Chapter 248
Chapter 248: Freedom
At that moment, a blue luminescence broke into scattered streaks of light and merged into the shops on either side of the street. The windows flared with a deep azure glow, then quickly faded.
A puff of white mist rose from the chimneys of the buildings.
Bang!
The door swung open and Viktor stepped out, wisps of white smoke clinging to him as he emerged from the shop.
"This is the first 'Dream City' I have created—the Sealed Blossom Garden."
"The people you see here are not, in any true sense, living beings."
With Viktor's appearance and his thorough explanation, the crowd collectively exhaled in relief.
After all—if a thriving city like this truly existed in the real world, home to such a vast number of people, yet completely unknown to them as residents of the Royal Capital, the absurdity of that would have been beyond comprehension.
But on reflection, everyone found a deeply unsettling quality lingering over the place.
Could it be that these so-called humans had actually been created through Magic?
Every person present was stunned. They stared at the residents moving about all around them, and for a moment, not a single word could be found.
At that point, Principal Rashel spoke up:
"Please hold a moment, Chief Professor Viktor."
"I can appreciate the wonder of this place—but our purpose should be to conduct examinations for the students, not to make things more realistic, wouldn't you say?"
Listening to the Principal's question, those around him felt it was entirely reasonable and nodded in agreement.
"And moreover, as I've said—I don't quite see how this city is suited to serve as a venue for student examinations."
Viktor gave a faint smile and replied to Rashel with unhurried elegance:
"The examination has already begun, Principal Rashel."
"What?"
Rashel was taken aback.
Everyone else looked around at one another—hearing Viktor say that left them all thoroughly bewildered.
"Have you not noticed yet?"
At that moment, a startled cry rang out from within the crowd, drawing every pair of eyes toward the source.
"Where are the students!? Where have all the students gone?"
As though waking from a dream, everyone spun around and frantically searched for the students—but across this vast space, their silhouettes were nowhere to be found.
Only a handful of reporters from the press remained standing in place, clutching their Magic Stones with blank expressions, not knowing what to do.
The adults' brows furrowed immediately. They didn't even know yet what kind of dangers lay hidden in this place called the Dungeon, waiting for their children.
Viktor, both hands in his pockets, said plainly:
"I said—the examination has already begun."
"What you're about to see next is a scene you'll find well worth watching."
The surrounding space shattered once more, like broken glass, but the fragments rapidly reassembled themselves, and everything returned to how it had been.
Countless people found themselves standing in what felt like a refreshed position—as though they had all been reset.
Everyone seemed to return to the starting point. The children's playful banter on the street began replaying from the very beginning, unfolding again exactly as it had before.
The surrounding space fractured once more, and the fragments flew back and slotted back into place, filling the void.
Even the passersby returned to their starting positions, and the children's play on the street began repeating itself from the top all over again.
Just as everyone stood there in bewildered confusion, someone suddenly stretched out a finger and pointed ahead.
"Look—isn't that Her Highness the Princess?"
Every gaze followed the pointed finger and landed on Auréliane—her long silver hair unmistakable—walking toward them.
Claudia saw Auréliane too.
It came as a genuine surprise to all of them. But Auréliane looked right past them as though they weren't there, gazing curiously around at everything as she explored the area.
She walked straight through the crowd—like a light breeze drifting through every person's body.
Claudia felt once again the exact same sensation she had felt before.
Everyone stared at the sight before them, rooted to the spot like stones, their bodies rigid, their minds racing.
Watching Auréliane pass straight through the Empress, they all grasped it at last.
Could it be…
Auréliane before them had become completely integrated into the city?
And then, in the very next moment, they saw it.
A passerby came rushing anxiously out from nearby and threw herself against the side of a shop, crying out in a loud voice:
"Please—is there anyone, is there anyone who can help me!"
She hurried toward the passersby around her, desperately seeking aid, her eyes unfocused, her forehead drenched in cold sweat, her lips trembling faintly.
But the passersby seemed to see right through her, utterly ignoring her entirely.
Auréliane frowned slightly, appearing somewhat dissatisfied with the people around her, then walked forward.
"Please don't worry—what is your difficulty? Perhaps I can help?"
The moment the woman caught sight of Auréliane, she grabbed hold of her as though seizing a lifeline—clinging tightly to her clothing and crying out:
"Kind young lady, please help me!"
"I need herbs from outside the town to treat my child—she's running out of time."
Auréliane quickly moved to calm her:
"Tell me what kind of herbs you need—I can go and find them for you."
Soothed by Auréliane's reassurance, the woman gradually steadied herself and began to explain:
"I need Crimson Petal Blooms."
"Only outside the town will you find these pink flowers—they carry a faint, drifting fragrance."
"But please be careful. Wherever they grow, Magical Creatures are certain to be lurking nearby."
Auréliane listened to the woman's description with a composed expression, then replied with calm conviction:
"Please don't worry, ma'am."
"I will bring them back for you."
With those words, she turned and walked away, heading toward the outskirts of the town.
Those who had watched the entire exchange were left somewhat dumbfounded.
Throughout the whole interaction, Auréliane had been engaged in full conversation with the woman—as though she had never once seen the observers standing here, watching everything.
A Professor couldn't help but voice his confusion:
"Just now—Her Highness Auréliane, she…"
That was right. Auréliane had interacted with a figure from within this city.
She seemed to have blended entirely into this world, into this city.
Amid the stunned and bewildered stares of everyone present, Viktor's voice came from nearby, calm and unhurried.
"What do you think a Dungeon is?"
"Simply a challenge—repeated over and over, again and again?"
Every person present gave a nod, because that was precisely what all of them had assumed from the start.
In their minds, a Dungeon was supposed to be exactly that—a pure training space, free of real danger.
That was why it had captured the admiration of so many people.
Some had even gone so far as to hail it as the defining invention of a new Imperial era—a transcendent and epoch-making achievement.
Viktor kept both hands in his pockets and said plainly:
"In my view, a Dungeon should be."
"Something distinct from the real world—and yet something that draws people fully into it."
"A place where anyone can become the protagonist of their own story."
This world was an illusion—and yet human emotions would manifest within it as though it were real.
Joy, fury, grief, laughter—all of it would be carried inside, and the illusory world would be experienced as reality.
Viktor gazed at the world before him. The wind began to rise around them, growing louder until it swept every person's scattered thoughts clean away.
The air grew warm. The ground beneath their feet—at some point unnoticed—had become solid and firm, indistinguishable from the real world:
"That's right. Freedom."
"This is the true nature of the Dungeon world."