Name
Dark sky. Cumulus clouds devouring the world. Steady drizzle. Misty vapor rising from the ground. A pit turned to mud. Boots sinking into the mire.
In the midst of this monsoon, a child runs. Toward someone. Chasing a familiar back.
Splash, splash—the world buried in cold rain. A distance that feels endlessly far. Short strides and earth forever swallowing her feet.
Yet she doesn't give up, finally reaching the end, and grabs hold of someone's hand.
As both sets of footsteps halt, the child lifts her head with a trembling heart. Gazes steadily into someone's eyes.
'She' meets the child's gaze.
In that moment, fear grips the child.
What will she say to me?
Will she let go of this hand?
Will she leave me alone?
To the terrified child, she offers a gentle smile. A tender voice.
—...Sylvia.
The name 'Sylvia.'
Overflowing with joy, the child buries herself in her mother's embrace. The warmth sears her heart. She tries not to cry, but tears come anyway.
—Don't cry, sweetie~ Why the tears? Everything will be alright.
The fierce downpour can no longer torment the child and her mother. Thanks to the umbrella now sheltering their heads.
Now, the two will be together forever...
—He's coming. So, it'll be okay.
'That person.'
At her mother's words, Sylvia's eyes widen.
Roooar——!
A storm rages over the sea.
Writhing waves like dragons. The boat shakes madly on the verge of capsizing. With the engine long shattered, even steering falls to Telekinesis.
"Professor—! We're gonna dieee—!"
"Silence."
"Aaaah—! I'm turning into a sea ghost, ugh!"
Ifrin, tossed by the waves, clings to me.
Thud—.
A massive jolt rocks the boat. She wraps her arms tight around my waist to avoid being swept away.
"...Keh, cough—"
Even mages are powerless at times like this. Especially against natural disasters infused with 'mana,' like now. The dense mana in the convection disrupts spell manifestation, and the ocean's infinite mana dismantles magic.
In this world where knights and mages run rampant, 'great nature' remains something humanity cannot defy...
"Hey! Over here! Deculein!"
A booming shout echoes from afar, accompanied by an approaching massive ship.
Vroooom—! The ship's horn deafens the ears.
"You alright?!"
"Are you safe?!"
Voices from knights and a mage descending onto the deck.
I lift the boat with Telekinesis and haul it straight onto the ship's deck.
Thud—!
This simple act consumes a solid 500 mana in one go.
"Uwaaaah—!"
Ifrin's wail. Knights and mages rush over to support us.
"You're okay! Deculein!"
"...Roserio, is it."
"Yeah!"
Pink hair glimpsed amid the darkness and fog.
I smooth my rain-soaked hair and survey the surroundings.
"Delik."
"Yes! Professor. It's Delik. Thank goodness you're safe!"
Including Delik, about twenty knights.
Roserio spoke.
"Come inside first... But is that one okay?"
"Who do you mean."
"That cicada stuck to you."
"..."
I glance down at my waist a beat late. Ifrin clings like a cicada.
Lips and face blue, body shivering uncontrollably.
"How long were you out on that sea?"
I recap the day. Rain fell even before departing the western coast, and we'd been lost in fog and storm...
"About a day—"
"What?! A whole day in this?! The kid's gonna die!"
Clink—
Aboard the ship, in the cabin. One escort knight carefully sets down a teacup.
Hot steam rises from the green tea. Ifrin, bundled in a blanket, clutches it with both hands.
Body cold, face flushed hot.
"Ooh~ Worried about your disciple, huh."
Roserio mutters slyly. I glare at her; Ifrin blinks blankly and rasps back.
...Huh? Worry?
Her throat's too hoarse to be clear.
"Yeah. The way this professor just looked at you— mmph."
"Be quiet."
"Mmph—! Mmmph—!"
I seal Roserio's mouth with Duct Tape. I warn the flailing woman.
"Next time, the nose too."
"...Mmph."
I remove the tape. Roserio rubs her lips and speaks.
"Whew. After I saved you. Anyway, today's weather is spot on, right? Something's off. This is definitely the West Sea, but why's the magical disaster this bad."
"Is this ship alright."
"Of course. Who made it? Even if the world splits in two, my ship won't break."
Slurp—
Ifrin sips her tea.
I gaze out the porthole. The 'Island of Voice' looms as a silhouette.
"At this rate, we can't even enter."
"...Peculiar."
I ponder quietly.
Of course, the 'Voice' isn't a quest with a fixed sequence. It can change anytime, and since this world isn't a game, it's prone to twists based on variables...
"It needs living humans to thrive."
Demons parasitize humans to survive. No humans, no demons. In a world of demons alone, they'd be humans instead.
Thus, the Voice's reason for accepting 'humans' is simple.
Humans must spread its power across the world.
"Exactly. I know a bit about demons too, but is that one stupid?"
"No. The Voice is clever."
Demon's three elements—existence, phenomenon, concept.
The Voice embodies all three. It wouldn't be careless...
"Perhaps."
A sudden thought flashes.
"It already got what it wanted."
"What it wanted?"
"Yes."
Then, what does it desire?
"What it wanted... what's that?"
Roserio asks; Ifrin glances curiously too.
"Nothing grand or noble. Demons are base creatures by nature."
Thus, its goal is likely.
"Spreading its power across the continent. Existing as a demon."
"...But? You saying it already got that?"
"Perhaps it secured the 'catalyst' already."
"Catalyst?"
A hazy notion solidifies into certainty—a name.
"...Sylvia."
Roserio's face pales; Ifrin lets out a deflating wheeze.
Hiiiieeeek...
Some strange noise.
Meanwhile, the status of Deculein's 'mental strength test' is quite intense.
Not just because famous adventurers participate en masse, but the test itself feels vividly realistic and vast, like a mystery.
