Chương 4: 4-Benevelont Incident 3

EDITOR'S NOTE: {Okay, this one. So, uh, originally, it was going to be some AI-generated bs that was completely fabricated. I don't even know why he did that to be honest, and it's not like there is something on Warden Watch detailing it because… it doesn't exist. … Okay, it was some "crime scene thriller" to drum up hype for "big scary incident" to paint the Warden in a negative light. It had him beat up some goons holding a victim hostage. It looks so ass too. Like, seriously?! This is what Hansha Software touts as the future? BRO HAD 6 FINGERS IN SOME OF THOSE SCENES! … My boss is again telling me not to yell… And he told me to replace it with something that did happen and it isn't some thriller. … Wait, aren't you worried if his folks will-? … Okay, then… My boss just told me the player's parents gave us permission to log the incident as they want people to know about a kindness that you-know-who will not cover on his channel. Oh, and uh… the Warden has sentimental memories of this. … He told my boss, that's what I can tell you. … Also, [EXPLETIVE] this stupid-ass, "professional investigator" format. Looks like something some high schooler would write about horrorspaghett. net. … Alright, fine! I won't swear that much. It's not like I've been doing this for-! … Uh… I'm just going to play the video} BENEVOLENT INCIDENT 3 {Player}: 14 YEAR-OLD TEENAGE BOY LIVING IN HOSPICE CARE AT [REDACTED] PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITION: TERMINAL ILLNESS WHICH HIS PARENTS {have not disclosed} THAT RESULTED IN HIS DEATH ON SEPTEMBER 27TH, 2019 REASON FOR PLAYING: {Player} ACCORDING TO PARENTS WANTED TO BEAT LETHE BEFORE HE DIED FROM HIS MEDICAL CONDITION. GAMING DEVICE: FUNVISION 4 GAME VERSION: ORIGINAL VERSION MEANS OF COMMUNICATION: VERBAL SPEECH, DIALOGUE SELECTION.

MEANS OF RECORDING: AUDIO AND VIDEO VIA SECURITY CAMERAS DATE OF INCIDENT: SEPTEMBER 26-27, 2019 [2114 HOURS: 09. 26. 2019] [SCENE LOCATION INDICATES TO BE A RUINED TEMPLE OF APOLLEN IN AN AREA 22 MINUTES DUE WEST FROM THE CITY OF REMUSAN] {Player}: > ACHING IN MOVEMENT WHILE SITTING tiredly He should be right here… > PLAYER CHARACTER APPROACHES THE WARDEN Why does he have that red gemstone on his helmet? WARDEN: > SMILING Morning citizen. What a pleasant day outside. Remus must have blessed the skies above.

{Player}: whispering I wish it was… WARDEN: > STOPS SMILING AND SHOWS CONCERN I see you are having quite a bit of difficulty with your quest to stop Amulius, yes? {Player}: > WHEEZING tiredly Yeah… > CONFUSED {DIALOGUE OPTION} Why did you bring me here? WARDEN: I wish to be of assistance. It is imperative that we stop Amulius or he will unleash the horrors of Cestranna.

EDITOR'S NOTE: CESTRANNA IN-UNIVERSE IS A HELLISH, BLINDINGLY BRIGHT REALM WHERE AMULIUS (THE MAIN VILLAIN OF THE FORGOTTEN TOMES SERIES) IS CHAINED. {Basically Hell if it was brighter than the Sun} WARDEN: > RAISES AXE I will offer you my services in exchange for ensuring disaster does not occur. What say you? {Player}: > NODS IN CONFUSION {DIALOGUE SELECTION} I accept. whispering All for a-? WARDEN: > LOWERS AXE Then we best be off. Basileus Darian Vinalan is rumored to have a bastard son in the city of Agreggo.

> BECKONS PLAYER TO FOLLOW, WHO COMPLIES EDITOR'S NOTE: {Darian Vinalan was a central character for 3 Forgotten Tomes games as the leader of the Elmiran Empire. The city of Agreggo is a required city to visit in the world in order to progress the main quest. Lore-wise, it is a major religious city within the Elmiran province where Apollenism was said to take off as the state religion of the Elmiran Empire and a major trading hub between it and the religious Confederacy of Telenar. Gameplay wise; it sucks ass. Much of the recording shows no signs of anomalous behavior coming from the warden, other than he guided the player quickly through the main quest. He also altered the game's progression system in order to allow the player to overcome the most infamous and difficult areas of the game easily. Stolen novel; please report. … WHAT?! I can nerd out like everyone else at times! … Apologies. For the sake of conciseness, but also to summarize, the player spent all night doing the main quest, and his health declined due to unknown anomalous effects. I'm skipping ahead to when the player beat the game, as that's when the weird stuff happens} [0619 HOURS: 09. 27. 2019] [SCENE SHOWS THE CITY OF REMUSAN UNDER SIEGE AS BASILEUS APPARENT BERINAL VINNALAN PREPARES TO SACRIFICE HIMSELF TO CONTAIN AMULIUS AS THE AVATAR OF APOLLEN] WARDEN: exasperated QUICKLY!

