Chapter 295
Chapter 295
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 295
Chapter Title: A Great Secret (4)
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Hurt that Shirone hadn't given her any gold coins, Amy felt a little better upon unexpectedly seeing a friend from the academy.
“I’d like to see some weapons. Is it okay if I look around?”
Nade offered with a gentle smile.
“Sure, go ahead. We’ve got all sorts of things, so take a look. You guys are really out and about in this weather. I was feeling down and was about to close up early. The rain’s suddenly got me feeling gloomy.”
Amy clasped her hands behind her back and browsed the various weapons.
The basic equipment was all there. Most importantly, and fortunately, there was no gear for mages.
If there had been magic items, her insistence on not buying anything with someone else’s money would have seemed ridiculous, so this actually put her at ease.
After a quick look at the displayed goods, Amy spotted a weapon hanging on the wall inside a glass case.
“Hm? What’s this?”
A piece of paper below the case read, .
Nade’s face lit up.
“Ah, that’s the pride of our shop. It’s a weapon that thunders when you swing it. Amazing, right? I tested it before, and the impact was incredible. It would scare off any monster!”
Amy remembered hearing one of Shirone’s childhood stories from Rian in the carriage on the way to Galliand.
He had successfully performed Thunder Break at the age of twelve; it seemed to be a cherished memory.
Amy looked at the price tag. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
“5.9 billion gold?”
“Hahaha! Of course. I told you, it’s the pride of our shop! It has to be worth that much to be obtainable.”
Armin came up behind Amy.
“No one will be able to buy this through normal means. I don’t know how the economy of this world works, but Ms. Reina and I only have 17 gold between us. Even our parents couldn't possibly withdraw 5.9 billion.”
Amy understood. Still, a lingering curiosity made her stroke her chin and ask.
“Hmm, what if a grave robber tried to steal this?”
“It would probably be possible. Since it’s an object where Shirone’s intense thoughts are gathered, it would be easy to convert into an Objet. As for the money, they could gather it through illegal means or just steal it. But if I were a grave robber, I wouldn’t steal this.”
“Because it’s not particularly useful.”
Armin nodded in agreement.
“Yes. An Objet’s value increases the more it defies common sense. An axe simply making the sound of thunder isn’t all that special. It’s a problem you can solve by just succeeding at Thunder Break. Most items in Stage 11 are probably like this. This is the surface layer, so there’s no room for humanity’s deeper desires to be revealed. Therefore, it’s more accurate to interpret as a precious memory rather than a desire.”
Amy understood the nature of Objets. And she realized just how evil a man Ardius was.
This world belonged to Shirone. No matter what others thought, it was his most precious mental space. Ardius, who wouldn't hesitate to kill to plunder it, had to be apprehended.
Armin walked to the window, looked outside, and spoke.
“In any case, as law-abiding citizens, we have no reason to be greedy. If we’re not going to steal, it’s just an object in a dream anyway. No need to be picky. Just arm yourselves enough for basic self-defense.”
Amy tilted her head and asked.
“For self-defense? Aren’t we choosing these to fight Zion and Ardius? We’d need perfect gear for that, and even that might not be enough.”
Armin spoke without moving from the window.
“I’ll explain that once we’re outside. For now, just choose.”
Reina stroked her chin, lost in thought.
The Ogent family revered the sword. It was also the weapon she was most confident with.
“By any chance, do you sell bows here?”
A smile spread across Armin’s lips.
“An excellent choice.”
Outside, it was too dark to see anything. A ranged weapon would be more useful than a melee one. Especially with her hearing, the bow’s accuracy would be even higher.
Reina took the bow Nade picked out and examined it. The tension was strong, and the curve of the bow limb was straight.
She had been taught during her martial arts training that a bow could create variables in a fight. And being from a martial family, she had hunted often, so her fundamentals were solid.
“I like it. I’ll take this. I’ll buy a quiver and arrows too.”
“Alright. I’ll give you some good quality ones. Just a moment.”
While Nade was fetching the items from the storage behind the counter, Reina looked back at Amy and asked.
“There are no magic weapons. Should we try somewhere else?”
“It’s fine. Mages aren’t particularly dependent on tools.”
Amy summoned the Jack O’ Lantern to float beside her face.
“Besides, I have the weapon Shirone bought for me.”
The moment the words left her mouth, Amy regretted them. Emphasizing that Shirone had bought it for her only deepened her misery.
But the water was already spilled, so she turned away, feigning ignorance.
Armin leaned his back against the window, arms crossed.
‘A Jack O’ Lantern. That’s ancient magic. She’s obtained something quite difficult to acquire.’
Armin had been to Heaven on a mission of his own, so he knew the general market prices in the community.
Ancient magic could be bought with Elixirs, and something like a Jack O’ Lantern would cost at least a White Elixir.
Shirone and Amy must be quite close.
And yet, the withdrawal didn’t work. On top of that, her last comment revealed her disappointment with Shirone.
‘Hmm, so that’s how it is.’
This could be dangerous. No, in a mental world, this was the greatest obstacle of all.
‘I’d better give them a heads-up.’
Just as Armin made his decision, Nade returned with two 20-piece quivers. When asked for the total, he said it was 4 gold.
Amy approached Armin and whispered.
