Chapter - 298 - Master of Consciousness (2).txt
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[298] Master of Ceremonies (2)
Ji-on tilted his head at the impression that he had seen it somewhere.
"For sure… … Did you say Vincent?"
Arius explained as they walked over the carpet.
"It will be projected to a large extent. The superego is heavily influenced by the father. Normally, it should be strong enough to subdue even Egoist."
Ignite greeted them with a strong smile.
"So, do you have any medicine to cure me?"
Shocked, Arius was unable to answer for a moment. I felt a sense of intimidation, like having a beast in front of me.
'It's ridiculous. Is this the Superego in a weakened state?'
It is normal for normal people to have their super ego paralyzed in the face of death. However, Ignite was still radiating energy in a strong state.
'I can't help but admire this?'
Even Arius, who had explored the minds of countless people, had never had a super ego so strong.
Those who have a steel-hard critical mind will never be vigilant under any circumstances. The rumor that Shirone is a wood that can become a top-notch was also based on this tendency.
Ji-on snorted and said.
"Are you bluffing even though everyone is dying? What an unlucky child."
Arius thought, how weak Zeon's superego was.
"There is no medicine that can cure my illness. Because this world is already sick. Yeah, what did you come to see me for? The first lie will pass, but from now on you will have to tell the truth."
A clumsy lie wouldn't work for the super ego, the ruler of reason, so Arius confided frankly.
"We must kill Shirone."
The soldiers lined up in the middle of the room glared at Arius in the same motion. However, it was not manifested as an egoist because it was under the control of Ignite.
"Why should I?"
Ignite lifted the huge ax that was leaning against the back of the chair with one hand.
The moment he gripped the weapon, the air became heavy like an iron bar and squeezed the two men's chests.
Zion was terrified and took out Armand. When the Diamond Armament was activated, the sword split and surrounded him like armor. At the same time, Ignite's men raised their weapons.
Arius let out a reproachful sigh. However, to achieve his goal, he needed Zeon's help, so he abandoned his advance strategy and joined the use of force.
"Please stop for a moment. It will be over soon."
"What are you going to do?"
Arius walked over to Ignite. The bluish light of Confuse, a spirit-type magic, gathered in his palm.
"… … You have to go into mental remodeling."
* * *
"Coke! Coke!"
Shirone and the others coughed and exited the door leading to the seventh level. The stench from the landfill was imprinted in my brain, and I still felt like I could smell it.
But things weren't good here. Shirone and the others couldn't move in front of the door and put on a dazed expression.
The square's floor was littered with corpses with their heads blown off. People were falling from the rooftops as if it were raining.
On the other hand, citizens were fighting each other and beating each other as if they were going to kill each other. Even if it wasn't real, it was the first time I'd seen such a horrifying scene.
Armin watched the situation with a serious face.
If the action of the projectiles reached the extreme, it meant that Xenoger's steel wire was strangling him faster than expected.
While watching her world being destroyed with sad eyes, Shirone suddenly took on a fierce expression. She then mischievously tugged at Amy's hair as she stood in front.
"ouch!"
Amy looked back with a puzzled expression.
"what's the matter?"
"Don't cover it. You can't see it."
Amy pursed her lips.
I don't know why Shirone, who is kind to others, is only doing this to herself. I wanted to hit her with one blow because of my temper, but since I had made up my mind before meeting Hwa-sin, I controlled her mind.
"Yeah, sorry, what."
When Amy shrugged and turned around, Shirone was rather confused.
She is a good person and on her side. But why are you in a bad mood?
"Why did you come to rescue me?"
Amy flinched at the question that came from behind her back. But she didn't look back, and after being lost in her thoughts, she gave a short answer.
"Because we are friends."
Shirone pulled out memories of reality from that story. It was a terrifying memory like a nightmare.
The world turned upside down and my body ached as if it were burning. I saw Amy tied up like a cocoon on the opposite wall. I can't guess what the situation was, but it was extremely unpleasant.
"But you… … You couldn't save me."
Amy bowed her head sadly.
Is it still like that? Is Shirone hating her own weakness for not being able to act?
"Shirone, that… … ."
The moment Amy turned around to explain, an egoist rose in front of her eyes. As she hurriedly backed away, Arius and Reina also distanced themselves.
The projectiles whose heads exploded turned into egoists one by one and began to surround Shirone like a wall.
Reina looked back at Armin and asked.
"How did this happen?"
"Avoid!"
Amy grabbed Reina by the waist and threw herself into the seventh-level doorway. Reina turned her head and saw a rain of arrows filling the sky.
Armin got out of range with flicker magic.
Egoists rushed around Shirone. After confirming there, Amy closed the door.
Follow me! Follow me!
The palms holding the doorknob tingled as dozens of arrows pierced the door.
As soon as the rain of arrows stopped, I opened the door and looked at Shirone. There were so many arrows stuck in the ball-shaped Egoist that it was disgusting.
"Shirone! are you okay?"
As the Egoists separated and slipped away like the ebb tide, I saw Shirone standing in the same posture as the first one. More Egoists approached him with shady attitudes and protected him.
Amy let out a sigh of relief and turned her head to where Shirone was looking.
A group of troops was pouring in. As the archers split left and right, the heavy cavalry took the lead.
"What the hell is that army?"
"It will be the antithesis. The egoist rationalizes the ego, and the antithesis criticizes. If the stronger the superego is, the more moral it is, then Shirone's antithesis will be quite strong. Don't relax."
Amy was surprised to see the commander of the cavalry unit. He was a middle-aged man with a huge ax on his back, and even from a distance he had a distinct sense of weight.
"Uncle Vincent?"
Except for the fact that he was about 1.5 times bigger and had scars on his face, he looked just like Vincent to the point where you could believe he appeared in makeup.
"I am Ignite, the ruler of this city!"
Ignite's shout echoed through the plaza. Even the nervous citizens turned to him with alert expressions.
Ignite, who held out a large ax that was heavier than his body weight horizontally, pointed at Shirone and shouted.
"Shirone! Everyone is suffering because of your selfishness. What do you dream of as a lowly citizen! Your strength is not obtained through your efforts! It deserves to be handed over to others! Now I will end all suffering with your death!"
Amy looked back at Arius with an absurd expression.
"Is that Shirone's critical consciousness? Isn't that just typical loser logic?"
"okay. Arius seems to have manipulated the superego. Humans have as much desire for death as they do for life. It looks like we've been seriously bitten."
"Shirone! answer! are you fair Do you still want to live after giving birth to so much suffering?"
When humans are exposed to extreme fear or pain, the idea of dying rather arises. Arius was able to easily manipulate Ignite using the fact that Shirone's world was sick.
Whenever she heard Ignite's voice, Shirone shuddered.
To the ego, the superego's message resonated powerfully like a bible to religious people.
"Right! The reason this world has become like this is all because of Shirone!"
"Killing Shirone is the only way to regain peace!"
"Kill! Let's kill Shirone!"
Projectiles in the plaza sympathized with Ignite and set up a banner of rebellion.
All of them were antitheses, and as the number increased, Shirone's incarnation became weaker.
"Get ready! Come this way!"
At the same time as Armin shouted, the heavily armored infantry rushed in, shaking the ground. Archers pulled their bowstrings from the left and right of the plaza, and citizens also rushed at them as an angry mob.
"I can be comfortable without you!"
The citizen who grabbed the wooden pole made a full swing in front of Shirone.
At the same time, Egoist hugged him and knocked him to the floor. As he turned his whole body into teeth and chewed on it, Antithese screamed and was torn to pieces.
But Ignite's men couldn't deal with it so easily. Rather, he was swinging his weapon with brute force that overwhelms Egoist.
The Egoists who had been attacked by Antithese disintegrated into pieces with the sound of air escaping.
