As the tree continued to increase the speed of mana absorption, I activated the forging array. It lit up with unexpected ferocity, the heat expanding outward in waves that caused my clothing to burst into flames in several places.

I rapidly retreated as I patted out the flames and the nearby plants burst into flame (save for the world tree).

My heat resistance seemed nonexistent. Despite standing nearly thirty feet away from the flames and having the world tree block some of the heat, I felt like I could catch fire any moment. Even the air surrounding us seemed to on the verge of burst into flames, standing next to lava didn’t feel half as intense as this.

I thought with my fire resistance and regeneration, it would be fine to utilize this array without the safety precautions. Apparently not, it appears that I’ve drastically underestimated the power of this array.

It’s supposed to be tier 5 fire array meant for forging of some rare metals. At least, that’s what it said in the book I learned it from.

There was absolutely no mention to the damage the fire could cause. Then again, this isn’t exactly its intended usage. It supposed to be used within a specifically built furnace with various safety mechanisms.

Were they unaware of the potential the array had as a weapon? Shaking my head, I decided it didn’t matter. The more powerful the better.

The fire should weaken the barrier at this specific spot. Combined with the close proximity to the world tree means that this will be the weakest link of the barrier. Any defense is only as strong as its weakest link.

The fire simmered against the barrier for several minutes before disappearing as the array failed.

Wha-

I quickly approached and examined the forging array before falling into silence.

The world tree had absorbed the mana from the forging array before disturbing the barrier. A situation I hadn’t considered beforehand.

In hindsight, this was obviously going to happen. The goal of planting the world tree was to absorb enough mana from the barrier to render it inoperable (or at least create cracks in the barrier). A small, weaker array that was closer to the world tree would obviously be destroyed before that happened.

Examining the other explosive arrays around the barrier, I sighed in relief. They were further from the world tree and hadn’t been broken yet.

Still, it proved that my theory was sound. Extracting mana from the surroundings would render arrays inoperable.

Regardless this made the plan slightly problematic. I doubt the world tree can destroy the barrier by itself, without arrays to support the destruction. This lowers the success rate of the entire escape plan. Too late to change anything, though.

I’ll just have to utilize the explosive arrays before the mana in them is absorbed.

Summoning the spear from my wristband and building up spear aura, I waited for the perfect opportunity.

Now!

The nearby arrays would soon be drained of their mana, forcing my hand.

BOOM!

All at once the multitude of explosive arrays simultaneously exploded, creating a deafening explosion. Even knowing I drugged Gromrit, I momentarily worried he might wake up from the noise.

Releasing a piercing striking toward the barrier, a miniature crack appeared. Although it didn’t pierce through the entire barrier and, compared to the entirety of the barrier, it was barely a scratch. But it was proof it was possible to break!

Utilizing the strategy of depleting the area’s mana, and striking with strong force from within barely managed to damage the barrier. In fact, I was well aware that if I was outside the barrier, this strategy would have never worked.

The barrier wouldn’t have taken the slightest damage from outside.

The only reason this worked is because the barrier wasn’t designed to be a prison. It was designed to prevent intruders from entering by force. This is exactly what gave this plan an opportunity to succeed.

Nothing would have happened if I was outside the barrier, even if I planted the world tree to absorb up the mana, exploded the entire circumference, and struck with all my strength. The barrier would simply draw mana from within, it would completely unharmed by such attempts by outside parties.

The miniature crack slowly began to disappear, repaired by some automated mechanism of the barrier.

Cannot let it regenerate.

I charged toward the barrier and struck at the crack, the crack’s size doubled. However, it still wasn’t enough to break through the barrier.

Clasping my fists around the spear tightly, I released another piercing strike. The attack directly landed on crack in the weakest location of the barrier and pierced through.

The spear pieced several inches into the barrier and I could see light appear from the other side. Proving once and for all, the barrier wasn’t invincible.

Pulling the spear out for another strike, a strong dizziness overwhelmed my senses.

NO!

The world twisted… distorted. Before fading to blackness.

…

…

A tired sleepiness overwhelmingly demanded my attention, the stone floor beneath a comfortable coldness pleasant to rest upon.

Rubbing my cheeks against it, I…

...Wait! Jolting upright and awake, I glanced around rapidly trying to ascertain the condition of the barrier.

Only to find myself surprised.

I was in a… kitchen? With a refrigerator and everything.

How’d I get in a kitchen? Gromrit definitely doesn’t have a kitchen. Not unless he’s been hiding it from me.

Then again, I don’t think Gromrit even eats food or would use a refrigerator. If the world tree seed didn’t prevent me from starving, I’m decently sure I would’ve starved by now. There definitely weren’t enough edible plants in the uncultivated garden to eat on a regular basis.

As I stared at the kitchen as I stood up, the room suddenly seemed eerily familiar. Two white doors, refrigerator, and a table with a single chair.

Refrigerator?

Wait…

Isn’t this…

The tutorial zone? Looking around once again, I confirmed it.

This was definitely the safe room inside the tutorial… or at least a room identical to it.

Checked my body, I only felt confused. Nothing on my body had changed from my time in the barrier.

My clothing hadn’t changed. My wristband was still securely attached. Even the scar from Gromrit still existed.

