Academy’s Weapon Replicator Episode 91
Chapter 26 Sacred Forest (3)
Selena blinked with her mouth open.
“So this isn’t a forest?”
“It’s a forest. “There are plants and animals living together, lush trees, and a lake.”
“But you just said it was a dream.”
“Well, it’s a dream brought to reality.”
Magic is bringing about phenomena. In that sense, this forest is also a type of magic.
Because of this, non-magicians sometimes misunderstand magic as a ‘trick of the eye.’
If you cancel the magic, the burning flames will disappear, and the frozen ice will disappear in an instant.
But burns and frostbite remain. The same goes for this forest.
The plants and animals in this forest already form an ecosystem.
Of course, it is all a circulatory system made up of mana, but most people will barely be able to notice the difference from reality.
A dream so close to reality that most people can’t even tell the difference. There is evidence that it has been on people’s lips for decades, calling it a ‘sacred forest.’
It has already existed for too long to be considered a ‘trick of the eye.’
“Can a normal person do that?”
“I can’t. “Because Merlin is the Grand Wizard.”
“Well, still. Even if it were a dream, creating a world this elaborate? There must be a limit to a person’s mana, but this can last for decades… … .”
Selena’s question was valid. In fact, I didn’t think something like this would be possible for several decades. As Selena said, there is simply a limit to the total amount of human mana.
There was something I could guess about, but I saved my words for now.
“Anyway, let’s hurry. “I wasted time because you suddenly got so lazy.”
“… … Be sure to say it that way.”
Ignoring the creeping voice, I drove Cassian again.
As I was walking for a while, a thought occurred to me and I said:
“But isn’t the assassin used to torture? He would get training.”
“I’m used to it. That suffering and pain. The fear that penetrates all five senses. So, we are taught not to reveal information even if we cry and plead.”
“Aren’t you meant to endure the pain?”
“You fake it like that at first. It’s called training to endure pain. But it wasn’t. I’m being treated in such a way that I can’t bear the pain. Even if you cry, plead, or scream, it won’t end. However, if you leak information, the intensity becomes more serious. Then, the pain of exceeding the limit becomes embedded in your mind. Then, no matter how painful the torture is, no matter how much you cry and beg, you will not spit out information. “Because I remember the fear of that time.”
… … That’s a scary story.
I had nothing more to say and just quietly looked ahead.
After a moment of silence,
“wait.”
Selena said.
“But how did you know? That I am an assassin. “I just said I was a security guard.”
“Because what you’re doing is like an assassin.”
I don’t know about that, I just saw it as an ‘analysis’ skill.
“Is it okay for you to talk like that? How did you receive torture training? “Isn’t Hagley, your superior, angry?”
“does not matter. Mangot is an ugly place. Everyone there knows for themselves. So there is no need to hide the ugly things. “You only have to hide the things that really need to be hidden.”
“… … .”
I didn’t answer that further.
Mangot is a miserable place.
It is a place of refuge for people abandoned by the country, but it is also a place where anger and hatred accumulate and one day cause disaster.
It is literally a disaster. It is the ‘karma’ that the continent has committed, and Mangot is its spark.
Of course, from a gamer’s point of view, it’s hard to deal with monsters, let alone the gains and losses and the complex emotional battle, but when they go crazy all the way to the end of the thousand capes, they just go crazy and jump.
That’s why I don’t want to fight. This is the heart for clearing. Because people in this world end up dying because they just fight nonsense.
Can Mangot and the continent be able to make peace? Of all the things I’ve failed to do in this game, it’s one of the most impossible.
“… … However, the road continues straight from before.”
Selena said as if it were strange.
“If you follow this road all the way, will you really reach the lake?”
“no. “If you just follow along, you’ll just be lost forever.”
This forest is Merlin’s dream.
This road, which appears to be straight, is strangely twisted according to his thoughts, preventing him from reaching the lake.
That’s why Merlin retreated without hesitation when he saw me holding Mjolnir.
Rather than fighting me and seeing blood, I decided that it was more likely to prevent me from reaching the lake.
“Then what should I do? Why do we keep going down this path?”
“Because I know the way.”
This forest is actually a ‘trial’ that Aster will reach one day.
Most players know how to conquer this forest.
But in fact, because Aster’s level was high and he was recognized by Merlin, Merlin simply provided an appropriate level of difficulty.
But as always, I am Frontier.
There’s no way Merlin would give up the lake to a guy like me who doesn’t even know where he came from.
‘but.’
It seems to me. The ‘illusion’ of this dream.
It may be seen as an ‘analysis’ skill, but intuition reacted before that.
Perhaps because I had a skill called ‘weaving’ that was closer to illusion than anything else, this dream world had a strangely familiar smell to it.
“Kassian. From now on, follow my instructions.”
After speaking, I lightly grabbed the reins. Cassian slowed his pace slightly as if he understood. It’s such a smart horse that it can be scary sometimes.
‘… … Phew.’
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
I focused my eyes on the scenery. First of all, the path to this straight path was the same as when playing as Aster.
As a player, Merlin will give you various hints as you walk this path, but I have to find them on my own.
