Chapter 3 (2/2)

“I’ve arrived, at the 9th floor……”

[Spell Archive of the Great Wizard].

Its appearance is pretty much the same as all the previous floors.

However, the pressure of the swirling and rumbling ‘chaos’ on the other side of the wall can be felt very powerfully.

If I had to put it into words, this place is an imagined s.p.a.ce that has been granted transient shape within a great sea of shapeless energy that is ‘chaos.’ If the textured walls come down, then this entire s.p.a.ce, along with myself, would all disappear into nothingness.

Even while swallowing my saliva with an audible gulp, I hold aloft the lantern and draw towards the door, which, of course, opens without a sound.

Beyond the door is a library with rows of gigantic bookshelves.

I’m not sure of the exact size of the room. Maybe about the size of a cla.s.sroom? And immediately in front of me are 9 large bookrests. On each bookrest is a thick, heavy book.

Each and every book is the symbol of the energy of a different spell. If a book is lying on a bookrest, then that is indication that its respective spell has already been charged.

[Time Stop], [Meteor], [Create All Monster]...... [Invincible].

“It’s here, it’s here.”

I find the book which contains the spell that I’m looking for, and lightly touch it.

Its thickness seems to hint at several hundreds of pages, but what I’m looking for is on only one of the pages. Almost as if the book is alive, the sheets flip by themselves and stop at the desired page.

Well then, from here on is the real deal. I take a deep breath, then read aloud the chant written on the book. The real me still inside the jail cell should be spinning the exact same words at the same time.

“By the means of this spell, my body shall, for the next 6 hours, be enveloped in an invisible barrier that negates all attacks from normal weapons and all spells 3 or more levels lower than this one.”

Largely similar to the explanation description in the rulebook, this part is where I give detailed instructions for how the spell is to be activated. For example, if I am using an attack spell instead, I can specify the range or intended target of the spell.

“....... [Invincible].”

After reciting the keyword that releases the energy of this spell into the real world, all procedures to activate the spell have been completed.

The book of [Invincible] glows brightly and turns into a clump of energy that flies toward the ceiling and pa.s.ses straight through…… heading up in the direction of the real world.

What is left are the other 8 bookrests, still with a book on top, and the newly vacated bookrest. If I had a character sheet or a status window, it would say something like “Level 9 Spells 8/9.”

I also leave the [Archive of the Great Wizard] and ascend the spiral staircase. I could just forcibly sever the link with my imagined self right here and now, but for caution’s sake, I properly climb all the stairs and return to the ‘Inner World.’

Back in the ‘Inner World,’ I close my eyes and cut off my real self from my imagined self.

“...... Fuu. I’m back.”

When I open my eyes, I find myself back in the jail cell.

I look over my shackled hands and my entire body. There is a thin,  white fog-like substance that has become a membrane surrounding my entire body. It’s to the level where even I would have to strain my eyes to see it, and other people shouldn’t see it at all.

In other words, the spell [Invincible] has indeed been activated.

It is a bit plain for a level 9 spell, but its effects should be quite tremendous.

“So I…… really can use my spells.”

My body feels like chanting that spell had taken a whole hour, but it was actually only exactly 10 seconds.

Time flows different in the ‘Inner World.’ No matter how much I rush, I would still need 10 seconds. As this system was originally a game, so nothing can be done about it, but it’s just that during those 10 seconds, I am, for all effects and purposes, completely unguarded. With that in mind, I am going to have to be extremely careful about when to use spells.

Man, what a predicament.

I feel like I understand why Gandalf wasn’t helping out by blasting magic left and right.

After confirming that I really can use my spells, I unconsciously let down my guard.

I spent the next 5 minutes or so idly.

However, this lull was cut short by another’s hand.

Noisy footsteps and loud talking voices draw towards my cell.

“Oi, come out!”

“It’s the interrogation, the interrogation!”

Yelling at me through the iron bars are three men wearing what looks to be dirty leather armor.

——Ahh, I see. Mountain bandits.

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