Island Making
by Afuhfuihgs
Lamine and Eunice, after Raellan’s explanation, immediately received the memories related to the 3rd floor of the labyrinth from Ross. While the two were organizing their memories, Ross caught Konrad as he was about to leave the basement.
“Hmm? Is there something you want to say?”
Ross looked around, gestured for him to follow, and headed up the stairs first. Konrad followed him and arrived at the room Konrad Pshion used to greet guests.
“It must be something you don’t want others to know.”
Ross took off his mask instead of answering. Konrad couldn’t help but sigh at his gloomy and haggard face. Ross’s face was extremely tired. He looked so exhausted that he seemed like he would fall asleep as soon as he leaned against anything.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“Of course, anything. I’ll help you.”
Ross stared at Konrad for a moment before speaking.
“This memory.”
As Ross created a snow globe containing the memory, Konrad placed his hand on the snow globe with a fairly familiar gesture.
Konrad, who had absorbed the memory Ross had passed on, opened his eyes and let out a deep sigh.
“A homunculus of the Order among the students… and one of your precious friends, and a disciple of Vice-Principal Leora… No wonder you don’t look so good.”
Konrad suddenly felt worried about Ross. In a short period, Ross had lost Luna, whom he loved, and Nelson, whom he considered a benefactor. On top of that, he was in a situation where he had even killed the parents of a friend he cherished. It would be difficult for an ordinary person to maintain their sanity.
But Ross didn’t break down. Konrad looked straight into Ross’s blue eyes. And looking at his face, which lacked any expression, he realized. An area contained in his transparent pupils, that only a human who has reached a certain level can possess.
“…Have you reached the realm of a Transcender?”
“….”
Ross lightly brushed his face with his hand instead of answering. He didn’t seem particularly concerned about becoming a Transcender. Konrad looked at Ross and could somewhat understand what plan his friend had made.
‘Is this really what you wanted?’
Konrad asked inwardly. He didn’t think a plan to destroy a person was right. Even if it was a way to save the world, it didn’t change the fact that it was a cruel act that could never be forgiven by the person involved.
But the die had already been cast. Nelson used his death as an opportunity. Moreover, it wasn’t ineffective. So Konrad did what he could. Like the mad strategist who saw through everything and took over Nelson’s plan… he remained silent.
“…What is your request?”
Ross only slightly raised his gaze as Konrad changed the subject.
“Aria… Please tune her safely without anyone knowing. As the tuner of the world, you should be able to prevent Aria from turning into a bomb.”
“That’s naturally the job of the headmaster, who is responsible for the safety of the school. But according to the memory, in order for Aria to continue living normally… she will need someone else’s life force, just like now.”
“…I’ll take care of that.”
Konrad nodded silently at Ross’s wry smile.
***
Raellan’s prediction was correct. The road to the labyrinth was more crowded than before. Rumors had spread throughout the continent that the treasures and artifacts obtained by those who returned from the labyrinth, and the direct rewards given by the labyrinth, were a great opportunity to completely change a person’s life.
[You have re-entered the labyrinth.]
[You are currently on the 3rd floor.]
As the letters that appeared before my eyes disappeared, I felt a sense of floating as a wind blew from somewhere and wrapped around my body. As the dark vision brightened, I finally realized that I was falling from the high sky.
“Ellie…!”
I reached out to Ellie, who had entered with me in the air. Ellie, who grabbed my hand, took out her staff from her bosom and used magic. The smoke flowing from the end of the staff wrapped around me and Ellie’s body. Then, the falling speed decreased significantly, and I had enough time to turn my head and look around.
Ellie, who was looking around, waved her staff to fix her bangs that were flying in the wind and said.
“It’s really a place with nothing but the sea.”
As Ellie said, the 3rd floor of the labyrinth is a place where only the sea exists. Strictly speaking, the setting is that the world was destroyed by a great flood, and the city is submerged under the sea.
However, unlike the environment where only the sea exists, it was not a place intended for naval warfare. The condition to go to the 4th floor of the labyrinth was to create an island where living things could live on the 3rd floor and grow it well.
“Get ready, Ellie.”
“Okay.”
Before falling into the sea, Ellie poured out her magic towards the sea. Then, a huge yellow bubble began to form in the sea where the magic touched. It was the initial form of the soil that would become the foundation of the island. Although it looked like a bubble, it was clearly soil, so we could land safely on it.
“I’ll start decorating.”
