Chapter 233: Name (1)
Dark skies that devoured the world. Pouring rain. Mist rising from the ground. A pit that had become muddy, and boots buried in the wet soil. A child was running through the rain, approaching someone. She was following a familiar back.
A world engulfed in the cold rain. A street that felt too far away for short strides and the way the ground constantly grabbed at her feet. Nevertheless, she finally reached the end. That child grabbed someone’s hand.
When the two of them stopped walking, the child raised her head with a trembling heart and stared intently into that someone’s eyes. ‘She’ also faced the child.
Then, the child grew frightened. What will she say to me? Will she let go of my hand? Will she go away alone?
She smiled softly at the fearful child.
─…Syl.
The name Syl. The child happily jumped into her mother’s arms, letting the warmth wrap around her heart. She tried not to cry, but in the end, she couldn’t help the tears welling in her eyes.
-Don’t cry~. Why are you crying, baby? Everything will be fine.
The heavy rain no longer bothered the child or her mother as she lifted an umbrella. The two were now, forever together…
-That person is coming. So, it’ll be fine.
That person. Sylvia’s eyes widened at her mother’s words.
* * *
Swoooosh-!
A storm was raging over the sea as the waves writhed like a dragon. The boat was on the verge of capsizing, and the engine had been smashed a long time ago. It was continuing onward solely through Psychokinesis’s power.
“Professor–! We’re going to die like this—!”
“Shut up.”
“Aaaah—! I’ll become a water ghost, ugh!”
Epherene, swaying on the deck, fell into my arms.
Boom-
A particularly huge wave struck the boat. She hugged me tightly to avoid being swept away.
“…Ugh, cough-“
Sometimes even wizards were useless. This was especially the case with natural disasters that contained mana like now. The infinite mana of the sea and filling the air dissolved one’s spell before one could finish forming it. Even in this world where knights and wizards were rampant, there was the Great Nature that humans didn’t dare to fight against.
“Hey! It’s here! Deculein!”
At that moment, a huge ship approached with a loud cry.
Hoonk-!
“Are you okay?”
“Are you okay?!”
The voices of a knight and a certain wizard reached them. I floated the boat up with Psychokinesis and placed it on the deck of the ship.
Thud-!
500 mana was consumed for this simple action.
“Uhhhhh-!”
Epherene screamed. Afterward, knights and wizards rushed over to support us.
“Are you okay?! Deculein!”
“…Rose Rio?”
“Yeah!”
Her pink hair caught my eye even through the darkness and fog. I looked around, tidying up my wet hair.
“Delric.”
“Yes! Professor, I’m glad you’re safe!”
There were about twenty knights at the ready, including Delric. Rose Rio stepped forward.
“First, go inside… but is she all right?”
“Who do you mean?”
“There. The cicada attached to you.”
“…”
I glanced down to my waist, where Epherene was clinging to me. Her lips and face had turned blue, and her body trembled.
“How long have you been at sea?”
I looked back on today. It had begun to rain before we set sail, and we were lost in the fog…
“About a day-“
“What?! Did you struggle like this for a whole day? She’s going to die!”
* * *
Clink-
A cabin inside the ship. One of the guards carefully set down a steaming hot teacup. Epherene, blanket clutched tight around her, quickly grabbed the cup with both hands. Her body was cold, but her face was hot.
“Oh~. I guess you’re worried about your disciple.”
Rose Rio muttered slyly. I glared at her, and Epherene asked with a slightly puzzled face.
“…Eh? Worried?”
Her throat was hoa.r.s.e, so I couldn’t hear well.
“Right. Do you know how this professor was looking at y- ugh?”
“Shut up.”
“Ugh-! Ubb-!”
I closed Rose Rio’s mouth with Duct Tape.
“Next time, I will also cover your nose.”
“…Ubb”
I removed the Duct Tape. Rose Rio gingerly touched her lips.
“Gosh. I just saved you. Anyway, today’s weather is a mess, right? Something is strange. We’re definitely in the West Sea here, but why is this storm so bad?”
“Is this ship okay?”
