novelraw Chapter 254: Ripples in the Mind’s Ocean
Chapter 254: Ripples in the Mind’s Ocean
Chapter 254: Ripples in the Mind’s Ocean The oppressing silence surrounded him from all sides, threatening to suffocate him. It felt as if this colossal space had shrunk significantly. WIth his heartbeat soaring higher and higher, Soren continued staring at the colossal flame, unable to move.
This isn’t good… The thought lingered for but a moment longer than it should. This really isn’t good…
Staring at the colossal pillar of light was now akin to eyeing a predator—one that had been spotted a tad bit too late.
“No. It’s not too late yet.” The reminder left his lips in a whisper. He wasn’t sure if he was more afraid of hearing himself or whatever entity existed here.
For whatever reason, it felt as if he instinctively knew hope still existed. It was an utterly strange and alien feeling.
For Soren, instincts only served as a secondary tool—a useful thing to rely on when logical thinking wasn’t accessible. But at the moment, his mind seemed to prioritize his instincts over his rationality. This was something he had never experienced before.
Am I being influenced externally? It was a valid question to ask. With whatever secretly existed in this space, there was no telling what it could do… What’s more, Soren had already confirmed that Figment wasn’t ‘exactly’ the paradox of his existence—it was likely a part of its machinations in some way. Since he and his cloned apparition both held independent thoughts, the true paradox was likely the opposite.
It might even be listening to them right now…
Now that I think about it, it really never made any sense… With Abstract Rune Synchronization, the Fairy Witness rune had willingly accepted the merger with me from the very beginning. It would have no intentions of directly trying to usurp control afterwards—not unless it discovered me to be incompetent...
This was knowledge he gained in the aftermath of the Mirror Game. When the Blossom Sword Flower explained Her theory on how he gained his Soul Weapon, a seedling of doubt had already begun to bloom. He was just unsure of how to approach the issue.
Who knew he would discover the reason after defeating Figment and not before?
As he was about to sigh, another instinctual thought appeared in his mind. His eyes widened—he hurriedly issued [Fictionalization] to display him his status page again.
Below it, a clear cascade of lines appeared, displaying the history of all his entries:
Event Log:
New Entry Recorded: [Worldsong: The Undying Coil] (Musica)
New Entry Recorded: [Spirit’s Fantasia] (Musica)
New Entry Recorded: [Figment’s Defeat] (???)
Soren’s gaze was entirely focused on the last one. He issued the command again, allowing the floating windows to morph.
Figment’s Defeat
Message to the victor:
DO NOT DISTURB IT.
It- it can hear you.
DO NOT DIS…TURB IT.
The roots may shift. Do not look at them.
DO NOT DISTURB IT.
Expl– no…
…Explore. Dream… Discover…..
HIDE.
Ignore it. Ignore it please…
DISTURB… DISTURB… ME…
Search yourself. (NOW)
It seeks–
nourishment.
DO NOT—
DO NOT AWAKEN IT.
IT WATCHES YOU.
Soren’s eyes dilated as he slowly read over the page. A searing pain coursed through his body, as if maggots were crawling underneath his skin. He clutched his head tightly, breathing slowly becoming sporadic. Vision blurred…
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“What…” Blood began to drip from his nose. What is this?...
There was a strange whisper in the back of his mind… He couldn’t grasp what it was saying and he didn’t dare to listen any longer.
Suddenly, the last three words on the page echoed in his mind again:It watches you…
Soren instinctively stepped back from the flame—pain growing more and more frequent by the second.
Eventually however, it stopped.
As if it had never existed.
He stood there frozen, unable to think. His body was drenched in sweat—legs beginning to give out.
“What… What is this…”
What the hell is hiding within this isolated space? It felt as if he was stuck in an ancient, unending dream. A dream that only contained his demise…
He decided to stop thinking. As Figment had warned, disturbing it seemed like a bad idea. Even though his Fairy Witness rune focuses on curiosity, there were truly things better left unknown…
And that’s when he realized it.
A truth he couldn’t believe.
