Enduring Light: Secret Ending - Truth Comes to Light
Overview
- Stage Cost: None
- First Clear Rewards: None
Guide
- Hover to view spoiler content.
Script
Li Hotel Lobby
In the lobby, a group of familiar people gather beside the long staircase leading to the second floor, talking quietly about something.
They are waiting in the same place as the first time you entered the Li Hotel.
Except back then, everyone was spectators, and now, players.
You: Everyone...
You are about to say something when they stop talking and look at you together.
Luke: Little Boss, there you are.
Vyn: It seems like the Little Boss made the same decision as before.
Marius: That's great. We were still discussing how everyone made the same decision.
Marius: Little Boss, I was about to tell you not to worry—we'll think of something new!
Artem: Yes, there's still plenty of time... We can discuss how to avoid the problems we encountered last time.
Everyone seems to have made the same choice. You cut to the chase without further explanation.
You: The flaw in our previous plan is that...
You: We didn't consider how to get in touch with the police in Xuzhou Town after leaving the Li Hotel, and how to keep the evidence of Guangjie Union's crimes.
Luke: Yeah, we might have a breakthrough if we can leave town to search for Officer Zhong.
Marius: The trouble is, the police have been mobilized to a mine outside of town...
Marius: The Guangjie Union is monitoring all paths that lead out of Xuzhou Town.
It stands to reason that there is no problem that can't be solved since this story was designed by someone.
The game designer wouldn't want the players to be trapped, and you all were offered another chance.
So... should you use this opportunity to complete the model pieces that Boss Li left you?
You: Maybe...
Vyn: Not necessarily.
You stop, waiting to hear what Vyn has to say. To your surprise, he also stops to look at you.
Vyn: Earlier, you said we should find another time to examine the hotel model. Would right now be a good time?
You: That's what I was about to say!
Vyn's question seems to confirm your intentions.
Taking out the completed model of the Li Hotel, you place it on the table.
You: Here it is.
Artem: In our previous attempt, we determined that every part of the model corresponds to a certain location in the Li Hotel.
Marius: But I still can't figure out what "secret" is inside the model.
Luke: Well... I'll take another look...
After saying that, Luke moves his hands out of habit.
Luke: Hold on.
After looking at it again and again for several minutes, he suddenly frowns.
You: Eh?
Luke: Isn't there a gap under the model?
Luke points to a spot.
You see it as well - at the bottom of the model, near the front, there's a hollow gap.
It doesn't appear to be a flaw caused by the structure—it's more like a piece had been deliberately removed.
This gap would indeed be easy to overlook if one wasn't looking closely enough. But upon closer inspection, it seems deliberate.
Marius: What's special about this gap? Could it be... a marker?
You: Is it marking a special location in the hotel?
Vyn: Possibly.
Artem: We can use this model to get a rough location of where this gap corresponds to inside the hotel.
Artem begins to measure the position of the gap at the bottom of the model with his hand.
Artem: It should be somewhere in the lobby... Hmm... further inside.
Luke: That should be... the mysterious room!
At the same time, Artem's hand also points to the dark room on the other side of the lobby.
Vyn: That room, it seems, is the real "secret."
Marius: Then what are we waiting for? Let's go check it out.
You: Sure.
Mysterious Person: Individual voting time. Crowd voting prohibited! Warning! Warning!
From the television, there is a mechanical cue from the Mysterious Person.
However, everyone ignores him, instead focusing on something more important.
The Mysterious Room is a dark enclosure, with little to show except a square table and an old television set at first glance.
So the target of your investigation is clear—the square table on which the television set is placed.
Luke: Sure enough, there's something under the table!
Vyn: A... notch?
In the dim light, you can barely make out what's under the table.
Under the table is a fixed, square wooden box with an irregularly shaped bump at the top.
The wooden box is almost the same color as the floor and takes up the entire bottom of the table. It's easy to miss if one isn't paying attention.
Artem: It seems to be the perfect size for the hotel model.
Luke: Yeah, it's worth a try.
You: Journalist Pearce, here...
You quickly hand over the model. Luke, half squatting, holds the model up with both hands, carefully pushes the model upward.
Mysterious Person: Warning! Warning! No crowd voting!
