༺ Monologue (2) ༻
As the pitch-black darkness descended in an instant, a mana that had been concentrated for a long ti enveloped my entire body.
I looked around. In the total darkness, the only glimr of golden light caught my eye.
As I moved towards it, what unfolded before my eyes was–.
“Ooh.”
A cavern so imnse that its size couldn’t be estimated.
Mana circuits, flowing like blood vessels, crossed the walls in golden hues.
The rock mana emitted a topaz light akin to the sun from the center of the ceiling.
Center of the cavern.
Seemingly a re rock at first, a colossal turtle caught my eye.
Eyes shut. Hard rock shell. An exterior resembling that of an Alligator Snapping Turtle.
The light-brown shell resembled a massive rock mountain with protruding golden crystals.
“Gormos…”
He was once known as the hands and feet of the Primordial Rock Sovereign, a mythological rock elental magic beast.
He was the Stone Turtle-Gormos.
[Stone Turtle-Gormos] Lv: 180
Race: Magic Beast
Elents: Rock
Danger: X
Psychology: [Wary of you]
As expected, his overwhelming presence was no joke when I saw him in person.
Although when he was lying down it felt like he was one with the ground, if he was to stand, his size would be larger than most mountains.
Stone Turtle-Gormos slowly opened his eyes, revealing light brown pupils. Those very sa pupils fixed their gazes on .
[You know my na, I see.]
The Stone Turtle narrowed his eyes.
A deep male voice. The calm elderly tone was like one of an intellectual as it resonated in my mind.
[…I sense the aura of the Ice Sovereign in you. I see you have risen to a formidable level at such a young age.]
At least this guy didn’t entertain so ridiculous misconceptions like how I was the reincarnated Ice Sovereign or whatever.
That was enough for to be satisfied.
[Have you co to face the Trial of Sandstone?]
At this point in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, there were two possible choices as a response.
‘Yes’ or ‘Please wait a mont’.
Of course, my response had already been determined.
“Yes.”
[I shall open the door of the Trial.]
With a rumble, the ground beneath my feet shook for a mont. I nearly fell…
I turned my head to the side, where the sound was coming from. The rock on the walls spread apart, creating a passage illuminated by light brown mana.
It was exactly the sa as the Trial of Frost. From the mont I entered that passage, Gormos’ Greatsword would turn into stone before trying to crush to death.
[Another world will consu your mind, and your physical body will gradually turn into stone. Those who are unworthy will et their end, as they shatter into tiny bits of gravel. Overco the trial and prove that you’re worthy to beco the Master of the Obsidian Blade.]
The Stone Turtle recited the official lines, the sa lines I had heard in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱.
Obsidian Blade.
The original na of the ultimate elental weapon known as Gormos’ Greatsword.
That was my goal.
‘I’m getting nervous…’
I swallowed dryly.
In the ga, the Ultimate Weapon Trials were designed to eat away the main character’s mind by weaving together his mories, actual events, and events that could have possibly happened.
The problem was that this could only be experienced once in every playthrough of the ga.
However, after clearing the Trial of Frost, I found myself in a position where I had to overco another Elental Trial for the second ti.
This was sothing that could never happen in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱.
I didn’t know if the contents were similar to the Trial of Frost; If it was, it could be a repetition of before, where I had to oppose Alice, or the Evil God, or confront another traumatic event related to Isaac.
‘…I can’t predict what will pop out anyway.’
There was no need to dwell on it. In the first place, were the contents of the Trial of Frost exactly as I predicted? Of course not.
It was business as usual. I simply needed to overco it.
My elental bracelet was attuned to the Rock Elent. With this, my [Rock Elental Resistance] was increased by 40.
I closed my eyes and pulled myself together.
Then, I slowly stepped forward, entering the passage radiating a topaz light.
“…”
As I entered the gap between the rocks, a long dimly lit passage stretched out before . Yellow stone fragnts floated in the air.
Thanks to them, I could sowhat distinguish my surroundings. It was a far cry from the pitch-black darkness of the Trial of Frost.
Kuuuuuuuuu──.
As expected, a brutal noise began to emanate from the ceiling.
Since the light didn’t reach the ceiling, when I raised my head, all I could see was a pitch-black.
It wasn’t difficult to guess that the sound was caused by the ceiling itself, as it slowly descended.
If I didn’t pass the Trial of Sandstone in ti, I would be crushed under that ceiling before turning into stone rubble.
At the end of the passage, I could see an entrance emitting yellow light. The Obsidian Blade was probably there.
However, I couldn’t sprint at full speed because of the yellow stone fragnts floating around.
‘It’s a trap after all.’
Each stone fragnt was a massive concentration of mana. Any area of my body that touched it would turn into stone at an even more rapid pace.
If I ignored them and just ran, I wouldn’t even be able to endure a minute before my entire body was entirely petrified.
Wearing armor wouldn’t help either. After all, in front of these stone fragnts with densely packed mana, a person like was practically no better than naked.
That was why I purposely dressed comfortably.
