Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Fragment of the Transcendent
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Suddenly, the atmosphere drooped.
For a moment, I felt like I'd become some evil slave owner.
Thinking Karin's patience outside was probably at its limit by now, I opened the door of the half-destroyed bunker and stepped out.
"My lord! Just now, an enormous energy burst from inside... What in the world happened...?"
"Hm... It's a bit hard to explain in detail. Just know that Lin is safe."
I wanted to answer Karin's question too.
But to explain the sequence of events, I'd have to start with what a Transcendent even was.
I only knew partially myself and wasn't confident enough to explain it accurately.
So I figured there was no need to spread what I didn't fully know and decided to skip it.
"I'll tell you when the time comes. Right now, I don't know much myself."
"...Understood. More importantly, I'm relieved you don't seem injured."
"Ah, yeah. No major injuries."
In truth, one arm had rotted away completely, and the shoddy True Ancestor had sucked 500mL of my blood.
But thanks to Lavris's [Combat Continuation], I'd consumed fighting spirit to recover everything, so it wasn't exactly a lie.
Even without that, Lavris claimed she would've recovered on her own.
Lavris says that if it were her master's body, it would have recovered on its own, and this level of wound would heal after eating a meal and taking a short nap.
'No way, I'm not some reptile or adult toy. How could that be possible?'
Lavris says the master is severely underestimating his own body and reminds him to recall tanking an explosion barehanded.
Come to think of it, my body really wasn't an ordinary hunk of meat.
...Ah? Is that why?
No wonder the shoddy True Ancestor kept pestering me earlier...
"Ugh... Could you let me suck just a little more...?"
"Who do you think you're trying to kill? You're lucky Lavris has recovery functions, or I never would've let you suck at all."
"What nonsense! A normal human maybe, but you could suck all day and be fine! Sure... you'd feel a bit tired and anemic... but that's trivial..."
"Quit spouting nonsense... You're done. Hey, cheeks."
Suuuuck-!!!
"Eeeek-!! Don't pinch this lady's cheeks, you jerk-!!!"
...She must've known I'd be fine after sucking a bit.
I'd tugged pretty hard, and for a moment, I felt a little sorry.
'...But why should I let the shoddy True Ancestor suck my blood all day just because she's cute?'
On second thought, annoyance outweighed any guilt.
Suddenly irritated, I decided to pinch her cheeks once more.
Suuuuck-!!!
"Eeeek-!! Wh-why are you pinching again-!!!"
"It's outrageous that you don't even know."
"My lord? Who are you talking to...... ...Lin? Ah, no, my lord! Why are you pulling Lin's cheeks! What if she explodes...!"
"Don't worry, Karin. No more explosion risk. And this kid isn't Lin—she's the shoddy True Ancestor."
"Pardon? What do you mean...?"
"Well... you see..."
.
.
.
I explained to Karin that Lin was currently possessed by the god she'd served.
The penalty had shifted from explosion to bloodsucking.
And Lin herself was mentally unstable and asleep.
.
.
.
"I see. Understood."
"You accepted that easier than expected?"
"Lin often talked about the god she served as the Blood Cult's leader, so I'm used to it."
"Indeed. Our cute Lin worked hard to make this brat her follower. All rejected, of course... How about it? Won't you serve this lady now? I could grant great favors."
"I appreciate the offer, but I've already devoted body and soul to my lord, so I must politely decline."
"No need to worry. This lady serves this brat as master too, so it's practically the same. Just serve me alongside him!"
"Th-that... My lord...?"
"Hey, shoddy True Ancestor. Karin's troubled, so cut it out?"
Suuuuck-!!!
"Eeeek-! A-alright! I'll sthop! Just thtop pinching my cheekth-!!!"
Anyway.
With Lin's situation glossed over somehow.
It was about time for my daughters to wake, so I took the two back home.
"Ho, small but quite charming. Nice house."
"Our house is small?"
"Compared to the Blood Palace this lady lived in, it's like a remote annex. Isn't that obvious?"
"Yeah, you're great. But you know cleaning here from now on is your job, right?"
"I-I know..."
Annoyed by the shoddy True Ancestor's boasting.
I reminded her of our current situation for a moment.
"Daddy-nya... Welcome back-nya...?"
"Daddy... You're back...?"
Sensing our presence, Lulu and Arin came to greet us with sleepy, half-awake expressions.
Seizing the moment, I decided to introduce the shoddy True Ancestor to them.
"Both awake? Perfect—Daddy brought something good. Wanna see?"
"Something good-nya...?"
"Something good...?"
"This is Daddy's new companion (slave), the shoddy True Ancestor."
