Chapter 18: The Golden Key

The closer they get, the faster they go. Not that they’re actually going that fast, but still— the legions of tutorial monsters shudder with something disgustingly similar to enthusiasm as they swarm through the battlefield towards the open Paxdom city gates. No matter how hard the guards and adventurers swing their weapons, activate their Skills, cast their spells, or hurl their fists, they can't seem to stop the waves of beasts from shambling through the city's massive stone walls and attacking the masses of civilians trembling in fear inside...

Or so the guards and adventurers think. In reality, not a single monster is actually attempting to enter Paxdom. Instead, they're all homing in on a location that just happens to be near the gates: that of a single boy who's a part of the suppression force's rear line of defense. A single laughably weak boy who's holding one of his hands over his eyes, with an avatar feeble enough to nearly die from being scratched by a tree. That's right. All the monsters, every single one, are slowly but surely fighting their way towards this one defenseless boy. What does our illustrious protagonist, Diegi, have to say about this?

> What the fuck!? This is totally absurd!!

Just kidding. Of course, Diegi is the boy! So in other words, Diegi's basically screwed.

“Not good, not good… how long do I have left?”

Whispering to himself as he continues to hide among the group of mages in the rear lines, Diegi notices that his headache is quickly becoming more severe. Pressure starts building behind his eyes even as he maintains the Perception Skill— no, most likely because he continues to maintain the Skill.

> Agh… I have to cancel it soon. Damn it, now I won’t even be able to see the approaching monsters clearly… I have to find at least one useful pattern or something before I quit using the Skill!

With the last of his enhanced but slowly fading field of vision, Diegi concentrates and carefully inspects the figures of each approaching monster, avoiding focusing too much on their eyes. And at the very last moment, having switched from surveying the top halves of the monsters to surveying the bottom, he notices another anomaly—

“Oh, is that… AGH!”

Perception suddenly cuts off, leaving Diegi seeing stars. He jerks his head backwards as inconspicuously as possible, still trying to keep himself hidden among the long-range spellcasting crowd.

> Ahhh, since I'm actually inside the game-world, the strain of overusing a Skill is actually physical now. But damn, I didn't think it would hurt this much! I’m too used to it just being a minor gameplay inconvenience… ah, whatever. More importantly, I managed to spot it— my clue!

DIegi’s giddy with glee— or rather, he makes himself feel giddy with glee— believing that with his newfound knowledge all his problems are about to be solved, when a loud nearby scream snaps him back to reality.

“Curses!! There’s no end to them! Spellcasters, if you please, focus on breaking up the crowds!”

Equo, now holding three sheathed shortswords in each hand, desperately fights back as they approach. He’s doing very well, clearly a cut above Paxdom’s average adventurer, but even he’s beginning to be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. The restriction on killing the beasts also means he’s reluctant to use skills, which only worsens his chances. For a few moments Diegi watches Equo blur the air in front of him with dozens of well-positioned sword strikes, until the swordsman twitches and lifts his brows.

“Attacking from the air? How unchivalrous of you— tch!”

The density of monsters straining to attack the area has gotten so ridiculously high that they’re starting to pile on top of each other. Like a towering mountain of dirty laundry that lies neglected, never washed until a certain angry mother yells her poor misunderstood child’s ear off— pardon, Diegi’s life experiences leaked through again. Er, rather, the beasts are climbing over each other in their rabid pursuit to the point that Equo was forced to suddenly contend with one of them falling on him from an unexpected angle. Equo’s eyes narrow and he grits his teeth, but with no other option—

*shiiiiiiing— PEW!*

One of Equo’s gripped shortswords glow orange and shoots out his hand with a flick, stars trailing behind it as it whistles through the air and easily skewers the falling monster’s heart. The whole motion was unbelievably fast to Diegi’s eyes— but not fast enough. Just before it’s blown away from the force of the ‘Sword Meteor’ Skill, the groaning tutorial monster manages to use its grimy claws to slice an area on the swordsman’s visage that had already been impacted several times before. Equo has just received his first notable wound of the battle: a thin line across his forehead that slowly oozes blood onto the grassy field.