"Wow. Lia, this really the unconscious, huh~?"
Deculein's test is literally 'exploration.' Villages, NPCs, currency, dungeons—of course participants can meet each other, and there are even treasures.
Though you can't take treasures out, naturally.
"Totally."
Lia marvels too.
This world not being a game anymore—it's felt keenly in moments like this.
Events never imagined, not even in scenarios, pop up suddenly.
"Feels totally real."
"Right~ Oh, village ahead."
Ganesha points beyond the horizon. Lia checks her map.
"Yeah. Right."
"Wanna grab food? Hungry?"
"Yes. Let's."
It's weird. She's actually hungry now, and eating here fills her up.
Even though it's just the world of the unconscious.
"Hey."
Suddenly, an oily voice coils from behind. Unpleasantly so, a sigh escapes.
Ganesha and Lia stiffen and turn.
"Kuhuhu. Why the glare?"
Grinning Jakal.
The two tense up, but he presses on.
"I'm in a good mood now~ No need to go all the way to the 'Voice.'"
"...What're you on about~?"
"Ah~ Thing is. This place? Kinda weird. No, really weird."
Jakal's tone turns grave.
"...Weird?"
"Yup. Some weird feeling keeps nagging. So I quit the test."
Jakal points to the bracelet on his wrist—a transmitter worn before starting. Ganesha tsks.
"If quitting, do it right away~ Why come back in and cause shit?"
"Shut it. Listen up. You dumb redhead."
"...Heh. You—"
A vein pops on Ganesha's forehead. Lia grabs her as she steps forward.
"Hear him out first."
"Anyway! I went out and back!"
Jakal pulls something from his pocket.
Thinking weapon, they flinch—but it's just a leaf.
Jakal grins wide.
"Got this in my grasp."
"...What're you saying? Speak properly."
Lia asks.
"Listen close. Once only. See this."
Jakal chews the leaf with huge teeth.
"Got it inside. Means it's real outside too."
"...?"
"What I mean."
Jakal squats, grabs a handful of dirt.
"Stuff got inside can come out. Exists outside."
Lia comprehends, eyes widening; Ganesha scowls.
"Dunno how, sure. But one thing's certain."
Pat pat—Jakal dusts off the sand. Dust scatters in the wind.
"Deculein. That madman made a whole world."
"...Magical space."
Lia mutters blankly. Ganesha and Jakal turn to her.
"If true, Deculein made a magical space, not a world."
"...Possible?"
Ganesha asks. Lia thinks blankly.
Then shakes her head.
"...Dunno."
Creation of magical space.
Isn't that impossible without an Archmage?
Deculein's elements are fire and earth—fundamentals of 'land'—but...
"Anyway. Gonna grab something to save my sis here."
"Such a thing exists?"
Ganesha arms-crosses. Jakal nods.
"Yeah. Central city's auctioning Elixir."
"...Elixir?"
Elixir. That clichéd name brings one person to Lia's mind.
Julie.
The one and only, trite panacea to heal her.
"No way."
"What no way, kid. Sigh~ Shouldn't have told ya? If you eye that Elixir..."
Swish—Ganesha kicks Jakal's drawn longsword.
"Where you pointing that blade? Wanna die, you fucker."
"...Tell ya good shit and this."
Jakal pouts. But not truly upset.
"Gonna go first then. You lot, cherish treasures here. Word spreads, bloodbath."
Grinning happily at saving his sister, he hums tunelessly past them.
Ganesha glares at his back.
"...You're baiting a fight with lies, right?"
"If lies, go check~ Anyway, even without me, they'd fight over treasures after checking."
Click—!
Suddenly, a sound like power shutting down. Darkness engulfs everything. Jakal, Ganesha, Lia blink blankly.
"...What the fuck?!"
Jakal curses late—
Pong—!
Jakal, Ganesha, and adventurers are ejected from the 'test site.'
No—returned to the real world.
"...?"
West Sea coast theater.
The seats where Deculein urged the 'mental strength test.'
Hundreds of adventurers inside, rowdy and baffled, eyeing each other.
"What the fuck! Hey! What's going on!"
Jakal jumps up, glaring at Drent. The intense killing intent makes Drent flinch.
"Why suddenly—"
"Test's over. No, no need."
A cold voice descends from the theater stage.
Lia looks up.
"Any complaints."
Deculein, soaked head to toe, stares down Jakal.
The magic professor who created a magical space.
Aware or not, he says calmly.
"Dismissed. Even passers can't enter due to the Voice's natural disaster..."
...Right now, I'm utterly perplexed.
"Forget the Voice. Could we retake the test or something..."
Because of the adventurers' attitudes.
They cling desperately, low posture, refusing to leave the theater.
"Test?"
"Yes. The mental strength one."
"...Why."
I furrow my brow. No time for this. Must return to the capital now, plan countermeasures for the Voice—
"Professor~ Look look~"
A giggling voice approaches lightly.
Yuren's princess Maho hands over an item.
"Gold."
Pure gold. A lump gleaming yellow.
Maho says.
"Yup~ Some adventurer got this inside the test~"
"...Inside the test."
"Yes~ Your test, Professor~ Stuff inside turned 'real'~?"
"..."
Mulling the vague implication—
Someone tugs my sleeve.
Red Garnet's Lia.
"Magical space."
"..."
I look down silently.
The girl resembling Yuarra wears a resolute, doughy-faced expression.
"That test machine."
She points to the cylindrical 'magitech brainwave detector' atop the theater.
"You created it yourself, Professor."
Created nothing, yet it's created.
She mutters thus, staring up with a firm face.
───That instant.
A quest notification floats in the air.
A vivid sentence imprints on my retina.
[Independent Quest: Game Designer Kim Woojin]