Survival? (2)

“The ranking battle is a group survival battle. Isn’t that too much?”

“Why do you think so?”

A black-haired woman who looked to be in her late teens frowned as if to ask if she really didn’t know and asked again. She asked the Imperial wizard, who had just finished greeting the participants in their early 20s, with just a glance. He let out a short sigh and sat down in his assigned seat next to her and continued speaking.

“The Emperor left this ranking match up to me. And somehow, the number of participants has exploded to an unprecedented level. I think it’s a good way to save time and filter out the winners quickly.”

“Then, if that’s not enough, why not start with 128? Or, if that’s not enough, start with 256?”

Clark Theodore, the wizard of the Empire.

He made a reluctant expression at the dark sorceress Fianna Stone, who was sitting next to him, wearing a dress with a deep slit, her legs crossed, and her face continually grimacing as if she did not understand, but he continued to explain step by step.

“The Emperor asked for something. So I thought of a way to grant it and for you, the Imperial Magic Tower and the Cooperative Magic Tower, to benefit the most.”

“… I don’t know what you were asked to do, but in the end, didn’t you start the business without thinking about the consequences because you were only thinking about making money? “

“It’s different. I’ve been thinking about using that item, which I was able to perfect by receiving your magic tower technology, as a place to relieve fatigue since two months ago when I was asked to do so by the Emperor.”

As he spoke, Piana also looked at the huge structure he was looking at.

A large black circular sphere installed in the center of the ranking battle arena.

The structure, called the Illusion Dome by the Imperial Magicians, was something that had been manufactured at the Imperial Magic Tower for the past three years and was about 70% complete, but it was a device that had not been put into operation for several years due to insufficient technology.

However, this year, when Piana proposed a technical partnership with the Black Tower, the technology for mind manipulation of black magic that they most needed was provided to the Imperial Tower, and after several months of testing, the completed device was successfully operational, and Clarke decided to show it off at the festival of the Imperial Rankings.

“… When I asked for the skills related to the mind control magic of black magic, I was worried about what kind of nonsense I would do, but this is something that is better than nonsense.”

“It will never be used for military purposes. The current emperor of the empire is not very close to the military.”

“It might be useful later.”

“That’s for later. For now, it’s for good use.”

Fianna felt a little dizzy at Clarke’s confident words, but she stopped questioning him further as she had confidence that the wizard would not be exploited while he was alive.

And after seeing the people participating in the ranking battle below begin to enter after hearing the explanation about the sphere from the magicians of the Imperial Tower, Clark got up from his seat and told Piana to go explain the technology to the other corporate people and high-ranking noble royals of other countries.

“Just a moment, my disciple is coming in soon, so just watch until then.”

“It looks pretty good.”

“Top lord, think about it if your wife joins. Wouldn’t you like to see it?”

“… Please wait a moment.”

Piana, who had tied up the feet of the wizard who loved time and money the most in this world, watched with a pleased expression as the black-haired man entered the sphere.

As its name suggests, the sphere is a space that creates illusions.

Those who enter it will compete in a ranking battle in a fantasy world controlled from the outside.

Rather than simply dropping them somewhere outside the empire and causing casualties or missing people, all 200 or so participants enter an illusion created inside that sphere and compete against each other using only their abilities.

The fact that such a futuristic magical tool could be created was possible thanks to the ability of the great wizard Clark Theodore, who had reached the end of two attributes, and the addition of the Black Magic Tower, which researches black magic to the extreme.

Thanks to this, the number of casualties and accidents that occasionally occur in ranked battles decreases, and Rudis’ safety is ensured. Piana thought that it was definitely being used for a good cause, just as Clark had said, and lifted her buttocks while watching her disciple safely disappear into the sphere.

“Okay, let’s go. We should finish the briefing quickly and watch the ranking match. You said it would be broadcasted to the outside, right? I’m only going to watch Rudis, so please set it like that and show it to me.”

“… A magician named Topju. No, a magician likes his disciples more than making money. This is real.”

“Yes, it is. And don’t you usually like magic more than money?”

“That’s bullshit. Even magic training costs money. So it’s right that magicians have money. Now, go make some money.”

“Ha. Right.”

The two wizards moved away from the space with the illusionary dome towards the boring reception room where the VIPs were.

*

The atmosphere of the world’s countries and cities is modern, but there is a medieval class system, and although there are no computers, information exchange is possible through cell phones that use magic power, like the Internet.

There were people riding horses or carriages, and on the paved road next to them, there were horse-drawn carriages that looked exactly like cars but were powered by horse-drawn carriages instead of gasoline.

This world, where TV exists but everything is organized by magic and magical tools instead of electricity, eventually surpasses even the modern technology of the previous life, VR… no, it is called AR because it is a mind manipulation magic that directly connects the human head, and they have finally succeeded in commercializing the technology.

And that is the true identity of the background of the survival ranking match that will be held from now on. It is truly a case of long live the humanities and long live fantasy.

