Tears of Themis – Mysteries of Lost Gold Event Story (end)
Though this is an event according to Mihoyo, it feels to me like an expansion instead, complete with its own game mechanics and detailed plot. It’s great to see the whole NXX team together again and I actually enjoy watching the camaraderie between the four guys more so than the one-to-one time with the MC. Perhaps it’s because the game begins with these four guys liking you so there isn’t much tension and struggle when you have to build a relationship from strangers, to friends, to lovers.
Anyhow, here’s to more story summaries as the mystery unfolds over the next 23 days.
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It all started two weeks ago at NXX headquarters.
Vyn: Give me an invitation for your event next week.
Marius: Event next week? No way. Why do I have to invite you?
Vyn: … <glowers>
You: Is “Treasure Island” the event next week that Dr. Richter wants to participate in? Marius, is it the same event you invited me to yesterday?
Marius: Wait a…
Vyn: He invited you to the event?
You: Uh… yes… It’s just a coincidence! I recently finished a big case and have a few days off, so I wanted to go out and do something. This happened to come up during our phone call yesterday, which is why he invited me.
Vyn: I see.
Marius: Vyn, if you’re looking for a holiday, go somewhere else. There’s too much physical exertion involved in outdoor exploration. It’s not for you.
Vyn: I have business to attend to there.
Marius: Business? At least come up with a decent excuse. All the treasure hunters joining the “Treasure Island” event are all experienced outdoorsmen.. Just look at you. How can outdoors or exploration even be applied to you?
Vyn: This is a futile venture. I had asked for an event invitation out of convenience, but I will ask your father instead. That will also do.
Marius: … Fine.
Luke: In that case, give me one, too. Treasure Island sounds interesting. Marius, with my skills, I’m more than qualified to participate.
Marius: Luke, you’re a professional. Don’t you have any shame competing against normal people? You that short on cash?
Luke: Don’t worry, I’m only going for fun. I won’t take the treasure even if I solve your map. And I’m not taking your invitation for free. I can help upgrade your event’s electronic security systems. Let’s avoid a repeat of the Big Data Lab and not have a kid hack in.
Marius: …
Artem: I also want to go. I have business.
Marius: Not you too, Artem. For what it’s worth, at least those two came up with excuses. You just copied Vyn.
Artem: Is that a no?
Marius: Fine, you’re in. At this point, it’s not like we can leave you behind.
You: Looks like everybody’s going? Wonderful! This’ll be our group’s first team building event!
Marius: Okay okay. King can ignore anyone else except you. This island trip will be our first team building exercise.
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And that was how Marius got cornered into offering an invitation to every NXX member albeit unwillingly. From Stellis City, the team boarded Marius’ personal cruise ship together with more than a hundred other participants and set off on a 4-day cruise to the island. You mused about the number of participants and Marius surmises that other than the money, the legend of lost gold on the island could have attracted them as well.
You learnt that Nosta Island was where a gang of bandits had sought shelter at after they had stolen a big loot of gold also known as the Great Gold Heist. However, the robbers never left the island as they ended up killing each other for the prize. By the time the police responded to a signal for help from the island, all the remained was one terrified bandit and their dying leader. With the information provided by the lone survivor, the police managed to recover two thirds of the stolen gold thus there was suspicions that the remainder of the gold was still hidden on the island.
Marius: According to what you said, the National Security Bureau also knows about this case. So, you’re going to the island to look for the gold?
Luke: It’d be strange if NSB didn’t know about such a big case. But this has nothing to do with why I’m here.
Vyn: Oh? <Vyn stares at Luke for awhile, saying nothing>
Marius dispels that notion otherwise Nation A wouldn’t have sold the developmental rights to Marius. In any case, even if any gold were found during this expedition, the treasure hunters can choose to keep the treasure or sell it back to Pax at a fair price, and is probably one of the drivers for the hordes of participants in this event.
Vyn: If this is so, then the NSB’s intelligence network must be lagging to believe in such an urban legend.
Luke: I only heard about this case because it’s famous. The NSB doesn’t deal with ordinary criminal cases, so I have no need to dig for details. Isn’t that so, Vyn?
(Errr… is there a reason for the animosity between Luke and Vyn? In fact ever since they worked together while handling Hugh, these two alpha male have been subtly sniping at each other at every opportunity.)
The night before the cruise ship is expected to make a landfall at the island, Marius calls you all to his private room. The smartwatch terminals which were meant to be given to each participant as a means of tracking and communication had been tampered with. As Marius shared about the details leading up to this discovery, you learnt that the real planner of this event is an old friend of Marius, Bryce Thatcher. He had asked Marius to allow him to hold this event to fulfil a lifelong wish.
Marius: That’s right. He actually had intended to buy the island’s development rights, but it turns out that I was a step ahead. So he had to settle for second best as the event’s planner and sponsor.
Luke: Like they say, business is business. You rich people can be ruthless with your purchasing power.
Marius: At the time, I wasn’t aware of what Bryce wanted to do, else I would’ve let him have it. Not having the island wouldn’t affect me.
You: (What kind of humble bragging is this….)
The room turned silent as Vyn shares his opinion about the motivation behind this sabotage – the ensuing chaos would serve as a cover for the perpetrator to seize the gold, event prize or other such riches. With this, Marius asked the rest of the team members to reveal their real intent for coming to the island.
Vyn reveals that he is here to investigate one of his patients and practicing psychiatrist, Zachary Clarke. Vyn suspects he may be in cahoots with a prisoner whom he had appealed for early release on good behaviour several months ago. The prisoner is Joshua Ott, the sole survivor from the Great Gold Heist, thus increasing Vyn’s suspicion. He believes that the assistant who had boarded the ship with Zachary is in fact Joshua in disguise.
Artem’s reason for coming on the island is at the behest of Captain Darius. When the bandits had sought shelter on Nosta, they had murdered a fisherman who caught them in the act. The fisherman’s son Jack Barlow had started behaving strangely after he learnt of Joshua’s early release from prison. Artem had trailed Jack to Nosta after learning that he had signed up for the treasure hunt, worried that he might use this opportunity to seek revenge on Joshua.
With light shed on the different agendas of the male leads, Marius hatches a plan to lure the perpetrators out. The team members decide to split the investigation with Vyn focusing on uncovering the truth behind Zachary’s action while Luke will follow Joshua who probably knows more about the location of the gold than he had let on previously. Artem will prevent Jack from exacting revenge, and Marius will keep an eye on Bryce as he is the only other person who could have easy access to the security controls.
Artem: Marius, I saw an armory on the ship. Do you have a firearms permit?
Marius: I heard you have a sharp aim. Go ahead and take your pick.
You: (Why do I feel like… that isn’t completely legal… ) Luke the civil servant appears focused on checking his equipment, ignoring the conversation between Artem and Marius. (Adaptability during an emergency is key. Mr Wing’s safety is the most important thing. Anyway, we’re within Nation A’s borders. Our country’s laws don’t apply here.)
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Day 1 : 3 Sep
The day of the treasure hunt arrives. You make your way across the beach to the meet up point with your team members. As you go through the next course of action, you hear a loud scream for help in the distance. The source of the shouts is Zangr Stewart whom you saved from an otherwise miry death in a quicksand. Zangr seemed to believe he is a NPC character in a book or game and will never be able to escape his fate as EXP fodder for the protagonist. Ehh….
