Hermit Wizard

Chapter 128

Wizard’s Name (7)

=You are really… a peculiar soul. Even this exceeded my expectations! =

The direction in which his will poured out was arbitrary. It appeared to pour out at the same time from all the places around me, and it seemed to prick my head in turn, making it sound like I hadn’t received anything like telepathy in the first place.

What made me on the verge of going crazy was the fact that her strong presence also haunted me at the same time, just like her will.

[Min-joon! Don’t use magic carelessly! Trying to escape with the magic you know is useless in this space!]

Parvache’s keen determination warned me.

What I could see was the distorted curtain of space. It felt like a different place from the basement of my house where I was before, and somewhere I couldn’t explain with my perceived concept, I could see what was supposed to be the Truth-Seeker’s body.

It was impossible to describe her position in terms of the familiar ‘direction’ or ‘distance.’ Gramiel’s existence itself confused my cognition. Unless there was a Channel, space shouldn’t be disconnected and should be as smooth as the water flowed, but due to her in ‘between,’ I recognized a gap there.

=… I haven’t seen such a brilliantly sparkling soul in a long time. It’s dazzling. Strange. Why is your soul so high?=

She giggled again. Her body was like a prickly thorn, and she had thin, curved fingers and gray skin like peeled bark. She, ‘Gramiel,’ was overlapping her body in this strange space.

[Min-joon, the backdoor!]

While maintaining the mental barrier, I opened a small door that only Parvache could access. It then stuck a chunk of great memory and sense there!

“Ugh!”

What Parvache put into my mind wasn’t close to the language we normally use for conversation. Parvache condensed its knowledge and then conceptualized it and conveyed it to my consciousness.

“Ah… Shiiiiiiit!”

My vision shook. The violent transfer of knowledge, borrowing the means of consciousness. Not only did the brain accepted that, but also the soul felt the pain. Compared to physical pain, it was a pain close to burning flesh and breaking bones. That was a method that wasn’t usually used because the side effects were large.

The same moment as torture had passed. In return, knowledge about the species nicknamed the ‘Space Ghost’ immediately permeated. It was painful to receive small fragments of knowledge. How painful was it to receive a whole memory transfer?

Images, sounds, and thoughts were crushed and flowing. Through Parvache’s consciousness, I understood the characteristics of Gramiel’s kind.

The knowledge in my head settled down and sat like a memory I had known for a long time, but my feelings couldn’t take it so dryly.

‘A species that can escape the constraints of all spaces except dimensional barriers? If it just wants to, can it create a new space? That’s a scam! Isn’t that too godlike?’

At that moment, the Truth-Seeker’s intervention began.

=Okay, I’ll take you first. I can take my time to appreciate you slowly.=

-Shrrrrrrrk!

The moment she reached out her hand, the surrounding area began to be filled with energy. It was clear that it was an attempt to capture me. I responded according to the knowledge I had in my head.

The opponent had risen to the level of the Truth-Seeker, so it was safe to say that she was an existence that could use her species’ unique abilities to their limit.

That meant that the situation that many beings of dimensions, including Parvache’s people, were concerned and feared became a reality. Gramiel could instantly recognize all beings in the same dimension if she decided to, and she could freely enter and leave all the places within it without limits.

-Gwooooong!

It was meaningless to draw a barrier in space since the area beyond the barrier was also part of the space into the same dimension. That was why she found my location so easily and quickly dug into the barrier.

As soon as it recognized the opponent’s strength, Parvache urged me to cross the Mapo Bridge Channel, first considering that her cognition range didn’t reach beyond the dimension where she was currently located. Second, before she pursued me beyond the Channel, we were intended to go to the Silver Forest’s Truth-Seeker, with who I was acquainted. In the end, she was a being that could find me, so the first thing we thought of was a method of borrowing the power of an inviolable being.

However, once the plan had failed, the next alternative was implemented.

“Quécadios! I’ll make an offering to you! Please give me a spell!”

-Grrrrrrrr!

=… Huh? What is this?=

The Truth-Seeker’s will was mixed with irritation. I noticed that her power that had been rushing around me bounced off. The place where I was standing turned quickly into an altar for offering sacrifices to God. The pure white light condensed under my feet created a magic circle.

=That won’t last long though.=

She was sarcastic.

