Memoirs of the Returnee - Chapter 261: Betrayal, Betrayal, Betrayal (4)

Grawl had grasped the wavelength of the [ Barrier] , and I managed to send a message to Johanna somehow.

But this alone was not enough.

The f Barrier] created inside the magic space was essentially the same as Timbo.’

Because the place we had moved into was also a magic space, and the [Barrier] itself was a magic space too.

Therefore, a FBarrier] within a magic space becomes a magic space within a magic space.

In simple terms.

Beckman had done the insane act of establishing an even deeper magic space within the magic space we had moved into.

Scholars call this phenomenon the [Abyss] .

Humans who fall into the [Abyss] slowly lose their sense of self. They become assimilated with magical power and turn into mere information.

Johanna was kidnapped into that place.

“First, try to find any and all wavelengths you can.”

—I’m on it, but we won’t be able to find an entrance from the outside!

“…I know.”

The entrance to the [Abyss] is very small.

Think of the passage we used when we moved in here.

Within a passage barely 5 meters in size, there exists such an immense domain, but the [Abyss] is even deeper and more efficient.

It means that even something the size of a speck of dust can construct a whole world.

—I found another strand of wavelength!

“Let me see.”

I looked at the laptop. A faint magical wavelength was floating in the air.

—It seems like a character.

Elements within the [Abyss] continuously flow out in the form of wavelengths. This is because the [Abyss] is ultimately parasitizing this magic space.

“A character?”

—Yes. But it’s probably going to be hard to interfere with a character.

I examined it closely.

‘…No.’

With the [SZX-9500] turned on, I memorized every aspect of the wavelength, the pattern of magical power, and its web-like structure.

“I can manifest”

If I manifest the same through [Notepad] , I could become a character for a moment and infiltrate inside the [Barrier] .

Knock, knock—

The sound of knocking echoed. Johanna, who had been lost in thought for a while, opened her eyes.

She turned to look at the door.

“Who is it?”

—It’s the doctor.

“…Doctor?”

—Yes. May I come in?

Without a word, Johanna opened the door using [telekinesis] .

An old man with a wrinkled complexion walked in with heavy steps.

“I’ve heard the overall story from Lord Ascal. Have you experienced any other symptoms?”

The doctor smiled kindly.

Johanna raised her eyebrows slightly.

“…No symptoms to speak of. Just a strange feeling.”

“A strange feeling?

“It feels like this place isn’t real.”

“Hmm. Yes. That’s understandable. It must be quite confusing. You’ve been through a significant shock…”

The old man took Johanna’s chart out of his medical bag. His slow movements were frustrating.

“The examination results show that you’ve sustained considerable damage to your head. Auditory and visual hallucinations are to be expected. So—”

He suddenly stopped speaking.

His mouth slightly open, he froze.

Johanna furrowed her brow and tilted her head in confusion.

“…Hey. Are you dead?”

Then the old man jerked again, his face completely changed as he nodded.

“I will write up your medical chart.”

“…Chart?”

The old man picked up a pen. He swiftly scribbled some characters on the chart

He was slow as a turtle just a moment ago. Why the sudden change?

“Take a look.”

Johanna took it from him.

[Johanna, your thoughts are correct. This place is a fake world, and you are being watched.]

Johanna’s complexion hardened. She looked back at the old man.

“Who are you?”

“I cannot tell you just yet, but I will visit occasionally. Always call for me when you’re in pain…’

He stopped talking again. Something seemed to well up inside him, and with a suppressed grunt, he spat something out of his mouth.

It was blood.

He coughed up blood and collapsed.

Johanna kicked him over with her foot

“What the…”

He was already dead.

I opened my eyes. Suddenly, a wave of nausea surged through me.

“Ugh.”

—What’s wrong?

Grawl asked.

“…He’s dead.”

-What?

“It seems that if someone behaves anomalously, they get eliminated.”

I had managed to manifest my wavelength and infiltrate successfully, but I was immediately expelled.

Any slight deviation in behavior or speech seemed to result in instant death.

Beckman is obsessively monitoring and watching, even within that barrier.

“Keep looking. Find other characters.”

-Yes! But!

Grawl tapped on the laptop and asked.

—What do you think Beckman’s goal is? It seems like Johanna might have realized that she’s dealing with Beckman!

