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> [Location Unlocked – Whispering Marshlands]
[Objective: Locate Second Totem | Danger Level: 4.5/5]
Kaari and I were moving through a filthy, raw, and living swamp.
There wasn't mud—what we stepped on felt like flesh.
Somewhere nearby, a sound like a scream echoed… but no one was there.
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System Prompt:
> [Caution: Whisper Parasites Detected in the Fog]
Status Resistance Required: Willpower 8+
Current Willpower: 5
Warning: You may experience mental hallucinations
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I saw something in the fog…
A child, with glassy eyes, calling out to me.
Kaari said, "Don't make eye contact. They're not memories — they're hunger."
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Kaari handed me a broken mask —
"This belonged to my brother. If you survive this marsh… return it to him."
There was something else in her eyes…
Was it trust? Or a test?
I couldn't tell.
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At the center of the marsh stood a dead tree, where the second totem's resonance pulsed.
But before we could approach, a humanoid fog entity blocked our path.
Fog Wraith – Former Shapeshifter Host
> "You're a mistake… just like I was. Another one will be made."
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His words disoriented me —
The system suddenly triggered:
> [Hidden Quest Unlocked: Echoes of the Lost Shift]
Defeat the Fog Wraith to Unlock: Lost Memory Fragment #2
Optional Bonus: Resist full hallucination cycle (Willpower challenge)
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The battle began.
The Wraith took my exact form — but his eyes were filled with absolute regret.
I tried to shift —
But the system blocked it:
> "This place is a mirror of your mind — shifting here may corrupt your core."
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So I had to fight… as myself.
A brutal hand-to-hand brawl.
Kaari used a crimson shard to start tearing the fog.
I focused my will — drove a punch into the Wraith's chest and ripped out a memory spike.
CRACK.
The Wraith fell, but before dying, whispered:
> "You won't understand… You weren't born… you were made…"
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I froze.
System screamed:
> [Memory Fragment Unlocked – Origin Protocol: TYPE-Zeta Shapeshifter Project]
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To Be Continued…