Just the sight of such a reliable adventurer being injured and backed into a corner, however slightly, unsettles Diegi. But that’s not all. Even as the brave self-proclaimed knight acts as the spellcasters’ personal defense, some of the beasts straight-up ignore him and pass him by without swinging once— presumably in order to fight Diegi instead. Even hidden as he is, in the middle of a somewhat isolated pack of spellcaster adventurers, the monsters can seemingly still find him.

> I know it makes sense since this is based off a game, but stiiiill. The least Automod could have done was turn off the stupid monster pathfinding! If this was realistic, there’s no way they would know where I was….

Diegi has no clue if that’s actually true, of course. He just wants to complain, and so he makes himself believe it.

One such adventurer, grasping their wooden wand so tightly it’s threatening to snap in half, takes a pause from casting spells to shout out a warning:

“Uh oh, Equo can’t handle that alone, even with us supporting him! Someone else has gotta go out there and help him with the close-range fighting, or he’s gonna die!”

Another, tightly gripping their floppy hat in a panic, shoots back:

“What do you expect us to do, we’re mages!? Our only job is to cast long-range spells!”

“Why did this have to happen now, when so many adventurers are out on quests?”

“I’m almost out of mana!”

"Me too! Damn it, we need more spellcasters!"

“Where is Golden? Why does she never show up to the Guild? What could be more important than dealing with this crisis!?”

Diegi lets out a quiet forlorn groan as he watches the spellcasters try and fail to support Equo’s dwindling resistance. Despite the mages’ complaints that they’re not suited for close-quarters combat, it looks like that’s exactly what they’re going to get.

> Not that I blame them. Hell, I want to chime in and start complaining too— why are these monster freaks only going for me!? The only thing that’s stopping me from speaking up is the fear of being discovered. But as long as I remain silent, I should be able to get away with this—

“Hey, hold on a second. You, you’re not a spellcaster, aren’t you?”

A panicking spellcaster lays eyes on him, and the rest begin to follow suit. One after the other, their comments pour in:

“Yeah, you don’t even have any weapons or equipment. That must mean you’re a hand-to-hand expert, right?”

"Awesome!"

“No, I remember now! You were pretty confident in announcing your skills back at the guild, right? Oh, and you're a spatial magic user! Thank goodness, a strong melee fighter who can also use ranged spells is just what we need right now!”

"Even better!"

"Save us, man!"

"You got this!"

> —the hell!? I didn’t even say anything!! How did they find me?

Apparently Diegi had made quite the strong impression at the Guild Hall with his lies, because as soon as someone notices that he’s hiding among them, the gazes of the mages all instantly focus on him. Or maybe it hadn’t been at the Guild Hall, maybe it had been in the alley with the stones and the ‘spatial magic’ (that was actually just Main Menu shenanigans).

> Again with the consequences for my actions! Why can’t I just say whatever I want and get off scot-free? It worked on the internet!

Diegi fumbles for a response. He needs to give an excuse for why he can’t fight so they don’t kick him out of the spellcasting group— no, he needs to make it seem like he’s a spellcaster so they don’t kick him out— no, he needs to lie and falsely reassure them that Equo can handle it so they don’t kick him out—

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> Damn it, I don’t know what to say! But I’ve gotta say something!

Diegi's always been good at lying on the spot. So he opens his mouth, and the following comes out for the second time in one day:

“Uh… nice weather we’re having, eh?”

...

Long story short?

They kick him out.

> Okay, so maybe the stress of having an army of monsters all want to kick my ass affects my lying prowess. Who knew?

Equo sees Diegi stumbling forwards out of the corner of his eye and spares a grin even as he continues to perform his sword dance. The swordsman still remembers Diegi’s grand display of ‘spatial magic’ from before— surely the talented boy with such terrifying mastery over such a rare branch of magic would come to his aid. He even has a Strength attribute strong enough to deal major damage to himself with his own ricocheted attack! This boy, bravely volunteering his life to help out his comrade… Equo gives a small sigh of admiration. What a hero he is.

