===========================

Chapter 47: Imaginary Construct

===========================

Two days had passed since the squid incident.

In front of a certain bandaged lady, Krone sighed.

Natalia had confided in him, that she had confidence that she could overcome her trauma. Towards that end, she asked him to bring her to confront the residue, again.

He was dizzy, dealing with her.

‘Are you an M, seriously. That thing could turn you insane. No, are you already? Hello?’

“Krone, please,”

“No way! Be honest now. It’s not that easy to overcome trauma, Lady Natalia,”

“Of course I know! B-but, if you don’t give me this chance, I feel like I’ll forever…”

“Forever, what?”

“Forever stuck, I can’t step forward. I have to overcome it, once and for all,”

“You, if you’re mistaken, you might end up forever dead, you know,”

“I know. I know I’m being selfish, but please,”

She asked him, sincerely.

With seemingly innocent, yet determined eyes. It turned awkward. It would be much easier to turn her down, should she came to him hard, forcing him.

He cringed at the fact, she was all nice now.

‘Who are you? Give me back my spoiled Natalia!’

As much as he did not want to disappoint, the risk was quite high.

He was not sure, so he tested her. Within the Low-Items pack, there was a Sub-Naga, a distant relative to a dragon. This one had the appearance and size, but not the strength or ferocity of a dragon. It could not even fly. Well, it was dead so it did not matter.

He had her prove it to him, and she did.

‘Did she really?’

He remembered the first time she encountered it, she shivered.

Yet at this time, she was more than comfortable. She touched it, with calmness. Looking at her, he had a feeling she already came to term with herself, with her past.

Still, it was too fast he could barely believe it.

Curiousity hit him.

“So, mind telling me, what transpires? Did you die in the sea and came alive again?”

Hearing his questions, she turned to him.

Eyes tranquil, she held none of the ferocity she had before. It was as if, she had turned the time back, back to when she was a mere student. Back to when she was a squire.

His squire.

She gave a faint smile, taking a deep breath.

“Facing death, I feel like I might be… misunderstanding him, all this time. I feel, I ought to give him a chance. I want to give him a chance,”

She admitted so.

Hearing it, he understood it. Actually, he knew it. Her trauma was neither about cowardice, nor about dragon. Still, she was not entirely honest.

He could only shake his head afterward.

‘This little lady...Who’s giving who’s chance, really?’

Well, she managed to convince him, so he had to give her another chance.

A chance, at defeating this residue.

Plugging the hole in her heart.

“…Fine, last chance,”

She had an elated smile, quite a sight to see.

At the time, he was not quite sure, whether or not he was out of his mind.

“But if I sense any fear, I’ll kick you out.”

“…Yes!”

Within, he mocked himself.

‘Aii. And here I thought I’m no pushover,’

SHAA—

Encountering the residue, they returned to the place from before.

On top of a rocky mountain range, lush jungle below them, smoke from active volcanoes kept rising to the sky. Morning dew freshened up their eyes and lungs.

Krone felt it.

The setting was the same, but there was a subtle difference. Previously, the air seemed a bit heavy. Now, it was light. He turned up.

In the sky, dozens of dragons were flying.

At Natalia’s back, stood a black-haired, middle-aged knight.

This time, she did not froze. Instead, she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Krone observed her. He was serious when he warned her, so should he sensed her having fear, he would force her out.

She smiled, turning to her back.

Turning, to the man she wished to see. Hair tied to his back, three claws-like scars on his left eye, the middle-aged man stood upright. Wearing a black robe, lightly armored, he was the very essence of an ancient Knight.

This man was watching her, yet his expression was downright apathy.

No affection, no hatred.

Looking at him, she felt her heart, as if being pricked.

Then again, Kristine’s words reminded her.

‘I trust him,’

Within her, she repeated the words.

She was well aware, he was an imaginary construct, a product from her memory. The whole setting and the man, were all imaginary. Eyes on Krone, they turned to the sky.