As the team members tried to figure out what is wrong with Zangr, the signal for the commencement of the plan comes on and everyone falls into action. This concludes chapter 1. In chapter 2 onwards, you will decide who will you accompany in their investigation.
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Vyn’s Route
Vyn expresses surprise that you would choose to go with him considering that his outdoor skills is clearly not his strong suit compared to the others. You explained that you’ve always thought of Vyn as your best travelling partner.
Vyn: Do not worry. Since you have chosen me, I absolutely will not allow you to be disappointed. Whether it is an entertaining vacation, or achieving the objective of an investigation, whatever you desire to achieve on this journey, I will help you attain it.
He shares that he is actually quite the veteran when it comes to outdoor survival as hunting during autumn is a tradition in his hometown. Instead of using guns, Vyn is adept at the traditional bow and arrow.
Looking at the tracker on Zachary and Joshua, you noted that they have yet to meet with each other. Vyn opines that their alliance of interest is fragile and it is not immediately obvious yet who is the originator of the scheme as Vyn found out that Zachary had come to Nosta Island three months ago. Between the two of them going for the gold, they will need to outsmart each other. Not too long after, Zachary’s smartwatch signal disappeared.
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Marius’ Route
When you decided to go with Marius, he was immediately defensive, thinking that you suspected that he wouldn’t be objective about Bryce or that you took pity on him as problems had only accosted him since he took over Pax. You quickly explained that you are confident that Marius would be capable enough to solve his own problems but he would need all the support and encouragement from those close to him.
Marius: Hehe, I knew that you cared about me the most. I’m a treasure in your heart.
Marius shared that Bryce wanted to explore Nosta Island despite being the planner of the treasure hunt because he wanted to discover old relics on the island, fulfill other treasure hunters’ dream and promote his outdoor brand. Your plan of action is to join Bryce on his expedition. If he was hiding something, he would try to shake both of you off.
Marius: Hang on. We can’t leave yet. C’mon give me the heavy stuff like water and flashlights. I’ll carry them.
You: It’s fine. I’m not some fragile flower. I can manage at least this much.
Marius: I’m not looking down on you or anything. There’s a biological disparity in strength between men and women, so let me do my fair share. It’ll improve our travel efficiency, too… <After passing the items over to him> Great. Without your supplies, you can’t leave me even if you change your mind.
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Luke’s Route
Luke didn’t want you to join him on his mission to find the lost gold through Joshua as it would be too dangerous for you. You insisted that joining him is his best bet, as going heads on with Joshua would make him clam up more. However, if he were to pretend that both of you were lovers on vacation, it would work to lower his guard.
Luke: L—Lovers?!
You: What? Am I not good enough for you? People mistake us for a couple all the time, and I always go along with it.
Luke finally relents but will only do so on three conditions – to listen to his orders, that your safety is priority number one and that whoever gets to Joshua’s location last will have to catch fish and make lunch. With that he picks up his backpack and runs ahead.
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Artem’s Route
When Artem asked why you decided to go with him, you replied that since you’re partners at work, naturally you would accompany him on any field investigation.
Artem: Looks like there’s no way to change the workaholic image you have of me. If the chance arises, I’d like to travel with you, just to relax. So we’re not always working when we’re together.
You: If we can quickly solve the case of the Great Gold Heist, then we’ll have time for vacation here!
Artem: Okay I’ll resolve this…
You: No, Mr Wing, it’s ‘we’!
Artem: Right. We’ll resolve this matter with Jack.
Artem then proceeds to download the case details. After the death of his father, his mother soon passed away due to psychological stress. Jack had to work and study and raise his sister as well since they received no compensation from the bandits. However later Darius found out that Jack had been in frequent contact with Joshua over the last three years as he had often visited the prison to interview the prisoners for his crime documentary.
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Day 2 : 4 Sep
Vyn’s Route
At the campsite ahead, you meet Zachary. He makes light conversation with Vyn, surprised to bump into his psychiatrist even while on a vacation. When Vyn questioned the location of Zach’s assistant, Zach explained that it would be less awkward if they travelled separately during the treasure hunt.
Vyn: Zachary, I am your psychiatrist. Acting generous and considerate in front of me is unnecessary, is it not? <Ouch!> Do you not remember your nickname among the inmates, King Crook? Dr Clarke often frequents the prison and smuggles contrabands for the inmates, such as cigarettes. He charges a premium which is usually two to three times the original value, so they dubbed him King Crook
Zachary: Dr Richter, wasn’t that disclosure of personal information? What poor professional ethics you have.
Vyn: You are now a criminal, not my patient. Moreover, are you in a position to debate professional ethics with me? Tell me about your assistant, Jason Doe, better known as Joshua Ott. Where did he go?
Zachary: What Joshua Ott…? I don’t know him.
Vyn: The grounds for Joshua’s early release were his essential contributions to your thesis published in Nation A. If you can even forget someone like him, then I should refer you to a neurologist.
Vyn cuts right to the chase with his sharp words. I wouldn’t ever want to be the target of his interrogation. Having been called out so thoroughly, Zachary alleges that he had been threatened to help Joshua out of prison and to bring him to Nosta to retrieve the balance of the gold because he has proof of Zachary’s dealings in contraband. He also admitted to tampering with the terminals but the video surveillance footage had been replaced by an unknown third person.
Zachary and Joshua had split up because the latter wanted to pay respects to his dead comrades so that he can finally find peace in his heart. Meanwhile he had given Zachary a poem with clues to the location of the gold. In exchange for letting Zachary go, Vyn asked to see the poem. The poem makes reference to the Book of the Dead, a text from ancient Egypt. Having read the clue, Vyn further negotiates that Zachary leads both of you to the location.
Zachary: Vyn, I didn’t expect you to also be interested in the gold.
Vyn: Everyone desires wealth. It is human nature and I am only human.
Zachary: Dr Richter, I don’t think it’s very nice to act like this in front of your girlfriend.
Vyn: <holding your hand> There is nothing wrong with this. We plan to be together for a long time, so I should be authentic with her. Allowing her to see who I really am will allow her to make the decision to leave or to stay. Besides, is it not exhausting to wear a mask even in front of those close to you?
During a break, Zachary shares about how his wife had died from leukaemia as he was too poor to afford a bone marrow transplant. It has since changed him into the money grubber he is today. You show some sympathy towards Zachary and offered him tissue to wipe his tears.
Vyn: Zachary, I deeply sympathise with your tragedy. However, using such a beautiful story as an excuse for committing crimes is nothing but sacrilege.
(To progress to Vyn’s route 02-04, you will need Climbing Ropes which you can retrieve from Marius’ route 02-02)
Zachary soon leads you out of the forest into the mountains. You asked him how he can be so confident about the location of the gold based on the clues from the poem. Zachary shares what he knows about the topography of the island and how it linked to the poem. However, in sharing this, he accidentally let slip his real motive for coming to Nosta Island three months ago.
During one of his visits with Joshua several months ago as part of his work, Joshua requested to borrow the Book of the Dead. When he returned the book, Zachary found a map of Nosta and the lines of poem within. Putting one and one together, he figured that Joshua was the lone survivor from the Great Gold Heist and immediately made time to visit Nosta. However the poem led him to the cave where Joshua’s comrades had died and where he currently is to pay respects.
Zachary was sure that there was still gold on the island because Joshua became more desperate for early release after he learnt that Pax had bought development rights to the island. When it was just the two of you, Vyn conjectured that even if there was no gold, there was something precious hidden on the island otherwise Luke wouldn’t be here. Now that his secret is out of the bag, Zachary figured that he was probably safer having you two with him as he beckoned you to join him on a boat.
