For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

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Twelve.

And then thirteen.

The world flipped upside down as I took that last step.

The room, bright with the sun still up, became as dark as if it were midnight.

Everything in sight was reversed from left to right, as if reflected in a mirror.

The building, like a ruin left untouched for decades, crumbled in places, its debris scattered on the floor.

The countless students that were visible with just a glance had all vanished.

Now, in this dim library, there were only the three of us.

Elisha jumped at the bizarre phenomenon that occurred with just a single step.

“What… what is this?!”

“Calm down. And keep quiet. Do you want to spread the news that we’re here?”

“…Is there something else here besides us?!”

Elisha, managing the feat of shouting in a small voice, trembled.

Indeed. The atmosphere here was a bit sinister.

It felt like a building from a horror movie.

On the other hand, Carla said,

“Master. Don’t stray away from me.”

As soon as she sensed something amiss, she stiffened and pulled me and Elisha closer.

Then, after a brief murmur, the incantation followed.

“Barrier.”

Whoosh.

A translucent shield enveloped us.

Unlike a shield that covered an individual, this was a broad defensive magic covering the area. A precaution against any unforeseen situations.

I patted Carla on the shoulder, who seemed more ready to fight than scared by the sudden change.

“Well done. But don’t be too tense. There’s nothing here dangerous enough to harm us.”

“Is that so? But what is this place, Master?”

“Didn’t I tell you? It’s like a pocket dimension.”

“A pocket dimension? So someone created and hid this space?”

“Um… not exactly. It’s more like a space that accidentally formed.”

Carla, still on guard, and Elisha, now a bit calmer, took out her wand.

With a shrug, I continued.

“The Academy’s grounds are vast, but the actual usable space is even larger, right?”

On the Eurelia continent, spatial distortion magic was widely used.

Though not to the extent that it was common.

It was usually applied to high-end things.

For example, luxury carriages, luxury inns, luxury bags, high-end restaurants, and so on.

An exception might be the pocket dimension pouch.

Due to high demand, there were quite a few budget-friendly models with reduced performance.

So, despite the difference in capacity, almost everyone carried a pocket dimension pouch.

“Space magic isn’t simple, right? Yet, such spatial distortion is used everywhere because…”

“External summoning magic was banned.”

“That’s right.”

I gently stroked Carla’s head.

“Hehehe….”

Only after confirming that Carla’s shoulders, which had been stiff, had relaxed a bit did I continue speaking.

“Summoning a being from another dimension is simple enough if there’s a connection to the target… But to find that summoning target, you need a deep understanding of space-time magic, right?”

A fish already hooked could be reeled in from the vast ocean by simply pulling the line.

However, catching a specific fish in the sea without any leads requires quite specialized knowledge.

You need to investigate the surrounding ecology to pinpoint the habitat of the target fish, and then prepare specifically to catch that fish within it.

Applying this to spirits, to contract the desired spirit, basic requirements include an understanding of the spirit world itself and the ability to open a portal at the desired location.

Naturally, the art of interfering with other dimensions… meant that other space-times had to evolve.

“But as Carla said, external summoning magic has been banned since the War of the Gods. So, what do you think happened to those summoners?”

Some, like the mages from the Sylvan Mana Tower, might have switched to other types of magic…

However, the majority of those who became unemployed overnight started researching space magic, which was relevant to their expertise.

Space magic-engraved artifacts were profitable then as now.

Carla nodded at my words.

“That’s right. That’s how spatial distortion magic started being used everywhere, and the Academy was no exception.”

No matter the reason, even if it was to prevent the possible descent of Evil Gods, many summoners had their lifelong goals snatched away.

A compensation plan was needed to appease them, and one of them was the massive employment of summoners in the construction of the Academy.

“Thanks to that, the Academy is really full of spatial distortion magic… which has caused problems.”

At first, it was fine. It was a structure created with meticulous planning.

So, even though buildings with spatial distortion were scattered here and there, they didn’t affect each other.

