Chapter 301
Chapter 301
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 301
Chapter Title: Secrets of the Abyss (2)
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“By the way, this is truly astonishing.”
Shirone had perfectly categorized his subconscious. Honestly, it was beyond astonishing; it didn't even seem human.
Armin and the others turned at the sound of footsteps from the entrance. Shirone, his complexion paler than before, walked over, breathing heavily.
“I'm feeling a little better. Let's go down quickly.”
Amy wiped her tears and approached Shirone.
“Are you okay? I'll help you.”
“Get away from me. I don't want your help.”
“But we still have to go. Come here.”
Ignoring his strong resistance, Amy supported Shirone.
Shirone, too, found it hard to hold on any longer and had no choice but to accept her help.
Reina watched them with a bittersweet smile.
*‘So that's how it was.’*
At first, she couldn't understand how they could remain friends while ignoring each other's feelings.
But now, she thought she understood. The two were bound by a powerful trust that transcended emotion.
*‘I… could never fit in that space.’*
“She's quite a girl.”
Armin came up beside Reina. In his opinion as well, Amy was holding up well.
The avatar's hostility was 100 percent reliable, as it was a pure emotion. Yet, for her to sacrifice herself for Shirone was something no ordinary girl could do.
A relieved smile finally bloomed on Reina's lips.
“Well, she's endured it for a whole year.”
* * *
Shirone's third mental stage.
It was a world of brutal cold.
In the biting cold that felt like it could freeze their very blood, Shirone's group hunched their shoulders and crossed a frozen sea.
There was no sun, but the ground reflected the moonlight, allowing them to see ahead.
But what spread before them was only a vast darkness.
Amy imagined this was what an arctic night would be like.
So cold and desolate, yet at the same time, a mysteriously frigid resting place.
In the extremely limited visibility, what occasionally brushed past them were crystals as tall as a person.
Each had a different color and emitted a soft glow, like an asexual creature.
“Love. Friendship. Desire.”
Armin said.
“They are likely gems containing such source emotions. We won't be able to view them unless we approach them directly. He's treating his subconscious as if it were his conscious mind. There's no need to worry.”
Amy let out a sigh of relief.
Since she hadn't encountered his inner feelings, it wouldn't be awkward when she met Shirone again.
Of course, that was only if they made it out of here alive.
Even as they descended into the depths, Armin felt like he understood Shirone less and less.
Just looking at the third stage, it was a landscape impossible to create without having established and defined everything within oneself.
*‘Just how deep is this boy's insight?’*
As he was thinking this, the lights from the crystals began to go out one by one. Shirone's appearance became gaunt, as if he were about to die at any moment.
Amy didn't look back at Shirone.
He wouldn't want her to see him like that.
She could only press forward, unable to even wipe away her flowing tears.
The weight of the avatar had become so light that it could no longer be called a person.
*‘Just a little, just a little longer, Shirone… hang in there.’*
Even as he struggled to take a single step, Shirone forced strength into his eyes and stared into the darkness.
Finally, the curtain of darkness lifted, revealing a small, lit cabin.
“That's the place. The second deep stage.”
By now, everyone knew.
Armin explained, moving his frozen legs quickly.
“We've essentially pierced through his mental world via the shortest route. We might have caught up to Ardius by now. Prepare for any contingency.”
He was telling them to get ready for a fight.
From that moment, Amy began to warm up her mind with numerical sequences.
Reina also took out a frost-covered arrow, nocked it, and leaned her back against the wall next to the door.
Armin quickly opened the door and scanned the cabin's interior. Though he wasn't a Zoner, his wide-angle vision, lacking a specific focal point, allowed him to survey all directions far faster than an ordinary person.
Next, Reina spun around and darted into the cabin.
Following Armin with her bow drawn, she covered all directions, but there were no enemies in sight.
When Armin gave the all-clear signal, Amy brought Shirone inside.
Their skin, blue and battered by the frigid wind, thawed in the warmth of the cabin.
As the door closed, the wailing sound of the wind vanished without a trace.
“There… over there...”
Shirone pointed to the living room sofa with a trembling hand.
When Amy helped him over, he collapsed onto the sofa like a puppet with its strings cut.
“I just want to... rest a little.”
“That would be best.”
Armin agreed after checking Shirone's condition.
At that, Reina took on the role of the bad guy.
“We don't have time to waste. If Ardius isn't here, it means he's already descended to the first stage.”
“Even if he's found the Ataraxia, extraction will take time. And even if we stop Ardius, Shirone will die unless we can imprint something here.”
“Ah...”
Reina remembered the situation in reality.
Xenoger's steel wire was cutting into Shirone's neck.
Now that they had reached the final depths, it was time to find a solution for that.
“The first stage is Shirone's most distant memory. It's called the fetal consciousness. Since it's what happens in the womb, it's impossible to implant a clear concept there.”
“So this place is Shirone's treasure vault, then.”
Reina looked around.
The precious place Shirone had chosen was his own cozy home. She could guess how much familial warmth he had felt throughout his life.
Amy put dry firewood into the fireplace and cast Ignite.
Damn Ignite.
She thought to herself, holding out her hands to feel the warmth of the fire before turning to the others.
“The method is a problem, but where do we even record it?”
