Players can make their own choices at various branching points while playing in the Dreaming World.
They can kill and save characters.
They can destroy and reconstruct the world.
In that sensation, as if they have become an omnipotent god, if something goes wrong, they can erase that session and repeatedly choose different options.
And these branching points become the driving force that lightly transforms even the massive main story.
The first main story imprints a crisis on the players by having the Doomsayers raid the Academy and reveal their existence.
To show whom to oppose and what battles may arise in the future.
However, if the player completely sides with the Doomsayers on a specific route… or prevents them from causing terror using several means, then the subsequent story changes slightly.
The Academy cannot foresee the impending crisis.
Moreover, there is no ‘Protagonist’ to save them.
The calm before the storm.
However, like sailors unprepared for a storm, no one anticipates this crisis.
Whether the Doomsayers failed to assess this possibility or chose the easy path knowing the risks, it remains unclear… in this case, the world collapses much faster.
And what I focused on at this branching point was none other than the rewards of the Tournament.
The difference in rewards when the Academy is ‘terrorized’ versus when it is not is distinctly different.
I judged that this decision was to elevate the Academy’s position once again after the drop caused by the terror… as it hasn’t been officially announced yet… the reward will be something that ordinary people cannot even dare to imagine.
That being…
“So, you mean the entrance ticket to the Academy’s Old Library will be given as the winning reward?”
“Of course.”
The Old Library of the Academy.
One can think of it as a storage room that provides the clan’s treasures in typical novels.
A treasury where clan heirlooms are kept, or medicines and weapons essential for the growth of the Protagonist.
However, the Old Library of the Central Academy is of a different caliber, incomparable to such ordinary storages.
While it means ‘Old Library’, it’s not just a library.
It is the total repository of all knowledge from the oldest academic institution in this world.
It is older than any other institution and has maintained its peak from the past to the present. This collection of information can be thought of as a small Akashic Record, where even a single volume of knowledge holds a value of hundreds of millions.
Of course, taking anything out is forbidden, but just being able to see the records of countless geniuses who had failed in the past and their failures is quite valuable.
Especially if the person is a genius like Charlotte or Skolla, not someone lazy like me.
If Charlotte were to see it, she might already have a plan in mind to transfer all the information inside the library into her brain.
However, Skolla expressed a skeptical opinion regarding my claim.
“I can’t believe it.”
“What did you mean by that?”
“It has two meanings. One is that the content of that reward is too enormous for something given merely for winning a student’s tournament.”
“And the other one?”
“I can’t trust the truthfulness of your statement itself.”
“….”
Indeed, this information has not been revealed to anyone yet.
Even the professors would not know.
Because only that woman, the head of the Academy, is still keeping this story to herself.
“Putting aside where you obtained that information, I can’t believe if this story is even true.”
“And?”
Moreover, before questioning its truthfulness, Skolla seemed to challenge me to convince him and opened up about his doubts.
“…And even if that’s the reward, do I have any reason to participate in it?”
Seeing the heaving of his throat as if waiting for a rebuttal, I simply maintained a light smile and waited.
“No, why would I even join? I’m under the impression that the tournament is exclusively for combat-oriented people…”
“Skolla, I know what you want.”
“What do you mean by that?”
However, I know.
He loves the sound of metal clashing.
He loves the feel of moving machinery.
He dreams of the miracle that is born from the creaking of machines and the solid touch from his hands, which is different from the feel of a human but moves as if alive.
While it may seem odd to say so, Skolla might well be called a Mechanophile… someone obsessed with mechanical devices.
Therefore.
“Androids. Aren’t you interested?”
“…!!”
According to legend, the section that classifies the devices in the Old Library contains the crafting methods for humanoid robots, Androids.
That is undoubtedly a fact that not only I but Skolla himself would know too.
What does the existence of Androids mean to a Mechanophile?
Perhaps it is something that brings him even greater joy than my love for alcohol… No, it might be something beyond my imagination.
