The Lazy Gem (3)
The young man with the sparkling hair clicked his tongue. “You wretched human. Why on earth would you reject the wish you desired? A normal life like everyone else. Didn’t you want university days filled with casual conversations and playful banter with friends, instead of a hospital that reeked of medicine?”
“Ah, so that’s what the illusion was supposed to mean?”
I unconsciously scratched the back of my head at his words. I had assumed it was just replaying my past memories like before. That’s why I immediately figured out the university I’d never attended. But it was all thanks to my Fiery Golden Eyes. Without these eyes, I would’ve been in for a real headache.
“So, how many trials is this one?”
“...The second.”
That was unexpected. I’d thought that by erasing the previous one, this would be a fresh start. “You’re erasing the previous ones too?”
“It was our mistake, but the fact that you passed remains true. Good grief, to think you were someone who had taken over another person’s body. I should have examined you more carefully from the beginning.”
“Then shall we move on to the final one?”
“...What? So you already knew this was the last one?”
It seemed he had already noticed how unusual I was. To react so calmly like that. The young man with the sparkling hair stroked his head and spoke with a strangely sullen expression.
“Then this is the last one. Do your best.”
As my vision faded to black once again, I wondered inwardly what kind of trial would appear this time. The present? The future? Just what would the final one be?
Splat.
“Ah.”
So it’s the future.
A cruel and dark scene that could never be mistaken for the present. The earth lay shrouded in darkness while the sky scattered bloody red rain. And filling the space between them was the malice of the entire world. The worst of the main scenarios, the one that must be avoided at all costs—the despairing future known as the bad ending.
The sound of something pulsing echoed like a heartbeat. I placed a hand on my chest, but my heart was beating normally as usual. It wasn’t pounding with the intensity I was feeling right now.
“So this is stage two?”
The bad ending Overflowing Malice progressed through three stages total. The first was the erosion of the world. The land lost its vitality and the sky rained blood every day. In the next stage, every demonic being on the surface gained immense power and ran wild. And when it reached the final third stage—
“A demon king from another dimension arrives.”
Then it was game over. The main story had to be restarted from the beginning.
“It was one of the few bad endings that forced you to restart the main story from scratch, so it caused quite a stir.”
It had many strict conditions and required luck, making it a sort of hidden ending that was nearly impossible to reach even if you wanted to. Some people even repeated the main scenario over and over on purpose just to achieve this ending.
“I only ever saw it in videos. This is my first time experiencing it for real.”
I still remembered how shocked I had been back then. How in the world could the world end up getting destroyed like this…?
Crunch.
When I touched the tree beside me, it crumbled with a dry, brittle sound. Not the leaves—the tree itself.
“Whoa…”
“Pretty bad, right? What you’re seeing now is this world’s future. So? Even after seeing a future like this, do you still want to return to reality?”
“Yes.”
“...Huh?”
I had answered without thinking. Who in this ruined world would ask me such a question? I turned toward the source of the voice and saw a young man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties, adorned with various jewels, staring at me with a dumbfounded expression.
“What did you just say?”
“I said yes.”
“...I didn’t mishear you.”
Ah, so that was why he made that face—he thought my answer had been a mistake.
“Of course I have to go back.”
“Even after seeing this world?”
“That’s exactly why I’m going back. So I can move to prevent a future like this from ever happening.”
There was nothing to fear. This was just one of many possible endings.
“You seemed to want me to fall into despair after seeing this world. Sorry, but I’m not that easily broken.”
“...I see.”
Because I knew the information about this world, I didn’t collapse. Overflowing Malice? Sorry, but if even one of the required conditions for this ending was removed, it could never be reached. It was incredibly difficult to achieve, but ridiculously easy to prevent.
“I thought you were unusual, but you’re even more special than I imagined.”
“Obviously. After all, I’m someone who once stood at the Apex of the world.”
Well, it wasn’t reality but a game, and I had only taken first place by winning PvP for the first time, but it wasn’t exactly a lie, was it?
“Pfft! You certainly have talent. You shine brighter than any human I’ve ever met. But you’re still far too lacking to speak of the world. I might believe you if you were talking about the future, but for now, I cannot affirm those words.”
Well, he saw right through me.
