When I come to, I’m in a place that both feels nostalgic and doesn’t make me very happy.
It’s the place I quit a while a back, the alchemist association. The room of the basic research department to be exact.
My desk is in front of me, and I slowly reach out and touch it with both hands.
It feels like I’m touching it, and more importantly, my body is moving how I want it to. Wait, there’s a slight discomfort in my right hand. Is it because the curses are interfering with each other?
The association’s building was destroyed by armored salmon, and I heard it hasn’t been rebuilt yet. That means this can’t possibly be real.
“Is this like a lucid dream based on my memories? But if that’s the case, why here?”
I put my hand on my waist, and whisper as I sigh and look around.
“No, it doesn’t look like it’s just my memories.”
Looking at it more closely, I see details around this room that feel wrong.
There are items on my desk that I used for experiments, but among them are things that look like things the church of Araysla uses for rituals.
There’s a simple looking doll of a girl I’ve never seen over there. Is it handmade?
“Hm… Are Actor Reese’s memories mixed in here? If so, multiple mind realms are under some kind of curse…”
But then, I suddenly feel a strong presence.
The bloodlust quickly and vividly makes me think of my dear twin horntail knife.
And strangely, before I know it, I’m holding the twin horntail knife in my left hand. I hold it with an underhand grip, and swing it.
A metallic sound echoes.
“What is this? This really is a sort of dream world.”
I look at the knife in my hand and the being that blocked it, and feel even more confused.
What appeared and attacked me is a bear doll about the size of a child. It appeared right in front of me like it grew from the ground, and despite its cute appearance, it attacked me with sharp and pointed claws. Its cries are a little annoying.
Maybe it’s because the bear doll is light, or maybe it’s because I’m in this dream world, but its slashes carry almost no weight.
Even I can block them with one arm.
“I’m kind of curious about whether or not I can even get hurt here, but I don’t think I should be doing things that will make Ahri even more mad at me… And I don’t know if I can use potions either.”
The bear doll’s claws are repelled upwards, leaving it with both arms in the air. I then slice the unprotected neck of the doll.
It goes ‘gau’ with a puzzled tone and expression, but it quickly turns to smoke with a puffing sound.
“That thing disappeared like the enemies in a dungeon. This one was a lot lighter though.”
I get ready to deal with any other enemies that might appear, but the smoke soon clears, and the laboratory of the basic research department is quiet again.
I let my guard down, and walk slowly towards the door.
“So it opens normally.”
I put out the knife through the open door, and check the surrounding area through the blade.
…I think this space could be larger than I thought. This could take a while…
What I see reflected on the blade is longer than the hallway of the association I’m so used to seeing.
It’s too long for me to see the other side, but I can see something coming this way.
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