Return of the Fallen Volume 5 Chapter 76
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Author: Blue_Rat
ch76
Glacious was about to lead Kazuki and the others but Kazuki couldn’t get past something.
“Senior, that silver pill, why did we not get one. If it increases strength as you say and so easily, what was the point of the suffering we endured?”
A feeling of indignation spread around but Glacious quickly put a stop to that.
“Do you think Modoshi pills simply grow on trees. I had the one pill. For my niece I gladly handed that over for the rest of you all, the cauldron was more then enough. Besides even if I wanted to make more pills I couldn’t. My elder was responsible for that knowledge and now it is lost and that is on me. Any more questions?”
After hearing Glacious’s reasons, they couldn’t be too mad about that and remained silent.
“Good now follow me.”
Glacious then guided Kazuki and the others half a mile or so into the forest. After that, he led them to the side of a mountain.
“This is it.”
Glacious stopped next to a large mountain wall and said that.
The wall stretched up far into the sky. Shin was already feeling disappointed.
“Teacher, this is the spot. When you said you had a special place for us to train, I expected more from a legendary dragon you know. Something mighty and grand or a holy sight or something incredible. Who knew we’d just be going up the mountain. The number of times we’ve crossed a mountain you’d think we’d be professional hikers or mountain climbers by now.”
Glacious ignored Shin’s cutting words and instead placed a hand on the wall in front of him. A bit of energy gathered into his palm and with a slight press, the energy dove into the mountain.
*CHSHAaaaA*
A weird unidentifiable sound escaped from beyond the wall and with it, a split formed in said wall. The split was perfectly center and straight and climbed 100 feet up the wall. Rocks rumbled and moved about inside the wall until the split formed two large doors. Glacious pushed the doors open slightly and walked in, disappearing into the side of the mountain. A moment later he called out to the dumbfounded group.
“What are you all waiting for, enter.”
Kazuki walked in without hesitation. Followed after him was Asuna and then Sam. Everyone entered and was greeted by darkness. Though it was dark, due to them all having superior senses they could see perfectly fine. However before they could take the sight in, lights along the walls and ceiling lit up all at once with a blinding white light.
Shielding their eyes for a moment, finally, they adjusted to it and took in a grand hall which lay before them. The floor was lined with tiles made from red and blue crystals of some kind, while the ceiling had was a sea of black. Besides the lights protruding from the ceiling, the rest of it was covered in darkness. The walls on either side of the room were covered in nothing but gold and etched in each wall were thousands of inscriptions that glowed and pulsed as though the room itself was a living breathing thing.
Glacious snapped his fingers and the door leading outward slammed shut. The sound of the outside world was immediately cut off. Not just the sound from outside, but inside the room as well. Everyone quickly noticed that the sound of their breath was gone. Shin tried to say something but no sound escaped his mouth. Not only that, even the rhythmic beating of their hearts could no longer be heard. Had they never experienced Tsura or Mei’s silencing screech, it wouldn’t be surprising if one or two of them panicked from this lack of sound.
(“You all are calm. Have you experienced something similar before?”)
Glacious’s voice echoed inside everyone’s mind all at once. They couldn’t help but be amazed by this.
Glacious’s voice rang out once more inside their heads.
(“Ah that’s right this is the first time I’m using this in your presence. This is simply telepathy. This room of mine may appear simple from its tame appearance but this room as a whole is a magic tool of mine. It can help express thoughts and emotions to others and it does this not with the use of my magic but the power that’s already stored within it. Therefore before you get too worried Kazuki, this will have no negative impact on me.”)
(“Who said I was concerned?”)
Kazuki’s eyes went wide as he noticed his thoughts came across everyone.
(“Kazuki how did you do that!? Eh, How am I doing this?”)
Asuna just thought that and it was expressed to the others. Before they went down the rabbit hole, Glacious jumped in.
