Chapter 87: Yume-hoshi’s Proposal
ㅤ”The problem is, we don’t have a way to deal with the main issue, Imusoda.”
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ㅤAfter saying that and sighing,
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ㅤ――I have an idea about that guy……
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ㅤThe Dream Weaver said.
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ㅤ（Come to think of it……）
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ㅤ”The fact that you offered me a deal means you have a way to deal with Imusoda… right?”
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ㅤ”What!? Is that true!?”
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ㅤSherry-san jumps at my words.
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ㅤ――You’re a sharp girl…… Yes, I have a plan…… Although, you’ll be the one executing it……
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ㅤ”Me……? Ah, I see, that’s what you mean.”
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ㅤAfter thinking for a bit, I figured out the Dream Weaver’s idea.
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ㅤ”H-Hey, young lady. Don’t just figure it out on your own, tell us.”
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ㅤThe Lookout Knight-san asks me. （It feels bad to keep calling him that, but I’ve forgotten his real name.）
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ㅤ”You mean, you’ll send my spirit to the Netherworld with your power and I’ll directly attack Imusoda there… right?”
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ㅤ――That’s right……
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ㅤThe Dream Weaver agrees with my confirmation.
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ㅤ”But then, wouldn’t it be better if you, the Dream Weaver, attacked directly?”
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ㅤ――If I could do that, I wouldn’t have succumbed to his threats……
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ㅤWell, that’s true.
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ㅤ”If you can’t do it, why do you think I can?”
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ㅤ――You’ve repelled Imusoda, who invaded your dream with my power, twice…… Your talent as a magician is exceptional…… It’s still rough around the edges, but if I lend you my power, you might be able to inflict a serious blow on Imusoda……
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ㅤ”Even if you say that, how can I do it?”
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ㅤ――It’s simple…… Approach Imusoda’s main body in the Netherworld and unleash all your emotional waves……
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ㅤ”What are emotional waves?”
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ㅤ――They are like ether waves, the prototype of magic…… Don’t materialize the magic, just hit him with raw ether…… It should be a similar feeling to the magic you call 『Ether Shot』…… Without giving it a concrete form, you slam the ether as it is into the target…… What you’re doing is extremely close to the mental attacks that demons are good at……
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ㅤ”But Ether Shot has physical power.”
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ㅤ――Even dungeons create something from nothing using the circulation of ether…… The phenomenon you create is something that should be called an 『Ether Burst』…… The burst ether overflows into the real world from that crack…… For an ordinary magician, it wouldn’t even be a breeze, but in your case, the concentration of ether is extraordinarily high…… As a result, it has the power that deserves to be called an explosion……
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ㅤ”Huh? So, is that actually quite inefficient?”
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ㅤ――Not at all…… Normal magic can’t even use one percent of the collected ether, but yours converts about one-tenth of it into power…… If you do that in the Netherworld, the efficiency of the ether will increase dramatically…… Even Imusoda won’t be unscathed……
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ㅤ”I understand the theory, but… it’s quite a rough plan, isn’t it? If we try it and fail, we might be counterattacked…”
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ㅤ――That’s why I tried to threaten you……
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ㅤI see.
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ㅤ”Hmm… I don’t think I can take such a gamble in this situation. There’s a possibility that Cretias will attack with Lewis-san and the others while I’m in the Netherworld.”
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ㅤOr rather, that’s definitely going to happen.
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ㅤ――I am a Dungeon Master, even now…… I’ve abandoned the operation of the dungeon for the convenience of the Undines, but I can temporarily turn this area back into a dungeon…… However, even with labyrinths, traps, and monsters, I might not be able to hold back that man for long……
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ㅤ”Even if we leave Imusoda alone, he can’t interfere with the real world, so he won’t be a fighting force on their side… right? He shouldn’t be able to increase the number of Awakened without your power, Dream Weaver-san.”
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ㅤ――I don’t know…… If that’s the case, why did he come after me so quickly?
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ㅤ”That’s true. Does that mean Imusoda already has another way to interfere with the real world?”
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ㅤBut if that’s the case,
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ㅤ”He went out of his way to erase the Dream Weaver because he judged that there was a risk that you would realize that method… right?”
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ㅤEveryone’s eyes focused on my muttering.
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ㅤ”That means, the plan from earlier might be possible.”
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ㅤSherry-san says to me as I put my hand on my chin.
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ㅤ”Hey, Minato. You said it was dangerous earlier…”
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ㅤ”Yeah, well, I think it’s too much of a gamble to have a youkai war in the Netherworld. But I think it might be possible to just do some reconnaissance.”
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ㅤ”You mean, strike once and probe Imusoda’s condition? Certainly, if we can do that, there’s a possibility that we’ll find the key to breaking the deadlock…”
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ㅤ――Hmm…… When it comes to 『swimming』 through the Netherworld, I’m better than Imusoda…… I can descend to the real world if necessary, but he can’t……
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ㅤ”Can you 『descend』 to the real world from anywhere?”
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ㅤ――Distance and location in the real world are irrelevant in the Netherworld…… It’s difficult to explain in words, but my ability to connect the Netherworld and the real world can be used anywhere within this Mist Forest……
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ㅤ”Huh? So, does that mean Imusoda is in the Mist Forest?”
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ㅤ――Even if Imusoda can cast a shadow on the real world, he can’t occupy a specific location…… However, as long as he focuses his consciousness on this place, he can be considered to be in the Mist Forest in a pseudo-sense in the Netherworld……
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ㅤ”Um, I don’t really understand, but does that mean 『if you think you’re here, then you are, in your mind!』?”
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ㅤ――In the Netherworld! That’s what it means…… As long as he intends to interfere with this place, he is connected to this place……
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ㅤFor some reason, the Dream Weaver nodded while subtly playing along with the joke.
ㅤI say nodding, but it’s more like I feel that kind of presence.
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ㅤ”If it’s not that dangerous, let’s try it. There doesn’t seem to be any benefit in waiting.”
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ㅤ――Hmm…… I will transform this area into a dungeon and evacuate the Undines to a hidden room…… Once that’s done, let’s go see how Imusoda is doing……
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ㅤ”Heinlein and I will protect Minato, who will be unable to move while her spirit is in the Netherworld, when they break through the dungeon.
ㅤNo, should we put Minato in the same hidden room as the Undines?”
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ㅤSherry-san asks.
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ㅤ”Cretias seems to be targeting me, so it might be better to be somewhere else. Either way, we have to protect the Dream Weaver too, so I think this room is fine. I’ll have you two try to keep Cretias and the others from entering this room. Of course, only if it comes to that.”
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ㅤIt would be best if we could stall them with the dungeon alone.
ㅤSherry-san is skilled, but she’s at a disadvantage in a one-on-one fight with Cretias.
ㅤThe Lookout Knight-san, whose name turned out to be Heinlein, is good with a bow but not so good in a melee. Certainly, he has a bit of an atmosphere that makes him seem like he’d say something like, “I’ll snipe you!”
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ㅤAnyway, the course of action has been decided, and I wait for the Dream Weaver to finish transforming the area into a dungeon.