SSEI | Chapter 2.5

Just as their conversation wrapped up, Sael finished winding the crossbow and took aim at the windmill.

Eren Noeul stood up, placed a hand on Sael’s shoulder, and helped adjust his aim, almost like she was correcting his posture.

“And Yuan… I’ll finally answer all the questions I’ve been putting off.”

“Questions? Uh… what did I ask again…?”

“If you forget, what am I supposed to do? First, I’ll tell you my specialty. Second, I’ll explain why this place is called Maze Village.”

Oh, right. That’s what I asked.

Well, technically, the first one wasn’t something Yuan had asked directly—Eren Noeul had just said she’d explain it later.

While Yuan stood there blinking blankly, Sael and Eren Noeul fired the crossbow at one of the figures moving inside the windmill.

Could they really hit a target from this far away?

Yuan’s doubt wasn’t because he didn’t trust them.

The windmill was really far, and the crossbow itself was quite small—its bolt didn’t seem like it would fly very far.

But the moment it was fired, the bolt moved in a way that defied all logic.

“First—my specialty only activates in evening zones. That’s why I’m called Eren Noeul. The first attack I make against a target I see in this setting will always hit, no exceptions.”

“Wait, isn’t that totally broken…?”

“If it worked everywhere, maybe. But it only triggers in evening zones, and it doesn’t apply to any attacks after the first. So it’s not that overpowered.”

Then, Eren Noeul smirked.

“And second—the reason this place is called Maze Village is…”

The bolt, which should’ve flown in a straight line, didn’t.

It twisted and curved midair, swerving left and right like it was choosing paths at a crossroads.

At times, it shot upward before plunging back down—almost like it was about to drop to the ground—only to suddenly change direction again.

And yet, despite that unnatural flight path, the bolt reached its destination.

One of the people inside the windmill, who had been reaching up to activate something, took the bolt straight to the head—and collapsed on the spot.

“Ugh, AAAAAGH!”

A piercing scream tore through the air.

But that didn’t make sense.

A headshot from this distance should’ve been instant death, with no time to scream.

Not to mention, they were pretty far away—how was the scream this loud and clear?

Could it be that when the first kill happens, the system amplifies the victim’s scream to make sure everyone hears it?

“Nice, first kill! Their partner’s gonna hide now, so there’s no point in trying to shoot again. Let’s head for the windmill!”

“Yuan, cover your eyes a little with your fingers—wait, you don’t have fingers! Uh… okay, use this instead!”

Before Yuan could react, Eren Noeul hoisted him onto her back.

Meanwhile, Sael grabbed a paper bag from a nearby stand, poked several holes in it, and shoved it over Yuan’s head.

…What the hell?

Yuan blinked, peering out through the holes.

And then—he understood.

‘Oh… so that’s what it was!’

The village he saw now was completely different from before.

Until now, the village had been mostly single-story wooden buildings.

But through the holes in the paper bag, Yuan saw high-rise buildings made of stone or concrete, towering above the streets.

They were just as old and crumbling as the wooden houses had been, and their red-stained ruins still gave off an unsettling aura.

But the biggest difference was…

There were massive, impossible structures scattered between the buildings.

Some of them shouldn’t be able to exist physically—walls that abruptly cut across roads, buildings stacked in ways that defied gravity.

And now, Yuan finally understood why the bolt had curved like that earlier.

The bolt hadn’t just moved randomly.

It had been avoiding obstacles—obstacles that Yuan couldn’t see before.

So that’s why Eren Noeul and Sael had been covering one eye earlier.

Somehow, when part of your vision was blocked, you could see this village’s true layout.

He had no idea how that worked.

But still, he couldn’t help but ask, just to be sure.

“W-Wait. Are you telling me… this is what the village really looks like?!”

“This is also the real village, but that doesn’t mean the one you saw earlier was fake! Sometimes the rural village is the real one, and other times, this high-rise city is real. That’s why we have to check both as we go!”

The two hurried toward the windmill, and Yuan figured it probably looked completely different in this version of the city.

Since he was strapped to Eren Noeul’s back, facing the opposite direction, he couldn’t see it yet.

But maybe once they finished inside and came back out, he’d finally get a glimpse.

He was oddly excited to find out.

“Are you planning to kill the other one too?”

“We have to take out as many as possible while we can. Both Noeul and I have a strong early game, but we get weaker in the late game. That means we need to rack up as much of an advantage as possible now so we have a better chance of making it to the end!”

Before long, they arrived at the windmill.

Its interior was lined with white walls and metal flooring, looking eerily similar to the Descent Hatch, the place Yuan had seen before the game started.

Strange patterns covered the floor, almost like magic circles, and bizarre mechanical devices were mounted all over the walls.

“The elevator looks like it works. Should we take it?”

