Chapter 172

Short stature with a timid expression pressed down on her face. The girl possesses a cane crafted from the skull and spine of a once-living person.

This person being here is the most surprising thing.

When this girl died, her appearance was almost akin to skin and bones, and while alive, she fell to where I currently am.

Then she twisted and vanished without a trace as if she never existed in the first place.

At least it wasn’t someone referencing my memories.

If this is my mindscape, it’s strange that there’s Xungkeshni here.

I thought maybe since the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign called me the master, this place I’m in might be the typical “mindscape” from stories, but there’s Xungkeshni. And Daegon said I’m just a guest.

Is one of them lying?

A demon comes to mind.

What kind of place is this? The simplest but surest way to find out would be to confront it.

So I approached Xungkeshni.

“This is the third time we’ve met.”

“Second, probably.”

Xungkeshni says something odd. Second?

Now that I think about it, the dream atmosphere suddenly shifted once. If it was cruel fairy tale-like before, filled with meat, corpses, and trash, at some point, I started meeting people from the past.

When was that?

After meeting Xungkeshni. Afterward, familiar faces kept appearing—people I knew, not unnamed corpses or animal remains.

So, I should ask this question.

“What do you think about people who laugh when they’re scared?”

At my question, Xungkeshni’s expression crinkled up, showing clear distaste.

“Are you mocking me?”

Yeah, definitely feels more real now. And the Xungkeshni I met the first time isn’t the one in front of me now.

Still, since there’s no light or warmth, it must be fake.

“Yeah, that’s right. I’m mocking you. Aren’t you a witch? Answer the question.”

If this is a mindscape, I can speak freely, right? Xungkeshni’s expression twists with hatred, but when I press her, she flinches in fear, bows her head, and looks up at me.

“I think it’s pitiful.”

She considers herself pitiful. Since these aren’t the real words of the true Xungkeshni, they’re probably meaningless internal musings.

“I’m going to enter the castle ahead.”

Xungkeshni looks at me, then glances behind me. There must be something back there.

I deliberately don’t turn around.

Probably another witch whose name I don’t know.

Since things started changing after questioning Xungkeshni, what went wrong?

If she’s following me, I’ll show her till the end. I can already predict what lies beyond the pitch-black castle walls devoid of depth.

“Do you know this is the opposite side of the exit?”

I nod in response to Xungkeshni’s words. Yeah, I know. At first, it felt like I was watching a fairy tale, so I wondered if I’d meet the Queen of Hearts inside the castle.

But halfway through, I forgot. Instead of a fairy tale scene, characters from my past began appearing.

So I moved on autopilot. Then halfway, I found a reason to go all the way.

“Yeah, I know.”

Xungkeshni hesitates, dragging out time. So I stared at her intently. She makes a face of pure disdain under my gaze before finally walking toward the wall.

She taps her cane against the wall.

BOOM!

With a loud noise, the wall splits open. The stones forming the wall move apart to create a gate shape, but there’s no door—only endless darkness inside.

And beyond that darkness, a pristine white castle appears.

Without hesitation, I step into the darkness, submerging myself in its sticky thickness.

It touches my body.

I feel nothing. It’s the same cold I always feel. The relentless cold I still feel now. A cold so intense it defies familiarity. Am I going crazy from the cold? Or does the cold make me crazy? Either way, I keep moving toward my destination.

“KIIIIIYA!”

Suddenly, a scream echoes above me.

A pitch-black lizard leaps down from somewhere overhead. When did it get up there?

The lizard screams as it desperately crawls away from the darkness, heading back toward where I came from.

Judging by the faint flapping wings visible through the darkness, it might be a dragon rather than a lizard.

But it moves like a human trying to escape something terrifying, clawing its way forward. Definitely a lizard.

The center of its body…

It’s the only thing here radiating light. The only source of warmth among everyone I’ve encountered so far.

I assume this is the witch who brought me here.

But didn’t she forget? If she was clinging to my head, she should remember everything I’ve done until now.

The lizard collides with an invisible barrier at the exit, unable to advance further.

Just one more step forward, and it could escape the darkness, but it can’t.

The light is right in front of it.

But its body cannot leave the darkness.

“Heheh.”

Xungkeshni stands before the struggling lizard, mocking it.

“You can’t escape this way.”

“Open it! Open it! Please!”

The lizard shouts in a bizarre voice, a mix of male and female tones. Ignoring them, I continue forward.

