Chapter 243 - Infinite Mage

"Alright then, let's get going." The woman at the counter spoke without even glancing up. "Pay for the roof before you leave." It seemed that she had to get what was owed to her even on the brink of death. This, too, was the mindset of a wizard striving for 100% efficiency. 'Ha, she's quite thorough.' It was customary for those who entered an inn just to escape the rain, without food or accommodation, to pay a roof fee. However, Amy had no money. Even if she did, it was uncertain whether the money from reality could be traded here. At that moment, Armin rummaged through his pocket. He readily pulled out a gold coin and paid. "Here you go." "Huh?" Amy examined the gold coin he handed over. It was indeed a cog-shaped coin that wasn't used in real life. The woman at the counter frowned as she touched the coin. "This is too expensive." "No change needed." "That's impossible. Just take it." "Really, it's fine." When Armin declined with a smile, the woman agreed coolly. "Alright then. You'll be blessed." Amy pouted her lips. Though the innkeeper's speech and appearance were different, Amy couldn't help but think he bore a resemblance to Shirone in his usual demeanor. "Let's head out first." Armin's expression had grown serious once more. Although they stepped out of the inn, they hesitated to venture beyond the overhang. Water was pooling up outside as if there were a flood. Amy shivered, feeling the chill again. "At this rate, the entire world might flood." Armin shook his head. "No, the world might disappear before that happens." Amy turned to gaze at the inn's view. The warmth blocked by a single window made her feel even colder, but watching the people rest comfortably warmed her heart. If Shirone were to die, all of them would vanish. While they weren't real people, she hoped they could continue living in this world for a long time. "I've already instilled the keyword 'Shirone,' so his manifestation should emerge on the surface. Divers refer to this process as casting a net." "I see." "But that's where the issue arises. Since we don't have much time, I'll explain as we move. It will be harder to move once the water rises further." Armin sprinted through the blinding downpour, with Amy catching up beside him, asking. "Where are we even going? We don't know where Shirone is." "First things first... we’ll need to get weapons, probably." Stopping in front of a two-story building, Armin looked up. A sign depicted a crossed axe and sword. The three of them sheltered under the eaves of the weapon shop. This time, the eaves were narrow, forcing them to stand close to the wall. Armin turned to the two women beside him and asked. "Is there anything you can wield?" Reina responded first. "I had some sword training when I was young..." "I'm a wizard," Amy said, somewhat embarrassed, prompting a smile from Arius. Having been teased earlier, she seemed bashful about proudly claiming her status as a wizard. "That’s good. Let's hope there's something useful." Just as Armin was about to enter the weapon shop, Amy called out quickly. "Hey, how did you get the money?" Even with good weapons, no money meant nothing could be bought. Plus, the money paid at the inn wasn't from the real world. Since Armin hadn't been inside Shirone’s consciousness for long, he wondered if he, too, could procure money. "Oh, that was withdrawn." "Withdrawn? From where?" Armin pointed to the sky. "From Shirone, of course. This is Shirone’s consciousness, so anything can be created. Just think about needing money, and it will appear in proportion to the trust Shirone has in you. Let's see..." Armin rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a gold coin. "I currently have nine, meaning Shirone gave me a total of ten gold coins. Not that it means much, ha." Upon seeing the cog-shaped gold coins in Armin's palm, the two women thought to themselves that they needed money. Reina checked her pocket and exclaimed with delight. "Oh? It's true. I have seven gold coins." Amy looked on in disbelief. Given her acquaintance with Shirone, she hadn't heard of anyone named Armin, so she imagined Reina would receive at least more than ten coins. But the unexpected outcome favored Armin. Was it possible Shirone held Reina in low regard? Or rather, did it signify how much trust Shirone had in Armin? 'Who exactly is this person? What kind of connection does he have with Shirone?' Regardless, Amy felt a sliver of anticipation. While it wasn’t functional in reality, within this consciousness, these were the only means of currency. 