The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 304

The fact that I can’t break through with Ignis means that with my current abilities, there’s no way I can break through it.

I need to find another way.

…But.

‘…There’s no way.’

There’s no way.

I thoroughly searched the surroundings, but I couldn’t find any holes that would allow me to escape.

This space is a completely sealed room.

There is no escape route.

‘It’s not reacting to my magic either…’

Hoping that this trial, like the previous infinite fall, might be meant to test my basic abilities, I used all sorts of Vaitern-style magic, starting with the mind’s eye [a technique to enhance perception], but there was no reaction.

No matter what I do, nothing changes.

‘…What am I supposed to do?’

The level of stomach acid keeps rising.

After taking an additional 5 minutes to organize my thoughts and assess the situation, I have at most 15 minutes left.

In 15 minutes, this place will be filled with stomach acid, and I will melt away and die.

Thinking that, I couldn’t help but feel impatient.

‘Since this is a trial, there must be a way.’

There’s definitely something.

Something I haven’t noticed.

A way to escape from here.

I have to find it somehow.

I activated my Divine Eye at maximum output again and looked around.

And just then.

‘A hole appeared in the floor?’

On one side of the floor covered in stomach acid, a hole about the size of a person appeared and then immediately closed again.

Maybe for about 3 seconds.

‘Is it a passage to the intestines?’

I don’t know what this monster’s body structure is like.

But if it has a stomach, it must have intestines.

The possibility that the hole is connected to the intestines is not low.

‘During those 3 seconds, the level of stomach acid also slightly decreased.’

The fact that the level of stomach acid decreased means that the stomach acid flowed somewhere.

In other words, the strange hole that appeared earlier is very likely connected to a new place, even if it’s not the intestines.

‘Then the answer is to wait for the hole to open again and break through it?’

3 seconds is enough time to break through.

The size itself is also big enough for one person to enter.

Waiting for the next hole to open and passing through it isn’t a big problem.

But.

‘How do I get through that sea of stomach acid?’

Getting to that hole is the problem.

With my current skills, it’s impossible to create a barrier strong enough to withstand this monster’s stomach acid.

‘Just as the stomach wall is tough, the stomach acid must be incredibly strong and acidic.’

The role of the stomach wall is to withstand the acidity of the stomach acid.

Usually, the strength of the stomach wall is somewhat proportional to the acidity of the stomach acid.

The fact that the stomach wall is tough enough to withstand Ignis means that the stomach acid is something that is equal to or more acidic than Ignis.

‘There’s no way I can withstand it with my current skills.’

Therefore, it’s impossible to break through the sea of stomach acid and reach the hole in the floor.

Of course, I haven’t tried it, but there’s no need to try it.

It’s common sense.

‘Still, I should check it out.’

Just in time, there were signs of stomach acid pouring down from the ceiling.

I moved away from the point where the stomach acid was about to hit and deployed a barrier at maximum output above the impact point.

The stomach acid poured down onto the barrier.

‘It’ll definitely melt away along with the barrier…’

Just as I was expecting the barrier to disappear.

‘…It’s holding up?’

An unexpected sight unfolded.

Even though the barrier touched the stomach acid, it was holding up to some extent.

The surface was slowly melting, but it wasn’t melting away instantly.

‘About 5 seconds.’

My barrier lasted for a full 5 seconds after touching the stomach acid.

‘Since the stomach acid is only falling from one direction, it lasts 5 seconds… If I jump into that sea of stomach acid in this state, I’d probably last about 3 seconds.’

I calculated that I could last as long as the hole that appeared earlier was open.

‘If I refine the barrier to fit my body structure as much as possible, so that it doesn’t interfere with passing through the hole, and then pass through the hole at full power…’

It’s possible.

No, it’s not just possible, I can definitely pass through.

If I time it well, I can succeed 100%.

‘I don’t know why the stomach acid is only this powerful, but it’s good for me, so I’ll wait for the next hole to open and…’

Just as I was about to decide to break through the hole.

‘…Wait a minute.’

A question flashed through my mind.

‘It’s not that I don’t know why the stomach acid is only this powerful… Why is it really only this powerful?’

It’s strange.

How can the stomach acid coming from a stomach wall that wasn’t even scratched by Ignis be at a level that can’t even melt a 7th circle barrier instantly?

It doesn’t make sense logically.

‘It’s like putting a pearl necklace on a pig…’

The strength of the stomach wall and the acidity of the stomach acid don’t match at all.

It’s like a water pipe that carries ordinary water being made of mithril [a mythical metal known for its strength].

The structure itself doesn’t make sense.

‘It could be a trial, so they might have created an escape method arbitrarily…’

Even so, it doesn’t make sense to adjust the acidity of the monster’s stomach acid.

It’s not like some kind of breeding.

How can they freely adjust the concentration of a monster’s stomach acid?

No matter how I look at it, it’s not like they lowered the concentration arbitrarily for the trial.

‘Is it a trap?’

Just now.

Right after a hole appeared slightly in the floor, stomach acid poured down from the ceiling shortly after.

‘What if the stomach acid that poured down just now was fake, a trap?’

It’s impossible to adjust the concentration of stomach acid.

However, it’s possible to pour out fake stomach acid at a specific time and location.