‘Let’s go.’
I proceeded with hurried steps.
It felt as if there was no moisture in the air at all. I could feel my skin becoming more and more dry. My face and body gradually stiffened.
This was the sensation of turning into stone.
When I suddenly thought of an Isaac statue, I couldn’t help but burst out into uncontrollable laughter.
‘Everything I have done would be futile. How anticlimactic.’
Although it was frightening, thanks to the effects of [Frozen Soul], my fear quickly subsided.
My steps had no hesitation. I carefully avoided the yellow stone fragnts, but I didn’t slow down.
Soon after…
A man’s voice resonated in my mind.
────Face the Trial of Sandstone.
Just like that, my consciousness drifted into infinity.
◆ ◆ ◆
The humid air wetted my lungs.
I scrunched up my nose at the musty sll and quietly opened my eyes.
A bright light flooded my vision. It was the light from the nightstand on top of the desk.
The ticking of a clock’s hand echoed in my ear. A routine noise that went unnoticed unless one deliberately paid attention to it.
I rembered myself pondering whether my concentration had broken due to the sound of the clock’s hand.
“…”
I was sprawled across the desk.
I lifted my head. As I wiped away the drool from the corner of my mouth and looked around, the view of a cramped one-room semi-basent filled my sight.
Thick law book piled up so high that it was suffocating just to look at.
A video ga console squeezed into a tiny gap that was sohow created in such a cramped space.
A humidifier emitted a red light. It seed that the water tank had been full for quite so ti.
I turned my gaze back to the desk.
A summary of social welfare and civil law was fixed on the reading desk
In front of that were civil law practice problems for the first round of the bar exam and a notebook filled with the traces of solved problems.
It seed I had fallen asleep on top of the book.
On the shelf above the desk, books that seed to have been repeatedly read with intense focus were arranged in an orderly manner.
A briquet-shaped keyring I received while doing briquette delivery volunteer work, a pretty hourglass whose origins I couldn’t recall, and a water bottle containing marimo that I bought at the thought that it might alleviate my loneliness were all unnecessarily placed there.
The wall was covered with various post-it notes.
They contained trivial philosophical quotes scribbled down, as if by soone who had gained so bullshit enlightennt while studying, or encouraging phrases like ‘You can do it’.
As I read the densely written content about the difference between transfer for security of circulating collected items and transfer for security in general terms and the important bone of contention of them… I felt like I was about to throw up.
On the calendar placed in the corner of the desk, only study plans were written.
It seed too late to…
…Feel the eerie sense of anxiety.
The Ultimate Weapon Trials mixed the mories of the one taking the trial, actual events that had occurred, and events that could have possibly happened…
And by doing so, it created a new world in the person’s mind to devour their sanity.
For reference, the ultimate weapon itself had no intelligence, let alone life-like characteristics. However, it had the will and power to perform its necessary functions.
It was possible that the Obsidian Blade had targeted the existence known as ‘I’ within Isaac and prepared this shitty stage for the Trial.
“…This is actually fucked.”
I really… didn’t expect this at all.
***
Upon leaving the one-room, I was greeted with the sight of a drab alleyway.
A warning sign that read, ‘No Smoking’, was posted on the building’s exterior wall. Even so, a smoker had always co here anyway.
Lamp posts that were sparsely seen. Low-rise congregate housing, It was the living area for Sinlim-dong’s state exam prep students.
It was a familiar sight, but not a welcod one.
And…
‘Descending Sky.’
To call it an evening sunset… was not correct as the sky emitted a brilliant topaz hue.
A large scale of rock mana flowed through the sky like the wind. It was a beautiful scene.
As I had already experienced before in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, that was the ‘Descending Sky’.
The sky itself was rock that was created through mana.
The sky was slowly descending and eventually, it would flatten this entire world.
Seeking refuge underground was futile. The mont the sky touched the ground would be the point in ti when my real body was flattened and obliterated into smithereens by the ceiling.
Suddenly, I saw my reflection in the building’s window.
I was wearing comfortable sweats, an outfit I had worn throughout my ti as a prep student.
And…
“…It’s Isaac.”
It wasn’t my original self who had been worn out by the prep student lifestyle. Instead, it was Isaac’s appearance.
However, my hair was black.
It felt like nothing about my body had changed… That was good.
I raised my right hand and let mana flow.
A pale blue ice mana flowed from my palm, as little ice crystals began to float in the air.
There didn’t seem to be any problems with mana.
Next was my status window.
[Status] Na: Isaac
Lv: 103
Gender: Male
Year: (2nd)
Title: Prospective Second Year
Mana: 24000/24000
– Mana Recovery Speed (B )
The status window was also the sa as before.
Aside from my hair color, physically, I was exactly the sa as Level 103 Isaac.
“Co to think of it…”
Ah, I had overlooked sothing because I kept thinking about the Trial.
I quickly returned to the cramped one-room and turned on the video ga console.
I had always enjoyed ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ as a psychological reward after studying.
