Mysteries: Arcana Wars

“Backlund time, 14:00 on Winter Rite!”

"Six hours until our Winter Solstice fireworks!!"

After some twists and turns, Klein and Leonard finally arrived at the amusement park located on the outskirts of Backlund.

As Backlund's only and largest outdoor playground, it occupies a large area of ​​land in the remote Backlund countryside.

If you ride their Ferris wheel all the way to the highest point, you can overlook the panoramic view of the surrounding countryside, and turn your head to look out at the endless wilderness and the spectacular highways running through it.

As for the view of Backlund city proper, it was rather disappointing. The towering skyscrapers blocked the Ferris wheel's view, and all that could be seen in the distance was the modern metropolis, which looked like a city wall. While being awestruck by the modern city, one could also feel a sense of oppression.

Only by moving away from the center, away from the city, away from the playground of modern life, can the oppressed residents be freed from their present hardships and placed in a false dream, thereby gaining a brief and superficial happiness.

This kind of pleasure cannot truly dispel the deepest darkness in people's hearts, but even this healthy and insignificant indulgence should not be crushed to death by the wheels of the city.

Backlund needs a playground.

Thus, people gain a normal outlet for their emotions. Although this outlet is small, and sometimes even a bit extravagant, it is legitimate and harmless, safer than other dangerous sensory stimuli, and conducive to maintaining the stability of the backlund.

Klein and Leonard weaved through the crowd, searching anxiously.

Leonard originally wanted Old Pales to come along, but Pales worried that his clone's involvement in such matters would shorten His lifespan and cause Him to be killed by the Goddess of Night sooner, so he left the group and went home.

"You already have one Pales in your mind, that's enough. If you get a few more together, are you trying to rebel under the nose of the night?"

"Stay away from me, kid, don't get blood on me."

Then Old Pa ran away, wagging its tail.

No matter how many Pales there are, it seems they can't affect today's plans.

The protagonist of the performance is now holding a strange kaleidoscope made of obsidian, cloth, and paper tubes, looking around and relying on illusions that only he can see to guide Leonard.

"...You're really finished..."

The Pales inside Leonard's body murmured something, then fell completely silent, as if it had vanished without a trace.

...Old man, you're the first one to run away when something big happens, right...?

"Is this something I can get involved in?!"

Pales suddenly shouted a few more times, as if he could hear Leonard's inner monologue.

"I wish I'd never heard of these things!"

Then she really did fall into an enviable, deep sleep, and wouldn't come out no matter how Leonard called her.

"..."

The amusement park on Winter Revere is bustling with activity, with many performers putting on wonderful shows. Their superb skills create the most beautiful Winter Revere night dream for tourists lining the streets.

"Fireworks show on the Ferris wheel tonight at 8 PM, see you there!"

"Hey, wait."

Klein put down the kaleidoscope and exchanged a glance with Leonard.

“This kind of operation feels familiar,” Leonard said, picking his ear. “How about this, I think we should split up. You go find the monster, and I’ll go to the guard post here to evacuate the crowd. Call me if you find it, and I’ll come right away.”

Klein was also thinking about this problem at this moment. He recalled the hotel massacre in Ishdar and the indiscriminate slaughter of the exiles in the dungeon. His mind, which was too immersed in the story, slid slightly back to reality and realized the gathering of people here.

There will be a lot of people here when the fireworks are set off tonight. The Sky Cult thrives on large crowds, and the more people there are, the better for them. Whether for follow-up tracking or to avoid unnecessary casualties, the amusement park crowd must be evacuated.

The performers became the first line of defense, calmly changing routes and heading towards the designated evacuation exits. Immersed in joy, the people were unaware of the lurking danger, simply following the performers out of the park and gathering in the front plaza.

When I wanted to go back after the show ended, I found that the park gates were now only for exiting, not for entering.

Among the groups of actors leaving, there were a few little mice that mingled with the crowd and quietly left the group, remaining in the amusement park.

"Have you noticed that they are evacuating the crowd?" said Square Three.

"We discovered that the cast and crew had changed their route; this was part of their first phase of evacuation plan," Mei Huawu said.

"What does this mean? It means there's a conspiracy, danger, and great fun here!" said the Seven of Hearts.

The three exchanged glances, confirming that they were like-minded people.

So the three troublemakers suddenly changed their minds and decided to stay in the amusement park to watch the show and see what kind of fun was going to happen.

This little incident happened so quietly that Klein, who was focused on observing the kaleidoscope, was completely unaware of it.

The shimmering river flowed through Klein's vision as he walked along its winding course through the amusement park until he reached its end. The dazzling light and shadow swirled beneath his feet, and there was no way to go any further.

Here is the clue provided by the [Kaleidoscope].

That ferocious monster must be lurking here.

At 8 p.m., when the Ferris wheel fireworks show begins and the amusement park is at its busiest, the cultists will hold a terrifying and bizarre ritual.

Klein put down the kaleidoscope and looked around at the end of the River of Illusions.

Everything seemed almost too normal. The crowds around were gradually thinning out, the machinery and facilities continued to operate, and the tourists lined up orderly at the entrances of the attractions. The staff were carrying out the evacuation plan in an orderly and discreet manner. To all you could see, it was just a well-functioning amusement park, but with the number of people gradually decreasing.

Unable to find the answer in reality, Klein once again picked up the kaleidoscope and carefully examined his surroundings like a telescope, attempting to find the final mystery in the illusory world.

Sure enough, Klein seemed to see something glittering in his field of vision, but he wasn't sure if it was a hallucination or a misdirection of reality.

He held his breath and focused intently on the point of light in his field of vision, walking earnestly and persistently toward it, so much so that he was unaware of the impending danger.

A machine, evading Klein's spirituality, crackled with electricity and finally exploded as Klein, lost in his illusions, passed by.

Completely ignoring the real world, Klein was completely unaware of the warning signs. By the time he awoke from his hallucination, the scorching shockwave was already upon him.

Klein didn't have time to react. He only felt his body suddenly hit by a force from the side. A staff member dressed in a plush mascot costume slammed Klein away from the blast radius.

It turns out that the guidance from the [Kaleidoscope] was not the trace of a monster.

The man who had suddenly appeared sat up awkwardly from Klein's body, removed his hood, and revealed a pair of dark, lifeless eyes.

The guidance of the kaleidoscope is the answer we yearn for.

"Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! My ancestors!"

Still shaken, Field Moretti yelled at Klein with a contorted expression in fluent Russell.

"Did you step on Maldoron?"

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