Lost Gold Marius Investigation 03-03
Overview
- "The more desperately he wants to live, the more muddled some things become..."
- Stage Cost: None
- First Clear Rewards:
Astral Memory x20
- Unlock Condition:
Emergency Medicine x200, 
Lumber x300, 
MRE x100, 
Drinking Water x400 - Note - During its initial limited run, this stage's first clear reward was:
Hunter's Badge x50
Guide
- Hover to view spoiler content.
Script
Temporary Camp
Considering Bryce's critical condition, Marius directly contacts the ship for a helicopter.
After his condition stabilizes, you two and the doctor move Bryce to the nearest campsite for further treatment.
You: The doctor said that Bryce's condition is stable.
You: He had a heart attack because of his exhaustion, but he...
Just as Bryce said, his body couldn't last very long.
This trek likely accelerated the deterioration of his body.
Marius: I tried to contact Bryce's son last night. He just called back, so I asked him about Bryce's situation as of late.
Marius: His son said that Bryce has been obsessed with Nosta's culture ever since he was hospitalized last year.
Marius: Besides buying cultural relics and manuscripts, he's in contact with some archaeologists from Nation A.
Marius: Bryce spent a lot on this. He even fought with his family. Their relationship isn't great right now.
Marius: Do you remember what Bryce said about "witnessing miracles with his own eyes"?
You: Yes. You mean...
A miracle seems statistically unlikely, Maybe ...
You: He was scammed?
Calling it a miracle would be an over-exaggeration, but it makes sense if Bryce fell for a miracle panacea that could cure any disease.
The police receive reports of people being scammed every day. Bryce is likely among this count.
Marius: I think so.
Marius: But no one knows the details except Bryce himself. He hasn't told anyone anything.
You: Bryce is such a successful entrepreneur. He's seen so much in his life, but someone like him can fall for that kind of scam.
Marius: It sounds ridiculous and inconceivable.
Marius: But... He's the one who's watching death inch closer. He's the one who feels the most helpless.
Marius: The more desperately he wants to live, the more muddled some things become...
You: This weakness of terminally ill patients is what swindlers abuse...
You: Oh, by the way...
You suddenly remember that when you left the temple, you found something by accident.
Ancient Ruins
You: Marius, is the "feather of Maat" mentioned in the parchment something like this?
You found a feather stone carving among the stones in a corner of the temple.
It looks like it's only half of a feather, though. It can be combined with its other half on its serrated edge.
Marius: I'm not sure. Let's keep it. It might be useful.
Marius takes the feather stone carving from you and puts it in his backpack.
You: Just now, Dr. Richter sent a message saying that he also found a stone carving of a feather.
You: I looked at the picture. Maybe it can be combined with this one we have.
Marius: I'm not sure whether this stone carving is useful. Let's discuss it when we all meet up.
While you're chatting, the doctor informs you that Bryce is awake now and urgently wishes to see you two.
Impatient to wait for you to walk over, he asks someone to push him here in a wheelchair.
Bryce Thatcher: Marius, where's the treasure? Did you see the treasure?
Bryce Thatcher: I fell sick at that moment, so everything was blurry. But you must have seen it clearly, didn't you!?
Marius: Slow down, Uncle Bryce. I still don't know what treasure you're talking about.
Bryce Thatcher: It's the curse of the God of Death!
Bryce Thatcher: In Nosta's legends, the God of Death returns once every decade in the mid-summer dawn right after the full moon.
Bryce Thatcher: When the first ray of sun shines into the temple, the God of Death will show his followers the secret to eternal life.
Bryce Thatcher: The incantation on the statue is magical and can be used for communication between the living and the dead.
Bryce Thatcher: With the incantation and the golden mask of Anubis, my disease can be cured and I can gain immortality!
Marius: Uncle Bryce, please calm down. There was no incantation on the statue.
Bryce Thatcher: I see. You don't know Nosta's language, do you?
Bryce Thatcher: Never mind, I'll teach you. Now try to remember and draw the letters you saw, before you forget.
Marius: There were no letters.
Marius: Uncle Bryce, the shrine's principle is actually very simple. It uses astronomy for site selection and construction.
Marius: The "miracle" is just that the sunlight happens to shine on the statue. It's not unique to Nosta.
Marius: The same principle is used for Egypt's Abu Simbel Sun Festival.
Bryce Thatcher: Marius! What do you want from me so that you'll tell me the incantation!?
Bryce Thatcher: I knew it. You can never rely on relationships alone. Name a price — how much do you want!?
You: Please calm down, Mr. Thatcher. The doctor said you shouldn't get too excited.
You: Marius would love to help you if he could. Do you think he'd ignore you for the sake of money?
You: There were no words on the statue.
You: Maybe there was text on it thousands of years ago.
You: But it's been so long that any words have long faded. We didn't see anything.
Bryce Thatcher: How is that possible...? But he, he...
Marius: What makes you so sure about this immortality?
Bryce Thatcher: I, I met someone from the Nosta archaeology team...
Bryce Thatcher: He was born 100 years ago, but he looks like he's just 20 or 30 years old.
Bryce Thatcher: He told me the reason the archaeology team left in such a hurry was because they found the secret of immortality...
You: ...
Without Bryce telling you, you can already imagine the "supernatural events" the archaeology team encountered.
If Bryce didn't have a terminal disease, he wouldn't have fallen for such a scam, but...
Marius: Go and rest.
Marius: We'll go back to the base camp when you recover. I still have a lot of questions to ask you.