The winged figure in the sky flew down.

“Lady Natalia, you’re still confident?”

“Yeah,”

Booming sound filled the air.

The red dragon landed, right in front of them. Red, shiny scales and glossy wings, it was Velzer.

The Mother Dragon.

Its green emerald eyes shone, it raised its thick and sharp claws.

Seeing it was about to attack, both of them moved, yet not to avoid it. They moved, towards the man, Natalia’s Master.

The claw swiped down on them, Krone braced for impact.

Natalia, did not.

BAMM—

The claw, huge claw, landed on an arm.

Shining with silver armguard, it was her master’s arm. He blocked the attack, with ease.

She smiled, heart soaring, while Krone sighed, tensed feeling loosening.

Her gamble, their gamble, worked. Before coming, both of them had wrecked their brain, sharing their past and whatever information they had about imaginary construct. From what he had experienced and what he knew from the library, aligned with her experience, both of them agreed to take advantage of one certain law.

The Law regarding imaginary construct.

The Law stated, whatever imaginary construct was, would still be affected by their mind.

In this case, if Natalia’s perception of the characters or situation were negative, then it would affect what they would experience. Since the residue had detected her trauma before, it would most likely take advantage of that again, repeating the same trauma.

Actually, she had another trauma.

But after making sure it was nothing much, they proceeded. Well, having a cockroach entered your clothes might be traumatic for many, but Krone was confident he would managed.

Since Natalia had overcome her primary trauma, having trust in her Master restored; this character in the scene should turn into an ally. That was their conclusion.

By having that proven now, Krone let out a sigh of relief.

Seeing what happened clearly beside him, he took a deep breath.

The sight of an ancient Dragon Master, holding back a dragon’s claw bigger than him, was breath-taking. He had fought dragon before, but none among his fellow knights was insane enough to take on its claw head-on. The blank face of the Dragon Master, now turned to his apprentice, smiling.

Seeing this, Natalia had pride written on her face.

“I’ve told you, Master wouldn’t let me in harm’s way, even—”

“Alright, alright. Boast about him all you want, later.”

In front of them, there was still the final boss.

The Mother Dragon Velzer, well-known for her wisdom and strength. However, the fact that it attacked them, was weird altogether. If Natalia already overcome her trauma, would this dragon still have such a negative perception on her?

Right now, Velzer was frozen there, not moving.

Yet the eyes, still staring them down, full of hatred.

Krone took a three-metre spear out.

Fortunate enough, the imaginary construct even constructed his spatial ring.

“What now? I thought you said the Mother Dragon had no malicious intent,”

“I did say that. I know that for a fact.”

“So? How come it’s still staring at us, as if wanting to eat us? Do you hate it or something?”

“No, I no longer… Ahh, there’s only one explanation,”

“Ah, hey!”

She stepped forward, confident.

Her gaze, on the red dragon. Her blue eyes, against the emerald eyes.

“You know, my master, he promised. He wouldn’t break it. He brought me here, to see you. There’s no way he would bring me, if you intend to harm me.”

The dragon growled, as if annoyed.

She smirked, she had an inkling.

But being a sensor for many years, she knew enough to trust that little feeling she had.

“But you do, indeed. You’re not Velzer. Not even an imaginary construct,”

She said so. Voice firm, clear.

“You are the residue, aren’t you?”

Having said so, the image of the dragon, dispersed. As if the wind blew it out of its form, turning it all into dust. Seeing this, Krone had a revelation. The scene was a clear reminder, of how fragile falsehood was, no matter how realistic it seemed.

As the ‘dragon’ was rid of its form, its real form unveiled.

A ginormous eye, over twenty-metre from bottom to the top, staring at them.

“Izkill’s Eye!”

“Krone, now!”

Krone did not hesitate.

His Aurelian Arte in full blast, he slid through the air, bringing the long spear ahead of him.

“Arte Instana,”

A powerful drilling, landed right on the eye.

