Chapter 93
Collective Unconscious.
A concept by Carl Jung, the founding figure of analytical psychology and a wizard renowned in his era.
Carl Jung sought to demote magic from its lofty status through the formalization of disciplines like symbolism, mythology, and alchemy. He aimed to transform the unstructured realm of magic into something widely disseminated for everyone’s benefit.
His deep curiosity lay in the magic related to the soul. He wished to decipher the secrets of the soul using his magical and psychological knowledge and dreamt of establishing a unique Western classification system for the soul, diverging from the Eastern philosophy that divides it into Hun and Baek.
However, unfortunately, his attempts resulted in failure. He wanted to study the soul, yet what he truly revealed pertained to the mind.
Anima, Animus. Persona. Shadow. …
But his explorations were not entirely in vain. He managed to uncover at least one thing.
Collective Unconscious.
The unconscious traits shared by humanity. A concept called the root of human spirit and universal empathy.
At first glance, this collective unconscious appears to be linked to the mind, but delving deeper, it also encompasses the inherent qualities of the human soul and relates to the genes humans possess.
Body. Soul. Spirit.
An unconscious tendency shared among beings that embody these three fully. Transcendent beings, evil spirits, evil ghosts. A repository that only humans possess, impervious to all others.
“Ta-da! It’s a treasure trove!”
And now, two individuals stepped into that treasure trove.
“Ugh! It feels weird… It’s like my entire body is sticky…”
Ella groaned as soon as she landed in the air, examining her body. The feeling of slime clinging to her was utterly unbearable.
However, as if to say this is just a dream and you’re imagining it, not a single trace was left on her body. Instead of being covered in a sticky liquid, she was surprisingly as clean as if she had just bathed.
The woman looked at shivering Ella with a grin, wrinkling her brow.
“Do you think you took a bath in glue~?”
She said teasingly as she helped Ella to her feet.
“Wow….”
Ella, now standing, could only marvel at the scenery before her.
“Here is completely, completely. A dream…”
The landscape was full of structures that looked nothing short of dreamlike.
An upside-down pyramid.
A gigantic tree wandering with roots, breathing fire from its branches.
Penguins flying in flocks across the sky.
A half-seal, rolling with a body the size of dozens of meters and smashing everything in its path.
Chaos incarnate.
Moreover, it wasn’t just the scenery that was bizarre. The woman held Ella’s hand, and as they passed through what seemed to be a door, the landscape shifted rapidly.
The desolate desert suddenly morphed into a volcanic region spewing ice.
The vast universe transformed into a scene of massive asteroids smoothly traveling.
They found themselves standing atop a snake the size of a city.
Scenery that was utterly impossible to witness in reality.
Truly dreamlike vistas.
“How is it? Isn’t it amazing?”
The woman puffed out her chest and asked Ella.
She craved praise, a response.
Her posture seemed to assert this with all her being.
“Y-yes, it’s great…”
Ella said somewhat reluctantly, causing the woman to grasp her face with both hands, seemingly vexed.
“Say it with more spirit!”
At the woman’s earnest request, Ella shouted.
“It’s amazing!”
“More!”
“Super amazing!”
“More!”
“Totally incredible! Sis, you’re the best!”
“Exactly! That’s it!”
Pushed into giving compliments, the woman wore a satisfied expression.
“Right! This place is such an extraordinary and wonderful place! I’ve only come now and then, but it was the joy of my life~”
“Joy of your life…?”
“Yes~ Did I have eyes? Did I have ears? The only entertainment I had was peeking into the dreams of my lovely younger sister~ It was nothing but wandering in my dreams. Oh, not that your dreams were boring! But one needs something novel now and then~”
Ella slowly processed the woman’s words, then something struck her.
“You said you saw my dreams?”
“Yes~ Somehow it happened.”
“W-wait. Could it be…?”
“I’ll keep any embarrassing dreams hidden in my memory! I promise!”
“N-no! That’s not the issue!”
Furious, Ella grabbed the woman by both shoulders and shook her.