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Marius’ Route
Not too long after, both of you caught up to Bryce. Marius shared about the tampering of the terminals with Bryce and had specifically come look for him out of concern. He also wanted to check if Bryce still had the keys to the warehouse. Having verified that it was still with him, Marius pondered how else could the culprit access the warehouse, to which Bryce suggested that some treasure hunter could have colluded with the staff.
Worried that dangers abound, Marius proposed to call off the event temporarily until investigations were completed but Bryce said it wasn’t a good idea as it would affect Pax’s reputation. Failing this, Marius suggested that Bryce pulls out of the event since he had just recovered and it could be dangerous travelling alone. Bryce refuses as well claiming that he didn’t have much life left and wanted to fulfil his dream of living as an adventurer.
Finally, going along with the plan, you suggested that you and Marius accompany Bryce to explore the island together so that you can also learn more about the island’s mysterious history. Bryce agrees and guides you ahead to an archaeological camp. The camp was left behind by a team of Nation A’s archaeologists back in 1950 when they suddenly withdrew, either due to lack of funding or rumours of man-eating beasts.
Upon arriving, Bryce suggested splitting up so that you can search more efficiently. You observed that Bryce seemed to be in a hurry and his nonchalance towards the report that the terminals had malfunctioned made him even more suspicious.
Marius: Sure enough, I really can’t trust anyone.
As you go through the historical archives, Marius noted that Nosta’s art style is very distinct, with influences from both Greek and Egyptian. You found a notebook written in hieroglyphics which seemed to provide directions to a building that resembled a temple of Athena. Marius commented that the loss of understanding of the ancient language could have led to the demise of Nosta’s civilisation. Bryce appears at this moment. Noticing the notebook in your hand, he drops his mild demeanour and strides over to snatch the book from your hands, not before Marius stopped him.
(To progress to Marius’ route 02-04, you will need Long Pole which you can retrieve from Luke’s route 02-04)
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Day 3 : 5 Sep
Artem’s Route
In the course of his work, Jack had become good friends with Joshua despite knowing that he might be responsible for his father’s death. You suspected that he might have faked this friendship to get closer to him. Artem proposed approaching Jack as regular contestants in order to suss out his reason for participating. You added that if you told Jack that you were lawyers investigating the Great Gold Heist, Jack might be swayed from a path of vengeance if he knew there was other ways to punish the perpetrators.
Artem agreed to try this approach and led you towards the scene of the crime then, a cabin in the woods to set up the encounter. While resting, you learnt that the only evidence relating to Jack’s father’s murder came from Joshua. There was insufficient evidence to link Joshua to the murder hence he couldn’t be prosecuted. Jack’s father had died from suffocation. Noticing an indentation in his neck, Artem explained that this could have come from a necklace of copper coins that his wife made for him for protection. The necklace hasn’t been found.
(To progress to Artem’s route 02-03, you will need Rain Boots which you can retrieve from Luke’s route 02-03)
The route to the abandoned cabin was near some tidelands so it took you some time to traverse through the muddy terrain. A quick search of the cabin revealed nothing and soon you hear the door open as Jack enters. You pretended to be shocked by his sudden intrusion. Jack explained that he was a reporter here to work on a crime documentary. When you shared your cover story, he was visibly surprised in your interest but didn’t think that any new evidence could change the outcome nor would anyone be interested in it.
Artem: A turnabout won’t reverse the natural order, but the living demand the truth.
Artem proposes that you two pair up with Jack since your interests are aligned but Jack was unyielding, claiming that he preferred to work alone as a reporter. He offered to meet up after the event to compare notes instead. With that he left the cabin.
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Marius’ route
After leaving the archaeology camp, you decided to set up tent at the nearby campsite, silence ensued awkwardly after the exchange between Bryce and Marius. You wondered how to break the ice but Marius calmly assesses the situation and waited patiently for Bryce to approach you. Bryce apologised for his earlier brash actions and explained why he had been so excited to see the notebook.
He shared that when he was in a coma last year and near death’s door, he had seen a vision of a goddess. The dreams of her continued after he recovered. Thus thinking this was some kind of sign, he had researched and found out that she was a goddess of life in Nosta’s culture but no one knew her name. He admitted that his reason for wanting to explore the island is to find this goddess and the notebook bearing her name in hieroglyphics could have the clues to guide him there.
After he was satisfied with Bryce’s explanation, Marius graciously handed the notebook over to Bryce and suggested that he rest and the three of them can resume their search the next day. Bryce agrees and turns towards his tent. Before retiring for the day, he told Marius that he heard that there were rare flowers in the area and it would be a good opportunity for Marius to paint them. Marius happily takes up the offer and leaves the camp with you after stashing your backpacks in the tent. (Wait, you two are sharing a tent?!)
After leaving camp, you hid in a nearby bush to observe Bryce. True enough, he snuck into your tent after checking that the coast was clear. Then he took his belongings and left the campsite.
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Luke’s Route
You wait in the underbrush for Joshua to appear. He had ditched his smartwatch terminal soon after arriving on the island so you are only now depending on the tracker which Luke placed on him to determine his whereabouts. While waiting you asked Luke if his missions required him to operate in dense forests all the time. He told you that he works in the Economic and Technological Crime Division so he operates in the city most of the time.
Luke suddenly asked you not to move. Anxious that Joshua was approaching you quickly hunkered down and shut your eyes. Later Luke asked you to open your eyes, in his palm was a beautiful scarlet butterfly.
You: Why did you scare me? I thought it was Joshua.
Luke: I just wanted to tease you.
You: Hmph! You’re cruisin’ for a bruisin’!
Luke: You can’t hit me. You said you’d listen to me during the operation!
You: I will, but I’ll decide when it’s ‘during the operation’!
Luke: Such a cheat…
Deciding that it was pointless to wait any longer since the tracker hadn’t moved, you walked towards its current location and found it under a tree. Since it’s been only 10 minutes since it last moved, you surmised that Joshua was still nearby. Luke however explained that he was certainly not around here since the tracker was dropped by a Nosta gull. Joshua had planted it on the gull after he found it, to shake you off his path. Luke however determined that it was still possible to trace the path Joshua took by locating the Nosta gull habitat.
You contemplated informing the rest of the team about Joshua’s disappearance but Luke said it was too premature to do so. Since Joshua had thrown away his terminal and he couldn’t have brought his own mobile device, there was no means for him to contact Zachary or Bryce to inform them about the tracker. When questioned, Luke said he suspected Bryce because of the missing loot (?).
At the gull habitat, both of you managed to narrow down the multiple sets of footprints to two potential ones that could belong to Joshua based on his physique. Since the footprints headed in different directions, Luke and you split up to follow each set. Luke would follow the set that led into the forest while you would follow the set towards the campsite as it was highly unlikely that Joshua would travel with a group if he was here to retrieve the gold. Luke told you it was too early to jump to conclusions and warned you not to engage Joshua on your own.
Luke swiftly traced his set of footprints and found that it didn’t belong to Joshua. He doubled back hurriedly in your direction. Meanwhile you arrived at the campsite exhausted. You quickly survey the area to locate Joshua. Failing to find anyone who looked like him, you asked around if the treasure hunters had seen someone fitting his description. A male hunter approached you saying that he knew where Joshua had gone and would give you the information for some event currency.