“Isn’t that too expensive? One bow set costs half of your trust level.”
“It is expensive. But it must be of the highest quality for that price. It might even have additional abilities. The ‘master of this world’ isn’t the type to rip people off. Of course, the boy Nade could be a swindler, but given that he was entrusted with , he seems to be a friendly projection.”
Armin referred to Shirone as the ‘master of this world’ because Nade was listening.
Having experienced at the inn how sensitive projections were to keywords, Amy immediately understood and nodded.
“You’re right. Nade isn’t the type to sell low-quality goods either.”
Reina paid the 4 gold. The money wouldn’t be needed once they met the master of this world, anyway.
Reina slung one quiver over her back and strapped the other to her thigh. She then nocked three arrows between her fingers, resting them on the bowstring, ready.
Amy, with her Jack O’ Lantern floating, also looked toward Armin.
There were only two of them, but their spirit was no different from that of an army on the verge of an advance.
“Are you ready? We are now going to meet the ‘master of this world.’”
Reina asked.
“But where do we start looking?”
“No need to go far. He is everywhere, after all.”
Armin looked up toward Nade. Amy and Reina stepped aside, clearing a path.
“Do you know where Shirone is?”
Amy was startled.
Nothing terrible had happened, but she had no desire to relive the experience at the inn where everyone’s eyes had been fixed on them.
As expected, Nade stared at Armin without even blinking. However, perhaps because he was a complex projection, he didn’t feign ignorance like the innkeeper.
“Why are you looking for Shirone?”
The corners of Armin’s mouth lifted. This weapon shop was indeed a place where Shirone’s consciousness was highly concentrated.
‘Then I can’t miss this chance.’
Armin sharply increased the intensity of the keyword.
“Shirone is about to die. We are here to help him before that happens.”
Amy swallowed hard and waited for Nade’s reaction. How would Shirone’s consciousness react to Armin’s words?
Nade stared at Armin with an emotionless face. Then, in a voice completely different from before, he warned them.
“Get out. This is not your world.”
Realizing he had connected with Shirone’s incarnation, Armin pressed on.
“Is that a refusal? Shirone, think again. You need our help. Tell us where you are.”
An abnormal phenomenon occurred in Nade's silent form. His pupils vanished, turning into black caverns, and his entire body began to turn pitch black.
“Tch! A failure?”
Armin hastily backed away.
“What? What’s happening?”
“It’s starting! Get outside!”
Armin shoved the door open with his shoulder, and Reina followed, her bow drawn. Amy glanced back one last time.
The Nade she knew was gone, replaced by the form of a black shadow lunging rapidly toward them. Her heart pounding, she rushed out of the shop, only to see similar figures converging from all directions.
Amy immediately cast a Shining spell. Light erupted, clearly illuminating the falling raindrops.
Within the curtain of falling water stood shadows.
They had human forms, but their torsos and arms were elongated.
The most bizarre feature was their faces. A thin line of light spiraled like a vortex, as if being sucked into an abyss.
“Mr. Armin. What on earth are those…”
“Egoists.”
Amy tilted her head slightly and repeated the word.
“Egoists?”
“Don’t be fooled by their appearance. Their forms are ever-changing.”
“Shwoooooo!”
As an Egoist lunged, Armin cast Flicker to escape the encirclement. People rushed out of buildings, instantly transforming and pursuing him.
Armin cast Flicker repeatedly. His form vanished, and only blinking shockwaves crisscrossing the space revealed his trajectory.
In that time, Reina, having finished her battle preparations, nocked three arrows and fired them in quick succession.
An Egoist’s body burst with a pop and collapsed to the ground. It was certainly a phenomenon that couldn't happen in reality.
When one of their own fell, the Egoists immediately devised a countermeasure. When Reina shot an arrow, they would twist their waists as thin as thread to evade it. But this time, Amy’s Fire Strike incinerated one of their heads.
Even while burning, the Egoists attacked relentlessly. Contrary to the expectation that they would be physically weak, their strength was considerable. They seemed to be at least Tier 3, even when compared to monsters in the real world.
Reina gradually grew accustomed to the bow. Ignoring the sound of the rain, she tracked the enemy's sounds and made predictive shots, making it seem as though the arrows were curving to strike the Egoists.
“Shwoooooo!”
While the duo of Armin and Reina fought effectively, Amy was off to the side, facing a single Egoist on her own. It was the strongest of the group, the one that had transformed from Nade in the weapon shop.
Nade’s Egoist altered its form to suit its tactics, pressuring Amy. Its arms multiplied to four, stabbing like awls, and it dodged a rapid-fire barrage of Fire Strikes by elongating its torso like an invertebrate, as if dancing.
The number of Egoists flocking to the area increased, and the surroundings overflowed with shadows. Armin’s Flicker spell would be useless if he left the battlefield, so they couldn’t afford to drag this out any longer.
Amy cast Fire Wall, separating her allies from the enemy. As she focused, the wall of fire soared twice as high, incinerating the Egoists standing in its line.
Nade’s Egoist glanced at the wall, then stopped its attack and stared intently at Amy. Amy remembered hearing Shirone’s voice in the shop and shouted.
“Shirone! It’s me! Amy!”
The Egoist didn’t answer. But it had clearly understood her words. Its head tilted slightly, about 45 degrees.