Chapter 202 – Imitation and Creation (One)

So you know how to use the prism.

“How?”

Ray’s question was brief, but its meaning was sufficiently conveyed.

“It’s something we have in the Last Forest too. Though there’s only one.”

Grine calmly brushed the dust off the prism.

She looked around, then headed to a window where thin, slanted beams of light were falling, and lifted the prism to place it in the path of the light.

What in the world is she doing?

Just as he was wondering.

“…!”

Ray couldn’t help but feel his heart plummet.

A multicolored line was shooting out from the prism, crossing the empty air.

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.

Seven colors layered upon each other.

The light was very faint due to its weak intensity.

But how could he not recognize it?

Intense excitement washed over the boy’s entire body, and the yellow gem’s Mana, resonating with his emotions, began to surge with unprecedented force.

Crackle──! Cracklecrackle──!

Electricity began to flow along the boy’s body, and sparks instantly covered the interior of the tower.

Ray, who had taken on a human form composed almost entirely of yellow light, spoke.

“A rainbow?”

“Well, the shape is similar. I think it would be best for you to calm down first.”

Grine said, showing a rare sign of fluster.

“First, try to regulate your breathing. Imagine you’re in a green meadow right now.”

“I can’t picture it.”

“Try to at least conjure the idea.”

“Okay. I’m in a meadow.”

“Breathe slowly while looking up at the clear sky. The birds flying peacefully, the white clouds drifting leisurely, and…”

“A rainbow.”

The sparks intensified twofold.

Artifacts clattered as they fell, and Grine hid under a table, emerging only after Ray had calmed down.

“You mustn’t get excited this time.”

Grine repositioned the prism in the path of the light and removed her hand.

The prism remained fixed in mid-air, maintaining its rainbow-like form.

Sparks still crackled, but they were much weaker than before thanks to Ray focusing his mind and controlling his emotions.

After briefly observing Ray’s demeanor and feeling relieved, Grine continued.

“I first learned about the legend of the rainbow from the outside world, through you, Ray-nim. A seven-colored band appearing in the sky. Hearing the story, I suddenly remembered the prism in the Last Forest. It’s not in the shape of a bisected ring, but the prism is an object that can precisely create a line composed of seven colors. However, I didn’t expect to see a prism here again.”

A hint of gladness was mixed in Grine’s gaze toward the prism.

Ray followed her lead and stared at the prism and the seven-colored line.

‘It’s not a rainbow.’

After the thick excitement subsided for a moment.

It didn’t take long for him to realize the phenomenon before his eyes was not a rainbow.

A rainbow was said to be a giant band hanging in a clear sky.

Its colors were said to be so vivid that its presence could be seen anywhere in the world.

But the multicolored line appearing before his eyes now was tiny in size and its colors were very faint.

In other words.

“It looks like something mimicking a rainbow.”

“I think so too.”

“The owner of this tower said he found the prism in the Ruins. Why is there a prism in the Last Forest?”

“I don’t know. It’s just been passed down. No one knew its exact purpose. It was considered more of a craft object that draws beautiful lines in the air.”

“It’s not a craft object.”

Grine looked back at Ray.

“Do you know something about it?”

“It’s an object made to honor and revere someone.”

Ray, who had been wandering among the fallen artifacts, soon found Binjin’s notebook.

“Here, the prism’s purpose is written.”

“It’s in Ancient Script, so I can’t read it.”

“‘We will be waiting for you, always, lest we forget.’ That’s the meaning. And emotions are conveyed through the script. Longing, gratitude, sorrow, and also…”

After hearing Ray’s words, Grine fell into thought before speaking.

“Could it be to honor that figure in the mural?”

“Which figure?”

“The earlier part of the mural. The part where the mural, which had been drawn only in black, white, and gray, began to take on various colors. A figure was standing beneath a rainbow, remember?”

“I remember.”

“That figure seemed to breathe color into a colorless world. Based on the mural’s content. After that, the world in the mural began to develop rapidly.”

Grine’s opinion made sense.

If someone is revered and honored, the subject likely achieved some great feat.

As Ray stared intently at the prism and the multicolored line, a question suddenly arose.

By what principle does the prism convert the light it receives into multiple colors?

Given that no Mana flows through it, it’s definitely not a Magic tool.

Then, as if reading Ray’s question, Grine answered.

“The prism has the function of splitting light.”

“Splitting light?”

“Yes. Red. Orange. Yellow. Green, blue, indigo. Violet. They are all colors that light originally contains. They were just separated after being combined.”

Ray was a bit bewildered.

He couldn’t believe the fact that sunlight, which he had always taken for granted, was composed of multiple components.

He immediately voiced his doubt.

“You’re saying that if you break down sunlight, multiple colors appear. It also sounds like if you combine the colors, you get the color of sunlight as we know it.”

“That’s correct. You grasp things quickly.”

“But light is white. How can sunlight, containing so many colors, appear white? Normally, the more colors you mix, the darker and muddier they become.”

The boy, who had a different perspective from ordinary Wizards, was extremely sensitive to color.

He could meticulously distinguish the subtle differences between similar hues and precisely understood what color would result from mixing specific ones.

Therefore, the idea that mixing seven colors could produce white was very difficult for him to accept.

“You might think that. But light and color are different.”

Grine smiled lightly and explained calmly.

The more you mix light, the whiter it becomes.

The more you mix color, the darker it becomes.

Also, light exists in and of itself, while color is merely a part of reflected light.

