Lost Gold Marius Investigation 02-06
Overview
- "Would you think I'm naïve if I suggested that we talk him out of his nonsense now?"
- Stage Cost: None
- First Clear Rewards:
Astral Memory x20
- Unlock Condition:
Emergency Medicine x140, 
Lumber x210, 
MRE x70, 
Drinking Water x280 - Note - During its initial limited run, this stage's first clear reward was:
Hunter's Badge x50 - Note - During its initial limited run, this stage's unlock condition was: Emergency Medicine x170, Lumber x255, MRE x85, Drinking Water x340
Guide
- Hover to view spoiler content.
Script
Ancient Ruins
After roughly deciphering the notes, you and Marius set out immediately to catch up with Bryce.
According to the tracking app, Bryce is heading to the mountain region, where many of Nosta's historical ruins are located.
You: I can't believe Bryce would take a legend so seriously.
Marius: Back at camp, he told us many lies, but there was at least one truth.
Bryce Thatcher: You young people may not believe it, but for someone like me who almost died, it's impossible to not believe.
Bryce Thatcher: I even felt like I was saved because the goddess rescued me. This is why I wanted to come to this island.
You: How is this different from the ancient kings who tried to gain immortality...?
Two hours ago.
Ruin Karst Cave
Marius: Looking at the Latin, it's a poem dedicated to Hades and was used by shrine priests during ceremonies.
You: Nosta's culture has a Hades?
Isn't Hades the god of the underworld in Greek mythology?
Marius: I don't think so. Hades isn't a word in Nosta's language.
Marius: The translator probably used their knowledge of Nosta's culture to approximate a translation.
You: To fully decipher Nosta's language, we need to understand the language's structure, which is hard to do.
Marius: Luckily, Nosta's language is written in hieroglyphs. With these patterns, we can roughly guess their meaning.
Marius: Just like the words on the cover. They don't mean a goddess of life, like what Bryce said.
Marius: On the contrary, they indicate a god of death.
Following Marius's fingers, you find the exact hieroglyphs on the notebook cover displayed on your tablet.
Marius: A goddess of life is never mentioned in this Latin text.
Marius: If you compare the hieroglyphs, one of the characters that comprise "God of Death" looks like a vulture.
Marius: A scavenging bird like this usually feeds on carcasses, which are associated with "death."
Marius: So, there never was a goddess of life. Both the cover and its contents are about a god of death.
Marius: That also explains why we see the word "Hades" in it.
You: Now that you mention it, the hieroglyphs on the cover don't look like they were printed on in an assembly line.
You: It looks more like it was branded on by someone as a DIY project.
Marius: The notebook looks aged, and it doesn't look like it was created or refurbished recently. Maybe it belonged to someone from the archaeology team.
During translation, you gradually decode words like "sun," "full moon," "immortality," "return," and "treasure."
Knowing the state of Bryce's health, you can roughly guess why he's here.
You: Tonight happens to be a full moon...
You look up at the sky.
You: According to our speculation, there's a treasure in the Temple of Death...
You: After the full moon, when the first ray of sunshine reaches the temple, the treasure will appear.
You: Whoever obtains the treasure will be granted the boon of immortality...
You: That explains why Bryce is in a hurry.
You: Reaching the Temple of Death before sunrise would be hard even for us, let alone Bryce, especially given his condition.
Marius: He already knew about the God of Death's treasure before coming here, just not its exact location.
Marius: The map in the notebook is the most important clue for him.
You: Marius, look, it's Bryce. We caught up to him!
Marius: Would you think I'm naïve if I suggested that we talk him out of his nonsense now?
You: Of course not. No one wants to see a loved one make a mistake. You wanting to dissuade him is natural.
Marius: Then let's give it a go.
With that, he walks out from the shadows of the ruins.
Marius: Uncle Bryce, wait a minute!
Having thought that he had gotten rid of you two, Bryce whips around and looks at Marius with an unwavering glare.
Bryce Thatcher: Marius, you still haunt me.
Bryce Thatcher: You want the treasure too, don't you!?
Marius: Uncle Bryce, do you really believe that this world has things that can give you immortality?
Marius: Your health is poor and you want to be healthy again. I understand that.
Marius: But I never thought you'd believe in some ancient myth.
Marius: Come on, let's go. Pax Pharmaceutical will accelerate its research on a new medicine. We'll definitely find a cure for you.
Bryce Thatcher: Pharmaceutical research? Heh, I don't think I'll live long enough to see that.
Bryce Thatcher: You think I was discharged because I'd recovered? No, it's just conservative treatment.
Bryce Thatcher: The doctor said I have a year at most.
Bryce Thatcher: Marius, you're young and don't understand things.
Bryce Thatcher: If you really saw such a miracle, you'd also believe in immortality like I do.
To avoid interrupting Marius' and Bryce's conversation, you had hid behind an ancient stele.
Hearing Bryce's words, you realize that he looks deathly pale under the moon.
After a long day, he must be exhausted. He keeps gasping for breath while talking to Marius.
Bryce Thatcher: If you still think of me as your friend, then don't stop me from getting the treasure.
Bryce Thatcher: That's already my only hope.
Marius: ...
Marius: Okay, I won't stop you, but I have two questions for you. Can you answer them honestly?
Bryce Thatcher: What is it?
Marius: Are you responsible for damaging the terminals?
Marius: In the Great Gold Heist 10 years ago, was the missing treasure really gold? What's your relationship with Joshua Ott?
Bryce is stunned for a moment, and then helplessly shakes his head.
Bryce Thatcher: For you to know all of that... Youngsters sure are impressive.
Bryce Thatcher: I didn't damage the terminals. I only replaced the video in the surveillance room. As for the gold and Joshua...
Bryce approaches Marius...
Bryce Thatcher: Marius, as for these questions...
Marius: ...
He has one hand behind his back. Under the moonlight, you see a chilling gleam...
You: !!!
Bryce Thatcher: Go find the answers in hell!
Bryce withdraws a blade from his back and brandishes it towards Marius. At the same time—
*BANG* The sound of a gunshot shatters the silence of the night sky.
