Exploring the Country of Disorder

Exploring the Country of Disorder

Without a doubt, the stone chair was a throne. As long as he sat on it, part of the Country of Disorder would submit to Hobart.

Watching the shadow struggle endlessly in the pool, Hobart thought, Unless I allow it, you'll never get out for the rest of your life.

Hobart sat on the Stone Throne and pondered for a while, gradually forming an idea about the shadow's origins: the shadow might be the manifestation of the curse within the Heller Family's bloodline!

The evidence was that every time he heard the shadow's shrieks, he would descend into endless madness.

Before this, the Country of Disorder had always provided him with some protection, which was why he could not hear the shadow's shrieks every time.

However, because he had never had such a special connection with the Country of Disorder before, its protection over him had been quite limited.

At that thought, Hobart let out a long breath. If his guess was correct, then when he left the Country of Disorder this time, he would no longer suffer that painful madness. If he could keep stuffing that shadow into the pool in the future, perhaps the curse on him might even disappear.

"Now that's more like it!" Hobart muttered to himself. "Even if the Country of Disorder can't pull people in and create an Online Sales Platform like Source Castle can, being able to suppress my family's curse means it hasn't disgraced a Sephirot."

He dearly wanted to leave the Country of Disorder immediately and verify whether his guess was right, but since he was already here, he decided to explore first.

First was the Stone Throne. Hobart felt that his connection with the throne was the closest, but it seemed that his range of control only extended around the throne, at most reaching into the pool. Anything farther away was beyond him.

Hobart looked up at the Clock Tower hanging in the sky. He could sense that the Clock Tower—or rather, the Giant Clock within it—was just as special as the throne.

However, he had no way of reaching the sky and climbing that Clock Tower. Hobart guessed that he might need to reach the Middle Sequence before he could control it.

Then Hobart thought that the Stone Throne was far too ordinary, utterly lacking in majesty. He tried changing its appearance, and just as he had guessed, he could alter its shape according to his imagination.

For example, after a brief thought, the Stone Throne turned into a round-backed armchair.

Hobart considered turning it into the emperor's Dragon Throne from costume dramas. But that style did not fit the world he was in at all, so he should think of a chair with a Western fantasy aesthetic instead.

Thus, he thought of the Iron Throne—the throne from A Song of Ice and Fire, symbolizing a king's supreme authority.

With a thought from Hobart, the throne beneath him became more than ten meters tall, forged from countless Iron Swords. In front of it stood stairs made of Sharp Swords, and Hobart seemed to be seated amid a bramble of blades.

Hobart nodded in satisfaction. Now this looked somewhat like a throne.

Next, he turned his gaze toward the pool before him. Two star-like clusters of light emitted a white glow. Hobart tried approaching them, and they indeed drifted toward the throne.

Most of the other stars, however, remained white clusters of varying sizes and could not be controlled by Hobart at all.

Hobart estimated that he might only be able to control more stars after advancing.

He decided to first examine the two stars he could control. Choosing one of them, he poured his Mental Power into it.

Then he saw a Middle-aged Man on a bed.

Hobart felt the urge to cover his face and quickly withdrew his attention. He had not expected that his first use of the Country of Disorder's power would reveal such a stimulating scene.

Based on his intuition, Hobart realized that he could not pull someone's Astral Body into the Country of Disorder as he could when attending the Tarot Club, but he seemed to be able to speak with the other party.

However, Hobart had no intention of speaking to the "busy" Middle-aged Man. The couple—possibly husband and wife—would probably be scared into psychological trauma even if he merely coughed. He could not be so inconsiderate.

After thinking it over, Hobart found another cluster of stars emitting white light and focused his attention on it.

Immediately afterward, he saw a Young Man hiding in Bushes within a pitch-black jungle. At that moment, a Brown-skinned Middle-aged Man cautiously searched his way over. When the time was right, the Young Man sprang from the Bushes and stabbed the Brown-skinned Middle-aged Man in the lower back with a surprise attack.

The Brown-skinned Middle-aged Man let out an unsettling roar. Madness flickered in his eyes, and his Aura was terrifying.

Yet the Young Man seemed completely unaffected, his attacks continuing without the slightest pause.

Hobart judged that this was probably an Extraordinary Battle between Low Sequence Beyonders, because both men possessed strength far beyond ordinary people. The surrounding Trees were knocked askew by their battle.

Soon, the Middle-aged Man's injuries began affecting his combat ability, and he showed signs of Loss of Control.

Seizing the opportunity, the Young Man inflicted many new blade wounds on the Middle-aged Man before finally slitting his throat. The Middle-aged Man completely lost control as well, but before he could turn into a monster, the Young Man skillfully chopped off his head.

After watching the spectacle, Hobart realized that trying to communicate with the Young Man now would also easily leave him psychologically traumatized. It would have to wait until later.

Soon, the Middle-aged Man's Extraordinary Characteristic separated out. It was a gray cluster of light resembling a Miniature Brain, and he could even see the folds on its surface.

Hobart found the appearance of this Extraordinary Characteristic somewhat familiar, but he could not recall which pathway it belonged to for the moment.

Only after watching the Young Man collect his spoils did Hobart begin summarizing: by using the two stars that emitted white light, he could project True Sight from the Country of Disorder into the outside world.

However, he still could not pull people into the Country of Disorder. Clearly, the Country of Disorder's functions differed greatly from those of Source Castle.

As for why those two stars with white light had become his Coordinates, Hobart was not entirely sure either. He could only make more observations before drawing conclusions.

After all these attempts, Hobart was already exhausted. He left the Country of Disorder and woke from his dream.

Sure enough, just as he had expected, there was no trace of madness.

However, Hobart did not believe that the family Curse had simply vanished. Even within the Country of Disorder, he could only trap that blurry shadow and could not destroy it completely. At most, he had suppressed the Curse.

Hobart did not continue thinking. He was too tired. Turning over, he fell into a deep sleep.

Thanks to Ignorant Illiterate for the 300-point reward, for the Moon Tickets continually cast for the author, and for the unwavering support since the first book.

Thanks to Yuzhe for the 200-point reward.