When A Mage Revolts

Seeing Benjamin, the System quickly spoke out, "Hey, what are you doing? Don’t simply touch things!"

But, he could not stop Benjamin’s curiosity - entry to the pure blue space was rare – even more so in this state - how could he not do anything?

Thus, Benjamin’s right hand continued outward until it was eventually holding onto the rune.

Ding!

A sharp sound was heard and Benjamin’s whole body started to shudder. Following that, everything became dark; it was the kind of darkness as if he were blind. Even the vast blueness and the circling runes had disappeared.

Benjamin was stunned. Wait, what…

"I told you not to touch anything! Look at you now, your vision interface has been turned off and you can’t see a thing." The System’s voice rang out from the darkness.

Now Benjamin had even more questions.

Vision interface has been turned off... what did that even mean?

"You don’t have to be so shocked, this is normal." The System seemed to read Benjamin’s thoughts and said, "This world is different from reality; your five senses do not exist here. The sound you hear and the things you see are just sights and sounds that have been replicated in your own mind."

"..."

Benjamin did not understand.

But, if the System was speaking directly into his consciousness, then he should be able to speak back using the same method, right?

"Why do you understand this place so much?" He tried to ask telepathically.

"I don’t know, maybe it’s my natural talent?" The System heard his question and replied, "I’m not sure what you are seeing, but I’m going to guess that what we are seeing are two completely different things."

Benjamin was surprised.

"What do you see?"

The System said, "The whole of Rayleigh."

Benjamin was shocked.

"I’m not sure how to describe it to you… but it’s like Rayleigh has been folded and stacked." The System tried hard to explain, "I’m still in your room in the inn, but every other part in Rayleigh has been broken down – visions and sounds of the rest of Rayleigh are flashing in the small room."

Benjamin was extremely confused.

Does this mean the System could see every corner of Rayleigh? How can this be?

"I can’t explain anything to you. I’m in great pain right now, I see a lot of jarring sights." The System said, "Wait, I just saw a few priests in disguise, they are in Rayleigh now, trying to find you. Right now they are at an inn to the north of the city, I can even see the room number. What are you going to do?"

"..."

There was too much information, Benjamin struggled to digest everything.

"Are you sure what you are seeing is real? Not just some weird illusion?" He could not help but ask.

"I think so. There’s not much proof, but my instinct tells me that this is really happening."

Benjamin went deep into thought.

This visit to the pure blue space was totally different from the previous ones. From his guess, the pure blue space should be a world made purely out of magic, or composed of elemental energy. But why are the things the System is discovering not at all related to the elements?

Somehow, the place has turned into a surveillance room where the System could see every corner of Rayleigh.

How eerie…

Benjamin’s curiosity peaked. Even though he still could not see anything, but after some thought, he opened his mouth and asked the System, "Well... can you see anything outside of Rayleigh?"

"One second, let me try... yeah, I can."

Benjamin heard this and became excited.

"Can you see the palace from here?"

The System replied, "Wait, let me try... "

Benjamin was as excited as a kid in the candy store as he waited for the System’s reply.

After a while, the System’s voice called out.

"I found it. Yeah... the palace seems to have tightened their security. The Queen is bringing the princess to dinner, the corridors are filled with priests walking about, there is a maid having an affair with a holy knight in the storage room, the bishop is writing something on the second floor in his room, I think he is organizing the people that are going to clean up the newspapers."

As he listened to the System read out his report, Benjamin took a deep breath.

If all of this were true, then he was infinitely stronger now. Did he have the view of an omnipresent being now?

"Observe the bishop." He said to the the System, "Record everything down into your database, then analyze it."

But the System hesitated and said, "I don’t think I can connect to my database."

"..."

What a killjoy.

The System now had a boundless view and could see everything but had lost its storage capabilities in the process. Benjamin was disappointed but still tried to memorize everything the stem was telling him.

"They are two hundred and thirty-seven priests in Rayleigh. Randt has a hundred and eighty-two, they are at... "

The System read out its reports while Benjamin tried his best to remember everything.

Halfway through the process, an idea popped out into his head.

"Can we affect the real word from in here?" He asked.

"What do you plan to do?"

Benjamin spoke excitedly, "What I mean is, if I stabbed the bishop from here, would he die in the real world?"

"I don’t know. "The System’s reply was cautious, "But, I can try to change the environment to the bishop’s room. You can try stabbing him then."

Hearing this, Benjamin nodded. There was no harm in trying.

His view was still dark and he did not know what was going on, so he merely waited for the System’s instructions. After a moment of silence, the System spoke, "Alright, the bishop is in front of you now. The back of his head is right in front of your belly-button, go nuts."

"..."

Even though it felt weird, Benjamin did not say anything.

He did not have a weapon, but if he could bash his head hard enough, then the damage would be fatal. Thus, he took a deep breath, then struck out as hard as he could with his fist!

Whoosh!

Benjamin was stunned.

The fist did not collide with the bishop but instead felt as if he had just struck a puddle of water. It was a really weird sensation.

"What happened?" He quickly asked.

"I don’t know. Your fist passed straight through him as if you were intangible, but... the bishop seems to have felt something." The System replied, "He does not seem have been hit, but he’s acting as if he felt a gust of wind. He touched the back of his head and turned around for a while but turned back to the front when he saw that nothing was behind him."

Benjamin could not help but feel disappointed.

Damn, if only he could take out his enemy right here and now.

But as he wallowed in disappointment, he had another idea.

If fists did not work, then what about magic?

Thinking of this, Benjamin became excited. Once again, he faced the described location of the bishop. He calmed himself down, then tried charting the Icebreaking Spell.

Bang!

At that moment, a loud sound rang out in his head.

Benjamin was shocked. Something had flashed in front of him - it was white and jarring, making him close his eyes. When he re-opened his eyes, he was already back in his room in Rayleigh.

He was still on the bed in a meditating position as if nothing had happened.