“And get ambushed? No way. We’re taking the stairs.”

Without hesitation, they bolted for the stairs.

Even with all their gear, they moved fast, and Yuan couldn’t help but be impressed.

If it had been him, he would’ve been panting just from running across the village, let alone climbing this high.

And they climbed far higher than he expected.

Yuan had assumed their targets were only three or four stories up, but Noeul and Sael climbed nearly eight floors.

And it wasn’t just running—several parts of the staircase had collapsed, forcing them to grab onto railings to pull themselves up or jump across gaps.

By the time they reached a hallway, Yuan had completely lost track of time.

The hallway’s walls were stark white, but the floor was pitch black—yet because of the thick dust and dim lighting, the entire place looked like one dark, eerie void.

“The room should be over there, based on where we saw them earlier.”

“Got it. Let’s be careful. Also… do you hear that? Something’s running inside—machinery?”

“It’s loud. Their partner must’ve been messing with the machines even after they died. What the hell are they trying to do with the windmill’s mechanisms?”

Muttering complaints, the two moved toward the room.

Just as Eren Noeul reached for the door, Yuan’s eyes drifted upward—and then, he saw it.

A person was clinging to the ceiling, wedged in the gap where the wall met the roof.

Their entire body was clad in jet-black clothing, blending almost seamlessly into the shadows.

“IT’S AN AMBUSH!”

The very moment Yuan’s gaze met the intruder’s, he shouted.

A longsword gleamed in their hand, raised and ready to strike down in an instant.

Eren Noeul reacted in an instant. Just as the opponent was about to bring their blade down on Sael, she twisted her body and swung her curved sword. Yuan couldn’t see from his angle, but judging from the scream that was more of a shriek than a cry of pain, it seemed like she hadn’t killed them in one strike.

“Argh! Damn it, you bastards…! Why the hell are there three of you?! And who’s the one with that paper bag on their back?!”

“Not telling. Just got lucky and picked it up, that’s all. Anyway, let me ask you one thing—Blue Dot. What the hell did you do? Why did you activate the windmill’s machinery?”

“The Red Man said I’d find something out if I turned it on… Don’t interfere! It’s just about to start working!”

Red Man? Yuan flinched at the name that Blue Dot practically screamed out. Why was that guy’s name coming up here? He thought he wouldn’t have to deal with him for a while, and certainly not like this…

“You’re still falling for that bastard’s words? You know damn well he’s got the worst personality and only likes screwing people over.”

“But I… I had something I needed to know. Sure, he’s human trash, but he seems to know a lot, and when I told him my concerns, it felt like he actually understood…”

“That’s exactly why you’re a lost cause! You got played by that asshole. Have you ever seen him help anyone? He’s the kind of guy who’d slice his own partner’s head off and toss it away, so why the hell would you trust him with your problems?!”

Eren Noeul scoffed like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but Yuan was more preoccupied with something else. Why had the Red Man told Blue Dot to activate the windmill’s machine? And why did Blue Dot follow his advice despite knowing how bad his reputation was?

But Yuan never got the chance to hear an answer.

“Anyway, just think of it as bad luck this time and die quietly. If that thing turns on, the whole area’s gonna go to hell, and you don’t even realize what a nuisance you’re being.”

“No! I have to check—!”

Thud.

With the sound of something striking down, the voice was cut off. A pool of blood began spreading across the floor—seemed like Eren Noeul had finished them off one way or another.

As she let out a small breath and flicked the blood off her curved sword, Sael stepped out of the room where the machine was. No idea when he’d gone in, but now that Yuan looked, the mechanical noises had already stopped.

“Phew, that was close. It was literally about to activate. The output was maxed out, so if it had turned on, the entire area would’ve been wiped out.”

“Good job. You just saved a lot of lives. Once that thing starts up, you can’t even turn it off.”

Eren Noeul casually gave praise, despite having just sent someone to their grave. Sael, looking relieved, smiled slightly. In his hands were weapons, presumably looted from the dead. One was a folding knife with a rather broad blade, and the other was a white rope adorned with sparkling gemstones.

“This folding knife—do you want it, Eren Noeul? I don’t think I can handle it properly.”

“Sounds good. By the way, if you’re not confident handling that gemstone rope, why not give it to Yuan? Just wearing it should have some effect.”

“That works too. If Yuan hadn’t warned me earlier, I would’ve lost my head on the spot. Consider it a token of my gratitude.”

“Uh… thank you…? But what exactly does this thing do?”

“It massively enhances your vision and hearing. You’ll be able to see things outside your direct line of sight within a certain range, and you’ll hear even the tiniest sounds. You can even see behind you. The range isn’t that wide, but it’ll still be useful.”

“That sounds great. Not being able to see what’s behind me was getting a little frustrating…”