Marius: Shut up! We're not here to vote!
Marius slams the side of the television set with his palm.
A faint static sound comes from the old television set, and the figure of the Mysterious Person is frozen.
You: (Before... only television with bad reception got smacked around... Now it's the other way around.)
Luke: Hey—
Distracted by "President von Hagen" smacking of the old television set, Luke suddenly exclaims from under the table.
Luke: There's a secret tunnel!!!
You: !!!
Luke has somehow moved the formerly immovable wooden box...
Hidden under the wooden box is not the floor, but a narrow passage extending sideways and down.
Luke: Under the wooden box is a fixed locking device. After setting the hotel model into it, you can now slide it easily.
Luke: And this... I found it when I opened the wooden box.
Luke passes a yellowed piece of paper to you, which you look at for a long time. Written on the piece of paper are the words "The truth will come to light."
Luke passes a yellowed piece of paper to you, which you look at for a long time. Written on the piece of paper are the words "The truth will come to light."
[Obtain Clue Card: Mysterious Note]
[Obtain Intel: Mysterious Note > Truth comes to light]
Marius: Hm? Sounds like that poem... "The truth will come to light in times of adversity"?
You: Is that a sign that there's something else going on in this tunnel?
Artem reaches his arm into the tunnel.
Artem: I can feel a breeze, which means it's not a closed basement. It's a secret passage leading somewhere.
Vyn: This must be the "secret" that Boss Li left behind.
Marius: So this is how we're going to escape?
Luke: There's no way of telling where this secret passage leads, but if it leads outside the town...
Luke: We can avoid Guangjie Union's surveillance and contact Officer Zhong.
Artem: It's not that simple. The entrance is too narrow... we can't get down.
Artem opens his hand for comparison. The mouth of the tunnel is very narrow, like the pipe of a vent.
It's impossible for an adult male to climb in, but... you should be able to scrape by.
You: I'll go down!
Artem: You...
Marius: No, that's too dangerous!
You: It can't be any worse than staying here, so let me try.
Luke: ...
They are strangely unanimous in their silence, and the long silence is like a stalemate that implies an internal struggle.
You can feel everyone's gazes focused on you—some are worried, some scrutinizing, and some feel... conflicted.
Vyn: I believe you... Perhaps the "truth will come to light."
Fortunately, Vyn is the first to break the silence.
Then everyone nods and agrees to your plan.
Artem is the last to nod. He presses his lips together and hands you the folded book.
Artem: Here, evidence of the Guangjie Union's criminal activity.
You carefully hide the book on your body, patting it with your hand to make sure it's well-protected.
Artem: Little Boss... it's... okay to fail. The most important thing... is to stay safe, understand?
Artem's eyes are filled with concern and pity, and you know it isn't an act.
You: Don't worry. I'll be careful.
You nod, turning to climb down the ladder into the secret tunnel. At this moment, Marius also crouches beside you.
He takes out something like a short cylinder, thrusting it into your hand.
Marius: Here, a flashlight.
You: Eh?
Marius: It wasn't easy for the Association to get this. You should take it, Little Boss.
Marius: Stay safe—got it?
You nod solemnly.
You: Yeah, I'll be careful.
Vyn: Then, I will proceed with the original plan and negotiate with the Guangjie Union to buy as much time as possible.
Artem: And I'll follow the same route as before—hand over the files within Xuzhou Town and disrupt the judgement of the Guangjie Union.
Luke: I'll stall the Guangjie Union members in the hotel as much as I can. Don't worry! Little Boss, I'll always have your back.
Maybe it's a tacit understanding, an inherent sense of trust, but just a few simple words are enough to lighten the mood.
You nod to them and climb down the ladder.
The entrance to the tunnel is very narrow, so you curl up as much as possible and climb down the ladder, bit by bit.
In the narrow vertical passage, the place for your foot is even narrower. You can only cling onto the upper portion of the ladder with your hands to maintain balance.
You hold your breath, trying to control your feet to prevent them from slipping.
...
After taking who knows how many steps, you finally reach solid ground.
You: Ugh... This is...
Standing upright, you take out the flashlight that Marius gave you and observe your surroundings.
Compared with the narrow entrance, the passage before you is quite spacious. You don't know the purpose of the empty rooms on both sides of the corridor either.
