Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"...!"

The moment I opened my eyes, another wave was crashing in.

And the familiar mascot was staring at me.

"Hold onto this."

I immediately handed the notebook to the mascot.

After confirming that it had safely tucked the notebook away, I let the wave carry me once again.

Unsurprisingly, the wave completely soaked my body.

After being thrown around by the water for a while, I opened my eyes on the beach, now familiar with the whole process.

The mascot stood there watching me.

It flapped its hands.

"..."

I lightly patted it on the back.

It stared at me.

"Come to think of it, I don't even know your name."

"?"

The mascot stared back as if asking, Name?

I met its gaze.

"No, I mean... a name..."

"...?"

"...Never mind."

How was I supposed to name a mascot that couldn't even speak for itself?

I cleared my throat, shook my head, and looked at it again.

"Anyway, I had a good idea."

"?"

"We're going to cross the sea."

"??"

"No. I'm not planning to ride on you."

The mascot had begun pointing at itself while flapping its arms, so I shook my head and looked toward the cliff.

"We'll climb the cliff."

"?"

"I can climb it."

Even if it cost me a few fingernails.

"So you should probably be able to climb it too."

"???"

The mascot looked down at its plush hands.

I placed my own hands against the cliff again.

"Make another stone axe."

If we wanted to cross the sea, we needed a raft.

To make a raft, we needed wood.

And the trees were above the cliff.

It would take time and effort.

But so what?

If there were two things I had nearly without limit...

They were time and effort.

I looked at the mascot, then gripped the cliff.

First, if we wanted a raft...

We had to cut down trees.

There were quite a few problems along the way.

Still, we succeeded in building a raft.

"...Ugh..."

I frowned deeply while looking at my fingernails.

They were all torn off again.

The mascot brought me water.

"...That's not saltwater, right?"

"!!!"

The mascot planted its hands on its hips and flapped indignantly, as if offended that I would even ask.

Then it poured water over my hands.

"Aaaagh...!"

The stinging pain made me squeeze my eyes shut.

The mascot patted my back as though praising me for enduring it.

"...Good..."

Anyway, preparations were complete.

We had climbed the cliff, cut down trees with stone axes, and somehow bound them together.

Unfortunately, my suit jacket had been completely shredded and turned into rope in the process.

Still...

Honestly, this wasn't bad.

"Let's go!"

"!!"

The mascot and I proudly climbed onto the raft.

With a creak, it began moving forward.

Almost as though the sea itself had been waiting for us to cross, the raft moved straight ahead.

"..."

"..."

The mascot and I sat facing each other, blankly staring at the scenery.

"This is pretty incredible, isn't it?"

"?"

The mascot shrugged at me.

"Isn't it hard to believe all of this is inside a building?"

Who could've expected an ocean to appear when an elevator opened?

"...!"

The mascot immediately nodded hard.

"No, you're not allowed to nod like you're surprised too."

Weren't you a resident of this building?

"..."

The mascot scratched its cheek and stared at me.

"You don't know either?"

"!"

It nodded.

"Then what exactly are you?"

Hadn't it handed out sandwiches and juice to countless people on the first floor?

Since I was No. 150, it had seen at least 150 people.

"..."

For the first time, the mascot didn't respond to my question.

It simply stared toward the endless horizon.

"..."

I didn't press any further.

The mascot I remembered had willingly entered the sea carrying a stone axe for my sake and never returned.

But the mascot in front of me hadn't done that.

It didn't remember any of it.

After a short silence, the mascot looked at me.

"...?"

Then it pointed to its own chest.

Then mine.

Back and forth.

"...Uh. What does that mean?"

"..."

Even after I asked, it simply pointed between itself and me several more times.

Then it looked forward again.

I didn't understand.

I lowered my gaze.

A massive shadow moved beneath the sea.

It wasn't attacking us.

Still...

"...Feels like I'll have to get past that someday."

"?"

"No. Nothing."

I had a bad feeling.

But there was no reason to say it aloud.

I looked away from the curious mascot and slowly opened the notebook.

What should I leave behind this time?

What could I tell those coming after me?

Was there even anything useful I could leave?

A way to get past that monster?

I didn't know one.

I was crossing the ocean on a raft.

I held the notebook and thought for a long time.

Then...

"!!!"

The mascot patted me excitedly.

I snapped back to reality.

"Ah. Yeah. I see it."

An island had appeared ahead.

Calling it an island was generous.

It was barely a small mound large enough for three people to stand on.

And there, impossibly, stood an open elevator entrance.

Thump.

The raft bumped into the shore.

