Chapter 568: Custom Dungeon
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 568: Custom Dungeon
As time ticked away, the auction preview entered its final hours, reaching the closing stage.
At that moment, the group gathered for the "Player Lure Plan" was listening to a report from their scout.
"Our people have pried quite a bit of information out of those from the Abyss Academy. A significant number of them don't actually know what the Heart of the Cold Wave represents; they only know they must bring it back from this auction at any cost. According to them, this order came directly from the Abyssal Demon Mentor backing them."
"A Transcendent Mentor... those guys really can't play fair, can they? For a Mentor to personally intervene—will there be a Mentor waiting to receive them?" someone asked, frowning at the news.
"No. they are simply acting on orders. Everyone knows the history of the Abyssal Demon Academy and their behavioral patterns. A Mentor's order demands absolute obedience from them."
"So they aren't participating directly? That's within the realm of control. Still, why didn't we use a fake Heart of the Cold Wave for this plan? This is far too risky."
"I suggest you lot from the Holy Angel Academy use your heads before speaking," a voice from the Witch Academy snapped. "If you could forge a replica, we’d be more than happy to let you take the lead on this operation."
Rebuked, the representatives from the Holy Angel Academy fell silent.
"Since no one else has anything to say, the plan proceeds. The preview items will be withdrawn in a few hours. I hope for a pleasant cooperation from everyone."
* * *
Click.
As I stepped into the suite, the door slammed shut behind me.
I looked back instinctively, only to find the door already sealed. Pixels "eroded" the surface like ink drops bleeding into water, and in the blink of an eye, the very outline of the door vanished.
I didn't rush to leave. Instead, I scanned my surroundings. The interior of the room came into view, but it no longer looked like a normal suite. Even the internal dimensions seemed completely disconnected from the suite's actual size.
"This area actually involves spatial power?" I was slightly surprised.
But only slightly. After all, spatial power was relatively fragile. How could a civilization that had developed [Transcendent Knowledge] enough to invade other worlds not have mastered space-related techniques?
However, I soon realized I was completely cut off from the outside world. I couldn't hear anything from beyond the room, my mental strength couldn't perceive the external situation, my Spirit Vision couldn't see through the walls, and no data could penetrate these pixels for me to sense.
I opened the projection of the Tree of Great Knowledge. While the external Academy Network and the academy phone's operating system could be displayed, a prompt appeared: No Academy Network detected.
Even the date and time, which were precisely synchronized with Ley Line information, failed to display.
This meant I had entered an independent space that was relatively isolated even from Ley Line data!
I instinctively looked at the live stream platform built by the Tree of Great Knowledge. Because it borrowed some technology from the Academy Network... I could only see partial information now. No video or images could be displayed.
Only the bullet comments could be seen, as their architecture relied on the Tree of Great Knowledge. Everything else was a temporary construct built on Academy Network tech. Thus, the only way to communicate now was through the bullet comments.
Of course, that wasn't all. I could also feel the resonance of the summoning ritual for the Reverse Summoning Spell.
It seemed... the Players' methods couldn't suppress techniques that shared the same framework of [Transcendent Knowledge].
The Tree of Great Knowledge and the Reverse Summoning Spell—the former was a Great Spellbook in its own right, and the latter was a spell Teacher Ji Niang had discovered during her research into [Transcendent Knowledge].
At that moment, I realized something.
When facing unknown dangers, having a diverse arsenal of methods was vital. If I didn't have so many trump cards, I probably would have succumbed to fear by now.
Take my current live stream, for example. If I hadn't relied on the Academy Network's architecture from the start and instead derived an independent, systematic information channel belonging solely to the Tree of Great Knowledge, I wouldn't be limited to just seeing bullet comments right now.
After I entered the room and this sudden situation occurred, the bullet comments spiked instantly. Most were asking what was going on, while many others expressed concern for my safety.
I responded to them one by one via text, telling them I was fine for the time being.
I also took the opportunity to describe the current situation.
However, doing this while facing the unknown was undoubtedly dangerous.
I remained highly alert to my surroundings. I was well aware that the situation was tricky.
But I also knew that panicking was useless. I walked over to the wall and struck it hard with the Book in the Box.
