Chapter 242 - Infinite Mage

Shirone didn't want to put his friends in danger, but if they willingly chose to involve themselves, he decided he had no choice but to accept their help. "Of course, we can't be too leisurely. We must find Shirone as swiftly as possible. Unfortunately, I've lost most of my combat capabilities, which is why I need your assistance. For now, I'll share the essential information you must know." Reina, ready to listen, nodded and spoke. "Yes, I'm willing to help. Please, tell me why Zion hired an assassin and Arius to kill Shirone? Especially since Arius is a member of Orkamp." "To explain that, I must first tell you about Arius. He is known as the Excavator and is famous in the Black Line, being one of the seven notable mages." At the mention of the Black Line, Amy furrowed her brow. While there were criminals in the Red Line, they were individuals who climbed the ranks through notoriety and achievements. Like Arcane, for instance. In contrast, the Black Line was far from honorable. Its members pursued their pleasures without caring if it led to societal collapse. "Someone like that has been by Orkamp's side all this time?" "His skills are undeniable. He's an Unlocker and a Scale Wizard whose primary focus is infiltrating people's minds to steal their thoughts. He installed a door in Shirone's superficial psyche. Shirone probably underwent at least one dive without even realizing it." Amy tapped the table, listening to the sound of the wood. "Are you saying everything in this inn is actually Shirone's consciousness?" "Yes. Though it appears as objects, it's a landscape created by Shirone's mental activity." Reina inquired. "What principle allows a person's thoughts to manifest into such a tangible world?" "The human mind, as it learns from birth, transforms into objects. Love, anger, apathy—all are objects. Though one could interpret it as language, in this world tied to the unconscious, objectification is the correct term." Arius continued, looking around the inn's scenery. "Why then does this mental world resemble reality? That's because all items from the 11th level ascend through the 6th level realm of REM. If the subconscious were projected here directly, it would be a chaotic world." Amy touched her chin thoughtfully. "So, you're saying the human mind passes through a REM filter, transforms into objects, and then rises to this level?" "Exactly. Think of REM as the mental state during sleep, synonymous with dreaming. Dreams are the boundary between the conscious and unconscious, showcasing characteristics of both. At the 6th level and above, consciousness increases, while descending strengthens the unconscious." Arius pointed at the ceiling. "This place is the highest level besides the shell layer, the 11th level superficial psychology. Therefore, it's a world of extreme objectification—realistic, complex, and vast." The mournful melody of the musician filled the air. Although still chaotic in variation, understanding it had passed through the dream filter dissipated the eerie feeling. Reina spoke. "You mentioned Arius as the Excavator. What is he trying to steal from Shirone's mind?" Amy responded. "Ataraxia." 6. The Great Secret (2) Armin nodded in agreement. "That's correct. Shirone was invited to Khazra Castle because he possesses the abilities of an Archangel." "As I thought—those scoundrels! They weren't just looking for a biological son." Reina couldn't grasp the concept of heaven, leading to her inability to comprehend their conversation, but she remained silent, knowing she could address any gaps later. Suddenly, Amy raised her hand. "Hold on. Why are they trying to kill Shirone? Wouldn't Ataraxia disappear if Shirone dies?" Armin clammed up, a sharp question. Yet, having decided to enlist their help, he realized he couldn't afford deceit and spoke truthfully. "There’s a reason behind it. Arius probably intends to kill Shirone. Initially, he likely didn't feel the need for such an extreme measure. His initial plan was to infiltrate Shirone's mind and replicate Ataraxia. But that plan failed." "Why's that? Is replicating it difficult?" "There are several variables, but I believe Ataraxia isn't a power humans can manage. Forcing it onto a point within consciousness could drive someone insane. Therefore, the original owner probably implanted it deeply." "Deeply... where exactly?" Armin raised a finger. "The 1st level. It's likely housed within the primal consciousness overseeing instinct. By embedding it within the realm of instinct, any notion—no matter how bizarre—can be accepted as if it was there from the start." Amy nodded, as if the pieces finally aligned. Armin continued. "Instinct may be a safe territory for the individual, but it's a terrifying place for others. However, Arius's skills might allow him to dive briefly into primal consciousness. It seems he's attempted it, given the presence of the door." "And yet he failed to excavate?" "We can only conclude that he did. Perhaps it's safeguarded by an unbreakable encryption or imprinted in a capsule form even Shirone can't access. That’s why Arius resolved to kill Shirone. The deeper down you go, the stronger the defensive instincts become. Once triggered, even the world's greatest diver wouldn't escape, drowning in the unconscious." "Now I understand... the reason behind Shirone's death sentence…" "Exactly. The human unconscious deeply roots itself within the body. Thus, when decapitated, the defenses of the unconscious collapse. Arius is waiting for that chance," Armin explained. Amy bit her lip, lost in thought. There was still one point she couldn't wrap her head around. "There's something that doesn't add up. Even if Arius reaches the 1st level after shattering the unconscious, what can he do there? If it's a power beyond human control, replicating it serves no purpose. And he can't engrave it into instinct like Shirone can." Armin anticipated this query. From here onward, the conversation was touching upon matters that should never be exposed to the world. 