Chapter 63

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<Baek Jun-woo’s Magic Book>

-Reflections on [Simulation] and the World

Simulation clearly transcends my limitations.

The conditions I can add to a simulation are restricted to phenomena and objects I’ve witnessed, but once those conditions are set, the simulation copies the ‘essence’ of those conditions. It includes all characteristics of the subject, even those I’m not conscious of.

This reminds me of the thought experiment by the Earth scientist Laplace.

The moment conditions are added, the simulation copies ‘every particle of a specific moment, a specific subject’ in its entirety—both its physical and magical states.

Therefore, if conditions are properly added… what happens in the simulation must inevitably occur in reality as well.

Earthlings called this hyper-predictability “Laplace’s demon.”

If there were a demon who knew the state of every particle in the universe at a specific moment… that demon could predict all futures.

If my condition burden were infinite, allowing me to include the entire universe in my conditions… I would become Laplace’s demon.

Of course, counter-arguments existed even on Earth.

Because the moment Laplace’s demon becomes possible, our experience of free will becomes fiction.

Also, with quantum mechanics revealing that particles actually exist in probabilistic forms, Laplace’s demon lost its persuasiveness.

But that’s Earth’s story.

Perhaps the Star Continent is a deterministic world where all particles move according to inevitable conclusions.

No… that can’t be right, can it?

Since I exist within it, running [Simulation] and changing the future’s flow.

Hypothesis

Anyway, what must be made clear is that Simulation’s ability obviously exceeds my limitations.

The calculations don’t add up. It’s as absurd as applying a force of 1 and getting an acceleration of 100.

With the pathetically small amount of magical power I provide, it’s absolutely impossible to achieve the miracle of perceiving and copying all information about a subject.

Didn’t Earth’s philosophers call such ability divine intuition?

At this point, I’ve come to think:

Perhaps somewhere in the world, there exists a database where everything in this world is recorded?

If so, [Simulation] isn’t divine intuition but merely the ability to access those records.

Only this explanation accounts for [Simulation]’s absurd output.

If that’s the case, the questions that must be asked are:

1. What is this record? Is it essence or byproduct? Do past, present, and future all flow according to what’s recorded?
2. Can the records be modified?
3. And most importantly… where are these records kept?

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Tap.

I closed my magic book after filling in all the content I was writing.

I was about to finish organizing my thoughts when… suddenly a phrase surfaced, shaking my memory.

“Sky. Earth. Wind. Star. All things in the world and the record of all things. Behold me. A thousand eyes and ten thousand ears. I am here. Listen. See. I am the one who speaks to the world. The one who accomplishes what is spoken.”

The mage’s covenant recited when creating a Circle. Now that I think about it… the word ‘record’ appears here too.

My hand moved busily to leave a new memo in my magic book.

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-Interpretation of the Mage’s Covenant

‘A thousand eyes and ten thousand ears’ refers to the magical power that always watches us.

‘The one who speaks to the world, the one who accomplishes what is spoken’ refers to the mage. (Note: It might also refer to ancient gods who possessed mouths and bodies made of magical power.)

And…

‘Sky. Earth. Wind. Star. All things in the world and the record of all things.’ This seems exactly like the database in my hypothesis.

Then perhaps… at the root of magic and the power of ancient gods, there was something called a ‘record’?

Additionally,

At Arsenal #7, the magical powers murmured:

‘With the Akashic Record damaged, maintaining the facility is…’

‘Until the Akashic Record is restored…’

The Main Ego of Arsenal #7 also said:

‘…can you confirm the fact on the Akashic Record?’

Record.

In the primordial incantation, the implied meaning was clearly ‘record.’

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I sent the magic book to my dimensional storage with transportation magic.

My hands trembled with excitement.

Though nothing was certain yet… I already felt like I’d glimpsed a fragment of the universe’s most profound secret.

‘Don’t be hasty.’

I muttered.

One by one, the day will eventually come when I’ll know everything.

