Artificial Fantasy

Chapter 145: Uncontrollable Events

"Let me go, you jerks!" I scream as I try to shake off the big player's grip on my back collar. "I-I'm warning you! I'm a high-level in [Thunder] magic!"

It's not like my warnings were enough to scare this guy away from me. "No magic" rule in the library aside, he and his party mate might be stronger than me in terms of level (if I can read from their names above their heads) and since Wind isn't here with me, I don't know if I can handle them all on my own. Sure, I vowed that I wouldn't rely too much on him. But even I have my limits as a mage with no melee-based [Masteries].

With no other choice, I let the barbarian carry me to the counter until he (rudely) tosses me at the counter in front of the librarian along with the weird NPCs and players.

"Who the hell is this, Thor?" One of the players in robes asks. "He doesn't look like an NPC here."

"I know. It's just that he has a strange black book with him." I cringe the moment he mentions the mentioned memoir. "Seems like he discovered something we're looking for."

I try backing away from them in my attempt to escape. But one of the NPCs approaches me and notices the book in my hand. [What do you know? You kept telling us your barbarian friend is an idiot. Yet he managed to fish out a fool reading what we're looking for!]

To my horror, the player flashes a smile the moment he hears his news. "Really? T-That's great!" He turns to the barbarian next. "You heard him! It's a great idea for you to wander around the library while we're busy with the librarian."

The barbarian narrows his eyes and frowns. "That's because I had nothing to do here. If I AFK on [Sleep Mode], the game will just kick me out of here. Remember the <Initio> librarian? I almost got a penalty because of her!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Another man in leather armor turns to the NPCs and asks, "Think this kid has the book?"

One of the robed NPCs grins as I notice their strangely red eyes are staring right at me. [Only one way to find out~]

Crud... If the memoir is the one they're looking for, I don't know what will happen if I let them snatch it away from this library. By the looks of the librarian's face, she doesn't look like she's willing to let it go while under a threat. I still don't have a chance against these players, but I can't let this book fall into the wrong hands. Maybe I should try lying and...

[Give us the black book.]

Suddenly, I flinch as I lose the feeling around my arms. I try to move them, but I can't move my right arm away from that scary NPC! What gives?!

[WARNING]

[You are currently under the mage's [Trance]. You cannot control your character for a few seconds.]

A [Trance]?! I can't believe such a condition exists in [Isekai], too! I can still think, but I have the sudden urge to follow his order. Looking down, I see my arm holding the book rising and moving towards the mysterious men.

No! I can't let them! Something bad will happen if I give them this memoir! I don't know what it is, but I won't let it fall into the wrong hands!

Thankfully, I notice I can still control my arms a bit, enough to resist myself from giving them the book.

"Hey, what gives? You heard our employer already," the player in a robe demands. "Stop making it difficult for us and give us the book!"

No! If the librarian doesn't want to give this to them, then I'll do the same and guard this book with my life! I just need to resist this [Trance] long enough...