The Spiral in the Endless Fog
The Turtle advanced slowly forward. With every step, the ground trembled, sending out massive reverberations. It brimmed with a tremendous power befitting its name and appearance. The countless magical beasts in its path couldn't halt its progress. They were simply crushed beneath its feet.
Where on earth did she get these from? I'd never seen her leave the tower, yet she somehow gathered all these beasts for her lectures. It had always been a mystery to me. Their appearance was all too familiar—red eyes, white fur. They were the fog monkeys I'd encountered during the entrance exam.
Back then, during the exam, the Turtle had fallen to them. It was torn by their claws, wounded, its four legs shattered outright. It had barely escaped by rolling its shell through the fog. The memory was still vivid. But this time was different. The Turtle didn't even glance at the ones lunging at it. It simply passed through the monkey horde with its even larger, heavier body. With each casual motion, the monkeys were trampled flat. These creatures, once so terrifying, were no longer a threat.
It hadn't even been three years since I arrived at the University, yet I'd already changed this much. No wonder every mage was obsessed with getting in. Even I could hardly believe my own transformation. Seeing them now, I realized Professor Irian had deliberately thrown these beasts in my path—to test my current level. It was a kind of consideration, even if it was a bit excessive.
Ten hours had passed since the monkeys began swarming endlessly. No cries came from the ones charging at us. There was no ferocity or intelligence in their eyes. They moved like mere puppets. This bizarre place was still hard to get used to.
I scanned the surroundings through the Turtle's eyes. The landscape was the same as ever. Fog blanketed everything in all directions. Not a single sound penetrated. All noise vanished within the mist. Even the Turtle's footsteps only shook the earth—they made no audible sound. The world was utterly silent. That was the nature of this treasure.
Eleven treasure hunts had been held so far, including this one. From them, we'd discerned one clear rule Professor Irian always imposed. Her dungeons always manifested in forms tied to the treasure. Labyrinths, deserts, underwater cities—it was always connected. Sometimes the treasure shaped the environment itself; other times, it hid within. From that pattern, we could read her confidence. Even if we figured out the treasure's location, we'd never claim it. And true to that, no one had obtained a single one since the first lecture.
The treasure she'd prepared this time was a massive heart composed entirely of white. She'd killed some strange beast and extracted its essence, casually dubbing it the Fog Heart. Its effect was exactly as we saw: with each pulse, fog poured out. Over the past ten hours, the mist had thickened relentlessly, now so dense I could barely see a foot ahead.
I layered fresh defensive spells around us. The fog that had seeped into my workshop vanished behind the barriers. But it soon began melting them away, creeping closer. This wasn't ordinary fog. Anything caught inside gradually lost everything to it—soul, memories, mind, emotions. In the end, the body became a puppet controlled by the heart. Just like the ones the Turtle was crushing now.
If they'd retained their former intelligence, I wouldn't have advanced so easily. That cunning—setting traps, exploiting weaknesses—was the fog monkeys' greatest strength. But their endless resurrection remained intact. That's why we'd been hounded nonstop.
I sighed. Oblivious to my mood, the Turtle stomped excitedly. It seemed to enjoy popping the monkeys, even rolling once for fun. My tree shook in sync with its glee. Half-assimilated with the Turtle's ego, it was recovering nicely—better than before, at least. No wonder it was thrilled. Since its ego formed, it hadn't moved properly even once. It had clung to my chest for nearly two months straight; ten hours of romping wouldn't satisfy it.
More pressingly, I still hadn't met anyone. In ten hours, I'd encountered fewer than twenty people. This was serious. I'd brought a ton of goods to sell, but no buyers. My plan was in ruins. Damn it, I was counting on racking up points here to pay off that interest. I hadn't expected even finding people to be this hard.
The fog ensured that straying a single step made others invisible. It had a clear intent to scatter us. The students must have irked Professor Irian by teaming up to hunt treasures. Seeing the same old scenes over and over probably bored her. That explained why she hadn't watched the recent tower brawls.