"Kill Shirone! Everyone, charge at Shirone!"
The dead projectiles turned into Egoists and fought to protect Shirone. On the other hand, all citizens became antitheses.
Desire and reason collided in the center of the plaza.
It was definitely the existence of Ignite that made a variable in the close match.
He was stronger than any egoist, far beyond the might of the other antitheses. Every time he swung his large axe, Egoists exploded like dust.
"Shirone! not yours! Stop letting go!"
Armin, watching the battle, was dumbfounded.
'How could this be?'
Reason is winning over desire.
It means that the conviction is strong, but considering the situation, even if it was strong, it was absurdly strong. Even soldiers who die for their country have a stronger desire to live when their lives are at stake.
'But is desire a diagnosis? Is your head being cut off in real life? Could this really be the spirit of an eighteen-year-old boy?'
Arius would not have expected Antithesis to win either. If Ignite captures Shirone, they won't be able to obtain Ataraxia either.
Shirone's beliefs transcend those of humans.
Like the prophets in history, Shirone was a man willing to die for his convictions.
"I can't. We are fighting too."
Armin cast Flickr and infiltrated the battlefield.
In any case, the priority now is to save Shirone. This is because if the incarnation is attacked, you will no longer be able to catch up with Arius.
Amy defended herself with Fire Mist and cast Fire Wall.
The crowd split in two as the fire wall ran across the border between Egoist and Antithese.
As I concentrated, the height of the fire wall soared. The heavily armored infantry screamed in agony without taking off their heated armor.
Reina climbed onto the roof and sniped the archers. The arrows I bought from Nade's projectiles were many times stronger than the real one, so I could easily pierce two or three people with one shot.
"Get out of the way! I will punish you myself!"
Ignite's voice was heard from beyond the barrier of the Fire Wall. And she appeared right away breaking through the wall of fire.
With a large ax slung over his shoulder and taking a swinging stance, the first target he aimed at was Amy. Numerous egoists attacked him, but he was scattered with one blow from the axe.
"Amy! Dangerous!"
Reina inserted four arrows from the quiver on her thigh between her fingers.
Four shots were fired in an instant. In addition, the target areas were also different: shoulders, wrists, thighs, and heart.
Without taking his eyes off Amy, Ignite recognized the out-of-focus arrow and grabbed the large ax with both hands and swung it.
The sound of strong winds that humans could not imagine raged.
Kang! Kang! Kang! Kang!
The arrow with strong penetrating power did not bounce even after hitting the ax blade. However, as the shaft bent 90 degrees, it lost power and fell to the ground.
"You foolish girl!"
Ignite continued his charge, brandishing a large axe. Then, in front of Amy's eyes, he passed the ax blade behind his back.
As his upper body stood up, Amy felt as if a wall had formed in front of her eyes. She didn't have time to cancel the fire wall and cast another spell.
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Chapter - 299 - Master of Consciousness (3) 3.txt
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[299] Master of Ceremonies (3)
"Do not threaten our peace!"
The speed of the large ax descending toward the top of the head was so great that it was difficult to follow with the naked eye.
It was a fleeting moment, but Amy realized that this was her final destination.
'Hello Shirone… … .'
It was a bad ending.
But on the other hand, I thought that this would be a good ending. Because this is Shirone's spiritual world. will sleep forever in his arms.
"Quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
A frenzied roar sounded in Amy's ears, which brought her to her senses. At the same time, something black passed quickly in front of my eyes.
When I woke up, Ignite had flown 10 meters.
Amy felt a presence behind her and turned around.
But to take a good look at it, I had to raise my head to the sky.
It was an egoist whose entire body was covered with thorn-like projections. He was more than 6 meters tall, and was staring straight ahead with a stance that seemed to be in the middle of a quadrupedal walk and a bipedal walk.
The egoist is expressed in a specific form by borrowing the desire of the incarnation. The process wasn't over yet, and all the Egoists in the plaza turned into black smoke and were sucked in. It didn't grow taller anymore, but the spines on its torso became abnormally long.
"Quaaaaaang!"
Egoist – Anger.
A huge shadow monster screamed and jumped over Amy.
When the object blocking my eyes disappeared, I saw Shirone, who was frowning.
'Shirone is… … ?'
Shirone is a person whose reason is stronger than desire. However, the current Egoist was radiating strength in a form different from the ones he had experienced so far.
'You're trying to save me?'
Amy, aware of the hostility harbored by Shirone's incarnation, avoided jumping to conclusions.
But the excitement in my heart was unavoidable. Because it was always like that. Whenever a dangerous situation came up, Shirone always protected herself.
Egoist (anger) was still full of strength even after tearing apart hundreds of antitheses. Even Ignite's subordinates equipped with weapons were blown away with a single kick.
"Shirone! Do you dream of living a petty life until the end!"
Ignite stood up, coughing up blood from her throat, grabbed a large ax and charged at the monster. Then he jumped high and passed the ax back.
Stretching his waist like a bow, he bounced his body like a spring and struck down the axe. Egoist's head split in half.
A smile appeared on Ignite's lips, but the expected scream was not heard. Egoist's state, transmitted through her handle, was still angry, bubbling, and about to explode.
The moment Ignite looked serious, the claw of anger struck his face.
As he fell to the ground with half of his face missing, legs thicker than pillars trampled on him.
Whoops!
The battle ended with the ground shaking.
"Aww! Do, run away!"
Antitheses were stunned and scattered in all directions. Egoist screamed and pursued them in order to annihilate even one more.
The plaza, where only Shirone and the others were left, was clean without a single corpse.
Amy, who was on the brink of death, sat down. Her Shirone came to her.
Amy turned her head and realized that Shirone had come, and her heart pounded. Are you angry now? Has she returned to her old friendly Shirone?
"Shirone, thank you. If it wasn't for you… … ."
"You get pissed off."
Shirone said while looking at the ground without even making eye contact.
"It really pisses me off."
Then he turned coldly and walked away.
Even thinking about it now, I couldn't figure out why I saved Amy.
A powerful urge seized her just before the great ax split her head. From the next moment, her anger exploded and she couldn't recall anything.
Amy bowed her head sullenly.
Reina, who had been expecting a reconciliation between the two, patted her shoulder.
"Don't be too disappointed. As long as Shirone is saved, all misunderstandings will be resolved… … ."
Before Reina could finish her words, Amy raised her head.
Contrary to expectations, it was a bright face. On the one hand, she even looked lighthearted.
"are you okay. Anyway, Shirone saved me. He probably doesn't hate me to the core. So that's it, what. haha!"
Even with that said, Reina knew how great Amy's loss would be.
She was holding on desperately, only to save Shirone.
"Okay, let's do our best."
Reina looked back at Armin. His clothes were drenched in sweat because he had harassed the enemy in the depths of Antithese's camp.
"Is the antithesis gone now?"
"It's not gone. But there will be no more manipulated antitheses. However, you should not slow down. It's basically a mental body that criticizes Shirone."
After a short break in the plaza, they entered the castle under Shirone's guidance. Ignite had been staying until just a moment ago, but no more projectiles were visible.
Shirone went down to the basement. And I walked the winding road like a maze without a single blockage.
When I opened the door of the storage room, there was another staircase leading down to the basement.
Armin, who picked up a torch from the first basement floor, went down alongside Shirone. Then he halted the group in front of an old wooden door and looked back.
"If you enter through this door, you will come to the world of dreams, the realm of REM. Before we go in, there are a few things to pass on. As you've all dreamed of, the laws of physics apply here. In a nutshell, it can be called focus."
"Is it like concentration?"
"Similar. Reality is a series of concentration and relaxation. In normal life, the period of relaxation is overwhelmingly long. But the dream is only concentration. It's like following the dramatic structure of a play. You see only what you want to see, and no other situations exist. So when you lose focus, you lose yourself. This is called a reel pin."