“Alright, boy, now’s your chance to get over those nerves! Just take a deep breath and show us all what you can do with those stones of yours— hey, where are you going!?”

Equo’s expression of bright anticipation quickly collapses into one of confusion, however, as Diegi ignores his summons and moves right past him.

Diegi, overcome with a strange mix of fear and confidence, ignores the valiant Equo and breaks into a mad dash. Only one thought runs and reruns through his mind:

> Safety in numbers. Safety in numbers. Sorry, meat shield NPC— I mean, Equo, but I’d rather stick with two guards than one adventurer!

Spotting the guards in question fighting back to back only a few paces away, Diegi runs hard in order to make it over to them. His reasoning? If they’re city guards, surely they’ll be more concerned about his safety than the average adventurer. Maybe they’d even sacrifice themselves to save him, like in a cheesy action movie! Preferably with a soundtrack of wailing sopranos in the background, mourning the guards' sacrifices while celebrating Diegi's incredible survival.

> Ah, that would be nice. But more importantly— I've got a key! A big old golden clue, ready for me to capitalize on!

Diegi shakes his head and makes himself give a quick chuckle. His real reasoning for running towards the two guards? He needs to pass on what he’s learned to someone who can do something useful with it, like the properly trained combatants of Paxdom’s guard. Surely they would be able to interpret what he’s learned better than a 17 year old schoolchild could. Diegi’s done enough thinking for the day, and no matter how hard he wrings his brain he just can’t figure out what significance his new information might hold. But if he can get the clue to someone who could figure it out— someone who might have a spare two braincells to rub together... The pieces are all falling into place, and in his mind the whole monster attack situation might as well be resolved already. If this world is a game, the same kind of game he’s spent the better part of his life escaping into, then he's confident already has the key to repelling this invasion locked up in his mind.

Diegi, really pumping his arms and working his legs, has almost made it to his destination. He's panting, and a dull sheen of sweat covers his face. It really hadn't been too far of a run, but when you have an avatar as dysfunctional as his... well, low Agility levels aside, he's close enough to make out the details on the guard duo's armor. A couple steps more, and he'll be within arms' reach.

“—!”

But just before he reaches the guards, Diegi feels rather than sees a shadow fall over him from behind— had Equo failed to subdue one of the beasts? It’s the same feeling he’d had before, back with Gloria on the road to Paxdom, when he’d been sneak attacked by the tutorial monster and had died the first time. Even without looking, even without turning the slightest bit, a massive chill runs up Diegi's spine despite all his self-proclaimed confidence. Is this really it? Is he really going to…?

“DIE!!”

A golden spear comes flying at Diegi’s head— no, past his head. Diegi can only watch mid-stride as the dark-haired guard shoves his spear into the monster looming behind Diegi's back with a thick squelch. Despite his impassioned threat, however, the guard deftly avoids hitting the monster's vital points like the neck or face, instead skewering the beast in its shoulder and proceeding to fling it away. Then, speaking to Diegi without actually looking at him, the same guard fires off a quick command.

“Hey, you there! Come on now, get over here, quickly!”

The guard’s long black hair flutters behind him as he does his best to deal with the new monsters encircling him. Behind his back, an orange-haired and seemingly stoic guard uses fine swordwork to hold off the monsters that the first guard can’t handle.

Diegi stumbles forwards, and the two guards change their stances slightly so that Diegi is between their backs. They account for the sudden intrusion well— even without looking at each other or verbally planning anything out, they both seem to instinctively know how best to fight while keeping Diegi safe.

“You were carried into this battlefield by that Vivian woman, weren’t you? Damn it, did she force you to enlist or something?”

> Wait, am I hearing this correctly? Do the guards, unlike the adventurers from the Guild… actually care about my safety and wellbeing!? I— I mean, of course they do! Why shouldn’t they, it's their job, and I’m a victim here!

With a little effort, Diegi simulates a rush of gratification at the favorable treatment, temporarily forgetting about his desperate situation.

