Chapter 245 - Infinite Mage

Armin glanced back at the two women waiting behind him and requested to the coachman. “Take us to a place where it doesn't rain.” The coachman's head jerked towards Armin as if electrified. The movement was so bizarre that the observing women swallowed nervously. The coachman, slowly facing forward, gripped the reins and spoke. “Please get in, sir.” Authors note: To be continued in the next volume Editor's Note: /summon next_volume Master of Consciousness (1) The carriage carrying Armin and his party sped towards the castle gates. The wheels churned up rainwater up to knee height, spraying it outwards. Once on the rugged mountain road, the carriage bounced over protruding rocks. Amy and Reina clutched the handholds tightly with both hands. “It seems we’ll arrive soon. How fortunate it’s not far.” Amy stuck her head out the window. In the sky beyond, covered with dark clouds, a colossal pillar of light seemed to pierce through, as if a hole had been made. As they entered that space, the sound of rain ceased, revealing a sun-drenched meadow. Armin's group stepped out of the carriage and looked back at the path they had traveled. Between the barely touching dark clouds and the horizon, lightning crackled with static-like energy. Even in the sunny place, the coachman's face couldn't be discerned. Amy speculated it might be someone even Shirone didn’t find memorable. Shirone sat in the meadow below, observing the flowers. Though his back was turned, making it impossible to see his face, Shirone was the only person who could exist in the domain of the golden light. His profile, turning to follow a fluttering butterfly, bore a beautiful smile. Now understanding the realm of consciousness, Reina was amazed. Despite the grim realities, Shirone's spirit remained unshaken. She began to understand why he could make precise decisions in numerous crises. ‘But… should I approach him?’ Reina hesitated to step forward. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t Shirone but rather his avatar. Integrating even the most intimate emotions could lead to unexpected reactions and potential hurt. “Let’s go. There's nowhere else to retreat.” With that, Armin nudged Reina forward toward Shirone. Sensing their presence, Shirone turned his head. Reina gulped audibly. “Oh? Mr. Armin? Reina?” Shirone greeted them warmly, wearing a bright expression. “It’s been a while. Have you been well?” Armin scrutinized Shirone intensely. ‘Truly remarkable.’ Shirone's avatar was almost indistinguishable from his usual self. Among all the avatars Armin had encountered, even globally renowned figures often revealed disappointing natures at the avatar stage. One couldn’t blame them—it’s human nature. But Shirone was different. In unseen places, anyone might stray a bit, yet Shirone's heart arrived at a pure state, untouched by others’ eyes. His avatar formed through inner refinement cultivated since childhood. ‘The rumors of Tormia’s top prodigy were not unfounded.’ Even after parting a year ago, Armin had continuously kept up with Shirone's achievements. Such abnormality in his progress couldn’t be explained by talent alone but was supported by this mental completeness. “So, what brings you here?” The avatar understood this was the realm of consciousness but couldn’t separate it from the physical world. Similar to how one knows it’s a dream but can’t fully realize they're in a dream. Reina asked Armin, “Does Shirone not know why we've come? We've been planting keywords all this time.” “There’s no clear line defining what he’s aware of. The avatar governs the whole, but it’s not the entirety.” “It’s like a kind of core code, then.” “Precisely. This is all the avatar’s function, but it’s not imbued with the avatar’s will.” “Um...” Amy's voice interrupted. Turning their heads, they saw an Egoist over two meters tall, enveloping Amy with its four arms. The top right arm twisted into a rope, tightening around her neck. ‘There shouldn't be any projectiles?’ Reina surveyed the surroundings, realizing the coachman was gone. But why did it manifest as an Egoist? Wasn’t Shirone supposed to be friendly to them? “Shirone, what’s going on?” “Seeing Amy... I just felt annoyed.” Armin sighed. What he feared had happened. It’s rationality that links cause and effect. Emotions, on the other hand, are loyal to the feelings of the moment. In reality, the two are strictly separated, yet in an avatar’s realm, they cannot be. “Shirone, you need to suppress your emotions right now. You might feel it, but your life is in danger. You must cooperate with us, including Amy.” Armin’s persuasion didn’t make Shirone understand, but with his life at stake, he had no choice but to comply. As his emotions were suppressed, the Egoist became hazy and transformed into black smoke. Coughing and rubbing her neck, Amy looked at Shirone with sorrowful eyes. She was prepared for this, yet the treatment stung. “What’s the reason? You have to tell me so I can fix it, don’t you think?” Shirone didn’t know the reason. While memories involving Amy bubbled up, the avatar could only sense the raw emotion of the situation without arranging causes and effects in order. Shirone stepped back from her and turned to Armin. “What should we do now?” “First, we’ll delve deep into Shirone’s subconscious. We can’t regain order unless we catch the intruder.” “But I don’t know how to go down.” “No, you do. The reason Shirone accepts the current situation so seamlessly is because you know. The logical framework is broken, preventing conclusions, but think about descending. Let me know immediately what place first comes to mind.” Deep in thought, Shirone pointed towards the western mountain range. “I can't be sure...” “That’s enough. Let's get going then.” Armin took the coachman's seat, stepping in for the vanished coachman. Traveling for about an hour in the direction Shirone indicated, they arrived at a small village. Though it was pouring rain here as well, the weather cleared remarkably as soon as Shirone entered. Shirone led the group to a shabby stable. He pulled aside a handful of soft straw from the floor, revealing a door leading underground. “Oh, there really is a door?” “It's more accurate to say he designated it. Wherever Shirone believes there to be a door, there it is. Remember this feeling. At this pace, we should be able to catch up to Arius and Zion.” Upon hearing their names, a furious expression distorted Shirone's face. Armin flinched and turned around in surprise. It was gone now, but he sensed something that didn’t belong to reality for just a moment. ‘What was that about just now?’ Armin realized he needed to revise his previous assumptions. Though Shirone's avatar appeared unchanged from usual, perhaps that wasn’t the whole truth. *** On the eighth level of Shirone's consciousness. Arius independently delved deeper, collecting information as he proceeded. The current area they were investigating was a garbage dump, reeking so foul it was difficult to breathe. As the rank odor carried by the wind reached them, Zion covered his mouth with a handkerchief. ‘What is this smell? It’s not like a corpse.’ The fear that Shirone felt materialized as a scent. It was the smell of death, impossible in reality. Arius, now accustomed to it, ignored the stench and stopped a passerby to ask, “Is there a library nearby?” The man, holding his nose, merely pointed in a direction before hurrying away. Arius headed where the man had indicated. Entering the library, the foul smell disappeared, and it felt like a breath of fresh air. Zion, after dusting off his handkerchief, seemed to give up on resuscitating it and tossed it to the ground. Looking around, he remarked, “A library this time?” Arius ignored Zion’s comment, focusing intently on the books. The books were categorized, but the titles squirmed like worms, making them unreadable. However, in one section, the titles were clear. They were books related to Shirone's major, photonics. Arius walked along the bookshelves, examining the covers until he selected a book titled “God Particle.” He tapped the wall with it, causing a rectangular crack to appear. The wall dissipated into the air, revealing stairs that led downward. “I've always been curious. How do you find these things?” “I trace the flow connected to Shirone’s unconsciousness. Every object embodies a unique significance. It’s a field requiring some study, perhaps an exceptional understanding of psychoanalysis, if you will.” “I see.” By the middle of Arius’s explanation, Zion had already lost interest. As always, leaving the complex matters to the experts was enough. He simply wished to extract Ataraxia and get out of there as quickly as possible. Opening the gate to the seventh level, they found a plaza. There were no floods, no bone-chilling cold, nor the stifling stench. Zion adjusted the leather strap of Arman at his waist, readying his mind anew. “At least this place is bearable.” Just as Zion spoke, a man plummeted from above, landing face-first and dying, his skull ruptured. Looking around, they saw people climbing onto rooftops. Multiple suicides ensued, and from a building window, a woman standing on a chair was tying a noose. “What in the world is going on?” Arius, observing from behind Zion, explained, “The seventh level