“Oh, of course. I made it. Even if the world falls apart, my ship won’t break.”
Slurp-
Epherene sipped at her tea. I looked out the ship’s window, to where I could see the silhouette of the Voice’s Island.
“At this rate, we won’t be able to even reach it.”
“…This is strange.”
I thought quietly. Of course, the Voice wasn’t a quest with a fixed order. It could change at any time, and it was true that this world could be twisted as it was not a game…
“It will only thrive if it accepts living humans.”
Demons lived through parasitism. In a world without humans, there were no demons. Perhaps in a world of only demons, they were humans, not demons. So, the reason the Voice wanted to accept humans was simple: humans had to spread their power to the world.
“I know. I know about demons too. Is that one an idiot?”
“No. The Voice is smart.”
The three elements of a demon: existence, phenomenon, and conception. The Voice was the embodiment of those three things. Unless they were very cunning…
“Perhaps.”
Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind.
“He already got what he wants.”
“What he wants?”
“Yes.”
If so, what did he want?
“What does he… want?”
Rose Rio asked, and Epherene looked at me as if she was also curious.
“It’s not that great, and it’s not holy. The demon is of that kind.”
So, his goal was probably…
“The spreading of his power across the continent. His existence as a demon.”
“…And? You mean he already got it?”
“Maybe he’s already found the catalyst.”
“Catalyst?”
The name of someone came to mind.
“…Sylvia.”
Rose Rio looked as if she couldn’t breathe, and Epherene scratched at her throat.
“Hieeehk…”
She made a strange sound.
* * *
On the other hand, the status of the mental strength test developed by Deculein was quite intense. This was partly because of the many famous adventurers partic.i.p.ating, but mostly because the test itself was so realistic and vast.
“Wow. Lia, is this the unconscious world here?”
Deculein’s test was for exploration. There were villages, NPCs, currency, dungeons; of course, test partic.i.p.ants could meet each other there and even find treasures. However, they couldn’t bring the treasures back with them.
“I know.”
Lia was amazed. She realized that this world wasn’t a game, but an event that she never even thought of, even in the script, suddenly popped up.
“It looks so real.”
“That’s right~. Oh, I can see the village over there.”
Ganesha pointed over the horizon. Lia looked over the map in her hand.
“Yes. That’s right.”
“Then shall we go and eat something? Aren’t you hungry?”
“Yes. Let’s eat.”
It was really weird. She was hungry right now, and eating here made her feel full, although it was the world of the unconscious.
“Hey.”
A greasy voice whirled from behind them. Ganesha and Lia looked back, stiffening.
“Kuhuhuhu. Why are you staring like that?”
It was Jackal chuckling. The two of them remained wary, but Jackal kept talking.
“I’m in a good mood now~. I don’t think there is any need to go to the Voice.”
“…What are you talking about~?”
“Oh~ you know. Here, it’s a little strange. No, it is very strange.”
Jackal suddenly grew serious.
“…Strange?”
“Yeah. A strange feeling. I keep feeling that way. So, I said I would stop taking the exam.”
Jackal pointed to the bracelet on his wrist. It was a transmitter they put on before the start of the test. Ganesha clicked her tongue.
“If you were going to quit, you should have quit right away~; why did you come back with that bulls.h.i.t?”
“Quiet. Just listen carefully to me. Stupid redhead.”
“…Huhu. This b.a.s.t.a.r.d-“
Veins popped out on Ganesha’s forehead. Lia caught her as she tried to move closer.
“Listen to him first.”
“Anyway! I went out and came back!”
Jackal pulled something out of his pocket. The two of them trembled, wondering if it was a weapon, but it was only a leaf. Jackal explained with a wide smile.
“This was in my hand.”
“…What are you talking about? Just say it.”
Lia asked.
“I mean. Listen well. I’ll say it only once. This thing.”
Jackal put the leaf into his mouth and chewed.
“I took this inside.”
“…?”
“What I mean is.”
Jackal knelt and grabbed a handful of dirt.
“What you get inside, you can take with you outside. In other words, it exists outside.”
Lia’s eyes widened, and Ganesha frowned.
