Chapter 1708 Story <TOC> Chapter 1710 The Because
Translator: SumTLMan
“A catastrophe caused by extraordinary powers?” Farja wore a look of perplexity on his face. “Perhaps it’s merely a backdrop for a story.”
Loki shook his head, “It’s not just a backdrop. You’ve ventured into the illusionary realm too, haven’t you? You must realize, within the illusionary realm, aside from the characters of the tale, we can actually see and even touch the scenery. Those traces seem to contain some genuine information.”
Loki’s words left Farja momentarily stunned. He too recalled his previous journey into the illusionary realm and the thunderstorm he witnessed. Within the storm seemed to be some cryptic information worthy of contemplation.
Their conversation piqued the curiosity of Orola, who was standing by. She couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
From their discussion, it seemed the Drama Shadow Box wasn’t merely an artistic representation through the illusionary realm, but perhaps held a deeper significance?
Orola squinted her eyes, her gaze focusing on the box in her hand.
…
A while later, during a break.
To outsiders, Orola appeared enveloped in a faint red glow. But from her perspective, she was floating above what appeared to be a rather ominous castle.
She surveyed her surroundings; the sky was overcast, seemingly nighttime, yet there was no moon in sight. The castle was perched upon a silent ridge, surrounded by a pitch-black forest.
There was light within the castle. In the engulfing darkness, it didn’t give off a sense of vitality but instead evoked an illusion of the eerie flames of hell.
Before Orola could fully assess her surroundings, in the next moment, she felt as though she was plunging into the abyss, plummeting from the sky.
Instinctively, Orola tried to harness her magical powers, but before she could even sense the Magic Source, she found herself in another setting.
In a dimly lit room.
The sole source of illumination within the space was a timeworn candelabra resting atop a central table.
The faint yellow glow of the candelabra shed light only upon its immediate surroundings, leaving the rest engulfed in pitch black.
“Which play does this setting remind me of?” Orola hadn’t yet associated the ambiance of the room with any drama she was familiar with, but there was an inexplicable eeriness that pervaded the space.
Such a gloomy atmosphere even managed to affect her mood.
“Such a marvelously crafted illusion, few could achieve this level of authenticity,” Orola mused. In her mind, images of Angel and Sanders flickered. Sanders was adept at illusion spells, but his capability to invoke emotions didn’t seem as powerful as this illusion. Thus, the answer seemed rather clear to her.
Slowly, Orola began to approach the table. It appeared there were books atop it, and she hoped to glean some information from them.
However, before Orola could draw closer, she noticed a silhouette emerging not far off.
She hadn’t sensed anyone else in the room, and the unexpected appearance caught her off guard. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the so-called silhouette was merely a reflection in a mirror — a reflection of herself.
But as Orola came to this realization, the mirror’s reflection shifted slightly… even though she hadn’t moved.
A sinister chuckle resonated from behind. Whipping her head around, Orola’s gaze met a young girl dressed in a long white gown, slowly making her entrance through the grand doorway. Her movements were deliberate, each step accompanied by a soft, dragging sound. Only upon keen observation did Orola discern that the girl was dragging a bloodied corpse behind her. The hem of the girl’s dress was also stained with specks of crimson.
After a young lady entered, she placed a corpse on the table. She then approached the mirror with a sickly expression, questioning, “Magic Mirror on the wall, am I the fairest of them all?”
The surface of the mirror quivered slightly, and a majestic male voice echoed from within, “No.”
The young girl’s cheerful demeanor shifted dramatically, her eyes widening in disbelief: “You once told me that the most beautiful woman was my brother’s beloved, Sharlina. Her body now lies on this table, dead! Why am I not the fairest in all the land?”
Magic Mirror responded, “Though Sharlina is deceased, the title of the fairest is still not yours. For your stepmother surpasses you in beauty.”
The girl’s face, already bearing an ominous expression, now darkened further. She retorted angrily, “She has prominent dark spots on her face! How can she possibly be prettier than me?”
“Your stepmother merely indulged you by wearing that makeup. Without it, she is far more beautiful than you.”
“Indulged me? That wicked woman who stole my father’s heart? What indulgence are you talking about?” Rage painted the young girl’s features as she exclaimed, “I’ll kill her! I swear I’ll kill her!”
As she spoke, the young girl picked up the knife in her hand, slashing mercilessly at the corpse on the table. She hacked away until the body was a gruesome mess of blood and flesh, finally letting out a long sigh of relief after her frenzied onslaught.
“Next, it will be you!”
The girl, with a sinister and malevolent expression on her face, walked out of the room with the knife in hand.
Having witnessed this scene, a glint of intrigue flashed in Orola’s eyes, murmuring, “Interesting.”
This young girl intrigued her, but what piqued her interest even more was… this mirror.
Orola approached the mirror. The reflection gave her an impression of a dignified public facade, but beneath the surface, it harbored elements of discord.
Examining the mirror closely, her eyes gleamed with increasing curiosity. “Malicious intent? Endless malevolent thoughts? Such tangible existence created by sheer malice? How did he manage that? What kind of principle is this?”
Orola’s fervent passion for experimentation ignited. She felt that the underlying principles behind this mirror were far from mere illusionary fabrications.
She began to understand why Loki had mentioned earlier that he was keenly interested in the transcendent traces within the illusionary realm.
These extraordinary traces were imbued with a profound sense of structure and law. For the astute mind, they could even provide insights and enlightenment.
“Has his art of illusion reached such heights… To leave such bizarre transcendent traces within his illusions,” Orola silently marveled. It was evident from this almost lifelike illusion that it was undoubtedly a creation by Angel.
Furthermore, if she could thoroughly study the existence of this mirror, she believed it would benefit her in ways previously unimaginable to Orola.
As Orola planned to continue her research on the mirror, the scene before her shifted once again. She witnessed a young girl’s attempt to assassinate her stepmother, the subsequent failure of that attempt, and the girl’s subsequent expulsion from the castle amidst a drizzling rain. This was followed by the pitiable scene of the vulnerable girl falling into the hands of seven lecherous dwarfs and the cunning deceit she practiced upon them…
Throughout this, Orola was not only captivated by the story but also noticed numerous details reminiscent of the Magic Mirror.
Initially, Orola assumed that these were mere Easter eggs left behind by Angel during the creation process of the object.
However, as the story progressed and the illusionary realm unfolded, Orola gradually realized that perhaps Angel did not intentionally leave these Easter eggs behind. Instead, his mastery over illusionary techniques might have reached a level where he could almost “define the laws of the illusionary realm.” These so-called Easter eggs could very well be the spontaneous effects of Angel’s whimsical actions.
If these details were intentionally included, they might be deemed clever gimmicks. However, the omnipresence of such meticulous details, even when unintended, is indeed terrifying.
This suggests that Angel’s vision and grand design might have transcended to an entirely different domain!