The ‘Analysis’ skill does not select any target. This world itself can also be ‘analyzed’ as long as it can be specified.
So far, the analysis has read additional explanations to me like the description of an item.
Merlin’s ‘dream’ is clearly similar to Frontier’s ‘weaving’. Frontier will be able to reveal the true nature of this dream.
yet,
“──That’s it.”
This analyzed dream world came into view. Just as a weapon made through weaving is completed by tying together thin threads, this dream was also made up of numerous strands of thread.
I led Cassian into the revealed world of illusion.
“… … Come this way.”
I pulled the reins to the left. There was no road, just dense trees. But Cassian was not afraid and did as I said and shaved his head.
In an instant, those dense trees split apart in an instant. And this was transformed as if it were the original road.
As if correcting an error, as if in a hurry to complete a picture that had not been drawn, or as if discovering a hidden space behind the stage curtain.
“Ugh, I’m dizzy.”
Selena said. This scene is definitely not only bizarre but also dizzying. It feels like I’m seeing a bug in the game right before my eyes.
I continued to lead Cassian. Every time I turned, the trees parted and a path was revealed. We were definitely heading towards the lake.
“By the way, Lord Soga.”
“I’ve said this several times, but call me Frontier.”
“I heard you like it when I call you Sogaju.”
“You can think of all the information Mangot has about me as just rubbish.”
“Jjirashi?”
“It’s disgusting.”
Selena didn’t respond to me. Instead, she felt Selena’s hair behind her. She probably nodded her head.
“Then, Mr. Frontier.”
“why?”
“If this is Merlin’s dream, wouldn’t he be able to change the location of the lake at will? So, even if you look for the right path, it won’t be difficult to get there… … .”
It was a pretty plausible idea.
Did you think about it until you realized that this was a dream? Selena adapted faster than I expected.
But that guess was wrong.
“It is impossible to move the location of the lake.”
“Why?”
“Because the lake is real.”
“… … ah.”
Everything I see around me right now is Merlin’s dream.
The lake is real.
In other words, Merlin designed this dream for that one lake.
Kugugu─
At that time, the appearance of the trees changed strangely.
The once ordinary landscape became distorted, and the trees recklessly increased their size and stretched out their branches. The thick stem was twisted, and the gap between the cracks seemed to smile like the corners of a human mouth.
“Uh, um, Mr. Frontier… … ?”
Selena let out an anxious voice.
“Merlin is sure.”
“What?”
“We know exactly the way.” “It’s impossible to make people lose their way.”
So, I plan to push through once again. But this time, I hid myself and was relatively safe.
The trees had already swelled their bodies so much that they had become shadows. In a forest that suddenly becomes dark, huge trees look down with their bent backs.
“… … “This is a dream, so wouldn’t it be okay if I got hit?”
“what do you think about it? “What do you think if you get hit?”
“I think it’s going to be really painful.”
I nodded.
“Unless I can get away from that thought, it will hurt like hell.”
Damn, Selena muttered, then reached into her arms and pulled out a needle.
It’s good that the cowardice is disappearing, but it felt like manners are disappearing along with it.
* * *
Merlin was standing in front of the lake.
He could feel everything in this forest. Even the slightest breath of a small bird.
The Frontier was already approaching. He tried to use the trees to block it, but it was only a matter of time before he got there.
[…] … What should I do?]
That self-talk had some resonance. It wasn’t just a pure, alone muttering.
[What are you so worried about?]
The water in the center of the lake that Merlin was looking at surged.
A woman appeared in the place where it poured again, and her appearance was very similar to Merlin, who had emerged from the ground.
[I was no longer able to protect the lake.]
Merlin said.
[are you okay.]
The woman of the lake answered.
[Whoever reaches this place will gain nothing.]
The lake woman laughed.
[Abusive behavior only leads to death.]
It was then.
Doo doo doo doo, a sound that was familiar to both Merlin and the lake woman was getting closer.
It’s the sound of horses’ hooves.
Passyuk!
The one who came out through the grass was, of course, Frondier.
It seemed as if there had been quite a fierce battle on the way there, and the clothes were torn and tattered here and there. But there didn’t seem to be any serious injuries.
“Hehe, hehe… … .”
On the other hand, the woman riding in the back was in more danger of death.
“Hey, what’s hanging down? arrived.”
Frontier scolded the woman behind her.
“That’s cowardly. “He takes almost no damage, and he has to fight while avoiding me.”
“It’s an illusion, so if you know it accurately, you won’t be harmed.”
“I thought about it too? “It’s an illusion, it’s fake, I kept repeating that and believing it, so why am I getting beaten up?”
“It’s not about believing, it’s about knowing.”
Merlin listened to their conversation in silence and raised his eyebrows.
Illusion? No damage?
So the reason Frontier is fine now is because he saw through the ‘dream’?
… … That can’t be possible.
“ah.”
Only then did Frontier discover Merlin. She also glanced at the woman in the lake.
“We meet again, Lord Merlin. and.”
Frondier looked at the woman and smiled deeply.
“I’ve been looking for it for a while. ‘Witch of the Lake’.”
fantasy,