Season 1 Side Story Chapter 7. Secret of a Secret (1)

He should have made a fire and swung it from the beginning, but now he was trying to boast about it.

Almond felt his face growing hot.

"Well... my stream is about showing skilled gameplay."

Perhaps that was why he muttered some unwarranted excuses.

— It’s a skill-based stream, no?

— Almond's stream is a talk show.

— Isn't it an advertisement show?

As a flurry of uninformed opinions about the show's identity flew about, Ran's coughing grew louder.

“Cough! Cough!”

'Ah. I have to save Ran.'

Almond approached Ran with the torch.

"Ugh... Uhh..."

Ran appeared to be in pain with his eyes tightly shut. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t seen light in such a long time, but he wasn't the only one who had to shut his eyes.

— Wow, was he tied up like that?

— Dang!

— He couldn't move at all.

— What?

— Isn't this a death sentence?

The chains chafed his skin, the floor looked unhygienic, the thin mold... Almond found it hard to keep his eyes open too, but he couldn't just stand there.

"I'll free you soon."

Once again, he held up the torch and scoured the prison. There could be something else in there. The key he found earlier didn't fit, so maybe there was another hint.

"Ugh... Uhh..."

Ran winced at the light.

"Just wait a bit."

Almond shone the torch occasionally, but found nothing inside the cell. The metal shackles echoed every time Ran turned his head to avoid the light. Numbers were written on those shackles.

'Numbers on the shackles. What does it mean?'

Almond tilted his head and looked at the first key he obtained.

"Ah...!"

He also saw a number written on the key.

'Two.'

The key had the number two on it. A place on the shackle also had the number two.

"This key is meant to unlock those shackles..."

The key unlocked shackle number two.

"Then..."

Almond held the torch high behind him and could see dozens of fallen guards.

"I have to search all of them and find five... no, six keys."

— Yes

— That's correct.

— Ding Dong Dang!

Including the key for the cell door, he needed a total of six keys from the guards. He already possessed one, so he had to find the remaining five. It didn’t make the situation any better though.

'With so many, when will I...'

It seemed like it would take considerable time considering the number of fallen guards. Well, he could definitely solve it as long as he invested some time. He felt somewhat relieved.

[Ran's life is in danger.]

[Time Remaining: 00:04:59]

A time limit suddenly appeared as if to discourage Almond's complacency. It seemed that Ran would die in just five minutes.

'He’s going to die in five minutes...? Then I have to find the keys in less than five minutes?'

Could Ran survive even if he searched all the guard corpses, found the keys, and freed him? Almond needed to give him some water for his condition to improve. Did that mean he had to also give Ran water within five minutes?

That was impossible.

'There must be another way.'

Instead of just searching each pocket individually, there had to be another method. Wasn't the answer earlier to burn the guards?

— Hurry up and search their pockets!

— What are you doing!!

— Hurry up!

— Ran is going to die...

Urged by the viewers, Almond tried the first idea that came to mind. He set a corpse on fire. The flames caught on, but the body didn't burn dramatically.

Burning all the bodies and leaving only the keys would probably take more than thirty minutes. It could take longer, especially if everything had to burn.

‘This doesn't seem right...’

Almond stood still, rubbing his chin.

— Why isn't he moving?

— Has he given up?

— Overheating of the walnut, LOL.

Viewers wanted him to act quickly. However, Almond judged that it was more efficient to first understand the patterns and principles before moving. The game was designed this way.

‘Let's think... who might have a key? Who might manage the keys?’

These guards were mostly unintelligent. Would they entrust the keys to these unintelligent beings? Probably not. Only a special entity among them would be in charge of the keys.

‘The higher ranking ones will have them.’

First, he examined the weapons of the fallen guards. If one had a higher rank, it would be evident from things like this.

‘I threw them all over the place.’

This method wouldn't work because Almond had thrown their weapons around. They couldn't be differentiated anymore.

‘Hmm...’

[Time Remaining: 00:04:23]

Over thirty seconds had already passed.

Almond turned to Ran.

"Ran, you said there were guards with high intelligence. How do you differentiate them?"

"... Ah... Uh..."

"!?"

Ran couldn't speak.

He could only make a wheezing sound.

‘I have to figure it out on my own.’

It seemed asking Ran wasn't the solution.

Almond looked around the dim surroundings, rubbing his chin.