However, over the past 300 years, the academy has continuously developed and expanded.

Thanks to the efforts of capable professors to minimize the magic getting entangled, there hadn’t been major issues.

“But conversely, it means there have been constant minor problems. This place is like a gap where those minor problems accumulate.”

Gaps between spaces. A parallel world where the impossible exists and the unthinkable happens.

The inverted name and surname written on the author’s signature of the ghost storybook hinted at the uniqueness of this place.

Having listened to my entire explanation, Elisha, who had become serious, spoke up.

“Then isn’t this place quite dangerous? Of course, you must have your reasons, but if what you say is true, this place is like a dungeon.”

“It’s okay. I might have exaggerated a bit, but in the end, it’s just a collection of minor scraps. Besides…”

I tapped the ghost storybook in my hand and continued.

“We have the guidebook that our senior organized, right?”

“Ah.”

But to say it again, this place was just well-hidden, not a particularly dangerous hidden piece.

If it were dangerous, it would have been caught during the periodic stabilization operations conducted by other professors.

The rewards were subtle, but they were definitely helpful.

Even if not, it could be recognized as an achievement and used to aim for stat growth.

“Just remember one thing. No matter what you see, don’t panic and just cast your magic first.”

After all, firepower has always been the most reliable way to exorcise demons.

---

There were a total of seven ghost stories in the ghost storybook.

A portrait that cried blood, tears, and scattered curses around.

A lute that played itself and trapped in an inescapable illusion.

A broken golem that wandered between buildings and smashed everything moving.

The 13th step that pulled one into another world without a chance to resist upon stepping on it.

A human model that wandered in search of living people to fill in its missing organs.

A full-body mirror that spat out the doppelgänger of the reflected target until the original died.

And the last ghost story that must never be known.

The lineup felt oddly familiar.

When playing the game, I used to enjoy it as a homage to the seven school mysteries everyone heard about in elementary school.

But living on the Eurelia continent now, my thoughts are a bit different.

I felt it in the night story section, too, but it seemed like people thought alike after all.

“Anyway, when listed like this, it looks quite terrifying, but… it’s not necessarily so.”

First of all, whether it was a ghost or a bluff, it couldn’t move once hit with magic.

After all, it was a magical phenomenon, so it was only natural.

Moreover, the ghost stories emerging from this space weren’t even real ghosts.

Strictly speaking, they were just formless fragments of energy wearing the shell of ghost stories.

Therefore, they were not very powerful and were more like phenomena without any intelligence.

“Still, it’s true that they’re tough for ordinary students to handle… but we’re not at an ordinary level, right?”

“Ha, but my sensitivity is normal! What’s that disgusting thing?”

Near the library, in the building of the Divinity Department.

As we entered, it wasn’t long before Elisha was horrified by the sight of a human model running towards us from the end of the corridor.

Despite its stiff movement, it was scary to see, as it seemed to bleed like a real person, showing off its soft muscles and organs.

I was also startled by the grotesque appearance, which was different from when I saw it through the monitor.

But…

“Cold ice, grind your sharp teeth. You are solid fangs.”

A large ice spike formed in the air, aiming precisely at the model.

Then, the activation word followed.

“Ice Fang!”

Swoosh!

The rapidly fired ice spike pierced right through the model’s chest.

Thud!

The model staggered for a moment, as expected, from magic second only to rock in stopping power. Of course, since it wasn’t a living creature, this one hit couldn’t bring it down… but what was important was that magic worked on it.

A squelchy sound of blood from afar set the mood.

Something suddenly popped out and charged at us.

And lastly, each of their appearances that instinctively evoked disgust.

Each one was terrifying, but in any case, it meant they could be taken down.

I flicked my chin at Carla and Elisha, who relaxed after being tense, realizing the ease of the situation.

“What are you doing? Did you forget what I said? Just launch magic first and see?”

“Yes!”

“Ah, I know that, okay?!”

Swoosh, swoosh….

Thud! Thump!

That day, the human model received four more ice spikes.

It was summer.

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