My instincts… They want me to go against my own nature… The fear gripping my heart is…
His lips curled slightly on their own. He didn’t dare to even look at the strange flame anymore. Soren turned around and walked away from the marble canopy, seeking shelter amidst the shadows of the garden.
In that moment, the only desire plaguing his heart was safety. He wanted to crawl into a corner and hide somewhere—or perhaps be one with the dirt. Either one would work…
As [Fictionalization] quickly worked to reset his body, Soren began to rethink every word in that jargled mess.
Figment… He wanted to warn me…
Why?
They were enemies vying for the same life and fate. Soren had used every strategy at his disposal to utterly defeat him.
So then, why would he use his dying moments to help him?
Soren felt as if there was something missing from the equation—the answer seemed both clear and unclear at the same time.
Search yourself…
The words lingered in his mind continuously.
As he sat there in the midst of flowers and grass, Soren tried his best to decipher the words. It was clear with how desperate he was writing it, as well as the strange interference in the text, that there was some importance to it all.
Moreover, the “(NOW”)” placed after them signified what Figment wanted Soren to focus on first.
Curiously, he began to search his own body, believing there might be a clue hidden somewhere. But aside from his usual robes and items, nothing was there.
He tried to also use his authority over the subspace to search through the colossal books floating in the crayon-painted skies, believing the message might be more metaphorical than literal. But even that didn’t result in anything meaningful…
Search yourself… Search yourself… The words replayed in his mind over and over again, until finally, an idea clicked.
“Soul Search? My Three Layers?”
His eyes widened slightly. He had completely forgotten to do that.
Wait… Why did I forget?
This was utterly strange. According to his theory, [The Faerie Court]’s influence should cause his merger with the new Abstract Rune to manifest its own shade of self. This was why his Mesmerism affinity seemed to be intertwined so deeply with Mysteries.
Following that logic, Cantor’s Crown should also have caused a new change in his Three Layers to emerge. A new affinity was likely waiting for him to discover it.
“I was already expecting that from the start… So how could I forget it so easily?..” If not for Figment’s reminder, he might have likely exited [The Faerie Court] without any awareness.
Did the strange entity hiding in this space make me forget it?...
Fear once again began to flood in, but Soren decided to quickly calm himself.
If it's that adamant on stopping me, whatever secret is hidden there will likely aid me against it.
Though, it could also be a trap. A trick to get him into searching for whatever was hidden there.
“.....”
After deliberating over his choices for a while longer, Soren couldn’t help chuckle to himself slightly.
Since when did things ever come easy for me?
Isn’t that why I decided to defeat Figment? I knew full well the life I’d have to live…
Shaking his head with a smile, Soren crossed his feet and took a deep breath. Darkness flooded his eyes as he sat amidst the flowers in a lotus position. The floral scents slowly calming his mind…
…Until a dreamland emerged from within.
Opening his eyes, Soren was met with countless familiar scenes. All of them scattered across a starless void.
The Veil of Perception…
I’ve made it safely, he muttered with a nod.
Glancing around, Soren didn’t notice anything peculiarly out of the ordinary. The scenes depicted countless experiences—some from his own past, others from his imagination. There were a few scenes depicting things he had witnessed happening to others, like getting stabbed by a sword through the heart or being beheaded and burnt alive… Many of them likely originated from the Mirror Game.
Tsk… He shook his head and floated away, deciding to continue to the next location.
Unlike many of his previous visits to his own mind space, this one felt far easier and more comfortable. Months of being magi as well as his overall responsibility over the Faerie Court’s subspace had culminated in more than enough experience.
He was instantly able to pass through the Veil of perception, making his way to the ethereally clear ocean beneath a bright blue sky.
The Echo of Mind.
Soren kept his thoughts steady—not willing more or less than a few soft waves and rolling clouds. It was utterly calm and peaceful.
As he continued to search for clues, he suddenly stumbled upon something strange.
Aside from the soft waves caused by his own lingering thoughts, there were also many ripples echoing in random places across the clear ocean. As if something was causing bobbles to float up to the surface…
These… These were not caused by him at all…