Tey Rovin.

What if he deliberately sprayed stomach acid with a weak concentration to deceive me?

Then all the doubts are resolved.

‘The real stomach acid must be at a level that my barrier can’t withstand.’

I created a barrier again and put it directly into the pool of stomach acid on the floor.

Surely this time it will melt away in less than a second.

That’s what I thought.

However.

‘3 seconds…’

The time it took for my barrier to melt was 3 seconds.

It was exactly the same as the time I expected it to last earlier.

‘Is the acidity of the stomach acid really only at this level?’

The stomach acid that fell earlier wasn’t fake or a trap, it was real.

My mind, which had finally started to clear up, became complicated again.

‘Then what is it?’

Why was such an abnormal structure created?

‘In the first place, why…’

The expanding questions gave rise to new questions, and the new questions branched out into other thoughts.

My thinking became broader, and my thoughts began to accelerate.

‘Before the abnormal structure of the stomach acid and stomach wall that don’t match, why can’t I use Factio?’

That very basic question that I reached by going back in reverse.

Tey Rovin’s incomprehensible warning filled my head.

‘Why is Factio, which only connects me to Miho’s soul, forbidden, while Ignis, which can burn everything, is allowed?’

At the time, I just accepted it, but.

Now that my thoughts have reached this point, I can’t just ignore it.

‘Looking back, there are too many strange things about this situation itself.’

The abnormal structure of the stomach wall and stomach acid, and the fact that only Factio is forbidden among the mythical magic.

There must be a secret to this trial hidden in this abnormal structure.

‘Don’t use Factio. Don’t ever use it unless you want to commit suicide…’

Using Factio will kill me.

‘Is that possible?’

There’s no way a contract magic that only connects me to Miho could have such power.

‘If there’s a problem with using Factio, it’s not my life that’s in danger, but…’

Could it be that the problem is with the trial itself?

It might be a leap of logic, but if you think about it in the context of the current situation, it’s not that absurd.

‘If Factio is affecting the trial itself, then it makes sense that Tey Rovin hurriedly showed up.’

Tey said he showed up because my life was in danger.

Well.

Would that man have unintentionally shown up for such a kind reason?

‘A man who didn’t give any hints about the second trial, which clearly had a purpose, saying that rules are rules, would he really?’

Would a man who seems to be a stickler for rules break the rules just because my life was in danger?

No way.

There’s only one reason why a stickler for rules would break them.

‘When the rules themselves are about to collapse.’

That’s why he hurriedly showed up.

‘It’s certain. Tey didn’t show up because he was worried about my life, but because he was worried that there would be a problem with the trial itself.’

Therefore, what Factio affects is not me, but the trial itself.

‘If I make that assumption…’

There’s only one situation where Factio could collapse the trial itself.

‘This place isn’t really inside a monster’s stomach, but a virtual space created by Tey.’

Factio is a magic that can unconditionally connect me and Miho, no matter where we are.

No matter what space I’m trapped in, no matter what barrier I’m isolated in.

It can’t break the connection between me and Miho.

If I use Factio now, I will be connected to Miho, who is outside this space.

Probably with Tey.

Then what will happen?

First of all, they will definitely realize that this space is fake.

Or, Factio might create a hole in this space and destroy the space itself.

Whatever it is, the trial will end at that moment.

No matter what trial they have prepared after this, it will be meaningless.

‘If this space is fake, then the illusion of infinite falling that I felt earlier also makes sense.’

Since it’s a world under Tey’s control, it would have been even easier to manipulate my senses.

Thinking that way, it makes sense that I didn’t notice anything at all.

‘It’s all just speculation without any evidence…’

But if this hypothesis is true, everything fits perfectly.

‘Then what should I do?’

A hypothesis that is highly plausible, but has no evidence.

Should I assume this hypothesis is true and act on it?

Or should I put the hypothesis aside for now and focus on escaping from here first?

‘Do I ignore Tey’s warning and use Factio? Or do I use the hole in the floor to escape from this place first?’

The conclusion was immediate.

There was no need to think about it.

‘I’ll use Factio.’

There’s no evidence, but everything else is perfect.

All the circumstances are claiming that my hypothesis is ‘true’.

‘I know Factio better than anyone except my master. There’s no chance that I’ll be in danger if I use Factio in this situation.’

If there’s a shortcut to the goal, there’s no reason to follow the orthodox method.

There’s no reason to hesitate at all.

I’ll ignore Tey Rovin’s warning and use Factio to end this space itself, this trial itself.

I grabbed the ‘Pledge Stone’ hanging around my neck and focused my mana.

‘Factio.’

The moment my soul and Miho’s soul were connected.

The world stopped.

The peristaltic movement of the stomach wall that was churning and pouring out stomach acid.

The movement of the stomach acid that was flowing down.

Even the sour smell that brushed past my nose. Everything stopped.

And the next moment.

“Should I call this audacious…”

Tey appeared through the stopped world.

“Usually, when a supervisor tells you not to do something because it’s dangerous, you shouldn’t do it, right?”

“How can I just ignore it when there’s an obvious error in the problem?”

“…Hmm. Is that so?”

He had a strange expression, as if he was dumbfounded and amused.

“You’re more interesting than I thought?”