Weapons of Mass Destruction

Chapter 105: Fragments of Lost Memories

Easy difficulty: 1368/2000

Normal difficulty:903/1000

Hard Difficulty:293/500

Hell difficulty:54/250

Community tournament (currently unavailable)

The community's numbers look like this.

Even Hell difficulty gained some new people, although some of them died. Looking at it, around 200 people moved from easy to normal, around 60 from normal to hard, and around 10 from hard to hell.

Our group gained 3, and they seem to be pretty active in the community. To my taste, they seem to be too confident and cocky, making fun of Hell Difficulty and saying that they are the strongest ones from Hard Difficulty, not even understanding why they didn't get here instead of Hard.

But hey, you do you. If you do not bother me, feel free to do whatever makes you happy.

I sent one more message to the others. I describe to Tess and Sophie where I am, even though the city barely has any points to use as landmarks.

And I also made sure that Kim and Lily are safe before turning it off.

Now when I think about it, Sophie is with Tess and Dennis, so should I be worried about Tess getting under control of Sophie?

Pff, as if. Knowing Tess, I would be more worried about her making a harem out of Maya and Sophie. That girl is scary; it's almost funny that she asked me for help back on the first floor.

“I'm hungry,” I hear a quiet voice next to me.

“Hello Hungry, I'm Nathaniel.”

The girl didn't understand and only looks at me, slowly blinking.

I'm not appreciated here at all.

Now I'm hungry too and already regret poking fun at the little girl. Sure, I can handle it easily for more days but it's kind of annoying to walk around with an empty stomach.

One of my best characteristics is that I become grumpy when I'm hungry. Yup, I said the best.

Anyway, even hours later we continue to be in the same city. Just in case, I did leave a few marks here and there and it doesn't seem that we are moving in circles - hopefully.

The city is vast and no matter how many times I propel myself high into the sky, I can see no end to it, but hey, at least it makes the little girl laugh and scream with excitement.

And no, I won't do it again, the view is not even that good.

Nope, I don't know where the doggo is.

No, I don't know if he would like you.

I'm hungry too, but hold on there, a few more monsters and another reward will be here.

Yes, it's getting colder and darker.

I don't know where Sophie is. Shouldn't you be asking it a bit sooner? Maybe before asking where the doggo is?

But yes, the cloudy sky that didn't change until now is getting darker and darker and with it the air becomes colder too, making me feel it even with my strengthened body.

After finishing off more rats that are in massive numbers nearby, both of us level up and I make her pick warm clothes.

Warm Clothes (Common): A bundle of basic yet durable clothing designed for cold weather. Provides protection against cold weather but possesses no enchantments or special abilities.

Right now the usefulness of identification is questionable but it's something nice to have.

The clothes are simple but fit our figures, and I sent Isabella to one of the better-looking houses' rooms so she could change.

Surprisingly, they alleviate some of the cold and we continue to move, feeling the cold air on our faces as I move over the rooftops, orbs continuously spinning around me.

Oh, and our rations are already gone, and for a new side quest?

Side quest: Kill 300 enemies

The reward is the same

But there is one thing that makes me hopeful that I'll be able to meet others. Slowly, bit by bit, the houses start looking of higher quality builds. There is some glass here and there. More stones are used, and the roofs seem nice too.

Yes, it's all still ruined and decaying but there is some change to it so I continue to run that way, having told others to do the same.

While sitting on the floor of one of the better-looking houses, I stare at the fire that crackles in the fireplace nearby.

The weather outside is not nice at all. Mist, a strong and cold wind continues to hit the windows of the house and make it shake slightly, creating noises through it all.

And in all of that, we sit in a small dusty but otherwise somewhat nice room, watching the flames flicker on the wooden floor and furniture that we threw in there.

Bard (Hell, IDK) -No, no one from our group met Lissandra or Ruby. We saw a Phase Warded redhead once, but she quickly lost interest after talking with us once. I think she introduced herself as Petra.

With that, it makes all the people from Hell difficulty. No one has met Lissandra or didn't catch her interest at all.

There is also one interesting thing.

For all groups, the end of the world was the skill called [Dawn] used by Tristan who was taken over by the mind mage emperor and forced to sacrifice his life to power his skill with “Sword of Aeons”, dying after an hour or two.

In that hour or two, he wiped out most of the people living on the last livable continent of the world we were on.

Yes, it's something that can be considered the end of the world and it seems like getting entangled with Lissandra did change stuff a little bit. What she did I'm sure was much stronger than [Dawn] even if it was powered by the strongest mana capacitor in the world.

The woman prepared everything, she absorbed all the mana she could, and she turned her own body, her own mind into a construct or something resembling it. It was all a beautiful show of strong will and resolution. It's something I wouldn't be able to do.

Even if I found out that I'm fake, I would continue to fight for my life. I'm sure of that.

Yet I can't help but admire the woman, even when she killed Ruby because of her twisted logic. In the end, I feel only pity but also mockery of myself. They are only something like NPCs, and I'm here feeling... feeling something over their death.

Wouldn't it be more logical just to go on a killing spree, trying to level up as much as I can?

They are fake, aren't they?

“I'm hungry,” I hear again, but this time I give her the food I was saving for later. The little girl instantly noms on it while looking at me with a smile on her face.

“Thank you!”

Yes, yes, also now I'm worried about putting you together with Biscuit. Seeing how you act now and knowing that suspiciously smart dog, I'm sure he would have a bad influence on you.

“Do you think Soph is pretty?” An atomic bomb of a question comes flying, and for a moment I can only stare at the girl.

“Ehm? What?”

“Yeah, I think shorter hair did fit her better," she continues.

What are you even going on about?

“Do you not remember me or Soph at all? Soph going to the same gym as you all the time, and long ago you even met me here waiting for her and you taught me to use the water dispenser thingy.

I can't remember at all.

The girl disappointedly shakes her head while I think over it. I do realize that I tend not to care about people or useless stuff, quickly forgetting them, but I should remember at least a bit of it. I also didn't remember Damon.

What comes to mind is that Sophie, while putting a construct on me, deleted some of my memories, probably not even knowing and by mistake.

As I think about it, cold sweat runs down my back, having nothing to do with the weather outside and the strong rain that runs along the streets.

There is one scary question that stays on my mind.

How much did she delete by messing with my mind? What did she take from me?

“You feel scary,” Isabella's voice is quiet and pitiful as she says so, and I force myself to calm down while clenching my teeth.

I remember my mom and I remember my sister, these are the most important. I also remember my father but he's long dead, and I'm happy that it is that way.

Everything else doesn't matter that much.

I open the community and type.

Noname (Hell, group 4) -Sset, how many family members or friends do I have? Or people that are important to me?

I'm sure she would know at least something and thankfully she is there.

Sset (Hell, group 4) -You have a mom and a sister, and I think they are both really important to you. No friend I can think of, no pet, no other family you are close to.

Slowly my beating heart calms down and murderous thoughts that flash through my mind calm down.

I do realize that I might be missing some important memories, I do realize that. But at least somewhat I trust Tess, and what she says is the same as what my current memories are.

I breathe out, noticing that my breath is shaking.

Noname (Hell, group 4) - Thank you.

Sset (Hell, group 4) -No problem, hang in there.

When the community turns off, I look back at the little girl that continues to look at me with big eyes.

She still seems not scared but disturbed, “You can't hate Sophie,” her voice is so soft, so quiet.

And for that, I have no answer, so I don't say anything.