Chapter 108: Subjugation of the Floating Island (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 108: Subjugation of the Floating Island (4)
Games and reality were two very different things.
Now that this world had become my reality, every time I witnessed Ian’s world-class fainting spells, a heavy sigh involuntarily escaped me.
‘I get it, but still...’
Yeah, I get it. Anyone can faint.
The Floating Island was similar to the first-year second-semester hunting evaluation; the difficulty of the enemies spiked the closer you got to the center.
In the first place, this world was based on the "Hell" difficulty of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱.
Even back when I was just playing the game, I’d gone through countless retries, so I wasn't really in a position to talk.
But still...
‘Please, at least DODGE...!’
He could have easily predicted that surprise attack.
Ian had taken a direct hit to the back of the head from an earth magic spell, knocking him out cold. Fortunately, we managed to take down the demons responsible for the ambush.
After Ian’s familiar, Rex, heard our plan from Kaya, he seemed reassured and unsummoned himself. Having worked with Kaya during the hunting evaluation, Rex appeared to trust her judgment.
Summoning a familiar consumed the master's mana as a maintenance cost. Since Rex wasn't needed for the moment, it was better for him to return.
Ian needed to unleash the [Apostle of Light] at full power against Oz, the core of the Floating Island. To prepare for the worst, we had to minimize any unnecessary mana consumption.
‘Let’s think positively.’
Rather than dwelling on the fact that Ian fainted again, it was better for my mental health to be relieved that he didn't fucking die.
I’d already abandoned any hope of Ian staying conscious, so I managed to keep my cool.
“What are you two doing here...?”
Ah, I forgot Mateo was here, too.
Kaya and I had our hoods down, so our faces were clearly visible. Mateo recognized us instantly.
This guy had likely followed Ian’s trail of destruction to get this far safely, but enemies were still crawling all over the vicinity. For someone like Mateo, this was a high-danger zone.
Either way, he was probably planning to join Ian and head toward the center with that heroic protagonist delusi—I mean, mindset of his. It would be safer for him to just follow us.
‘He can serve as a shuttle, too.’
Mateo had flown here thanks to the hawk-shaped familiar beside him. Its wings, wrapped in light brown wind, looked quite stylish.
I couldn't keep relying on Kaya’s wind magic forever.
Let’s put Mateo to work.
“Were you chasing after Mr. Ian?”
“Yeah. What about you guys?”
“We need him for our plan.”
“Plan...?”
As usual, Mateo looked completely lost.
“Whatever. It’s dangerous here, so just follow us.”
I cut the conversation short. I didn't want to waste time on trivial small talk.
“Sir Isaac, what should we do with Mr. Ian?”
“Check his condition, treat him, and let him rest. Wake him up once we reach the center of the island.”
“Understood!”
Now that we had Ian and Mateo, we could sprint all the way to the Emerald Palace.
In ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ 「Act 6, Chapter 1: Floating Island」, the boss was Heinkel the Hoarder.
In the cutscene where Ian is in danger, Heinkel suddenly appears to save him, then proceeds to challenge him to a duel. If the player defeats Heinkel, they obtain [Clairvoyance].
After that, the story moves to 「Act 6, Chapter 2: Oz」.
The only enemies that could be considered "bosses" in Chapter 2 were the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, and the winged golden monkeys. In reality, they weren't true bosses—just slightly stronger mobs than the rest.
‘They’ll probably be erased by a single [Frost Explosion].’
With [Hunter] activated, I practically had a free pass.
And our target, Oz—the core of the Floating Island—was nothing more than a powerless head with a loud voice. He did nothing but threaten players with empty boasts like, “I am the great and fearsome wizard, Oz!”
In other words, I didn't even need to step up as long as we reached the Emerald Palace. I just had to wake Ian up when the time came.
Alright guys, let’s wrap this up.
“Kaya, Mateo. Let’s go.”
“Yes, Sir Isaac!”
Full speed ahead.
*
[Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba]
Lv: 130
Race: Demon
Elements: Dark, Earth
Danger: High
Psychology: [Wants to rip you into itty-bitty pieces.]
[Nihihihi! Rip them to shre—!]
Kwaaaaaa────!!
As we rode Mateo’s hawk familiar, boosted by Kaya’s wind magic, we streaked toward the Emerald Palace.
Suddenly, the green-skinned witch in the pointed hat, Elphaba, and a winged golden monkey demon intercepted us. They were constructs born from the Floating Island’s earth mana.
Elphaba let out a shrill, cackling “Nihihihi.” Dorothy had actually developed her habit of laughing that way because of these demons. The mental trauma had likely caused her to mimic them, but...
‘It doesn’t matter.’
When a demon laughed like that, it was disgusting. But when Dorothy did it, it was cute. That was the only distinction that mattered.
Elphaba commanded a pack of wolf demons, a murder of crows, and a swarm of bees.
I cast [Frost Explosion], shattering their forms with the sheer force of the blast before entombing the remains in ice so they couldn't move a muscle.
Jjejeok──, Kwang──.
As I used Defrost to return the ice to its mana form, the Wicked Witch and her subordinates turned to ash, scattering in the wind.
It felt strange, but the mana consumption for [Frost Explosion] had become almost negligible.
[Level Up!! Your level has increased to 87!]
[You have gained 2 stat points!]
‘Nice.’
Level up!
I immediately dumped the 2 stat points into the Growth Rate [Learning Efficiency].
I wanted to hurry up and unlock the unique characteristic gained by maxing out both [Physical Training Efficiency] and [Magic Training Efficiency].
‘Once I have that, my power will skyrocket.’
However, that specific characteristic could only be acquired starting from the second year. For now, I had to wait.
“...”
