Chapter 8
I got home and immediately made a post.
[Title: I hereby withdraw all my support for the blue-tag mod.]
Author: WokeUpAsATSGirl
That blue-tag mod<< is a crazy bastard. They pretended to teach me swordsmanship while spamming slash attacks at me like crazy.
My body got chopped into hundreds of pieces, and it really fucking hurt;;
-Lmao, holy shitㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-So you got it too, huh~
-PureAndLovely*) You have to go through that to get better, yeah.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Then at least tell me that first!!!
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Ugh… I’m so exhausted. I think I’d feel better if Sword Maiden-noona comforted me.
└GeniusSwordMaiden) Hehe. It’s the Swordsmanship Gallery’s newbie initiation, so don’t take it personally!
“Kraaagh!”
Even Sword Maiden had betrayed me. I was devastated.
Just as I was losing the will to go on…
└PureAndLovely*) Lmao, sorry. I’ll really teach you properly this time, so accept the request.
[PureAndLovely has requested a spar.]
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Get lost, lol.
└PureAndLovely*) You didn’t fall for it this time. Too bad.
“Wow.”
I’d only pretended to sulk and play hard to get. Had they really tried to trick me one more time?
They were a villain among villains.
└PureAndLovely*) Anyway, doing it again would be taking the joke too far, so I’ll stop here. I’ll really teach you now.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Okay.
Honestly, I was a little angry, but not so annoyed that I couldn’t stand it.
In the first place, them teaching me swordsmanship was a kindness, not something I was entitled to.
Besides, getting slashed around a bit in exchange for learning swordsmanship?
‘That’s a great deal.’
I happily focused on the blue-tag mod’s explanation.
└PureAndLovely*) Newbie, when you awakened your aura, you felt something in your heart, right?
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Yeah. There was something like a space in there.
└PureAndLovely*) That’s your inner world. Your heart is like a wall separating reality from your inner world.
└PureAndLovely*) Anyway, the abilities your aura produces vary wildly depending on the shape of your world.
└PureAndLovely*) Some people’s auras whip around like lightning, while others, like me, form slashes.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) How do you get an ability?
└PureAndLovely*) The more you understand your inner world, the more its abilities become imbued in your aura. You have to look into your world directly.
I see.
└PureAndLovely*) For now, focus your mind on your heart and imagine passing through a thin barrier with your aura. Then you’ll feel your inner world.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Okay, got it.
“Let’s do this.”
I closed my eyes and circulated my aura.
-Sliiide…
Black mist filled the space around my heart, then gently wrapped around its surface.
And then…
‘O-oh…!’
A strange space gradually began to appear.
There was something sticky in that space.
-Squelch…
It wasn’t actually touching my body, and yet it clung to my skin.
From my skin to my muscles, from my muscles to my bones, from my bones to my veins.
‘Ugh, wha…’
The pitch-black something spread through every last corner of my body…
-Thump.
Then, with a sensation like something striking me hard on the head, I lost consciousness.
***
When I came to, I was in a vast space.
‘I can’t see anything.’
I saw something, and yet I couldn’t tell exactly what it looked like.
Then I touched something.
But I couldn’t feel what it was like.
‘This is strange.’
The space was filled with something.
I just couldn’t tell what it was.
Just as I began to feel afraid of this bizarre situation…
-Krrk, kreeeeak!
I felt as if my whole body were being crushed.
‘Ngh, aaagh…!’
I couldn’t breathe at all.
It hurt.
My stomach, lungs, heart, and head were all being squeezed as if they were about to burst.
I’m going to die. If this keeps up, I’ll die.
‘I have to get out of here…!’
There was no exit to be found, but I moved my body, trying to escape this place…
-Thump.
In an instant, the world turned upside down, and I returned to the real world.
***
“Aaaagh!”
I woke up with my whole body in spasms.
‘What on earth happened?’
I hurriedly checked myself over, but there was nothing wrong with me.
Could that grotesque space really have been my inner world?
‘…I don’t like that.’
I should ask the gallery first.
[Title: Newbie nearly died in real time]
Author: WokeUpAsATSGirl
I was focusing on my heart like the blue-tag mod told me to,
when it suddenly felt like I got hit in the back of the head and sucked somewhere.
I looked around, and it was this pitch-black space with nothing in it!
At first, I thought it was fascinating and looked around, but at some point it started hurting like my arms and legs were being twisted.
So I somehow managed to get out.
-Lmao, getting into your inner world is a little rough at first.
-GreatswordFan) Even the genius newbie couldn’t get into her inner world on the first try, huh? lol
└What the hell is this bastard so happy about?
└DaggerTechniquePro) He’s a colorless loser, so he’s jealous of the newbie.
-PureAndLovely*) Quit being dramatic and go back in.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) No, seriously;; I feel like I’m going to die.
└PureAndLovely*) Everyone says they feel like they’re about to die, but they manage it in the end, yeah.
“Tsk…”
Honestly, I didn’t think this was a good idea, but I decided to trust the words of my revered master.
It’ll work out somehow.
“Phew.”
