Act 1: Chapter 64: 《Dream Sand》

Act 1: Chapter 64: 《Dream Sand》

「OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!」

Zorophilia’s body started to collapse and turn into rainbow-colored sands. The size of the mask floating midair had become significantly smaller since the first time I laid eyes on it.

「Impossible... How can the 《Progenitor Dragon; Drigvesha》 be defeated so easily? H-How can it be... how can our clan’s lifelong mission be defeated so easily!!! I-I-I, for what reason.... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!」

Notes was crouching on the floor with a look of disbelief on his face. And then, he started bawling like a child.

Something was strange here.

Zorophilia... just what was its body made of?

I grabbed a handful of that rainbow-colored sand and took out the 《Akashic Record》 from my magic pouch.

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【Dream Sand】《Value : Phantasmal》

It was something that was created by a certain royal alchemist clan more than 5000 years ago. One of its ingredients was a melted down shield given by the Gods to a otherworlder. It was the ultimate alchemy catalyst which was said to be able to create any creation. Additionally, 《Dream Sand》 reacts to human wishes and can grant all kinds of wishes regardless of their nature.

But, a human who’d lost to their own desires shouldn’t be able to use 《Dream Sand》 to its maximum capabilities. The greedy merchant who wished for wealth turned into gold and the hero who wished for power turned into a monster.

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I-is this... Zorophilia’s true nature?

But, according to the 《Akashic Record》, humans shouldn’t have the abilities to be able to completely control the 《Dream Sand》. And yet, Zorophilia having taken the form of a dragon to fight me seems to be in direct contradiction of its nature as the grantor of the wish.

In the first place... let’s say that the 《Dream Sand》 has the power to grant a wish, then... whose wish was it that created the current Zorophilia’s form?

Suddenly, I recalled the name of Zorophilia’s race.

《Dream Heart》.

I felt the color drain from my face as I arrived at an extremely terrifying hypothesis.

「Don’t tell me...! They used humans as its core in order to control the 《Dream Heart》!」Ñøv€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on Ñôv€lß¡n.

「... To be exact, a homunculus who resembles a human... according to the legend, they destroyed the homunculus personality and ego to perfect the image of God of Fear.」

Notes spoke quietly from the corner of the room.

「Such thing...」

「And yet, even though we went that far... we were eventually betrayed by the king we served under and people we protected... and after it finally saw the light of the day again after thousands years of darkness... such a thing...」

Notes was practically crying tears of blood. His face had already wrinkled as if he was aging rapidly.

At that moment, the malice that should’ve dispersed suddenly started gathering again in this place.

「No way... it’s still alive!!!」

Dammit, I let my guard down after seeing Zorophilia’s body crumble down and Notes crying tears of blood.

That dragon wasn’t Zorophilia’s final form.

「... Eh?」

I saw myself wearing Zorophilia’s mask standing in the middle of the room. With a wave of “his” hand, an imitation of the 《Hero Sword; Gilgamesh》 appeared in “his” hand.

「O Zorophilia... does that mean you recognize that man as the strongest lifeform to eliminate the outsiders!」

Zorophilia came at me.

I blocked “his” attack with my sword. But, my sword easily sliced through Zorophilia’s sword along with “his” fingers

Thanks to the effects of 《Slow Word》, the three clones of Zorophilia couldn’t escape from the effects of 《Graviburn》.

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Zorophilia

Race :Dream Heart

Lv :3122

HP :2746/14049

MP :952/14049

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As expected, it seems that Zorophilia’s’ absurd power does have its limits.

Even though “he’s” still gripping the sword in “his” hand, “his” breathing is disordered. “He” is full of openings.

Maybe “his” body parts were related to “his” stamina and magical power.

「First... be a good boy and die in peace.」

I spun a magic circle.

Though I still had poor mastery over this magic, I felt that it was safe to use this magic against the currently exhausted Zorophilia.

「Time-Space Magic, 20th Rank; 《Karma Breaker》」

I pointed the 《Hero Sword; Gilgamesh》 at Zorophilia as I unleashed my magic.

Zorophilia’s body was wrapped in blinding white light.

《Karma Breaker》 was a magic that attacked the target with holy light while also intervening with the karma of the target through cutting off any curse or reinforcement magic placed on the target.

Though Zorophilia’s personality was snatched away by the humans who turned it into the God of Fear, the real Zorophilia had always been inside that chaos and fear.

According to what I heard from Notes, it was sealed away for a few thousand years while in that state. Though it might be impossible to turn it back into a human being, I wanted it to at least feel some peace in the last moments of its life.

Zorophilia’s limbs were starting to crumble down and “he” was bathed inside the holy light. Cracks were also appearing on the surface of that eerie mask.

Though I knew that the face hidden behind that mask was similar to mine, “his” expression was pure and innocent, like that of a child.

「Let’s pla-」

“His” eyes were closing slowly like that of a child falling asleep as “he” muttered those unfinished words.

And then... Zorophilia’s figure vanished along with the holy light.

「O-OOOOOOOOOOOH... ZOROPHILIA, ZOROPHILIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! ZOROPHILIAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! OUR DEAR GOD OF FEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!」

Notes let out loud cries as he fell to his knees.

At that moment, Garland’s mansion, which had long since reached its limits, finally started to collapse.

「He’s not running away...」

I leaped towards the nearest window and looked back at the devastated battlefield where Notes had yet to move from.

Did he not realize that the palace was crumbling down? Or else, he knew, but didn’t care about it.

「... Poor guy.」

I looked away from Notes and left him behind as he cried alone inside the crumbling mansion.