“…No. She hasn’t caught on.”

I shook my head.

“Even if she did realize, she would quickly forget. That’s the nature of that space.”

It’s not called the [Abyss] for nothing.

Humans trapped there gradually lose themselves. Rational thoughts scatter, and they are inevitably drawn to the master of the abyss.

“Beckman is probably trying to go even deeper.”

—Deeper?

Grawl’s eyes widened in surprise.

He seemed intrigued by the current situation.

Well, it would be his first time dealing with such a practical scenario.

“The Spiral Abyss. Constructing a deeper [Abyss] within the Abyss and luring Johanna into it”

—Gosh… What happens then?

“They would live on, completely isolated from reality, just the two of them.”

—That’s terrible. If Johanna dies, Derek will absorb everything.

“Right That’s why we need to keep her alive.”

No matter what, Johanna must not die at this point in time.

—Oh! I just found another character!

“Lead the way.”

I was ready immediately. Of course, my body was in quite a bit of pain. Even if it was within the barrier, I had ‘really’ died.

—Are you sure you’re okay?

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

It was bearable, after all.

.After that, I possessed a total of six characters, trying to make Johanna aware of reality, but all attempts failed.

In other words, I experienced a total of six deaths.

On a clear weekend, Johanna held a knighthood ceremony in the Aerial Garden of Libra. She had taken Shion Ascal as her official knight

Zia was also present, applauding the occasion.

“Now, my lord, it is time for you to rest.”

Clip-clop, clip-clop—riding on horseback through the floral paths of the Aerial Garden, Shion Ascal asked,

“How about taking a trip, my lord?”

“A trip, you say?

“Yes.”

He smiled subtly.

Johanna gazed at his handsome face, pondering for a moment.

Is he a fake, or is he real?

“…A trip might be nice.”

However, she decided to stop doubting.

Shion Ascal was alive and moving in this place, a loyal retainer who had risked his life for her.

She would not make the mistake of doubting him again.

“Do you have a place prepared?

“Yes. It’s an uninhabited island with beautiful scenery.”

“An uninhabited island?”

Shion took out two pieces of paper from his bosom. They were airship tickets for a direct journey to an island called AMOC.

“There, I have something I need to tell you.”

“Something to tell me?”

Johanna looked at Shion, her brow furrowed with a hint of suspicion.

Then he, somewhat unnecessarily, blushed on both cheeks.

“…Yes. There’s something I need to tell you.”

His shy, embarrassed demeanor was strange.

Johanna silently took one of the tickets.

“Oh. Right.”

Suddenly, she remembered a certain ‘promise.’

“Shion. Didn’t we make a promise to do something after all our work was done?”

“…A promise, you say?

Shion asked back.

“Yes. I must have given you a very… dangerous mission.”

Johanna had entrusted Shion with a perilous task, and in return for resolving it, Shion had asked for a promise from Johanna.

A very simple promise.

“Uh… Yes, that’s right. That’s what this is.”

Shion said, pointing to his ticket.

It was then.

Whooosh—The wind blew, and the fallen leaves rustled. A piece of leaf touched Johanna’s collarbone.

She saw it.

Tiny letters were engraved on its surface.

[Do not go.]

“Fast, this bastard.”

The [Abyss] flows swiftly through time. Consequently, Beckman is already scheming to send Johanna deeper into the [Abyss] .

The airplane tickets to the uninhabited island are part of that scheme, and even the name of the island is irritating.

AMOC.

Reverse it, and you get COMA.

—There is an exit within the [Abyss] !

Fortunately, Grawl confirmed the existence of an exit before it was too late.

There’s a fundamental principle to a [Barrier] .

‘An entrance and an exit must always exist—.’

A barrier with only one of the two doesn’t exist. Even if it did, it would collapse quickly due to the lack of magical circulation.

However, finding the entrance to the [Abyss] from my current location is realistically impossible. It’s too small.

But not the exit.

Inside the [Abyss] , that is, the exit that Johanna is looking at, will be sufficiently large.

Therefore, the best course of action is to have Johanna inside the [Abyss] find the exit herself and escape.

—But the exact location of the exit is confusing. We’re short on time…

It was then that Grawl was speaking of the urgency of time.

A gale of magical energy surged, gripping my limbs with the presence of some human being.

