Phase Collapse on the Ashen 99th Floor

To convey the gravity of the situation, I snapped a photo and posted it again.

Judging by the reactions, even they were seeing this for the first time.

The noobs piled on with comments.

I desperately searched the gallery. No useful info, as expected. To everyone else but me, 99th floor was a bonus layer.

—A spot to rest, heal your mental state, then move on. info for easy floors is always skimpy.

"Why me...?"

Nothing suspicious came to mind. At least the Wood Sentinel wasn't approaching. Its patrol seemed limited to around the tree... probably.

Insane. Look at the size. How huge is that thing.

No joke—the helmet it wore was my body size. Its glowing blue eyes matched my head. Guardian of the towering tree, its body was monstrously proportioned. Even its weapon wasn't an axe but some pickaxe-like oddity; one hit and I'd be obliterated.

First, think.

I sat dazed, sorting the situation. Bottom line: I'm fucked. Don't know why, but I entered solo hell hard mode. Definitely 99th floor, tree and Sentinel real.

"Not real real, though."

Half-rotted, deranged state. Reeking of death at a glance.

... still the same?

Had to pray. I reread the Layer Record's 99th floor guide.

I scanned around. Ashen ground, nothing intact.

"Thought it was four-leaf clovers..."

Normally, 99th was a grassy, garden paradise. So 'not three, but four' screamed four-leaf clovers. I posted on gallery half-jokingly.

Wrong. No shadow censor. If correct, it'd shadow on post.

"...Was sure it was clovers."

Maybe animals or fish. Half-rotted river nearby. But no animals, no healthy plants. Dying tree, weeds aside—pure ashen wasteland.

"Fuck, how to clear this?"

Expected answer wrong—. 99th turned hellfire. Why didn't predict?

How to predict this shit...

Couldn't foresee env change. Even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠vets seeing first. Rage surged.

No... calm down.

Needed cool head, not panic. Calculation over freakout.

Beat a barbarian 20x stronger.

Grasp situation, solve all. Reduced 20x gap to 2.5x, won. Stay sharp, survive. Beasts have weak spots.

First: ID 'not three, but four'.

Recall: First post, a floater said:

Meaning: "Used to be everywhere?" Env wrecked, all gone?

"......"

Emotions suppressed, pondered. Observing terrain, head in hands—another floater commented on photo post.

Replied instantly.

Searching, but vets faster.

"Ah."

Clicked reading comments.

So..., this. Me, just, bad, luck, right?

Mind stuttered in disbelief.

No motivation.

"...Haa."

Searched phase collapse.

Unlike merges/interferences/splits where changes common. Small mercy.

"Whew."

Knew cause, no fix. ...Wait, confirmed 99th, valid.

So, find 'not three, but four'...

Regaining calm, scanning again—

"Kikikikikikiki!"

Chalkboard-scrape laugh echoed.

"Kirikikiririkikikiki—."

Eerily human-like laugh turned my head. There: human-like something.

"Uhehehehe. Hehehe. Hehe. Hehe."

Thought human at first. Clear view: monster.

"Kikikikikiki—."

"...Thought you were human."

Worn clothes fooled me. Drew rapier, poised to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠strike as it neared... but no attack.

"Kkikgigigigikgik—."

Shook head wildly, then quadruped sprint like beast. Head spinning thresher speed. Followed. Lose it, ambush risk. Regen safe, but still.

"Kekhehehehehekehekehehe."

Stopped at rotten wood. Approaching to kill, it sniffed madly, dug furiously.

Pop pop pop—!

Digging speed insane. Bare hands, never seen. Watched—what popped out.

"No way."

"Kkikikikikiki—!"

Thrilled, devoured greedily. Blood on mouth.

Realized: 'not three, but four'.

"...Not clovers."

*****

Not three, but four: local plant here. Glimpsed: leaf-like head with three leaves. Find four leaves on head.

"Kikiki—!"

Monster fled, no attack. Non-aggressive?

—Insight.

Scanned ground with Insight. Wide area, head throbbed. Endured—spiderweb below blocked view.

...Wtf is this.

Traced to giant tree/Sentinel. Tree roots webbed here.

Barely moving though.

Roots inert. Minimal influence. But blocked Insight.

More and head explodes.

Stopped, pondered. Find weird plant sans Insight? Four leaves specifically. Possible, but time sink.

Brute force? Or tail eater monster.

Recall 102nd: JointSong said.

During eye parasite hell. Checked post—old, partial shadow peel.

'En' revealed: Entity identifier.

Searched auction: 'Entity Reader', 300 gold. Record-like. Learned use via gallery, activated. One-use like rune crystal.

—Crack.

Shattered, hologram text:

Layer entities info. Thin light lines pointed positions.

"Crazy, 81k...?"

Gulped shock. Sentinel power. But ignore now.

Four leaves = adult, probably.

Followed line to adult. Dug, found it. Four head leaves. Heart-like body, emaciated human face atop.

"...Creepy fucker."

Disgusting. Now offer to giant tree.