Witch.

Though intriguing, I’m more interested in exploring deeper within.

Besides, I still have a key left in my pocket. I wonder what’s inside whatever this key can unlock.

I keep walking forward, steadily approaching the castle now clearly visible.

“By Maleficent’s orders! Open the gate! Why won’t my magic work?! Let me out! Here’s too cold! Please! Begging you!”

“Hohoho. Cheap one. You should’ve run when your mind shattered from the memories in the dream. It’s too late now.”

Gradually, their voices fade from my ears. Finally, I hear something genuine from Xungkeshni, and I learn the witch’s name.

New information gained. Time to put it to good use.

Thinking that, I keep walking forward.

Straight ahead.

Sounds from behind grow fainter until they disappear. Something’s off. The castle was right in front of me, yet no matter how far I walk, it doesn’t appear.

I vaguely sense what this world truly is.

If my guess is correct, I’ll need to walk through this darkness for quite a while.

Tap tap.

I take short steps for a long time.

In this dark space, there’s only coldness.

I lost track of how much time has passed when…

A city appears before me.

A dull, lifeless city like a silent black-and-white movie, devoid of color and sound.

A faded memory of a man’s hometown.

A city I should yearn for.

In a way, I’ve barely returned home—not really, but figuratively.

Looking up, the sky contrasts sharply with the city, a vivid blue. A tall tower stands prominently, far from where I originally lived.

Reaching a height that rivals a castle in movies, it draws comparisons.

Yet in this monochrome world, it gleams starkly white. Black-and-white spaces tend to appear either purely white or purely black when viewed from the outside.

Entering such places usually signifies some form of awakening, right?

I certainly didn’t expect to end up here randomly. Still, I move forward. Toward the district where the man from the faded memories lived. I know the way to his house, the path I longed for in the darkness.

I walk along that road.

After what feels both short and long, I reach the door. Where the digital lock should be…

There’s a giant keyhole instead.

I pull out the worn-out key from my pocket and try inserting it.

Clang!

But it doesn’t fit.

Huh?

Did I miss picking up a key somewhere? Or should I have brought the witch earlier? I could turn back, but it’d be exhausting.

Instead, I head sideways down the corridor and press the elevator button. It doesn’t budge, so I head toward the stairs.

Opening the emergency exit to descend the staircase I climbed earlier…

It won’t open.

What? Is this a bug?

Looking around, there’s no way back. Eventually, I return to the door. Thinking I might jump over the hallway railing to escape, I find it blocked by a solid wall.

The digital lock has been replaced with a keyhole, and the key still doesn’t fit.

On a whim, I press the doorbell.

Nothing happens.

Next, I knock on the door.

No one answers.

Guess I shouldn’t have left my companion behind. What should I do?

Standing in the corridor, I suddenly hear footsteps.

The elevator opens, and a man steps out.

It’s me.

Though his eyes aren’t obscured like ink, I recognize it’s me.

The man walks up to me, pulls out a key from his pocket, and unlocks the door.

Glancing at the key, I notice the word “past” engraved on its tip.

The door opens, revealing a small apartment. The man enters, and I follow.

He acts as though he doesn’t recognize me.

Am I supposed to do something here with this collection of memories?

While pondering this, the man changes clothes, relaxes, and turns on the TV in the living room.

Suddenly, he speaks to me.

“That’s the exit.”

Pointing at the flickering screen, he continues.

“Is the theme park over?”

“Have you reflected on yourself?”

“Impossible.”

Of course, I shake my head in denial. The man smirks knowingly.

“Yeah, we wouldn’t do something like that. The viewing’s over; go back.”

“Alright.”

Then I suddenly pull out the key from my pocket.

“Do you know what this is?”

“Would I know if you don’t?”

“Useless.”

“All memories of the past are like that.”

Maybe I missed the room to enter because I overlooked it. Chatting idly with Mr. Chin while stepping into the TV, I don’t particularly worry.

I give up on games when I hit 60% completion and finish all the scenarios anyway.

For a moment, I feel the sensation of falling from a great height, then wake up in my bed.

The ceiling of the luxurious accommodation in front of the Royal Academy.

I’ve returned to the original world.

I don’t understand what happened, but since I got the witch’s name, I’ll count it as a success. Plus, there’s a heavy metallic sensation near my hips.

So the witch’s name is Maleficent?

Such a classic name.

Oh well.

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