These higher ranking and lower ranking entities should have a command system. A hierarchy naturally worked like that.

[Time Remaining: 00:04:11]

Around ten more seconds passed.

‘Wait. A command system?’

Something crossed Almond's mind.

“What unit are you from? You shouldn't be here. Is there another malfunction?”

The words the first guard said to him.

‘A manager role...’

The intelligent ones managed the rest. Then, what about the unintelligent ones?

“Hm? How do you respond...?”

The first guard reacted as such when he heard Almond talking. It was as if he was asking how Almond spoke.

‘Wait. Could it be...?’

Almond quickly shone his torch to check the guards’ faces. The ghosts who couldn't leave the prison even after death. What were their expressions like? Why couldn't some of the guards even scream at the moment of death?

‘Their mouths were sealed. Even their vocal cords.’

Marks from their mouths and vocal cords being sewn could be seen. It was a terrible fate.

— Damn...

— What the...

— Eww...

It was a disturbing sight, but Almond's face strangely brightened up in that moment.

‘They can't speak!’

He had discovered the difference with the manager.

‘The low intelligence guards will only expose their positions in the darkness if they can speak, so they're made mute. Only the manager can talk...!’

The rest had been sealed from speaking.

This was the method to distinguish between a manager and a non-manager, between an intelligent entity and a non-intelligent one, and the way to find the keys.

[Time Remaining: 00:03:15]

The remaining time headed toward the two minute mark.

Almond started to move. He hopped around, kicking the bodies to flip them over, and checked their faces. It was much faster than thoroughly searching every corner of their robes.

‘... Not this one.’

He quickly passed over the creatures with sewn mouths and only checked the ones not sewn up.

‘This is it.’

He quickly found one. A body with its mouth agape in agony. A key emerged after he searched it.

‘Five.’

The number five was written on the key. This was the key to the fifth restraint.

— Wow!

— How did he find it right away?

— Wooow! Insane!

The chat erupted in cheers, but Almond had no time to read their reactions.

He drew his sword and left a mark on the manager's heart. Then he found another manager with an open mouth and checked its waist.

‘This is for number three.’

He found the key to number three. In no time, he also found the keys to numbers one and four.

— Wow! Every search yields a key!

— That's his physical strength.

— Did he figure out something?

— Is it the ones with their mouths open?

Every corpse he touched had a key, which surprised the viewers.

"We only need to find one more!"

Almond's voice contained slight excitement.

— Admiring his own intelligence, that Almond, lol.

— Almond is happy. His intelligence has been proven.

— Is this the intelligence of a champion?

However, his joy was short-lived. No matter how much he searched, he couldn’t find any more managers with open mouths. He even kicked the ones he already flipped, but their sewn mouths didn't suddenly open.

‘... What?’

[Time Remaining: 00:01:03]

Only one minute remained and he didn't have the key to the prison cell.

— Is his intelligence overheating?

— What now?

— Why can't he find it?

After a brief pause, Almond suddenly smacked his own head.

"Aha!"

Then, he began running into the distance. Raising his torch, he saw the body of a manager lying alone in the distance.

[Time Remaining: 00:00:54]

Almond quickly flipped it over and checked its waist.

"Found it!"

The key was clearly different in weight from the others.

"The prison cell key!"

The first one he encountered was the chief manager of this place. The clues about which number were hints.

— Wooooo!

— Awesome!

— OMG, the time

— Hurry up!

— But what about the water?

— Will Ran die instantly even if he opens it?

Almond ran as fast as he could, almost crashing into the prison cell, and immediately inserted the key.

Clank!

The prison cell door opened.

[Time Remaining: 00:00:41]

With only forty seconds left, Almond threw his upper garment on the floor and threw his torch on top of it. The dungeon lit up and now he could use both hands.

He checked the five keys and quickly unlocked the five restraints.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

— He's so fast

— Wow lol

— Pushing through with physical strength, the alpha species;

— If he had driven them away with the torch at the beginning, he would've had enough time

Bang! Bang!

The restraints fell one by one. When the last one hit the floor and rolled away...

"Hee... Eek!"

Ran was finally freed and caught his breath.

[Time Remaining: 00:00:21]

"Phew."

Almond sighed in relief.

— Wooooo!

— Amazing!

— He survived!

— Insane speed...!

