Chapter 81

Amon accepted the proposal from the human and hamster he bumped into on the street. The two headed to a house that also served as a scientist’s lab. His house was a cramped one-room apartment, similar to those of the average poor in Paris. There, Amon and Sonia sat at the table, waiting, when the scientist placed a steaming pot on the table.

“Not much, but I hope you enjoy it,” said the man with a hamster on his shoulder, Dant. To be precise, it was Muar speaking through Dant’s mouth. This bizarre scientist duo was named Henri Muar & Dant. The hamster was Muar, and the human was Dant.

Amon silently stared at the ratatouille Dant had placed on the table. The hamster spoke to Amon, “Can’t you eat eggplant?” “No, it’s not that,” Amon replied, looking at the vegetable tomato stew—ratatouille. He felt strange.

Amon, throwing caution to the wind, voiced the question he had been holding onto. “Did you make this, Doctor?” “Doctor? Are you calling me Doctor?” “Yes. Is there anyone else here who deserves to be called Doctor?” “Doctor! Haha! Doctor!” The hamster squeaked with joy, and the human expressed that joy in words. Then, remembering he had been asked a question, he regained his composure. “Ah, sorry. It’s been hundreds of years since someone called me Doctor on first meeting. Most call me Hammy or Teacher. Well, I don’t have a degree, so it’s not wrong!”

“Doctor.” “Got it, Dant. No need to lecture me about manners in front of guests. Anyway, to answer your question… I’m really sorry. What was the question again?” Amon, who had been mesmerized by the two voices coming from one mouth, chuckled and repeated the question. “This ratatouille, did you make it, Doctor?” “Unfortunately, no. I’m versatile, but I don’t allocate brain capacity to inefficient activities like cooking! That’s my assistant Dant’s job! But I guarantee the taste! His home cooking is above star chefs!”

Hearing the answer, Amon seemed oddly disappointed. Then, after taking a bite, he said, “It’s incredibly delicious. I never imagined such flavor could come from these ingredients.” “Right? He has hundreds of years of experience in household chores! You can ask him to make anything! He can even make scones out of cardboard biscuits!” “Isn’t that alchemy?” “Well, alchemy principles do apply to cooking!” “I see. I’d like to learn that sometime.” “If you want, you can take the recipe book my assistant wrote.” “Is that really okay, Doctor?” “Of course! I’d gladly do that for a polite young man like you!”

Amon and the hamster got along like old friends. Meanwhile, Sonia was the only one struggling to keep up. She whispered to Amon, “Do you know him?” “No.” “But how are you so…” “I guess I’m just good at getting along with people.” Amon smiled slightly. Strictly speaking, it was just flattery based on his past life knowledge. The Doctor had been a popular character since Punk City 1. It wasn’t hard to say what he wanted to hear. Just calling him Doctor on first meeting and treating the hamster like a doctor afterward was enough to maintain a good relationship. Knowing this, Amon didn’t dismiss the hamster. The hamster also vaguely sensed Amon’s attitude and felt goodwill toward him.

Amon hid all these facts and smoothed things over with smiles and charm. Convinced by his appearance, she let it go. With a slight unease, she picked up her fork. But that unease disappeared after just one bite of ratatouille.

After a satisfying meal, they got down to business. “You know why I invited you two, right?” “Because of Divine Power?” Amon didn’t hide it. He had already informed Sonia’s school, and he knew the Doctor wouldn’t harm them based on that. After all, psychological warfare wouldn’t work on someone who had lived for nearly a thousand years.

The Doctor nodded as if he expected this. “So, here’s the thing…” The Doctor took out a vial and placed it on the table. “I made a reagent that increases the density of Divine Power, and I need clinical trials.” Amon tilted his head at the term “Divine Power density.” It was a term he had heard from Sonia’s friend before. He didn’t understand it beyond “the higher, the better.” In contrast, Sonia, who knew the term well, sparkled with excitement. “Really?! If this is true, it’s revolutionary!” Sonia reacted dramatically, like a martial artist who had discovered a rare opportunity. She seriously considered the experiment. But Amon calmed her down. “Let’s hear about the side effects before deciding.” Only then did she regain her composure, though her excitement about increasing density remained.

‘What’s so great about density?’ Amon, who didn’t understand its value, was indifferent. He turned his gaze from Sonia and looked sharply at the Doctor. “You’re not trying to trick us, are you?” “Of course not! I have pride as a Doctor! Don’t compare me to those quacks outside!” The human shouted in a deep voice. The human, speaking for the hamster, nodded in agreement with the Doctor’s words. Then, switching back to hamster spokesperson mode, he continued, “Don’t worry. We won’t start until we explain the side effects and make sure you fully understand. I haven’t lived a thousand years for nothing!”