After passing him what he wanted, the male hunter told you that Joshua had gone westwards into the forest close to a cave. He also offered to bring you there for more event currency since it was dangerous for you to travel alone. You begin to suspect if this hunter is actually Joshua in disguise. Not wanting to confront him alone, you told him you didn’t need any help. The male hunter didn’t let up, closing in on you and attempting to grab your coin purse. Luke appeared in time to stop him. Under pressure, he reluctantly admitted that Joshua had given him some event currency to pass this information to you. With that he scuttled off.
You thanked Luke for getting you out of the predicament, before both of you continued towards the location where Joshua was waiting for you.
(To progress to Luke’s route 02-05, you will need Insect Repellent which you can retrieve from Vyn’s route 02-02)
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Day 4 : 6 Sep
Marius’ Route
Before you left your camp, Marius insisted on changing all your food and water supplies and checking your equipment thoroughly before following after Bryce. While crutching in the shadow of a nearby cave spying on Bryce who was searching for something among the stone statues, you chatted with Marius as you considered his earlier actions.
You: It’s really nothing. I just feel that this must be hard for you.
Marius: Why are you saying this all of a sudden?
You: To outsiders, Pax, or rather the von Hagen family, has fame and fortune. But in reality all that glory comes with a price. The interpersonal relationships in your environment are a lot more complicated than the average person’s. The dangers are also … beyond an average person’s imagination.
Marius: You don’t think I’m being petty and paranoid, do you?
You: You often do things that surprise others, but you have your reasons. At least from our interactions, I don’t think you’re being overly sensitive or unreasonable. Why are you staring at me like this?
Marius suddenly lowers himself and holds you in a gentle and loose embrace.
Marius: Thank you.
Just then, you hear Bryce exclaim excitedly over some discovery as he quickly left the historical site. In your anxiety to catch up to him, you tripped on the slippery surface and pushed against a wall to regain your balance. The wall turns out to be a movable stone slab, the other side of the otherwise smooth stone had lines full of text. Marius identified it as a Rosetta stone of sorts that could help to translate the Nosta hieroglyphics into Latin, which he apparently learnt while he was studying in Florence. (Yet another genius!)
After some time, Marius was able to decipher the text within the notebook as you had taken photos of the pages before handing it over to Bryce. The notebook spoke of a god of death and a treasure hidden in the Temple of Death which will be revealed on the dawn after a full moon. Whoever obtains the treasure will be granted immortality. You figured this must be the reason behind Bryce’s hurry but you were concerned about him pushing himself to reach the location in his current health.
Marius asked you if it would naïve of him to persuade Bryce to change his mind and you told him it was natural to be concerned about a loved one. With that Marius stepped up towards Bryce after catching up to him while you hid behind a pillar so as not to interrupt them. Bryce glared at Marius thinking that he was also after the treasure. Marius said that he understood Bryce’s desire to seek a cure and assured him that Pax Pharmaceutical would accelerate its research to find a cure for him. Bryce was unconvinced and told Marius he had only one year left to live and pleaded with Marius to let him pursue this miracle cure.
Marius agreed on condition that he answered two questions – whether he was responsible for damaging the terminals and what was the truth behind the missing treasure from the Great Gold Heist and his relationship with Joshua. Bryce admitted that while he didn’t destroy the terminals, he had replaced the surveillance video (I knew it!). Bryce then approached Marius menacingly, brandishing a dagger towards Marius as he told him to find the answer to the second question in hell. Just then a gunshot shattered the silence of the night.
(This turn of the event was quite unexpected. That Bryce turned hostile on Marius suggests that he might be more involved in the heist than we knew. I wonder if the gunshot came from Artem since he was the only other person I know who is carrying a gun.)
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Artem’s Route
While following after Jack from a distance, you found it weird that Jack didn’t think it was worth investigating the case further. Artem surmises that Jack didn’t want to reveal his true feelings for fear of his connection to the victim. Not too long after you noticed that Jack’s terminal signal had disappeared. He had intentionally destroyed his smartwatch terminal so that he could proceed to exact his revenge. Looking at the speed of his movements, it seemed like he was running towards a target however doubts abound on how he would Joshua’s exact location.
You suspected that Zachary might have betrayed Joshua since it is not unlikely that Jack and Zachary knows each other since they visit the prison often in their line of work.
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Luke’s Route
You and Luke make your way stealthily towards the location left behind by Joshua. Knowing that you’re trailing him, he had intended to lure you out to attack you. Enroute to the location, you found a broken respirator equipment which confirmed Luke’s theory that the remainder of the gold must be buried underwater. This also brought to light why he had suspected Bryce. As the event planner of a treasure hunt on an island, Bryce had purposely steered clear of having any clues underwater because he was afraid that someone might find the loot by accident.
Given the current situation and with Jack closing in on Joshua’s location, Luke assessed that it was best that he attempt to capture Joshua as his intent was clearly malicious. At the appointed location, you spy ‘Joshua’ sitting by a campfire with his back facing you. Luke told you it was a dummy that Joshua had set up to lure you out before he attacked you. Pitting his special agent skills against an amateur bandit, Luke soon spotted Joshua’s hiding spot. He took out a tranquiliser gun, took aim through the scope and successfully put Joshua down.
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Day 5 : 7 Sep
Artem’s Route
After following Jack for some time, he finally arrives at the mountains. Jack rested for awhile on a rock outside a cave while scanning through some documents on his tablet. During this period, a large flying bug landed on you and you desperately stifled your screams so as not to alert Jack. Artem managed to chase the bug away and tried to calm you down.
Artem: I was also somewhat afraid when I saw that bug, but when I remembered you are here with me, it didn’t seem as scary.
Continuing to observe Jack, you saw him unsheathe a sword he had been carrying as he entered the cave. Artem told you to stay outside the cave and be prepared to alert reception at any time. With that, he dashed into the cave after Jack.
Artem called out to Jack who was surprised to see him. Artem revealed his real intentions for following Jack and encouraged him to seek vengeance via a lawful method instead. Jack was not deterred as he is convinced that there was no evidence left to incriminate Joshua who had admitted to killing Jack’s father. As Jack had successfully befriended Joshua over these last three years, Joshua promised to share the gold with him if Jack helped him to retrieve it. The location is deep within this cave.
As Jack headed deeper into the cave, he warned Artem that since his target is only Joshua, he wouldn’t harm Artem if he tried to stop him, but Jack might get killed in the process. He left the dilemma for Artem to process. Artem updated the team that this was where Joshua had arranged to meet Jack. You checked this against Jack’s current location and observed that he didn’t seem to be heading in this direction… (in Luke’s route however, we already learnt that Joshua had dumped his tracker).
Artem was doubtful that Joshua had been honest about the location of the gold and could have lied to Jack. Jack shared that Joshua had given him the clue left behind by the second-in-command of the gang. After he hid the gold he wrote a riddle to record its whereabouts. Based on the riddle, this cave matches the riddle’s description as it made reference to the blue fireflies found in this cave.
