How the hell is this magic affecting me? The Card of Arcana made me immune to all forms of mental intrusion and erosion. So why was it working on me?

I couldn't hold the question in anymore.

None of this was an illusion and I was damn sure of that. That means something was messing with my mind while my real body was sleeping in the sweet embrace of some ugly monster, cooking my soul and mind before devouring me…

… but that couldn't be possible with my Card of Arcana.

—

Ra's voice echoed in my mind as our group made our way towards the DD's wonders.

"It's because it hasn't entered your mind and why the hell are you asking me? Haven't you figured out which monster has taken over you yet?"

He sounded irritated, like the answer was right in front of me and I was just too stupid to see it.

I frowned.

'What are you talking about?'

"Tsk. Seems your memories are being devoured faster than I expected. Try to remember and think about the Divine Treasury."

His tone shifted, sharper and more serious now.

"Can you recall anything about it from the novel?"

I tried searching through my mind.

The Divine Treasury was supposed to be one of the most important, pivotal points in the novel.

It was the place where Noah made contact with God for the first time but the moment I tried to think about it, a violent ache exploded inside my head as if my brain was being squeezed by invisible hands.

I couldn't remember the exact details of that God or remember what was inside the Treasury. Hell… I couldn't even remember why I wanted to enter it in the first place.

That realization sent a chill straight through my body.

'I can't remember anything.'

I answered honestly to my split soul, hoping his memories were still intact… and that he could finally tell me what was happening to me before whatever was inside me finished erasing everything.

"Rael, we seriously need to get out of here fast."

The weight in his voice made my chest tighten because for someone who was always smug and always mocking, that level of seriousness was terrifying.

"From your current condition, you will probably forget most of the essential things within the next three or four loops."

…What?

"The monster is an Eldritch Abomination mentioned in the novel and if your memories were intact, you would have recognized it the moment your loop memories became clear."

His words landed slowly.

"And its name is Xyrrhael, the Mind-Harvester or as the novel also mentioned it as The Living Space."

The name alone felt wrong… but Ra didn't hesitate for even a second.

"This bastard preys on memories and instead of infiltrating your mind and eroding it from the inside, you are inside him right now quite literally."

Only now did everything start becoming clear.

"Everything around you is part of it. Viola, Arza, Alya, Sera, Noah, Arthur and even the streets you are walking on. They are all Xyrrhael."

Ra's voice lowered.

"He is recreating your recent memories as you remember them… and while you are busy living in them, he is harvesting your mind slowly."

So this wasn't just an illusion.

"The only reason you are even alive after so many loops is because your immunity makes it hard for your memories to leak out."

Ra said coldly.

"But the special properties of this space force cracks in that immunity by making your mind against yourself using these loops and whenever even a fragment slips out of your mind…"

His voice darkened.

"… That bastard is waiting right there to feed on it."

Fuck.

But I didn't panic or at least, not outwardly and kept walking like nothing was wrong. Talking when needed and nodding when expected.

'Hey, Ra, you must have a copy of my memories right, can't you just give my memories back to me somehow? Because as the situation stands, with many gaps in my mind, I can't think straight.'

I could feel myself becoming dumber by minute and it was not an exaggeration. It wasn't like I suddenly became unable to think but the gaps in my mind were impairing my logical thinking.

I had countless questions but deep down, I knew that the moment I got my memories back… Most of those answers would come to me on their own.

"Yes, we could do that," Ra muttered inside my mind, "but the moment you act even slightly differently than your memories, that bastard will collapse the mana and air here to knock you unconscious."

His tone was low.

"And if you try to enter your domain, your body will freeze for at least a few seconds, something which hadn't happened in your memories."

So either way, I would be exposed.

I clenched my teeth, my mind racing despite how foggy my head felt.

'What if…'

I slowed my steps just a fraction, keeping my expression calm.

'What if I enter the domain at the exact moment he collapses the space naturally at the end of this loop?'

Ra went silent.

'My body would go unconscious anyway but my soul would have already crossed into the domain.'

My heart started pounding.

'That would stop my memories from leaking and it would give me time… to take my memories back from you inside the domain until the monster restructures itself to the start of the loop.'

It was reckless and maybe even dangerous but it was the first plan that didn't end with me slowly being eaten alive.

"That could work but you have to get the timing right." Ra's voice echoed.

'Well, you don't have to worry about it..'

I smirked.

But before that, I have something else to do… I need to see if that blind boy Winter exists in this loop as well.

Right on cue, someone called my name.

"… Rael."

"… Rael."

And just like the previous loop, I turned around.

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