[Nightmare]

Chapter 38 [Savage Revenge]

"The Jealous Faction showed up to confront Helix after he purchased Emelia.

According to the reports, Walter pushed Sigmund into a wall.

Then Lina used her Nightmare to electrocute Walter, who's still in critical condition." Atlas explained.

"Are you trying to tell us that their infighting is more brutal than what happened to Helix and Emelia?

If you are, I'll smash your teeth in." Charlotte replied with a murderous gaze.

Atlas, Marie, Charlotte, and Riley were in a Nightmare containment cell.

They were together as a group.

However, the individuals identified as holding grudges were locked in different cells.

The innocent students were under house arrest and being guarded at all times.

"Look, I'm not downplaying what happened to Helix and Emelia.

I'm telling you how savage his revenge was.

If you're not into that type of thing, then just sleep." Atlas replied casually.

"Wait… did you just say [revenge]?" Charlotte asked with wide eyes.

"That's right." Atlas replied with a gentle smile.

Marie pulled her face from her knees and stared at Atlas with puffy eyes.

"Helix… took revenge already?" She whispered.

"Yeah. If my theory is correct, his actions held the intention of letting this entire city burn to the ground." Atlas said with an evil grin.

"It's far more devastating than what we tried to do."

"Hurry up, then! Tell us already!" Charlotte snapped.

"Now, let's start with what the students said happened.

It started with a mirror the Jealous Faction referred to as the Mirror of Helioquie."

Everyone listened in close with wide eyes.

—

"This mirror has magic circles on it.

What is it, Grandmaster Tilo?" A man asked at the crime scene.

"It's the Circle of Vanity, the Circle of Disillusion, and the Circle of Remembrance." Tilo replied.

"However, this is no ordinary Circle of Vanity or Circle of Disillusion, Sammath.

It has a blood oath signature on it."

The guard standing next to Tilo raised an eyebrow.

"What's a blood oath signature?" He asked.

"The Myriad record contains information and power that passes through it at all times.

However, it's inaccessible and cannot be unlocked unless invoked.

One of the ways you can invoke it is through a blood pact oath." Tilo explained.

"Blood pact oaths can only work between truthful parties.

For example, if someone offers information for the blood pact and doesn't have it, they will die after entering it.

Moreover, the oath ensures that both parties carry out their demands.

The oaths inscribed become law and undisputed truth as a result.

The party in the blood oath can ask questions to the Myriad record to confirm the veracity of what's at stake." Tilo continued.

"A blood oath signature contains the information of the oath and also the data that is requested.

This blood pact signature denotes the names of the young adults we just hauled away and a degree of their life's information.

The ones that are alive, anyway." Tilo explained.

"What does the pact do to the magic circle?" Sammath asked.

"I'm not certain since that information isn't disclosed.

However, according to our suspects, it reverted them to their original appearance before using the Eye of the Beauty.

So it's a strong guess that the circle maker requested information on the individual's original appearance, and the circle created the illusion they reverted.

The Circle of Disillusion magnified their belief by leaving them in a state vulnerable to suggestion." Tilo concluded.

"I don't understand. Why would that lead to… this?" Sammath pointed.

Blood filled the cracks between cobblestones.

Smoke was rising out of buildings that the fire department had recently extinguished.

The walls of some buildings had collapsed.

"We don't know, but we'll know when we meet up with Macron.

I doubt the circle writer would inscribe a Circle of Remembrance without intending to leave a record." Tilo replied.

"Can't we check now?" Sammath asked.

Tilo shook his head.

"I'm amazed to say this, but a custom spirit mix is required to unlock it.

This is a double-layer circle, the first later holds another message.

I've never seen anything like this." Tilo replied.

"Whoever created these magic circles is… appalling.

The creator modified Level 1 and 2 circles to pull off effects available for Level 5 circles.

It's brilliant but extremely inefficient.

The advanced level of knowledge that is used here makes creating Level 5 circles look like a joke.

So it seems to say that the circle maker has the skill for high-level circles but doesn't have enough spirit particle reserve to use them.

Moreover, the blood oath signature integration means the maker entered the blood oath to get the information.

Lastly, I've never seen this strange form of security measure." Tilo commented in amazement.

"That boy… that's Helix, right?

Do you think that he did this?" Sammath asked.

"Judging by reason alone, that should be impossible.

These circles use magical knowledge that is only available to the circle masters and elite mage cores in Myriad.

Moreover, it's been just a month since he's arrived, and magic circles are difficult to make." Tilo replied while shaking his head.

"However, if he is the person responsible…."

Tilo looked at the mirror in his hand one more time.

"We can't let this kid go no matter what.

He's far more valuable than any other hero who entered Alzeria in the last century.

I'm setting up a circle for his transport after his condition stabilizes and I finish this report.

If he's responsible, I'll be journeying with him.