Mateo was staring at me, his mouth hanging open.
Come to think of it, this guy had been obsessed with catching up to me since our duel in the first semester.
In my current [Hunter] state, I was the strongest person in Märchen Academy. Seeing that I had reached a level far beyond what I showed against Orpheus the Submerged seemed to have sent him into deep shock.
Soon, we reached the Emerald Palace.
Kwaaaaaaaah────!!
The gatekeepers tried to speak, but I silenced them instantly with [Frost Explosion]. I didn't have time for dialogue.
We threw open the arched doors and entered the palace.
It was a vast, solemn space, divided in half by a massive curtain. Behind the curtain loomed the silhouette of a gargantuan shadow, illuminated by fierce, flickering flames.
In ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, a cutscene would trigger as the player approached, revealing the giant head of a middle-aged man.
That was Oz, the core of the Floating Island.
‘I’ll leave that to them.’
I headed straight for the underground stairs to the side. Dorothy would be down there.
“Sir Isaac?”
“Leave Oz to Ian. Just tell him to cast [Apostle of Light] the moment he wakes up.”
I glanced back at Ian, who was still peacefully unconscious on Mateo’s familiar.
If he hit Oz with [Apostle of Light], the protective barrier enveloping the Floating Island would shatter. When that happened, the demons on this landmass would likely go berserk, but there were enough elites at the Academy to handle the fallout. I wasn't worried.
“Also, get out of here as fast as you can. If you stay, you’ll die.”
Kaya nodded with a look of grim determination. We had already discussed the plan; she knew exactly what I intended to do.
It was because of the mana gas explosion—there was a volatile reserve sitting right beneath the island.
As I turned to the stairs again, Mateo spoke up.
“I never got an explanation. What are you planning to do, Isaac?”
I’d completely forgotten to fill Mateo in. I didn't feel like explaining the nuances, and since there was no reason to hide it anymore, I just pointed downward and spoke calmly.
“...I’m going to destroy this entire island.”
I’m going to fuck this place up.
And I’m going to save Dorothy.
Those were my only goals from the very beginning.
Mateo stood silent, swallowing hard. It seemed he had expected an answer like that from me.
Regardless...
I ignored them and stepped forward.
A faint scent of flowers drifted up. As I descended the dark stairs, a vast precipice leading into a profound abyss opened up before me.
In the very center, a single beam of light cut through the darkness. Rising from the depths was a long, repulsive object.
It was a pillar constructed from various human body parts.
“...”
The owners of those parts were all ‘adventurers.’
Enchanted by the illusions of the Floating Island, these people had begun their journey in the Country of Munchkins and followed the Yellow Brick Road. They adventured until they reached the Archwizard Oz, who promised to grant any wish.
In their final moments, they died trapped in an illusion of riding hot air balloons beyond the rainbow to return home, reminiscing about their joyful journey...
In reality, they were nothing but victims. The minions of the Floating Island had carved them up to decorate this place.
At the top of the pillar sat a large black orb. It was a barrier created by layering the island’s dark and earth mana.
The people who entered it were always those who had "completed" their journey. Their life force and mana were sucked dry by the island until they were nothing but husks.
Dorothy was definitely inside that orb.
However, I couldn't just smash the barrier.
‘It would trigger a CBR explosion.’
In the game, attempting to break that barrier directly caused a toxic mana gas explosion that resulted in instant death. It was a blast powerful enough to level the Emerald Palace and spread across the entire island.
Extra Bad Ending No. 17: 「The Untouchable」.
The title of the ending itself was the problem. It implied that Dorothy shouldn't be saved—that she had to be sacrificed.
‘But would I ever abandon her?’
Never.
Even if there were a thousand Bad Endings on the path to saving her. As long as I was here, she was getting out alive.
There was no logic to it. Rationality didn't apply here.
It was simple...
...Does a fan really need a reason to save his favorite character?
While descending the stairs, I discarded my black hooded robe. I’d only worn it to avoid being spotted by the Academy staff on the way here.
Next, I pulled a navy blue robe and a black fanged mask from the magic pocket of my uniform.
[Magic Cloak of Disguise - Berserker]
‘Haven’t worn this in a while.’
The Academy and the Hegel Magic Tower would have already concluded that the "Black Monster" had appeared on the Floating Island. Even if I was spotted by the subjugation force or the observers, I needed them to just pass it off as another appearance of the Black Monster.
The cloak had been a mess after the fight with Galia, but it was fully functional again thanks to the repairs.
In the silence, the rustle of the fabric echoed loudly. After donning the navy robe, I held the fanged mask in my hand and paused.
My gaze remained fixed on the black spherical barrier.
‘Is today the day Dorothy finds out...?’
With the power of [All In the World], Dorothy could see the very essence of reality. Even if I disguised myself as the Berserker, I couldn't hide from her eyes.
Today, Dorothy would realize that I was the Black Monster.
In that case... there was no need for the mask.
Cheeng───!!
Hwarererereuk───!!
[Kkkeeuahhhhk!!]
The ceiling vibrated as if an earthquake had struck. The sound of holy flames and the screams of a middle-aged man echoed from above.
It looked like Ian had successfully fired the [Apostle of Light] at Oz.
Chijiijik──.
A tearing sound filled the air. The solidified "paint" on the walls of the precipice began to peel away like burning paper. The inner layer of the island’s mana tore apart, emitting a pale brown light.
The protective magic of the Floating Island was being dispelled.
The area brightened up considerably, which was a plus. The pillar of body parts became even more vivid and grotesque, but I didn't care.
I actually felt pretty good.
“I’m getting excited.”
A faint smile played on my lips as I spoke to the empty air.
I wanted to see Dorothy. Now.