“Wait a minute. That’s too much information.”
“No, you are a smart person. I believe you understood this simple sentence long ago.”
“But…”
Seeing Skolla hesitate, I added another proposal.
“And, I’ll personally use your equipment.”
Saying this might seem odd, but early inventions of Skolla all have flaws.
I don’t know if it is a matter of cost or simply because they are early works, but one thing I can be sure of is this.
‘Skolla’s early works are dangerous.’
There are many cases where the joints of the machinery twist or explode, and even the people hired as test subjects gave up and ran away.
However, there aren’t many sturdier people willing to support him; those who are wealthy enough not to need to participate in Skolla’s experiments.
But Skolla wouldn’t want his carefully crafted equipment to decay and break, sitting neglected in a corner of the storage.
“What do you think of my proposal?”
If I don’t choose and nurture him, he will simply be remembered as nothing more than a reinforcement NPC of the Academy.
On the contrary, if he accepts my proposal, it will have an unequivocally positive effect not just on me but also on Skolla himself.
Now the time for choice approaches.
“….”
His eyes already seemed to be positively accepting my proposal.
But it appeared he still wasn’t fully convinced.
“If you don’t want to, it doesn’t matter. You can save someone else… ”
“Wait…!”
He caught my arm as I prepared to leave.
I realize that manipulating someone else’s emotions can be quite enjoyable.
‘I might develop a strange hobby.’
“First of all… I have a concern. Even if the reward is truly the Old Library entrance ticket… would I even be of any help in the tournament…”
“Of course, you would be helpful!”
“But… that means I wouldn’t be able to take special equipment and the like for fairness!”
“I know.”
This is indeed a somewhat strange rule.
It seems that items not officially recognized cannot be brought inside, presumably to prevent incidents like a terror attack again.
“But the act of crafting itself isn’t prohibited, right?”
“Huh?”
It is a well-known fact that support characters, who specialize in crafting, aren’t known for fighting themselves.
While it is true that there are rare instances where someone jumps into battle with their inventions or weapons, that’s because they possess a sense and aptitude for combat.
In contrast, Skolla is a character who solely specializes in crafting and invention.
For him, combat is always just an observation from a step behind, watching others.
That has always been how it was in the game too.
If you are support, just stick to supporting.
If you are a healer, don’t strike with a staff, just stick to healing.
Cipher Mage? Why would you use such a thing? If you are a warrior, be a warrior; if you are a mage, be a mage.
If you become a half-hearted character, it is better to find a role you can play and stick to it.
This concept was widespread among ordinary players as well as throughout this world.
For this reason, nobody even thought of moving their workshop, nor could they.
Yet, if it is Skolla, the story changes.
The place he touches becomes his workshop, and whatever he caresses becomes an invention.
An imagination no one has tried before efficiently or practically due to the poor quality.
“Do you mean…”
“Yes.”
The tournament will occur over a total of 5 days.
While it was called a tournament, we will be fighting in a huge set.
And during those 5 days, Skolla will create equipment inside the set.
“Is it impossible?”
“Leaving aside the impossibility, wouldn’t that mean other people would be much more helpful than me?”
“Don’t worry about that.”
Of course, if we form a team with this current party, it is clear we would be the first to be eliminated.
A martial artist with a curse that requires him to drink alcohol to produce proper combat power.
A mage who specializes in disabling enemy mages rather than being a mage with overwhelming firepower.
And a strange inventor who makes weird inventions every time.
Because of this, there is one more candidate who needs to be added to the team I am considering.
However, for that candidate to join, Skolla’s participation must be assured.
“What’s important is Skolla’s opinion.”
“…First of all, can I hear the plan and clarify my opinion?”
“Hehe, sounds good.”
While he is still on guard, it would not be an exaggeration to say that he has accepted everything up to this point.
“Ah, before that.”
“What?”
“Could you take a look at this?”
And with that, I showed him the bracelet on my wrist.
