Chapter 120: The Ghost Story... That Was (2)
Chapter 120: The Ghost Story... That Was (2)
The anatomical model shattered into pieces under the barrage of ice spikes, rendered unable to move ever again.
"…That was easy?"
"Yeah. It was scary at first, but looking at it now, it’s really not much, is it? If it were a monster, it’d be about the level of an Orc?"
Carla and Elisha tilted their heads in confusion as they stood before the wreckage.
For the record, Orcs were weaker than the Big Mouth King, the monster in the first dungeon I had entered with Carla. Of course, their actual combat strength might be slightly higher since they tended to roam in packs.
"I told you. It might feel unnervingly eerie, but it’s not actually dangerous."
Every entity here was designed to trigger instinctive revulsion and fear… but that was it. While stray power had taken on the guise of ghost stories, ghost stories themselves weren't particularly powerful in this world to begin with.
A terrifying ghost? If it gets hit by an attack imbued with energy, it’s forcibly exorcised.
A powerful yokai? How is that any different from a monster?
The continent of Eurelia had its fair share of scary stories and spine-chilling folklore, too. But in the end, every story concluded with the entity being hunted down.
"You get the gist, right? Now, let's find the rest of the ghost stories and finish them off."
"Yes! But Master, from what you've said, this place doesn't even reveal itself unless someone messes with it, and it's not even dangerous… Is there a specific reason you're conquering it?"
It was a valid question. If it was a place that caused no trouble if left alone, there was no need to go through the effort.
"Because there’s a profit to be made, obviously. Think about it, Carla. All of this is the aftermath created by overlapping spatial magic, right? That means it’s a mass of mana."
"I suppose… so?"
"Right now, it’s wearing the shell of 'ghost stories,' but what do you think happens if we break all those shells?"
"Hmm. The stagnant mana would disperse into the surroundings. If it could have turned into some other phenomenon, it would have done so long ago."
"Exactly. Three hundred years of accumulated mana will diffuse, centered right on us."
"Ah! A Mana Shower!"
Carla’s eyes went wide as she let out an exclamation.
A Mana Shower. It was, quite literally, drenching oneself in a massive amount of mana. Normally, it was a rather dangerous thing to do.
When a proper amount of mana slowly permeates something, it usually brings about positive changes. It’s how simple silver becomes Mithril, and how humans become knights or mages to reach the realm of superhumans.
However, being exposed to an immense amount of mana in a short period was a different story. It forced mutations that the individual couldn't control.
The most prominent example was monsters. Monsters existed even before people began serving the Evil Gods; there was even a hypothesis claiming their origin was a large-scale Mana Shower that occurred for some reason in the distant past. They say that if monsters had existed from the very beginning, humanity would have gone extinct before even developing civilization.
…Wait. Putting it that way makes mana sound like radiation.
Anyway, while a Mana Shower was extremely dangerous, that only applied to ordinary people. To a mage or a knight who knew how to manipulate mana, a Mana Shower was essentially an 'EXP event.' It was a chance to accumulate a massive amount of mana all at once.
Perhaps because the reward was now clear, Carla and Elisha began to burn with motivation.
"We've taken down one, so there are six left, right, Master?"
"The last one isn't written down… but since it's you, Yandel, I'm sure you already know what it is."
I’m glad I didn't correct their misunderstanding about me being from a secret society. It’s a bit guilt-inducing, but it makes things so much easier when the conversation flows this smoothly.
I gave a smirk and nodded.
"Alright. Let's go take care of the rest in one go!"
*
The closest one was the Portrait Weeping Blood, which scattered curses into its surroundings. It was like a curse variety pack, inflicting all sorts of debuffs like hallucinations, headaches, hypersensitivity, and loss of balance. They say it eventually drives the victim to suicide, but…
As long as you didn't get too close, the output was low enough to resist just by circulating your mana without any special protection. So, I just burned it from a distance with a Fireball.
Next was the golem we encountered on the way to the club room. A Broken Golem that smashed everything that moved. Judging by its size and materials, it was a fairly powerful foe, but…
While Elisha and I kept it busy, Carla used intermediate magic to crack the ground, dropping the thing into a pit. Then, under a relentless three-way beatdown from us, it melted down to its very frame without being able to put up any real resistance.