While Ellie skillfully controlled her magic to shape the bubble into the next stage of soil, I looked down at the clear seawater to see if there was anything I could get. Fortunately, we landed above the city. It was a good location to get items that could quickly grow the island. I nodded and said to Ellie.
“We started in a good place. I’ll find a suitable place too.”
“Okay.”
I looked around to make sure there were no competitors and released magic to create my own bubble on the sea. I materialized the Shadow Spear in the form of an oar, stepped on the bubble, and rowed the spear to move away from the island Ellie was creating.
When I reached a distance where it wouldn’t interfere with each other’s growth, I created bubbles using magic in the same way as Ellie, overlapping them continuously to lay the foundation for the island. Due to the difference in skill in handling magic and the amount of magic, Ellie had already roughly formed the shape of the island when I was barely halfway there.
Ellie, who had created a floating foothold on the sea using ice magic, came over to my island. Since the condition was to grow the island with each individual’s magic, there was nothing Ellie could do to help lay the foundation for my island.
Except for giving advice from the side.
“Can’t you make the magic more detailed?”
“…”
“No, with the feeling of releasing magic with the entire palm… rather than simply overlapping the bubbles, the feeling of covering them!”
“…”
“The output is different on both sides now. Focus more on the magic release from your left hand. You can definitely do that much.”
I stopped releasing magic at the continuous advice and turned my head to look at Ellie. Ellie, who had been endlessly giving advice from the side, tilted her head at my gaze.
“Why?”
“Somehow, I feel like you’re Raellan.”
“…Do you want to die?”
I, who was stabbed in the lily mask I was wearing with the end of her staff, silently focused on releasing magic again. Ellie, who continued to give advice from the side, patted me on the shoulder, telling me to do it alone, at the sound of a *plop* heard from quite close, and headed back to her island using ice.
As I was releasing magic, I heard Ellie’s voice warning someone.
“If you don’t get lost, I’ll drown you.”
A person who had fallen into the sea near the island was struggling, and luckily discovered Ellie’s island and was swimming towards it. The man, carrying a large axe on his back, shouted without stopping his swim despite Ellie’s warning.
“Wait, wait! Where does that come from! This is the only island in the middle of the sea! Honestly, it’s not like the first one to come in becomes the owner of the island!”
“What are you talking about? This is the island I made. So get lost.”
“…I’m an executive of the Adventurer’s Guild! You’ll definitely regret what you’ve done to me now! Not welcoming adventurers is an act that brings great misfortune!”
Ellie tapped the mask she was wearing on her face with her staff and said.
“Don’t you know what this mask is?”
“What’s that weird mask? Is it famous?”
Ellie scratched her head as if she hadn’t expected the man’s answer.
“…Do you even know who Lily is?”
“Lily…? Are you, do you like women- Do, don’t shoot!”
The man shouted while desperately dodging the ice spear Ellie fired.
“St, stop! I’ve been exploring dungeons for a long time and entered the labyrinth, so I just don’t know who Lily is!”
“If you don’t know, you should die.”
As Ellie tried to shoot another ice spear, the man said urgently.
“I, I’ll go somewhere else! I won’t even go near here!”
At the man’s words, Ellie hesitated for a moment and transformed the ice spear to make it climbable and sent it to the man. The man, who had been frantically waving his arms and legs, was able to barely escape the sea by swimming on the ice Ellie had created.
The man, who had been catching his breath for a moment, glanced at Ellie and calculated the distance before bursting into laughter.
“Hehe, you stupid bitch! This is the only island around, where else would I go!”
The man pulled up his magic and flew towards the island with tremendous jumping power, putting his hand behind him. He was trying to take out the axe he was carrying on his back.
Fumbling, fumbling.
“…?”
The man, who landed on Ellie’s island as is, turned around, using both arms to fumble around on his back with an unbelievable look, as the axe that had definitely felt heavy on his back until he jumped was not there. He seemed to think he had accidentally dropped the axe into the sea.
The man’s gaze, which had been looking for the axe while looking at the ice foothold and the sea that Ellie had created, continued to rise and met my eyes.
“…”
“…”
I lightly shook the large axe I had stolen when the man was floating in the air using space magic.
“Yo, you thief- Keueok…!”
Before the man could finish his words, the ice spear Ellie had created pierced his chest. Ellie, who had finished confirming the kill on the fallen man, muttered with a suddenly regretful face.
“…Ah, I should have drowned him.”
I pretended not to hear and released magic in the way Ellie had taught me, diligently laying the foundation for the island.
0 Comments