Chapter 162
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: Is this... me?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Please! Really, please! Just a little bit!"
"Haa..."
I'd just woken up, my head was already spinning, and dealing with this was making me irritated and exasperated enough that a sigh escaped me.
But even so, I couldn't relax my strength in this situation, which pissed me off even more.
"Argh, seriously! Seriously, just the tip! I'll just dip it in and pull out right away!? Just pop your cherry!"
"Back off while I'm asking nicely. You crazy bitch... No, wait, where'd everyone else go? Murel! Rebecca! Come handle this lunatic!"
"Calling them won't help! They're all busy preparing dinner right now! Do you know how hard I worked to pull those women away from you!? This is my chance!"
"It's a chance only for you! Argh, get off!"
"Kiiing...!!"
Charhela, her face mashed into my palm, wriggled around making a noise like a puppy whose food had been snatched away.
"Haa..."
Still, seeing her blocked by my hand, it didn't seem like she was serious.
...Her face looked like a bitch in heat, but it had to be acting, right? Her performance was so realistic she could be an actress.
"Anyway... Up you go. Let me hear the explanation. What happened after that?"
"Eekyugyugyu-!!"
Bzzzzt!
"......"
For some reason, she was spewing brain lightning and desperately trying to lunge at me, but she still couldn't advance past my hand.
And it was around then that I finally sensed something off.
No matter how you looked at it, there were parts that didn't make sense if it was just acting.
For example, the brain lightning she was emitting was scorching the surrounding tents, or the ground of the ger was ripping apart and the earth digging up from the force she put into stepping forward... Yet none of it affected me at all. It had gone beyond acting.
"What...?"
I tilted my head and lifted my upper body, and it rose effortlessly.
Including even Charhela's weight.
"Eekyuwoook...!?"
Only then could I properly see Charhela's face, squished against my palm, and she was clearly flustered, no doubt about it.
In other words, purely in terms of the situation, my strength was so overwhelming that it was dominating her.
"Is this a dream...?"
Realistically, and logically, it was impossible, so that thought naturally came to mind.
"How the hell...? I don't feel much different... No, there is."
I was currently wearing only a loose, breathable garment, and through the gap that Charhela had spread open—like factory-made chocolate—my sharply defined abs came into view.
I blinked and stared blankly down at my body for a while.
"What the hell is...?"
My body being like this felt so strange that a wave of horror even welled up for a moment.
I hurriedly spread the clothes open, and beyond the shaman tattoos shaped like wolves, my thick pectorals jutted squarely, my quads curved sharply like coil springs, my lats bulged prominently from behind, and my veiny, thick forearms flexed as if showing off.
"...It's like I've undergone a complete physical transformation... No, wait, did I actually?"
From my hazy memories, I finally recalled that my body had shattered and been reconstructed, and remembering the pain from then made my body shudder.
"Gulp...!"
"...Don't swallow like that. It's creepy enough that I really want to kill you."
I'd wondered why it was so quiet, but Charhela had stepped back a bit and was staring at my body, her throat bobbing intensely.
"Kang Han-gil. Do you know how insanely hot you look right now?"
"Don't say crap like that. Please... It's giving me chills."
I sighed and closed the collar of my garment.
"No, I'm not just saying that! You've completely changed... Ah! You don't know yet? Wait!"
She dashed to one side of the ger, rummaged around noisily, and brought back a large, crude hand mirror.
"Here! Look!"
"What's with all the fuss...!?"
I looked into the mirror shoved in front of me and instantly lost my words.
"This is, me...?"
In the mirror was a handsome man who looked like half Starnassila Alzen and half Kang Han-gil, wearing a shocked expression.
"What is...?"
I turned my face this way and that, reacting like I did back in the early days of possession.
Alzen originally had a face with Western features and vibe, but now Eastern features and vibe were mixed in here and there.
Like a mixed-blood from blended blood.
"...Did the soul transformation affect the body during the physical rebirth."
I recalled what Weller had said and tried to calmly assess the situation.
But even as I panicked, I couldn't stop the silly grin leaking out.
A refreshing liberation, like finally escaping solid shackles or a cramped prison.
"Ha, haha...!"
It felt like I'd set down a heavy burden from my shoulders, my whole body heating up lightly.
A dizzying euphoria swept through me, like standing naked on a high mountain peak looking down.
"You're loving it. I'm a bit conflicted since it's my little brother's body that's changed... Well, if I had to pick which is better, this one's definitely hotter."
Charhela smiled as she watched me, slyly wrapping her arm around my shoulder.
"Is that your real face? Kang Han-gil."
