Chapter 259 – Watchmen (One)

[User recognized.]

[Recognition complete.]

[Welcome, User No. 1.]

‘User No. 1.’

He had heard that same greeting when he first visited Ignis’s Cube in Sector 37.

「Welcome on your second visit, User No. 1. Your current location is Business Processing Room No. 23.」

Naturally, he thought it was an error.

If that were true, it would mean he was the very first person to open an account with Ignis.

But he was still User No. 1.

It seemed the error hadn’t been fixed.

Whirr!

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue….

Seven colored lines crisscrossed the card ceaselessly, emitting light.

Ding— Ding— Ding—

Each time, a clear sound rang from the card, and the multicolored lines gradually slowed their movement before finally stopping completely, remaining as patterns as if fossilized.

[All function locks have been released. Please specify the function you wish to use.]

“I can use the card’s functions?”

[Please specify the function.]

“I’m not Rainbow.”

[Please specify the function.]

“Originally, Ignis cards can only be used by their registered owners.”

[If no function is specified within 30 seconds, the White Card will automatically switch to an inactive state.]

No matter how many times he asked, no direct answer to his questions came back.

It seemed the range of possible responses was quite limited.

“What functions can I use?”

[You can retrieve items stored in Akrassium, and conversely, it is also possible to store external items.]

“I’d like to withdraw 1 Shilling.”

[Confirmed.]

A coin that appeared in mid-air fell onto Ray’s palm.

“I’ll store it again.”

[Confirmed.]

The coin was enveloped in light and vanished without a trace.

Withdrawal and storage.

It all happened in an instant, but Ray had caught the glimpse of a small spatial rift opening and closing above his palm.

‘The items must travel through the rift.’

Thinking that, he continued his questions.

“Can I see a list of what items are stored in Akrassium?”

[…Updating storage list. The dormant system requires maintenance due to aging, and the update may take some time.]

“How long?”

[Estimated time required is 2 weeks.]

That was too long.

Less than ten days remained until the Day of the Sun when the Dawn Society would reveal its malice to the world.

After several more questions and experiments, he learned that he couldn’t retrieve an item unless he knew its name or recognized its form.

A thought suddenly flashed through Ray’s pondering mind.

“Can I store myself in Akrassium?”

[It is possible.]

“Then right now….”

Just then, the Pope and Solite approached.

Having heard the explanation about the card, the two showed different reactions.

“An item prepared for Rainbow… If it’s alright, perhaps it would be better to deliver it to him personally later? There’s no guarantee Rainbow will find his way here correctly. Of course, how to handle it is entirely up to you.”

Ray nodded and said.

“And it seems I can enter Rael’s warehouse through the card. I need to check, but it seems many items are stored there besides money.”

“Ray-nim, for us to recklessly lay hands on an item prepared for Rainbow….”

“There might be equipment that would be a great help in the battle against the Dawn Society.”

“I think receiving that much as a card storage fee is perfectly reasonable. After all, it’s customary for a certain portion of lost items to be given as a reward to the initial finder.”

As Ray fell silent, Solite gave him a pointed look and urged him on.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going in?”

“…….”

Ray, about to say something, turned his body towards the light cluster and spoke.

“Store me in Akrassium.”

[Confirmed.]

Whoooosh!

The instantly expanding light cluster swallowed Ray’s entire body.

Soon, along with a fading consciousness, he felt a sensation as if his body was being moved somewhere.

‘The nauseating ride feeling is still the same.’

How much time passed like that?

As the light cleared, the revealed scenery… made Ray’s heart pound wildly.

The place where the boy now found himself was high above a space shaped like a cube, similar to the interior of the Cube.

‘It’s enormous. It must be about the size of a small Sector.’

Perhaps the movement wasn’t over yet.

He couldn’t move his body.

His vision slowly lowered along with the fall, and below, he saw a dense forest of silver trees.

…No, that wasn’t a forest.

They were metal shelves, tens of meters high, aligned at angles like library bookshelves.

Hundreds?

No, thousands?

It was a scene impossible to take in at a glance, the number beyond estimation.

‘As I thought.’

The shelves he had seen through the spatial rift were only an extremely small part.

The movement continued.

Soon, Ray found himself perched on a rather high level of a shelf.

On either side, jointed dolls made of silver metal sat in a long row.

They were the very same dolls he had seen when entering the ruins in the wasteland.

Those ruins.

‘It’s highly likely it was a Dwarf city. But anyway, was I sent here because I look similar? Because a person resembles a doll?’

Given that his status here was a stored item, it was a plausible guess.

Thump!

Ray, having freed his body, jumped off the shelf without hesitation.

He used Magic to create wind, slowing his fall speed, and landed softly.

Thud!

A moment of silence.

“Whereabouts is this?”

The light cluster did not appear even when called.

“I want to find items that might be helpful in battle.”

Again, no answer.

It seemed he would have to go out and explore himself to achieve his goal.

Tap, tap, tap──

He passed through the aisles between shelves, observing his surroundings.

In the current zone, only metal dolls were visible, and it seemed at least several hundred were stored.

‘It would be good if I could use those in battle.’

The metal dolls from the ruins had shown immunity to Natural Magic like fire or Lightning while passing through the Ward.

As if they were weapons specially crafted to deal with Wizards.

With that many, they could subdue the Dawn Society in an instant.

“……?”

Then, his chest tickled.

With a Flicker of Mana, Lacria popped out and climbed onto his shoulder, moving its body as if dancing.

Twitch— Twitch—

It was an action it often took to consume types of Mana other than the Gem’s Mana.

But, Lacria.

“There’s no Mana here….”