Maybe… not time travel, then? A dream or illusion? Or is this just a replica of the safe room?

I activated my unnoticed ability and lifted up the nearby table. The table lifted up easily, carving a few letters into the table with a knife. I read the letters, forward and backward.

Quietly, I analyzed the situation.

Not an active illusion then... an active illusion would require the creator to manually edit the response of every object. Without them being able to perceive me, the table would’ve been impossible to lift.

Nor should this be a dream. In dreams, writing tends to get distorted and easily change.

Remaining possibilities are… a passive illusion that doesn’t require the input of the creator, time travel, or a replica of tutorial zone.

Dismissing my thoughts, I re-summoned my spear.

The truth would become clear with time.

As I dismissed my thought, a foreboding feeling that I didn’t realize I’d been ignored began to grow larger. It felt like danger was coming from everywhere. I instinctively began checking the surrounding mana and frowned.

There certainly wasn’t much mana in the surroundings, but that wasn’t an issue. What was an issue was the density of corrupted mana. It was far higher than expected.

The density shouldn’t be anywhere near this high. The normal amount of corrupted mana is only 1% of the total mana in the area while the overall ratio in this place is about 50% of the total mana.

Well, the density wasn’t particularly uncomfortable to me. There was more corrupted mana in Gromrit’s garden. Although the ratio was only around 20% in the garden, there was far more mana in the surroundings. Every breath in the garden, I absorbed more corrupted mana than I would in a hundred breath here.

Regardless, it was strange. If the density in the tutorial was this high to begin with, I would’ve had trouble even breathing.

Clearing the tutorial with this corrupted mana density would’ve been impossible.

Hm… Strange, still it isn't an issue for the current me.

Opening the fridge, I examined the food inside. One specific item caught my attention before the rest.

Chocolate bar! Grabbing one of the bars of chocolate, I opened it and bite into it. Savoring the flavor with every bite.

Mmmm… delicious chocolate. Oh… how I’ve missed you, chocolate. Meat and fruits are fine, but chocolate. Oh, I honestly don’t know how I’ve survived without you.

As for the mild poison inside the food here, I couldn’t be bothered to think about it. At this point, if this mild poison bothered me, I didn’t deserve to survive in Hell Difficulty.

The foreboding feeling from the surroundings grew even larger, and I took the opportunity to rechecking the mana in the surroundings.

Wha- it increased?

I quickly reconfirmed my suspicion.

In the few minutes I’d been thinking and eat chocolate, the amount of corrupted mana in the surroundings had increased dramatically. Almost an entire percentage point and it was still increasing every moment.

…and it had begun increasing at an exponential pace.

My expression changed dramatically.

Not good!

Rushing out of the safe room, I noted without pausing that the forest outside was the exactly the same as I’d expected it to be. Sprinting into the forest, and I began rushing toward the mountain with the teleportation beacon.

All the while internally wishing I was born with wings to make this trip faster.

The amount of corrupted mana being created had surpassed the equilibrium point. Corrupted mana creates corrupted mana. Normally it's a slow process by corrupting normal mana. Normally, monsters in the surroundings help convert it back, creating a slightly unstable equilibrium.

At the moment, corrupted mana was being created far quicker than being converted back into purified mana… which is a VERY bad thing.

Once the equilibrium point is exceeded, the density of corrupted mana will rapidly increase.

After reaching a certain point, it will literally begin to dissolve matter in the surroundings… and I REALLY don’t want to be around when that starts to happen.

A journey that had taken me several hours before only took around twenty minutes (although that was partially due to the need to be cautious). Checking the environmental density of corrupted mana, I sped up.

76% density…

Reaching the top of the mountain, the adult basilisk was sleeping. Blissfully unaware of the impending doom.

Uncaring about its awareness or alertness, I rushed toward the teleportation beacon.

80% density.

Fortunately, the currently level of my unnoticed ability allowed bypassing the sleeping basilisk. Reaching the teleportation beacon, I relaxed and touched it.

Staring at the teleportation beacon with my hand touching it… Nothing happened?

Beginning to panic, I reexamined the corrupted mana density.

87% density.

Why? WHY? Why has it not teleported me?

I quickly examined the teleportation array. Reorganizing all my knowledge of arrays in my head.

Mana is fine.

Array is undamaged.

Teleportation destination is set.

Authorization is normal… Wait!

No, authorization failed!

Why?

Top-tier basilisk blood! Of course, they wouldn’t want monsters utilizing their array to escape this place.

94% density. At this point, a void-like blackness began to appear in several spots randomly midair in the air.

No time to bypass authorization.

Shit… Uhhh…

The Unnoticed!

I tried to concentrate entirely on hiding my monster blood. No idea whether hiding my bloodline would fool it, certainly it was worth trying.

The Unnoticed description had changed after upgrading awhile ago into ‘goes unnoticed by most things’. The usage of the word things implies that it can fool inanimate objects and arrays.

The only question was whether it could specially hide only my basilisk bloodline.

Touching the array, the white light of teleportation filled my vision. I sighed in relief and collapsed to the floor with the returned to the starter village in the Second Zone.

Do I always have to leave the tutorial zone in a state of almost dying? Internally complaining with resentment as I looked up at the sky.