As if we'd agreed beforehand, the mascot and I stepped off at the same time.

"Haa..."

Honestly, I'd been terrified.

I had spent the whole trip wondering when that insane underwater monster would suddenly eat the raft.

"Somehow, we survived."

"!!!"

The mascot patted my back as though telling me I'd done well.

"Thanks to you."

"?"

It pointed at itself.

Me?

"Yes. You."

"???"

The mascot tilted its head as if saying it hadn't done anything.

But I knew.

Or maybe I was the only one who knew.

I remembered things about it that it didn't.

It was more bitter than I'd expected.

"Anyway, give me a second."

First, I needed to write in the notebook.

What should I put?

I looked between the notebook and the raft.

Then an idea came to me.

According to the notebook, the path I walked was also the path others would walk.

And the path I'd walked was one others had already walked too.

Then...

"..."

I looked at the raft.

Then at the mascot.

"Can you help me?"

"?"

"Help me push this."

I pointed at the raft.

The mascot tilted its head as if asking, Why push it?

"I'm not going to use it."

"?"

"I'm pushing it back for the people who come after us."

"..."

The mascot stared at me.

Then it made a show of rolling up nonexistent sleeves and began pushing.

I joined it.

"Push. One... two...!"

"!!"

We shoved together.

With a small thump, the raft drifted away from the shore.

As though it had found where it belonged, it slowly began crossing the sea again.

I watched it for a moment.

Then I opened the notebook.

[150. As human history has always shown, the sea is not something you enter. It is something you cross.]

[150. I left you a gift. Ride the gift over.]

This explanation was short.

It didn't need to be long.

I snapped the notebook shut and walked toward the elevator.

"Let's go."

The mascot and I entered.

I pushed the notebook back into the wall.

Ding.

The elevator doors closed.

The elevator began rising with a mechanical hum.

"Just one more floor..."

"..."

Would I finally be able to get that phone then?

I really hoped it would help with escaping.

Then...

<Congratulations on clearing the third floor.>

"...?"

An announcement began.

No matter how many times I heard it, it still felt strange.

Giving me trials and then congratulating me?

I listened with mixed feelings.

<Participant No. 150 is the first participant to pass through the back doors of both Floors 2 and 3.>

"..."

<You will receive a reward accordingly.>

Couldn't you just let me escape instead?

<However, an excessively large reward may cause resentment among other participants. Therefore, the reward will be granted retroactively in the following form.>

With a soft hum, a ticket popped out.

"..."

This feels familiar.

I scratched my cheek and checked it.

[Companion Enhancement Ticket]

"...What is this?"

The combination of words was so unexpected that I couldn't help muttering.

Companion Enhancement Ticket?

The only companion I had was...

"..."

"..."

I looked at the mascot.

The mascot pointed at itself.

Me?

"Want to try it?"

"..."

The mascot stared at the enhancement ticket.

Then, looking uncertain, it slowly held out both hands.

I placed the ticket onto its palms.

Fwoosh!

The ticket disappeared in a flash of light.

"..."

"..."

The mascot and I stared at each other.

"Do you feel any different?"

"?"

It shrugged.

Apparently not.

"Maybe you got stronger or AAAAAAGH! Okay! Stop! Stop!"

"..."

The mascot released my wrist.

It was still strong.

But not quite strong enough to break my wrist.

"Feel anything else?"

"..."

The mascot patted down its body and hands.

Then shook its head.

No idea.

"...Hmm..."

"..."

We sat inside the elevator, thinking together.

Then...

Ding!

A cheerful sound rang.

Fourth floor.

"...!"

Something like seawater might suddenly pour in again.

I quickly lifted the notebook.

The mascot seemed to have the same thought and immediately positioned itself protectively in front of me.

Its broad back filled my vision.

Was its back always this big?

It almost looked fluffier than before.

Like a cat growing its winter coat.

Before I could think further...

Thud.

The elevator stopped.

Fourth floor.

Before the doors opened, I hurriedly flipped through the notebook.

How were the people who came after me on the third floor?

I anxiously turned pages.

[151. Thanks for the gift, No. 150. I survived because of you.]

[152. Thanks. I survived.]

[153. How the hell did No. 150 make this...? Is No. 150 even human?]

[154. I seriously can't imagine what kind of superhuman this guy is.]

.

.

.

"...Phew."

Relief escaped me.

Good.

It worked.

At that moment, the doors opened.

Before I could even ask, the mascot poked its head outside.

"...?"

It whipped its head toward me.

What?

Why?

I slowly followed it and looked outside.

"...What the hell is this?"

Endless stairs.

I had no words.