Chapter 12: Crack (2)

Passive Skill [Somnambulism].
How did I end up with such a bizarre skill?

Right, at the very end of Eterna Online.
To mark the grand finale, I poured all my resources into gear meant purely for comedic effect.

———————————————————————————————

[Somnambulism]
Grade: EX
Type: Passive
[Activates when entering a sleep state, triggering latent subconscious manifestation.]

—————————————————————————————————-

I still don’t fully understand how this skill works.

At first, I was puzzled.
Just how broad is the definition of a “sleep state”?

I understand that it activates whenever I fall asleep—literally.
Moreover, based on what I’ve experienced so far, losing consciousness also seems to count as sleep.

Then, what state is my unconscious self in?
Is it a reflection of a part of my consciousness?
Or is it an entirely blank slate, devoid of any identity?

‘Ah, whatever.’

One thing is certain:
The system doesn’t lie.

‘Might as well sleep.’

Since I’m wearing the Mask of the Disguiser, there’s no risk of my identity being exposed.
I’m counting on you, Somnambulism.

“……”

My remaining consciousness fades to white.
My heavy eyelids gradually close.

——————————————————————-

[Player has entered a complete sleep state!]
[Passive Skill: Somnambulism (EX) is activated!]

————————————————————————-

I drifted into sleep, vaguely aware.

---

[Haaahahahahaha?!]

Bride’s neck twisted to the left.
With a series of cracks, it spun in a full circle before returning to its original position.
It was one of her unique ways of expressing emotion.

A human who suddenly puts on a mask, lies down, and falls asleep.
Amused by the bizarre sight before her, Bride burst into laughter.

[Kyaaah-hahaha!]

Her eerie, grotesque laughter filled the air.
The ground trembled under the weight of her magic-laden voice.

[Such an amusing human!]

What would that peculiar human taste like?
How would the flavor be? The texture?

Bride twisted her arms into unnatural angles,
and with a sickening crack, joints pierced through her flesh, creaking loudly.
Her face flushed red.

[Aaaaaah… I can’t stand it!!!]

Bride clutched her face with her dangling arms.
She exuded a grotesque presence so overwhelming it seemed to swallow even the moonlight.

Wooooom—!!
Compressed to the limit, magic erupted from her entire body.

The compressed magic distorted the space itself.
In the next moment, Bride vanished behind the fractured, torn space.

Soon, she tore through the air and stood right before the sleeping man.

[Hello?]

Bride greeted the man with a wide grin.
But the man, fast asleep, gave no response.

A brief, heavy silence ensued.

That silence tested Bride’s patience to its breaking point.

[A human… ignored me…?]

Wooooosh—!
Bride’s body bent from side to side like a roly-poly toy.
The speed was so fast that just the act of bending left behind intense gusts of wind.

Step, step—

Bride took a step toward the man.
Before long, she had reached his feet.
Just as she stretched out her hand to absorb his vitality—

[Huh…?]

BOOOOM!!
An overwhelming explosion erupted from the man’s body.
Dust and gravel flew in all directions.
As the dust settled, Bride slowly walked out from behind it.

[Haaaah?!]

Bride’s neck spun around once more.
But this time, it didn’t stop at just one turn—it kept spinning repeatedly, like a top.

[Aaaaaaaaah!]

Bride was in shock.
The man, now standing upright, was emitting an overwhelmingly powerful magical aura—far too immense for a human.

This was no human.
It was something else wrapped in human skin.

[Danger, danger, danger, danger, danger.]

Thud—
Unable to handle the spinning, Bride’s head detached from her body.
Her face, now floating in mid-air, started warping like dough being kneaded.

[……]

Her face had transformed into an unrecognizable black mass.

Wooooooong—!!
The compressed magic emanating from the dark mass distorted the space around it.
The energy surged with a peculiar sensation, reversing the magical flow—
And the world turned upside down.

---

A vast, endless white space.
In the center stood a majestic castle, gleaming as if sculpted from ice.
The floor, mirror-like, reflected the world around it.
In the middle of it all stood a woman.

A pure white figure bathed in radiant light.
Wings emitting a mystical blue glow.
A body sturdy and poised.

Her appearance resembled an elf, as depicted in ancient tomes.

“Hoo…”
Bride’s breath froze the air before dissipating.

