Carrying an oil lamp I'd picked up at random, I walked slowly through this exceptionally dark space. For some reason, a sense of tranquility and peace suddenly welled up within me.
Strangely enough, before me stretched an endless, dimly lit corridor. Strange laughter and soft noises echoed around me from time to time, and the wooden planks under my feet creaked unpleasantly with each step. Despite this bizarre and eerie scene, I felt no fear whatsoever. Instead, I felt as if I had come home, and a desire to stay there arose from the bottom of my heart.
Of course, I am just an ordinary person with normal fears. It's just a pity that this is a small scene, far from the kind of "pleasure room" I was forced to handle by my mentor to make up for my social internship points.
Ah, if you add some tattered gauze curtains fluttering in the wind, the mottled red brick walls revealing the blackened plaster underneath, layers of cobwebs, thick dust, and long-dead insects scattered nearby, the atmosphere would be even more perfect. If you told people it was a haunted house haunted by evil spirits, they would surely believe you.
But what haunted house is there in this world? It's just that a house that has been abandoned for a long time has become unruly due to people's fear and the spread of rumors, thus becoming a widely circulated rumor.
Not to mention, no matter how terrifying the haunted house spirit is, it can't withstand a single beam of light from those combat-oriented guys whose minds are only focused on fighting.
Even if they could withstand it, at most they would only be able to cut off another shot.
Of course, while I can't transform into a violent damage dealer like a combat-oriented character, I still know a few simple self-defense techniques, thanks to the fact that my mentor often forced me to practice them for a long time.
That being said, the scene before us... while it may be described as an illusion, it is not entirely an illusion.
The first point of view is that the dog hair tied to the finger did not show any abnormal reaction except that the saliva dried up.
Items capable of dispelling illusions typically possess one or two of the following characteristics: First, they emit warmth when an illusion appears nearby; second, they spontaneously generate high heat or burn themselves out when the wearer is suddenly attacked by an illusion, thus waking the wearer in the shortest possible time—undoubtedly, items with these characteristics are either the cheapest or the most expensive. Cheap ones are mostly useless, while expensive ones are expensive because they are ultimately disposable, relying on efficiency and personal preference. If you want to buy one for collection, be careful not to accidentally trigger it, as it is quite delicate and difficult to maintain—third, after being infused with spiritual or magical energy, it can deploy a small defensive membrane to resist the erosion of illusions, limited to the wearer, similar to the function of the temporary protection spell, except one defends against physical attacks and the other against mental ones.
As for similar abilities... well, there's not much to say. Just use them as you please, as long as you have enough spiritual energy and magic power. If you're worried, you can keep them on while you sleep as a precaution; the magic consumption won't be that high. Any illusions will be nothing more than a gentle breeze, and you'll sleep soundly until dawn without any problems. You can even give those stubborn, lingering troublemakers a friendly greeting and watch them stomp their feet in annoyance. Of course, the situation where your mind is instantly overwhelmed is another matter.
The second point I want to make is that this is not an illusion, because I can actually touch the things in front of me.
Hallucinations are ultimately just illusions. Even if they can deceive the brain and senses, they will never have a corresponding physical form or tactile sensation.
I had already tested the waters while exploring my surroundings. My consciousness was clear, there were no shadows, and there were no traces of magic around. The magic penetration rate of objects was also within the normal range, and the things I touched had their own distinct tactile and textural characteristics. Although the colors of these objects were mostly strange and flashy, that was ultimately their taste, and I couldn't comment on it further.
Undoubtedly, this is a real scene. However, in the details, perhaps influenced by the vibrant colors, it always reveals a certain inexplicable strangeness and difference.
Most importantly, no matter what methods I used to explore, apart from the unknown depths of chaos ahead, I could not find any other "bridge" that could directly interact with the outside world.
This symbolizes the existence of something extraordinary here, which has a profound impact on its surroundings.
I was indeed surprised for a moment after falling into this place. I was mainly wondering how I could fall into this space in the blink of an eye from the hills and forests I was climbing, when I hadn't felt anything unusual or any changes in the environment. It was as if I had suddenly been taken out of a normal space and placed inside another dimension by an invisible hand.
But if we add the premise of something extraordinary, then everything changes.
Even in academia, there has never been a unified definition for such things. At most, it can be known that they can mostly affect their surroundings, creating a unique alternate dimension, and that their different effects can only be understood through in-depth experience and analysis. The remaining issues are mostly vague and unclear, such as the inapplicability of experience or their overly peculiar nature.
Fortunately, I'm not completely without cards to play.
As a mage with my own private garden, even in a completely enclosed space, I can use my senses to briefly open a one-way passage to it. Even if it only allows one person to pass through, I can easily leave first, summon the two people stuck inside, and resolve the issue together.
But... thinking about it carefully, I had been holding Hikari's hand the whole time because I was worried about getting separated along the way. Now that I'm here, Hikari might be nearby, right? What if she's scared, or what if she's looking for me because she's worried about me?
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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