“Ah… ah— yeah, that’s exactly right! I never wanted to be here! She just picked me up off the street and just forced me to join the adventurers!”

Diegi, embellishing the story a little, readily agrees with the long-haired guard’s supposition. He’d dismissed it as a pipe dream a few seconds ago, but it seems that the guards really do have some modicum of honor and duty. Much more than the comparatively rowdy adventurers, anyway.

> It feels so nice to be treated as just some regular civilian for once. I wish I could— ah, wait, that’s not what I ran over here for!

Diegi takes a moment to watch as the two guards fight off the monsters while simultaneously protecting him in the middle. The more talkative guard was definitely at least somewhat competent, but compared to the sword guard he was way less skilled. For every one that the former incapacitated, the latter blew away two at the same time. Looking at the sword wielding guard, Diegi also notices that he’s covered in blood and countless tiny little scars. If even someone like him was so beat up… just how long had he been fighting this unwinnable battle?

> Just look at that technique! I may not know anything about sword fighting, but I know a high Dex attribute in MYTH when I see it. If this guy has such a well-developed Attribute, maybe he’s a guard captain! Whatever the case, he definitely looks intelligent. So then…!

Diegi, still sweating through his clothes despite not actually doing any fighting, winces as a spray of monster goo hits his face and subsequently yells out to the guard:

“Hey, you, orange haired guy! I have something I need to tell the guards!”

“What is it?”

The response is both curt and instant. Something about it niggles Diegi’s brain, but he quickly shoves the sensation aside to fulfill the reason he’d run over to these two in the first place— to deliver his clue.

“I’ve noticed something about these Terries— er, I mean, these monsters. Their shins, look at their shins! They all have the same scrape marks there!”

Diegi causes his lips to curl in a slight smile, pleased that he’s finally been able to pass on his quintessential clue. It had been extremely hard to tell that the scrapes were even there because of the viscous black goo that continually runs down the beasts’ legs, but with the enhanced eyesight granted by Perception, Diegi had been able to notice it.

The orange-haired guard squints his eyes in the darkness as he fights, but can’t get a glimpse of what Diegi is talking about.

“I cannot see it.”

“Hold on a sec, buddy, I’ll check for you!”

The black haired guard butts in, skewering another two monsters with his spear and briefly lifting them into the air to get a better look at their clawed feet before once again flinging them away. He nods his pinched-looking face once, then asserts:

“Yeah, Michael, the boy’s right, it’s just hard to see under the damn things’ black ooze. On each of the monster's legs, there's the same littlest scuff mark I’ve ever seen. But— AGH, DAMN IT!! WHY ARE THEY ALL COMING HERE!?”

The guard cuts himself off as yet another monster approaches. And yet, despite the adverse development, Diegi’s feeling elated. Why?

> Yes, there we go! The guards noticed those strange identical scuff marks! Now, tell me what it means! Tell me what I’ve gotta do to beat these things! I’m seriously begging you here!

Because finally, it’s in play— Diegi’s key.

_

Every video game that requires even a modicum of player input is based off of problem solving, no matter the genre. There’s always some wall to be overcome, some fight to win, some optimal pattern to figure out. Games based around linear progression, however, often boil down the scope and complexity of that problem solving to be simpler and more straightforward. To lessen the number of options a player has, and guide them towards the desired course. And nothing, in Diegi's mind at least, could be more representative of that simple fact that the retro cliche of the video game key. Even in the year 2040, several new games would still rely on that classic formula. So, what is this "key?" It's a system where in order to advance the plot of the game or to make it to the next map area, the player would need to grab some random macguffin or find some hidden hint. In older games, this object to be found commonly took the form of a key, such as in Super Mario Bros where doors to in-game areas could be unlocked with keys found within its levels. In Diegi's experience, the difference between simple linear games and complex linear games could often be ascertained based on how much effort it took to acquire and use the game's "key" equivalents.

