Regnum Aetern: Dual Rebirth

Adrian suddenly found himself standing in the center of a massive cylindrical hall with bookshelves filled with books as the curved walls.

The ceiling above him stretched so high that he simply couldn’t see it. It was as though there was no ceiling at all, and the cylindrical library stretched above infinitely.

Ravian stood behind him.

’What is... going on?’

It was an experience that felt eerily similar to the ’teleportations.’ The floor, the books, the scent in the air—it all felt so real. No, maybe it was real, and he had somehow been teleported to some place in the academy city.

’Maybe it’s somewhere in the research tower.’

But as he was lost in thought, he heard Ravian’s cheer.

"It worked once again! Ah, this feels so amazing."

Adrian turned to him with a frown.

"Ravian, where is this place, and how did we get here?"

"Oh, this?" Ravian smiled ambiguously. "This place is actually in my head."

"..."

"Don’t look at me like that; I’m not lying. This place really is in my head. I call this the Library of Mnemosyne."

Adrian paused.

"Mnemosyne...? Isn’t that..."

Wasn’t the name of Ravian’s origin ability?

"Indeed." Ravian nodded with a smile. "You can think of this place as the manifestation of the inner workings of Mnemosyne. Every new memory I gain will be stored here in the form of books. By opening those books, I can remember those memories once again. This is why I call this place the Library of Mnemosyne. I can choose to make my consciousness enter here whenever I wish."

Adrian suddenly froze.

’Wait, that sounds too much like... the immutable world...’

Just as Adrian had a mindscape in his head that was a cheap copy of Earth, Ravian also had a mindscape. It was just that Adrian wasn’t sure if the part about the mindscape being a manifestation of the inner workings of the Origin ability was the same for him.

Ravian continued.

"These types of mindscapes have recently been given the term ’Mind Realm.’ There is a research currently going on in the academy, and it states that most of those who possess Origin abilities related to the mind have a unique Mind Realm in their head."

’Mind Realm... so that’s what the immutable world is. And it’s not something that only I possess.’

Moreover...

"That engraved spell that you just used... Does it pull someone into the caster’s mind realm?"

Ravian shook his head.

"The answer is both yes and no. It doesn’t pull a person into the mind realm; it pulls their consciousness. The only flaw is that physical contact is necessary for this spell to function."

’Even with that limitation, this is an amazing power.’

Adrian tried channeling his mana, but as expected, he was not able to even feel the bluish energy flowing within his body. It made sense considering that only his consciousness was here.

This meant that the rules of the mind realm would be applied to whoever was pulled inside.

A single thought emerged from the depths of his mind.

’I want this spell.’

He could already think of so many uses for such a power. If he could pull others inside the immutable world just as Ravian had just done, then it would greatly add to his strength. More than that, it would help him make use of the immutable world in far better ways.

Suddenly, his vision changed once again. The grand cylindrical library was gone, and he once again found himself in the lecture hall where they had previously been.

Ravian smiled excitedly as he removed his hand from Adrian’s shoulder.

"Well then, Adrian, what do you think? I told you I was going to show you something amazing, right?"

’Indeed...’

Ravian’s excitement and confidence had raised his expectations. But this...

"...It’s far beyond what I could’ve expected."

Ravian’s smile deepened as he heard that.

"Right? I was recently invited to be a subject in that research and was given this spell in exchange for assisting the researchers. Adrian, I remember that you also have a mind-related Origin ability, correct? Do you also have a mind realm?"

"..."

Adrian frowned as Ravian continued speaking.

"The research is being done by a genius magical researcher named Linden. He is the one who developed this spell. Apparently, the academy wasn’t funding this research, so he secured external funding and went as far as selling all his assets. It’s as though he is betting everything on this research. Adrian, why don’t you become a subject as well? You will also gain this engraving if you do."

Adrian’s frown deepened.

"Ravian, I want to ask you something first. Was inviting me something that was suggested to you by those who are part of the research?"

Ravian paused and made a confused expression, as if wondering why he was being asked that question.

"No, I wouldn’t say they told me to do it. They just advised that if we knew someone who also possessed a mind-related Origin ability, then we should tell them about this research so that they could also enjoy the benefits. They told us that it was wrong to keep this only to ourselves."

Adrian narrowed his eyes.

’So that’s how it is...’

Ravian didn’t seem to have realized it yet, but he was being used.

Those researchers wanted more subjects they could study, so they were using this tactic to recruit more subjects. He was assuming that getting the engraving from them wouldn’t be possible unless he was willing to become a subject and help progress the research.

’That’s not to say that it’s a bad deal.’

In fact, it was a rather low price to pay. The engraving was simply too valuable. Under normal circumstances, Adrian would’ve agreed in a heartbeat.

’But it’s just that...’

If he were to become a subject and gain the engraving, he was certain that they would ask to study the immutable world.

He couldn’t allow that.

His mind realm was a cheap imitation of Earth, so anyone who saw it would find it strange. It could lead to a lot of complications if he were careless. Considering all that, there was no way he would risk becoming a subject in that research.

Adrian clenched his fists.

’But I can’t pass up on the engraving either. It’s simply too valuable for that.’

"Hmm..." He shook his head. "I don’t think I have enough time to invest in being a subject of this research."

"Is that so?" Ravian looked taken aback. "I thought this would interest you a lot, but I guess not."

After that, they chatted a bit more, talking about things related to the academy. But soon, Ravian waved at him and turned around.

"Well then, Adrian, see you later."

But just as he was walking away...

"Wait just a moment," Adrian called out. "Could you show me that engraving one last time?"

Ravian paused and then nodded.

"Of course."

He rolled up his sleeve, once again revealing the engraving on his forearm. Adrian studied it intently for a bit, then nodded.

"You can go now; I am done looking."

And with that, Ravian turned around and left, leaving Adrian alone in the lecture hall. Moments later, Adrian, too, walked out and began heading in a different direction from the dormitory.

Soon, he reached the biggest library in the academy city.

Adrian took a deep breath and entered the library building.

’If I can’t have the engraving, then I will simply recreate it.’

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