KRAA—

It stopped, locked inside the eye.

Standing on his spear, from his ring, he took out two swords. In such a close range, a particular Arte would be the most destructive.

He was about to attack, when light shone from the big eye.

It was an attack, drilling its light into Krone’s spirit.

He shook.

His head shaking, he could not think straight. It seemed he had experienced amnesia. Another image overlapped, he no longer saw the same image from before.

To his front, wide bed, filled with colours.

Lying on it, gorgeous girls, scantly-clad.

All eight of them, from mature, to cute. Hairs of various colours, short, and long. Different attires, that which triggered him, all there. One had bunny attire, one devil-like, one black-tight fitting, one eastern red lingerie, one thinly veiled nightgown, one bloomers… Ah, enough.

Each and every wearer was a full-blown beauty, no exception.

‘Brother Krone…’

‘Honey, leave those mean swords behind. I want your real sword,’

‘Krone, I’m dying… pierced me with your thick sword, please,’

‘I’m hungry. Krony, I want your milk,’

Voices luring him, pleading him, urging him.

Soft, affectionate voices, sending surge into his being.

‘Hm, truly an art,’

He spent several seconds appreciating them, before remembering something.

Their faces, beautiful, no doubt… But familiar.

…?

Ahh, you girls. Didn’t you girls died in the war?

Wait, what war?

…

…He remembered.

These women, were not real. At least, most of them wouldn’t be so easy. He recalled, being slapped by some of them. His fault, anyway.

Bad joke.

He snapped back to the first dream world, the residue was in front of him. Seeing him paused for a moment, Natalia was about to go support, yet stopped.

No need, since he already regained consciousness.

Seeing the big eye, his eyes twitched, both of them.

Dared to use this uncle’s weakness, you got nerve!

“Flamme Vryusha, second steps.”

He evoked red fire on the blades, slashing his swords one by one.

For every slash, he dealt it massive damage, turning its moisture into vapor.

KRAA—

It was as if the final wailing of the beast.

Fiery fire engulfed the residue, turning the imaginary construct into charcoal. With the beast defeated, his spear came off, Krone landed on the mountain ground.

“That’s,”

Coming from within the residue, an orb of light essence, hovering out.

Slightly yellow, shimmering, it gave a feeling of vitality.

“Trait Inheritance,”

Krone said, Natalia understood.

This was their goal all this time, to get this one. It was not just any trait, but a trait which could change the balance of power of a whole frontline. If they utilized it well, it could bring significant result in the long war.

The lump of light buzzed, as if having consciousness.

Now, the two invading spirits had beaten its master, it could only submit to one of them, or disperse into nothingness.

Vruu—

Krone was in front of it.

His face was satisfied, welcoming. He gestured it over. Being the one who defeated it, it would only be logical for it to choose him. Well, Krone’s logic.

The light buzzed, moving in front of him, as if wanting to collide with him.

“That's right, come to Papa!”

He was elated.

Only to be puzzled. That thing made a sharp turn, going behind him.

“Ehh?”

The trail of light accelerated, as if firm in its decision.

Heading straight, towards Natalia.

“Ah, wha?”

Natalia made a defensive gesture, mana covered her.

Yet it was no use. The light went through her hands, a burst of light flashed around her.

"Um?"

Eyes knitting, she realized she was not injured. Instead, she felt brimming energy within.

Warmth, filling her.

“W-what?”

She turned to Krone, expecting explanation.

Seeing this, and seeing how easy it was for her to absorb it, he understood.

It had chosen her.

“Ehh, so you like Mama better… Ahh, poor me,”

“Krone?”

“I’ll explain later, the construct was about to—”

While saying so, the world around them shook.

Sliding to her side, he grabbed her hand. He had to make sure they got out outside, together.

Eyes locking, they nodded.

Their image dispersed, out from the world of dream.

Chapter 47 ‘Imaginary Construct’ End