EP.115 Escaping from the Bottomless Pit
"Ah. What a nostalgic sensation. How long has it been since I stood here giving a lecture?"
It was my first time since Tir went on a rampage. Briefly lost in sentiment, I tapped the chalkboard with chalk and began the lesson.
The Returner, who had been pushed away from the podium because of me, wore a somewhat sullen expression.
"90 days? How does that work?"
"Now, now, let's not get too hasty."
It's been a while since it was my turn to work. After applying alchemical light to the tip of the chalk, I tapped the chalkboard.
The method of escaping the Bottomless Pit that I read from Lieutenant General Ebon. I originally intended to keep it hidden and to myself, but since I can't escape with my power alone, I'm specially revealing it.
Taking out the paper box I had prepared in advance, I spoke.
"Everyone. While you were idly playing around in this Bottomless Pit, I went through all sorts of hardships to find a way to escape."
Desperately clinging to the golems to request supplies, thoroughly investigating all items coming down, playing mind games with the golems.
Though it seemed like peaceful days were passing, behind the scenes, I was steadily making efforts. And finally.
I just read Lieutenant General Ebon's memories and found out.
...It feels like everything I've done so far was meaningless, but still, let my efforts have been worth something.
"As a result of disassembling every single item coming down from the Military Empire one by one, I discovered an astonishing fact. And that is."
Saying so, I scattered the contents of the paper box onto the podium. Softly, fine particles rolled across the unfamiliar floor.
The Returner tilted their head.
"Dirt?"
"That's right! It's dirt!"
As if I had discovered a great fact, I spread my arms wide and shouted.
"Everything the Military Empire dropped down to this place! Whether it was a parachute, carried on someone's body, or stuffed into a tiny gap! Every single one contained dirt from the surface!"
This was a fact I discovered as a result of meticulously investigating each one.
While you were just playing around, that is.
"Originally, not a single speck of dirt falls in this place cursed by the Earth Mother Goddess. Otherwise, there would be no way that such collapsed earth wouldn't exist around this massive hole. Even if you throw a grain of sand into the Bottomless Pit, it would cling to the wall on its own and return to the embrace of Mother Earth... But! Because of that, this dirt can become a catalyst!"
The Returner, who had at least some magical knowledge, quickly grasped the meaning of my words.
"Catalyst?"
"Yes! The Bottomless Pit is land that falls infinitely. But where in the world is there infinite space? The earth is round, so if you fall forever, you should arrive on the other side! But we don't. Why!"
I drew two long lines on the chalkboard. To indicate that it was infinitely long, I cut out the middle, drew Tantalus, and placed a large question mark.
"Because in this Bottomless Pit, coordinates and space itself lose meaning! Here, everyone becomes a lost child who merely falls infinitely!"
"...However, if space itself has no meaning, then conversely, to reach what's inside it..."
The Returner, who caught on, muttered to themselves. I nodded vigorously and placed a large asterisk on Tantalus.
"That's right. In the night sky, in the pitch-dark vast ocean, a lighthouse's light becomes the goal, becomes the landmark, becomes the coordinate. This Tantalus too has decided to become the landmark of the Bottomless Pit. How?"
From here on is what I figured out by combining my speculation with the memories I read from Ebon. I shouted it before everyone.
"Because, when building this Tantalus, it received a blessing from the Earth Mother Goddess's priestess! And I mean this entire land, no less!"
"...It's strange that they agreed to such a thing. To the Earth Mother Goddess's priestess, the Bottomless Pit should be a place they must never even approach."
Yeah, I thought so too.
The Returner also contributed to discovering this fact. The 'she' who existed in the Returner's recollections was, no matter how I thought about it, a priestess of the Earth Mother Goddess.
"Even if the entire land is concrete, its essence comes from the earth. They compacted the ground and built structures with concrete made of blessed sand and gravel. However, even though this concrete's origin is the earth, it is ultimately a structure made by humans. Tantalus, existing at the boundary between the Earth Mother Goddess's flesh and human buildings, could precariously maintain its balance."
Infinite space, the only land within it.
They built a prison upon the contradiction of something that shouldn't exist but clearly does.
"There is only one thing needed to reach this place. It is simply a catalyst that can identify this place... dirt. If you hang that and fall, you will naturally reach this place, just as rainwater eventually flows to the sea."
The bracelet that led Finlay here, and the supply boxes too. They all contained dirt inside.
Nabi also had dirt hanging from them. It was just that Nabi, as the king of cats promised a safe landing, didn't need a parachute or anything.
Anyway, the principle was understood. Now all that remained was application.
"Now, here's the problem... We needed dirt to reach Tantalus deep below in the Bottomless Pit. Then, if we were to go up from this Bottomless Pit to the surface, what should we use as a catalyst?"
The first to raise their hand was the Immortal, but even cold water has top and bottom, and even among Immortals there's a pecking order. I pointed to Tir first, who had slightly raised their parasol.
"Yes, Tir!"
"...That would be."
Tir, who hesitated for a moment, frowned as if truly displeased before answering.
"The light of the sun, I suppose."
"Oh oh. Correct! As expected of someone called the nightmare of the Holy Imperial Court and a heaven-defying existence, you are indeed knowledgeable!"
They got the correct answer on the first try. How unfortunate.
"Oh! Wasn't it tree branches? They reach toward the sky!"
'Wasn't it Cheon-aeng...? Since this is space itself, maybe it can't be a catalyst...?'
