Episode 498 Last Place (2)
When he heard the word “dream”, Ludger fell into trouble for a moment.
It wasn’t just like dreaming in a figurative sense.
Literally in a dream.
“It’s Dreamland.”
Dream Land.
A world created by the union of all human beings’ unconscious and mental dreams.
According to one wizard’s theory, that’s the case.
In fact, it could have been different, since its origins are too old to dare to fathom.
One important thing.
The road to Dreamland was not easy even for Ludger.
“You seem to know a little about Dreamland.”
“If you’re a wizard, you can’t be ignorant of rumors going that way.”
Dreams are connected to the unconscious, and it is not that there were no attempts to maximize magic through such unconsciousness.
But all such attempts failed spectacularly.
Dream Land was not a place where individual wizards dared to do anything.
Marias agreed.
“As you know, Dreamland is a very difficult place to enter. It’s not a place you can go to just because you fall asleep. Even if you go, it will be a problem after that. Because it is an unconscious world, you don’t know where to go or how to move in it.”
When you dream, you have a similar experience.
In a dream, the movements that you can normally do are strangely not working.
On the contrary, it is very easy to show actions and movements that cannot be done in real life.
The standards are not clear and the method is unknown.
consciousness control.
It was the most basic virtue to head to Dreamland.
“But there are people who make it possible.”
“Are you referring to the dream school magicians?”
dream school.
It is a school of people who use dream magic of a unique type that has not yet been standardized among the various types of magic.
Considering that the number of other special classes is really small, the number of dream school magicians is quite large.
There was one of the students in Ludger’s class right now.
“If you’re at the level of Ludgar Celish, it wouldn’t be strange to have at least one wizard you know. But you know what? That even that dream school mage has limits on how much she can move.”
Rudger nodded.
Just because you’re a daydreaming school doesn’t mean you can freely come and go to Dreamland.
Among them, the level and hierarchy of wizards are divided, and the level of being able to travel to and from Dream Land is divided.
“Even the most outstanding reverie wizards in existence have never descended below the middle layer of Dreamland. What do you think is the reason?”
“Is it because even the wizards of the school cannot handle the unconsciousness of Dreamland?”
“That is correct. That’s why most of the daydream school wizards only scan the surface world even if they go to Dreamland.”
Rudger recalled the meeting of the First Order.
They also met in Dream Land, but secretly met in the surface world because of the danger.
In other words, even the Black Dawn would not go into the depths of Dreamland.
“And did I tell you? That if you go you’ll never come back Actually, that is incorrect. Otherwise, there is no way that the information about the scenery Mr. Rudger talked about would have been handed down until now.”
“Someone saw the scenery and came back.”
“Only once before. A young dreamer wizard sought to reach the depths of Dreamland. It was just for nothing.”
“You mean you did that when you knew you could never come back?”
“Magicians belonging to the School of Dreams have a bit of a delusion. You have to dream big or something. Of course, that person is also unique.”
If you can’t come back, that’s fine.
It’s good just to see the deep world of Dream Land that others haven’t seen.
As the sorcerer insisted, he plunged deep into the dream.
And he saw
All the beautiful things in the world, sadly abandoned things, ruins and beautiful forests. The sky splits, blends, and swirls dreamily.
It only takes 3 seconds to see everything.
And at the center is a huge, unknown structure.
There…
“That’s the record left by that wizard.”
“You mean there was something in the structure?”
“Looking at the context, it would be. Maybe there is nothing. However, it is true that the scenery became a clue, and it is also true that it is the place Mr. Rudger is looking for.”
“…”
Rudger was lost in thought.
Marias gave Rudger soft, low-key advice.
“You said you wouldn’t stop, but sometimes you have to know when to stop. It’s not because you’re a coward. That’s smart.”
“….”
“I don’t want you to forget that.”
* * *
Even on the train back from the Empire, Ludgar couldn’t get out of his thoughts easily.
‘Is it Dreamland?’
Among the fragments found while wandering the continent, only one remains.
I was determined to find it no matter where it was.
As if to ridicule Ludger’s will, fate put up a very high wall.
A huge wall that makes you question whether you can overcome it or whether the beyond exists in the first place.
Facing that, Rudger could have been at a crossroads in his life.
‘There is nothing wrong with Marias Selmore’s advice. The depths of Dreamland are a very dangerous place. Once you go in, you can’t get out easily.’
Rudger has also heard of an anecdote about that part.
A magician of the School of Dreams stayed for a long time in the middle layer of Dream Land.
The deeper you go into Dreamland, the more the concept of time is out of sync with reality.
A day spent in Dream Land has only passed a few hours when I wake up from my dream.
‘One hour on the surface is the same as reality.’
However, 1 hour from the upper floor is 10 minutes in reality.
One hour in the middle class gradually widens to one minute in reality.
It’s a pretty big difference so far, but the number goes up exponentially as you go deeper in the same middle layer.
From the middle layer, it is divided into upper, middle and lower layers, and the time axis changes drastically as the level goes down one by one.
There was a wizard who focused on that part.
‘I was overly obsessed with Dreamland because if I continued my research in my dreams, the waste of time would be reduced.’
I did what I thought was okay.
Although the consequences it brought were not so.
To put it simply, the dream school wizard who stayed in the dream for too long went mad.
The reason was that despite spending decades in the dream, the reality upon waking was still the same.
How would you feel if you went outside after continuing to study after becoming a grandfather in your dreams?
I haven’t experienced it myself.
Perhaps the time in the world had stopped.
His mental age was already over, but his physical age was still in place.
The moment after waking up from a dream and realizing that the world outside has not changed at all from the very distant past.
reality and dreams.
mind and body.
conscious and unconscious.
All of that creates a sense of alienation and leads to dire consequences.