Yet the woman stood like a deep-rooted tree, unmovable even under Ella’s full force, waiting patiently until Ella wore herself out.
Once Ella’s grip relaxed, the woman continued as if nothing had happened.
“Still, the world of dreams is vast beyond measure, so it’s never dull. But one day, I discovered a pond I had never seen before! And as you should naturally jump into such a pond, right?”
“That’s not common sense!”
“I cannot resist new content~ That’s common sense. You understand?”
Common sense?
What is common sense?
Ella felt her head spinning at the woman’s seemingly obvious words.
“So just like a venturous explorer heading into unknown territories, I dove into the pond, and wow! A place formed from countless fragments of people’s unconsciousness awaited me! A space filled with sights I had never witnessed and information I was experiencing for the first time. Truly a treasure trove~!”
“Y-yeah….”
“You shouldn’t react like that! It’s an utterly astounding place~ It’s so much fun traveling here~!”
“R-really?”
“Hmm. I want to explain it like a guide. It would be a lasting memory! But it feels like there’s not much time left until we wake up, and this sister is getting so frustrated~!”
The woman’s frustration at Ella’s inability to grasp how amazing this place was led her to explain repeatedly. Yet, when it became clear Ella still didn’t understand, the woman, seeking help, turned to the person behind Ella.
“I can’t explain it well~ Grandpa, please help!”
“Huh? Grandpa?”
When Ella turned her head at those words, an actual old man was there.
With a towering height of over 2 meters.
An awkwardly thin and scraggly figure reminiscent of an ancient tree, with his naked form barely concealed by cloth around only his private parts.
A long white beard reaching to his bellybutton and a shiny bald head.
He looked like a peculiar old man.
“Such adorable children.”
The old man observed the two with deep eyes, akin to the sea.
Then, with a cracking sound, he bent down.
“One is qualified, and one has accompanied one who is qualified.”
He gazed at Ella, holding the woman’s hand tightly, with a hint of tension.
“You precious child. I will not explain anything. Even if I do, you will not understand, and if you do understand, you will never have the opportunity to be here. If there comes a moment that you do arrive, you will already have understood. The truth is formless and, when defined, is no longer truth.”
“Y-yes?”
“Only what one realizes and embraces independently is the truth. If one says it is formless, it will simply become formless, devoid of wisdom or knowledge, thus not truth, and the instant one defines it, it takes shape, drifting further away from truth. Therefore, I will explain nothing to you. Only by realizing for oneself and obtaining by oneself is the sole path to the truth.”
The woman, finding the old man’s clouded words baffling, playfully coaxed him again.
“But please do explain~”
“No. Just as one living in water cannot explain to one living on land, nor can a breathing being properly comprehend the difference from one not breathing. No matter what I say, it will turn into distorted wisdom for that child and become different knowledge. This is akin to reciting a mantra to a fish, thus I shall not explain.”
“What if, ah! I’ll give you this~ Please do it!”
The woman presented a book to the old man.
《Human Collective Unconscious Network (Surface) Access Token – Use Completed -》
“Others love this too! They say it helps in their ascetic practices! Please accept it and do it!”
The old man pondered, alternating his gaze between the book and the woman, stroking his beard before finally accepting the book. As he took it in his hands, it transformed into a huge flame that scorched his hand, flowing across his skin and disappearing into his mouth. Despite being familiar with such occurrences, the old man took a deep breath, swallowing all the flames entering his body, then seated himself cross-legged on the ground, closing his eyes momentarily to begin his invocation.
The hand once enveloped in flames now held a rosary made of 108 beads, each bead composed of flames.
“Om Bhur Bhuvah Swah.”
Taaat Savituur Bhaar…yayaam…
With a sigh, the old man recited his invocation.
The sound was heavy and enormous, as if suppressing flames with air.
“Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi.”
Dhiyo yo Nah Prachodayaat Om.
Om…
Oom…
Ooommm…
With his body trembling, the old man finished reciting the Gayatri mantra.
“You precious child. Having received something precious from you, I shall grant your request.”
