There's some kind of illusion. How nice. Valanda ignores the fact that (it looks like) it's going to hit him in the head. It's not like it's real.

It does and then everything is covered in an immersive illusion for some reason and...

...he knows new words for things. He speaks another language now for some reason, one that humans can pronounce.

Yeah, okay, illusions don't do that, this is some other inexplicable thing. But he still can't get the bracelets off so he just stays where he is and shuts his eyes and waits.