huh?"
Erinn wasn't using her usual mesugaki tone. Her voice was a little more serious, and her expression wasn't that teasing grin—just a gentle, almost tender smile.
"You're allowed to make mistakes. Nobody's good at everything from the start."
"……."
"Even if something like this gets a little messy, me and the others can handle it just fine. So…"
Erinn smirked. Then she put on that mischievous face again and said,
"You don't need to apologize, you Heojeop~♡"