Thinking about how confident Artem is with guns, you are sure that he is in control of the situation so it was best to stay outside the cave. You also spotted a white parchment which Jack had left behind on the rock he was resting at. Checking that the coast was clear, you ran downhill to pick it up. On the parchment was a poem/riddle. (This riddle is different from the one Zachary has, suggesting that Joshua hadn’t been truthful to either Jack or Zachary.) At this moment, you received a message from Artem asking you to hide quickly…
(To progress to Artem’s route 03-03, you will need Flashlight which you can retrieve from Vyn’s route 03-02)
As Artem and Jack ventures deeper into the dark cave illuminated by Jack’s flashlight, Artem questioned Jack again about how he was so confident that this was the location of the gold. Jack shared how he had swapped his own journal with Joshua’s so as to read his notes. He learnt that Joshua had been studying the Book of the Dead and how his notes pointed to this location in Nosta. Thereafter Jack had confronted Joshua about this and threatened to go to the police with the information which would extend his sentence unless he shared the gold with him.
Artem pointed out that all inmates’ journals had to be submitted to the prison warden every week for scrutiny hence there was no way Joshua would have written something so crucial in his notes. He must have planted those information to lead Jack on. A look on realisation dawned on Jack’s face. Just then, a gunshot rang. The bullet hit Jack squarely on the shoulder as he collapsed to the ground in pain, dropping his flashlight.
In the silence that ensued, Artem hears the faint click of a pistol capturing his full attention. He rapidly whips out his pistol and aims towards the direction of the assailant and pulls the trigger. A scream echoes out and a gun clatters to the ground. (Artem is so good with the gun!) While training his gun in the same direction, Artem walks towards Jack to check on him. The bullet had penetrated his shoulder and he was bleeding profusely but otherwise conscious.
Artem then walks slowly towards the location of the assailant aiming the flashlight there but found no one. Suddenly an explosion fills the cave with throat burning pepper smoke. Artem hurriedly covers his nose and mouth and the assailant took this opportunity to knock the gun out of Artem’s hand and run out of the cave. Concerned for Jack’s wellbeing, Artem couldn’t give chase but he quickly sends you an urgent message to hide.
You take cover in an underbrush, using your night vision binoculars to watch the cave entrance. You soon see an adult man exit the cave though his features were obscured by his jacket. He looks to be in great pain, bloodstain visible on his right shoulder. Suspecting that he might be the enemy, you tried to stop him with a tranquiliser gun that Marius had equipped you with but he was out of range. However, it managed to chase him away as he disappeared into the dark in the opposite direction.
Artem soon appears at the entrance too. As you look at him relieved, he seems to feel your eyes on him, and he turns to look at you in kind. He sprints towards you, panic written all over his face. Before you could say anything, you find yourself in a warm and powerful embrace as he thanked God that you’re safe.
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Vyn’s Route
After rowing down the Night River for awhile, a raging current disrupted your path and your team drifted into a cave before stopping at a large gate leading to a prison that Nation A had built for its convicts. Walking through the rows of prison cells, you asked how it was possible to know which cell the gold is hidden in. Zachary replied that according to the riddle, the second-in-command had left an amulet of Isis, an Egyptian goddess of life, to mark the cell where the gold was hidden.
While walking, you stepped on something and hear it crack under your feet. Looking down you realised to your horror that you had stepped on human bones. Vyn pulls you close to him and rest you against his shoulder using a hand to cover your eyes to calm you down. Zachary uses this moment to scare you further.
Vyn: Zachary, shut it.
Zachary was stunned silent by Vyn’s sudden coldness. When you recovered from the shock, you muttered a quick apology to the deceased and Zachary derides you for your overreaction.
Vyn: Is there something wrong with respecting that which had lived? In a hundred years, we too shall turn to dust.
Zachary: If you’re so virtuous, then why are you here for my gold? Vyn, you can’t be short on money.
Vyn: Who can turn down extra money? Especially since I plan on starting a family.
You thought that Vyn was taking his acting far too real.
After scouring every inch of the prison, you finally locate a skeleton wearing the Isis amulet outside a cell. Within the cell, you find ten boxes reinforced by metal rings neatly stacked in a corner. Thrilled, Zachary runs towards the boxes and hugs the boxes avariciously. While you turn away from him towards Vyn who was examining the skeleton, a gunshot rings out and an iron barricade comes crashing down from the ceiling trapping you and Vyn behind the bars. Zachary is outside holding a gun eyeing you ominously.
While you remained trapped in the cell, you asked what Zachary intended to do with you. He replied that on account that your presence had helped to keep Joshua away, he wouldn’t kill you but would let nature take its course. With that he turns to pry open the boxes. The boxes however did not contain the gold he was anticipating but rather stone relics of Nosta’s culture.
Zachary couldn’t understand why Joshua would lie to him. Vyn conjectured that Joshua may not be here for the gold but for something else. He might have manipulated Zachary into believing there was gold to help him get an early release from prison so that he could retrieve that item before he ran out of time. (At this point, we know that both Zach and Jack had been played by Joshua. It appears his real accomplice is Bryce who would go so far to silence Marius so as not to reveal his identity.) Zachary didn’t seem to be listening as a sudden look of recognition lit his face. He exclaimed that he knew where the gold really was. Since his cover had blown, Zachary revealed that he knew that you had placed a tracker on him. He removed it then hurried towards the new location, leaving you and Vyn trapped in the cell.
You contemplated contacting your teammates for help but Vyn told you it was not necessary. After pacing around the cell and knocking on the bricks on the wall in a certain order, the wall ahead of you splits open horizontally. Vyn shares that this cell was never a prison.
(To progress to Vyn’s route 03-03, you will need Prison Blueprint which you can retrieve from Marius’ route 03-01)
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Day 6 : 8 Sep
Marius’ Route
The gunshot came from an air gun that you had taken from the ship’s armory. Bryce was momentarily distracted and Marius took the opportunity to seize his blade. However instead of taking him into custody, Marius chose to let him go. He explained that Bryce is likely in cahoots with either Joshua or Zachary and letting him go is the only way to expose his partners.
Marius: But without your gunshot, I couldn’t have snatched his blade. Rounding up, you were the savior, I…
You: Stop. I don’t need your devotion. If you want to pay me back, buy me ice cream or some other thing.
Marius: Oh… I’m worth that little to you?
To change the subject, he asked about how you had gotten the gun and remarked that it was dangerous to use such a weapon without training. You explained that it was just a replica meant to make loud noises but had no real destructive power. You only used it to protect Marius.
Marius: I was supposed to protect you, but all I’ve done is make you worry about me.
Turning away from him, you noticed that Bryce had dropped a pillbox and a parchment from his backpack when he ran away. On the parchment is written a poem that mentions Maat, a goddess from ancient Egypt. This reminded you of similar messages that Vyn and Artem had sent to the team which mentioned ancient Egypt, and that the gold’s whereabouts could be related to ancient Egyptian mythology. Artem and Vyn also have Jack and Zachary under control respectively. (Jack because he has been shot, but Zachary too?)
Piecing what you know about the case together thus far, you wonder if the treasure isn’t actually referring to gold but important historical relics or valuable works of art, which could explain Luke’s involvement. Marius suggested following after Bryce and to look out for anything that could be related to a statue of Maat or a feather enroute.
Knowing that Bryce was headed for the temple at the mountain’s peak, you and Marius took a shortcut there and reached there before Bryce. Marius studies the architecture of the temple which bears resemblance to other such historical sites he has visited before. Suddenly you hear Bryce’s angry voice shouting at Joshua over the phone. Marius quickly pulls you up the statue of the God of Death to hide as you continue to eavesdrop on the conversation.
