Chapter 449

In the Advanced Theory of Aura Class, Ms. Anzhelina Hoff passionately delivered her lecture as usual.

“We often deceive ourselves into thinking we know ourselves well—our memories, our thoughts, and even our emotions. Distortions of memory and thought often occur. Yet, to be unaware of our current feelings seems to starkly contrast with our intuition. Mr. Nikola, how do you feel right now?”

“Um, I feel good, Professor.”

“Did everyone see that he said he feels good while wearing a face that looks like he really doesn’t?”

“Hahahaha.”

The students burst into laughter, while Nikola gave a sheepish smile.

“Just kidding. Let me share a funny anecdote with you.”

I leaned forward and listened closely to her words.

“There was a student who failed the bar exam for 15 years. One day, he suddenly went to a doctor because of severe insomnia. The doctor asked if studying was difficult. He replied, ‘No, doctor! I used to hate opening books, but these days studying is so much fun! I think studying is my calling! So why do I suffer from insomnia?’ Later, the doctor diagnosed him with anxiety disorder and depression.”

“Ohhh.”

“What do you all think is the reason?”

“Maybe it’s the anxiety from continuous exam preparation?”

“Correct. Anyone who saw that person would think that the problem lay in studying for 15 years. But the patient was the only one unaware of it. Why? Because he genuinely found studying enjoyable and felt no anxiety at all. Now, let’s take a look at the paper together.”

I nodded and turned the page.

“Transcendental perception refers to the consciousness of the subjective inner act or spontaneity related to object recognition, which contrasts with the empirical sensation or inner feeling that refers to the subjective awareness of changes in one’s mental state over time. The important point here is that self-consciousness is not self-perception—”

Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason overwhelmed most of the students.

I placed the pen on my lips, pondering deeply.

I waited for the professor to finish her statement before raising my hand to ask a question.

“Kant believed that the act of ‘I think’ should accompany all representations; otherwise, things I haven’t thought of could enter into my representations. If the subject of thought and the existent being are different, how should we philosophically regard this?”

“Can you elaborate a bit more?”

“Simply put, if there is a concept that states ‘You think, therefore you exist,’ what should the subject be regarded as?”

This is indeed erosion.

Ms. Anzhelina Hoff pondered for a while and arrived at the same conclusion.

“It would be a contradictory existence. The idea that one exists through other’s thoughts means they are dead but also a living existence at the same time.”

“Indeed, that would make sense.”

The very existence becoming precariously unstable, the dragon forcibly manifested it through a ninth-circle magic.

As a result, when the inhibitory power weakened, it transformed into a disaster that periodically ravaged the surrounding area.

The radius could range from a few kilometers to dozens of kilometers.

The erosion of sloth leads to the curse of petrification, and the erosion of anger leads to the curse of demonization.

“To live with a proposition that denies dignity for a lifetime is indeed a sad existence.”

Professor Hoff cast a look of compassion.

It would be sad, indeed.

If one could only avert their eyes from the ceaseless chain reactions of hydrogen bombs.

* * *

[2nd Circle Casting: Cerebral Cortex Reconstruction]

[3rd Circle Casting: Activation of the Lateral Prefrontal Cortex]

[Encryption: Neuropeptide Y Receptor 2]

[Erosion of Arrogance: Hibirisu]

“If you know anything about Seol-a, please tell me, Hibirisu.”

“Then let me use that body. I don’t remember my father’s face.”

“I can’t allow that.”

“Then I’m sorry too.”

Such uncooperative beings.

In any case, without a super-high concentration mana stone like the Yeouiju, they cannot have a physical body.

In the past life, where mana density was hundreds of times higher, there were only seven in total, and there wouldn’t be any here, even if searched with clear eyes.

I formulated a hypothesis that just like life possesses a survival instinct, erosion possesses a driving instinct to recover dignity.

One question arises here.

If the activity space is limited to within a virtual reality, can the erosions be granted life?

As long as they can become the subject of Persona Pisci, it should be possible to forcibly open their memories.

Coincidentally, I had an ASI dataset, where Adella’s personality had been extracted and turned into a tin can.

“Don’t you hate me, Hibirisu?”

“…”

“I’ll affirm your existence.”

“… Now!”

With a green-haired woman of refreshing summer greenery, Hiasen got angry.

“What if not just me, but hundreds and thousands of people affirm your existence? What if there are countless individuals, apart from me, who listen to your story and think only of you?”

“I don’t believe what a witch says.”

“Seol-a is my mother.”

“…? That’s a lie.”