A collection of divine powers filled the surroundings. The radius of one room around me could no longer be called the whole Earth dimension. At the same time as the altar was created, it was separated into a half-overlapping state. It wasn’t as completely cut off as when I summoned Kylgeniapros, but it was certainly not the same dimension.

Therefore, the Space Ghost couldn’t extend her power to that extent. Regardless of the species’ characteristics, even if she used her power as the Truth-Seeker, she couldn’t exceed the power of God.

=… You’re acting stupid. Do you think you can maintain that temporary dimension for a thousand years and ten thousand years? Then, did you prepare the offering and open the altar?=

She mocked me with sarcasm. Yes, I knew, and that was only a temporary measure. That was an altar for offering sacrifices to God and getting the spells. An environment that had the effect of transforming the dimension for a moment but disappeared immediately after the ritual was over.

Moreover, once the altar had been opened, it couldn’t be overturned without offering sacrifices.

-Wooooong!

God’s pressure fell on my body. The reaction wasn’t favorable since it wasn’t a properly made altar. It was impatient that I couldn’t hold it for long, and even the great beings who received the sacrifice didn’t want to. The intangible will urged me by telling me not to waste time and hand out the sacrifices quickly.

I took the crystal out of my backpack and lifted it. It was a dinner for Quécadios, a mixture of all the Earth’s metal elements at the desired rate and sealed by God. I didn’t have to kill a summoner in exchange for its spell, but instead, I had to get an expensive metal called scandium or rhodium.

I could feel that God’s attention was on my hands. Gramiel, who was looking at me from outside the altar, smiled brutally. I couldn’t last that long. The altar would disappear as soon as the offering was made, and she was waiting for the moment.

=What are you doing? Are you going to incur God’s wrath? If you open the altar, you have to make an offering as soon as possible.=

Gramiel whispered. She was everywhere my eyes were, and at the same time, she was nowhere. The space she created flowed and boiled constantly.

Parvache whispered in my head.

[She missed once so that she won’t miss it twice. As soon as this altar disappears, she will strike without giving you a chance to build the next one.]

I asked back.

‘… Is there really no choice but to do that?’

He responded.

[That’s all I can think of at this moment.]

Damn it!

Since I could no longer keep God waiting, I began the crystal’s dedication in my hand. A mix of metallic elements that cost about a few houses in Seoul lightly melted into the air. God showed signs of satisfaction. The eyes of the Truth-Seeker looking at me are dimly shining.

‘Then… I’ll open it!’

Simultaneously, as the offering ritual to God was going on, I brought in the dimensional map. The altar was originally made to buy time to calculate the coordinates. The signal flew like an arrow to a distant dimension.

=Hmm?=

The Truth-Seeker’s reaction was sour. I desperately calculated the coordinates. The Seed on my chest created a circular light, and it expanded to the size that barely covered my body.

=What is it? Are you going to summon another bug?=

“Bug?”

I laughed and said, “The one who is over this door right now… you even can’t call it yourself.”

I opened the Channel, and the two dimensions were completely connected. The destination was a place I had been to several times so far, even though the other person had always dragged me, but the coordinates had been clearly left in my heart.

Existence beyond that Channel wasn’t the subject of the contract with me. Therefore, there was no coordination through the soul in advance.

-Gwoooooong!

What I was sure of was that ‘that guy’ would certainly be there at the moment. So, I connected the Channel with the coordinates I knew without prior appointment or contract to come over. It was quite different from the usual way of checking the contractor’s location first and then opening the door.

The offering ritual to God was nearing the end. The altar gradually began to disappear, but at the same time, another kind of presence covered the space. It was flowing from none other than the Channel on my chest. That was proof that it was properly connected to the target place. Gramiel’s eyes grew bigger.

=… What is it? This… don’t tell me?=

Maru, which had wrapped my body like armor, suddenly fluttered insanely. The bronze tentacles twirled and shook like waves on my skin.

‘Are you glad to see it again?’

I spoke those words in my heart.

‘Maru, if you’re happy… Call it! Just give me a hand!’

Maru stopped wriggling and held its breath as if focusing on something. As time passed, the concentration of the pouring presence began to get even deeper!

Yes, honestly, it was a gamble, but there was a strong conviction. Originally, mortals like me were worse than bugs for ‘them.’ However, the act of giving me a name certainly made sense. It meant that it had a reason to remember me and recognize me.

