NOVPUB
Chapter 65: 005: Wizard Origin · Chronicles
Entering the Wizard Market requires a special password, which changes every session and appears on the map alongside the location before the market begins.
Lynch looked at the password displayed on the map, stood at the dock, and shouted toward the river:
"Little boat drifting along, passing through the forest and troubles."
"The gateway to the dream lies ahead, just one step away."
Shortly after the echo of his voice faded, the previously calm river surface rippled, and amidst the waves, an exquisite, transparent Crystal Ship rose from the water.
"Such absurd passwords. Really, I wonder what kind of mental state the organizer was in when they came up with this."
Grumbling to himself, Lynch pulled out a silver mask and put it on—a mask he had asked a Blacksmith in Wind Extinguishing City to forge just two days ago. Its design featured an eerie smile, inspired by an animation back on Earth.
With the mask secured, Lynch stepped onto the Crystal Ship. The water rippled, and the boat, as if guided by an invisible hand, slowly started moving downstream.
At the same time, a hundred meters away on another dock, Grupa rubbed his eyes repeatedly, his expression akin to someone who just saw a ghost.
What’s going on?
What just happened? A Crystal Ship? A Crystal Ship rose straight out of the river?
Did I see this correctly?
The drunken haze in his mind cleared in an instant as Grupa felt a chill run down his spine due to the strange sight.
"No, it must be an illusion. I’ve surely had too much to drink."
But after thinking for a moment, Grupa shook his head. How could that be possible, right? But... if it isn’t an illusion, then... what about that Knight? Oh no! He didn’t... he didn’t actually fall into the river, did he?
Grupa hurried to the riverbank, yet the surface had already calmed down. He scanned left and right, with no signs that anyone had fallen in.
Where did the Knight go?
"Could it be..."
"I seem to remember that Knight shouted something to the water earlier. What was it again?"
Although Grupa had been standing quite far away and ordinary people wouldn’t have heard what Lynch shouted, Grupa had sharp ears since childhood. Coupled with the current quietness, he managed to catch it.
After recalling for a while, he quickly remembered Lynch’s words and began shouting them out in imitation:
"Little boat drifting along, passing through the forest and troubles."
"The gateway to the dream lies ahead, just one step away."
"Hoo hoo..."
A breeze seemed to blow past, but apart from that, nothing happened.
Grupa’s unease slightly dissipated. "I knew it. I really should cut down on drinking..."
He shook his head and was about to leave when suddenly—
"Splash splosh!"
The crisp sound of flowing water emerged, and the previously calm river surface rippled with layer upon layer of waves. Soon after, an exquisite Crystal Ship appeared in the center of the water.
Time seemed to pause for a moment.
Grupa’s expression visibly shifted—eyes widening, pupils shrinking, the color draining from his face as he began to tremble.
"A gh... gh..."
He stumbled backward, mouth quivering as he tried but failed to make a sound.
Finally—
"A ghost!" he screamed and turned to flee, his face pale and colorless.
Yet mere moments after running a short distance, Grupa’s footsteps came to a halt. It seemed he had suddenly thought of something, and he slowly turned back with hesitation.
Though his expression remained fearful, there was a tinge of excitement and eagerness that couldn’t be ignored.
"Could... could this possibly be?"
In this instant, the countless tales sung by Minstrels surged in his mind—the legends drifting through time that seemed to have stepped into reality at this very moment.
"Gulp!"
Grupa swallowed hard, his heartbeat pounding so intensely that he could clearly hear the rhythmic ’thump-thump-thump’ in his chest. Fear and exhilaration blurred in his emotions.
Staring at the Crystal Ship floating in the river, logic told Grupa he should immediately turn back, awaken everyone in the tavern, and find the town’s Sir to notify the Lord and summon Knights.
Yet, inexplicably, Grupa didn’t follow his own rational thoughts. After hesitating repeatedly, he placed one foot onto the Crystal Ship.
"Oh heavens! What am I doing!"
