Chương 171: Christmas Special - The Imaginary Dimension(2)
--- Akira ---
Thanks to Brix's explanation—after filtering out all the exaggerated bullshit about this master of hers—I managed to piece together the motives behind this summoning.
First things first: I'm not the only one who was summoned here.
Brix didn't outright say it, but I had enough clues to piece together the fact it's likely the case.
This realization only deepened my unease about the being responsible for bringing us here.
The sheer scale of what's been done is staggering.
Not only is the level of teleportation involved beyond anything I can comprehend—especially if it's been used on a large number of people—but the amount of Mana required to pull it off is mind-boggling.
Just thinking about the sheer number of calculations needed gives me a headache. And that's without considering the fact that I was teleported not just across space, but from one universe to an entirely different dimension.
On top of that, the System is completely unresponsive. I'm not sure if it's because this dimension is outside the System's reach or if the being who summoned us is powerful enough to suppress it. Either way, trying to call on it is pointless—it's like shouting into a void.
In a way, I felt an overwhelming sense of freedom, but at the same time, it was like being a sheep stripped of its wool in the middle of winter.
If I had to sum it up, it was just… weird.
Even though the threat of death felt closer than ever, I was not worried.
Here, the possibility of me dying was slim.
The reason we were summoned was straightforward, after all: to turn us against the System.
In exchange, this mysterious being promised to free me from the System's control.
For those who are nothing but pawns of the System, this is a huge deal.
Luna's case is the best example to show this principle off. Even someone as powerful as her was completely powerless.
But if it's someone with this kind of power, those Pawns would realize it wasn't impossible.
It's the kind of offer that could make it hard to think clearly, let alone weigh the consequences.
After all, when you realize the being's goal is to destroy the System, it's easy to assume we and them share a common enemy, thus we should ally.
But, is that really the case?
Given my still complete freedom, I don't feel the slightest pull toward accepting the being's offer.
My knowledge of the System's true nature makes it hard to feel that this deal is favorable to me.
But even if I didn't have that advantage, I'd still remember the words of the Authority of the Sword, clear as day:
Doubt the System, but do not oppose it.
You might think of this as a simple Mushoku Tensei reference, which wouldn't be wrong, but to me it had a whole different meaning.
In simple terms, I'm free to do as I please, with one condition—I must complete the Quests the System gives me. If I were to openly defy it, the System would turn its own laws against me, and it wouldn't take much for that to end in my death.
If I gradually oppose it, the resulting penalties will only make me more and more dependant on the System.
It's a dead end whichever path you take.
Even if following the System doesn't promise a bright future, it still offers me one thing: protection. As a Trial Taker, I can grow quickly and without outside interference. That's the biggest advantage of staying within its framework.
Now, let's talk about this being who claims it can oppose the System and free us. Sure, it might be powerful enough to do so, but there's a catch—it has no obligation to follow through on its promises.
Why would it go to such lengths to honor a deal with someone like me, a nobody in the grand scheme of things?
Brix explained that her master is an archangel, part of the so-called righteous path, and their goal is to free people from the System and eventually erase it.
In her explanation the System is acting like cancer, eroding the Multiverse from the inside.
But I'm not convinced everything she's saying is true.
While some parts of her explanation make sense, comparing it with what Luna has told me paints a different picture.
It's clear that Brix's words are laced with lies, carefully crafted to make the System appear as though it would abandon us the moment we're no longer useful.
And while I'm certain the System would do that—especially if the Trial Taker in question was me—doesn't mean it could.
Like any other being in the Multiverse, the System is bound by laws.
These small inconsistencies in her explanation pile up, snowballing into a muddied truth, which would be quite hard to uncover.
The fact that she's going to such lengths to plant doubt in Trial Takers is actually quite reassuring.
If this being truly had absolute power, it wouldn't need to resort to such indirect methods. It could simply erase our will, enslave us, or do whatever it wanted.
That is the dignity of absolute strength.
The fact that none of that has happened tells me one thing: this being can't just kill us carelessly. Doing so would likely come with severe consequences—a hefty penalty or something along those lines. And that's a detail I can work with.