The hamster shrugged (or so it seemed) and continued explaining. “First, let me explain again. This drug increases the density of Divine Power just by injecting it. But the side effect is…” Gulp. Sonia swallowed dryly. What could the side effect be? Reduced Magic Power? Muscle atrophy? Immune system decline? But if it could increase density… “The Divine Power converts into fat, especially belly fat.” The Doctor said. The method was to store Divine Power in fat to increase its density. Hearing this, Sonia firmly replied, “No way.” For women, weight was a serious matter.

Following Sonia, Amon also flatly refused. “If I use it, I’d have to roll around.” Amon, who already had an overwhelming amount of Divine Power, couldn’t imagine how much fat it would convert into. He might even die from shock. The Doctor gloomily put the drug away. Then, regaining his energy, he turned to Amon. “Then, can I ask you for one favor?” “I’ll hear it first.” “We’re out of sunflower seeds. My assistant usually stocks them, but he forgot today! The store is about to close, so I was hoping you two could take me there.” “What’s the reward?” “You can choose between money or one of my research papers.” “I’ll take the research paper.” “I knew from the start you knew my value.” Amon just smiled.

The hamster jumped off the assistant’s shoulder and approached Sonia. She carefully picked up the hamster. Sonia petted the hamster once and then put it in her pocket. She looked at Amon and said, “Shall we go?” Then, the assistant grabbed Amon. “Didn’t you say you needed a recipe book? While Miss Sonia is out, I can teach you the secret sauce. It’ll be more efficient.” Amon met the assistant’s eyes. Then, nodding, he said, “Sonia, go ahead with the Doctor. I’ll learn the sauce from the assistant.” Sonia wasn’t a fool. She noticed the exchange between Amon and the assistant. But she was a woman who respected her partner’s independence. ‘We promised that day.’ The day Amon created a dungeon alone and defeated the boss, he promised her that he would rely on her if needed. In other words, if he was sending her away, there was a good reason. At least it didn’t mean he didn’t trust her. She nodded cheerfully. As always, acting like a carefree, ignorant girl, as if she hadn’t noticed Amon’s thoughts. “Okay. I’ll be back.” She ran off with the chubby hamster in her pocket.

After sending Sonia off, Amon smiled wryly. ‘Thanks, as always.’ He knew of her consideration. He vowed to repay her with even more affection, feeling indebted. The assistant looked at Amon and spoke. “You two make a good pair.” “Thank you.” “Then, with Miss Sonia’s consideration, let’s get straight to the point.” The assistant cleared his throat. Switching to Doctor mode, he said, “Young man. I’ve been thinking since earlier, but there’s something odd about you.” “What do you mean?” “Miss Sonia feels like a typical… well, a typical Divine Power holder. But you… you’re different.” “You can call me Amon.” “Amon, you’re different from typical Divine Power holders.” “What do you mean?” The Doctor lowered his voice further. “Sadin. Stop pretending in front of me.” The Doctor’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Muar & Dant are a human and a hamster. At the same time, they are a hamster and a human. What this means is that the two share the same consciousness and memories. Clearly, the hamster is the Doctor, and the human is the assistant. But the two share memories and consciousness. Yet, if one falls, the other dies, making them a kind of Siamese twin-like existence. How they became like this was never explained in the game. But there was a popular theory in the community: “In Punk City 1’s final battle, weren’t they in the same city as the protagonist? Maybe they were exposed to Divine Power when the final boss died, and that’s how they ended up like this?”

The Doctor appeared in Punk City 1. Back then, the hamster just squeaked, and the human translated. It wasn’t to the extent of fully representing the hamster’s consciousness. “The Doctor says he thinks so,” was the general idea. But by Punk City 2, hundreds of years later, it was as if the hamster’s consciousness had fully taken root in the human. This theory explained their state and lifespan well. Eventually, this theory gained much support in the community and became semi-canonical.