No matter how much a magician of the dream school boasts excellent mental power in Dream Land, he will eventually go crazy.
‘Even those who used to visit Dreamland as if it were their own home couldn’t escape such a terrible situation. Will I be able to go there?’
You can see how to get there.
But after leaving, it’s even more of a problem.
No matter how you look at it, the place where Relic exists is the deepest part of Dreamland.
The moment you enter there, what Ludger has to fight is simple unconsciousness, so it’s not something to say.
The gap of time that increases endlessly as you go down.
It is to endure the years that are close to ‘eternity’ that it creates.
No matter how much superhuman mental power you have, you can’t handle that time.
Even just looking at Grander right now, isn’t it that he is tired of long years and is soaked in boredom and boredom?
‘I wonder if I can do it.’
He thought he had barely reached his goal, but the place he wanted to reach was still far away.
I thought I could see it, but it was just an illusion, and I can’t even reach that blurry look.
still.
Even so.
Couldn’t stop.
‘Dreamland and Isla Machina. There must be a lot to do during vacation.’
I intend to send a letter to Isla Machina as soon as I return.
I wanted to hear what happened to the guy living there to say hello.
‘Nikolai. Victor Dreadful. and Berom. What are you guys trying to do?’
* * *
Splash.
As the black armored legs stepped forward, the accumulated mud splashed lightly on the floor.
The mud splashing on the smooth ink-colored armor might have bothered him, but the owner of the armor didn’t care and continued walking.
Black armor worn all over the body. A sharp black helmet with no visible face.
Even a cloak with a large black hood covering it.
The dark alley from which the knight escaped was littered with corpses and blood.
“bravo. It is also a great skill.”
At the sudden voice, First Order Berom stopped walking and looked away.
There was a man there.
A mean-looking man with thin lines and long hair like seaweed.
He has a kind-looking smile on his face, but for those who know his true face, it’s hard not to pray.
“Why did you, who usually only work behind the scenes like a coward, come all the way to this alley?”
Berom spat out the words and lamented softly in his heart that this was the fucking way he was talking.
But I couldn’t help it.
This way of speaking was a curse carried by the armor itself.
Despite Berom’s tone of voice, the man, Nikolai, didn’t change his expression.
“Thanks to you, it’s easier to take control of Isla Machina’s underworld. It’s to the point where I feel like I can move on my own now.”
“You are truly a cunning person.”
“Isn’t it all thanks to you? Of course, there are still a few organizations left.”
Nikolai’s coy words sent Berom a sharp, savage breath.
“Greed that doesn’t fit the subject shortens a person’s life.”
Even facing that death, Nikolai’s expression did not change.
However, there were those who responded by living instead.
Swoop.
A series of groups that suddenly appeared surrounded Berom as if besieging it.
A black hood, like a mat, was wrapped around the body, but the skin exposed through it was white as if it had been powdered.
What stands out among them are the red tattoos that cross over the white skin.
From the alley to the iron railing on the wall, the brass pipe, on top of the shabby street lamp.
Taking their places one by one, they looked at Berom in silence.
Berom also did not hide his displeasure at seeing such people.
“The test subjects that fell less…”
It was the moment Berom was about to put his hand on the handle of the greatsword hanging from his back.
“stop.”
Those who appeared like a mirage at Nikolai’s command disappeared again.
“I’m sorry. Those guys are supposed to do anything to protect me.”
“That loyalty is brainwashed by Victor’s drugs, not your leadership.”
Berom removed his hand from the sword.
He turned his back as if he didn’t want to deal with Nikolai.
“I warn you one thing. If you try to trick me one more time in the future, then the tip of my sword will be pointed at your throat.”
“this. I thought we got along better through this.”
“My involvement in this was just a thorough deal. And with the fight just before, I fulfilled my calling.”
Berom’s role was to personally remove the most intrusive members of Isla Machina’s warlock society.
Now that enough of that was done, there was nothing left for Berom to do.
For Nikolai, it was quite disappointing that one of his biggest forces was drained.
So I quietly made an offer, but Berom was relentless in that regard.
It was the same even if I intentionally showed the test subject and tried to put pressure on it.
“We are in an equal relationship, and there is no superiority or inferiority. If you’re thinking of provoking me halfway, I’d rather see the end of one of the two here.”
“calm down. I didn’t mean to do that at all.”
“Words that are not even in the heart are as light as a feather and are easily spit out.”
Despite the harsh criticism, Nikolai smiled at Berom.
“If I go back, will I join Victor? Would you go and tell them that the test subjects were used well?”
“I’m not even joining Victor. He is very far from here.”
“iced coffee. It really was.”
Nikolai laughed and chimed in.
“Did I say that we are in the land of the beastmen in the southern region? I don’t know what the hell you’re trying to do there.”
“You know, but pretend you don’t know.”
Berom snorted.
The sneaky Nikolai was always watching the movements of the other First Orders.
Naturally, Nikolai knows where Victor is and what he is doing.
What purpose Victor Dreadful is trying to do in the land inhabited by the Beasts?
And he will continue to monitor his every move.
Berom, who was about to leave, was stopped by Nikolai’s voice for a moment.
“Berom.”
“what. Just tell me your business.”
“Be careful. There seems to have been an uproar in the elves’ forest lately.”
“…”
Nikolai did not say those words out of pure intent.
If something happened in the elven forest, it means that something went wrong with Bentmin.
In other words, this was a warning that the First Order could be attacked again.
“joy.”
Berom snorted and slowly disappeared into the darkness.
After watching Berom’s back, Nikolai blew a light snort and moved slowly.
Unlike Berom, which disappears into the darkness, to the street full of streetlights.
Behind Nikolai, the subjects melted into the darkness followed as if protecting their master.
Like a swarm of rats chasing the Pied Piper.
