Imagination is Happiness, But Reality is Despair
"Alright, time to head back!"
Vesperia shouted energetically, hugging Kkamangi. Ardelia nodded as well. The escape system command that Rian had told them about beforehand popped into her mind. As if on cue, the two girls shouted into the air at the same time.
"Log out!"
The moment the word left their lips,
Would you like to disconnect?
A mechanical, utterly dry voice echoed directly into the two girls' minds from thin air. At the same time, text materialized in the air. It was a guidance message from the system, implemented via illusion magic.
Ardelia flinched at the unfamiliar phenomenon she'd never experienced before, but Vesperia didn't hesitate for a second.
"I accept!"
Ardelia hurriedly followed Vesperia's lead and shouted,
"I accept."
With that response, the vast jungle landscape filling their vision went pitch black in an instant, like a TV screen with the power switched off.
"Ah!"
In Professor Ash's research lab in reality, Vesperia and Ardelia—who had been lounging diagonally on the plush sofa—snapped their eyes open simultaneously. The blue mana cables connected to their foreheads dissolved with a soft hiss, evaporating into the air.
"Nyaaong."
"Kyuu."
Kkamangi and Balgeum popped out beside Vesperia and Ardelia along with the lingering mana afterimages. The spirits landed lightly on the floor and circled around their masters.
"Whoaaa!"
Vesperia sprang up from the sofa and started jumping around excitedly. Her amethyst eyes sparkled with thrill and joy.
"Rian! This was seriously amazing! I could smell the forest, feel the ground shaking—it was all so real! And Kkamangi and Balgeum taking down that huge beast? Super cool!"
Vesperia had long forgotten how perilously close they'd come to facing off against a monstrous beast just moments ago. To her, the experience had been a thrilling, perfect adventure down to her bones.
"Yeah, I saw it all, so I know."
"I knew you were watching! Next time, you have to join us! It'd be even more fun together!"
Any other noble or professor would have grilled her about the principles behind the miracle-like magic she'd just created. But Vesperia simply wanted to play in this well-crafted playground with its creator.
Rian stared blankly at Vesperia. She was the first user to genuinely enjoy 100% of the creation he'd meticulously coded and rendered. As a developer, what feedback could be more satisfying?
"Yeah. Sure. Let's do it together when I have time later."
Rian nodded lightly with an affirmative reply. It was a subtly softer response than his usual indifference.
Ardelia, watching from the side, saw her red eyes sharpen keenly.
Rian lowers his guard around Vesperia's affection too.
Even that ironclad fortress of a defense crumbled helplessly before pure, guileless goodwill and smiles.
If Rian gets close to Vesperia, that alone would be a blessing.
If Rian protected Vesperia, one of her goals would be achieved just like that.
Still seated on the sofa, Ardelia discreetly and urgently felt around inside her skirt hem.
G-Good. It's not wet…!
Ardelia silently offered heartfelt thanks to the sun god. The terror she'd felt in virtual reality when the triceratops charged and trampled had been intense. If she hadn't endured that pressure and had an accident in her real body like Asrion that morning…
I don't even want to think about it.
Her dignity and pride as the empire's princess would have been ruined that day.
This is truly terrifying power.
The horror of illusion magic—something only those who'd experienced it firsthand could understand. Perhaps that was why advanced courses didn't teach it.
"Student Rian!"
At that moment, Professor Ash—who had watched the girls' vivid firsthand accounts and monitoring data—couldn't contain her excitement and shouted. Her ash-gray eyes gleamed with a mania-like scholarly fervor that bordered on madness.
"That simulation you just showed was so innovative in its entry method!"
Professor Ash grabbed both of Rian's hands tightly.
"I'll give you all my class time—no, even my personal research time! Will you research with me? I'll teach you everything I know about illusion magic, down to the basics, without holding anything back!"
A high-ranking mage on par with a great archmage in knowledge was begging to hand over all her expertise to a first-year freshman.
But to Rian, this was a perfect deal with no reason to refuse. To complete his true virtual and augmented reality systems, his own ideas alone weren't enough. He needed the vast foundational data accumulated by mages over centuries.
"I'm the one who wants to learn more, Professor. Please take care of me."