If my hypothesis is correct… I myself am the only key that can access the world’s deepest secret, the ‘Akashic Record.’ If my hypothesis that my Gift [Simulation] borrows its ability from the Akashic Record is correct, that is.

So let’s take it step by step.

By conquering the Tower of Covenant, fighting calamities, exploring relics, and running simulations, I’ll follow the clues in my hand and uncover the secrets one by one.

“Phew… alright.”

Though excitement might keep me awake, I decided to force myself to sleep.

Tomorrow I must fight the Lightning Calamity,

And after that, explore the calamity’s relic.

I can’t let excitement consume me and lose sight of what’s before me.

+ – + – +

The floating island hovered slightly higher than the Sand Plateau.

The arched sky bridge extended from the continent’s edge toward the sky like stairs ascending to heaven.

Just in case the two continents drifted further apart, spider web-like magical metals were embedded beneath the sky bridge, connecting and supporting the floating island and the Sand Plateau.

An ancient heritage from the distant past, created who knows when… half-jokingly, half-seriously said to have been built by gods.

Boom! Boooom!

As we approached, did it sense something?

Dark clouds thickly gathered over the clear sky, and the lightning calamities falling chaotically threatened us.

Whenever yellow and blue lightning struck the bridge, brilliant sparks scattered across the sky and ground like fireworks, followed by waves of hot wind.

The calamity was extremely sensitive. Despite being unable to pinpoint our location due to the mobile barrier, it had noticed our approach.

It was cunning too. Realizing we intended to cross the sky bridge, the calamity had already occupied it. The moment we stepped onto the bridge, a lightning storm would rain down leaving no room to step.

No wonder… the bridge traffic had been completely paralyzed.

Fel, who had been admiring the lightning, spoke.

“Calamities are all alive in their own way. They’re different from natural phenomena. Natural lightning can be managed. In the past, an Academy magician discovered a method to guide lightning using metal rods.”

“Oh, was that discovered by the Academy? Our nomad also put out metal rods during thunderstorms.”

“Yes. It was a discovery that saved many lives. But such methods don’t work against calamities. That only looks like lightning on the surface, but it’s actually a monster. Minions of evil with the will to find and kill humans.”

Fel gritted his teeth.

“So, let’s begin. With resolve.”

Unlike his usual cheerful impression, today he seemed quite tense.

There were 61 warriors participating in the lightning hunt. Specifically, there was Fel, a 3rd Circle mage, four 2nd Circle mages including myself, and thirteen 1st Circle mages including Yuria. And there were forty-four mana users.

I left Monggu out for now since he’s only half-effective without his equipment. Though my trust in Fel had grown, I didn’t want to casually display ancient equipment.

Boom! Boom! Boom-boom!

All forty-four mana users simultaneously beat their drums.

With straps around their shoulders, they positioned their drums between their bellies and sides, perpendicular to the ground. The drums used lightning-struck trees for the body and ogre and orc hides for the skin. Magically treated, each beat of the drum caused the surrounding magical powers to ripple.

In front of the sky bridge, gold-threaded ropes encircled an empty area about 50 meters in radius.

Eighteen idols, which we had diligently carved, were arranged in the center.

Three idols lying like corpses were placed in the middle, surrounded by fifteen idols expressing grief and pain.

The arrangement resembled a funeral scene.

Boom! Boom!

Just the material cost of the drums and idols currently being used approached 3,000 Mornings (30 billion Korean won). Factoring in the magical treatment, they were probably worth at least 5,000 Mornings.

Since idols like these can’t be reused… it’s an amount that would be difficult to mobilize even for a caravan.

The effect, however, was definite.

Boom! Boom!

As the drums continued to sound, the magic inscribed on the idols resonated loudly with the drumbeats.

‘Huh?’

‘Wait, what’s that?’

‘Hmm…’

The magical powers in the atmosphere began to notice something and started hovering around the idols. As if trying to remember something that seems just on the tip of their tongue, they emitted faint moans.

Crash!

Rumble!

The lightning that had been sporadically striking the sky bridge suddenly intensified. Along with the magical powers, it gradually drew toward us.