“It varies from person to person. But based on what we've seen so far, I suspect it will be in the form of a book. Let's check the study first.”
The three of them made their way to the study.
Shirone's thoughts spanning his entire life were categorized in the form of books.
There were even books titled with people's names.
Vincent and Olina were there, of course, as were Reina and Armin, without exception.
Scanning the names of the magic academy students, Amy's gaze fixed on one particular book.
Carmis Amy.
It was a book with a red cover.
Everything was contained in that book.
How Shirone thought of her. What emotions he felt when he looked at her.
As if possessed, Amy took out the book and stroked its leather-textured hardcover.
Armin and Reina watched from behind.
“I won't stop you, Amy. If you'll be satisfied with that.”
“Miss Amy, you've guided Shirone well this far. You've earned the right.”
Reina looked back at Armin, surprised.
She herself had allowed it, knowing it was wrong but understanding a woman's heart. She hadn't expected Armin to agree as well.
A thought popped into her head.
*‘I see. Does this mean the odds are much lower than we think?’*
Armin was assuming the worst-case scenario.
If they couldn't find a way to save Shirone, this would be Amy's last memory with him. It was Armin's consideration, allowing her to at least know his feelings before they parted.
“No. I won't.”
Amy only looked at the book's cover before putting it back on the shelf.
Nothing was over yet. Shirone would definitely survive. He would continue to compete with her and become a mage.
“I don't think there's a way to imprint anything on Shirone here. Let's try somewhere else.”
As Amy left the study without a second thought, Armin and Reina exchanged smiles.
Amy met the gaze of Shirone, who was staring intently at her. But she was past caring now.
“Yeah, hate me all you want. When we get back to reality, I'll beat the living daylights out of you.”
“I hate you. I really do.”
“Hmph! Say what you want. I hate you too, you know? So there!”
The moment Amy stuck her tongue out, Shirone coughed.
A mouthful of blood came gushing out, and a pale-faced Amy rushed over.
“Shirone! Are you okay?”
His eyes, which had remained sharp even as his mental world collapsed, were now unfocused.
The avatar was so light he could no longer feel its weight.
Shirone struggled to lift his trembling eyelids and spoke.
“Why... I hate... you...”
“Okay, I get it. I get it, so just snap out of it.”
“...I hate...”
Shirone said in a dying voice.
“That you danced with someone else... I hate it.”
Amy felt like she'd been hit over the head with a hammer.
She thought it was disappointment that she couldn't save his life. She never imagined it would be because she had danced with Geon.
“That... That was, Shirone...”
It was something she couldn't help.
No, was it really?
Am I completely blameless regarding Shirone's complaint?
“You idiot, it's not like that.”
Amy said in a tearful voice.
The truth was, she knew Shirone would be hurt. Yet she couldn't help but look away.
Because she was too scared.
“It's really not like that. I... I...”
Shirone squeezed out a faint voice.
“Run... away. Take everyone... and get out of here. I can't... Everyone's going to die.”
Amy shook her head and hugged Shirone.
No matter what happened, she wouldn't give up. She would never let him go from her arms.
“No one is going to die. I'll save you! I will definitely save you!”
Shirone was losing consciousness.
No matter how loudly Amy shouted, it didn't seem to reach him; he just stared at the ceiling with hazy eyes.
“Run... Amy.”
Reina, who had been checking Shirone's room, rushed out into the living room and shouted.
“Amy! This way! I found it!”
Amy laid Shirone down on the sofa and ran to the room.
She didn't even think to wipe her tears. They had reached the very end; it was do or die now.
A notebook lay open on the table in Shirone's room.
Armin was waiting, and Reina was pacing anxiously, not knowing what to do.
Amy approached, pointing at the notebook.
“Is this it?”
“Yes. It seems to be a notebook recording his stream of consciousness. But no matter how much I think about it, I can't come up with a way to save him. What do we do, Amy?”
Amy went to the table and examined the notebook.
At the very top of the last page, the name 'Amy' was written.
With a pitiful expression, she turned the page to see what Shirone was thinking.
Amy's name was written there, too.
Filling the entire notebook.
She turned another page. It was the same.
No matter how many pages she turned, she couldn't find where the name 'Amy' began.
Tears welled up in Amy's eyes again. But she quickly shook her head and composed herself.
She had to save Shirone. By any means necessary.
But how?
No matter how hard she racked her brain, she couldn't think of a way for Shirone to escape safely with the steel wire around his neck.
At that moment, the cabin shook as if in an earthquake.
Amy grabbed the table to regain her balance.
If the second deep stage was shaking this violently, it meant Shirone's life in reality was almost over. If they couldn't at least catch up to Ardius, they would all meet their end here.
“Amy! We have to go down now! I'll get Shirone!”
Reina left the room, but Amy couldn't move.
Even if it meant dying here, she had to think of a way for Shirone to live.
*‘No! I don't know! What am I supposed to do?’*
But reality was different from the mental world.
What's impossible is impossible.
Neither Reina nor Armin were fools.
They knew it was a physically impossible task, which was why they were trying to find a way for the others to survive first, wasn't it?
Amy's hand, clutching the pen on the table, trembled. Every passing second felt like a curse.