Armin spread his five fingers.
"Reel pins are largely divided into five types. First, a sense of opulence. Second, meaningless muttering. Third, repetition of the same section. Fourth, point of departure. Fifth, the realization of anxiety."
Amy seemed to know what it was. It was something she also experienced often in her dreams.
"Dreams mimic gravity, but they don't actually have gravity. Keep checking the feeling that your feet are on the ground. The moment you feel floating, you will come to mind endlessly. And don't say anything you're not sure about."
"You say the conversation has to be focused. It's like a script for a play."
"That's right. No habitual slang. If you lose the focus of language, you will repeat meaningless words."
"Then, is the repetition of the same section the focus of the space?"
"yes. Do not look back or run away without thinking. The focus disappears, so only the same section is repeated. Fourth, when you focus on your surroundings, you lose yourself and put yourself in the shoes of an observer. Finally, don't feel anxious."
"It will happen in reality."
Armin nodded at Reina's words.
Amy, lost in thought, asked.
"What if you get caught in a lil pin? For example, if you get caught in the floating reel pin and can't stop talking with a meaningless mumble."
"If we are not all caught at the same time, we can get out. If it reminds me of Miss Amy, I'll pull it, and if it's a meaningless mumble, I'll punch it in the face."
Amy puffed out her cheeks as if she had already been slapped.
Rayna asked.
"What if you can't get out?"
"At some point, I will have a new focus. But that would be our focus, not Shirone's focus. Eventually, you will have a new dream."
"It is a dream within a dream."
"That's right. This is why Drimo is called a multi-dimensional world. It doesn't matter if it's in your dream, but this is someone else's world. If you are buried deep, you will never be able to get out of the dream for the rest of your life."
Everyone who heard Armin's explanation was very nervous.
"Do not worry. If we just focus on Shirone-kun walking towards the next exit and we following, there will be no problem."
Shirone took a deep breath and grabbed the doorknob.
"then… … I will open the door."
Armin refused, and the door slowly opened.
The sound of the music sounded faint, and soon the performance of the court musicians knocked on the chest.
Amy narrowed her eyes at the familiar scene.
"This place… … ?"
Many couples were dancing in the grand hall. It was the ballroom of the capital of Kazura, where I had stayed just a few hours ago.
Armin hurriedly explained if there was something he had missed.
"In the REM area, one space changes fluidly. It is like several plays being performed on the same stage. If the background is a grand hall, the exit will be close."
"That's the exit."
Shirone pointed to the other side of the ballroom.
Amy seemed to know why. She was the door through which she and Zeon exited the Grand Hall. Perhaps Shirone went through that door to find herself. Then, this four months passed.
'It must have been because of me.'
Amy smiled bitterly.
If he hadn't followed Zeon, if he had rejected his request, would Shirone have been in a different situation?
'Whoa, come to think of it, I deserve hatred.'
"Miss Amy, don't lose your mind."
Amy hurriedly came to her senses. She and she took a deep breath and kept her clear eyes.
"Yes, I am ready."
"Then let's go. Shirone, please walk straight as far as possible without colliding."
Shirone moved cautiously. He stopped and waited as the dancing couples passed. This is because you can fall into a reel pin if you take a detour.
Amy and Reina only looked at the back of Shirone's head. Armin, on the other hand, was moving his pace, leisurely examining his surroundings. It was possible because he had acquired a lucid dream license to carry out some kind of mission.
'What the hell happened?'
As much as Shirone in reality was waiting for a terrible death, the situation in the Rem realm was likely to be a nightmare as well.
That's why it was tense.
At some point, there is a possibility that everyone in the ballroom will turn into a monster, and suddenly people will go crazy and start killing people.
But nothing much happened until they crossed half of the ballroom.
Since the path he had passed had already been out of focus, it was safe to say that there was no chance that something would happen there.
'weird. What kind of situation is this a nightmare for?'
Armin found something and his eyes lit up.
'I see, it was something like that.'
There was a man and a woman dancing in the center of the ballroom. It was a beautiful woman in her rose-red dress and a strange-looking man.
The man's eyes were completely upturned, his nose was snub-nosed, and his lips were smaller than a chicken's anus. It was a human face, but it was a shape that could not come out in reality.
'I must have hated it quite a bit.'
If this is all there is to it, no big deal will happen to third parties. But for Shirone, it must have been the worst nightmare of all.
Armin looked around and found a person serving near a long table.
He was wearing plain clothes that did not match the scenery of the royal castle at all. He wore a red hat, had a handsome beard, and smoked a pipe proudly in a non-smoking section.
The only being that wasn't a projectile of Shirone, it was Louver, a monster dispatched from Drimo.
Louver turned to Armin and winked. But Armin looked at him indifferently and turned his head away.
It is not a subject to ask regards to only out of curiosity. Currently, the dreamer cannot be analyzed by human intellect. I was just acknowledging that it actually existed.
When Shirone reached the exit, the focus of the road passed and the sound of the music disappeared.
Are the balls still being held in the Grand Hall? Curious, but no one looked back.
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Chapter - 300 - Master of Consciousness (4) 1.txt
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[300] Master of Rituals (4)
"Arrived. If you open this door, you should be able to go down."
"okay. Then, from now on, we will enter Shirone's unconscious."
Understanding Armin's words, Amy took a deep breath.
Beyond this door, Shirone's true feelings linger.
Judging from the state of incarnation, there will be no ugly desires. However, there may be similar aspirations.
'doesn't care. It's not like I'm clean. Everyone has that kind of heart.'
Shirone did not open the door abruptly. Going downstairs seemed to cause conflict.
Eventually he let go of the doorknob and turned to Amy with a displeased look.
"I don't think you need to come… … ."
Suddenly, Shirone raised her head and rolled her eyes. Then, like an epileptic, she trembled and fell.
"Shirone!"
Amy hugged Shirone and checked her condition. Her face was pale, and her lungs were moving wildly as if she were about to run out of breath.
"What happened? What happen?"
A rumbling vibration was felt, and the ceiling of the Grand Hall began to collapse. Armin opened the door and shouted as the stones larger than a man fell.
"There is no time! The unconscious is collapsing!"
* * *
Kazura Royal Food Storage.
Xenoger's steel wire finally cut through Shirone's veins and entered. Thousands of drops of blood burst from the wound and spread out as slowly as time slowed down.
The aftermath of reality immediately hit the mind.
As the level 11 rainfall surged, half of the city was submerged. The projectiles floating on the rapids burst into cries close to screams.
The crowd of people flowing down to the lowland was also mixed with the fear of Egoist, the manifestation of Nade.
"Kiaaaaaa!"
Egoist struggled on his limbs and desperately tried to escape. However, in the end, he could not overcome the rapidly rising amount of water and sank to the bottom of the surface with a desperate scream.
Secrets of the Abyss (1)
Shirone's spirit level 5.
The door opened with a squeaky, old sound.
The energy of vigilance penetrated before people.
A long time later, Arius with a flushed face and Ji-on, who had been protected with diamond armor, crossed the threshold.
"This is… … Shirone's unconscious?"
Ji-on was confused by the unexpected situation.
The 5th level they arrived at was a library with endless bookshelves.
spine of knowledge.
Arius noticed that history was arranged in chronological order just by examining a few bookshelves.
'This… … It's beyond awesome, it's to the point where there's no humanity.'
He was the one who dived into the mind of a high-ranking wizard far greater than Shirone. However, even for such people, the arrangement of unconsciousness was very loose and chaotic.
No wonder. Rather, it was strange that human unconsciousness was standardized.
Ji-on asked in a disappointed voice.
"What the hell is this? Didn't I say you could see everything in Shirone naked?"
"It is the backbone of knowledge."
"The spine of knowledge?"