“Entity name: Lightning Calamity-Thunderstorm. Estimated grade… upward adjustment. B-grade! Maximum activation of mobile barrier and protective charms! Grit your teeth and endure!”

Fel shouted as the Lightning Calamity-Thunderstorm rushed toward us like a tempest.

…But wait?

B-grade?

Before I could be shocked…

RUMBLE!

The Lightning Calamity-Thunderstorm roared loudly and enveloped us.

Boom!

Boom-boom!

Even as lightning fell to the left and right, the mana users standing far apart from each other beat their drums without wavering.

RUMBLE!

“AAAARGH!”

Warriors randomly struck by the lightning died one after another, burning to ashes.

Hissss-

The bodies that had been blazing turned into sand and scattered. Not ashes but sand… this revealed where all the sand that covered the plateau came from.

But even as their comrades burned and turned to sand, demonstrating the harsh training they’d endured, the beat of the drums Boom! Boom! didn’t waver in the slightest.

Of course… they did seem a bit intimidated.

‘Damn… I had simulated a C-grade calamity… but suddenly a B-grade?’

I felt anxious.

The Night and Storm Calamity-Harpy and Night Calamity-Ogre were C+ grade. B-grade is just one level higher but the letter is different. That means… a qualitative difference.

In terms of barrier grades, D-grade is for nomad mobile barriers, C-grade for crossroads, and from B-grade, they’re barriers that protect cities. In other words, a B-grade calamity could, depending on circumstances, destroy even a small city.

It was a major calamity I’d never heard of in the Saharan Plains. I too… never imagined encountering a B-grade lightning here.

‘Can we really win this?’

I swallowed hard and looked at Fel. My eyes contained a bit of reproach. Who would have thought that with such a friendly face, he would lead me to my grave?

But Fel’s face showed not a trace of surprise. He simply gazed at the lightning with gravity.

“The Jack family heirloom, the Anti-Demon Spear, is with us! I, Fel Jack, the mage of the spear(槍), promise victory with the Anti-Demon Spear in hand!”

Clunk!

Fel opened the long case he had been carrying. Inside was a black spear emitting streams of magical power.

Holding the long spear at an angle and looking calmly at the thunderstorm, Fel resembled a hero from mythology.

The magical powers buzzed as they focused on Fel, and the calamities did too.

RUMBLE! CRASH!

A lightning bolt wrapped in flames flew like a sky god’s javelin and struck Fel.

<Sturdy Body>

<Magic-Cutting Spear>

Two of Fel’s memorized spells activated simultaneously, and his spear tore through the lightning.

Fel didn’t even blink as light and flames scattered around him.

“Wooooah!”

The previously dampened morale instantly soared to its peak. Boom! Boom! Soul entered the drumbeats.

Amid the cheers and flashing lightning, Fel looked at us, holding his dark spear at an angle.

“Now then… let’s hold a gut ritual!”

At those words, I involuntarily let out,

“Ha-”

A laugh. Not in a negative sense. I was getting excited.

‘This is better than expected!’

Why? Though it was still a life-or-death moment… a smile naturally formed on my lips.

“I, the mage of wind and water, Baek Jun-woo. Today I will kill a B-grade calamity.”

Caught up in the excitement, I also recited my covenant and moved my hands.

The eighteen mages were assigned the task of manipulating the eighteen idols.

I infuse magical power into my assigned idol.

It’s a wooden figurine carved by Yuria, depicting a person clutching their head in agony.

As done in the magical crafting, the magical power forms a ring-like pattern on the head and complex vein-like patterns on the body.

Now it was time to move that magical power.

To divert the calamity’s attention from Fel.

Whoooong!

The magical power in the idol surges following my hand gestures. Time to showcase the puppet play I’ve been honing.

“Watch this! You won’t be able to look away!”

Waaaah-!

Among the eighteen idols, only mine resonated loudly and wailed.

Since it’s just a sound made by magical power, probably no one else heard it… but it wasn’t meant for human ears anyway. The gazes of the magical powers all fixed on my idol at once.