Chapter 50: [48] Forest of Illusions

The Forest of Illusions was a behemoth of a site. The group looked up from its edge, staring at the trees—spaced fifteen meters apart—which reached to the grand blue sky. They were massive, with trunks fit enough for a small house to be carved out of. Claire wondered if trees like these existed outside of the dungeon as well.

"The first few meters of the forest is the 'illusion' part of its name. It attacks you with your worst nightmares with illusions and mimics, using the very memories you bury deep," Albert Stref spoke loudly at the helm, "No matter what you see, or hear, keep walking forward. If you can get through that, the rest is as normal a forest as a dungeon has."

Claire, Via, Alicia, and Vander nodded along with the rest of the group.

"I'm glad everyone understands, let's go, then," The leader took his step forward and the others followed suite.

As soon as she stepped within, Claire's surroundings blurred as those around her disappeared. The warmth of Alicia's hand ceased.

"This iseikai really pulls out all the ropes," She muttered and continued forward, crimson eyes dull to the forest of gigantic trees. It seemed strange to her that, even with the large leaves overhead, the sun still managed to weave its way in and illuminate the emerald grass.

Then, her steps faltered as a girl blocked her path, dressed in a familiar school uniform of old. Familiar to her.

"It's amusing to see you again, Claire," The girl before her smiled.

Her body shuddered and she looked on as tears came from her crimson eyes.

"You thought I actually loved you just because I could stare into your eyes without squirming?" The figure chortled. "Just because I flattered you with sweet words?"

Claire stopped her steps.

"Hey, don't tell me you forgot about that day?" She smirked, tilting her head as she touched her lips with a finger. "Was it that shocking that I wouldn't date a girl?"

A chuckled rang as azure mana lashed wildly into the surroundings, seeping out of Claire as a chill descended upon the area. Ice crawled over the first ground, clinger onto the figure's feet, then climbed until it drowned her head.

"Of course I didn't forget about you," Claire spoke, eyes cold as she watched the person, frozen like a statue.

She stared at the figure's face, taking it all in. A girl who looked as cute as a button, freckled cheeks, and curly brown hair. Her first friend, the one that caused her initial retreat.

"You made middle school more troublesome than it was worth."

<Loki> appeared in her hand as she took a step forward.

"Goodbye, my first love."

She slashed.

The tears froze away into snowflakes as the head of the girl came off.

The statue of ice exploded into darkness.

'Sorry, you can't make me fall prey to something I revisit every waking moment.' She thought. 'I'm much too used to it.'

She stood alone for a moment and breathed in, sucking the memory right back down into her, until it reached the depths of her soul and froze there.

Claire took another step forward, then, a scream reached her ears.

———

Via stood, her legs shuddered as she stared at the boy.

"You really want to spar me? Do you think my mind will change? Do you think I will take pity on you and take you along?"

He was shorter than her, with white hair, and red eyes, but the presence he wielded along with his frozen expression sent waves crashing through her. There was a single, plain, silver sword in his hand as he took a step forward and she backed away.

The next moment, she blinked and he disappeared.

"You're weak," He was already in front of her when his voice fell, eyes cold, his blade slashing its way to her neck.

A clang rang and a short sword blocked the advance of the weapon from touching her neck.

"You can't imagine just how much I've always wanted to stab you," Via grinned.

The other short sword tore through his chest.

He looked down, eyes widening in shock, then he stared back up, both their eyes interlocked for a moment.

"I'm not that weak, Bell."

His image blurred and then shattered into darkness.

She sighed and placed a hand to her wildly beating heart. A few more breaths later, and she stood up, straight and staring at the open forest.

Via took a step forward, then, a scream reached her ears.

———

Alicia stared at Claire.

"Ah, so that's what it is? That's rather silly," Claire squished the girl's face, staring at her eyes.

"Of course, I hate you." She smiled.

Alicia merely looked at the figure without a change in her expression.

"You're not Claire," She said, nose sniffing. "Claire always smells sweet. And she said she won't push me away. Claire doesn't lie. When she said she would save me, she did."

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Her hand grasped, the image of Claire blurred to reveal a black shadow in the shape of a human. A mimic.

"Don't you dare pretend to be her," Anger filled her voice as her grip tightened and its neck snapped.

The dark shape exploded into particles of darkness.

Alicia took a step forward, then, a scream reached her ears.

———

The boy stood for a moment, confused.

"Wow, a dungeon really is interesting," He muttered.

One moment he was with the others, the next, he was alone in a forest. Remembering Albert's words, he took a step forward.

Then, his step stopped and his mouth stood agape.

Before him, a woman stood. Brunette hair, wearing a faded green dress, with an apron over her, she smiled at him.

". . .are you really an illusion?"

He reached out a hand, his expression one of curiosity. If the Forest really wanted to scare him, what was she doing here? How was she his nightmare?

Crunch

Blood splashed into the air and touched his face.

The woman found herself lounged in the jaws of a beast. It resembled a wolf, but it was much larger, and its body was covered in fur as sharp as iron and as brown as dirt. Big enough to swallow a human whole, its maws ripped into the woman until only her head poked out between them.

"R-run. . .away. . ." She managed as blood spluttered from her lips with a second crunch.

Vander could not move.

His eyes widened.

His knees hit the ground as the woman was devoured.

The scream of the boy rang, piercing through the forest as his figure blurred in and out of the physical realm, spasming in and out of reality as if he were a glitch in the world.

Ice froze the beast. Two blades slashed off its head. And a pair of hands ripped apart its body. As the illusion exploded into darkness, the trio of Claire, Via, and Alicia stood, staring at the boy, and asked at once.

"What happened?"

The boy looked up, his ethereal eyes, dancing the light of azure flames, seeped with tears.

"Wh—what happened to my village. . .?" He mouthed.

If it was true that the mimics and illusions of the forest worked on memories. . .then why had he saw his mother being mawed by a beast?

Via furrowed her brows.

"Say, what's the name of your village?"

Vander spoke the word 'Tam' even as confusion filled him.

"Come again?" Via raised a brow, walking closer. "I don't think I got that right. Tam. You said Tam? The village of Tam?"

The boy tilted his head, tears still staining his face, "Yes, Tam, what of it?"

The bunny laughed.

"Why are you laughing. . .?" The poor boy did not understand a thing.

"Oh god you've gotta be joking," She laughed some more.

"Where's the humor?" Claire asked.

"I don't see it." Alicia said.

Via stopped her laughter and looked between the trio, then back at Vander Slade. She produced a grim smile.

"Tam is gone. Destroyed. It was wiped out by a dungeon break more than ten years ago."

As the eyes of the boy widened, Claire was struck with the words of Clera—the receptionist of Aclair's adventure guild—perfectly remembered.

"One of our bi-annual match to prevent a dungeon break scenario from occurring—as no city wants what occurred to Tam. . ." She muttered aloud then stared at Vander, whose presence shuddered and quaked, running out of reality then back into the physical realm at every moment.

"Not only are you dead. Not only have you lost some of your memories. But, also, your reason for seeking out power is already gone and you're lost, ten years in the future?"

She stared at the boy whose physicality seemed to match his mental state. He was upon his knees, head bowed down as his figure fluttered in and out of existence.

'Oh, how the plot thickens.' She thought.

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