When he came to his senses, he found himself already at the center of the river. Despite the absence of oars or even the slightest breeze, the Crystal Ship moved on its own as though propelled by an invisible hand.
Grupa widened his eyes, trying to discern where he was being taken.
Having worked along this river for over ten years, he prided himself on knowing its terrain and paths like the back of his hand—so much so that he could navigate blindfolded. Yet, at this moment, no matter how hard he looked, he failed to recognize his surroundings.
The scenery around him had seemingly transformed into an entirely different world, one foreign and completely unfamiliar.
Eventually,
Grupa gave up trying to make sense of it, slumping over the Crystal Ship and letting it drift forward while silently praying for his reckless decision.
Time passed, though how much was unknown.
Perhaps hours, days, or maybe just a fleeting moment.
In any case,
The ship finally reached the shore.
"Where is this place?"
Grupa stared wide-eyed at his surroundings. He was now standing on a beach covered with fine gravel. Ahead lay a dense forest shrouded in an almost impenetrable layer of mist, making the entire scene appear blurred and indistinct.
A muddy trail, worm-like in shape, stretched from the beach into the depths of the forest.
It seemed... there wasn’t really any other choice...
"Gulp..."
After swallowing hard once again, Grupa summoned the courage to step onto the narrow trail and walk into the forest.
Another journey followed, though its length was impossible to measure—whether long or fleeting.
Suddenly, noises emerged from within the mist.
"Eyeballs! Fresh Bodos eyeballs, anyone interested?"
"Flying Pegasus—is anyone looking to take one home?"
"Come have a look—Deceitful Fish, caught at great expense. Whether fried or roasted, it’s guaranteed to be an unparalleled delicacy!"
Was this the market?
Before he realized it, the thick fog around him had vanished. Grupa found himself in a strange and unfamiliar setting.
All around him, people bustled about while stalls lined the roadsides. Chants and calls of vendors echoed continuously.
The items being sold were unlike anything Grupa had ever heard of. As his gaze swept over the goods in the stalls, he froze completely.
Tiny birdcages contained miniature horses that were only as large as palms, each with a pair of oversized wings sprouting from both sides of its belly.
A mirror placed flat on the ground seemed to harbor an entire ocean within it, through which bizarre, grotesque fish swam. The fish’s shrunken, ugly heads resembled wrinkled-faced old men.
This place... what on earth was this?
These things... what on earth are they!
Grupa remained frozen in his spot.
"Don’t block the road!"
A dissatisfied voice behind him shook him out of his stupor.
When he turned toward the sound, he saw a small wooden hut walking toward him—yes, walking. The hut had chicken-like thin, scaly legs beneath it. Sitting on a rocking chair at the front of the hut was a lady wearing a pointed hat, puffing away at a smoking pipe as she glared at him angrily.
"Sor—sorry,"
Grupa quickly stepped back.
"Bang!"
As he moved backward, he accidentally knocked into a wooden table behind him.
The table was holding a large glass jar filled with round, egg-like objects of unknown origin.
As the jar wobbled from the collision, its contents flipped over, revealing their true forms—eyeballs. They crowded against the jar’s edge, curious eyes staring directly at Grupa.
"Ah!"
Grupa let out a scream and fell flat onto the ground.
Meanwhile, next to him at a nearby stall, a transaction had just concluded, though the buyer’s Space Pocket was too full to carry the purchased goods.
"Let me toss out some useless junk,"
The buyer rummaged through their pocket and finally pulled out a large chunk of Gold, tossing it aside carelessly.
"Boom!"
A dull thud sounded as the Gold hit the ground beside Grupa, creating a deep dent in the dirt.
The sound snapped Grupa’s frozen thoughts back to reality.
He looked at the bizarrely crowded market filled with fantastical goods, seeing items that seemed only to exist within folklore.
In an instant, he finally understood what was happening.
"Wi..."
"Wizard! It’s Wizards!!!"
At this moment, dreams and reality converged into one!
