Hermit Wizard
Chapter 67

Heart Fish (1)

My body, which was flying at tremendous speed from hundreds of meters in the air, gradually lowered its altitude. There was a forest full of Enchanted Wood trees. Seen from above, it was like a silver sea. The closer I approached, the more I could make out the individual trees. I was nervous and wanted to shrink my body, but my body couldn’t even move.

While descending, I saw something. It was a bit of scenery I hadn’t seen when I was pulled in by the Truth-Seeker last time. Looking down from the sky, there was a blue light in my eyes. It was the center of Silver Forest. I could see a small land that the densely lined Enchanted Wood trees didn’t take over. There was dry soil that hadn’t grown a single blade of grass. A familiar color of light fluttered above it.

It was a Channel.

The Channel, located deep in the forest, was surrounded by dozens of extraordinary giant barrier trees at a distance. Somehow it was like the center of the barriers. However, within a few seconds of having the sight in my eyes, my body’s height dropped as low as possible. I descended as if I was reaching the top of a long stretch of Enchanted Wood tree—the moment just before the collision. Even if I tried to close my eyes reflexively, I didn’t move according to my will.

At that moment, the same thing happened as before. My body passed through the barrier tree like an illusion. The vast tree that should have pierced my forehead and ribs passed by me without any physical shock. My vision was so dark, and my body was buried underground. How long did I descend in such darkness?

Finally, I arrived at the colossal cavity I had visited before. The surrounding area was a tight space. However, there was a subtle light; most of my gaze hit areas covered with dark shadows. My body casually touched the ground and stood in the corner of that dark pit. It felt like being placed by someone. The paralysis over the body was relieved with the perception that there was no further movement.

“Cough… Cough!” I coughed up and sat down on the ground.

“Croup, croup!”

It felt as if my whole body was losing strength. While being pulled like this, I couldn’t move a single fingertip. If the one who did this kind of thing had only made up their mind, my life would have been blown away within a split second. I was breathing hard, but the familiar Mana and presence crushed my body. This was why it isn’t easy to maintain my mind. It seemed to be more potent than before. I managed to open my mouth and talk to the being in front of my eyes.

“…A little bit, please take a little.”

=Oh, I tried to adjust. Is it too much? By the way, why don’t you grope everywhere with Mana this time?=

The firm will resonate in my head. At the same time, the power that weighed on me weakened.

“Phew…!”

Sighing deeply, I barely raised my head. My whole body was covered with sweat. The other day, when I came with Ghur, it wasn’t this bad.

“…Nice to see you again, The Truth-Seeker of this world.”

I didn’t know the etiquette when meeting a Truth-Seeker. In the first place, it may not mean anything to them. Whether the mortals bow their heads, bend their limbs to the ground, or dance. But I couldn’t just say, “Why did you call me again?” without greeting it, could I? So, I greeted politely.

=Ah, yes. Nice to see you again as well.=

A tentacle covered in the shadow wriggled up. Was that a kind of greeting?

=You came across earlier than I thought. Have you moved to this dimension?=

In the wills of the Truth-Seeker who spoke those words, I could feel a variety of emotions. This was also a different part from the last time I came. At that time, even if I recognized its telepathy, I could only vaguely feel two or three emotions. It was quite different now. Every time the Truth-Seeker talked, many immeasurable emotions penetrated my mind. Some were interpretable, and some were unfamiliar, which couldn’t be interpreted by my cognitive scope.

“…I didn’t come to migrate.”

=Then what did you come to do?=

I thought I didn’t have to say my purpose as it was. If I told it, it would only spread rumors to A-Verdag, wouldn’t it? In the first place, it wasn’t a good idea to ask the Truth-Seeker directly how the Truth-Seeker’s resurrection is possible and how to prevent it.

“I have come to trade with the people of this dimension.”

To be precise, I tried to give silk and get information. However, there wasn’t much achievement. The Truth-Seeker seemed to be convinced.