As he spoke, Ray noticed the peculiarity of his surroundings.

Mana of various colors, of high purity, was overflowing.

It couldn’t compare to the Spirit’s island or the Last Forest, but from a magical perspective, it was sufficiently abundant.

‘This seems to be of higher quality than the Purified Mana from the Ring.’

How could such an environment exist in an artificial space without a single tree?

Harboring such doubts, he advanced.

Tap, tap, tap──

‘It says this is Shelf Group 13. Stored item classification: Minerals.’

Shelf Group 13 was largely empty in many places; perhaps they hadn’t been replenished after being used as materials for Rael Row.

‘Shelf Group 23. Stored item classification: Magic Tomes.’

Magic Tomes with titles written in Ancient Script were densely packed from the start.

A desire to sit down and read them right away surged, but he restrained himself and passed by, as there were things he needed to find first.

‘Shelf Group 33. Stored item classification: Seeds.’

Seeds of all kinds, not even seen in the Last Forest, were contained in transparent bags.

Grine would be overjoyed to see these.

‘Shelf Group 43. Classification: Permanently Preserved Food – Meat.’

He paused.

Tap, tap, tap──!

While walking quickly, he detected a tiny Mana presence.

He changed direction and headed towards it.

‘Shelf Group 38. Stored item classification: Currency.’

It was the very zone where all the deposits of Ignis’s customers were stored.

Most businessmen or financial magnates used the Cube.

If Rael had succeeded in installing Cubes beyond Sector 26…

That is, Beyond the Wall of the Red Citadel, then practically almost all the money in the world could be considered gathered here.

But right now.

Tap, tap, tap──!

Ray’s interest was not in the money.

His gaze was directed towards a blue rabbit visible at the end of the aisle across from him.

The Spirits he had seen Beyond the Wall of the spatial rift, organizing money.

They surely would know about the structure of this Akrassium as well.

The rabbit, spotting Ray charging at a terrifying speed, dropped the banknote it was holding.

[Human…?]

Its hind legs, specialized for escape, roughly kicked the floor.

And literally, like lightning, Ray grabbed it by both ears and lifted it up within a second.

“I have some questions.”

[Human…? How on earth is a human here…?]

The rabbit was extremely flustered.

Gulp Ray’s eyes met those of an animal coiled around his forearm.

Hiss— Hiss—

It was Lacria, whose body had grown much larger than usual, feeling good from consuming Mana.

“I want to ask something….”

[Eeek! I don’t taste good! Don’t eat me! Don’t devour me!]

“By any chance, the structure here….”

[I have zero nutritional value! It’s certain you’ll just get a bloated stomach if you eat me!]

The rabbit struggled, kicking its hind legs pang pang in the air.

Ray unsummoned Lacria, who was resisting going back, and changed his method of communication.

[I have questions.]

The rabbit’s eyes widened.

[Huh, how… are you speaking our language now…?]

[I want to know the location of the zone where weapons are stored. If possible, also a way to leave this place.]

It was then that he felt other Mana presences.

Lifting his head, he saw small animal Spirits perched high on the shelves, surrounding the area.

[Human?]

[Is that a human?]

[How did he get in here?]

Their numbers were over a hundred.

Their appearances were only small and cute, but the auras they emitted were not to be taken lightly.

Judging by the amount of Mana they held, they were all mid-rank or higher Spirits.

Each one could be said to be comparable to a 3rd Circle Wizard.

[Intruder.]

Starting with that one word.

[Intruder.]

[Intruder.]

[Intruder.]

The Spirits began to emit sharp Eye Lights one by one.

Crackle! Fizzle!

The surrounding Mana began to swirl like a vortex centered on Ray.

Accompanied by strong physical force, he knew just touching it would tear his body apart.

[Can’t escape.]

[Eliminate the intruder.]

[This is a warehouse for Rainbow.]

The captured rabbit Spirit also transformed into a Mana body and slipped from his hand.

It kicked off the air, leaped over the rising vortex wall, and landed on a shelf, looking down at him along with the other Spirits.

‘It let itself be caught on purpose. It was bait.’

If the Spirits of the Sky Island had basic curiosity towards humans as their foundational emotion, this place…

‘Is full of hostility.’

Perhaps because they bore a duty like guarding Akrassium.

Ray drew upon the Mana of the yellow and green gems.

They didn’t even seem in a state for conversation, and he had no intention of wasting time trying.

What he wanted here now was not communion with the Spirits, but finding the items he sought.

The Ancient Era was a time when Magic was developed dozens of times more than now.

And the long war there surely must have developed powerful weapons and equipment.

If he could find them…

‘The battle with the Dawn Society.’

He could fully grasp a clue to overturn the unfavorable situation.

The vortex soared instantly, reaching the ceiling of Akrassium.

Crackle! Fizzle!

Mana fragments swirling like sparks.

A ferocious momentum that would annihilate everything.

The inner space where Ray stood at the center was gradually shrinking.

A desperate situation from which no Wizard could break free.

But it didn’t matter.

The Mana of the two gems began to spiral up Ray’s body.

Whoooooosh───!

Instantly increasing its rotation speed, it created a vortex.

It grew faster, stronger.

And began to emit a brilliant light.

‘If I can’t break through.’

Its direction of rotation was the complete opposite of the Spirits’ vortex.

‘I’ll just smash it.’

Ray let go of the reins of control over the Gem’s Mana.

The moment the two vortices collided.

KWA-GWA-GWA-GWA-GWA───!

Vivid yellow and green, two lights enveloped the entirety of Akrassium.

What was visible amidst it was the vortex crumbling into pieces.