“Then I suppose I’ll start by aiming for the apex of the academy.”
“The apex of the academy, huh.”
He chuckled. “Haven’t you already achieved that?”
“I meant including the professors, not just the students.”
What was the point of growing stronger only within the framework of being a student? I had no intention of remaining a frog in a well.
“Quite the ambition. Do you even know what kind of being the academy’s headmaster is?”
“Do you think I could speak of reaching the apex of the world if I couldn’t even surpass that?”
“Fair enough. Indeed, one shouldn’t speak of the world if they can’t even defeat him.”
Tap.
“The trial is cleared. I cannot allow someone destined to become the strongest to waste time in a place like this.”
“What? You’re taking this more seriously than I expected?”
“I don’t cheer for impossible things.”
So he really believed there was a chance I could truly become the apex of the world.
“Then I suppose I must give you the reward for clearing all the trials.”
As he spoke, a beautiful jewel radiating seven colors slowly revealed itself. The reason I had come here. It was the Illusion Beast.
Seven-Colored Jewel
The final reward for clearing the trials. A being that has chosen its contractor.
-Grrrowl!
Unlike before, the creature greeted me in a much brighter tone, like a dog wagging its tail. What in the world happened to this guy in such a short time?
“I simply shared your memories with him for a moment.”
“There was nothing simple about that.”
Who gave you permission to share my memories?
“Don’t glare at me like that. A parent is sending off their child. Can’t you at least overlook something like this?”
“Parent?”
“Hm? You didn’t know?”
-Kao!
The Illusion Beast King and this sleepyhead were family? Ah, now I finally understood why the Illusion Beast King had appeared in this particular trial. He hadn’t shown up in any of the other Illusion Beasts’ trials, but here he was in the position of a worried parent.
“I am this child’s father and the ruler of all Illusion Beasts.”
“I didn’t know about the first part, but I knew about the second.”
“I thought you would.”
Grasp.
“In my judgment, you will surely guide this child down the right path. Please take good care of my child.”
A parent bowing his head in earnest request. Faced with such sincere feelings, I too bowed my head and answered respectfully.
“I will ensure you have nothing to worry about.”
-Grrrr! Kao!
And so, the sleepy Illusion Beast entered my possession.
-Grrrowl!
“Yeah, yeah. I got it, so stop pestering me.”
I thought this guy only liked sleeping, but he seemed genuinely happy about gaining a physical body.
Crack.
To descend to the human realm, Illusion Beasts had to seal their own bodies and take the form of jewels. They could not regain their original forms until they returned to the Illusion Realm or found a contractor.
“Ah, but there’s one thing I’m curious about.”
“What is it?”
“Why are the Illusion Beasts here instead of in the Illusion Realm?”
“Ah, that.”
That was exactly why I had wondered. Why would they willingly live trapped inside uncomfortable jewels?
The Illusion Beast King answered with a face that suggested it was no big deal.
“Because the Illusion Realm is boring.”
“Boring?”
“Yes. Well, being trapped in a jewel is stifling too, but at least we can gather and talk happily with one another. In the Illusion Realm, everyone’s territories are divided, so we rarely meet others.”
Would you rather live in solitude, unable to meet others while waiting for a contractor to summon you in your true form? Or would you rather be sealed in a jewel but spend time talking with others until a contractor appears?
-Grrrowl!
“I know, I know. I’ll do it soon, so stop rushing me.”
Crack.
The cracks on the jewel gradually widened, and I could see something moving inside. It was wriggling as if trying to break out of the jewel, like a chick hatching from an egg. I sent it some mana to cheer it on so it wouldn’t get tired.
Crack. Crack. Shatter!
The broken jewel turned into light and was absorbed by the Illusion Beast. Finally, after completely shattering the jewel and revealing itself to the world, a small creature emerged.
“Kao!”
At first glance it looked like a snake, but it had feet resembling an eagle’s talons, horns like a deer, and a lion’s mane running down its back. Among the various types of Illusion Beasts, this was one of the highest-ranking mystical creatures.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Grrrowl!”
A dragon had descended.
“But looking at the size, it can’t even be called a dragon or an imugi. Should I just call it Snakey?”
“Kaaah!”
“Alright, alright. I’m sorry.”