The Thing Wearing Ivy's Face
The thing in Ivy's form opened its mouth.
When Ivy picked a fight by thrusting into my chest, I activated my ability.
Almost simultaneously, an additional effect of the ability let me see just how shabby—and downright bizarre—Ivy's room was.
I had a rough idea of what a standard Heart Soul Academy dorm room looked like.
The weird vibe from Ivy's window, those two discarded boxes, the syringe in the drawer.
Everything screamed suspicion.
So I asked.
I couldn't hold back.
Because we're friends... I wanted her to spill everything honestly. That's why I asked.
'I absolutely never wanted things to end up like this!'
Ivy's body was cooling fast.
Black gunk injected into it, vital signs fading in a rush.
She was dying.
From her words just moments ago, I'd pieced together that her ability was something like precognition.
But suddenly?
Seeing her own death in a vision, right at this moment?
Or maybe, if she didn't die here, something even worse would happen?
My head spun.
'Ugh... I'm no good at thinking!'
The only thing I could do right now was haul ass to the health office, fast as possible.
There was an ability user there who could swap out most of a body and deal with poisons or drugs somehow.
I needed Ritta.
Right now!
A sound. I glanced down.
Ivy's mouth moved.
"Um."
That instant, the Ivy in my arms blinked.
She greeted me.
"Hi."
The body that'd been dying moments ago... now it brimmed with more life than before she collapsed.
The sickly look was gone, replaced by something precarious, teetering on the edge.
'...Dangerous.'
Looking at my friend—no, whatever was wearing my friend's skin—I had no choice but to judge it that way.
Me, Han Ye-seo, who sucks at head games, always trusted my gut and instincts.
I chucked Ivy's body out of my arms right then and leaped back, opening distance.
The thing in Ivy's form opened its mouth.
"Ow... that hurts. What kinda friend just tosses you like trash?"
"Who the hell are you?"
"Cold tone. Kinda hurts my feelings."
"I asked who you are!"
"Yeah. Yelling like that—that's the Han Ye-seo I know."
She laughed.
I fired off my ability without a second's delay.
Scanned the terrain. Gauged her position, mine.
Boom! Slammed the dirt, dust exploding everywhere.
Blinded her vision.
Kept my main body transparent, twisted shadows like black ink.
Watched every non-living thing in range for movement.
If this creep was possessing or puppeteering Ivy's corpse with some ability, its real body had to be close.
Impossible to mimic that precisely without eyes on it.
"Jumping to 'not Ivy' too quick, huh? Precog or prophecy abilities always come with nasty side effects, y'know."
"……."
"Silent treatment? Smart play. Breaking your hallucination to pinpoint your real body? High difficulty."
Cave Allegory
It knew my ability...!
Probably eavesdropped while Ivy and I talked, from some nearby spot.
'Or... it was already inside her?'
I scowled. Emotions boiling.
Reel it in.
The thing hijacking Ivy's body started yapping again.
"Dunno what you're thinking, but I am Ivy. For now."
Answering gives away position.
Crafted an illusory mouth on the ink. Let that talk for me.
Basic trick.
I owned the five senses here.
Ivy's cramped room let it sniff my main body before I ramped up—but this open lot? Countering me was damn near impossible.
I was confident.
Last time, in the Gangbuk raid, I'd solo-blocked the wave by screwing with monster senses.
'No matter how strong it is, I'm stronger now!'
Got a rough read on its power.
Corpse snatch or parasite. Remote puppetry.
Direct combat? Weak sauce, probably.
Infiltrating the academy barrier needs teleport-level mojo.
No dual-ability freaks exist, so... some infiltrator already inside.
Handle it here. Now.
Grit. Teeth clenched hard.
Didn't matter who—just using Ivy's body? Unforgivable.
'Quick—treat her fast, still a shot. Puppet ability means it kickstarts vitals temporarily. Poison or not, keeps her alive for control...!'
Plan dead simple.
Dumbass-proof. I could pull it off.
I can do this!
Snag the puppeteer, kill it—drag Ivy's body to Ritta before it flatlines completely!
"Hng...."
Nasal hum. Even the damn habit...
Enemy knew us inside out.