The world in that ga had definitely beco my reality.
However, in this place, ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ was just a ga.
Considering the strange events that had happened to , it was possible that there was so mysterious secret hidden in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱.
In other words, this could be an opportunity to catch a glimpse at the secret parts of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱.
“What the hell?”
However, the video ga screen was filled with static and noise.
The ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ ga cartridge was there, but an unknown force was creating noise and obscuring my view every ti I tried to look at it.
As if it was telling that it was the one thing I couldn’t look at.
A transcendent power seed to be acting against .
“…”
It wasn’t even sothing new or unexpected to . I decided not to get flustered and postpone my questions.
For now, the imdiate problem was that, just like the Trial of Frost, I didn’t know how to pass the Trial of Sandstone.
What were the conditions for passing this Trial?
Since this was also a Trial, the contents would be related to overcoming a trauma. If that was the case…
‘Perhaps I have to pass the bar exam again…’
…No. There’s no way that’s it.
I could easily tell by looking at the calendar and the books spread out on my desk.
After all, I had been solving practice problems for the first round of the exam. The second round was still a long way off.
The ti given to was limited. Even if ti in the world of the Ultimate Weapon Trial flowed faster than the real world, the difference would only be a few months at most.
In the first place, how the fuck am I supposed to do this again? Have you lost your mind?
“Then, there must be sothing else.”
I needed to gather information.
I got up from my seat and left the one-room again.
“…?”
What’s this?
I noticed sothing strange after witnessing people on the main road.
I climbed up the pedestrian overpass above the road and stood in front of the railing. Indeed, the sa peculiar phenonon was happening to everyone.
“Why is everyone like that?”
They were all gray.
Literally gray.
Their voices could be heard and various expressions were clearly visible, but all the people were painted in gray, as if they had lost all their color.
Now was not the ti to be surprised.
‘I should try talking to soone.’
I was a bit worried about their heads potentially splitting in two like in the Trial of Frost, but…
‘Am I in a position to avoid risks?’
I didn’t have ti to ponder and worry.
I approached a male in sweats, who was obviously a prep student and spoke to him.
“Hey there… oh my.”
As I placed my hand on his shoulder, my hand just went through his body.
It felt like I was rely floundering in the air.
It surprised the hell out of , so I let out a pathetic lantation.
It seed as if even my voice couldn’t be heard, as the male continued to walk in an unmoved manner.
“After all I’ve went through, I’m even a ghost now…?”
I couldn’t help but laugh wryly.
Seriously?
“I can touch other things though?”
The cold and solid sensation of the railing of the pedestrian overpass could be distinctly felt.
I deduced that I was being treated like a ghost by gray existences. How absurd.
In conclusion, I was not a complete ghost.
Am I more of a poltergeist?
‘That is…’
So sweet.
Of course, I didn’t have the ti to go wherever I wanted and shake various things while enjoying the sight of people being startled.
“First, this trial…”
Ah.
I lost strength in my legs.
I sat down, gripping onto the railing.
I could guess the reason. Despite pretending to be all bright and happy, I fucking hated this scenery.
In my prep student lifestyle… In the desolate darkness of an endless tunnel…
I despised the feeling of isolation that I had experienced for years.
Although those days had settled in my mind as nostalgic mories after my prep student lifestyle had ended…
It seed like the current was fully experiencing the feeling of exhaustion and fatigue I felt back then.
“I’m gonna lose my fucking mind…”
My stomach churned and I felt as if I was about to vomit.
“Haah.”
After closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I finally got up.
Pull yourself together.
I slapped my cheeks with both hands.
I needed to figure out how to pass this Trial.
I have to find a hint about an unusual occurrence in this world; sothing that was different from my mories.
Underneath the Descending Sky…
I began to walk once again.
* * *
“So this is how it felt. I can finally feel it now.”
Märchen Academy, high in the sky above the clouds.
Amidst the cluster of stars shimring with various colors, a female student sat cross-legged, floating steadily in the air.
A witch hat was worn on her head. Only the end of her long light purple hair was tied up. It was Dorothy Heartnova.
As if she had gained enlightennt after closing her eyes and ditating, she broke into a mischievous smile.
[Did you feel sothing?]
As Ella, a white cat familiar who was also floating high in the sky with the power of starlight mana, asked, Dorothy nodded
From what Dorothy could feel, her abilities had beco a level stronger.
Just monts ago, she had sensed an unusual event that happened in this world and had observed the birth of another worldline.
And now, she was confident that she could ddle in that world.
“Nihihi. I’ll be back, Ella”
The stage that the extraordinary genius, Dorothy Heartnova, would have reached in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ if she hadn’t died.
The result of Isaac defying fate itself to prevent the inevitability of her death, no matter how many playthroughs of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ were taken.
At this very mont, sothing that should never have happened was about to unfold.
Ella smiled with a giggle.
[Okay. I’ll see you soon, Dorothy.]
The power of [All In the World] rged with starlight mana, as Dorothy emitted a radiant brilliance.
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