Suddenly, the Turtle halted. Peering ahead, I saw a massive wall. Fog solidified into a barrier. Even ramming it did nothing. I gave a wry smile. Just like everywhere else. Time to head back.
I cautiously surveyed the area. These walls usually hosted powerful beasts. Last time, it was a giant sky-swimming fish. I'd bolted at the sight. I retreated swiftly from the wall. Fortunately, no reaction. The beast must be away.
I focused inward, on my chest. The vast shadow beneath my tree responded to my will. The countless twinkling stars that once filled it were gone—only two remained, shining lonely. Excluding the Turtle I rode, just one star. The entire 6th floor had become a separate realm, severed from the outside.
I concentrated on that lone star. It gave off a faint glow—meaning it was a bit distant. The Turtle slowly shifted toward where the light intensified.
When the Turtle first rampaged here, I'd thought it an endless plain. Even at full speed, no end in sight. But no—I was the one lost. The signal flickered weaker. Another directional twist, surely. I turned the Turtle accordingly. Circling slowly, I found the strengthening direction, then resumed.
The fog warped every sense like this. What felt like endless running was just circling the same spot. After repeating this several times, I was quite close. A hazy shadow loomed ahead—someone fighting beasts, no doubt. The signal came from there.
I approached slowly along the signal. Beasts en route spotted the Turtle and charged, only to be crushed. At the end, I saw a pile of monster corpses. A circle floated in the air above. Beasts rushed toward it, splitting diagonally the moment they crossed the line. Even fog dared not enter the circle.
I sent my will to the inner star. It flashed in response. The circle ahead blurred, opening a door toward me. I guided the Turtle inside.
The Bear Doll was first in view. Its cute, out-of-place form drew a wry smile. It carried someone on its back. The person swung a sword through empty air, sharpening the fading circle. Approaching beasts cleaved apart, collapsing.
No matter how many times I saw it, that bizarre magic defied understanding. Drawing nearer, the person's face came clear: a vacant-eyed woman slung on the Bear Doll's back. Kasian.
I dismounted the Turtle and stepped toward her cautiously. She waved, greeting me.
"You're back. Glad you look unscathed."
"Thanks to you, Kasian."
This place was safe. Smiling, I pulled a table from my spatial pouch and set it up. A doll popped out with it, arranging chairs. It began laying out tea and snacks atop the table. Kasian hopped off the Bear Doll and plopped into a chair. She lifted the cup before her, inhaling its aroma, then took a sip.
I watched intently. She smiled briefly, then pouted.
"Mister, can't you really put this in my Bear Doll?"
"Afraid not. Its structure can't handle delicate tasks like tea."
The Bear Doll stared at its hands. It fidgeted with them a moment, then flopped down dejectedly. Kasian watched, sighing.
"Guess no helping it."
"Not much compensation, but here's the map I've pieced together so far."
I unrolled a scroll from my bosom and began sketching with a pen. My recent sweep had roughly mapped the fog. I shared it freely because of our deal from our first meeting here: she'd hold position, and I'd scout everything around.
Thanks to her staying put, I used the Bear Doll as a beacon. Wandering the fog, I mapped relative to it—advancing to walls, marking, returning. This was my tenth visit. Connecting the wall points formed a spiral.
We sat at the bottom of it.
"So what's in the center?" She pointed to the spiral's core.
I shook my head.
"Nothing special. Already checked."
I'd scouted it long ago—just thicker fog, no anomalies. No clue where the treasure hid. And I couldn't seek others' help. Everyone I'd met, save Kasian, was weary and suspicious. They eyed me warily, even hostilely. If they were like that with me, they'd hate strangers more. Universal distrust—this boded ill, treasure aside. Bad for my points, too.
I needed to change it. That's why I'd steadily explored these ten hours.