This made me realize something I already knew but had been conveniently ignoring: no matter how strong you become, even if you're powerful enough to dominate an entire universe, you're still bound by laws and regulations.
It's like being a slave to the rules of existence itself.
The sense of freedom I felt when I first arrived in this dimension quickly crumbled, but honestly, it's not a bad thing.
Once the initial threat of death faded and this realization sank in, I couldn't help but calm down and reflect.
There is no need to go overboard with my praises anymore.
Although she's quite grumpy, Brix doesn't have a bad temper per se.
She just dislikes to talk with random people. Once you're 'someone she recognizes', her personality grows to be better.
Though, the constant praises on this so-called master of hers are quite annoying, I can bear it.
[Alright. I'd love to discuss more with you, Hikki, but sadly, it's time for us to part. As I told you, all you have left to do is enter that big tree you see in the distance. Do not worry, as no harm will come your way]
We had been walking and talking for a while, and I got a lot of information through her, so I was not dissatisfied.
"Alright. But it's quite far. If I have to reach there on my own, it'll take a while."
I narrowed my focus, combining [Body Zen] and Magic, just barely making out the distant silhouette. Roughly estimating the gap between us, it had to be at least ten thousand kilometers.
That's a damn long distance.
Sure, you might argue I had the [Authority of Lightning] at my disposal, but that didn't mean I could wield it at it's 100% strength at the moment.
Back then, I had the backing of both [Overload] and the [Authority of the Sword], a synergy that allowed me to harness lightning freely, even bathing my body in its power without hesitation.
Now, things were different.
The [Authority of the Sword] was tightly sealed, it could not be randomly called upon for something like this.
As for [Overload], using it casually was out of the question.
The side effects were simply too lethal to risk until my body could endure them without immediately dying.
In practical terms, thanks to the [Lightning Resistance] I'd earned during that time, I could likely infuse my body with around 0.1% to 0.2% of the [Authority of Lightning]—an amount that already pushed my current limits.
My body was certainly tougher than a human's, but nowhere near the level where each cell could rival steel. That kind of resilience was still a distant dream. Without it, the combination of raw Lightning coursing through me and the forces pushing back at high speeds was a pressure I could barely withstand.
I sighed, a twinge of self-pity creeping in.
You don't truly appreciate what you have until it's no longer within reach.
While I hadn't lost the [Authority of the Sword], its restrictions made it feel as though I had.
Gone were the days when I could casually lean on it to handle things like this. A faint pang of regret lingered, though I quickly pushed it aside.
Now wasn't the time for wallowing. I needed to focus.
Simple math gave me a really bad answer.
Reaching that tree would take me 30 hours of non-stop running—at best. A daunting task, but not impossible.
I at least can rely on my [Saint Body] and [Regeneration+] to not have stamina problems, but it was still a rather long amount of time.
That estimate was given adding the fact I had the ability to minimize air resistance with [Body Zen]. Without that, I don't even want to imagine how long it would take.
I couldn't help but wonder how much more gruelling it would be for other Trial Takers without the advantages I possessed. Even imagining their struggle felt exhausting.
Fortunately, all my worries were for nothing.
Brix chuckled, floating a little higher in the air as she crossed her legs mid-hover. Her golden eyes sparkled with amusement. [Oh, that? Hehe, Hikki, how silly of me! I totally forgot you were a mortal there. My bad! I will allow you to walk through the Dream Dimension]
"So, it requires something beyond mortal capabilities to cross this place normally, huh?"
The realization hit like a bucket of cold water. Did that mean all my effort—thirty hours of relentless running—would amount to nothing?
It was a question I decided against asking.
There was no point in revealing my methods for traversing this massive distance.
Not to her, at least. Right now, I didn't know the exact value of my skills or Authorities in her eyes.
Sure, I couldn't be killed outright, but that didn't mean she couldn't rob me of something.
Just like I did with Lilith.
If there was even a chance, I couldn't afford to take the risk.
Better safe than sorry.
With that in mind, I swallowed my curiosity and let her proceed in silence, watching and waiting.