Of course, you didn't have time to think about it. The only thing you have to do now is follow the passage and find the exit as soon as possible!
You: Whew... I've been walking for... ten minutes? Or maybe fifteen...
You repeat the same simple action mechanically, over and over again, in a quiet environment.
After a long time, you start to feel like a guinea pig trapped in a cage.
The more you can't see where you're going, the more annoyed you get.
You feel exhausted... Your body gradually grows heavy.
You: I wonder how everyone's doing.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
You: That's...
After walking for some time, you suddenly hear a dull tapping sound coming from the long corridor up ahead.
The muffled sound seems to be caused by a tool striking a stone.
You quickly point your flashlight in that direction...
You: I see it! The exit!
Finally, a stone staircase leading upward appears in front of you.
Everything that happens afterward goes unusually smooth.
The underground tunnel leads just outside of Xuzhou Town, toward the mines.
You successfully hitch a ride to the mines, where you find Officer Zhong... And make it back to town with the police.
You: (The difficulty of the live-action game must have been reduced for the experience. In reality, it wouldn't be this simple.)
When this thought occurs to you, you are already standing with Officer Zhong on the long street in front of the Li Hotel.
Looking over, there are groups of Guangjie Union members standing in broad daylight outside the Li Hotel.
Though there are many people, they are all standing in line on each side, as if one side of people is confronting the people on the other side.
Artem: I told you—Boss Qian's death had nothing to do with the Guangjie Union.
Secretary Gou: Nothing to do with us? How do you figure? Is a murderer qualified to tell us it's got nothing to do with us?
Artem: I cannot refute that.
Artem: However, this matter will naturally be handled by the Xuzhou Town police. I don't believe the Guangjie Union is in charge of the investigation.
Artem's sharp tone sounds nothing like a "suspect" who had been exposed to the public.
Artem: Besides, the guests at the Li Hotel have nothing to do with the Guangjie Union either.
Artem: Since it doesn't matter, the excuse that you "want an answer" doesn't stand.
Secretary Gou: How does it not stand? Isn't that...
Secretary Gou is momentarily stunned, suddenly realizing he was caught up in Artem's words.
Vyn, standing off to the side, starts laughing.
Vyn: It seems that Secretary Gou cannot find a reason... How about we call it a day and save ourselves the time?
Secretary Gou: So, Interpreter Richter, you are really in cahoots with them.
Secretary Gou: Your offer to cooperate in a "win-win situation"... was just to fool us, right?
Vyn: I was not lying, but I do not wish to cooperate any longer. That is all.
Secretary Gou: Oh, I see. You guys have been stalling time to keep us from entering the Li Hotel.
Secretary Gou: Hmph, the more you talk, the clearer it is there's something wrong with the Li Hotel!
Secretary Gou: Interpreter Richter, you've got some nerve. Do you know the consequences of pissing off the Guangjie Union?
Vyn: What consequences? I have to keep listening to your rambling?
Marius: Hmph, what could happen? Do I care?
Marius: It's getting cold. Time to disband the Guangjie Union.
Luke: Yeah... Disbanding the Guangjie Union would definitely make the front-page headlines. Who knows? I may even put together a special edition.
Secretary Gou: F-Fine! You guys...
Secretary Gou stares at them, gritting his teeth, his neck turning red.
You: (Sure enough, when they join forces, no one else stands a chance.)
Secretary Gou: I'm telling you, there's no place in this small town where our people are afraid to go!
Secretary Gou: I'll show you! I'll level off the Li Hotel with my brothers today!
Officer Zhong: You wouldn't dare!!!
A low growl interrupts Secretary Gou's arrogant shouting.
Officer Zhong: The gall of Guangjie Union to do such a thing in broad daylight. I'll make sure to take you guys down a peg today!
Officer Zhong walks forward in big strides. The people crowding the street cast their gazes on him.
Passing through the crowd, you meet their eyes.
At this time, in each other's eyes, there seems to be an emotion that can only be recognized as "joy."
Suddenly, applause breaks out on the long street.
You are surprised to find that it's Secretary Gou and Officer Zhong who are clapping, then... the whole street bursts into applause.
You: (Our plan worked! That means... we won this time, right?)