"It is a chronological arrangement of history. It's hard to make it like this, and even if you try to make it, it's hard to succeed. Shirone's unique growth process seems to have worked."
Zion snorted.
Shirone grew up as the child of a mountaineer, the lowest of the lowest. No matter how much he flew and jumped, he was no better than himself, who had been taught lord lessons since he was born.
"Certainly an ignorant method. In a word, you mean that you put it in with an oath, right? They say they don't understand things they haven't learned and just memorize them."
"Is it really so?"
Arius was smiling happily.
Definitely great.
It was surprising that the spine of knowledge was not great, but that it was staying at the deep 5th level below the REM area.
"It is impossible to establish a spine in the realm of the unconscious with simple memorization. I understand everything. If so, the effect is great. No matter what knowledge you study, you can arrange it clearly. It is so efficient that it cannot be compared to meaninglessly putting knowledge in."
Zion's impression was crumpled.
He couldn't see his expression because he was covered by the armored helmet, but Arius could feel the lifeblood rising from him.
"Yes, this is it… … ."
Zion was offended.
very badly too.
Ever since he was young, he had taken everything he liked and mastered it. No one in the world could have been better educated than Theraze's son.
However, that confidence has been repeatedly damaged since the appearance of Shirone.
Does it make sense that a son of a lowly citizen could be better than a son of an emperor?
Zion's breathing gradually became rougher.
He looked at the books that were tightly packed in the library.
There is no way that Shirone actually read tens of thousands of books. However, it seems like a lot because the knowledge he understood and acquired is organized under perfect categories.
"Damn you son of a bitch!"
Zeon took the blade out of the gauntlet and cut through the bookshelf at random. Scraps of paper fluttered like goose feathers, and the bookshelves were cut as smooth as cheese.
Moving on to the next square, he wielded the blades in both hands and destroyed Shirone's knowledge.
"ruler! How about this? huh? I'll mess with everything in your head!"
Zion's voice trembled with joy.
"haha! is this fun? It would have been easier if it had been like this from the beginning! More, more broken!"
Arius said in a cold voice.
"Stop it."
Although he is not the type to pay attention to what others say, Ji also had no choice but to stop moving this time.
When I slowly turned my head, Arius was giving me a cold look.
Indeed, it was a life worthy of being called the 7 Madou Girls.
"what? Did you just tell me?"
His stomach rumbled, but Ji-on did not lose and fought back.
He is Arius' employer, and the employee must not go against the employer.
Even if this is Arius' garden, the spiritual world, the power of money spreads throughout the universe.
As long as there are creatures called humans living there.
Arius tempered his life.
'Damn the kid… … .'
To be honest, I almost killed Zeon.
The backbone of knowledge Shirone had achieved was a pleasing sight even to Arius.
Although he is infamous as one of the Seven Magicians of the Black Line, in terms of intelligence, he was second to none of the scholars in the world.
I understood better than anyone else what Shirone was thinking when he created this structure of knowledge. No matter how much the enemy was, it couldn't be without a feeling of ally.
If he hadn't met in this situation, he would have taken care of Shirone wholeheartedly.
Of course, judging from the personality I've experienced so far, there seems to be little chance of entering the black line.
Arius suppressed his anger and returned to his former self.
Whatever the feelings, he is a pro. His convictions did not allow him to rebel against his employer.
"From now on, it is the realm of the unconscious. If you carelessly touch it, there may be errors in Ataraxia. So stop destroying and go down."
Perhaps Ataraxia will be all right. Because step 5 in depth is just the result of step 4.
Changing the effect does not change the cause.
However, Arius did not want to break the spine of knowledge even by doing so.
It wasn't because he cared for Shirone.
Truly, this was a space that satisfied his intellectual aesthetics.
At the word ataraxia, Ji also stopped cutting. It took a whopping 4 billion gold to get it, so if it was damaged even a little, it would be a huge loss.
"good. I'm going to die anyway, so let's leave it like this."
Arius smiled in satisfaction.
"Then, shall we go down now?"
Ji-on's foolish behavior made her annoyed, but thanks to her, she gained something. The point is that the egoist does not appear even though the spine of knowledge has been damaged.
Since there are no projectiles below the REM area, Egoist can manifest at any time and punish intruders.
It was one of the reasons why even divers with lucid dream certifications were reluctant to go down to the depths.
'The egoist is not expressed. It's time to collapse in time.'
And this is exactly what Arius was aiming for.
No matter how fast the mental process went down to level 5, time would have passed in real life. It was safe to say that Shirone had received a fatal wound close to death.
'Can I finally see Ataraxia?'
Arius' eyes were shining more intensely than ever.
* * *
Armin opened the door and entered the fifth stage. Then Shirone, aided by Amy, came in with her gasping for breath.
Shirone, who had barely escaped from the collapse of the REM area, sat down on the floor unable to walk anymore. Her face was fading beyond pale.
"Shirone! are you okay? Come to your senses!"
Amy caressed Shirone's cheeks.
However, what returned was Shirone's harsh stomp and cold voice.
"Get out of the way."
Amy backed away sadly.
Even in an emergency situation to the extent that the mental world collapsed, Shirone's frozen heart showed no sign of loosening up.
Shirone, who was glaring at Amy with her eyes lifted upwards, pursed her lips as if to say something as her extinction was imminent. But her mouth, which had been opened, closed again as Amy turned her around.
Amy looked around with a throbbing heart.
No matter what I see, I will never criticize Shirone. Even if it's a bad heart towards yourself.
"here is… … ?"
But she couldn't see anything.
What unfolded before my eyes was not the naked emotions, but the flow of history organized by category.
The backbone of knowledge that Shirone talked about earlier.
At the time I heard the story, I only imagined a vague diagram, but seeing it in reality, I thought it was a really great work.
The fact that the backbone of knowledge was engraved in the 5th stage was possible only if a single piece of information was not handled carelessly.
Understanding was impossible without connecting the causal relationship of all the acquired information.
Shirone did it.
I could clearly realize how much effort he had to keep up with the intellectual abilities of the magic school students.
Like Arius, who stayed a while ago, Armin grasped the characteristics at once.
The categories of information on the bookshelf were divided so that they could be independently understood no matter what item was looked at.
'What the hell is this kid… … .'
Above all, this was the realm of the unconscious.
There are certain pieces of information that you will never forget even if you live your whole life. People call this source knowledge.
Shirone had brought the spine of knowledge down to the state of source knowledge.
Armin, who was walking around the library while repeating exclamation inwardly, found a section that was broken in a mess.
The books were torn to pieces and the bookshelves were destroyed.
"Looks like they've come and gone."
Amy was upset when she found the bookcase horribly smashed. He knew better than anyone how Shirone felt when he completed the spine of knowledge, so he felt a sense of resentment towards them.
"Bad children. what is this… … ."
Amy shed tears as she raked up the papers scattered on the floor.
I couldn't forgive Zion. will pay the price in some way.
"Wait a moment."
Armin said.
The collapsed bookshelf was regenerating as if a creature repairs its wounds.
Amy watched the process with a surprised expression.
"How could this be?"
"Normally, this is impossible. However, the complementary knowledge base is formed as a net structure. Even if one route is blocked, it immediately bypasses and establishes a new route. Sooner or later the spine of knowledge will be restored to its former state."
Rayna asked.
"Then why did you break it? Arius would have known. You are an expert."
"It's because I'm an expert."
Reina tilted her head.
But Armin's explanation ended there. It's because there's nothing good about praising the enemy in a situation where you'll be fighting back sooner or later.
Zeon broke and Arius stopped.
It didn't come to mind except that situation.
Although he is degraded as a grave robber by the world, he is a person with strong intellectual pride. He must have been strongly impressed by seeing Shirone's unconscious mind.
As if the invaders did not want to damage the artifacts of other countries.