However, this wasn't the end. Time was still ticking, and Ran was gasping for air.

“Hiii... ik.”

The strained noise sounded as if it was his last breath.

“Ran. Pl-Please wait.”

Almond had no time left. He had to find some water...

Thoughts raced through his mind.

‘Where on earth...?’

Where would there suddenly be water?

[Time Remaining: 00:00:19]

Only nineteen seconds remained. They only had a couple of seconds left.

“Uh...”

Almond began searching everywhere with the torch in hand. Could there be water inside the prison?

“Sigh.”

It was a wild guess, but not a single drop of water could be seen.

‘Maybe it’s where the guards are?’

Surely, there would be water where the human soldiers were, but it was too far. Given the time left, it seemed impossible.

[Time Remaining: 00:00:12]

He already wasted seven seconds searching.

— No water lol

— What a waste...

— How is that possible? There's no fucking water?!

— What? Seriously, do you need to pee or something???

Wild guesses flew around in the chat just as much as Almond's chaotic mind. Having to replay from this point would be a disaster. The stream’s tension would surely drop.

‘Is there a path that leads straight to the guard room?’

Rustle

.

He began examining the walls with his torch for a secret passageway. No matter where he pressed, nothing happened. Even if he found something, would there be enough time?

[00:00:05]

Now, less than five seconds remained.

[00:00:04]

“The human guards drank water and even mixed it with alcohol, but not even a single drop can be found here. Seriously...” Almond vented his frustration as hope dwindled.

[00:00:03]

— Let's retry

— It's not as easy as with Raina, huh? You social butterfly, lol

— A loner can't use their power in this world, huh? Lol

— Bye

— Take care

The viewers acted as if it was already over, but Almond hated giving up before the end.

He hadn't given up yet. And that was why?

“Ah!”

Suddenly, Almond realized something and started patting himself down.

— What's he doing?

— Nut dance lol

— Lol, Zero Two?

— Did he get shocked?? Lol

He frantically searched and looked a bit funny, but...

“I got ittt!”

Almond found water on his own body, to be precise.

— ???

— Woah, what?

— Water?

— Suddenly?

— Is this some fun hidden camera trick? How so suddenly from his body?

— Oh~~ so he stored it for the stream, lol

He found it in the back pocket of the senior guard's pants, which was probably alcohol. Half of it was water, right? If Ran drank it, it should help. Almond didn't have any other options.

“Ran! Ran!”

Almond rushed to Ran, lifted his head, and made him drink the rum.

“Quickly... try to drink it quickly... it's alcohol, but we have no choice.”

Gulp, gulp, gulp!

He poured the alcohol as if it was water.

— Are you trying to suffocate him?

— ??? "If he's going to die, I'll be the one to do it!

— Are you already trying to preserve the body with alcohol? LOL

— Info: Drinking alcohol when dehydrated can kill you.

— LOL, this is hilarious──"

[00:00:00]

The timer ran out.

"Ah..."

That was it. As expected, the alcohol wasn’t recognized as water.

Then...

Twitch

.

Ran's back muscles seemed to twitch. Was this his last struggle before death?

"Uh... uh..."

Ran let out a painful moan.

"Heh... eugh...!"

His once shattered voice began to come together piece by piece.

"... Th-Thank you."

Finally, a clear voice flowed out. He was still alive.

'What? It worked?!'

Even Almond felt shocked.

"Sigh..."

Ran managed to lift himself up. Considering he only drank a shot of alcohol, his recovery was surprisingly quick. His eyes were once again full of life, and his complexion improved.

"You gave me a potion. Thanks to that, I barely survived."

"... Potion?"

A potion? Almond checked what he was holding again.

"It's a flask."

It was a typical portable flask used to swig rum. This was a potion?

"It's a potion produced by our organization. There's no way I wouldn't recognize this taste."

Almond tilted his head in confusion. He remembered the junior guard complaining about the senior guard carrying even alcohol.

That guard probably thought it was alcohol too, but it turned out to be a potion.

"Anyway, success!"

Regardless, Almond proudly declared his victory to the viewers.

— LOL Anyway, he won.

— What the heck? LOL Why is it a potion and not alcohol?

— This is the first time I've seen someone make this part so challenging.

— Self-increased difficulty LOL.

— So entertaining LOL.

— Ran's story mode is top-tier fun, and so is Almond LOL.