(“I would be careful doing this if I were you. When you want to hide your thoughts, simply imagine a veil over them, otherwise, everything you think will be expressed to the others. That is one of the specialties of this room. “)
Everyone began imagining a veil to hide their thoughts before something embarrassing came out.
Glacious nodded in approval.
(“This room helps but the fact that all of you are covering your thoughts on the first try is indeed a talent. Either that or your all naturally deceitful… I’m kidding.”)
Glacious thought that in jest but the mood became weird following that comment.
(“Forget it, it was a mere joke, let’s head in deeper and I can help walk you through this.”)
(“Whoa this place actually goes deeper?”)
Everyone paused and looked at Shin.
(“What, I’m genuinely curious.”)
Asuna huffed.
(“Yeah right, like you can be serious. Were all waiting for the stupid punch line. What is it? This place actually goes deeper, than your mom, or something like that right?”)
Shin keeled over with laughter but none could hear it.
(“Asuna, I never knew you had such thoughts. You’re a huge ass perv, bwahahahaha.”)
Asuna’s eyelid began to twitch but before things went any more astray, Glacious grabbed Shin by the collar and began dragging him further in. Shin didn’t dare resist Glacious and went willingly while Asuna smiled smugly.
Heading further and further in, they entered through door after door but oddly enough they found themselves in the exact same room. Only after doing this for a few minutes did Glacious mention.
(“These rooms may seem the same but they actually differ ever so slightly. They are like mirrors of mirrors. Each one with its own imperfection, though to an amateur’s eye you would not be able to point out the minute distinction but they are in fact there. Once you understand this fact, things become smoother. Remember that.”)
Kazuki and the others didn’t know why Glacious said all of that but they didn’t have to ponder it too long as Glacious came upon one final door. Opening it, they all followed him in. This time the room actually did appear to be different. The room was quite small. Maybe 15 feet by 15 and the room was dome-shaped rather than cube-shaped. On the floor were 6 mats, five of them around a single one in the center.
Glacious dragged Shin to one of the outside mats before he himself sat in the center one.
(“Just like Etora is to help my niece, I will help you all. In the end though, the biggest factor of whether or not you can achieve the 4th stage, that will rely on you lot. Have a seat.”)
Everyone did as they were instructed and sat on the empty mats around Glacious before he started.
(“This room, like all of the others, as you all have noticed, is devoid of all sound. Whether it be the next room over or the outside world, no sound can penetrate here nor there. Even with my skill, I can not observe the outside world from this location. These rooms are designed like this for a special purpose. That of which is to train the mind, test it, and empower it. This whole place is a magic tool designed to enhance one’s mind. Even now, just sitting in this circle around me, each one of your mind’s is already slowly but surely improving. Memory, comprehension, even the rate at which your mind can send signals to the body is improving as I share these thoughts with you. Long ago, this place was a proving ground for those of my clan members. Now it simply takes up space. I never thought I would have a need for it again in this life but then you lot came along.”)
Kimi raised her hand and Glacious nodded.
(“What is it?”)
(“Teacher, you said this place is used to test. Test what exactly?”)
(“So you caught that detail little mouse. Yes, a test of the mind. Very soon I will fully activate this room and each one of you will slip away or rather your mind will. You will come across terrifying illusions akin to your greatest nightmares. These illusions are like demons in one’s consciousness. They are derived from your fears, your hatred, the thing in which you desire most. All of it will be twisted and pointed into a dagger to strike you. You must resist and you must attack. You must overcome or you will fail.”)
Kimi raised her hand once again, this time her voice was filled with nervousness.
(“What happens if we fail to defeat these mind demons, these terrors?”)
(“Simple…you die…or maybe you slip into a coma, or maybe you just go unconscious. It all depends on how badly you are affected.”)
Everyone felt their spines tingle and Shin couldn’t help but protest.
(“Teacher what kind of bullshit is this!? How in the hell is this even necessary? How does this allow us to enter the 4th stage?”)
Glacious shook his head.
(“It doesn’t.”)
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