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Chapter - 298 - Master of Consciousness (2).txt
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[298] Master of Ceremonies (2)
Ji-on tilted his head at the impression that he had seen it somewhere.
"For sure… … Did you say Vincent?"
Arius explained as they walked over the carpet.
"It will be projected to a large extent. The superego is heavily influenced by the father. Normally, it should be strong enough to subdue even Egoist."
Ignite greeted them with a strong smile.
"So, do you have any medicine to cure me?"
Shocked, Arius was unable to answer for a moment. I felt a sense of intimidation, like having a beast in front of me.
'It's ridiculous. Is this the Superego in a weakened state?'
It is normal for normal people to have their super ego paralyzed in the face of death. However, Ignite was still radiating energy in a strong state.
'I can't help but admire this?'
Even Arius, who had explored the minds of countless people, had never had a super ego so strong.
Those who have a steel-hard critical mind will never be vigilant under any circumstances. The rumor that Shirone is a wood that can become a top-notch was also based on this tendency.
Ji-on snorted and said.
"Are you bluffing even though everyone is dying? What an unlucky child."
Arius thought, how weak Zeon's superego was.
"There is no medicine that can cure my illness. Because this world is already sick. Yeah, what did you come to see me for? The first lie will pass, but from now on you will have to tell the truth."
A clumsy lie wouldn't work for the super ego, the ruler of reason, so Arius confided frankly.
"We must kill Shirone."
The soldiers lined up in the middle of the room glared at Arius in the same motion. However, it was not manifested as an egoist because it was under the control of Ignite.
"Why should I?"
Ignite lifted the huge ax that was leaning against the back of the chair with one hand.
The moment he gripped the weapon, the air became heavy like an iron bar and squeezed the two men's chests.
Zion was terrified and took out Armand. When the Diamond Armament was activated, the sword split and surrounded him like armor. At the same time, Ignite's men raised their weapons.
Arius let out a reproachful sigh. However, to achieve his goal, he needed Zeon's help, so he abandoned his advance strategy and joined the use of force.
"Please stop for a moment. It will be over soon."
"What are you going to do?"
Arius walked over to Ignite. The bluish light of Confuse, a spirit-type magic, gathered in his palm.
"… … You have to go into mental remodeling."
* * *
"Coke! Coke!"
Shirone and the others coughed and exited the door leading to the seventh level. The stench from the landfill was imprinted in my brain, and I still felt like I could smell it.
But things weren't good here. Shirone and the others couldn't move in front of the door and put on a dazed expression.
The square's floor was littered with corpses with their heads blown off. People were falling from the rooftops as if it were raining.
On the other hand, citizens were fighting each other and beating each other as if they were going to kill each other. Even if it wasn't real, it was the first time I'd seen such a horrifying scene.
Armin watched the situation with a serious face.
If the action of the projectiles reached the extreme, it meant that Xenoger's steel wire was strangling him faster than expected.
While watching her world being destroyed with sad eyes, Shirone suddenly took on a fierce expression. She then mischievously tugged at Amy's hair as she stood in front.
"ouch!"
Amy looked back with a puzzled expression.
"what's the matter?"
"Don't cover it. You can't see it."
Amy pursed her lips.
I don't know why Shirone, who is kind to others, is only doing this to herself. I wanted to hit her with one blow because of my temper, but since I had made up my mind before meeting Hwa-sin, I controlled her mind.
"Yeah, sorry, what."
When Amy shrugged and turned around, Shirone was rather confused.
She is a good person and on her side. But why are you in a bad mood?
"Why did you come to rescue me?"
Amy flinched at the question that came from behind her back. But she didn't look back, and after being lost in her thoughts, she gave a short answer.
"Because we are friends."
Shirone pulled out memories of reality from that story. It was a terrifying memory like a nightmare.
The world turned upside down and my body ached as if it were burning. I saw Amy tied up like a cocoon on the opposite wall. I can't guess what the situation was, but it was extremely unpleasant.
"But you… … You couldn't save me."
Amy bowed her head sadly.
Is it still like that? Is Shirone hating her own weakness for not being able to act?
"Shirone, that… … ."
The moment Amy turned around to explain, an egoist rose in front of her eyes. As she hurriedly backed away, Arius and Reina also distanced themselves.
The projectiles whose heads exploded turned into egoists one by one and began to surround Shirone like a wall.
Reina looked back at Armin and asked.
"How did this happen?"
"Avoid!"
Amy grabbed Reina by the waist and threw herself into the seventh-level doorway. Reina turned her head and saw a rain of arrows filling the sky.
Armin got out of range with flicker magic.
Egoists rushed around Shirone. After confirming there, Amy closed the door.
Follow me! Follow me!
The palms holding the doorknob tingled as dozens of arrows pierced the door.
As soon as the rain of arrows stopped, I opened the door and looked at Shirone. There were so many arrows stuck in the ball-shaped Egoist that it was disgusting.
"Shirone! are you okay?"
As the Egoists separated and slipped away like the ebb tide, I saw Shirone standing in the same posture as the first one. More Egoists approached him with shady attitudes and protected him.
Amy let out a sigh of relief and turned her head to where Shirone was looking.
A group of troops was pouring in. As the archers split left and right, the heavy cavalry took the lead.
"What the hell is that army?"
"It will be the antithesis. The egoist rationalizes the ego, and the antithesis criticizes. If the stronger the superego is, the more moral it is, then Shirone's antithesis will be quite strong. Don't relax."
Amy was surprised to see the commander of the cavalry unit. He was a middle-aged man with a huge ax on his back, and even from a distance he had a distinct sense of weight.
"Uncle Vincent?"
Except for the fact that he was about 1.5 times bigger and had scars on his face, he looked just like Vincent to the point where you could believe he appeared in makeup.
"I am Ignite, the ruler of this city!"
Ignite's shout echoed through the plaza. Even the nervous citizens turned to him with alert expressions.
Ignite, who held out a large ax that was heavier than his body weight horizontally, pointed at Shirone and shouted.
"Shirone! Everyone is suffering because of your selfishness. What do you dream of as a lowly citizen! Your strength is not obtained through your efforts! It deserves to be handed over to others! Now I will end all suffering with your death!"
Amy looked back at Arius with an absurd expression.
"Is that Shirone's critical consciousness? Isn't that just typical loser logic?"
"okay. Arius seems to have manipulated the superego. Humans have as much desire for death as they do for life. It looks like we've been seriously bitten."
"Shirone! answer! are you fair Do you still want to live after giving birth to so much suffering?"
When humans are exposed to extreme fear or pain, the idea of dying rather arises. Arius was able to easily manipulate Ignite using the fact that Shirone's world was sick.
Whenever she heard Ignite's voice, Shirone shuddered.
To the ego, the superego's message resonated powerfully like a bible to religious people.
"Right! The reason this world has become like this is all because of Shirone!"
"Killing Shirone is the only way to regain peace!"
"Kill! Let's kill Shirone!"
Projectiles in the plaza sympathized with Ignite and set up a banner of rebellion.
All of them were antitheses, and as the number increased, Shirone's incarnation became weaker.
"Get ready! Come this way!"
At the same time as Armin shouted, the heavily armored infantry rushed in, shaking the ground. Archers pulled their bowstrings from the left and right of the plaza, and citizens also rushed at them as an angry mob.
"I can be comfortable without you!"
The citizen who grabbed the wooden pole made a full swing in front of Shirone.
At the same time, Egoist hugged him and knocked him to the floor. As he turned his whole body into teeth and chewed on it, Antithese screamed and was torn to pieces.
But Ignite's men couldn't deal with it so easily. Rather, he was swinging his weapon with brute force that overwhelms Egoist.
The Egoists who had been attacked by Antithese disintegrated into pieces with the sound of air escaping.