=Surely, I see the reason for blocking the Channel that connects with your world. Was it a measure to monopolize information and wealth from trade alone? It’s understandable.=

Cool sweat flowed down on my back.

“…Well, did it offend you?”

I understood that the Truth-Seeker had no interest in the interaction of mortals through the Channel at all. Blocking the Channel was also done under the assumption that Truth-Seekers would tolerate it. Actually, there were cases in other dimensions as well. Just like the Channel in Philadelphia, USA, weren’t the beings on that dimension blocking human access? Despite all the assumptions, I asked the question, but the Truth-Seeker’s answer was as expected.

=I don’t care.=

Well, if it were unpleasant, it would have destroyed my barriers earlier.

=Whether you come and go, or whether you control those who come and go, it doesn’t mean anything to me.=

Then the tentacles reached me. I immediately jumped up from my seat and suppressed the urge to throw up Adelegos’s shock storm.

=And anyway, the barriers you have made…no, no mortals will be able to make any barriers that will offend me.=

The outward sense of doubt was mild. But there was a reason why I had to be nervous. Underneath it, much of the interpretable emotions were covered with negative colors. I could tell even though the object of the emotion wasn’t directed at me. I could feel it. The melancholy caused by the boring waiting, the loathing of something I didn’t know, and the cold anger watching

But at the same time, I could feel the feelings toward me. Mostly not bad. A curiosity that I think was unexpected. The joy and fun of expecting something…

=In fact, speaking of mortals who can offend me…it’s only one kind.=

Another kind of negative emotion was mixed in its words now. That was…definitely hostility. It wasn’t for me, though. It’s strange. How can I get such detailed emotional analysis? And how could I interpret these feelings so skillfully? By distinguishing up to even the rough direction of the emotion.

=While I was sleeping, there was something to be called a disaster concerning it. So it is, Mortal.=

Its will was more empowered.

=What do you want from the trade?=

“…Information.”

=What kind of information?=

I chose my words carefully for a while and then answered.

“Information about this new world connected with Earth. Furthermore, the knowledge of the source of the dimension. I am seeking the truth of the universe that cannot be read in the Akashic Records. I thought that this kind of people might have knowledge that our dimension does not.”

After all, information about Truth-Seekers was also included in the universe’s truth, so it wasn’t a lie. The Truth-Seeker listened before speaking.

=Really? So…among them, there must be something that I can provide.=

“…What do you mean by that?”

=It means to make a deal.=

I didn’t understand. Why did such a transcendental entity deal with a dusty human like me? Wasn’t it just necessary to coerce me the way you want? Of course, in the case of the Fake God’s dimension, the Truth-Seeker was said to enjoy trading as a game. Was the Truth-Seeker of Silver Forest the same after all? However, in the midst of this, of course, I didn’t respond like, “Just press me with your strength. Why are you trying to make a deal or something like that?” If it wanted to play with me, I could just hang out with it. There was no other option.

“…Is there anything you could get from me?”

=Oh, well. Something was quite difficult.=

It said that it was difficult, but there were no worries mixed with the sentiment—just a constant hatred for something. And there seemed to be some expectations from me. It was really amazing. How did I make this distinction?

=Sometime after your world and the Channel were connected…I went to sleep. But about half a day ago, I suddenly woke up from a long rest. I felt that people were running through the barriers I made within the forest.=

“Ah…”

About half a day ago, it was when I was sleeping in Dell’s village.

“After all, was this Silver Forest a barrier of sealing?”

=Yes.=

The Truth-Seeker’s feelings deepened.

=Did you know a species called Heart Fish?=

“Roughly.”

I had heard it from Parvache. It was named like that because it was known to eat the host’s heart. But to be exact, it was a creature that eats souls while being parasitic. A peculiar species that spanned the boundary between matter and non-matter. It was different from a spirit like Parvache. Parvache had intangible energy called the mental body surrounding the soul, while the Heart Fish had complete unity of soul and body.