I focused my mind on my heart again…
-Thump.
And soon I was sucked into that pitch-black space.
***
This time, the pain came rushing in from the start.
‘Ngh, aaagh…!’
It felt like my whole body was being crushed.
I wanted to escape this place right away, but I decided to endure it somehow, like the blue-tag mod said.
‘…Let’s try to sense my surroundings.’
I writhed in pain as I tried to understand my inner world.
‘Ngh…’
The first thing I sensed was the unknown force crushing my body.
It felt like black mist.
‘It’s similar to my aura.’
But the mist here had no sensation to it at all.
It hurt when it touched my skin, and yet I couldn’t feel what it was like?
…It was far too contradictory.
The mist was pressing down on my body, but I didn’t know what that force felt like.
‘This is strange.’
My mind couldn’t understand it.
But my body accepted it as if it were perfectly natural.
‘…The void.’
This place was the void.
A world filled with something that had no substance.
‘…’
And yet, because it had no substance, it was a contradictory world more full than any other.
‘Aagh, ah…!’
The more I thought about it, the more I writhed in pain.
I felt like my mind would fall apart if I tried to understand this world any further.
But…
‘Just a little more…’
I kept trying to sense the void.
It was strange.
Until a few days ago, I’d been an ordinary person, and now I was trying to endure this much pain.
Why?
Was it because the gallery users would come after me if I gave up here?
Of course, I’d thought that at first, too, but…
‘No.’
I liked it.
I really liked understanding this world.
It was fun to feel that sensation with my own body and learn about it, even though I couldn’t put it into words.
And so, I didn’t leave my inner world.
Time passed, and—
***
When I came to, I was back at home.
“Mmm.”
It felt like I’d had a nasty dream.
‘Ugh, my back hurts.’
I couldn’t even guess how long I’d been lying unconscious.
Assuming a few hours had passed, I opened the Swordsmanship Gallery, and…
-Where’d our hawawa newbie-chan go?
-Sword Maiden’s testimony) I killed the newbie.
-Newbie officially declared dead for the third time.
“What is this?”
The gallery was in complete chaos.
[Title: Newbie’s been missing for three days…]
Why does this guy keep disappearing?
-There’s always been a good reason so far.
└But why the fuck would you disappear while looking into your inner world?
└Fair point.
-Blue-tag mod, give me back my girlfriend.
└DaggerTechniquePro) Why is the newbie your girlfriend?
└I can’t exactly show everyone my private messages, man lol
└DaggerTechniquePro) Huh?? Is that actually true?
[Title: I think someone got absorbed into their inner world]
Author: PureAndLovely*
Judging by the quality of the aura the newbie uses, her inner world seems insanely detailed.
Maybe she couldn’t withstand it and got completely fused with it?
-Come on, that can’t happen to a beginner…
└I was going to say it couldn’t, but the newbie really seems like she might. It’s scary;;
-GeniusSwordMaiden) It’s a real possibility. The newbie has a level of talent we’ve never seen before.
└The newbie is dead (according to Sword Maiden).
└If even Sword Maiden’s saying that, she’s probably really dead.
└PureAndLovely*) Ugh… Was I too careless?
It seemed like everyone thought I was dead.
The blue-tag mod in particular seemed to have gone full yandere, spamming post after post with a triple combo of regret, despair, and obsession…
‘…Should I just keep watching?’
Thanks to them, I was suddenly tempted to do that.
Well, I wasn’t actually going to, though.
[Title: I died]
Author: WokeUpAsATSGirl
Actually, I didn’t die.
(A beautiful black-haired, red-eyed girl smiling and flashing a V sign)
I’m alive, so don’t worry.
-You’re back!!!
-GeniusSwordMaiden) I’m so glad you’re safe… I was really worried about you all this time ㅜㅜ
-She’s insanely pretty, by the way. What the hell.
-DaggerTechniquePro) But I heard the newbie is dating one anonymous user. Is that true?
└GreatswordFan) You idiot. Do you really think that’s true?
└DaggerTechniquePro) Then why the fuck are you swearing at me?
-PureAndLovely*) …
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) What do the three dots mean?
└PureAndLovely*) Are you okay? Did anything happen?
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Let’s use proper Swordsmanship Gallery lingo here.
└PureAndLovely*) You little shit, why did you disappear for three days?
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Pass.
After lightening the mood a little, we continued with the questions and answers.
What had happened while I was gone, what I’d gained, and so on…
I told them about my inner world, and…
└Holy shitㅋㅋ You understood the phenomena of your inner world right away and survived it?
└You’ve done enough. Just die already.
└How did you survive that?
The gallery users had some lively reactions.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) What does phenomenon<< mean?
└GeniusSwordMaiden) It means the phenomena that make up an inner world!
└GeniusSwordMaiden) As a simple example, let’s say there’s an inner world made of an ocean.
└GeniusSwordMaiden) There’d be all sorts of things that make up the ocean, like lightning raging across it or tidal waves rolling in, right?
└GeniusSwordMaiden) Those are the phenomena of an inner world.