So, I bet my hopes. In the first place, there was no choice other than this!

-Swiiiiiiiiing!

Quécadios, who had eaten all the offerings, left the altar. At the same time, the spells that weren’t lacking in the first place were charged more, and the power of God that pressed me faded. The temporary dimension created by God began to collapse.

=You! What the hell?!=

As soon as the altar disappeared, my body returned to the Earth’s dimension. At the same time, Gramiel’s power covered my whole body!

However, before her powers completely encroached on my body, something huge gushed out of the Channel on my chest.

-Khrrrrrrrrrrrrrk!

=This… what the hell are you doing?!=

Gramiel’s will rang out like a scream.

It was just a single trunk of tentacles that protruded through my chest. However, the thickness was almost enough to fill the Channel. I thought I would be about as wide as my arms. Following the movement, all directions vibrated.

The color was turquoise, similar to Maru. However, in terms of scale, it was a huge stem that couldn’t be compared. Moreover, the strength it had was even more overwhelming.

The tentacles’ source, which remained in the dimension beyond the Channel, swung it in the air with a whirling sound as soon as the tentacle came over to that side, then scrawled in a giant semicircle all over the place!

=Oh… that’s crazy!=

According to Parvache’s knowledge, the Space Ghost apparently couldn’t inflict injury with ordinary physical force or magic, and Gramiel, who evolved from that race, screamed!

At that moment, I looked like a human with a giant tentacle that was thicker than my torso on my chest, and the tentacles were whipping and whirling like a cow tail chasing flies.

-Whiick! Slap! Wheeeeck! Kwooong!

Each time the tentacle shook, space was torn off, and between the cracks of the broken kaleidoscope-like space, I saw a scene where Gramiel flashed and switched her existence like crazy. It was like running away from tentacle attacks. She screamed…

=You… Are you really going to come out like this? Are you trying to compete with me in earnest? Disputes like this don’t help either side! It’s definitely you who will suffer even more after the conflict begins! I’m storing the largest number of souls among the Truth-Seekers that have Channeled this dimension!=

Suddenly, beyond the Channel on my heart, the heavy wills flowed out and answered her.

=What do you do if you have a lot of souls to eat? You can’t even digest it properly. Do you think it’s a good idea only to evolve the world with such insignificant spirit veins? Well, since your race of origin wasn’t very good in the first place, so you must have aimed for such a foolish method. You must’ve felt the limit to the species growth, huh! Isn’t it? ‘Shadow Thorn?’=

=Don’t call my true name in front of a mortal!=

=It seems that you’re putting a lot of attention on the so-called mortal. I can’t believe you’re going to take this dimension after studying this human. Such a stupid idea is even surprising.=

From Gramiel’s pointed skinny face, a burst of flesh spewed out. I desperately put on both mental and physical defenses at the same time to prevent my heart from being stopped by shock. Oh, my God, the monster fight was making my back explode.

Gramiel stared at me and spoke.

=Did you hear it through that fragment after the Channel opened? Nonsense. Such a feeble piece of fragment doesn’t have that much intelligence?=

=It’s not always what you see. What do you know about my race? It was a civilization long before the Space Ghost was born. Anyway, I can’t just wait to see that you will take that dimension alone. Thanks to you, I know about it. Well done, Reclusive Soul, and my fragment…=

Gramiel spat out a scream of will.

=Are you really going to intervene, Song of Chaos?!=

=Yes, of course. In the first place, I shared information about the Reclusive Soul with Truth-Seekers, not to do this. You’re the one who bothered me by acting up!=

The Silver Forest’s Truth-Seeker, Song of Chaos, which left its will behind, began to unleash enormous power through the Channel. His heavy will vibrated everywhere.

=It was the first time for ‘Song of Chaos’… to cross a fine hole and fight directly among the Truth-Seekers, instead of striving for the souls. Well… I don’t even need to cross the Channel I have pierced to Earth to deal with you. It will be enough as it is now.=

After declaring that it wouldn’t move its main body, but would deal with only one tentacle through the Seed Channel, the Truth-Seeker of Silver Forest said.

=Yeah… against a half-pun, like you, who can’t even digest a soul.=

And then, everything I could see exploded.