"...Not completely. If anything, it's like half and half."
"Oho, really...? But for something like that, it's harmonious, beautiful, and mysterious. It looks strong yet stirs maternal and protective instincts, scattering lazy decadence... I want to devour you right now."
"Please, stop bullshitting and shut up."
"Kyuguwoook-!"
I firmly pushed away her approaching face, and she made a weird noise like a puppy being squished, struggling not to be repelled.
"...Are you even using strength right now?"
"Kyuwook...! Can't you tell!? I'm using every trick in the book!"
"This... makes any sense? What kind of power is this?"
"Damn it! Probably the shaman tattoos and the god's authority combined! Even so, it's a bit over the spec!"
She rubbed her face with a dissatisfied look and licked her lips, coming at me again.
Her unrelenting hot skin clung to my body, and her sticky hands stroked my chest and sides, making goosebumps rise.
I quickly shoved her away and asked.
"I'd like a detailed explanation. Can shaman tattoos change the body?"
"I've never seen a full-body overhaul like yours, but normally, absorbing a prey's power through shaman tattoos does change you a bit."
"Hmm... What's this about authority?"
"That's obviously Lord Kubel's authority. I heard you hunted and absorbed his incarnation whole? You probably know more than me?"
"...Yeah, that's right. Definitely."
I could sense it instinctively.
What I could do now, what power I held, how freely I could wield it.
"This is..."
I visualized it in my mind's eye, slowly released and analyzed it, and could put some of it into words.
"...Beast."
"Huh?"
"The authority of the beast god Kubel. Manifesting the symbols and concepts of beasts as phenomena."
"What's that? Kinda vague?"
"Just think of it as getting insanely strong. It's not complete authority, but it could probably beat you?"
"Oho?"
Charhela's eyes sparkled with fighting spirit at my words.
"Wanna spar again then?"
"Am I crazy? Why would I fight you again. Get lost."
"Kuh...! Just strong, huh...! If I'd known, I should've eaten you when you were weak! Shouldn't have held back then! Should've forced the marriage!"
"That's the best news for me. Whew..."
I slowly stood up, rotated my joints, stretched my limbs, and checked my body's condition.
"...Wow."
Even from that brief movement, I could tell.
This body's performance had already transcended human limits.
Muscle strength, flexibility, elasticity, durability... Every metric had leaped far beyond superhuman.
"Not much use for it, but a better body isn't bad."
Until now, I'd only faced exceptional situations where I had to step up front, but I'm not someone who wants to fight by nature.
Even now, I plan to dump it all on the hero if one gets chosen.
But that's that, who wouldn't like gaining a perfect physique and strength without effort?
Especially in a medieval fantasy land rife with dangers.
"However..."
I picked up the mirror again and examined the unfamiliar appearance.
It would feel exotic to me and to this world's people.
Not Starnassila Alzen, not Kang Han-gil... A face harmonizing the best of both.
Satisfying if satisfying, but that's exactly the problem.
"How the hell do I explain this..."
Going back to the ducal castle with this face would cause utter chaos.
Urtega might not care, but Pitra... Honestly, I couldn't even imagine her reaction.
No, it just scared me.
If she breaks down and goes berserk, how the hell do I deal with it?
"...Dunno. It'll work out somehow."
A bunch of emotions surged up for a moment, but I decided to prioritize myself.
I've been screwed over enough, so this much is fine, right?
I didn't want to ruin the euphoric feeling of finally escaping that damn 'Starnassila Alzen' with pointless worries.
"Hm?"
Then, I felt a strange sensation.
"...Someone's approaching."
Probably what high-level guys always talk about—presence.
Tiny noises and warmth, air currents and smells... And an intuition and instinct hard to define precisely, telling me someone was approaching the ger from outside.
Not a familiar sense, but that's why it was novel and fun.
Masters live in this sensation all the time? They've been having all the fun.
"...You've awakened. Han-gil-nim. Truly fortunate."
Murel entered by lifting the ger's entrance flap.
Her face was expressionless as always, but she paused briefly upon seeing me.
"...Murel."
"Yes. Han-gil-nim."
"I've changed a lot, doesn't it feel weird?"
"Han-gil-nim is Han-gil-nim. And personally, I like this appearance more and am glad."
"Why?"
"Because it's liberated from the cause and shackles that tormented Han-gil-nim. Though not fully... Still, less painful than before."
"...You're right. You know well."
I felt embarrassed and was about to smile awkwardly when Murel continued.
"And now you can make babies, so how could you not be happy? Sex unlocked at last."
"......"
I don't know if I should praise her consistency or scold her for not reading the mood.