“I told you to connect magic to this bead.”

The interior of the black sphere was more modest and magnificent than expected.

I know these two are contradictory statements, but I can’t express it any other way.

The appearance of the partition wall that is only big enough for one person to fit in, which looks like a cheap looking office for a company, is cheap, but the luxurious chair and black orb inside it… The wiring extending from the black magic tool at a glance makes it impossible to know how much money was spent on just this one orb.

Right away, I tried to use my magic to secretly interpret the magic tools and wiring, but it was surrounded by three or four layers of strong and strict barrier magic that made it absolutely impossible for outsiders to interpret, and it was so perfect that I was absolutely certain that this was Clark Theodore’s work.

“… Well, at this point, there’s no way someone could attack from outside.”

The thought of entrusting my mind to someone else’s illusions while my body remains as if asleep made me feel quite uneasy, but I had already confirmed through the status window that each and every one of the cheap-looking partition doors was an item higher than the advanced catalyst I had created.

In other words, from the moment I, a player who was going to survive in this room, entered, this partitioned room of about 2 pyeong became a bunker at the level of a fortress surrounded by the power barrier of the Lord of the Tower.

I sat down on the chair, feeling my anxiety disappear as the equipment felt a bit more extreme than the explanation I had heard from outside, and immediately began to connect my magic to the black orb in front of me.

-Ouch!

“… This is also easy to filter out players?”

As soon as I touched the sphere, it sucked up a considerable amount of magical power, and I involuntarily flinched as I confirmed that the structure was such that if you did not have the ability to control the amount of magical power that went into this magical tool, or the ability to adjust that amount, you would not be able to participate in the first place.

I definitely thought there were too many people who were in the middle of nowhere compared to the content of the novel, but was this the way to filter it out? Since these kinds of details weren’t written in the web novel, it’s a bit refreshing.

But let’s say the magician tests his magical powers, what do the inspectors look at? Even people without auras will participate, right?

“Well, not my dad. Let’s control it now.”

Even though it had sucked in a moderate amount of my magic power, I was just handing it over to the control, so it reversely controlled the suction power of the sphere that seemed to be trying to suck me in until I lost consciousness, and connected the magic power and my magic power with the magic power that had already entered.

Then, as if my control ability was sufficient, the sphere began to put on a necklace that would pass the test, and instead of taking away my magic power, it began to activate the magic inside it and connect it to my body and mind.

‘Fifteen… no, at least twenty or more magics combined? If I were to make one of these, it would take twice as long as it takes to make one of my magic books.’

I was captivated by the beautifully organized magical arrangement of the fantasy artifacts from the world of literature and art, and was drawn into the fantasy world.

*

“Ouch… Is this a big deal? I lost all my magic power.”

Princess Coti, who entered the fantasy dome one step ahead of Rudis, could not hide her embarrassment at the fact that her magical power was almost depleted.

Instead of her usual school uniform, she wore short-sleeved shirts and shorts that were comfortable to move in, and tied her hair into a ponytail. She sat down in a world where all the survival supplies she had brought had been implemented, and began to wonder how she would survive for the next two days.

“First of all, it’s definitely confirmed that she’ll join the commoners, but… the question is, will the girl be able to survive in this state?”

Even though she was alone, her state of mind was not one of leisure, but of anxiety, as she chattered and talked without reason.

Because the fantasy world that unfolded before my eyes was too real and too barren to be considered a fantasy.

“… I’ve never been to the girls’ jungle, but they said there are monsters there, so it’s really scary.”

In a dense forest.

Within five minutes of starting, she was convinced that her bag, which contained only the underwear, clothes, water, bread, and simple camping supplies she had brought, was too comfortable in a space where there was no sign of life, and she instinctively felt that it was absolutely impossible for her to survive here alone for two nights and three days.

“I’ve never fought a goblin, let alone a girl orc… I’m really struggling.”

There are no monsters visible yet, but in this dense forest with no end in sight, there must definitely be monsters. After assessing the situation, Coty decided on his top priority.

“If you want to meet a commoner, you need magic power anyway. So first, you need to climb up a tree, hide safely, and recover your magic power!”

So, having decided to hide, she packed her bag and started climbing the tree.

“Ugh! Ugh… Huh?!”

-Thud!

“… I’m screwed. The girl doesn’t know how to climb a tree. Eek… Save the commoners.”

The princess, who had been hit on the floor more than ten times, eventually crouched down between the roots of a giant tree and began to nibble on bread while waiting for her magic power to recover.

In the original story, when the princess participated in this survival, she had been accompanied by an escort because she had been a bully to her older brother and teacher, Clark, but now, she thought it was just a chance to legally spend two nights and three days with Rudis, so she followed along on her own and caused a small trouble.

-Puss …

“Eek…?!”

“… Huh? Who are you?”

And the small trouble that occurred between the black-haired sorcerer and the silver-haired princess, who would never have met in the first place, was becoming a butterfly’s fluttering wings in a world of fantasy.