"Kill Shirone! Everyone, charge at Shirone!"
The dead projectiles turned into Egoists and fought to protect Shirone. On the other hand, all citizens became antitheses.
Desire and reason collided in the center of the plaza.
It was definitely the existence of Ignite that made a variable in the close match.
He was stronger than any egoist, far beyond the might of the other antitheses. Every time he swung his large axe, Egoists exploded like dust.
"Shirone! not yours! Stop letting go!"
Armin, watching the battle, was dumbfounded.
'How could this be?'
Reason is winning over desire.
It means that the conviction is strong, but considering the situation, even if it was strong, it was absurdly strong. Even soldiers who die for their country have a stronger desire to live when their lives are at stake.
'But is desire a diagnosis? Is your head being cut off in real life? Could this really be the spirit of an eighteen-year-old boy?'
Arius would not have expected Antithesis to win either. If Ignite captures Shirone, they won't be able to obtain Ataraxia either.
Shirone's beliefs transcend those of humans.
Like the prophets in history, Shirone was a man willing to die for his convictions.
"I can't. We are fighting too."
Armin cast Flickr and infiltrated the battlefield.
In any case, the priority now is to save Shirone. This is because if the incarnation is attacked, you will no longer be able to catch up with Arius.
Amy defended herself with Fire Mist and cast Fire Wall.
The crowd split in two as the fire wall ran across the border between Egoist and Antithese.
As I concentrated, the height of the fire wall soared. The heavily armored infantry screamed in agony without taking off their heated armor.
Reina climbed onto the roof and sniped the archers. The arrows I bought from Nade's projectiles were many times stronger than the real one, so I could easily pierce two or three people with one shot.
"Get out of the way! I will punish you myself!"
Ignite's voice was heard from beyond the barrier of the Fire Wall. And she appeared right away breaking through the wall of fire.
With a large ax slung over his shoulder and taking a swinging stance, the first target he aimed at was Amy. Numerous egoists attacked him, but he was scattered with one blow from the axe.
"Amy! Dangerous!"
Reina inserted four arrows from the quiver on her thigh between her fingers.
Four shots were fired in an instant. In addition, the target areas were also different: shoulders, wrists, thighs, and heart.
Without taking his eyes off Amy, Ignite recognized the out-of-focus arrow and grabbed the large ax with both hands and swung it.
The sound of strong winds that humans could not imagine raged.
Kang! Kang! Kang! Kang!
The arrow with strong penetrating power did not bounce even after hitting the ax blade. However, as the shaft bent 90 degrees, it lost power and fell to the ground.
"You foolish girl!"
Ignite continued his charge, brandishing a large axe. Then, in front of Amy's eyes, he passed the ax blade behind his back.
As his upper body stood up, Amy felt as if a wall had formed in front of her eyes. She didn't have time to cancel the fire wall and cast another spell.
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Chapter - 299 - Master of Consciousness (3) 3.txt
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[299] Master of Ceremonies (3)
"Do not threaten our peace!"
The speed of the large ax descending toward the top of the head was so great that it was difficult to follow with the naked eye.
It was a fleeting moment, but Amy realized that this was her final destination.
'Hello Shirone… … .'
It was a bad ending.
But on the other hand, I thought that this would be a good ending. Because this is Shirone's spiritual world. will sleep forever in his arms.
"Quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
A frenzied roar sounded in Amy's ears, which brought her to her senses. At the same time, something black passed quickly in front of my eyes.
When I woke up, Ignite had flown 10 meters.
Amy felt a presence behind her and turned around.
But to take a good look at it, I had to raise my head to the sky.
It was an egoist whose entire body was covered with thorn-like projections. He was more than 6 meters tall, and was staring straight ahead with a stance that seemed to be in the middle of a quadrupedal walk and a bipedal walk.
The egoist is expressed in a specific form by borrowing the desire of the incarnation. The process wasn't over yet, and all the Egoists in the plaza turned into black smoke and were sucked in. It didn't grow taller anymore, but the spines on its torso became abnormally long.
"Quaaaaaang!"
Egoist – Anger.
A huge shadow monster screamed and jumped over Amy.
When the object blocking my eyes disappeared, I saw Shirone, who was frowning.
'Shirone is… … ?'
Shirone is a person whose reason is stronger than desire. However, the current Egoist was radiating strength in a form different from the ones he had experienced so far.
'You're trying to save me?'
Amy, aware of the hostility harbored by Shirone's incarnation, avoided jumping to conclusions.
But the excitement in my heart was unavoidable. Because it was always like that. Whenever a dangerous situation came up, Shirone always protected herself.
Egoist (anger) was still full of strength even after tearing apart hundreds of antitheses. Even Ignite's subordinates equipped with weapons were blown away with a single kick.
"Shirone! Do you dream of living a petty life until the end!"
Ignite stood up, coughing up blood from her throat, grabbed a large ax and charged at the monster. Then he jumped high and passed the ax back.
Stretching his waist like a bow, he bounced his body like a spring and struck down the axe. Egoist's head split in half.
A smile appeared on Ignite's lips, but the expected scream was not heard. Egoist's state, transmitted through her handle, was still angry, bubbling, and about to explode.
The moment Ignite looked serious, the claw of anger struck his face.
As he fell to the ground with half of his face missing, legs thicker than pillars trampled on him.
Whoops!
The battle ended with the ground shaking.
"Aww! Do, run away!"
Antitheses were stunned and scattered in all directions. Egoist screamed and pursued them in order to annihilate even one more.
The plaza, where only Shirone and the others were left, was clean without a single corpse.
Amy, who was on the brink of death, sat down. Her Shirone came to her.
Amy turned her head and realized that Shirone had come, and her heart pounded. Are you angry now? Has she returned to her old friendly Shirone?
"Shirone, thank you. If it wasn't for you… … ."
"You get pissed off."
Shirone said while looking at the ground without even making eye contact.
"It really pisses me off."
Then he turned coldly and walked away.
Even thinking about it now, I couldn't figure out why I saved Amy.
A powerful urge seized her just before the great ax split her head. From the next moment, her anger exploded and she couldn't recall anything.
Amy bowed her head sullenly.
Reina, who had been expecting a reconciliation between the two, patted her shoulder.
"Don't be too disappointed. As long as Shirone is saved, all misunderstandings will be resolved… … ."
Before Reina could finish her words, Amy raised her head.
Contrary to expectations, it was a bright face. On the one hand, she even looked lighthearted.
"are you okay. Anyway, Shirone saved me. He probably doesn't hate me to the core. So that's it, what. haha!"
Even with that said, Reina knew how great Amy's loss would be.
She was holding on desperately, only to save Shirone.
"Okay, let's do our best."
Reina looked back at Armin. His clothes were drenched in sweat because he had harassed the enemy in the depths of Antithese's camp.
"Is the antithesis gone now?"
"It's not gone. But there will be no more manipulated antitheses. However, you should not slow down. It's basically a mental body that criticizes Shirone."
After a short break in the plaza, they entered the castle under Shirone's guidance. Ignite had been staying until just a moment ago, but no more projectiles were visible.
Shirone went down to the basement. And I walked the winding road like a maze without a single blockage.
When I opened the door of the storage room, there was another staircase leading down to the basement.
Armin, who picked up a torch from the first basement floor, went down alongside Shirone. Then he halted the group in front of an old wooden door and looked back.
"If you enter through this door, you will come to the world of dreams, the realm of REM. Before we go in, there are a few things to pass on. As you've all dreamed of, the laws of physics apply here. In a nutshell, it can be called focus."
"Is it like concentration?"
"Similar. Reality is a series of concentration and relaxation. In normal life, the period of relaxation is overwhelmingly long. But the dream is only concentration. It's like following the dramatic structure of a play. You see only what you want to see, and no other situations exist. So when you lose focus, you lose yourself. This is called a reel pin."