Long-term stalking.
"Inheritance and Collection Spear. Show your function."
Activate Function
...Show function? Spear?
Ivy's spear?
'Nah, no way. That's bog-standard relic. D-rank, maybe sub-E.'
Inheritance. Collection. Dual functions?
Least B-rank...
Summoning the relic?
Remote call, even blind on inheritance/collection functions?
'That's three abilities?'
Three-function relics kick off at A-rank. Trivial or not.
'A teacher?'
Students wielding A-rank? Ja-an at best.
Anyone else? Rumors would've exploded.
Academy's grapevine's tight-knit!
No whispers like that.
So Ja-an's the sole A-rank relic cadet. Fact.
Opponent: teacher.
'Or staff.'
Teachers/staff? Retired heroes, washed-up.
Post-prime still too much for me?
'Nah—terrain, setup all mine. Can't tag main body through full sensory fuckery.'
Hoo. Deep breath.
Muffled my sounds. No leaks.
"Dangerous way to use it. Cave Allegory packs more punch than that."
"…?"
"You wouldn't get it. Not yet."
Slowly replayed Ivy-body's earlier words.
Too quick to call not-Ivy.
Precog/prophecy? Side effects always.
I am Ivy.
You don't know yet...
'Future.'
Split persona. Expansion. Swap. Multiples.
Moving Ivy's body? Not her—but her ability.
Precog from Ivy's other self.
'Plausible read, but hopeful as hell. If it's baiting me?'
Too soon to drop the veil.
"Proof."
Illusory mouth spoke from the fake. Ivy-head snapped toward it.
Sound-tracking for sure.
Thorough bitch.
'Sharp senses...'
Ivy's body spoke.
Real Ivy? Her power? Then why wield a relic she doesn't know?
Too many holes. Unexplained crap everywhere.
Can't drop it.
Cave Allegory: I prisoner in cave. Main body freezes.
Tradeoff: they never find it.
Black-white illusion hides perfect.
'Ivy, one lie.'
My illusions fool senses flawless—but colors? Black, white, my body bits.
Transparency? Side perk.
"Not total control, huh?"
Ivy-body replied. '...!'
Knew unmentioned ability bits?
How?!
She kept going.
"Your Cave Allegory? Killer. Ink-in-nose suffocation fakeout? Nailed it. But that's the ceiling."
"……."
"Think—if full hypnosis, sense-jack god-mode... why bother ink sculpting and puppeting? Overkill."
Spot-on.
Busted.
"Ah, clicked. Body parts, black, white—your palette. Right?"
Core exposed. Self-figured, no ability cheat.
Experience, skill? They crushed me.
No win.
'But draw? Yeah.'
Bolt. Drop veil, max-speed bail.
Ivy's specs suck.
Agility solid, but not mine.
My Agility: B+.
Hers: C+ tops.
Guesswork.
'Solid bet.'
Ivy-body spoke. Timing chef's kiss, mind-read perfect.
"One weakness. Nuke every empty air-pocket in-range at once."
"…?"
Impossible.
No powers.
Even Ham Deok-gyu here? Can't AOE that scale instant...
Whoooosh— Air cleaved. World halved. Academy building diagonally gashed, crumbling slow.
Shadows snapped home.
"Ah, dead."
The something steering Ivy Lane's body smirked down at Han Ye-seo's corpse—just an ankle left.
"This loop, why I blacked out... ah, skipped that drug? Poison. Euthanasia stuff."
Mutter. Neither squatter nor Ivy'd do that.
Solitalk.
"Ah... too loud? Teachers incoming horde?"
Ivy Lane's body eased a hand up, rammed the spear back into her heart.
Moments later, spear faded transparent, gone.
"...Ow. Heart-stab, yank—nuts? Credit to first-me who cooked this up."
Well, I'm nuts too.
Grinned again. Natural as hell. Practice FTW.
"Here—how many teachers to bag? Current flesh... boost math? A-rank hero ballpark? Higher?"
Ivy Lane's body creaked, scoping surrounds.
"Hm, three doable."
Go team, current me. Gift horse.
It balled a fist.
Long after, Ivy Lane's body hit limit, black drug crumbled it.
Time rewound.