Chapter 188
Chapter 188
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 188
Chapter Title: Chapter 11. The Mage of Mages (8)
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‘Damn. I regret it so much!’
Seeing the Great Mother’s grinning face made me think I hadn’t prepared enough.
Coming to persuade an enemy who was likely hostile with zero information.
‘I’ve gotten too used to playing with the chat room folks.’
In conversation and persuasion, eloquence is the gun, and information is the ammo. You compile what the opponent likes and dislikes, their tendencies, goals, relationships, and so on to predict, “If I poke here, they’ll react like this!” Then steer that reaction in your favor. Making those inferences with scant info is my specialty.
But right now, I lacked the support of the collective intelligence from the ‘47th District chat room’ that usually let me improvise on the fly.
‘You can tell just from what she said. That elf is a living legend who’s been active from nearly the end of 1st World to now. Obviously a Hero Unit, and she even said herself she saved [the great hero of the Princess family]. That’s gotta be Levit Princess who cleared 2nd World, right? Since the 3rd World I’m playing now started from the seed of the 2nd World she cleared.’
If the chat room folks had been watching live, they’d have gone nuts: ‘That’s El-Parna! The elf who loves humans! Even married one!’, ‘A 300-year-old sly fox!’, ‘The undead mixer who roamed fields with Levit in 2nd World! Cross her and you’re dead!’ Spitting out all sorts of info. If so, I’d have known from the start that her scars weren’t from humans, that far from hating them, she still held affection—and approached with more leeway, steering the talk our way.
But no. I didn’t notice the situation had changed and tried swinging improvisationally like always. Like charging into battle with an empty gun—what else but get clubbed?
‘Ugh, how could I make such a rookie mistake! Charging in high on my own skills without thinking! How could I be this stupid!’
“Heh heh heh. Quite the dissatisfied look on your face.”
“....The other elves here might be half-elves, but you’re a pureblood elf, right? Elves don’t lie, or so they say.”
At my complaint dripping with frustration, the Great Mother rested her chin on her wooden hand and replied.
“Hm? I’ve never told a single lie.”
“You said you like humans! But earlier you were all, ‘Do you truly think we can forget that bloodstained past and laugh with you again!’ veins bulging in your neck!”
“Wasn’t it true? Sure, the branches of this Carnean have been lucky enough to find human mates and come to love them, but those who suffered horrors undeniably exist. They just weighed the two feelings on the scales—those who valued happy memories more stayed here, while those weighed down by painful ones returned to the elven forest. Even now, plenty in the elven forest raise toasts before the corpses of humans dying pierced by arrows. We’re just a small Carnean—we can’t represent all elves, can we?”
“Th-then those limbs! You went on about your inconvenient body and wretched life, but you’re fit enough to spar with me right now!”
“Oh dear. You don’t think I meant that replacing lost limbs with my superior skills makes a life with prosthetics comfortable, do you? Wouldn’t that be too harsh on those suffering similar disabilities?”
“Then suddenly crumpling the house and hauling a perfectly fine ground-level home up to the treetop—”
“Isn’t the view from here just lovely? Places with such great vibes make pacts hit harder.”
“No, that—”
“Ambiance. Psychological and physical pressure. Even without hiding anything, you can deceive by what you reveal. When dealing with overthinkers, planting thoughts in them is one method.”
....I’d kinda sensed it was all an act since she mentioned the test. I was just pissed at falling for it so easily and wanted to vent. What if badmouthing her reached the ears of this terrifying ancient elf? Better yell now while I can.
“If you’re just raising your voice over facts I already knew to vent your frustration, let’s stop here. The kids waiting below are worrying at the sound of your voice.”
“Good lord. Did you pick up some mind-reading from the human world?”
“I don’t know what mind-reading is, but doesn’t the one hit remember better than the hitter? I left the forest at age 64 and wandered the human world for nearly 200 years, taking whatever came—so I’m more used to that than not.”
Rumble rumble....
The walls vanished, leaving just the floor, which slid down between tree trunks.
“Don’t take it too hard. We had to check if you truly came as a champion of light for peace, or if you’re evil, trying to trick us, plunder our holy relic, and enslave us elves en masse. Honestly, looking at you lot, it’s a stretch to think you’re from that vile Light Church, no?”
“....Well, yeah, with black mages, trolls, and werewolves, we’re pretty unique for a hero party.”