“Of course, I have no idea how this happened. But, one thing is for sure.”
Jackal dusted his hands off.
“Deculein. That madman made a world.”
“…Magical s.p.a.ce.”
Lia muttered blankly. Ganesha and Jackal looked at her at the same time.
“If that’s true, then Deculein created a magical s.p.a.ce, not a world.”
“…Is that possible?”
Ganesha asked. Lia wondered a moment, then shook her head.
“…I don’t know.”
The creation of a magical s.p.a.ce would be impossible for anyone but an Archmage. Of course, the elemental properties of Deculein were fire and earth. Although they were fundamental elements that made up a world…
“Anyway. I’m going to go back with the thing to save my sister.”
“Does such a thing exist?”
Ganesha crossed her arms. Jackal nodded.
“Yeah. They say there is an elixir auction in the central city.”
“…Elixir?”
Elixir? Only one person came to Lia’s mind at that clichéd word: Julie. The only thing that could heal her.
“No way.”
“No way, my a.s.s, you idiot. Haah~, I think I shouldn’t have told you. Hey. If you ever think about putting an eye on that elixir…”
Ganesha kicked away the long sword that Jackal stretched out toward her.
“How dare you pull out that sword? Do you want to die, f.u.c.king b.a.s.t.a.r.d?”
“…You complain even when I give you good information.”
Jackal pouted, but he didn’t seem upset.
“Then I will go first. You, too, cherish the treasures you have. If this fact becomes known, a b.l.o.o.d.y wind will blow, okay?”
Rather, he smiled gladly at the thought of saving his sister and pa.s.sed by them singing. Ganesha stared intently at his back.
“…You~. You’re picking a fight with that lie, right?”
“If you think it’s a lie, go out and come back~. Oh~. Even if I don’t tell you, once you go out, you’ll fight each other to steal those treasures anyway~.”
Click-!
At that moment, they heard a sound as if the power had gone out. At the same time, the world darkened. Jackal, Ganesha, and Lia blinked in unison.
“…What’s going on?!”
The moment when Jackal shouted, the adventurers were expelled from the Testing Ground. They were returned to their original world.
“…?”
To the theater on the West Coast, the place where Deculein held the mental test. The hundreds of adventurers were looking at each other with bewildered eyes.
“Hey, f.u.c.k, hey! What is this?!”
Jackal, who stood immediately, pointed to Drent and glared at him. Under that great murderous intent, Drent shuddered and trembled.
“Why all of a sudden-“
“The exam is over. No, you don’t have to take it.”
A cold voice descended from the stage of the theater. Lia looked up.
“Are you dissatisfied?”
Deculein stared at Jackal with his body soaked in water.
“Disperse. Because of the natural disaster caused by Voice, even if you pa.s.s the exam, it will be impossible to enter.”
* * *
…Right now, I felt quite disconcerted.
“Forget about the Voice. If you could make us take the test again…”
It was because of the adventurers’ att.i.tude. They were holding on to me, acting humbly. They had no intention of leaving the theater.
“Exam?”
“Yes. That mental test.”
“…Why?”
I frowned. However, there was no time for this. I needed to go back to the islands right now and think about how to respond to the Voice-
“Professor, Professor~. Look at this~.”
Then, a voice mixed with laughter approached. Yuren’s princess Maho handed me something.
“It’s gold.”
It was gold, as Maho said.
“Yeah~. Inside the test, an adventurer said he got this~.”
“…Inside the test.”
“Yes, the test that you gave~. They said that the objects in it became real like this~.”
“…”
For a moment, I tried to figure out the meaning of those vague words. Someone grabbed my sleeve: Lia from the Red Garnet Adventure Team.
“It’s a magical s.p.a.ce.”
“…”
I looked down at her. The child who resembled Yuli wore a determined expression.
“That test machine.”
She pointed to the cylindrical Magical EEG detector placed on the stage.
“With that, you created it.”
It meant that it was created even though I never intended it. Anyway, muttering like that, she looked up at me.
───At that moment.
A notice for a quest appeared in the air.
[Independent Quest: Game Designer Kim Woojin]