“. As expected, you were alive.”

I looked up at the man who spoke.

It wasn’t our first encounter.

She saw it.

Tiny letters were engraved on its surface.

[Do not go.]

“Fast, this bastard.”

The [Abyss] flows swiftly through time. Consequently, Beckman is already scheming to send Johanna deeper into the [Abyss] .

The airplane tickets to the uninhabited island are part of that scheme, and even the name of the island is irritating.

AMOC.

Reverse it, and you get COMA.

—There is an exit within the [Abyss] !

Fortunately, Grawl confirmed the existence of an exit before it was too late.

There’s a fundamental principle to a [Barrier] .

‘An entrance and an exit must always exist—.’

A barrier with only one of the two doesn’t exist. Even if it did, it would collapse quickly due to the lack of magical circulation.

However, finding the entrance to the [Abyss] from my current location is realistically impossible. It’s too small.

But not the exit.

Inside the [Abyss] , that is, the exit that Johanna is looking at, will be sufficiently large.

Therefore, the best course of action is to have Johanna inside the [Abyss] find the exit herself and escape.

—But the exact location of the exit is confusing. We’re short on time…

It was then that Grawl was speaking of the urgency of time.

A gale of magical energy surged, gripping my limbs with the presence of some human being.

“. As expected, you were alive.”

I looked up at the man who spoke.

It wasn’t our first encounter.

She saw it.

Tiny letters were engraved on its surface.

[Do not go.]

“Fast, this bastard.”

The [Abyss] flows swiftly through time. Consequently, Beckman is already scheming to send Johanna deeper into the [Abyss] .

The airplane tickets to the uninhabited island are part of that scheme, and even the name of the island is irritating.

AMOC.

Reverse it, and you get COMA.

—There is an exit within the [Abyss] !

Fortunately, Grawl confirmed the existence of an exit before it was too late.

There’s a fundamental principle to a [Barrier] .

‘An entrance and an exit must always exist—.’

A barrier with only one of the two doesn’t exist. Even if it did, it would collapse quickly due to the lack of magical circulation.

However, finding the entrance to the [Abyss] from my current location is realistically impossible. It’s too small.

But not the exit.

Inside the [Abyss] , that is, the exit that Johanna is looking at, will be sufficiently large.

Therefore, the best course of action is to have Johanna inside the [Abyss] find the exit herself and escape.

—But the exact location of the exit is confusing. We’re short on time…

It was then that Grawl was speaking of the urgency of time.

A gale of magical energy surged, gripping my limbs with the presence of some human being.

“. As expected, you were alive.”

I looked up at the man who spoke.

It wasn’t our first encounter.

She saw it.

Tiny letters were engraved on its surface.

[Do not go.]

“Fast, this bastard.”

The [Abyss] flows swiftly through time. Consequently, Beckman is already scheming to send Johanna deeper into the

The airplane tickets to the uninhabited island are part of that scheme, and even the name of the island is irritating.

AMOC.

She saw it.

Tiny letters were engraved on its surface.

[Do not go.]

“Fast, this bastard.”

The [Abyss] flows swiftly through time. Consequently, Beckman is already scheming to send Johanna deeper into the

[Abyss] .

[Abyss] .

The airplane tickets to the uninhabited island are part of that scheme, and even the name of the island is irritating.

AMOC.

Reverse it, and you get COMA.

—There is an exit within the [Abyss] !

Fortunately, Grawl confirmed the existence of an exit before it was too late.

There’s a fundamental principle to a [Barrier] .

‘An entrance and an exit must always exist—.’

A barrier with only one of the two doesn’t exist. Even if it did, it would collapse quickly due to the lack of magical circulation.

However, finding the entrance to the [Abyss] from my current location is realistically impossible. It’s too small.

But not the exit.

Inside the [Abyss] , that is, the exit that Johanna is looking at, will be sufficiently large.

Therefore, the best course of action is to have Johanna inside the [Abyss] find the exit herself and escape.

—But the exact location of the exit is confusing. We’re short on time…

It was then that Grawl was speaking of the urgency of time.

A gale of magical energy surged, gripping my limbs with the presence of some human being.

“. As expected, you were alive.”

I looked up at the man who spoke.

It wasn’t our first encounter.