Rian nodded readily. At his answer, Professor Ash let out a cheer and dashed to the blackboard, ready to start class right then. She gripped the chalk so hard it nearly snapped and began scribbling furiously about advanced illusion magic knowledge and ancient language array formulas.
"Alright, Student Rian! If you integrate ancient rune arrays into the multisensory synchronization you just showed like this, you can boost server sustainability by over three times!"
Professor Ash ranted passionately. Watching her, the 5-Circle Penteract near Rian's heart began rotating silently but fiercely. His body's 10-core parallel processing system kicked into full gear. The vast information on the blackboard scanned into his brain like data being sucked in. There wasn't a single second of bottleneck in the processes of understanding, analyzing, and reassembling.
Ah, this is convenient. This is why I needed to hit 5-Circle.
A thick, workaholic smile spread across Rian's lips. His mind was clear. No matter how much knowledge they crammed in, his brain sent no fatigue signals.
Good. This much data is plenty. I can rework all the 5-Circle spells my way through the night.
Rian's unique spell optimization continued even at 5-Circle. He'd perfected the closed system, completely solving the worst side effects of mana depletion and physical overheating. No more obsessing over sleep or groaning from exhaustion.
I can go without sleep for a while. Might as well optimize all 5-Circle magic, and start pondering the computational structure for hitting 6-Circle soon.
Even after dying from overwork in his previous life, the efficient work environment revived his mad instinct to pour himself into his hobby.
The same time.
In the Mage Tower at the heart of the imperial capital Solaris.
"Haa…."
Mage Tower Lord Decaron slumped into his luxury leather chair in the top-floor office and let out a deep sigh that seemed to shake the earth. Steam rose warmly from the exquisite teacup his secretary had prepared. But he didn't even think to wet his lips. His mind was filled with the overwhelming scene he'd witnessed at the academy's training grounds.
Just where did that old, cranky elf Iril pick up such a ridiculous monster?
Decaron's gray eyes darkened with complexity. The power displayed by a 13-year-old commoner boy had been truly shocking. A bizarre circle structure that seemed to advance magic history by centuries. Even he, at the pinnacle of 9-Circle, felt chills from the mana density pouring out of someone who'd reached 5-Circle.
It's a shame Asrion didn't summon that massive dragon, but…
A bitter smile leaked from the Mage Tower Lord's lips. His grandfatherly blind expectations had been shattered pathetically, it was true. But before being a doting grandfather, he was a 9-Circle great archmage pursuing the truth of magic.
As a mage, I can't wait to see how much further that off-spec disaster-class talent will grow.
The Mage Tower Lord didn't deny Rian's existence. Instead, he started spinning a happy circuit, convinced this would be a massive boon for his grandson.
Yeah. Thinking it over, this is actually a good thing.
Decaron stroked his goatee and nodded.
Our poor Asrion, raised like a flower in a greenhouse in the tower his whole life. It's only natural his nose is in the clouds after hearing he's number one everywhere. But a frog in a well can never reach the ranks of the greatest archmage.
For a genius to achieve greater growth, they needed bone-crushing trials and an overwhelming wall.
Watching that monstrous boy who far surpasses him up close, our Asrion will face immense despair and frustration. He'll toss and turn at night, writhing in inferiority.
But Decaron believed in his grandson.
When that flimsy pride shatters and hits rock bottom, the moment he rises from that vicious inferiority! My grandson will stand as the empire's greatest, toughest archmage!
A pleased smile spread around Decaron's eyes. His rival would awaken his grandson. It was the warm, beautiful scenario imagined by the Mage Tower Lord and grandfather.
He happily reached for the teacup handle.
Right then—
Weeeeng-!
The communication crystal orb on one corner of the desk flashed red with a loud vibration. Decaron eyed it curiously, teacup still in hand. It was an unread emergency video message alert.
"When did this come?"
Decaron extended his free hand and lightly channeled mana over the orb. His brows furrowed slightly upon checking the receipt time. The message had arrived right after lunch. He'd been too deep in research to notice.
The sender was none other than his beloved grandson, Asrion.
Flash-!
Blue mana intertwined over the orb, projecting Asrion's hologram. But the state of his grandson in the hologram was far from good.