“There is light in the world. White light, white light. Light is scattered throughout the entire world. Whether living or non-living, everything absorbs some of the colors contained in white light and reflects others. Of course, the specific colors vary for each thing.”

Grine fiddled with her long hair as she continued her explanation.

“For example, my hair reflects the green light contained in white light.”

“…….”

The difference between light and color.

An unfamiliar and strange concept.

But thanks to Grine’s detailed explanation, he could roughly understand.

‘Atmospheric Mana becomes darker the more you mix it.’

That story applied equally to Ring’s Mana, even after Purification.

A thought suddenly struck Ray, and he mixed the yellow gem’s Mana with the green gem’s Mana he had borrowed from Grine.

Yellow and green.

As far as he knew, mixing the two should produce a murky, dull shade of lime green.

However, the color appearing before his eyes now was the same lime green, but it felt much more vivid and bright.

Furthermore, the gem’s Mana itself emitted a faint glow.

‘Atmospheric Mana is color, gem’s Mana is light…’

Just as Ray was feeling like he understood something, yet not quite, Grine’s explanation continued.

“And the perception of color can also vary by species. It means the world we see and the world other animals see might be different.”

“…I think I understand what you mean. When I borrowed Nero’s vision through Familiar Magic before, many objects looked strangely colored.”

“It’s fascinating, isn’t it? That we live in the same world, yet simultaneously live in entirely different worlds. In your case, Ray-nim, you said you can see Mana with the naked eye.”

Grine caught her breath and asked.

“What is your world like, Ray-nim?”

After wandering around the tower interior for a while, Grine returned holding a Stone Tablet and offered it to Ray.

“Please read it.”

“…….”

It was a Stone Tablet inscribed with a fairy tale about a rainbow and the sun.

He didn’t want to read it because the latter part was cut off, but thinking his impression might change, he slowly read it aloud.

“The splendid rainbow of seven brilliant colors was very beautiful. The sun, the clouds, the rain, the snow, and the wind all thought so.”

“Please read it a bit more melodiously.”

Rustle.

When he looked up, Grine was sitting in a chair holding a jerky packet with an interested expression.

“I can only read it.”

“Ah, give it back.”

After transferring ownership of the jerky, Ray resumed his reading.

“…But the rainbow fell to the earth. And so, the world shed its shell-like layer of black and white and became dyed with color.”

He read the story with more concentration than last time, but his impression didn’t change much.

It was just as irritating because the content cut off abruptly at the important part.

‘So what happened to the sun that chased after the rainbow and fell to the earth?’

Just as he was thinking that, a moved voice was heard.

“Chasing after it because of love…! How romantic…! The sun must have loved the rainbow passionately…!”

When he looked up, he could see Veronica sitting in the seat next to Grine.

In her hand was a small pot with green sprouts emerging.

“When did you get here?”

“From the part where the rainbow fell to the earth. I came to show this to Grine-nim.”

“It is indeed a World Tree sprout. And its condition is good, it seems you’ve taken good care of it.”

After examining the pot, Grine turned her gaze back to Ray and returned to the original topic.

“Well, the content reminds me of the mural we saw. The mural also had a part where a black-and-white world changed to multicolored. What do you think? Ray-nim, did any images come to mind while reading the story?”

“None at all.”

Grine took out a sketchbook and began drawing swiftly.

Soon, the completed few pages contained content matching the fairy tale on the Stone Tablet.

“These are the images that came to my mind while listening to the story. Naturally, without even consciously trying. What about you, Veronica-nim?”

“Ah, me? I also imagined similar scenes! Though not as splendid images as these!”

Grine nodded and spoke to Ray.

“This is the minimum standard for exercising imagination. You must be able to effortlessly convert concepts received through text into images.”

A new sketchbook was handed to Ray.

Tearing open the packaging and opening it, pristine white drawing papers fluttered past.

“That will be the space where your world unfolds. Draw anything. Start with imitation. Whether it’s beautiful or ugly. Good or bad, moving or still. White or black.”

“…….”

Ray gripped the pencil.

He tried to draw whatever came to mind, but his mind was a blank slate. Looking around, his gaze stopped on Veronica.

“Huh? Are you going to draw me?”

Ray nodded.

Veronica’s eyes widened. She took out a mirror, tidied her hair and face, then sat up straight in a fresh, lively pose.

“I’m ready!”

Feelings of excitement and anticipation surged hotly within the girl’s Vessel.

Only the ticking of the second hand and the scratching sound of the pencil filled the space.

“It’s done.”

Ray turned the sketchbook around.

Something with a human form was drawn there.

“Is this… me…?”

A bewildered voice flowed out.

Veronica’s emotions began to swirl like a storm, and Ray grabbed another sketchbook nearby and hurriedly exited the tower.

─Ray! Wait a minute! This is too much! Let’s talk!

The boy rolled his body to dodge the wind vines the girl shot at him, slipped out the mansion door, and walked away quickly.

As he distanced himself from the furious, murderous aura, he soon arrived at the bustling streets.

‘Drawing is harder than I thought.’

Ray picked up a rolling wooden crate, sat on it, and looked around.

The fountain in the center of the plaza.

The street vendors positioned around it.

The pedestrians busily coming and going.

Subjects were overflowing.

Scratch scratch.*

How long had it been since he bowed his head and focused on drawing?

“That’s a remarkably unique painting style.”

At the voice that reached him, he turned his head and saw a blond youth holding a sketchbook.

Ray’s gaze landed on the three Rings positioned on the youth’s chest.