Armin spread his five fingers.
"Reel pins are largely divided into five types. First, a sense of opulence. Second, meaningless muttering. Third, repetition of the same section. Fourth, point of departure. Fifth, the realization of anxiety."
Amy seemed to know what it was. It was something she also experienced often in her dreams.
"Dreams mimic gravity, but they don't actually have gravity. Keep checking the feeling that your feet are on the ground. The moment you feel floating, you will come to mind endlessly. And don't say anything you're not sure about."
"You say the conversation has to be focused. It's like a script for a play."
"That's right. No habitual slang. If you lose the focus of language, you will repeat meaningless words."
"Then, is the repetition of the same section the focus of the space?"
"yes. Do not look back or run away without thinking. The focus disappears, so only the same section is repeated. Fourth, when you focus on your surroundings, you lose yourself and put yourself in the shoes of an observer. Finally, don't feel anxious."
"It will happen in reality."
Armin nodded at Reina's words.
Amy, lost in thought, asked.
"What if you get caught in a lil pin? For example, if you get caught in the floating reel pin and can't stop talking with a meaningless mumble."
"If we are not all caught at the same time, we can get out. If it reminds me of Miss Amy, I'll pull it, and if it's a meaningless mumble, I'll punch it in the face."
Amy puffed out her cheeks as if she had already been slapped.
Rayna asked.
"What if you can't get out?"
"At some point, I will have a new focus. But that would be our focus, not Shirone's focus. Eventually, you will have a new dream."
"It is a dream within a dream."
"That's right. This is why Drimo is called a multi-dimensional world. It doesn't matter if it's in your dream, but this is someone else's world. If you are buried deep, you will never be able to get out of the dream for the rest of your life."
Everyone who heard Armin's explanation was very nervous.
"Do not worry. If we just focus on Shirone-kun walking towards the next exit and we following, there will be no problem."
Shirone took a deep breath and grabbed the doorknob.
"then… … I will open the door."
Armin refused, and the door slowly opened.
The sound of the music sounded faint, and soon the performance of the court musicians knocked on the chest.
Amy narrowed her eyes at the familiar scene.
"This place… … ?"
Many couples were dancing in the grand hall. It was the ballroom of the capital of Kazura, where I had stayed just a few hours ago.
Armin hurriedly explained if there was something he had missed.
"In the REM area, one space changes fluidly. It is like several plays being performed on the same stage. If the background is a grand hall, the exit will be close."
"That's the exit."
Shirone pointed to the other side of the ballroom.
Amy seemed to know why. She was the door through which she and Zeon exited the Grand Hall. Perhaps Shirone went through that door to find herself. Then, this four months passed.
'It must have been because of me.'
Amy smiled bitterly.
If he hadn't followed Zeon, if he had rejected his request, would Shirone have been in a different situation?
'Whoa, come to think of it, I deserve hatred.'
"Miss Amy, don't lose your mind."
Amy hurriedly came to her senses. She and she took a deep breath and kept her clear eyes.
"Yes, I am ready."
"Then let's go. Shirone, please walk straight as far as possible without colliding."
Shirone moved cautiously. He stopped and waited as the dancing couples passed. This is because you can fall into a reel pin if you take a detour.
Amy and Reina only looked at the back of Shirone's head. Armin, on the other hand, was moving his pace, leisurely examining his surroundings. It was possible because he had acquired a lucid dream license to carry out some kind of mission.
'What the hell happened?'
As much as Shirone in reality was waiting for a terrible death, the situation in the Rem realm was likely to be a nightmare as well.
That's why it was tense.
At some point, there is a possibility that everyone in the ballroom will turn into a monster, and suddenly people will go crazy and start killing people.
But nothing much happened until they crossed half of the ballroom.
Since the path he had passed had already been out of focus, it was safe to say that there was no chance that something would happen there.
'weird. What kind of situation is this a nightmare for?'
Armin found something and his eyes lit up.
'I see, it was something like that.'
There was a man and a woman dancing in the center of the ballroom. It was a beautiful woman in her rose-red dress and a strange-looking man.
The man's eyes were completely upturned, his nose was snub-nosed, and his lips were smaller than a chicken's anus. It was a human face, but it was a shape that could not come out in reality.
'I must have hated it quite a bit.'
If this is all there is to it, no big deal will happen to third parties. But for Shirone, it must have been the worst nightmare of all.
Armin looked around and found a person serving near a long table.
He was wearing plain clothes that did not match the scenery of the royal castle at all. He wore a red hat, had a handsome beard, and smoked a pipe proudly in a non-smoking section.
The only being that wasn't a projectile of Shirone, it was Louver, a monster dispatched from Drimo.
Louver turned to Armin and winked. But Armin looked at him indifferently and turned his head away.
It is not a subject to ask regards to only out of curiosity. Currently, the dreamer cannot be analyzed by human intellect. I was just acknowledging that it actually existed.
When Shirone reached the exit, the focus of the road passed and the sound of the music disappeared.
Are the balls still being held in the Grand Hall? Curious, but no one looked back.
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Chapter - 300 - Master of Consciousness (4) 1.txt
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[300] Master of Rituals (4)
"Arrived. If you open this door, you should be able to go down."
"okay. Then, from now on, we will enter Shirone's unconscious."
Understanding Armin's words, Amy took a deep breath.
Beyond this door, Shirone's true feelings linger.
Judging from the state of incarnation, there will be no ugly desires. However, there may be similar aspirations.
'doesn't care. It's not like I'm clean. Everyone has that kind of heart.'
Shirone did not open the door abruptly. Going downstairs seemed to cause conflict.
Eventually he let go of the doorknob and turned to Amy with a displeased look.
"I don't think you need to come… … ."
Suddenly, Shirone raised her head and rolled her eyes. Then, like an epileptic, she trembled and fell.
"Shirone!"
Amy hugged Shirone and checked her condition. Her face was pale, and her lungs were moving wildly as if she were about to run out of breath.
"What happened? What happen?"
A rumbling vibration was felt, and the ceiling of the Grand Hall began to collapse. Armin opened the door and shouted as the stones larger than a man fell.
"There is no time! The unconscious is collapsing!"
* * *
Kazura Royal Food Storage.
Xenoger's steel wire finally cut through Shirone's veins and entered. Thousands of drops of blood burst from the wound and spread out as slowly as time slowed down.
The aftermath of reality immediately hit the mind.
As the level 11 rainfall surged, half of the city was submerged. The projectiles floating on the rapids burst into cries close to screams.
The crowd of people flowing down to the lowland was also mixed with the fear of Egoist, the manifestation of Nade.
"Kiaaaaaa!"
Egoist struggled on his limbs and desperately tried to escape. However, in the end, he could not overcome the rapidly rising amount of water and sank to the bottom of the surface with a desperate scream.
Secrets of the Abyss (1)
Shirone's spirit level 5.
The door opened with a squeaky, old sound.
The energy of vigilance penetrated before people.
A long time later, Arius with a flushed face and Ji-on, who had been protected with diamond armor, crossed the threshold.
"This is… … Shirone's unconscious?"
Ji-on was confused by the unexpected situation.
The 5th level they arrived at was a library with endless bookshelves.
spine of knowledge.
Arius noticed that history was arranged in chronological order just by examining a few bookshelves.
'This… … It's beyond awesome, it's to the point where there's no humanity.'
He was the one who dived into the mind of a high-ranking wizard far greater than Shirone. However, even for such people, the arrangement of unconsciousness was very loose and chaotic.
No wonder. Rather, it was strange that human unconsciousness was standardized.
Ji-on asked in a disappointed voice.
"What the hell is this? Didn't I say you could see everything in Shirone naked?"
"It is the backbone of knowledge."
"The spine of knowledge?"