“Didn’t you know? If you were planning to threaten me with this, that’s a pretty good strategy. Why would I be sitting at the negotiation table with you? Though it’s not exactly a negotiation table but more of a log swing…”

It’s quite funny talking like this to those who have already become a part of my existence.

To turn their hearts, which only had hatred remaining, I had no choice but to use this method.

I attempted to negotiate with Hibirisu, who was the most favorable to me.

“I’ll create a game out of your story. People will fight me alongside you. Hundreds, thousands of times. The clearer your existence will become with each time. Will this suffice as atonement?”

I wanted to meet Hiasen and Niobe earlier, but first, I need to find Seol-a.

“Are you saying you’ll kill me? That’s impossible.”

“In the world of the game, anything is possible.”

If it doesn’t work, I can adjust the difficulty through specification adjustments.

Losing to someone like her is not particularly appealing.

* * *

The next morning, I rubbed my eyes in fatigue and immediately jumped into the capsule.

[Private Room]

“Huh? You’re up early, Sister. Are you planning to play the game from the morning?”

Adella, having just finished her streaming broadcast, sluggishly welcomed me from the bed in the private room.

Why didn’t I think of this sooner?

I didn’t know the exact number, but I summoned Adella’s entire body code, which has at least tens of billions of lines.

What if I use my unique magic on this?

[▶CMD Software Magic Dynamics Simulation Software Activated]

[▶Warning! Use of unlicensed software may incur data processing costs.]

Erosion is not free from the law of uniqueness.

[Spell Casting: Cerebral Cortex Reconstruction]

[Advanced Spell Casting: Activation of Lateral Septum]

[Decryption: Neuropeptide Y Receptor 1]

[Unique Magic – Esteria Ryu 8th Style – Hybris]

Wiiiiing-!

The black cube heated up, glowing red.

We quickly covered our ears from the jet engine-like noise.

[System: Set Master Volume: 10%]

“What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m combining erosion magic with ASI.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“I don’t know. It’s my first time trying. It should be fine.”

“Wait! I have zero trust in this!”

The heat from the cube stopped shortly after.

Thump—

A clear, ethereal sound resonated.

I knocked on the tin can just in case, but there wasn’t much difference.

“Why are you knocking?”

“I’m checking for ghosts.”

“Eeeeeek!”

Being a tin can from the start, it wouldn’t move in the private room.

Ultimately, it seems I’ll have to summon it within a proper operating system for it to function.

“Do you want to come in?”

“Uh…”

Adella trembled and accepted.

But I thought you were afraid of ghosts?

[Unspecified_OpenWorld_Programming_FinalProject_IntermediateRevision5_TitleNotDecidedYet.exe]

We were summoned into the game world I created as that avatar.

It was a forest map provided by Resonance.

[System: Run as Administrator]

Let’s create an avatar with the ASI I just obtained.

[Would you like to select automatic avatar creation?]

[The AI will randomly generate an avatar.]

[Avatar is being created…]

Pop-!

A cuboid block gradually divided into smaller blocks until a neat female avatar appeared.

She had a pure impression with green hair, looking as if she would live in a forest hut.

Her height was similar to Adella’s, dressed in a modest maid outfit.

“Wow, she’s pretty! Did you succeed on the gacha all in one go?”

“Hmm…”

I spun the avatar gacha once more.

[Would you like to select automatic avatar creation?]

[The AI will randomly generate an avatar.]

[Avatar is being created…]

“No way, that was good enough. Why are you spinning again? Huh?”

“Same as before.”

Although her outfit changed to a white nightgown from the medieval era, the figure was identical.

Considering it was random auto-generation, it was an extremely low probability.

‘It seems the ASI has achieved a degree of harmonization with the unique magic.’

It’s a fascinating phenomenon, indeed.

“Ugh!”

Thud—

Suddenly, Adella face-planted into the ground.

“What are you doing?”

“Ow, ow… I tripped over something like a tree root. Wait, what is this?”

Adella picked up a long metal rod that had fallen by her feet.

[Acquired M4A1 Socom Carbine ×1.]

“Don’t you see? It’s a gun!”

“Oh, I know it’s a gun… but weren’t you making a medieval fantasy game?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why is a modern gun here?”

“Honestly, I thought I wouldn’t be able to defeat the boss without a gun.”

“What kind of nonsense is that! Just cleanly adjust the difficulty!”

“I’d rather increase the firepower of the firearms; that’s something I absolutely cannot compromise.”

That’s a non-negotiable matter.

I am the final boss, after all.

“This game will end up becoming nonsensical nonsense. Who would ever play something like this?”

Adella threw curses at me.

How much effort did I put into making this project…

I pouted and quickly turned my head away from her.