Chapter 44

EP.44 Tower of Magic - 6

“Ugh... Ah...!”

With a loud noise, Leonardo awoke from the coffin made of books.

[You’re up? You woke up pretty quickly.]

<That’s because I’ve been hit with this kind of attack many times. I’ve developed a resistance and even devised ways to counter it.>

Whether it was when he faced the succubus, the black mage, or even hallucinogens and sleeping agents, Leonardo had developed various countermeasures, including resistance.

Apart from the methods used in dreams, he had a few more, but they were all highly risky, so he refrained from using them.

[Still, it’s quite a shock. I thought you’d last at least five minutes.]

Generally speaking, it would take at least five minutes, as the sage mentioned.

In the dream, he had forgotten about the sage’s existence and even the memory of the test had been erased.

If it weren’t for his experience of regression, Leonardo might not have been able to escape the dream at all.

<It was quite a hit. But how about the others?>

The sage looked at the other people lying around.

[They’re still asleep, but don’t worry. Once one person succeeds, they’ll all wake up. More importantly, make sure you have the item.]

At the mention of the item, Leonardo looked around to find the reward for the test.

<But where’s the inheritance...>

[You’re already holding it. What are you talking about?]

At that, Leonardo looked at his hand. In it was a necklace connected by a silver chain. The gem in the center looked like an iris due to a black lump in the middle.

[It’s usually given directly to your hand when you clear the test, so you don’t lose it.]

Why didn’t such a considerate approach appear in the first test? That would probably remain an unsolved mystery for centuries.

“...Ugh... Uh...?”

Amelie rose from the coffin in a zombie-like posture. The effects of the treatment seemed incomplete, and the pain from her illness was clearly visible.

[But you’re not undead, right?]

<As a graduate student, I’m no longer human.>

And upon graduation, she would become a transcendent being, assuming she graduates.

“Eh?! Did I succeed?!”

Rubbing her dark circles, she looked at the necklace Leonardo held.

“Yes, I was lucky.”

“That’s... the ‘Necklace of Truth and Fact’!!”

He already knew that. He had aimed for it.

-Necklace of Truth and Fact-

Wearing this necklace allows one to dismantle lies. It’s a useful tool for detecting lower-level illusions, hallucinations, and disguises, which is why Leonardo prioritized this magical item.

“Shall we try it out?”

“Is it okay...? Like this ring...”

Amelie showed the ring that was interfering with her love life.

“It should be fine. It seems different from that.”

[...By the way, that ring isn’t a cursed magical item.]

The ring of peace and tranquility created by the sage wasn’t a tool meant to be worn forever like a cursed item.

It was just a manifestation of one of the healing functions.

[Unless it’s at the level of drug addiction, the ring will come off. I just added a function to keep it fixed until you recover, just in case.]

<Compared to the sleep deprivation, disc problems in every joint, dry eyes, and caffeine addiction that graduate students suffer from, this is quite similar. Of course, there’s also the extreme nature of this person.>

It would take at least a year for all those issues to fully recover, assuming they wear the ring and live a healthy lifestyle.

“...How is it? Is there any effect?”

“Just a moment.”

Leonardo put on the necklace and looked at the sage, who was the first user.

<Let’s see...>

[Oh, by the way, it doesn’t work on me.]

<Ah...>

The most important reason was gone. He wanted to bang his head in frustration, but he had no choice but to try it on someone else.

“Amelie.”

“Yes?”

“How are you feeling now? Are you okay?”

[That’s a vague question. If it’s a lie, the necklace will emit a red light, but ‘okay’ is a vague term...]

The sage pointed out that Leonardo’s question was flawed, but he still wanted to try it just in case.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Zing

Suddenly, red light scattered from the necklace in multiple directions. The flash was as bright as a fire or the sun in the sky.

[...Usually, it doesn’t work this well... Moreover, this level of light usually only happens with a significant lie...]

<Was it a good idea to give her the ring?>

The sage nodded, looking at the pitiful slave of the magic tower.

“Is this... normal?”

“Seems so. The reaction is clear.”

“...If so, that’s a relief...”

Amelie looked at Ariasfil with a worried expression.

“Ariasfil isn’t waking up. There was such a strong light just now...”

As she said, Ariasfil remained motionless, still asleep.

<What’s going on? Why isn’t she waking up?>

[That’s strange. She should have woken up by now. Unless she’s extremely attached to the dream... Oh... Could it be...]

The unspoken words were ominous.

<...It can’t be, right?>

[Well... I’m sorry, but... that seems to be the case.]

Amelie shook Ariasfil, but the girl only smiled strangely and didn’t wake up.

“...What should we do? Should we try to wake her up more forcefully...?”

[That’s not a good idea. Forcing her to wake up could have negative effects on her mind, and we can’t be sure she’ll wake up.]

Hearing this, Leonardo quickly shook his head and pulled Amelie away from Ariasfil.

<Why did you make something so dangerous?>

[Don’t blame me. I did create safety measures.]

Surprisingly, the sage wasn’t lying.

If the test failed or someone else succeeded first, a huge door would appear in the dream.

It would clearly say, “The test is over, come out,” so they would immediately realize it was a dream and could easily escape.

Amelie had escaped this way.

<But why isn’t Arias coming out?>

[That’s what I’m saying. She’s too attached to the dream!]

<Arias isn’t stupid. She can’t even compare dreams to reality.>

Unfortunately, reality was a cesspool, just as he said.