"Not shoddy True Ancestor! This lady is the Blood Heaven Demon Emperor! Call me properly!"
"She'll be Lulu and Arin's playmate (punching bag) from now on, so feel free to roughhouse. She'll handle cleaning too."
Hearing the introduction, my two daughters...
"Hnya...?"
"Hm...?"
Their sleepiness vanished at the stranger, scanning her up and down.
Suddenly, they spun around, pressed faces together, and whispered (loudly enough to hear).
.
.
.
"Arin-nya... Daddy-nya brought another woman-nya... Is she really just a playmate-nya...?"
"Maybe a stepmom candidate disguised as a playmate? But Daddy said it like that, so she must be tough."
"First impression-nya? Among stepmom candidates so far, she looks the strongest-nya."
"I agree... but compared to other stepmom candidates, her build is small, so she seems a bit flimsy. Doesn't she look kinda dumb?"
"True-nya. And Daddy-nya likes 'em big, so minus points-nya."
"Probably. No matter how strong, she can't beat the big stepmom candidates without growing here."
.
.
.
"...Brat? Calling this lady small, dumb, stepmom candidate—what's that about?"
"Just their little game? Something like that, so don't mind. You'll get used to it."
"My lord. Curious, but am I a candidate too?"
"Hm... Probably?"
"Th-then... Should I prepare underwear...?"
"No, I said I have no such plans?"
Why does the conversation always veer there?
I'm not that much of a trash heap, am I?
####
No more deepening misunderstandings.
To divert my daughters' interests, I prepared breakfast.
"Food first-nya!"
"I like fish side dishes!"
My daughters forgot all about stepmoms, chowing down happily and focusing on the meal.
Meanwhile, we...
"Brat. This lady needs a short rest."
"Hm? Hurt somewhere?"
"As if this lady could get hurt. Just maintained possession too long, so resting briefly."
"If that's it... How long?"
"Half a day to recover some strength. I'll sleep like the dead, so no need to fuss."
"Got it."
Claiming prolonged possession.
I laid the shoddy True Ancestor, who said she'd rest, on the bed.
"My lord. I need to prepare the hot spring, so I'll head back first."
"Ah, right. I'll come by for dinner later?"
"I'll finish prep before then."
"Then I'll handle food, so just focus on the hot spring."
"Understood."
Karin went home to prepare the hot spring I'd requested.
Alone now, I watched my daughters eat breakfast.
Suddenly recalling the item I'd gotten, I pulled it from my pocket to check.
"Looks like an ordinary pebble."
The small stone that appeared in my hand the moment the 'aggregate of impurities' known as the Transcendent vanished.
No energy felt, and my alchemist's intuition pinged nothing.
If no alert had appeared, I'd have thought it a roadside pebble and tossed it.
So...
"How the heck do I even use this?"
Arin's main body tossed it as a gift, so it's definitely useful somehow.
Showing it to my daughters got...
"Nya? Edible-nya?"
"Hm... Doesn't seem usable by us."
...No real reaction, so I skipped.
Trying to register in Emerald Cauldron for synthesis...
[Item cannot be registered as material.]
...Same issue, couldn't use as material.
Puzzled where an alchemist couldn't alchemize it, Lavris—who'd been quiet—spoke up.
Lavris suggests checking if it can be used in a skill.
'...A skill? Do you know something?'
Lavris explains it's from recalling old memories: an orc who gained part of a Transcendent's power through trials once evolved its skill.
Lavris says placing it on the status window might trigger a change.
'Really?'
No other ideas anyway.
Following Lavris's advice, I shouted for the status window, then held the Transcendent's Fragment to it.
The next instant...
[Skill 'Synthesis (EX)' absorbs 'Transcendent's Fragment'.]
The Synthesis (EX) skill absorbed the Transcendent's Fragment, per the alert.
Soon, a new skill acquisition notice appeared, and something dropped—thunk!—before my eyes.
This shape was... incredibly familiar.
For good reason, because this was...
[Skill 'Synthesis (EX)' evolves possessed skills using 'Transcendent's Fragment' as base.]
[Skill 'Emerald Cauldron (SS+)' evolves into skill 'Emerald Tablet (SSS+)!]
"...Turquoise tablet?"
...Not fantasy elements like swords, bows, staves, or ancient metal from lost civilizations.
No matter how you looked, it was a modern, portable tablet of moderate size.
And not just any tablet...
⟨ Nice to meet you, User! ⟩
⟨ I'm your assistant 'Tabula'! ⟩
⟨ I can help with synthesis, recipe creation, material sorting, gallery access—anything related to you! ⟩
⟨ What can I assist with? ⟩
...The latest model, complete with its own dedicated AI.