The last seal must be broken in order for Berinal to become the Avatar of Apollen! {Player}: > PLAYER CHARACTER PROCEEDS TO DESTROY SEAL AND BEGIN IN-GAME FIGHT BETWEEN THE AVATAR AND AMULIUS > WATCHES THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE AVATAR AND AMULIUS [SCENE SHOWS AVATAR OVERPOWERING AMULIUS AND SEALING HIM BEFORE END CG PLAYS] {Player}: > SMILING WIDELY AND RAISING ARMS yelling I DID IT! > COUGHING BEFORE STARING AT WARDEN quietly We did it…

> LIES BACK ON BACK OF BED WITH DROOPING EYES I never thought I would actually beat Lethe. That NPC… > COUGHING … Companion, he carried me. I wish I could shake his hand. [SECURITY FOOTAGE SHOWS WARDEN APPEARING IN SUBJECT'S HOSPITAL ROOM] WARDEN: > GENTLE SMILE softly Well, you can. {Player}: > LOOKS AT WARDEN SURPRISED BEFORE SHAKING HIS HAND WITH A SOFT SMILE exasperated T-thanks… WARDEN: > NODS AND SMILES {Player}: > SMILE FADES Am I dead? WARDEN: > SITS NEXT TO PLAYER IN CHAIR AND SIGHS softly No.

You're still alive. {Player}: Am I dreaming then? WARDEN: > GENTLE SMILE softly In a way, yes. {Player}: > CONFUSED What are you then? WARDEN: Someone to talk to while the sun comes up. {Player}: > COUGHING Have I really been playing all night? WARDEN: > SMIRKS Yes, you have been. Far past your bedtime. {Player}: > DISAPPOINTED SIGH I guess I better sleep then… WARDEN: Soon, but it would be nice to celebrate your victory with the sun.

> POINTS TO WINDOW [THE TWO STARE AS THE SUN SLOWLY GOES OVER THE HORIZON] {Player}: > WATCHES IN AWE I never really see the sun come up like this. It kind of looks like the world is waking up. WARDEN: gently Yes. Along with every blade of grass, every bird that flies, and every man, woman, and child who desires to celebrate its joy with song and dance… {Player}: > SADDENED tiredly But I have to sleep… WARDEN: > TURNS TO {Player} gently Yes, you need to. You wouldn't want to miss the next sunrise.

{Player}: > DEEP, SLOW BREATHING tiredly What will the next one be like? WARDEN: > GENTLE SMILE gently More beautiful than this one, something perfect where you always see it. [SUN SHINES THROUGH HORIZON] {Player}: > FAINT SMILE very tiredly It's beautiful… > DEEP BREATHING very tiredly Hey… will you leave soon? WARDEN: > SMILE FADES gently No. Not until you get some sleep. {Player}: > SLOWED BREATHING WHILE STRUGGLING very tiredly It will hurt though… WARDEN: gently No, it won't. You'll feel much better.

A dream without pain and suffering, where you'll be able to see the sun shining in a meadow filled with great fields of lavender, where you'll see old friends waiting for you, far off into an endless horizon. {Player}: >CALMS weakly I-I guess it isn't that bad then…? WARDEN: gently No. Think of it as getting your wings… {Player}: > EYES ARE NOW HALF-CLOSED weakly Will you remember… me? Whatever- > DEEP BREATHING weakly -You are?

WARDEN: > GENTLE SMILE gently Yes, I will, and so will many others; in this world and the next. Now, sleep. You don't want to keep them waiting… {Player}: > EYES COMPLETELY CLOSES AND BREATHING STOPS AFTER 1 MINUTE, 38 SECONDS WARDEN: > GENTLY TUCKS {player} IN AND DISAPPEARS INCIDENT 3 RESULT: {Do I really have to call it that? … Uh, welp! My boss says I have to} The Warden stayed with the {player} until he passed away at 0748 hours.

The nurse assigned to the {player} noted the TV was still and saved the {player}'s game before turning off the Funvision 4 console and the TV. The {player} was described by the nurse and his parents to be smiling after his passing. By personal request, his parents received the memory card inserted into the Funvision 4 console and proceeded to upload it to their personal computer.

On the day they uploaded the save file to their computer (date is unknown {they forgot}), they found a photo album within the save file of their son, including photos they believe to have lost during a housefire. EDITOR'S NOTES: {The parents of that kid didn't really know if the Warden was either a nurse or a security guard playing dress-up to make their son's last moments the best of his life. They did realize a month later (which is absurdly long to figure it out) that the Warden was neither of those things. As I said before, his parents gave us these recordings as a way to remember their son. The nurse and security staff were quite generous in a lot of regards. … Yeah, I'll talk about that. The kid's parents told Warden Watch they have a personal contact within Lennox Games. They basically told that guy everything, and they pleaded to put their son in the remaster (he whispered to them about) to honor and remember their kid. Well, their petition went through as the remaster included someone that looked a lot like their son. … No, he was not sentient or magically reincarnated (that would be cruel). The Warden does actually visit an in-game grave dedicated to the kid, and there have been multiple incidents where he laid incense on the tombstone. … Oh, and the shield. I think perhaps he just felt a lot of pity for the kid that he decided to carry his shield, the player used to beat the game. He's pretty protective of it. Can't blame him} {SKIPPING FOOTAGE… DONE}