<...Then what should we do? Waiting isn’t an option, right?>

[If we’re lucky, it might work, but it’s hard to expect. She might even become more immersed in the dream.]

Leonardo agreed. Having often faced nightmares and hallucinations, he understood the advice.

<...Then is there no way to wake her up?>

[There is, but it’s more complicated than you think. If you do it, you might not be fine either... Are you sure you want to try?]

<It doesn’t matter. It’s more dangerous to leave her like this.>

The sage reluctantly nodded and explained the method.

[...Are you sure? I can’t help you in this dream. I set it up that way...]

<But I have to try. I’m resistant to this kind of magic.>

Leonardo resolved himself and called Amelie.

“Amelie, I need your help.”

***

“...R... Really, will this work?”

She asked worriedly, placing her hands on Leonardo’s and Ariasfil’s heads.

“Yes, with telepathy magic, we can connect to the subconscious, even in a dream.”

Telepathy, a 4th Circle spell, is primarily used for information transmission and communication.

However, as the sage suggested, slightly modifying the spell would allow them to approach the subconscious in a dream.

“While it’s possible to modify it this way, it might be dangerous for Leonardo. Besides, I’m not very good at telepathy...”

“It’s okay. I’ll manage somehow.”

“But...”

Amelie hesitated. She was naturally hesitant due to her sense of guilt and gentle personality, making it difficult for her to take on such a burdensome role.

“I’m sorry to ask this of you.”

Leonardo bowed to Amelie.

“But please, I can’t lose Ariasfil again like this.”

Was it just a sense of duty as a personal knight, or the pride of a second-in-command who had pursued her, or perhaps the guilt of a boy who couldn’t even bear to see the girl die?

But one thing was certain.

“I understand. I’ll try my best.”

Amelie renewed her resolve and spread the magic circle in both hands. She slowly adjusted the double casting of telepathy and said,

“I’m starting. Please succeed.”

As the spell adjustment was completed, Leonardo’s eyes closed.

...

......

..........

The chirping of mountain birds echoed.

Leonardo’s closed eyes gradually trembled and opened.

“...Where... am I...?”

It seemed to have worked. Despite his lack of confidence, the telepathy adjustment was quite clean, and his pre-connection memories remained intact.

“...Now, let’s... find... Arias...”

Clang!!

The moment he tried to find her, a shock wave echoed. It sounded like the clash of swords, the same sound he and Ariasfil made during their sword fights.

“...Can’t be...”

Leonardo quickly ran to the scene of the sword clash.

Clang!!

“Ugh!”

Two black and white knights stood facing each other. Surprisingly, the one with the upper hand was not as Leonardo had expected.

“Why? You lack backbone!!”

The one delivering relentless attacks was Leonardo himself.

The one struggling to block was Ariasfil.

“...Now... enough... I can’t...”

While he had the strength to defeat Ariasfil, he couldn’t dominate her to this extent.

It wasn’t just words; it was a genuine, reality-based truth.

‘...Why... why am I... losing... so badly...?’

He couldn’t understand. She had always been proud and haughty.

To him, Ariasfil was such a presence, and it was because of her that he had come this far.

Clang!!

“Hah...!”

At that moment, Ariasfil’s sword was knocked into the air.

Seeing this, Leonardo remembered something.

‘...It’s similar to... me...’

It was similar to when he was attacked by the succubus.

The succubus showed him a desperate nightmare instead of a sweet one.

The cunning demon had realized that despair was more immersive than hope.

People sink deeper into despair than hope.

‘...It’s because I won...’

The dream Leonardo had was a continuous nightmare of losing to Ariasfil, unnatural but deeply painful, making him forget it was a dream.

If he hadn’t ended his own life, he might never have escaped.

Inferiority is a feeling that is easily stimulated and amplified.

‘I won the duel...’

Ariasfil must have firmly believed she was a genius. It was true, and she had lived that way in her previous life.

‘But... not now. Not now...’

He had shattered her belief and pride.

Just to win.

Regardless of her character, it had become a catalyst for inferiority.

It was a humiliating stimulus that a genius who had never lost before had never experienced.

‘...I... was the cause...’

He felt sick at himself for not noticing this feeling.

He thought he understood such psychology well, but he hadn’t noticed it in the person closest to him.

“...It’s not too late. Even now...!”

Just as Leonardo was about to intervene, the other Leonardo pointed a sword at her neck.

“I won, didn’t I?”

“Yes... I lost...”

The humiliation of defeat was deeply etched in her expression.

“Then...”

Suddenly, the fake Leonardo threw away his sword.

‘...What...? Why... suddenly...?’

Then, the fake Leonardo grabbed her hands.

“Wait... What are you... doing... Leo...! Hah...!”

He pinned her down like an animal, holding her hands down and restraining her body. Then, he positioned himself between her waist and lower body, making it increasingly difficult for her to escape.

“Leo...! Leo...! This...! What...!”

“Why? Don’t you want to?”

He didn’t want to imagine what she meant by not wanting to. It shouldn’t be that.

“...I... don’t mind... but... this... it’s... like... dating... first... Hah...!”

The fake Leonardo gently bit her neck, awakening her senses. The hot sensation of his tongue was overly stimulating for the innocent girl.

“Only the winner has the choice. My dear.”

“...My... dear...?! Hah...!”

Ariasfil gradually sank beneath the false beast, peeling away the layers of her hidden instincts.

‘Damn... crazy...’

That was the real Leonardo’s reaction to this twist.

<+--|-|--+>