This…. I can't believe what I'm seeing."

—

"The mirror had magic circles inscribed on it that temporarily reverted all of their faces to their original appearance." Atlas said with a mocking smile.

"No, waaaaaaay." Charlotte called out with excitement in her eyes.

"I don't think it's appropriate for you to get excited, Charlotte.

It's a great prank, but it's hardly revenge." Riley replied quietly.

"Ooooooooh? How many people got hurt, Atlas?" Charlotte asked with hellfire blazing in her eyes.

"Three died, one's in critical condition, and four are wounded.

So only two left the area unscathed.

The area they found Helix and Emelia in is completely wrecked." Atlas replied with a matching grin.

"Wait, what!?" Marie cried in astonishment.

"What, Marie? How many stories about Helix's magic stories do you have to hear before you understand that nothing is simple?" He asked dismissively.

"He probably set them up with the blame game." Charlotte replied with a wicked grin.

"Blame game?" Riley asked.

"Yeah. Created a scenario where they started blaming everyone else for the misfortune.

That way, they'd attack each other." Charlotte explained.

"That makes sense…. Also, you can't see your own face.

So if people started telling you that you were ugly, you'd get offended.

Considering how violent and jealous those people were… that result isn't surprising." Marie pondered.

"Worse." Atlas announced with an evil grin.

"Whatever he did to them has convinced them that their appearance hasn't changed back.

Lina's been clawing her face away in a Nightmare holding cell.

They had to send in guards to restrain her."

"Hellie's a savage… if he pushes through, I'll commit to full-time harem status!" Charlotte declared with a serious expression.

The four laughed lightly.

"I think that the city will burn to the ground because Helix left dozens of Circle of Remembrances behind." Atlas announced.

"Wait… does that mean they know the people that killed Emelia and stabbed Helix?" Marie asked with vicious eyes.

Atlas shrugged his shoulders.

"Who knows. But I can tell you this—Helix didn't just capture immense amounts of evidence for no reason.

If someone killed Emelia, I'm certain he won't hold back, and this entire city will suffer.

The culprits are officially irrelevant.

It's better to sit back and watch the show."

The four sat in solitude for about an hour.

Suddenly, the door unlocking shattered the silence, and a gruff man walked into the room.

Macron peered at all of the students in the room with his dark red eyes.

The five of them stared at one another in silence for a full minute.

No one wanted to be the first to speak.

"I… will start with the news you want to hear most.

Helix is still alive. His survival isn't guaranteed, but the head doctor of the royal kingdom is treating him around the clock." Macron announced.

"Thank you, Macron. We appreciate the information." Riley replied after ten seconds of silence.

No one in the room wanted to speak to the man.

They were all knocked out and dragged into a confinement cell.

Macron sighed with a pitiful expression.

"I… have some news for all of you.

Or, rather, it's a message from Helix." He said hesitantly.

"Wait, what!? Is he awake!?

Take us to him now!" Marie demanded.

Macron took a deep breath and shook his head.

"No, he's not awake. He left messages for each of you, a general ask, and a colossal king-sized dragon's nest of recordings that could raze this city to the ground." He sighed.

Charlotte and Atlas exchanged smug looks.

Marie turned her head to say, that's a [you] problem, not an [us] problem.

Macron took a deep breath.

"I failed Helix and everyone else.

However, he told me to remind you that [giving an anti-social light novel reader a system is a calamity that normal people can't prepare for].

Then he said to remind you that [creating fifty system-wielding otaku super-virgins is a genuine recipe for the sixth mass extinction].

Third, [there's no point in being in a harem if people like Lina rule the world].

Fourth, [it will be a pain in the ass to live in Myriad if the Alzerian kingdom is after you. This isn't a cultivation world].

Lastly, [for the sake of humankind, and the reputation of our people, don't give a sensible person like Macron a hard time]."

After a moment of stunned silence, the room erupted into laughter.

"Gahhhhh. Can't that Hellie let us hate a person in peace?" Charlotte whined while puffing out her cheeks.

? "Nah. Helix is the most pragmatically impractical person in existence.

Running out and doing something extremely stupid and then chastising us for being rational is his specialty." Atlas laughed.

"I like your idea of rational." Riley giggled.

"Me too…." Marie whispered.

She wanted to laugh but found it difficult to break through her thoughts.

"Okay…." Macron announced hesitantly.

"He has asked you all for a general favor upon my behalf.

When I explain… Please don't burn this city to the ground."

—

[A/N: Revenge and punishment are far from over. So please don't think anyone's leaving with light trauma.

Moreover, while it isn't apparent, what Helix did to Lina with the mirror was 8-layers more savage than making her go insane over her appearance.

I encourage everyone to work together to figure out what the purpose behind the Mirror of Helioquie is and why Helix went through so much danger to make it.]

Disclaimer: Grammatical mistakes and minor inconsistencies = more content.