"You aren't going to use it?"
"No."
"But—"
"I said No." I repeated myself again. "I don't know the after effects, so I'm not going to use it. How many times should I say this?"
Mathew and Silas looked at each other, then at me, before sighing.
It surely was something so special and so precious but I wasn't up for the risk. If things could end the simple way, then I'd take it without hesitation.
"So, what shall we do?"
"It's simple. If you want to save Adeline, just go and get killed now, but if you want a peaceful life until the end of the game then just stay out of the killers' sight. So simple, right."
I answered Mathew's question while checking my tablet.
And, of course there was something I didn't mention…
When the two days ended, they said that they'd kill us all, and likely they wanted us all to go to the other Vessel that way…
Why?
Who knows?
Maybe they couldn't put their hands on the entrance for one Vessel and they wanted to just try a new way, since they have lots of employees and perhaps losing a hundred or so wouldn't be a big deal.
So, even if we love it or not… we would find ourselves there eventually, Why the hurry then?
Oh—
Wait a second…
What if the company already decided who to go, then made up this 'anomalies finder' so they could send whoever they wanted?
"Who else they killed besides Adeline?"
"Why all of sudden?"
"Just answer, I have an idea." I insisted.
"They tried to kill Mathew too. There were lots of bad injuries but no one got 'killed' until now."
"So, the three anomalies they talked about are likely: Adeline, Mathew, and someone else."
"That 'someone' else is you."
"Eh?"
"I saw them looking for someone like you. Your last name is Vale, right? So it's you."
Mathew was so sure about this, and Silas seemed to fully agree with what he was saying.
Were they revenge or something?
Why would the company throw someone like me in a randomVessel without any specific instructions?
What are the benefits they may have?
"Anyways. If it's going this way then let's follow the instructions."
I stood up, adjusted my clothes, then looked at the other two again, with a full smile this time.
"Why all of sudden?"
"They have a plan, at least we should follow it to the end, right?"
"...?"
"What do you mean by following?"
"They want us died, then let's die."
"...?"
"Just minutes ago you didn't want to try the tree because of the unknown side effects, and now you are going to get killed, fully intended, and maybe going to some unknown Vessel? What kind of logic is this?"
"Don't try to understand him, Mathew. You'll have a headache."
Silas replied to Mathew's reasonable speech, but somehow making me seem like the craziest one on this planet.
Somehow, I might be, at this specific point…
But I genuinely didn't care.
"Hey. Mathew is going with me." I pointed at the poor man while seeing his expression go pale. "M- Me? How? You may be fine with that idea but I'm not. They don't do it in a gentle way, if you wander."
"Then you'll wait until we all go there?"
"All?"
"The company wants to send us three to the other Vessel, I have no idea why they didn't just call us to go, but what I know is that if we go they may just spare the rest from it."
"Why do I feel like you want to 'spare the rest from it' from all that you are about to do?" Mathew frowned a little as if he was balancing his words. "You don't seem like someone who would sacrifice himself for others…"
"Sacrifice?" A short laugh came out of me unconsciously. "Of course. I'm someone with a big heart and such an incredible wellness to die, So why not?"
"As if," Silas was the least one to believe that bad acting, of course. "Don't waste any more time and just tell us your brilliant idea."
I simply pointed at him with my head, a small smile showed up on my face.
"What?"
"You."
"...?me?"
"We need someone here, and nobody is better than you."
"...?"
"If we all got into that Vessel, then who will help us if we need some information from here? Last time you were a great help."
"..."
Silas took a deep inhale before messing with his hair a little.
"Alright, So I'm the one who'd stay and do the hard job here…"
"Yeah,"
"Did you forget that I didn't even accept this plan?" Mathew shouted out, looking like a person who is being wronged. "I'm not going out so they can kill me. Who in his full mind would do that?"
"Oh— Wait a second." Silas raised his hand, stopping this conversation for a while. "I have something that may help."
A Minute after, he took a pill from his pocket. Normal white pill with a red narrow line in the middle of it.
"This would help, but it needs some modifications. Take your tree out, Nathan. We need it."
"Any explanation please?" I took it out even if I had no clue about what he was about to do. "How could this help?"
"It could double the items too." He put the pill beside the trunk of the tree. "Come here Mathew, do your job."
"Do you need me to use my specialization on this?"
"Yes." Silas answered, seemed too confident about what he was doing. "Wasn't it helpful to multiply the output of the plants? Just try."
Mathew hesitated a little before putting his hand on the glass tree. Seconds after, a faint white light came out of the tree, and two pills were there on the branch.
Silas took one and stared at it for a while, then a smile showed up on his face.
"Now it's an ultimate pain killer."
"...?"
"For a full hour, you won't feel any pain. You have to make sure to pay attention to not getting hurt without knowing though, after the effect finishes, you'll feel all the pain you have in your body at that moment."
He checked the other pill before giving us one.
"Then we won't feel the pain when they'll kill us." Mathew didn't really seem like someone who would do that, even with the pain killer. "what if we died for real."
"Then we'll die sooner or later."
"What a tragedy."
"You saw it right? Those who didn't die, just got injured… Silas will help if that happens."
Seriously,
I didn't see any benefits of taking Mathew there, since all I've known about him was his specialization, and that wasn't that helpful if we talk about a Vessel that barely has a living tree or two.
But if the company needed him there, then there must be a reason, right?
Perhaps I'll know there…
"I'm going." I swallowed the pill then took out the gun from my ring's space. "Make sure to watch out. There must be something off here or there."
I didn't wait for anything before getting out of the barrier; going straight to the stage without looking back.
There were lots of people there that I didn't really know, but at least I recognized the 'anomalies finder' from a distance, then without hesitation, neither a word, I took my gun out and shot his legs and arms with it.
He injured too many so it was justice, right?
Fortunately, I thought something like 'I'll be happy if it was an electrical gun or something' then when I shot, that man seemed to have nothing more than a couple of electric shocks.
At least I didn't become a killer just for the show.
"What do you think you are doing! He is the only one who can help us out of this situation!"
"Really?" I looked at that poor one in pain, then at the people who were getting the aid on the side. "What kind of help did he give? Most of you seemed too pitiable. Are you sure that you won't be the next prey? Just to feed his ego of finding anomalies or something?"
My tone was far more sarcastic than what I intended, but that was perfect for the situation.
"What if he has nothing but to do this to defend himself from being killed? It's a simple strategy, right? kill all who you see suspicious, then eventually you'll kill the three anomalies. Wasn't that what was happening?"
Silence filled the place, no one said a word while all eyes were moving between me and that man.
They were thinking, hesitating…
And all I've to do was to rake.
"Think about it." I was casually spinning the pistol between my fingers, as if it was a toy—
As if I was used to it.
"If he had the ability to know the anomalies, why is he still working as a random employee here? Was that even possible?"
No answer, again.
"Your silence says a lot about your thoughts. I suggest that you must find another way to solve this puzzle instead of following someone randomly."
The moment I stopped talking, a shooting sound filled the air.
I didn't feel anything, nor see anything—
All I knew was that three seconds later, I was standing in a dark place that smelled like rust.