Next was the lute placed in the club room. It had the ability to pluck its own strings and cast illusion magic on those nearby. So, I just closed my eyes and smashed it. The body was made of ordinary wood, so it broke easily when I slammed it against the floor.
Next was the Huge Full-length Mirror installed in the lobby a bit further away. It was a dangerous object that endlessly spat out doppelgangers of anyone reflected in it, but… it could only create a doppelganger if a person was fully reflected.
So, before coming here, I approached it with my face and upper body covered by the nun's habit I’d received from Helena, then struck it with my staff. True to a staff designed to double as a blunt weapon in emergencies, I was able to shatter it in a single blow.
Next was the 13th Step. Since we were already inside the spectral realm, there was no need to go all the way back to the library where we started. If you climbed any twelve-step staircase and counted, the 13th step would appear.
So, I used magic to pile up some dirt and create a staircase. Just before stepping onto the suddenly manifested thirteenth step, I canceled the magic. The 13th step collapsed along with the rest of the pile.
The time it took to get this far was barely two hours. Now, only one remained. The final ghost story that must never be known.
"Master, Master! Only one left!"
"What exactly is the last ghost story? Don't you think it's about time you told us?"
"Nope. I can't tell you that."
Carla and Elisha looked dumbfounded at my blunt refusal.
"Don't look at me like that. I really can't say it."
If you learn all seven mysteries, you die. Therefore, no one must know the last one. That’s what was written in the ghost story book, but the reality was a bit different.
It wasn't a ghost story that must never be known. It was a ghost story that must never be left alone.
Besides, if it were a story that truly shouldn't be known, I would have dropped dead the first day I fell into this world.
"Well… we don't have to go far, so I'll show you right now."
"Huh? Didn't you just say you wouldn't tell us?"
I gave a shrug at the sight of Carla tilting her head with a slightly pouting face, then pulled out the ghost story book I had tucked into my waist.
And then.
"Tinder."
Whoosh.
I set it on fire right then and there.
"Huh? Uh…?"
"Yandel? Why would you… wait, could it be?"
Carla and Elisha were flustered. Even though it was caught in the flames, the book wasn't completely burnt yet, so I couldn't speak. Instead, I gave a small nod and moved on to the next step.
"Everyone, get ready. We need to absorb as much as we can."
Realizing what was happening, the two of them hurriedly sat down in comfortable positions. I also sat in the middle and focused my mind on the Lintblum Breathing Technique.
A short while later, once the remaining scraps of the book had completely burned away—
Vroooom—
A gust of wind began to blow, centered around the pile of ash. What started as a small breeze of mana gradually grew violent, eventually swirling like a vortex.
Even if it was just the dregs created by the aftermath of magic, three hundred years of accumulation was not something to be ignored. Feeling the torrent of mana washing over my entire body, I focused even deeper.
Thump. Thump.
Following the beat of my heart, my core pulsed and greedily sucked in the surrounding mana. Of course, I couldn't absorb all of it, and since it wasn't perfectly pure, I couldn't store it all as-is. Nevertheless, an opportunity to accumulate this much mana in such a short time would be rare.
How long had we been like this?
Eventually, the torrent of mana pressing against my skin weakened back into a breeze before stopping completely. Thinking it was over, I slowly opened my eyes to find that the dark, ruin-like scenery was gone.
In its place, the third floor of the library—the last thing we saw before entering the ghost stories—greeted us. The library was as silent as ever, as if the torrent of mana that had just been ravaging the area had no effect on reality. We were even in the exact same positions as when we were holding hands and climbing the stairs, making me wonder if it had all been an illusion.
However, the clearly expanded capacity of my core, and the bewildered expressions on Carla and Elisha’s faces, told a different story. And then—
Ding!
【Academy's 7 Great Mysteries Defeated!】
Along with a cheerful chime, a translucent system window floating in the corner of my vision proved that what I had experienced was real.
I decided to check the notifications later and suggested we move for now. Even if it was a secluded corner of the third floor, the three of us couldn't just stand there blocking the library stairs.
I gently tugged on Carla and Elisha’s hands and spoke.
"Let's head back to the dormitory. I'll explain what happened on the way. I can talk about it now."
"Oh, yes, Master."
"You'll definitely have to tell me what you mean by 'you can talk about it now,' Yandel."
Of course. You have no idea how much I struggled to hold back from telling you.