is a gate just before entering the REM domain. It's a layer where reason persists. These projections close to death exhibit nervous breakdowns.” “Kyaaaah!” Two sisters screamed as they plummeted from the fourth floor. Zion grimaced. The sisters’ deaths didn’t concern him, nor did the sight of their obliterated bodies. He just wished they wouldn’t make such a commotion when dying. “Let’s hurry up. This level is irritating.” “No, we’ll linger a while. Should they have met Shirone’s avatar, it could be troublesome. They could reach the depths far quicker than us.” “Hmm, if that's the case?” Arius pointed to a castle beyond the city. “We’ll meet the Master of Consciousness here. Shirone’s super-ego. In diver terms, it’s called the Antithesis.” “The Antithesis?” “It’s the conscience that critiques Shirone. As strong as the Egoist, but it’s quite weakened faced with death currently. That should buy us some time.” With that, Arius turned northwards. They had to tread carefully, as a simple brush could set the passersby into a murderous rage due to their volatile nerves. Arriving at the castle, it was miniature in scale compared to reality but had a quaint charm. Beyond the wall, seven red spires stood tall, and guards watched over the entrance across a moat resembling a mere creek. As they approached the arch, the guards crossed their spears, blocking the entrance. “Halt. Who goes there?” “We’ve come to meet the ruler of this place.” “Lord Ignite is on sick leave. Turn back.” Arius gave a meaningful smile. The ruler’s name is typically associated with the most dominant concept in rationality. And Ignite was the name of a spark magic. “That’s precisely why we’re here. I have a cure for the ailment.” The guards exchanged confused glances, and one guard entered the inner fortress. Shortly after, he returned, allowing Arius entry. Inside, opulence was nowhere to be found. It was akin to seeing a frontline army barracks. The soldiers, like the citizens, were on edge, but under Ignite’s command, they were carrying out their duties diligently. At the end of the crimson carpet, Ignite was seated with his chin resting on his hand. He was nearly two meters tall, with a striking, elegantly maintained brown beard. Master of Consciousness (2) Zion tilted his head, feeling as if he'd seen him somewhere before. "Wasn't he... Vincent?" As they walked along the carpet, Arius explained, "A large portion of the projection is likely present. The super-ego is heavily influenced by one's father. Under usual circumstances, it could easily suppress an Egoist." Ignite greeted them with a welcoming smile. "So, you say you have a cure for me?" Arius was momentarily speechless, hit by an overwhelming presence akin to being face-to-face with a beast. ‘Preposterous. This is a weakened state of the super-ego?’ Normally, a person facing death would have a paralyzed super-ego. Yet Ignite exuded a powerful aura, maintaining his robust stance. ‘I can't help but admire this.’ Even Arius, who had explored the minds of many, had never encountered such a formidable super-ego. A person with such a steely, critical self-awareness never lets their guard down, no matter the situation. The rumors that Shirone could become a first-class top-tier person likely stem from this trait. Zion snorted dismissively. "Bragging even when on the brink of death? What an annoyingly arrogant bastard." Arius thought to himself that Zion's super-ego must be quite feeble. “There is no cure for my ailment. For this world is already diseased. So, what brings you to me? I’ll overlook the initial lie, but from now on, you must speak the truth.” A clumsy lie would not pass the rational judgment of the super-ego, so Arius confessed honestly. “We need to kill Shirone.” The soldiers lined up in the room all simultaneously cast their eyes on Arius. However, under Ignite’s command, they didn’t manifest as Egoists. “And why should I do that?” Ignite lifted the massive axe that had been resting against his chair with one hand. As he grasped the weapon, the air grew as heavy as steel, pressing down on the chests of the two men. Terrified, Zion pulled out Arman. With the activation of his armor spell, the sword split and encased him like armor. Simultaneously, Ignite's subordinates raised their weapons. Arius sighed in exasperation. But he needed Zion’s help to achieve their goal, so he abandoned the preliminary strategy and joined the confrontation. “Just hold him off for a moment. It will be over soon.” “What are you planning to do?” Arius approached Ignite. The bluish light of the mental magic 'Confuse' gathered in his palm. “We’ll have to go for mental restructuring.”