I really should have heard these two's wrong answers.
I want to say something even now, but it's troublesome, so let's skip it.
"Yes. The sun! If the dirt of the Bottomless Pit is a lighthouse, then the lighthouse of the sky is the sun. We must ascend while holding the sunlight to escape from this Bottomless Pit!"
I sent enthusiastic applause toward Tir, who got the correct answer. Tir waited until the applause died down before calmly asking.
"However, this Bottomless Pit should be a place where sunlight does not enter. How can we receive sunlight and ascend from here?"
I thought so too. But I discovered the blind spot of this Tantalus.
Tantalus is surprisingly bright. As if mimicking the sky, bright daytime lights and dark nighttime lights alternately illuminate the prison, so naturally during the day, eyes open and become accustomed to the bright light.
That's why even I didn't notice until Ebon looked up at the sky.
The far above of the Bottomless Pit. That place is not always dark.
"It's not that sunlight doesn't enter. Sometimes sunlight does enter, but we don't notice it."
The golem ordered me to stop Tir. Saying it wasn't time to go up yet, and again that 'you can't go up that way.'
But if the Bottomless Pit were truly a space from which escape was impossible no matter what method was used, that warning would be quite suspicious. Whether they tried to go up or not, they wouldn't achieve what they wanted anyway, so there would be no reason to stop them.
That question was resolved with Ebon's appearance.
Ebon waited for the 'time' on the rooftop to escape to the surface. That means the door opens at a set time.
That must have been why the golem tried to stop the two. Because they were afraid that vampires, who neither eat, drink, nor easily feel boredom, would keep climbing until the door opened, until the sunlight shone on them.
They told me to stop them because they were worried that Tir might forcefully break out.
"The time when the noon sun is positioned right above our heads. No matter how deep the place, when the infinitely extending rays of light must reach."
The puzzle was completely assembled. I confidently declared.
"That time is exactly 3 months from now. At noon 3 months from now, the moment the sun briefly passes over the Bottomless Pit. Only that moment is the sole opportunity to escape."
It was a great discovery, but the reaction was smaller than expected.
It was right after the Returner declared that they could go out even in 9 months anyway. The fact that it was reduced to a third didn't cause any particular commotion.
"How amazing, Hugh. Have you even grasped the secrets of the Bottomless Pit?"
However, only Tir, who had been genuinely interested in my story itself, rejoiced purely.
Anyway, being able to go out in 90 days was also encouraging. Since we now knew the structure of the Bottomless Pit, even if we miss the next opportunity, we can escape anytime. We don't have to desperately wait for 'her' who might or might not come.
If I were alone, it would be impossible because I can't go against gravity, but with Tir and the Returner, it should be possible...
"Huh? Come to think of it?"
At that moment, as if suddenly remembering, the Returner asked.
"How did you know? Did you extract it from the Lieutenant General?"
To be precise, I read the Lieutenant General's thoughts.
Lieutenant General Ebon only knew what time the 'door' opened, not the exact principle. They just knew that they should go up when sunlight shone.
Well. A general only needs to know the password, not fully understand the principles of cryptography.
I simply gathered and connected the information they had to reach a conclusion.
But explaining was bothersome, so I roughly nodded.
"That's right..."
"Probably not! When hit by my fist, he was nearly dead! He couldn't even speak!"
The Immortal answered before me.
The Returner's expression gradually added more suspicion. I opened my mouth and glared at the Immortal.
You clueless fool! Why did I ask you to cover your ears!
The Immortal also saw my expression and opened their eyes wide.
'Was it something I shouldn't have said? Hah, really, you have so many secrets. Alright. I'll make something up.'
Please do. It would be troublesome if I become any more suspicious.
A mysterious existence that merely happened to pass by in the Bottomless Pit.
It's better to be remembered at just that level.
That's why I'm trying to get out of the Bottomless Pit as quickly as possible.
"Then? What did you do to someone who couldn't even speak?"
When the Returner pressed, the Immortal thought for a moment, then raised their thumb and shouted.
"The teacher mostly muttered something to themselves! Since I had covered my ears, I can't say for certain! But probably the teacher found the answer to the Bottomless Pit on their own, and just confirmed it with the Lieutenant General!"
'Now, that's enough! With this, the teacher has become an even greater being, right!'
...That makes me even more suspicious!
Just tell them I extracted information from the Lieutenant General. That's closer to the truth!
"You figured out the method to escape the Bottomless Pit on your own? Well, that's impressive."
The Returner muttered, pretending to be nonchalant, but in contrast, focusing their senses entirely on me.
"But I get it. Certainly, you're not an officer."
"Haha. That's right. I'm a laborer..."
"A mere laborer can't kill a Colonel. Can't flick a Cheon-aeng either. Everyone knows you're not an ordinary laborer, but how long do you plan to hide it?"
Slow, probing movements. The Returner asked without much expectation, but with a hope that wished for it.
"Are you really not going to reveal your identity?"
'If only... you could give me certainty. So I could judge whether to trust you or not...'
For the terminally paranoid Returner, my existence seemed too irritating.
The desire to trust and the feeling that they absolutely couldn't trust me coexisted. So much that the Returner themselves couldn't get a grip.
But it can't be helped.
I survived, so I need to slowly prepare for the next round, don't I?
Then I need to get through this situation somehow.
I let out a deep sigh and spoke.