“Not them. You. You.”
Her wooden finger jabbed precisely at my feet.
Looking down, there were my feet and calves covered in dark, scaly hide.
Weird. Blood Armor? Did I cast it instinctively in the crisis? No? I didn’t use any magic?
“Wh-what is this!”
“Hm? You didn’t know? When I pressured you, you gripped the floor with those to not get pushed back.”
Sure enough, sharp claw marks gouged the wooden floor ahead, like I’d been dragged.
“Seeing one with such a body entrusted with grave duties made me think the children of light have truly changed. But if you did this unknowingly? Then I’ll—”
“N-no! I know what it is and how it happened, just.... it’s startling.”
I definitely remembered this form. The red variant sensation from long ago when Hyde fully seized control of my body in Tobrun’s mage tower. And though the size differed, it matched perfectly the thing lying outside claiming to be my body.
“Professor, old chap. Do you.... still have hidden powers from us? After seeing your ‘body that grows wildly’ last time, I thought nothing could shock me more.... If there’s more, tell us ahead of time. Spare this old heart any more strain.”
“I.... don’t really know, Aldrich.”
“Not knowing worries me more. Nothing’s scarier than power you can’t control.”
Swoosh—thud!
As soon as we descended, I raised both hands toward the arrows aimed at us from all sides and thought.
What the hell was I doing two months ago for mutant body sensations to feel so familiar?
‘Did I do transformation training with Hyde or something?’
Either way, something needed checking after a pause.
****
“Legs.”
....Snap.
“Calves.”
Snap. Crackle.
“Hmm. Curious. Toes.”
....Pop.
“No sensation loss. Can you feel it?”
“Uh.... Feels encased in tough hide, but touch is sharp?”
“Curious indeed, most curious.... Then, left arm—”
Squeeech!
Crunch crunch! Kwachunk! Crack! Crumblerumble!
“—there.”
Before Aldrich finished, my arm burst open at thought-speed, muscles, nerves, bones spilling out to form a massive, sturdy black arm.
“No need to check. Far more developed than other parts. Can you make it bigger? Like that time you unconsciously transformed into that blade?”
“Hm, not sure. Feels possible, but.... My fingertips feel numb now? Bigger and I might lose control.”
“Numb, you say. Specifically?”
“Let’s see.... Like when your fingertips go blue and cold after being bound too long. Exactly that.”
Scribble scribble—
“Fingertips.... no blood flow.... Left arm change stands out.... Most curious. And intriguing.”
After sealing the pact with the Great Mother and being shown to lodgings by the elves, I barely caught my breath before facing Aldrich’s barrage of questions.
‘Your body changed due to the mutant infection factor, you said. Hope it’s not irreversible?’
‘Barefoot now. Back to normal already. Can you shift like before? Those hooked toes and sturdy black-scaled legs? Other parts too?’
‘Is that why you pack spare clothes? Accounting for rips from changes?’
Phew, at least one of the two mages was sealed away with spirit syndrome.
Aldrich had stayed quiet till now, but as a black mage with deep interest in human flesh—especially as a soul sorcerer who’d studied spirit-flesh links more than anyone—he was perfect.
System-wise at least, no better expert to explain my changes.
So I told him about Tobrun—minus where, how, just the body shift parts—and asked for help.
‘No one saw my fight with Isaac, so no linking me to the red mutant with 4k infamy?’
Remember: To the Church and world, I’m ‘Professor, Isaac’s test subject’. Separate from the notorious ‘Red Mutant’. Gotta stay cautious.
Comparing my wood-slate testimony and observations with his mutant infection knowledge, Aldrich sighed and spoke.
“Combining known info and your account.... This ‘infection factor’ spreads via mutant blood, devours the host’s body, takes over the flesh, then warps the soul.”
“Possesses the body.... and changes the soul?”
“Yes. Spirit and flesh seem separate, but they’re linked tail-to-head. Shaken spirits weaken flesh; weak flesh enfeebles mind and spirit. In that sense, your state is.... curious. Seems reversed. The infection factor reshapes flesh based on spirit form—your mental image.”
“.....”
That jogged a fact I couldn’t share with Aldrich.
‘Infection factor and variant cells. Turns out they’re completely inverted.’
Mutant infection factor infects body first, seizes all flesh, twists mind to mutant personality.
Conversely, the outer variant cells burrow into dead host’s memories, reshape flesh based on that mind.