(To progress to Marius’ route 03-02, you will need Survival Shovel which you can retrieve from Artem’s route 03-01)
Through the call, you learnt that Bryce had blackmailed Joshua into helping him retrieve an ancient artifact, the God of Death’s scepter and the golden mask which were necessary for Bryce to perform the ritual of immortality. He made it clear that he was only focused on getting his treasure and not whatever Joshua was looking for. After Bryce ended the call, he takes off his backpack and rests on the floor. He keeps looking between his watch and outside but based on the location of Joshua’s tracker, he was still far away.
As you continue to hide behind the statue waiting for the sun to rise, you were confined to a narrow space with Marius in an awkward position. You try to rid your mind of weird thoughts. Meanwhile Marius writes slowly on your palm to communicate his thoughts. He had figured out how the treasure would be revealed by taking reference from the Abu Simbel Sun Festival, where the sun rose in a specific position twice a year, casting its illumination through the narrow passage onto the statue of the pharaoh.
Just then the first rays of the sun shines into the temple bathing the statue of the God of Death in its light. Bryce gets up excitedly but suddenly grabs his chest and collapses in pain. Marius hurries over to Bryce while you fumble for his medicine from the pillbox he had dropped earlier. However Bryce does not want to take his medicine, as he attempts to crawl towards the statue stretching his hands toward it.
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Vyn’s Route
The door’s passageway leads into the mountain itself. Vyn had observed that there were yellow residual stains on the walls which suggested the presence of furniture such as a bed, wardrobe and desk. In addition the bars that split the room into two were designed for defense, thus it only made sense that this room had once been the chambers of the prison guards, rather than a prison cell. This meant that there must also be a hidden passage for them to escape. As Vyn had visited similar castles in other countries before, he was familiar with such installations.
Vyn also pointed to two important artifacts within the room. One is a feather-shaped carving among the scattered stones which he termed as Maat’s feather. Maat is the Egyptian goddess of truth and justice. According to legend, everyone’s heart is judged on scale against Maat’s feather. If the heart is found to be heavier, the person would lose their chance for afterlife. As this carving is next to the skeleton with the Isis pendant, Vyn suspected it had something to do with the location of the gold. Vyn also suspected that the skeleton probably belonged to the second-in-command but the bone structure suggested that this was a lady. The second item would be the Isis pendant though it is seemed to be missing some parts. You used a long pole to retrieve these items and kept them with you.
With that, all that remains is how to get out of the chamber without any stairs in sight.
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Luke’s Route
As you look at Joshua’s unconscious body, you commented about how Luke had ungraciously picked him out of the grass.
Luke: If somebody (referring to Vyn, no doubt) hadn’t tried to suss out Zachary so much and put him on guard, then I wouldn’t have let him get off the ship. No one escapes under my watch.
You: (Musing to yourself about how the guys in NXX can’t help but have a go at each other at every opportunity. Men will be teenagers until they die. Their cumulative age is six at most.)
While searching through Joshua’s belongings, you are sure that he is searching for something underwater. His backpack also contains a parchment with a poem adapted from the Book of the Dead which referenced a scepter. As Joshua stirs from his stupor, Luke asked you to help pluck some fruits from the forest, clearly he doesn’t want you to listen in on the conversation since his mission is confidential. You do as you’re told.
After you leave, Luke drops his gentle expression and kicks Joshua awake. Luke demands to know the location of the gold. When Joshua refuses to budge, Luke employs physical torture on him to break him. He further threatens to inform Jack of Joshua’s location not before he injects a muscle relaxant into Joshua. Jack would certainly be grateful for the opportunity to exact his vengeance on Joshua for what he did to his father. Luke added that Joshua couldn’t depend on anyone to save him as well. Chilled by Luke’s menacing expression, Joshua agrees to tell him where the gold is. (Gosh, the loss of light in Luke’s eyes when he speaks to Joshua is scary.)
Joshua said that the undiscovered gold was hidden in an underwater cave on the island. Not believing that Joshua would tell the truth, Luke allowed Joshua to escape while he pretended to fall asleep. After he left, both of you followed Joshua from a distance. Given that his cover had blown and that he was hapless against an opponent like Luke, his focus would now be singularly on retrieving the treasure. In addition, you also confirmed that Joshua’s partner was Bryce as only he would have had the ability to bypass security to give Joshua a mobile phone to contact him.
When you complimented Luke for besting Joshua at his game, Luke apologised for keeping you in the forest for so long while he interrogated Joshua.
You: It wasn’t that long. I understand. Your mission is confidential, so I couldn’t be there.
Luke: It’s not exactly like that. (Yah, I don’t suppose you would want your childhood sweetheart to witness how ruthless you can be.) I… Forget it. If I tell you, you’d say I’m being overly protective again. Anyway, I’ll always be the person you like when I’m with you.
You: Luke, what are you going on about…
Luke: I was just saying… You were talking about pretending to be a couple this morning, but we were split up most of the time…
You: I’m sacrificing myself for the common good. No more nonsense. Let’s see where Joshua’s headed.
Joshua is headed towards a cave but upon arriving, you were greeted by an unexpected sight. (If Joshua was the assailant who shot at Jack, then this seemed like the only possible moment when he could have done the deed.)
(To progress to Luke’s route 03-03, you will need Extinguished Torch which you can retrieve from Marius’ route 03-02)
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Day 7 : 9 Sep
Artem’s Route
Turned out that the person who shot Jack was Zachary. Not too soon after he left the cave, he was detained in his injured state. You lamented that you should have entered the cave with Artem so that Zachary would not have the chance to escape.
Artem: …Sometimes, the more you care about someone, the harder it is to remain calm and focused. Don’t blame yourself, and don’t worry me.
Artem passes you a copper coin necklace which Zachary left behind in the cave. It was probably the necklace that belonged to Jack’s father and had gone missing after his murder. Jack soon awoke after being treated and requested to speak to both of you. When Jack learnt that it was Zachary who had shot him, he was shocked. While they knew each other from work, they were not enemies. Artem guessed that Joshua might have manipulated Zachary the same way he had with Jack.
Putting that aside, Artem took out the necklace and asked if this belonged to Jack’s father. Jack identified that it belonged to his father but the two noticeable additions, a black thread and a small wooden pendent attached to it were not originally there. When Jack took the necklace apart, it turned out that the black thread was actually a square black cloth with the roaring lion emblem of the bandit gang. Jack also recognised the wooden pendant that Joshua uses to mark the weapon he used to kill each of his victims.
With these items, there was now evidence that could incriminate Joshua as the real murderer of Jack’s father. Artem reassured Jack that both of you will look into the case and bring the truth to light. He told Jack to get some rest and once recovered, he can be transported back to the mainland.
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Marius’ Route
Given Bryce’s critical condition, Marius radios for a helicopter to air lift him to a nearby campsite to seek treatment. The physical exertion had exacerbated the deterioration of his body. Marius contacted Bryce’s son to inform him of the situation and learnt that his father had become obsessed about Nosta’s culture since he was hospitalised last year. He had spent a lot of money on buying the relics and manuscripts and had even fallen out with his family over this. With these signs, Marius believed that Bryce might have been scammed in his desperation to live.
You had also found a stone carving of half a feather within the temple which you believed could be the Maat’s feather that Marius referred to earlier. Vyn had also found a similar carving but you will need to wait till you reunite with the rest of the team to figure out the purpose of these stone slabs. Meanwhile Bryce had awoken and insisted on being wheeled towards the two of you.