'Hmm, if Mr. Armin receives ten, and Reina gets seven, then will I get around twenty?' Amy stuck her tongue out lightly as she checked her pockets. Then she switched hands to check the opposite pocket. Her expression gradually darkened. "Huh?" Reina tilted her head curiously. "What's wrong?" "Wait a moment." Amy hurriedly searched every pocket she had. Yet no matter how she checked, nothing was withdrawn. Her face flushed as she spoke in disbelief. "No gold coins appeared." Armin nodded knowingly. "That's understandable. If Shirone refuses the withdrawal, it can certainly happen." Amy was in shock. The number of gold coins indicated how much trust Shirone had in a person. How could it be that she received none at all? "I-I'll try again." Armin interjected, shaking his head. "Trying again won't make a difference. We don't have time, so let's see what we can get with what we have." Withdrawing gold coins was a remarkably easy task. If none appeared after the first attempt, further attempts wouldn't change that. Reina comforted Amy as they headed into the weapon shop. "Okay, Amy, let's do that. Sixteen gold should be more than enough." Amy pushed Reina's arm away and stopped in her tracks, shouting. "There's no way that's true!" Tears welled up in Amy's eyes. The seven gold coins Reina received were a testament to Shirone's feelings for her. Amy didn't want to buy her weapon with that. If she had to purchase something, it must be with money Shirone gave her directly. Armin fully understood that sentiment, and it was precisely why mental excavation was prohibited worldwide. When one reveals the inner self of a person too transparently, it can feel like everything previously known was a lie. It's a natural aspect of human nature, yet understanding it doesn't lessen the shock of reality. "You don't need to feel betrayed, Amy. Shirone is desperately holding on. In a situation of emotional turmoil, things can turn out this way. Perhaps you unintentionally conveyed negative emotions to him before arriving here..." Amy shook her head vehemently. "No, that's not possible. I..." She trailed off. Honestly, how could she truly know? Even if she understood everything about Shirone, she couldn't grasp his innermost thoughts. Perhaps it was because she failed to respond adequately to Xenoger's attack. She had hoped he would save her by using ignite to melt the web, and maybe he was disappointed by her failure to do so. Armin sighed. It was something anyone would have to face within Shirone's consciousness, and there wasn't any specific answer to resolve it. "Let's go inside for now. We can’t delay any longer." With Armin's firm interruption, Amy had no choice but to follow. Reina felt sympathy for her dejected mien, but in such a situation, there wasn't any consolation that could be offered. "Welcome." The shopkeeper greeted them, putting his newspaper aside. Amy glanced up with a slight start, eyes widening. Despite appearing a little older, it was definitely Nade. "Nade? How are you here?" "Huh? Do you know me? I don't recall meeting you." Amy threw a questioning look at Armin. He, too, was acquainted with Nade, one among the friends Shirone had hidden in his home previously. "It's Shirone’s projection. It’s a fusion of Nade as a person and the weapon shop as an object. It seems Nade has an interest in this area." Reina commented. "Sometimes that happens in dreams, too. You fight what appears to be a villain, but upon waking, they turn out to be a family member you'd quarreled with the night before." "Yes, it's a natural mental phenomenon. Complex projections imply there's a significant concept rooted here compared to elsewhere. Let's take a look around?" Nade frowned as he peered intently at Amy. "I really don't know. Perhaps you've mistaken me for someone else?" "Ah, maybe you're right. The person I know is much younger. Sorry about that." "Hahaha! People do tell me I look young for my age." Amy decided to feign ignorance to avoid inadvertently stirring Shirone's mind. Human consciousness is so intricate that even a minor nudge can trigger a butterfly effect. Large Secret (4) Feeling a bit better after unexpectedly seeing a school friend following the blow of not receiving any gold coins from Shirone, Amy spoke up. "I’d like to check out some weapons. Is it alright if I look around?" Nade smiled benignly and encouraged them to browse. "Of course, have a look around. It’s great to see folks despite this weather. I was considering closing early because of the gloomy atmosphere. The rain’s got me feeling down all of a sudden." Amy walked with her hands clasped behind her back, inspecting the weapons. The shop seemed well-stocked with basic equipment. Thankfully, there were no magical items, which relieved her somehow; it wouldn't be right to insist on not buying with someone