"It is a chronological arrangement of history. It's hard to make it like this, and even if you try to make it, it's hard to succeed. Shirone's unique growth process seems to have worked."
Zion snorted.
Shirone grew up as the child of a mountaineer, the lowest of the lowest. No matter how much he flew and jumped, he was no better than himself, who had been taught lord lessons since he was born.
"Certainly an ignorant method. In a word, you mean that you put it in with an oath, right? They say they don't understand things they haven't learned and just memorize them."
"Is it really so?"
Arius was smiling happily.
Definitely great.
It was surprising that the spine of knowledge was not great, but that it was staying at the deep 5th level below the REM area.
"It is impossible to establish a spine in the realm of the unconscious with simple memorization. I understand everything. If so, the effect is great. No matter what knowledge you study, you can arrange it clearly. It is so efficient that it cannot be compared to meaninglessly putting knowledge in."
Zion's impression was crumpled.
He couldn't see his expression because he was covered by the armored helmet, but Arius could feel the lifeblood rising from him.
"Yes, this is it… … ."
Zion was offended.
very badly too.
Ever since he was young, he had taken everything he liked and mastered it. No one in the world could have been better educated than Theraze's son.
However, that confidence has been repeatedly damaged since the appearance of Shirone.
Does it make sense that a son of a lowly citizen could be better than a son of an emperor?
Zion's breathing gradually became rougher.
He looked at the books that were tightly packed in the library.
There is no way that Shirone actually read tens of thousands of books. However, it seems like a lot because the knowledge he understood and acquired is organized under perfect categories.
"Damn you son of a bitch!"
Zeon took the blade out of the gauntlet and cut through the bookshelf at random. Scraps of paper fluttered like goose feathers, and the bookshelves were cut as smooth as cheese.
Moving on to the next square, he wielded the blades in both hands and destroyed Shirone's knowledge.
"ruler! How about this? huh? I'll mess with everything in your head!"
Zion's voice trembled with joy.
"haha! is this fun? It would have been easier if it had been like this from the beginning! More, more broken!"
Arius said in a cold voice.
"Stop it."
Although he is not the type to pay attention to what others say, Ji also had no choice but to stop moving this time.
When I slowly turned my head, Arius was giving me a cold look.
Indeed, it was a life worthy of being called the 7 Madou Girls.
"what? Did you just tell me?"
His stomach rumbled, but Ji-on did not lose and fought back.
He is Arius' employer, and the employee must not go against the employer.
Even if this is Arius' garden, the spiritual world, the power of money spreads throughout the universe.
As long as there are creatures called humans living there.
Arius tempered his life.
'Damn the kid… … .'
To be honest, I almost killed Zeon.
The backbone of knowledge Shirone had achieved was a pleasing sight even to Arius.
Although he is infamous as one of the Seven Magicians of the Black Line, in terms of intelligence, he was second to none of the scholars in the world.
I understood better than anyone else what Shirone was thinking when he created this structure of knowledge. No matter how much the enemy was, it couldn't be without a feeling of ally.
If he hadn't met in this situation, he would have taken care of Shirone wholeheartedly.
Of course, judging from the personality I've experienced so far, there seems to be little chance of entering the black line.
Arius suppressed his anger and returned to his former self.
Whatever the feelings, he is a pro. His convictions did not allow him to rebel against his employer.
"From now on, it is the realm of the unconscious. If you carelessly touch it, there may be errors in Ataraxia. So stop destroying and go down."
Perhaps Ataraxia will be all right. Because step 5 in depth is just the result of step 4.
Changing the effect does not change the cause.
However, Arius did not want to break the spine of knowledge even by doing so.
It wasn't because he cared for Shirone.
Truly, this was a space that satisfied his intellectual aesthetics.
At the word ataraxia, Ji also stopped cutting. It took a whopping 4 billion gold to get it, so if it was damaged even a little, it would be a huge loss.
"good. I'm going to die anyway, so let's leave it like this."
Arius smiled in satisfaction.
"Then, shall we go down now?"
Ji-on's foolish behavior made her annoyed, but thanks to her, she gained something. The point is that the egoist does not appear even though the spine of knowledge has been damaged.
Since there are no projectiles below the REM area, Egoist can manifest at any time and punish intruders.
It was one of the reasons why even divers with lucid dream certifications were reluctant to go down to the depths.
'The egoist is not expressed. It's time to collapse in time.'
And this is exactly what Arius was aiming for.
No matter how fast the mental process went down to level 5, time would have passed in real life. It was safe to say that Shirone had received a fatal wound close to death.
'Can I finally see Ataraxia?'
Arius' eyes were shining more intensely than ever.
* * *
Armin opened the door and entered the fifth stage. Then Shirone, aided by Amy, came in with her gasping for breath.
Shirone, who had barely escaped from the collapse of the REM area, sat down on the floor unable to walk anymore. Her face was fading beyond pale.
"Shirone! are you okay? Come to your senses!"
Amy caressed Shirone's cheeks.
However, what returned was Shirone's harsh stomp and cold voice.
"Get out of the way."
Amy backed away sadly.
Even in an emergency situation to the extent that the mental world collapsed, Shirone's frozen heart showed no sign of loosening up.
Shirone, who was glaring at Amy with her eyes lifted upwards, pursed her lips as if to say something as her extinction was imminent. But her mouth, which had been opened, closed again as Amy turned her around.
Amy looked around with a throbbing heart.
No matter what I see, I will never criticize Shirone. Even if it's a bad heart towards yourself.
"here is… … ?"
But she couldn't see anything.
What unfolded before my eyes was not the naked emotions, but the flow of history organized by category.
The backbone of knowledge that Shirone talked about earlier.
At the time I heard the story, I only imagined a vague diagram, but seeing it in reality, I thought it was a really great work.
The fact that the backbone of knowledge was engraved in the 5th stage was possible only if a single piece of information was not handled carelessly.
Understanding was impossible without connecting the causal relationship of all the acquired information.
Shirone did it.
I could clearly realize how much effort he had to keep up with the intellectual abilities of the magic school students.
Like Arius, who stayed a while ago, Armin grasped the characteristics at once.
The categories of information on the bookshelf were divided so that they could be independently understood no matter what item was looked at.
'What the hell is this kid… … .'
Above all, this was the realm of the unconscious.
There are certain pieces of information that you will never forget even if you live your whole life. People call this source knowledge.
Shirone had brought the spine of knowledge down to the state of source knowledge.
Armin, who was walking around the library while repeating exclamation inwardly, found a section that was broken in a mess.
The books were torn to pieces and the bookshelves were destroyed.
"Looks like they've come and gone."
Amy was upset when she found the bookcase horribly smashed. He knew better than anyone how Shirone felt when he completed the spine of knowledge, so he felt a sense of resentment towards them.
"Bad children. what is this… … ."
Amy shed tears as she raked up the papers scattered on the floor.
I couldn't forgive Zion. will pay the price in some way.
"Wait a moment."
Armin said.
The collapsed bookshelf was regenerating as if a creature repairs its wounds.
Amy watched the process with a surprised expression.
"How could this be?"
"Normally, this is impossible. However, the complementary knowledge base is formed as a net structure. Even if one route is blocked, it immediately bypasses and establishes a new route. Sooner or later the spine of knowledge will be restored to its former state."
Rayna asked.
"Then why did you break it? Arius would have known. You are an expert."
"It's because I'm an expert."
Reina tilted her head.
But Armin's explanation ended there. It's because there's nothing good about praising the enemy in a situation where you'll be fighting back sooner or later.
Zeon broke and Arius stopped.
It didn't come to mind except that situation.
Although he is degraded as a grave robber by the world, he is a person with strong intellectual pride. He must have been strongly impressed by seeing Shirone's unconscious mind.
As if the invaders did not want to damage the artifacts of other countries.
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