Illusory and Real

Let's sum everything I have gotten to know until now. This is a world that has many godly pantheon's. I am currently inhabiting an unknown person's body and also somehow seem to possess powers from lord of the mysteries in this world. My plot advantage is obsolete and my only source of information currently is a sentient mirror that can't get detailed information of the outside world. Great, I'm off to a terrific start!

I seem to have taken all the measures I can take with my current options in this situation. Of course, barring the uniqueness and studying anything related to it. My mental and physical state is not right to be studying beyonder powers. Since this is a different world, the laws of mysticism might not apply in this world but I don't want to take any chances in my current state.

Considering this, all that's left to do now is leave the chaos sea. With the aim of leaving in mind I turned around onto the path I came from, only this time leaving with a mirror. As I crept through the narrow path while listening to the sound of the chaos sea gradually diminishing, I made my way back to research laboratory. All the while Arrodes did not utter another sentence after the previous Q & A session had ended.

After about half an hour, I climbed out of the hole through which I came. The grayish walls of the messy laboratory once again appeared in front of my eyes as they were illuminated by the dim light. I walked towards the hatch with futuristic guns which was the suspected way out of the chaos sea. The guns crumbled to dust as I touched them signifying the erosion of time.

Another odd thought came to mind seeing this. If in this world, the Chernobyl incident seems to have or will be taking place around the current time period, why was Chernobyl already so dilapidated. The sign of erosion indicated that this laboratory should have already existed for eons. I looked at the mirror once more as I questioned about this discrepancy. While Arrodes might not get detailed information about divine beings or such, it was able to get our current physical location and date. Thus, it might also know about what was going on here.

As expected the mirror replied,

" As you must already know, the sefirot we are currently in is both illusory and real. As it exists on the boundary of illusion and reality, it has an entrance in the physical world. The location of this entrance is called 'Chernobyl' by humans. At the same time, the real location of the underground is hidden in an illusory realm that can only be accessed or located by special means and abilities. The 'laboratory' we are standing in currently is just a distorted projection of the reality on the sefirot. Great master, have I passed your test?"

So that's how it is. I vaguely understand now. Indeed, Klein had to use the the sefirah castle's true vision along with abilities of the door pathway to be able to locate and enter the chaos sea. As for the reflection of reality on the sefirot, it seems to be a unique aspect of the chaos sea, just like how Klein could create a temple above the gray fog or how the projection of the city of calamity appeared in bansy. It perfectly represents the visionary's ability to envision anything into existence regardless of whether it really exists in reality or not.

Making an analogy, this 'Chernobyl' is like a distorted mirror world of the real Chernobyl created as the entrance to the chaos sea by the sefirot.

"Very good, you have passed all my tests. As I have greater expectations of you, I will keep throwing 'tests' your way whenever I feel like it."

I borrowed a page from the book of fellow tricksters before me to create a powerful persona for myself in the eyes of my first fanatic follower. This will make it easier to ask more questions from now on, which I definitely will. Even though this is most likely completely unnecessary as the mirror will follow me even if it knows that I am absolutely clueless and not an omniscient being. But with adhering to the principle of caution, I won't take any chances. This might even be great practise in acting as a mysterious divine being in case I ever need to trick…I mean 'point the way onto the correct path' for anyone else in this world.

Ainz-sama and Mr. Fool must appreciate me following their footsteps, though I would prefer not to always be as clueless as them and rely on flukes and acting to muddle through situations. Thinking about it, it will be funny if I finally become omniscient like the god almighty claims to be by relying on lies and coincidences to hide the fact that I actually know nothing about what's going on around me.

"\(^O^)/ hehehe, of course great master. I shall improve myself to pass all your tests and be worthy of being your greatest follower…p(*^o^*)p huehehehe…."

I think I might have broken it… I should be careful giving compliments in the future. I once again focused on the hatch in front of me as I tried to open it in vain. I currently don't have any abilities to help me like Klein did. The only thing that could help me was the suspected uniqueness in my mind. As it could resonate with the door earlier maybe I could use that 'connection' to exit this place.

"Here goes nothing." I held the mirror tightly. As I took a deep breath and focused on that 'connection', my vision and conscience was drowned in a flurry of chaotic images that would have driven a normal person insane if they were not lucky enough like me to be protected by the sefirot itself. I then blanked out and lost consciousness soon after as my mind and spirit were taxed.

**************************

The bright sun shined down near the city of Pripyat and a flurry of people were moving forward in confusion or fear, maybe both, made their way towards the newly set up Chernobyl exclusion zone. The confusion was to be expected as one the greatest nuclear disasters had just recently taken place in Chernobyl. Many of them would be effected by radiation and face or pass on defects. The difficult yet relatively peaceful life a couple of days earlier nowhere to be seen and all worldly items left behind in their prior homes. The authorities trying to control the chaos and evacuate the citizens after a timely response to the disaster. Such a picture was presented before the eyes of a spectator.

Yes, a spectator disoriented and confused with what was happening around him. Amidst the chaos, somewhere not clearly within the sight of the mass of flowing people, a person of average appearance with pale blond hair, blue eyes, a relatively fit body and tattered and dust clothes watched on in front of him. He was holding a silver mirror as he was lying down on the ground as he tried to make sense of what was happening. After a few minute, he quickly inferred and figured out his situation thanks to the prior knowledge he had obtained.

Getting up from the ground patting of the dust on his clothes, he took a deep breath and spoke the first words since his waking up in the physical world that was familiar, yet distinctly different from where he lived earlier.

"So, how do I proceed now?"