“It’s been a while since I’ve taken this form.”

High-Ranking Demon, Bride.
Among high-ranking demons, she was considered one of the strongest.

An eerie demon dressed in a pure white gown.
A calamity that roamed the continent, razing cities and civilizations.
An ancient and forgotten bloodline from the Conclave.

Bride had many infamous titles.
And for demons, titles symbolize innate power.

However, Bride was not born a demon.
In a distant past, she was once called the Guardian of Balance.

A being closer to divinity than anyone else, yet now a corrupted existence that defies the holy.
That was the identity of Bride, as recorded in the official lore.

“I really didn’t want to use this form.”
A serene, pure smile spread across her lips.
Standing before her was Luke Richter.

“You should feel honored.”

This place—
Bride’s unique domain, “The Pristine Castle”, created by transforming her deepest consciousness to its limit.
Within this domain, Bride is surrounded by countless special buffs, exuding the dignity of a transcendent being.
Simultaneously, all others trapped within suffer debilitating debuffs.

“Puhuhuhu.”
Bride chuckled lightly.

Above her head, a magic circle appeared and then vanished, materializing into a massive ice spear that shot toward Luke.
However, the spear shattered upon contact with the barrier around him.

“Haaah?”
Bride stomped her foot.

This time, thousands of magic circles floated above her head before disappearing.
Immediately after, the sky filled with countless enormous ice spears, spinning ominously as they spiraled toward Luke.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!

A massive wave of impact swept through the surroundings as the aftermath of the magic reverberated.

The thick mist lingering in the air dispersed instantly with a single flick of Bride’s hand.

But contrary to her expectations—
Luke was still standing in the same spot, completely unmoved.

“……”

It was just a warm-up attack.
Even so, seeing a mere human standing tall and unwavering left a bitter taste in her mouth.

“Interesting.”

A peculiar sensation stirred within Bride as her magical power writhed.
A profound incantation encompassing all forms of magic began to emanate from her fingertips.

All of creation merged into her subconscious.
Her corrupt will reacted to the world’s laws.

Like dye spreading through water, the space around her darkened.

A realm that transcends boundaries.
A state where an individual’s will bends the laws of the world.

[7-Star Magic: Dark Conversion ]

The transcendent phenomenon—proving the threshold of ultimate power—unfolded at her fingertips.

“……”

The space was engulfed by void.
Within this domain, the use of any magic below the 7-star level was strictly forbidden.

That damned barrier shouldn’t work here.

“Now just die, will you?”
She smiled brightly, slowly gathering her magic power—

“……Huh?”

Her magic wasn’t responding.
No, to be precise, the magic she gathered was leaking away.

“What is…?”

She hurriedly lifted her gaze.
In her widened field of vision, Luke Richter came into view.

Then, the realization struck her.
The magic leaking from her body was being drawn toward Luke Richter, who remained motionless.

“……”

A magical formation floated above his head.
He was clearly casting a spell.

“……How?”

She was certain that magic below 7-star level couldn’t be used.
But what was that absurdly massive formation?

Moreover, it was a structure she had never seen before.
Could it be—

“Wait. Wait. Wait.”

The intangible magic scattered at near-supersonic speed.
The deafening noise of space being torn apart assaulted her ears.
The biting wind of magic shredded her skin.

“How dare a mere human…!!!!”

Her eyes began to tremble like waves.

Nine pentagrams overlapped over the magic formation.

No doubt about it—
This was the pinnacle of creation, an existence defying natural law.

[9-Star Magic: Gate]

A 9-star spell.
The divine miracle had descended upon the mortal plane.

“Ha… Haha…!!”

The scattered magic slashed through space with a chilling noise.
From the rift, a colossal surge of magic gathered, forming a single gate.

Creeeeeeak—!!!
The gate opened with a sound that seemed to pierce the brain.

At the same time, the eerie magic emanating from the gate began to distort the space around it.

“Wait… n-no…!!”

Booooom—!!
With a powerful vibration, the space adhering to the magic was sucked into the gate.

Crack! Crack! Crack!
The space itself was ripped apart, distorting the laws of the world.

The gate devoured the world, and gradually concealed its existence.

Moments later—

Rumble rumble rumble—!!!
A massive explosion engulfed the void.