_

It had been hard to find this clue, but Diegi is sure of how to use it. Obviously, the true meaning of it is too nuanced for him to understand. Surely this game-world wouldn't give Diegi a clue he couldn't comprehend. So of course, all he has to do is get it into the hands of a stereotypical "wise NPC." Someone smart and capable, taking the burden off of the player so they can have fun and enjoy the game. Yes, Diegi reassures himself, ultimately, this game-world is still a game. And given how easy the use case for his key is, it can't be too hard for him. Within his gamer-coded brain, Diegi sorts and shuffles the facts of his situation, applying the accumulated knowledge of a life spent in front of a computer. As a result, he comes to a single strong conclusion. He has the key— his clue— and so victory is… all but ensured. All he has to do, of course, is wait and listen.

After being forced to cut off his sentence, the long-haired guard ducks low in order to avoid a tutorial monster’s clawed swipe. He fails to dodge completely. After the guard manages to pivot and sweep the monster off balance with his spear, Diegi can spot fresh blood trickling down his neck. After counterattacking to deal with the immediate threat, however, the guard clears his throat and prepares a verbal followup.

> Come on, I've already got the key, so tell me, tell me! Give me the solution!

Diegi causes his eyes to go wide with anticipation, ready for the guard to finish his sentence and present Diegi with the solution to all his problems.

“But, I’ve gotta say— I don’t see why it matters. We already know all these slimy things are identical, what’re you trying to tell us, dude? I guess what I’m trying to say is— shit!”

“Linder, hang on!”

The orange-haired guard, apparently Michael, slashes off a beasts’ arm just before it can make another mark on his friends’ neck. A remarkable feat of swordsmanship— the man looks just about ready to fall over, but he still manages to make the sudden action in order to protect his comrade.

It’s a great gesture of friendship and all, but that friendship doesn’t seem to be deterring the monsters quickly encroaching on the three-man island. Remember what Diegi had thought before, about there being over 200 monsters near the rear line? Now, the number of nearby foes almost certainly surpasses 1000 and is still explosively growing. All directing their ominous gleaming eyes at Diegi as they fight tooth and nail to get past the guards’ defense. To any normal person, this would be a death sentence. No, it almost certainly is a death sentence. It’s like having the equivalent of having every single employee in a large office building hellbent on killing you… no matter their strength or skill, you simply can’t repel all of them. Oh, and the trigger-happy office is constantly hiring an ever-increasing amount of employees every single second, because of course the original scenario wasn’t bad enough.

Yes, to any normal person, this would be a death sentence, and they would immediately react as expected: with fear and despair. They would see the facts, they would read in between the lines, they would accept the weight of reality. But not Diegi.

Diegi’s still standing there, slightly grinning. He’s sure he hasn’t heard the guard right. He forces himself to sustain his grin, ready for the guard to stop fooling around and provide him with the solution, the solution borne of his key, the key born of his golden clue, the golden clue born of his inherent right.

Surely the guards just need some time to process Diegi’s revelation. Surely, they’ll be able to take that key and solve the game, to give him the answer he desires. Surely in just a few seconds, they’ll be able to—

The long-haired guard (Linder, wasn’t it?) once again interrupts Diegi’s spiraling by finishing his sentence.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is… what do you want us to do with this information? I mean, it’s cool that they all have the same scuff marks and all.”

A bead of sweat runs down Diegi’s forehead. Well, he’s already somewhat sweaty, but the point is now he’s sweating even harder. Lips twitching, he struggles to maintain his easygoing grin.

> Huh? This isn’t how it’s supposed to go. This isn’t how it’s supposed to go, at all. I got the key, where’s the solution? Where's the progression?

Still, he keeps listening. Linder isn’t done speaking yet, Linder’s an adult, Linder’s perfectly capable, so there’s still a chance that whatever the guard says next could still be—

“Oh, I get it. I assume you’ve already figured something out, based off this info you found? Some sorta solution on how to beat these monsters? Good going, kid! Now come on, tell us!”

*thmp*

A soft noise can be heard as Diegi’s knees finally buckle. With a gasp and a shudder, the boy sinks slowly to the ground, collapsing bit by bit, until he’s kneeling softly on the grass.