‘Yes, like now.’ The assistant didn’t need to be next to the hamster. No matter how far apart they were, even on opposite sides of the Earth, the two shared consciousness. That’s why, even if Sonia took the Doctor out, Amon could still communicate with him. Amon silently watched Muar & Dant, thinking this. The hamster Doctor, sensing Amon’s silence, pleaded with a hint of sorrow. “Sadin! It’s you, right?! Please say it’s you!” Amon seemed to know who he was talking about. This was a dialogue that appeared in Punk City 2 and 3 when the Doctor’s favorability reached 100. The Doctor would suddenly say this to the protagonist. And the protagonist would always respond like this: “Sorry, you’ve got the wrong person.” “Sorry, I don’t know who you’re talking about.” And Amon was no different. “I’m sorry. I’m not the person you’re looking for.”

Hearing this, the Doctor visibly showed disappointment. Both the Doctor and the assistant did. The Doctor spoke with a familiar line, his face downcast. “I’m sorry. I thought so because of your Divine Power. You must be… a Successor.” Amon quietly nodded. Successor. The Doctor always defined the protagonist this way. Being called this was the minimum condition for the true ending, so Amon knew this line well. The Doctor spoke with a hint of bitterness. “If you’re a Successor, you must have no parents, right? You were probably summoned into this world as a newborn baby. Right?” Nod. “You must know me.” Nod. “How does it feel to inherit someone else’s memories?” Amon shrugged. Even if he inherited memories, it was just through a monitor. To be clear, Amon had no special secrets in his past life, nor in the life before that, as confirmed by the Goddess. So, he was completely different from the “Sadin” the Doctor was looking for. The Doctor already knew this.

Soon, the Doctor muttered softly. “Yes… that must be it.” He twisted his lips and asked Amon, “Is the world about to change again?” “Probably, right?” “Yes. I see.” The Doctor sighed and stood up. “Yes. That must be it. Of course…” Watching the middle-aged man muttering to himself, Amon felt uncomfortable too. The Doctor’s dialogue ended there. At least in the game. But the Doctor’s next question made Amon realize this was reality. “You. What are you planning?” “Huh?” “Others might not know, but I can tell. You’re planning to die once, aren’t you?” Amon was startled. How did he know? The Doctor smiled bitterly. “I can tell. I was reborn like that once too.” “…Please keep it a secret from Sonia.” “You’ll come back to life anyway, so no need to stir up trouble by telling her.” “Thank you.” “Take this.” The Doctor handed over a vial filled with a purple liquid. Amon knew what it was. “This is…” “You’ll need it to be reborn. Even if you already have some, take it. It’s better to have extra.” Amon carefully placed the vial in his pocket. Then, he bowed to the Doctor. “Thank you.” “No need. I’m just a relic of this era. I’m grateful you even talked to me.” The Doctor waved his hand.

Soon, the Doctor looked in the direction Sonia had left. “She’ll be back in about three minutes. She’s really fast.” Thanks to sharing consciousness with the hamster, this statement was possible. The Doctor planned to pass on the secret sauce knowledge to the assistant during those three minutes. “At least we should pretend to do something.” Then, Amon spoke to the Doctor. “Doctor. I’m not Sadin.” “I know.” “But…” Amon remembered. Whenever he saw the Doctor like this in the game, there was something he always wanted to say. Only someone who deeply understood the story and world, enough to propose the first theory about the Doctor’s condition, could think of it. It was a line so famous that all players wanted it added as an option, even modding it in. A line he had never been able to say directly until now.

“Sadin must have wanted to say this to you before ascending.” Amon cleared his throat and spoke. “The warm memories you showed on that difficult journey were surely the ‘light’ you were looking for.” “…” “So, let go of the guilt that you killed me, old friend.” Moisture gathered in the Doctor and assistant’s eyes. Amon thought. Why had the Doctor been searching for “Sadin” so desperately? Why had he spent a thousand years making all sorts of strange drugs to make the protagonist’s journey spectacular? Perhaps he blamed the side effects of his drugs for the protagonist’s death in Punk City 1. Maybe, over the long years, he had been denying the protagonist’s death while desperately hoping they would return to him someday. Maybe he had longed for comfort, or even retribution.

Amon didn’t know. Only the Doctor himself could know. But looking at the Doctor’s expression, he could guess. “Thank you, Sadin.” “I’m not Sadin, Doctor.” “I know. Sadin isn’t a name, it’s a title.” “I didn’t know that.” “Of course. I made it up.” Amon added new knowledge. Soon, Sonia arrived. With the hamster munching on sunflower seeds. The hamster’s cheeks were oddly damp, but Amon pretended not to notice. “You’re back, Sonia?” Amon greeted her with a smile. “The assistant taught me a lot. I’ll make it for you when we get home.” Sonia also noticed something but smiled anyway. And so, everyone in the room smiled. Though each smile hid something, ironically, the smiles were genuine.