A massive vibration echoed. The pixels making up the section of the wall I hit merely dented in a symbolic fashion. The original large pixel blocks shattered into smaller ones, "absorbing" my attack through this process of fragmentation and decomposition.
I struck it several more times. Aside from breaking into even finer pixels, there was no other change.
As I was attempting to break through the wall, a pixelated plane resembling a screen rose from the floor behind me, flickering with chaotic RGB colors.
As those messy, large primary-color pixels gradually refined themselves, a pitch-black, featureless pixel figure appeared on the "screen."
"Heh... so you're the Calamity Witch? You seem a bit slow in the head. I thought that idiot had failed, but I didn't expect you to jump right in yourself!"
"Oh? You're a Player too, I take it?" I turned around and asked the pixelated figure on the screen.
"Don't play dumb. 'Calamity Witch'—that's quite the intimidating title, isn't it? You probably came up with it yourself. Hardly anyone in your world has heard of a 'Calamity Witch.' You really know how to talk yourself up."
"Tch. Even so, didn't it scare the wits out of you guys earlier? You think you've got me cornered?" I walked up to the screen and looked at the pixelated figure.
"Of course we've got you! Not just you—everyone in this hotel is at our mercy!"
"Big words."
"Naturally, we have the backing to back them up." The Player's tone was completely fearless, and he even began to lecture me. "Actually, you might have had a chance, but because of your stupidity! Because of your arrogance! You didn't tell those people in the hotel about the information you found. Instead, you walked right into the trap specially customized for you... right here."
"Stupid... arrogant... I suppose that fits." I gave a light chuckle, realizing those words described these Players quite well too.
But were the Players truly stupid?
Not necessarily. Stupidity and arrogance are often born from a disparity in perception and information.
"Give up. In here, any communication device is nothing more than a brick."
"You mean this?"
I pulled out my phone, which I hadn't used in a while. Ever since my phone's functions were externally linked to the Tree of Great Knowledge, I didn't have much need for the physical device.
Making calls, watching videos, reading posts, browsing the Academy Network—I could do it all directly through the projection of the Tree of Great Knowledge. It even had better privacy.
"Of course. If you don't believe me, feel free to try."
"I'll pass. It's a waste of time. I actually believe you, but I'm more curious about what you called this place. What exactly is it? It seems to isolate spatial power; I can't even teleport out." I asked curiously.
Of course, when I said I couldn't teleport, I was referring to spatial teleportation, not the Reverse Summoning Spell.
"Curious? Hahaha... then I shall show mercy and tell you! No, no, I should use this tone..." He laughed loudly, his voice dripping with smugness. "Calamity Witch, welcome to the place we specially prepared for you... the Custom Dungeon!"
"Custom... Dungeon?"
Hearing his chuunibyou-tier declaration, I only smiled, though I was more interested in the keyword he used.
"Dungeon... oh, like a game dungeon, right? Custom... so that means you have developer permissions for this dungeon?"
"You're quite well-informed. Do you like playing games too?"
"I used to love them. But now I've found that reality is far more fun than games. So please, call me a normie," I replied with a smile.
The one who loved games was the 'me' from my previous life. In this life, I hadn't had much contact with games. In my old family, I wasn't allowed to play. Once I truly took control of my own life, I discovered that the transcendent world was far more entertaining than any virtual game!
"Normie? What the hell is that?" the Player grumbled.
"A normie is someone with a fulfilling real life. Someone who keeps their life in order, is full of hope, and doesn't indulge excessively in games to enjoy illusory happiness just to get through the day. Do you understand, Player?"
"Are you mocking me? Heh!" After hearing my explanation, the Player naturally understood my meaning. The idea of not being addicted to games... Heh... For them, games were their life!
Most people in their world played games! Some wouldn't log off for months at a time.
They would comfort themselves by saying it was the job they relied on for survival. The Vanguard Pioneers were even luckier to understand that this so-called game world was a real world.
Their work was glorious and meaningful—opening up new otherworldly colonies for their civilization.
He wasn't going to let words like that break his composure, even if he truly didn't dare to face his own dismal life in reality.
"I'm just stating facts. Surely you're not going to lose your cool over a comment like that? No matter how much you suppress it, emotions don't lie."