└PureAndLovely*) Yeah. An aura’s unique ability is to recreate those phenomena with aura.
I see.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) But didn’t you send slashes flying? What kind of phenomenon happens in a place full of piled-up weapons?
└PureAndLovely*) Oh, right. You couldn’t see it.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) ?
└PureAndLovely*) Sometimes the weapons swirl around like a typhoon and grind everything to pieces. That’s the phenomenon in my inner world.
What kind of bizarre nonsense was that?
└PureAndLovely*) Anyway, you need to look into your inner world for at least a few years to sense that phenomenon… You managed it in just a few days.
I more or less understood the concept of a “phenomenon.”
But if there was still something I didn’t understand…
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) I didn’t really sense any phenomenon, so why are you saying I understood it?
└PureAndLovely*) You said you figured out what the force crushing your body was.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Yeah.
└PureAndLovely*) That force itself is probably the phenomenon. Normally, your inner world only gives you a little resistance. It shouldn’t have much effect on you.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Wait, what?
I thought it was normal because the mod told me to stop being dramatic. It was actually strange?
‘I’m kind of proud, but also a little annoyed.’
I was still trying to process that strange feeling when…
└PureAndLovely*) Anyway, you’ve more or less understood the phenomenon, so you should be able to use the ability.
└WokeUpAsATSGirl) Oh?
└PureAndLovely*) While circulating your aura, try to recall the sensation you understood in your inner world.
└PureAndLovely*) If you do that, you should feel the phenomenon take root in your aura.
I immediately drew out my aura, following the blue-tag mod’s advice.
A unique ability, huh? What kind of power would I have?
With that expectation in mind, I circulated my aura…
-Gwooom…
Before long, a strange sensation took root in my aura.
‘Hell yeah!’
A black mist with no form, yet it crushed whatever it touched.
‘Let’s try out my ability~’
I was so excited that I released my aura outside my body.
At that moment…
-Kugugugung!
The black force burst out so violently that it tore through the ceiling of the house.
…Huh?
***
[Title: My house collapsed]
(Photo of the house interior, completely wrecked)
I released my aura, and the mist went brrrrrr- and smashed up the whole house.
Shit.
-Why is everything this guy does legendary?
-Lmaoㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-That’s so unfortunate.
-But how strong does the ability have to be to wreck a house?
└PureAndLovely*) From what you said, it sounds like your aura is carrying an incredible amount of weight?
└Wow, then could you use telekinetic swordsmanship just by swinging aura?
└The blue-tag mod is sobbing over being a one-trick slash pony lol
I was moving out in the middle of the night while browsing the gallery.
The gallery users seemed worried about me, but…
‘I honestly don’t really care.’
This wasn’t me trying to justify it. I really meant it.
For one thing, there were a lot of monsters around my house, and the Tower was far away, so living there was inconvenient.
Besides, I’d been living in a more or less empty house for about three years. I’d gotten my money’s worth.
‘Maybe I’ll move somewhere nicer now.’
Preferably somewhere close to the Tower, where monsters hardly ever showed up.
-Pat, pat.
I wandered the streets with all my belongings bundled up.
How long had I been searching for an empty house?
-Creak.
I opened the door of a house that looked decent and walked right in.
“Anyone home?”
Well, there was no sign of anyone, so that was a pass for now.
After that, I took a quick look around the house to see if it was livable…
‘Not bad.’
The furniture was in good shape, and the water and electricity worked.
It was even on the second floor, which made it a little safer from monster attacks!
‘I choose you.’
I was about to finish moving in and unpack my things in the living room when…
“What? Sounds like someone’s here.”
“Hey, boss! There’s some girl in the living room!”
Four rough-looking men came streaming into the house.
‘Could they be the owners…?’
Right. There was no way a perfect house like this would just be sitting here for free.
I tried to apologize to them as politely as I could, but…
They began whispering in low voices.
“She looks about middle school age… What should we do with her?”
“I can’t sense any mana.”
“Really? Then we can just sell her off to China, like we did the owner of this place.”
My aura-enhanced hearing picked up every word.
‘…Looks like they’re looters.’
Just then, the one who seemed to be their leader smiled and slowly walked over.
“Miss, what brings you here?”
“I got lost.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
He subtly hid his right hand behind his back as he closed the distance.
Was he hiding a weapon?
-Shaa…
I circulated my aura and asked them a question.
“I have something to ask you guys.”
“What?”
“Are you four the only people living here together?”
Even though he looked startled, he answered calmly…
“That’s right… Why?”
“Oh, good. That’s a relief.”
-Shing.
I drew my sword and shouted at them.
“Get out of my house right now.”
“Miss, what are you talking about? You’re the one who came into our house.”
“…?”
I was so dumbfounded that I couldn’t speak.
“Could you hurry up and leave? I’m busy unpacking.”
“Ha, shit. We treat you nice and you keep getting uppity, brat—”
-Clang!
“Guh, hhk…!”
I brought the scabbard down on his head and said,
“Why is this your house?”
No wonder they were so shameless. They were looters, after all.