You don't need the Mysterious Person in the television set to announce the ending anymore. The reaction of the people around you says it all.
At this moment, you finally feel the tension in your mind relaxes.
Thus, the live-action detective game comes to a perfect ending.
You: ...
Back at the hotel lobby in your own clothes, you look at the familiar decor around you...
There are still some indescribable feelings in your heart.
Luke: [Player], what are you thinking?
Hearing a familiar voice, you turn around to find that everyone has returned to wearing normal clothes.
Marius: Are you tired? We can find a place to rest.
You: How do I put it... Hmm, it's nothing. I'm just thinking about the ending.
Vyn: Do you feel like you are still in character?
You: Yeah...
The group did a great job in this live-action detective game.
You guys dealt with the Guangjie Union on your own, preserved the criminal evidence, and handed it over to the police.
In the end, as all stories end, the bad guys got what they deserved.
Yet... this time, in addition to the joy of victory, you feel somewhat disappointed and emotional.
You: I was just thinking, Boss Li knew that the secret tunnel could lead out of town.
You: But according to our investigation, when he realized he was in danger, he chose not to use the secret tunnel to escape, but... sacrifice himself...
You: Why would he do that...?
Artem: Because that secret tunnel wasn't meant for him.
Artem: Instead, he chose to expose himself when necessary...
Artem: He did so to ensure that the secret tunnel under the Li Hotel remain hidden, and the codebook in the hotel would not fall into the hands of the Guangjie Union.
Luke: Artem, did you encounter an easter egg we don't know about? Spill the beans!
Artem: It's not really an easter egg per se, just something mentioned in my clue card...
Artem: Boss Li left a message to the members of the Mayfly Association—the Li Hotel will always have their back.
You: Could it be...
A conjecture slowly emerges in your mind.
You: Boss Li was trying to protect the other members of the Mayfly Association?
You: In case the Guangjie Union did something excessive... the Mayfly Association members could escape through the secret tunnel and seek help outside the town.
Artem: Yes, that's what I believe as well.
Artem nods approvingly.
Vyn: Presumably, Boss Li already knew that he was being targeted by the Guangjie Union...
Vyn: So he chose to leave the secret tunnel in the hands of the next hotel owner—a fellow member of the Mayfly Association.
Marius: To think so much for others... He was a man worthy of admiration.
Luke: But he himself... must have had some regrets.
Artem: I don't agree with that. Because he made the most appropriate choice within his power.
Suddenly, you have the illusion that you guys are still in the Li Hotel, discussing clues.
You: Then... Mr. Wing, do you feel any regret?
Artem: Me?
Artem pauses for a moment, but quickly recovers.
Artem: Oh, do you mean "Consultant Wing"?
You: Yes, the story didn't seem to end well for Consultant Wing either way...
No matter the outcome, Consultant Wing will eventually pay the price for killing Boss Qian.
He could have a compelling reason, even if Boss Qian committed many heinous crimes, but...
Artem: Injustice is unacceptable, even in the name of justice.
Artem: There is no doubt that Consultant Wing is the real murderer who "killed" Boss Qian.
Artem: Whatever the reason, whatever the purpose... I think, in that moment, he must've been aware of his actions.
Artem: With that awareness, there is no room for regret.
Artem: But if you're asking for my personal opinion... I might say he does have his regrets.
Marius: What regrets? That there wasn't an attorney as good as you back then to defend Consultant Wing?
Artem: ...
You: Pfft...
Marius' witty remark immediately cuts through the heavy atmosphere.
Artem: Yes, I have given it some thought. What happened at the Li Hotel might have been avoided in our time.
Artem: Because we would have more choices.
Vyn: That is a double-edged sword. The more choices you have, the more trouble you may find.
Luke: Yeah, the people in the story had their own misfortunes, just like we do...
Marius: But to experience someone else's story in a different life, that's the charm of a live-action detective game.
You: Yeah!
In your own way, you guys experienced a story that is slightly different from your own.
It felt wonderful and authentic.
You: Yeah, that was a wonderful experience.
Looking back, the prosperous city is still present, and the scenery is the same as ever.
Only your state of mind changes quietly, yet also somehow remains the same...
Summary
Character(s)