else's money if there were. After a casual look at the displayed goods, Amy noticed a weapon encased in glass, mounted on a wall. "Hmm? What's this?" She read the paper below the case. Nade's face lit up as he explained. "Ah, that's the pride of our shop. When wielded, it makes the sound of thunder. Isn't it fascinating? I tried it out once, and it was incredibly powerful. Any monster would be frightened off!" She remembered listening to Rian recount a tale about Shirone's childhood on their journey to Galliant. He succeeded in mastering Thunder Crack at the age of twelve, so it held precious memories for him. Amy glanced at the price tag and her eyes widened in disbelief. "59 billion gold?" "Hahaha! Of course. It's our shop’s pride! You’d need that much to buy it." Armin approached from behind Amy. "Likely, no one can purchase this through normal means. I'm not sure how the economy works here, but even combined, Reina and I only have 17 gold. Withdrawing 59 billion gold would be impossible, even for one's parents." Amy understood but couldn't help wondering as she stroked her chin. "Hmm, what if a looter tried to excavate it?" "That's probably feasible. Since it's an object filled with Shirone's intense thoughts, converting it to an artifact would be practical. Money can be accumulated or stolen via illicit means, but if I were a looter, I wouldn’t take this." "Because it's unnecessary." Armin nodded in agreement. "Yes. The more an object defies logic, the more valuable it is as an artifact. Simply claiming an axe makes thunder isn't extraordinary. It's a matter of successfully executing Thunder Crack. Most items at level 11 are likely like this. This is the surface level, where the intimate desires of humans aren't exposed. Therefore, rather than desire, is better interpreted as a cherished memory." Amy grasped the essence of artifacts and realized how vile Arius was. This world belonged to Shirone. No matter what others thought, it was the most precious mental realm for him. Arius, ready to commit murder to excavate it, must be apprehended. Armin walked over to the window and glanced outside as he spoke. "In any case, as law-abiding citizens, there's no need for us to covet unnecessarily. If we're not going to loot, they're just dream items anyway. There's no need to be too picky. Just arm yourselves enough for basic self-defense." Amy tilted her head in curiosity and asked, "For self-defense? Aren’t we choosing weapons to face Zion and Arius? Even with perfect armor, it wouldn’t be enough." Armin remained at the window as he responded. "I’ll explain that once we’re outside. For now, make your choice." Reina propped her chin on her hand, lost in thought. The Orgent family revered the sword, and the weapon she felt most confident wielding was the sword. "Do you happen to sell bows here?" A smile played on Armin’s lips. "An excellent choice." Outside, it was so dark that distinguishing anything was nearly impossible. In such conditions, a ranged weapon would be more useful than a melee weapon. With her heightened hearing, Reina's aim with a bow would certainly be improved. Reina took the bow Nade selected for her and examined it. The draw was strong, and the curve of the bow back was perfect. When learning martial arts, it was taught that a bow could introduce significant variables. Growing up in a family that frequently hunted solidified her fundamental skills. "I like it. I'll take this. I'll buy a quiver and some arrows, too." "Sure thing. I'll get you the best quality. Hold on." While Nade went to fetch the items from the storeroom behind the counter, Reina turned to Amy. "There aren't any magic weapons here. Should we check another place?" "It's fine. For a wizard, the tools aren't that significant." Amy summoned Jack O’ Lantern beside her face. "And I do have a weapon Shirone bought for me." The moment she said that, regret washed over her. Emphasizing that Shirone bought it only deepened her sense of misery. Yet, what's done was done, so she feigned indifference as she turned away. Armin leaned against the window, arms folded. ‘Jack O' Lantern. That's an ancient spell. He's acquired a rather rare item.’ Having once visited the celestial realm on a certain mission, Armin had a general idea of the community's market prices. Ancient magic could be purchased with an elixir, and for something like Jack O’ Lantern, a White Elixir would be warranted. Shirone and Amy must share a very close relationship. Yet, she couldn't make a withdrawal. Furthermore, her last remark expressed discontent with Shirone. ‘Hmm, so that's it.’ This could potentially pose a danger. In the mental world, this was indeed the most significant challenge.