Ch.141141. Another World (2)

To be honest, when Grand Master Hecate first suggested that I learn about alternate realm formation, I found myself wondering why she would propose such a thing to me.

Frankly speaking, I wasn’t at the level where I needed to learn alternate realm formation yet.

From a theoretical perspective, I had already mastered nearly all the academic knowledge related to alternate realms, and thanks to my experience creating and encountering various alternate realms multiple times, I could easily create most ordinary alternate realms.

So no matter how I looked at it, I didn’t seem to need any additional training.

‘…Wait a minute.’

But… thinking about it more carefully, another thought occurred to me.

Grand Master Hecate, who surely knows all these facts, must have had some reason for making this suggestion.

Furthermore, I naturally began to wonder if the alternate realm formation she mentioned might be something beyond the simple technique of creating fixed alternate realms.

“What kind of alternate realm formation technique are you referring to?”

So I asked, trying to suppress the excitement rising within me, and her answer… was truly sufficient to satisfy my expectations.

“It’s like an extension of ordinary alternate realm formation, a secret technique of advanced magic users. It’s about manifesting your own alternate realm in reality based on your mental landscape or some kind of mystery.”

‘…A-a personal domain?! Territory manifestation! Wow!’

According to Grand Master Hecate, the technique she wanted to teach was none other than manifesting a magic user’s individual mental imagery in reality in the form of an alternate realm.

For me, with memories of my past life intact, this was truly the perfect fantasy technique.

So while excitement was surging through my mind, and I felt the urge to jump up and cheer immediately…

“…Phew. I’d like to learn it.”

Somehow managing to suppress that desire, I replied, unable to hide my anticipation. Grand Master Hecate smiled broadly and… after glancing at Sophia, who looked just as intrigued as I was, finally spoke.

“Good. Then from now on, the alternate realm formation I’ll teach you is… this.”

-Snap!

The Grand Master raised her right hand above her head and snapped her fingers with a sharp sound, and in the very next moment.

“…?!!”

“…Huh?”

Literally in an instant, the treehouse landscape before our eyes had completely transformed.

The vast sky was dyed pitch black, revealing its boundaries only through stars, and in the center hung a waning crescent moon that gave off a strong sense of decline.

The plain that stretched so wide that the horizon was visible was covered in shadows that suggested if you stepped on them, you would never return, and between them were countless intersections forming safe zones where shadows did not fall.

The space before us should normally be so dark that one couldn’t see even what was right in front of them, but due to something that even I couldn’t detect, there was no problem maintaining visibility.

‘How is this possible…!’

‘…Ah!’

I, who had awakened fragments of perception and insight as an advanced practitioner, and Sophia, who possessed extraordinary sensing abilities due to her innate power of fate observation, were both speechless as we felt the true value of this space.

The space reflected in my eyes was an independent alternate realm. It was another world painted over a part of reality, established as a small sub-dimension that completely blocked external interference.

The core, the axis of this alternate realm was, of course, Grand Master Hecate who deployed it. Centered around her, using her as the power source and origin of mystery, fragments of miracles had taken root in this world.

The celestial map in that high night sky was structured to give Grand Master Hecate maximum boost when casting celestial magic.

With this level of boost, she could probably pour down extreme-level celestial magic like rain with almost no mana consumption.

Additionally, the light-devouring shadows on the ground were this world’s disposal system that sent contacted targets “somewhere.”

They gave me a strong conviction that if one accidentally touched them, they would likely never be able to “return.”

But even all these effects were trivial compared to the true power of this alternate realm that I had discovered.

The ‘real’ power lay in the branching paths extending throughout this space. While they appeared to be mere safe zones, their essence was crossroads that defied comparison.

As mentioned earlier, these crossroads faithfully served as safe zones, but their true essence was “boundaries.”

They were visual manifestations of the boundaries between spaces, concepts, life and death, nature and the supernatural.

Therefore, carelessly crossing these intersections would fundamentally disturb the spiritual position of the subject.

Cross incorrectly and one might die and revive, have the properties of their physical matter reversed, experience the collapse and restoration of their self repeatedly, gradually destroying their spiritual balance…

It varies by individual, but wandering mindlessly for about 10 minutes would be equivalent to diving into that shadow disposal system.

‘…’

Sophia and I could feel that we were probably thinking the same thing.

If we moved, if we moved incorrectly and crossed a “boundary,” we didn’t know what would happen.

Perhaps permanent traces of transformation would remain on our bodies, or we might cross a river from which there was no return.

So while we both remained completely still with our nerves on edge, Grand Master Hecate raised her clenched fist and then released it, causing the magical power to disperse…

-Crash!

With a clear sound like glass breaking, just as when the barrier was first deployed, the glass-like structure shattered, and Sophia and I returned to the real world.

“”Haa, hah, hah, haah…””

Exhaling the breath I had unconsciously been holding, I engraved each detail of that magnificent yet terrifying scene that had been imprinted in my mind.

To think that by someone’s hand, a world—a micro-world operating under completely independent laws—could be formed.

Something that exists far beyond my comprehension… probably influenced by what is considered her mystery, her divinity…

“How can that…”

“…You saw it, yes. How do you feel?”

“I, I felt crushed, like I was about to d-die… No, not die. Something more terrible was looming. I, I… how on earth is that…”

The space created by forcibly overlaying the essence of a being beyond cognition, divinity, onto reality left a slight contamination in my mind.

Of course, this contamination could be easily shaken off with very simple measures, but that didn’t make the shock disappear.

Still, our condition was relatively better.

‘…Thank you, guys.’

Sophia, still being intermediate-level, couldn’t perceive the essence of divinity, so she suffered almost no mental impact, while I shared the burden through mental connection, so there was practically no actual damage.

Rather, I was now in a state of growing anticipation about being able to use such power after emerging from that shock.

“…I understand the structure.”

“Yes. Now that you’re advanced, there’s no need to learn additional… Wait. You understand the structure?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. It’s exactly as I said. You unfold and deploy the imagery from your soul or mind into reality, right? Since advanced-level imagery can possess its own kind of existing mystery, you form a barrier based on that…”

Right in the middle of carefully explaining what I understood, I suddenly realized that Grand Master Hecate was looking at me strangely, which led to a counter-question.

“How can you know that?”

“Well, when you ask how… I don’t know enough to give you an answer.”

“…I suppose that’s true. Then let’s just assume it’s because of your outstanding talent and move on.”

Grand Master Hecate looked at my face with what appeared to be an expression of understanding, nodding her head, and then proceeded to explain what she needed to teach me in the most concise way possible.

Alternate realm formation is, so to speak, a technique for creating a specialized field optimized for oneself, and its effects vary tremendously depending on individual tendencies and characteristics.

Of course, there are certain tendencies, which is why those who handle similar magical abilities tend to have somewhat similar realm structures.

And, right after all these teachings were completed.

“Gregory, would you like to try forming an alternate realm yourself now?”

“…Pardon?”

I reflexively responded with a dumbfounded attitude to Grand Master Hecate’s sudden proposal.