'I really didn't want to reveal this...' However, saving Shirone required the understanding and help of these individuals. Increasing their mission success dictated revealing a few secrets about this realm. "What I'm about to share is classified information with the highest security clearance, regardless of nation. While one could say no secret is truly secret, I'll share it nonetheless." Both women nodded, understanding why Armin wasn't encouraging them to promise confidentiality—they comprehended his final remark. "The human mind can... become material," Armin revealed. Amy blinked. The statement neither resonated intuitively nor met her expectations, which left her feeling somewhat disappointed. Gradually, though, as Armin’s words sank in, she realized how astonishing they truly were. "So you're saying the mind can become an object?" Armin delayed his answer with an unexpected question. "Have you heard of the word 'Dremo'?" Reina shook her head, followed by Amy doing the same. Continuing as if he expected this reaction, Armin explained, "Dremo is a multidimensional mental realm. The human brain consumes energy to think. So, are thoughts energy? Some argue energy merely powers the brain, whereas thoughts are another concept—an output produced by that energy. This output must be released somewhere, and that's what the space of dreams is for." "It's like the law of conservation of mass," Amy mused. "Exactly. Dremo is an area accessible once certain conditions in dreams are met—a complex of all amassed thoughts and imagination. From this emerges a grand hypothesis: if thoughts exit to Dremo, those within Dremo could potentially be drawn back into reality." Amy asked, her face awe-stricken, "Has anyone actually traveled to Dremo?" "Why wouldn't they? Many have. People enter through dreams and cleverly exploit the law of equivalent exchange to smuggle things. However, it's hard to smuggle ideas without intense desire being involved. Nevertheless, that's how Arius excavates thoughts." "Wait a moment. You're saying that items from Dremo already exist in reality? Then those items are...?" Something dawned on Amy, and she widened her eyes in realization. "Could it be those items...?" With a wry grin, Armin confirmed, "Correct. We call those objects 'Objets.'" Amy now understood why Armin had initially cautioned them. These objects were evidence contradicting the existing hypothesis that thoughts were merely energy. "Literally, 'Objets' embody the materialization of the human mind. The abilities of such objects are deeply rooted in private desires. In thought, there's nothing extraordinary. The problem arises when these appear in reality," Armin clarified. Reina spoke, "I've heard about 'Objets.' A wizard acquaintance described them as violating the laws of the universe. However, it seems they didn’t fully understand." Armin nodded in agreement. "They wouldn’t. Very few, even among the elite or royalty, have knowledge of Dremo. Excluding the king, it’s probably kept secret except by special departments. Though 'Objets' seem to defy causality, accepting that thoughts are a type of matter means they don’t violate the laws of the universe. Yet, much about the interactions between reality and Dremo remains undiscovered." Reina commented, "That's quite a revelation." "Ah, so you're aware of , are you?" Armin asked, impressed. Flushing, Reina shook her head. "No, I just know the name. I performed as a musician at a royal gathering. I hear a lot due to my sensitive ears, so I happened to overhear... Sorry. It just came to mind." Armin, with a reassuring smile, shared anecdotes regarding , which made Amy shudder at the last occurrence. "Was that a true story?" Amy asked, feeling a chill. "Indeed, it was a real event. Whether it was a psychopathic act by the family head or an attempt to balance dimensions is still debated. What’s certain is they experienced an unfathomable event, which left an 'Objet' behind. Some family member might’ve contacted Dremo. While I can't disclose the conditions to enter Dremo, it’s not impossible by mere coincidence." Curious about those conditions, Amy refrained from asking out of respect for boundaries. "Nonetheless, the relationship between Dremo and reality is unpredictable by human standards. Therefore, all nations consider actions to approach Dremo a severe crime. Dive magic itself isn't intrinsically wrong; it aids in treating mental illnesses and requires official Diver certification. However, Arius abuses this practice, which is why he's labeled an Excavator, not a Diver. Approaching Dremo is taboo across all countries, making Arius a double S-grade criminal hunted worldwide." Reina showed a strained expression. "In a sense, we're up against a truly formidable individual." Armin had to concede that indeed, dealing with such an opponent wouldn't be easy. "In truth, if he hadn't turned to crime, Arius could be considered a brilliant intellectual. The dive process requires immense cognitive ability," Armin admitted. Amy summarized what she'd heard so far. "Let me recap. Arius is after Ataraxia. He's planning to kill Shirone to shatter his unconscious and is currently heading to the 1st level. There, he'll steal Ataraxia and take it to Dremo before smuggling it back into reality. If that happens..." The mere thought sent chills down Amy's spine. Armin's motivation for stopping time with the Stasis Spell and coming here became clear. "Correct. Ataraxia would become an 'Objet.' The powers of an Archangel would transform into a tool anyone could use. It's truly a catastrophic scenario." "......" Faced with a reality they wished to