He wanted to know if Marius had seen the treasure, some kind of incantation on the statue that would be revealed once every decade by the first sun rays after the full moon of the mid-summer night. With this incantation and the golden mask of Anubis, Bryce believed that his disease can be cured and he would be able to gain immortality. Bryce asked Marius to tell him what he saw but when Marius told Bryce there was nothing, he turned hostile and offered to pay any sum of money to get it.
It was only when you insisted there was no text on the statue that Bryce revealed that he learnt about this secret from a member of the Nosta archaeology team. They had abandoned their research in a hurry because they had found the secret to immortality. Not wanting to stress Bryce out further, Marius told him to rest and they could speak further when they return to the mainland.
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Luke’s Route
By the time Joshua surfaces from the subterranean river, he didn’t try to hide his disappointment at not finding the gold, nor was he surprised to see both of you. Luke asked how he could be so certain that the gold was hidden here. It was then that Joshua revealed that the second-in-command, a Janet Winton, was actually his lover. She had fabricated all the parchments with the riddles and had only told Joshua the real location as she was saving the gold for their marriage. However this would never come to pass since she was killed during the mutiny. Joshua seemed hardly remorseful over her death, instead blaming her for causing the destruction of the gang.
As he tried to leave, Luke stopped him. While he may not be arrested for harbouring the gold, he was still a murder suspect. Joshua claimed that he had never killed anyone while on the island, to which Luke alluded to the murder of Jack’s father 10 years ago, information that Artem had just sent over. Before Joshua could say anything, his phone rang. Luke pulls out a dagger from his waist and rests it against Joshua’s neck. He told Joshua to pick up the phone and put it on speaker mode.
The caller was Bryce demanding that Joshua come quickly to the Temple of Death with the mask so that he could perform the ritual. He also revealed that he had a diary of Joshua’s sadistic hobbies which he was using to blackmail him. Luke smirked that now they had evidence of Joshua’s criminal acts. Joshua asked Luke for his real identity. In response, Luke leaned his dagger closer towards him and flashed you a forlorn look in that instance. It was then that you realised that Luke wasn’t trying to protect you from danger when he asked you to go into the forest, rather he didn’t want you to see him like this – the cold merciless agent.
Luke: Joshua, stop playing games. It doesn’t matter who I am, but if you ever lie to me again, heh, I don’t mind being the God of Death.
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Day 8 : 10 Sep
Luke’s Route
Joshua finally decided to come clean with the truth. The treasure in question was actually the Golden Mask of Anubis. Janet had hidden it at an underwater location with fluorescent plankton and left behind four pieces of parchment as clues to its location. Joshua had dropped one piece when he was rescued off the island and ended up in the hands of the sheriff of Nation A. He had kept one, and gave the other two to Zachary and Jack each. He knew that Jack was the son of the fisherman so he wanted to lure him to Nosta to kill him.
When the sheriff wasn’t able to find the mask, he decided to sell it off to Bryce, claiming that it could give the wielder the gift of immortality. Bryce had sought out Joshua to make a deal to retrieve the mask in exchange for transport off Nosta (Joshua didn’t trust Zachary to keep the end of his bargain) and money. With nothing else left to confess to, Joshua was escorted away by security.
Outside the cave, Luke seems pensive. When you pressed him for what’s bothering him, he told you that his mission with NSB was to retrieve the golden mask of Anubis as it was lent to your government by the Egyptians as a diplomatic gesture. Finding it was paramount to avoid embarrassment and potential hostility between the two nations since this relic is a national treasure, rumored to be linked with the afterlife. However you knew what was really bothering Luke.
You: You really don’t have to worry. In my heart, you’ll always be the same person…. I’d rather you act ruthlessly when facing criminals than get yourself hurt because of your kindness. The nature of your profession dictates that you face dangers before ordinary people like us do. On the battlefield, there’s a lot of things that can’t be solved by words alone. As long as you’re safe and sound by my side, then you’ll always be the best Luke in my heart.
Before you can react, Luke has already wrapped you up in his arms.
Luke: Thank you. I will. I will be forever by your side, safe and sound.
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Vyn’s Route
Vyn’s suggested route of escape from the prison building across the precipice was a typical scene out of a adventure movie as he removes a collapsible bow from his backpack and unfolds it to form a regular sized bow.
You: Dr Richter, you’re not planning to attach something like wire rope to an arrow and shoot towards the opposing cliff, are you?
Vyn: Sometimes I really do wish you were less intelligent. You always guess my thoughts. How am I supposed to set up a nice surprise for you?
After scanning the opposite cliff for a suitable crack to land his arrow and secure it tightly, Vyn loads his bow and aims towards it. With an air-splitting whistle, the arrow firmly lodges itself in a crack on the cliff wall. After Vyn tests the stability of the wire rope, he turns to you. Vyn tells you to hold on to him tightly as he zips you across to the other side. Despite your bashfulness, you hold on to him and close your eyes, his fragrance and warmth intensified during those few seconds. (This was perhaps one of the more unexpected turns in the story. I never expected Vyn to be so heroic!)
Finally after trekking through the night, you made it to the closest camp to rest just as dawn broke. Recounting the stunt, you thought it was too risky.
You: I didn’t feel it at the time because I was so nervous, but that really was scary. Instead of taking such a risk, maybe we should’ve called for the rescue team to save us.
Vyn: Your suggestion may indeed have been safer. I apologize, but it would have been unacceptable to me. You chose to come with me, so I am responsible for ensuring your safety on this trip. I could not allow myself to stand by and wait for others to rescue us when I caused out dangerous predicament. Of course, I was not grandstanding. Had I not found an escape route, I would have most definitely called for aid.
You: Dr Richter, I never knew you could be so childish.
Vyn: In your presence, I want you to look at me favorably. However, I did consider other things aside from that…
Before you can continue with your conversation, a commotion within the camp caught your attention. The emergency care team had just stretchered an injured man into camp – it was none other than Zachary. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder and looked to be in great pain. You learnt through the messages from the other team members that Zachary had met with Jack when he was shot and had left behind something at the scene. Vyn believes he had been manipulated by Joshua as well. It seems like you will only learn the whole story after meeting up with the rest.
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Back together again on the outer islands, the NXX members share notes on what they had each encountered. Though we probably already know the full story accompanying each of them. With Zachary, Jack and Bryce handed over for medical care and Joshua in custody, you learnt that Zangr had gone missing after he exclaimed that he had found the Universal Law.
The team members put together what they have obtained – four parchments containing clues to the whereabouts of the golden mask, two stone slabs of Maat’s feather, Isis’ pendant, Jack’s father copper coin necklace and Joshua’s diary that was held by Bryce. Zachary had found the necklace during his first trip to Nosta in a cave together with other bits and pieces in a box. He recognized the necklace as the murder weapon hence he had kept it in exchange for Joshua’s smuggling evidence against him. With the diary and the necklace, there is sufficient evidence to convict Joshua of murder.
As you read through Joshua’s diary, you also learnt that Joshua had murdered Janet and kept a part of her Isis pendant with him as a bounty. Luke also shared the real scope of his mission on Nosta island with the rest. The only missing gold left that had not been uncovered 10 years ago is actually just the golden mask.
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Day 10 – 11 : 12 & 13 Sep (Took a break from the story and just spent day 9 exploring the island)
Back on the ferry, the five NXX members continue to review the series of events surrounding the Nosta mystery. Luke wanted to piece together a timeline of events to clarify the relationships between Joshua, Zachary and Bryce. The team figured that Joshua had started planning for early release since a year ago when the sheriff of Nation A had sold one of the four parchments in a public auction. He was afraid that whoever bought the riddle would find the mask. In which case, Joshua’s real accomplice was actually Bryce who had approached him after the auction to ascertain the existence of the mask. Joshua had only manipulated Zachary to get him out of prison.