Similar yet opposite natures.
My changes stemmed from that. The constant inward-corroding pain gone, Hyde-level mass/volume/form shifts now possible somewhat—because I remembered the outer changes and sensations, linking to in-game shifts.
‘Hyde always griped about body control. Per him, I logged in accustomed to that control from outside.’
Proof: left arm. Unlike other parts with slight scales or bone tweaks, it perfectly mimicked my real arm, scalable too.
Post-Raptor clash in 47th, I’d grown used to the variant arm—reproduced here as body control sense.
Squeeech—
Crunch, crinkle. Splurtch!
“No bleeding is fascinating. Body splits and reforms like that.”
“Oh, that’s ‘cause I hold my blood separately. Calves bled profusely at first.”
“Oh? Right, you handle odd blood magic among water mages. Multiple factors at play. Remarkable. Artistic, even. So intricately meshed!”
Result: the disassembly show before us. Left arm disintegrates on thought, black monster arm sprouts, reverts.
Other parts less drastic—slow slits sprout scale-like hide.
Not Hyde’s Tobrun tower endless-regen spear-room-crossing eye-toothed horror, but half that: mutant flesh control achieved.
“As a soul sorcerer, your soul shows no major flaws. Still sturdy and radiant as first sight.”
“‘Shows no’ implies.... some change?”
“Indeed. Before, just your soul stood alone. Now, fog-like stuff clings thickly around it. New to me. Envelops your soul. And that Hyde inside? Faint presence now. Hmm.... Curious. Unrecorded in any soul sorcery tome. Calm your mind a moment. Need to log this form.”
“Guess no big issue then.... Good.”
“Not to relax, though. Tremors show instability. Stay calm, keep mind pure.”
His wry smile said he knew my situation precluded that. Full mutant war below, need to ally fast and join—mental peace? Yeah right.
“Speaking of, where’s everyone?”
“Othman.... Seems lucid-ish, but says he can’t remove restraints yet, lying in his room. Red-haired merchant kid went shopping for specialties. Bork and Notum liked the forest, out strolling. Elves have much to discuss on whom to send after long wait.”
“....Wish that Great Mother elder would come.”
“Doubt it. She maintains the barrier here. Historic spiritist like her with us? Smooth sailing. But leftover Carnean elves wouldn’t last against beasts and undead.”
Hm? Wait.
“You know who the Great Mother is?”
“Of course? Didn’t at ‘Great Mother’ alone, but recognized her instantly. El-Parna. Great warrior and spiritist elf. Hid name 120 years ago to roam world. Rose to fame 80 years back, empire’s 22 princes/princesses warring for throne. Even when undead swarmed walls amid quake aftermath, her renown shone. Once titled ‘Judgment of Providence’, ‘Skull Crusher’, ‘Tree that Grows on Black Mage Blood’.”
“You knew and didn’t say....”
“Heard ‘Great Mother’ en route, recognized on sight—no time. She flared up at you instantly, squeezing everywhere with aura.”
Thwack!
Professor slapped his forehead at his own patheticness. Not the chat cut-off. Hero Unit so famous even comrades knew. If I’d proceeded calmly, slower, I could’ve gathered intel solo!
‘Whatever. Fresh off that outside mess, not in my right mind. Mid-game, shut access kit? [Actually, you’re linked to comatose brain backup. Medically dead.] Yeah, right—calmly nodding? Hit by friendly elf granny snapped me out. Fine.’
Shaking off thoughts, Professor pulled paper, wrote firmly word by word.
“No need for you to record too? I’m logging you head-to-toe, blink rate, breaths per minute.”
Jeez. Even stalkers don’t go that far, mage.
“This is different. For me.”
If my eyes see it, it’s broadcast fodder even as recording.
Carefully re-reading notes thrice, pocketed them, stood.
Rustle! Crunch, clatter, snap!
“Heading out?”
“Yeah. Elves said wait till tomorrow for their council. Didn’t sightsee coming in—wanna before leaving. Learn elf culture/customs here, useful for elven forest later.”
Reverted dark-scaly body to normal, donned spare outerwear.
“.....Gotta buy clothes out there.”
Eyeing rag-like garb, Professor squeezed out the tree hole.
Scammed hard, body scrambled, near-brain-dead outside or not.
The first-seen elf village was beautiful, fresh grass scent and quiet bustle pleasing his eyes.
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