deny, the two women fell silent, lost in contemplation. @ Being trapped in a temporal distortion doesn't mean losing one's thought process. The acceleration of thought, emotion, and cognition remains constant; only their unfolding is slowed. Thus, Shirone's impulsiveness persisted, but within the slow passage of time, it intensified into even fiercer urges. Similarly, the spiraled energy of Zenoger carved into Shirone's neck through slow time, embedding into his skin. The crack forming on Shirone’s neck, slow as it was, began seeping blood at the pace of a glacier. @ Flash! Outside the window, a brilliant flash of gold illuminated the world momentarily. Boom! Crack! Boom! The deafening thunderclap roared as if the world itself was splitting apart. Amy looked out, fear-stricken. Such intense natural phenomena, hard to encounter even in reality, gripped her heart. She thought she'd outgrown her fear of thunder, yet the primordial dread invoked by the booming storm seized her heart in its chill grasp. "It’s like the thunder is striking right in front of us," she remarked, awestruck. Armin peered outside. "It's the fear of death from the unconscious rising to the surface. But this is relatively mild. An ordinary person might have succumbed to chaos already. It's only because it's Shirone that he's managing." Amy offered a sad smile. Unlike how she'd chastised him earlier, Armin was recognizing Shirone. Getting such acknowledgment from a remarkable wizard like Armin—one could only imagine how that felt. She lamented Shirone’s absence from such an intense moment. 'But then again, all of this is Shirone,’ she thought. Armin refocused, keen to avoid being lost in emotion. "The binding force is still tightening around Shirone's neck. With time, it will worsen, and soon it will start collapsing from below. The current state of the 11th level reflects this. Eventually, Arius will have met the minimum condition needed to dive deeper." Snapping back to reality, Amy urgently asked, "Isn't there a way to save Shirone?" Stopping Arius and Zion wasn't enough. If the temporal field shattered, Shirone would perish instantly. "There's only one method left: we must descend past the realm of REM to the deeper layers. It's too late to alter something in reality. However, if we embed something in the depths of Shirone's mind, there might yet be hope." Everything occurring within Shirone's consciousness would inherently become his own. The proposal was to plant a defense mechanism within the unconscious, ready to act when an existential crisis arose. "Embedding magic, like Ataraxia?" Amy asked. Armin scratched his head. "That's beyond us. Frankly, I don't even understand how Shirone obtained that magic. Perhaps there's something unique to Archangels. For us, it’s impossible. But we might engrain simple behavioral cues if we delve deeply enough." 6. The Great Secret (3) Reina asked, "Behavioral cues? Would that be effective?" Shirone’s neck was already in a vise-like grip. Could implanting a thought to initiate action really change anything? "We have to try. The situation is not forgiving. Although severing a neck might take time, even slicing an artery would be fatal. By that time, the unconscious might collapse rapidly," Armin warned. Amy's heart raced. "What should we do?" Armin's proposed solution was simple: "We must find Shirone." "What? But isn't this all Shirone's consciousness?" Amy asked, puzzled. "Precisely. Every element here is a reflection cast by Shirone's core. We need to find that core, not the shadows. That’s what we call the Avatar." Amy recounted the words of Gardrak from the Vortex Serpent’s Valley. Though the Vortex Serpent was a giant shadow, it was, in essence, a small, sleek salamander. The people of Heaven referred to that true essence as the Avatar. "Do you think the Avatar is on the 11th level surface?" Reina queried. Armin shook his head. "Unlikely. We’ll have to summon it." "How do we do that?" Reina pressed. Before Armin could respond, Amy spoke up. "Maybe we just ask the people here? After all, everyone here is part of Shirone." Armin nodded with satisfaction. "Correct. Ask the people. It's called using a keyword. Outside, it's a complex task, but here, we simply ask. If we inject 'Shirone' as a keyword, the Avatar should rise to the 11th level. Let's get moving." Heading to the counter with the two women, Armin addressed the middle-aged woman still knitting. "Do you know someone named Shirone?" The moment Armin spoke, the minstrel's playing ceased abruptly, as if caught in a snare. Conversations were silent; all murmurs vanished. In the newfound silence, it became evident how much noise they’d been surrounded by. The stillness was absolute. Amy shivered slightly as she surveyed their now-quiet surroundings. The people who had been steeped in melancholy now had their eyes wide open, all fixed on Armin. The woman at the counter was no different. She had seemed frozen, her gaze unflinching, until she finally spoke up. "Why are you looking for that person?" Armin, with a thoughtful hum, smiled. "That person"—it was indicative of Shirone's cautious consciousness, not mentioning his name directly. From here, words needed to be chosen carefully. He had to avoid being blunt or expressing any antagonistic intent. "I have an urgent message to deliver." The woman pondered for a moment before resuming her knitting. "I don't know. Never heard of such a person." "I see." Armin exhaled deeply, recognizing the challenge. Shirone was well-trained. Despite being a mage specialized in mental realms, being in a situation where his throat was metaphorically on the line would naturally cause one to waver. Even with chaos and thunder ravaging outside his mind, the shards of his consciousness remained vigilant. This demonstrated how well Shirone had honed himself mentally.