She snapped her fingers lightly, her expression brimming with confidence.
For a moment, nothing happened.
I blinked, waiting for... something, but the void around us remained unchanged. My confusion must have been evident, because her grin only widened.
[Don't overthink it. Just wish to be there] she said with a playful wink.
"Wish to be—?" I started, but before I could even finish the sentence, a single blink later, everything changed.
I found myself standing before a colossal tree.
My breath hitched as my mind struggled to process what I was seeing.
The tree was utterly massive—its trunk alone was wide enough to hold a country, its branches stretching high into the heavens, where they seemed to merge with the clouds themselves.
The few branches that could be seen had leaves a vibrant green that glowed faintly, swaying gently, even though there wasn't a single breeze.
The sheer vitality of the place was overwhelming, like the air itself was alive and humming with energy.
My senses told me this was a place of peace, yet something deep inside warned me otherwise. They screamed at me to tread lightly, as if this tree had even more than what met the eye.
Cold sweat formed on my back despite my best efforts to suppress it.
"Did you… do this?" I finally managed to ask, glancing at Brix.
She hovered beside me, her wings flapping lazily as she rested her chin on her hand. Her sly smile never wavered. [Not really. This is the Dream Dimension, silly. One of its core features is the ability to swap dreams and reality] She gestured toward the enormous tree with an almost theatrical flair. [You might think dreams are just what you mortals experience while asleep, but that's such a limited perspective. A dream's true essence goes far beyond that]
I couldn't help but marvel at the implications of her words. "Swap dreams and reality," I repeated under my breath, shaking my head in disbelief.
It's an absurd concept, to say the least.
[Exactly!] Brix chirped, clapping her hands as she floated in a lazy circle around me. [But let's see if you can figure out the limitations yourself, Hikki. What do you think? Can you just turn anything from a dream into reality?]
I frowned.
This kind of power was far beyond anything I'd even be able to come up with at the moment.
"I guess… no? There's probably a limit to what you can dream about, right? If you don't know something exists, you can't dream it into reality."
Her eyes sparkled, and she gave me an encouraging nod. [Good, good! You're on the right track. But what about things you do know? Could you dream yourself into a more powerful version of yourself and make it real?]
I paused, considering the question carefully. "That… depends if I knew what makes that me in the dream more powerful than the me from reality. If I knew, that would be possible, to an extent, but I guess it's not so easy."
Brix halted mid-hover, tilting her head and tapping her chin [Hmm… interesting logic! You're mostly on point, but not entirely correct. Even if you can dream of something vividly, you can't create what you don't fundamentally understand. Take your future self, for example—you can't dream them into reality because you don't actually know them. You're just guessing that a stronger version of you exists, but a guess doesn't carry enough plausibility to manifest into reality. And even if it somehow did, your [Soul Power] wouldn't be enough to sustain such a shift—not that it matters, since the Dream Dimension is doing the heavy lifting here, but you should consider that as well]
She poked her cheek with a finger, watching my growing confusion with barely concealed amusement. Her explanation was like free candy.
Too many candies eaten at once will give you a toothache.
That's more or less my situation.
"So it's not just about knowing something—it's about truly understanding it," I muttered, piecing the logic together. "If I knew my more powerful self inside out, like the back of my hand, then it might actually work."
A regressor could easily swap that dream with reality.
Interesting.
Somewhat, it resembles the way of Magic I have been following.
As long as you understand the concept, anything is possible.
Brix's grin widened, and she clapped her hands again. [You're sharp, Hikki! I like that. Mortals usually struggle with this stuff, but you catch on fast. I'm impressed!]
I couldn't help but smirk at her praise, though I kept my expression casual. "Well, thanks for broadening my horizons"
[Oh, you definitely will,] she teased, floating closer and resting her elbows on an invisible surface as she gazed at me. [But let's talk about how you even got here in the first place. Crossing ten thousand kilometers of Dream Dimension space? That's no joke for a mortal. Tell me, how'd you do it?]
Were you not the one who told me to do this? Why are you asking me now.
I felt a bit annoyed, but I hid that.