When Zachary learnt that he had been deceived by Joshua, he rushed to the cave where Joshua was supposedly paying respects to his dead comrades. It was the same cave that Joshua had arranged to meet with Jack to retrieve the gold. When Zachary got to the cave, he had fired at ‘Joshua’ in a fit of rage and was only stopped by Artem. The whole affair had been scripted by Joshua to get rid of the two people who were threats to him without getting himself involved.
Now that the events leading up the treasure hunt was clear, all that remained was to piece the four riddles together and find the true location of the mask. At that moment, one of Marius’ staff reported that Jack and Joshua are fighting with each other. The team rushed to the scene to break them up. Jack’s wound had opened again and blood was seeping out of his bandages. The team tried to persuade him from being rash and it didn’t help that Joshua continued to goad him.
In an attempt to create even more chaos, Joshua revealed that there was a golden mask buried somewhere on the island in the presence of all the other treasure hunters. This created a round of murmuring which you quickly quelled by pretending that Joshua was feeling sour about losing the treasure hunt. With Luke suppressing him, Joshua could not say anything else. Artem reassured Jack that he has found enough incriminating evidence to ensure that Joshua is put away for a very very long time. With this final resolution, Jack bursts into tears and was subsequently ushered to the hospital to treat his wounds. Vyn volunteered to have counselling sessions with Jack so that he can pick himself up again.
Back at base camp, the team members got down to piecing the riddle together and once again we see a highly charged atmosphere where each of the guys try to showcase their intellectual prowess.
Luke: The riddle comes from the Book of the Dead but this isn’t the original text. Many parts have been changed, and these parts are key to solving the riddle. Like this one, “A sapphire fluorescence graces the earth beneath you.” The original sentence is…
Artem: “Thy turquoise countenance illuminates the ground at thy feet.” There is no sapphire or fluorescence.
Luke: You memorised it pretty well.
Artem: After I got the riddle, I looked into the Book of the Dead. Thankfully, my memory and academic abilities are fairly good.
Luke: The sapphire color that Janet mentioned refers to bioluminescent algae that glows a fluorescent blue on the sea at night. The cave where Joshua was caught is connected to the sea and has algae, but it was already checked. The only other place around Nosta with algae and a luminous bay is …
Marius: The karst cave bay in the northernmost part of the island. I guess Joshua didn’t consider looking along the seabed because he didn’t think Janet could dive there alone. So, his attention was always focused on the waterways on Nosta.
Luke: You…
Marius: Excuse me, but I bought the island. Of course I know the geography of my property. Hydrology is part of it, and my memory’s also pretty good.
Luke: …
Vyn: You explained the final sentence of the poem. Then what about the first two sentences?
When Luke suggested putting all the riddles together to get a better picture, Vyn volunteered his own detailed analysis of the parchment in his possession.
Luke: What a clear and logical analysis. Your academic abilities are also pretty good?
Vyn: You are too kind. After all, I hold two doctorate degrees, whereas Artem has only one.
Artem: …
Luke: Are you guys done yet? (In Mandarin, Luke is actually saying ‘Don’t you feel silly?’)
You quickly try and break up the awkwardness by bringing up the two halves of Maat’s Feather and what it could possibly be used for. Luke surmises that it is used to activate the mechanism for wherever the treasure is hidden. Going through the rest of the riddles, Luke shared that it was likely referring to a mirage at sea that could only be witnessed under certain conditions. Marius recalled that there was an open-air karst cave that happens to have a scepter-like sculpture. This narrows down the location of the buried treasure.
Three days later, you’re sitting by the seashore of Nosta’s northern karst cave waiting for Luke to return from his diving expedition just before daybreak. Vyn approaches and sits beside you.
Vyn: The sea breeze can be chilly at night. Take care not to develop a headache.
You: Dr Richter, I’m fine. Why aren’t you sleeping?
Vyn: You have stayed here, waiting. I also cannot fall asleep, so I came to look around. Truthfully, you are the one who requires rest the most. Artem has been giving you overtime these past few days, so you have not adequately rested.
You: I’m fine. Mr Wing’s the one who needs the rest…. as he has been handling all of the legal documentation to ensure that the mask will not be taken away through Nation A’s customs, as well as managing Bryce’s and Joshua’s judicial transfers.
Vyn: You are always very considerate of others. Do you also feel that Marius has been working hard?
You: For sure… He’s been dispatching his resources and facilitating political and business relations with Nation A…
Vyn: Indeed. Mirage manifestations are unpredictable, so Luke has been diving underwater in search of the relic. Everyone is busy, save for me. (Seriously, Vyn, your competitiveness is quite a sight to behold.)
You: Dr Richter, you’ve been helping the staff look for people who got lost because of their damaged terminals. The others might not have noticed because they’re so busy, but I see what you do.
Vyn: At this moment, let us two idlers prepare to greet the sunrise. It is rare to find time alone with y–
Marius: Jie jie, what are you here for?
Vyn: …
Artem: Are you waiting for the sunrise?
After updating on the progress of their respective duties, you turn your attention back to the horizons, hoping that Luke would return in time to witness the sunrise together. As the first rays hit the surface of the water, you saw a mirage inside the karst cave, of a majestic figure rising upon the altar, its appearance resembling the statue in the Temple of Death. Luke soon returns with the mask.
While leaving Nosta island, your cruise ship was intercepted by a Nation A inspection vessel. Apparently the sheriff who had scammed Bryce leaked information about precious artwork onboard the ship to the local authorities. Luke thought to stall them while he contacts the embassy but Vyn comes up with an even better proposal. By pretending to be a royal from the Kingdom of Svart which Nation A is a member of, he was able to prevent the customs officer from searching the ship.
Vyn: For you, I shall ensure that the golden mask safely returns to its country. My Lady.
Marius, Artem, Luke: …
All creatures sing praises to the sun. Your light is the faith of the stars in the sky. You walk in the day, you walk in yesterday, today, and tomorrow. You open the gate of immortal ages, guiding us in the direction of your return. When you lift your scepter, you are the king of all gods. — This sounds so much like a Christian hymn!
— end —
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I liked how the story progressed on four different tracks giving a different perspective as well as the piece by piece unraveling of the plot so that what I originally thought was the case turned out to be different. Yet it all made sense at the end once the team got together and pieced what they knew. The key theme that threaded through this case is that people will see what they want to see (Bryce was scammed into believing that he could achieve immortality, Zachary that he could outsmart a lowly convict and Jack in pursuit of blind vengeance) which makes them susceptible to manipulation by the likes of Joshua. However it was rather poetic in the end, that Janet chose to use a mirage to provide clues to the whereabouts of the mask, something the likes of Joshua may never truly appreciate.
We also got to see new sides to the four characters – Luke and his ruthlessness when dealing with his adversaries, Artem and his decisive sharpshooting skills, Vyn and his prowess with the bow and surprisingly adventurous streak, and Marius and his constant struggle to trust those close to him. Personally, I felt Vyn’s route the most entertaining based on how he conducted himself with Zachary, the other teammates and also with you. Vyn is easily the most competitive character in pursuing you and you really have to give him credit for being able to live up to his various boasts. Overall, I look forward to seeing them in action together again soon!