"Shut up! You're nothing more than a toy I've imprisoned! You only have one end... and that's being toyed with until you die!"
"Oh, I see... you're triggered." I stated my observation flatly. "Only those who use violence to cover up their inner—"
"Die!"
Before I could finish, the Player manipulated the surrounding pixels to fly toward me at high speed.
I simply stepped to the side. Attacks at this speed were far too slow for me.
But it wasn't just that one attack. All the pixels on the walls of this so-called Custom Dungeon began to move, rising and falling as if ready to strike at any moment!
The pixels I dodged slammed into the opposite wall, shattering into tiny pixel fragments that scattered like splashing water—a crude yet strangely aesthetic sight.
Immediately after, various pixelated composite blocks began hurtling toward me.
I didn't just sit there. I tried blasting the pixel blocks with spells.
These blocks were incredibly tough. An ordinary Fireball Spell explosion only managed to deflect them; it couldn't blow them apart.
In this space, the effect of the Main World Great Weakening Spell still loomed over everything.
However, I began to experiment with some of my derived basic spells. After my continuous derivations, even spells based on basic prototypes were enough to directly destroy these pixels.
While the pixels themselves couldn't be completely annihilated, the "creations" made of pixels could be. As long as the "concept of the creation" was destroyed, the transcendent pixels themselves possessed no offensive capability.
I learned this trait through continuous testing. I wasn't sure if this was the limit of their control over transcendent pixels, or... if it was just the limit of the control permissions for this Custom Dungeon space.
If I had to guess, I leaned toward the latter. I never underestimated any power constructed from [Transcendent Knowledge]; any such power was capable of continuous evolution.
The fact that he couldn't do it now was surely because this Player's authorization wasn't high enough, not because the transcendent power itself was incapable.
"Witch! Keep wasting your energy! No, calling you a 'Witch' is an insult to the word. You people have no idea what the concept of a 'Witch' truly represents."
"Yes, yes... you're the experts..." In the gaps between fending off the pixel attacks, I took the time to be snarky.
His tone reminded me of the gossip and theories the Witch Sisters had shared earlier. Surely something that ridiculous couldn't actually be true?
"I want to see how long you can last... your magic will drain you dry sooner or later. I don't believe you can keep this up for long!"
"Is that so? Whatever you say." I calmly pulled books from the Book in the Box to release spells. At a time like this, the utility of a magic tool was fully realized, allowing for much more efficient casting.
Furthermore, my Mana Sources now numbered in the tens of thousands. Even without accounting for recovery speed, based on my current consumption—and after rounds of derivation and spell iteration—my derived basic spells were more varied in form, more terrifying in power, and had higher elemental conversion rates. My consumption had dropped to less than one point of mana.
This level of consumption was almost on par with a Small Spellbook!
This was why I said the Witch Academy's classification of spellbook levels based on mana consumption was foolish. From my perspective, that logic didn't hold up at all.
Though, setting aside an outlier like me, the intensity classifications established by the senior sisters weren't entirely without merit.
As time passed, I showed no signs of running out of energy. I was even handling it with ease, which began to irritate the Player! He couldn't afford to keep grinding like this; he had more important things to do.
If he knew I was interacting with a bunch of witches via bullet comments during the lulls, describing the situation to them, he would probably explode with rage. Fortunately for him, he had no idea.
"Let me turn up the heat and see if you can still stay so composed!"
Following the Player's words, another change occurred within the Custom Dungeon.
The pixel blocks on the floor rose and stacked, eventually forming a blurry, hard-to-describe monster.
And it wasn't just one; they were generating continuously!
"Increasing the difficulty? Fine by me. I could use the exercise; it's been a while since I've had a proper fight." I said with a smile.
Speaking of a proper fight... even Liliana, who fought me a few days ago, didn't count. She couldn't compare to these "immortal" pixel monsters.
Perhaps this would be an excellent testing ground for my spell iterations!
The basic spells and creative spells I had continuously derived through the Great Wisdom Enlightenment Art needed actual testing to understand their true power and effects.
Virtual simulations, after all, remained purely theoretical.
However, as the monsters finished forming, I narrowed my eyes slightly, and my expression shifted.
Because I realized... these pixel-constructed monsters... actually possessed Soul Essence!