It was also different from an ordinary soul. The soul couldn’t be divided, but the Heart Fish bred. Also, they never moved on the ring of reincarnation. Upon death, it disappeared as it was and returned to nothingness. Considering that they weren’t being reincarnated, they couldn’t be regarded as ordinary mortals.

=This forest of Enchanted Wood trees is a barrier to isolate Heart Fish from the outside and kill them.=

That was why those who entered this forest didn’t come back.

“But, was the Heart Fish originally from this dimension? I heard that it could only be seen in a dimension that was being completely engulfed by a divine being. This dimension doesn’t look that way…”

Suddenly, I had a thought that passed my mind.

“Ah, by any chance? Are they from the Channel in the middle of the forest?”

=Did you see it?=

The Truth-Seeker continued its words in a mean way.

=A Channel opened a few hundred years ago. Sadly, the other side was a habitat for the Heart Fish. Once opened, the Channel cannot be closed, and they kept coming over here. I had no choice but to create a barrier around that Channel to prevent them from leaking out.=

“…Are you trying to protect the mortals?”

If so, the front and back do not fit.

=No, to be precise, to protect the souls of mortals in this world.=

It didn’t protect life, but protected the soul? I kept this information in mind and asked again.

“Why are the souls of mortals so important to the Truth-Seeker?”

=Nothing to know.=

Damn it.

“At least…I understand that Heart Fish is a harmful species to Truth-Seekers, right?”

=That’s right.=

“That’s weird. Why did the Truth-Seeker of the world connected to Silver Forest’s Channel leave the Heart Fish unattended? And, knowing obviously, why did it break the Channel into this world?”

=You just said. The dimension in which the Heart Fish dominated is the dimension that was completely engulfed by the divine being. I will reply by saying that the information isn’t wrong.=

Unpleasant feelings were powerfully revealed in the Truth-Seeker’s will.

=Anyway, as soon as they ran out of the forest, I sensed it and woke up. And then I took the groups who ran away at random and killed them. But in the meantime, there was a group who escaped through a Channel outside the forest.=

“…It doesn’t matter if they went to another dimension anyway, right?”

=Because there is an assumption that the egg will be laid in that dimension, and the number will be increased, and then they will return to this side. These guys are the exception to ordinary mortals. They can’t be left unattended. Because of that, I have an offer for you.=

“…Yes.”

=In fact, those who have moved to another dimension will be handled by the Truth-Seeker of that dimension. I have already put a message through A-Verdag. I don’t have to worry about them coming over this way again. But…the problem is your dimension. Human.=

After the movement of the tentacles, presumed to be laughter…

=I’ve already looked at that barrier. There was no such thing as a function to reject spiritual beings, right? The Heart Fish are like souls.=

In the first place, I couldn’t even make such a barrier. Don’t tell me…?

“Are you saying that they have already passed into our world?”

=I have already found traces. They have passed.=

The barrier wouldn’t have been able to prevent the existence of soul-like beings. No matter how much I wandered around the Mapo Bridge Channel, I couldn’t detect it with my magic. And eventually, are you saying that the Heart Fishes were wandering around just a few kilometers from my house? No, they may have already found a host and started parasitism!

Oh, this was driving me crazy!

=If there were a Truth-Seeker in your dimension, I would have contacted him and asked him to take care of the Heart Fish. If they start laying eggs there, it makes a problem for both dimensions. However, isn’t that world about to have an unprecedented situation due to the vacancy of Truth-Seeker?=

“If so…is it what you want from me?”

=Exactly.=

The Truth-Seeker sent me an affirmation.

=It would be inappropriate to call you…the agent of the Truth-Seeker, but anyway, you should do my favor on behalf of the Truth-Seeker of the Earth. I hope you kill all the planted Fish that have passed into your world. Let me pay the right price.=