Her golden eyes narrowed playfully, and I could tell she was fishing for answers, but there was no malice behind her curiosity.
I shrugged, deciding to play along without giving her a direct answer. "Let's just say I have my ways"
Brix snickered, spinning in the air like a delighted child. [Ooh, mysterious! I like it. Fine, keep your secrets, Hikki. It's not like I'm going to pry]
"Thanks" I gave a curt reply.
She gave me a mock salute before straightening up, her wings flaring out. [Anyway, you should feel special. Reaching this place with your own methods? That's impressive. Normally, I'd have to forcibly bring the mortal here. But don't let it go to your head, okay?]
Judging by her phrasing, it seems many mortals come to this dimension, aside from the System's pawns.
Another good piece of information.
I really like how unrestrained Brix is when it comes to giving information. I hope all my future enemies will be like her.
"Noted," I replied dryly.
Turning my attention back to the massive tree, I let out a slow breath as its overwhelming presence washed over me again.
It wasn't alive in the traditional sense, but its aura was suffocating. My instincts warned me to tread lightly, yet there was an undeniable allure to its grandeur.
Brix floated beside me, noticing the tension in my shoulders. She leaned in slightly, her voice softening. [Relax, Hikki. It's okay.]
"How can I relax?" I muttered, still trying to suppress the unease creeping up my spine.
[It's actually amazing you can sense the tree's true nature,] she said, her tone almost reverent. [Not many mortals can. But trust me, the World Tree—] she gestured dramatically to the colossal entity before us [—is powerful, yes, but it's incredibly gentle. It doesn't harm others, not even its enemies. I've seen this thing attacked relentlessly for seventy-two thousand years straight without fighting back even once]
Her words were comforting on the surface, but I wasn't entirely convinced.
Still, there was some logic to what she said. She referred to it as a "thing," and the tree hadn't so much as twitched in response.
I forced myself to nod, adopting a more relaxed expression. "Thanks for letting me know."
Inside, though, the unease remained. If given the choice, I wouldn't go anywhere near this so-called World Tree. But it didn't seem like I had much of a choice.
Satisfied with my reaction, Brix sighed dramatically, stretching her arms and wings. [Well, I guess this is where we part ways] She gave me a sly wink, hovering a little higher. [Good luck on your journey, Hikki. Try not to die too fast, okay? We'll play together when you become a—!]
Her voice trailed off into something incomprehensible, and I blinked.
When I realized I could not hear what she said, I couldn't help but sigh.
What a pain in the ass.
"What was that last part?" I asked, tilting my head.
Brix paused, her eyes widening slightly before she sighed as well, shaking her head. [Oh, right. You couldn't hear that, huh?] She smirked
[Don't worry about it. It's not important—or maybe it's better if you don't know]
Just the fact even she who could spill secrets like they were water was not inclined to tell me more only managed to grow my endless curiosity, but before I could press further, she waved me off. [Bye-bye, Hikki!]
And just like that, she disappeared, vanishing as though she'd never been there.
As if it had been waiting for her departure, the tree's enormous trunk began to shift. Slowly, a hole formed at its base, expanding into an entrance large enough to swallow a mountain.
...Damn.
I squinted, but the inside was pitch black.
"Well, that's not ominous at all," I muttered, wiping my palms against my pants.
Hesitating for only a moment, I stepped forward, crossing the threshold into the unknown.
---
Author's Note
Happy new year!
I'm sorry for the huge delay guys, but I took some time to enjoy the festivities before returning to write.
3400+ words. Oh my god. Part 3 will be the final part :O. I'm sorry for this.
Next chap will be full of memes.
In this one, you can notice there are some clarifications on Akira's skills and current Power Level.
I'll wait for your thoughts on it.
On the discord server, I have uploaded the pics for Velrisse, Seraphiel, and Britney!
They're in the #novel-art channel.
If you see Britney with two colored eyes in the last pic, it's because she has a peculiar ability that uses her eyes, but it's not time for her to show it yet.
— Chương tiếp theo sắp ra mắt — Viết đánh giá
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực