Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Entity Projection (2)
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‘Overlaying one of the avatars I’ve raised onto my own body just like that...?’
The duration would vary based on the skill’s proficiency, so I’d have to test it out gradually, but this was a far more impressive ability than I’d expected.
To put it simply, projecting Hans would mean there were suddenly two Immortal Kings in the world for that time.
“Whoa... this is definitely surprising.”
The words slipped out aloud before I knew it.
Not a single one of my avatars was weaker than my main body.
That held true even including Hubert, who was running the merchant guild, and Harris, the elf who hadn’t been around for long.
‘With all the growth bonuses and the different flow of time, it’s only natural.’
A skill like this made it understandable why no new avatars could be created.
‘Anyway, I should test it out once. Who should I project first?’
I pondered for a moment while choosing a test subject.
Hans was the strongest, but... his personality was so distinct that I hesitated to use him for the first try.
I doubted anything would go wrong, but it still required some mental preparation.
The elf Harris wasn’t suited to Earth’s air, and merchant Hubert was no different from my main body.
So that left picking from the others...
‘Ah! Right. Let’s project Heinrich first.’
It seemed like a good opportunity since I hadn’t been able to summon him into reality even once since he pledged himself to the Church.
“Whew.”
I closed my eyes right away and focused my mind.
I activated 「Entity Projection」, set the target to Heinrich, and applied it directly to my body.
“......”
There was no popping sound or flash of light.
In just an instant, I knew it bodily.
I had become Heinrich.
Violent power surged from my swollen muscles throughout my body, and my sharpened senses naturally gathered information from all directions.
The vast divine power flowing through me invigorated my entire form.
‘What a strange sensation.’
The real one still existed at the Church, but there was no doubt that Heinrich was also here right now.
My very existence had been overlaid, and even the equipment I wore was replicated perfectly.
“Is this what it feels like for an Awakened who uses divine power to return to Earth...”
I murmured softly as I gathered divine power in one hand, letting it emit a faint glow.
I already knew from the widespread information, but there was no hindrance to using the power.
‘Of course, recovery is much slower than when I’m in Outerica.’
About half as fast, maybe?
Even if the channel connected to the Main God had stretched and thinned like a rubber band, divine power was still supplied smoothly as usual.
‘A god is a god, after all.’
This was why countless religions from various dimensions were proliferating on Earth right now.
You could easily find websites like ‘XXX Dimension XX Church Korean Branch’ all over the internet.
‘They’re popular thanks to people borrowing power from returned cleric Awakened.’
But those groups had limits to how much they could grow.
There simply weren’t enough clerics to handle that many followers.
Only Returners could use divine power due to their unique nature, and Earth was still a wasteland for it.
They couldn’t baptize others, and their divine power didn’t grow further.
If their faith weakened, their divine power diminished without fail, so cleric Returners had no choice but to devote themselves to religious activities just to maintain the status quo.
There was an organization called ‘Pantheon’ that united otherworld religions, but their doctrines differed too much for any real cohesion.
‘They’re at a huge disadvantage compared to other Awakened, but it’s unavoidable given how their power works.’
I didn’t know if the gods had some pact, but just keeping the connection open was something to be grateful for.
I turned my head to look at Hans, who had already set up a barrier around us to conceal our auras.
Our mutually opposing energies definitely sparked against each other.
‘The performance of 「Entity Projection」 is confirmed. 「Mind Hub」 is working fine too. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens when I project Hans.’
Now all that remained was how long the skill lasted.
And unfortunately, I found out quickly.
“Huh?”
My senses shifted in an instant, like swapping out a filter.
Even Hans watching from the side would see it like a video edit—the change happened in a flash.
10 minutes.
I checked the time and couldn’t hide my slight disappointment.
Considering it was the first use, the duration would likely increase with proficiency.
Maybe I’d even discover more functions.
‘Things will be much easier from now on.’
This skill gave me greater freedom.
I could borrow the needed abilities for any situation without worrying about my avatars’ local circumstances.
‘Then first...’
Countless possibilities flooded my mind with 「Entity Projection」, but my top priority was obvious.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The next day, in the dead of night.
Two shadows suddenly rose from the empty alley floor.
Me in a suspicious getup with a hat pulled low and a mask on... and...
Saaah—
Hans, whose mere presence seemed to freeze the surrounding air. He was the protagonist here.
After bringing me this far, Hans slipped back into the ground smoothly.
‘Having Hans around really makes things convenient. So versatile.’
Well, it’d be harder to find something he couldn’t do.
Left alone, I quietly waited for Hans to finish his work.
‘...Done.’
After a short while, once preparations were complete, I activated 「Entity Projection」.
The target this time was, of course, Holy Knight Heinrich.
My senses changed in an instant.
Power overflowed through my body, and I felt it fill with divine power.
‘Alright, let’s go.’
I lowered the visor on my helmet and immediately used 「Blessing: Leap」 to teleport to where Hans’s gaze reached.
Paat—
Divine power burst out at the arrival point, illuminating the surroundings momentarily.
Despite the clashing energy, the barrier enveloping the area perfectly blocked it all.
‘Good. Smooth so far.’
This was the hospital room where Taesan’s grandmother was staying.
Having gained this new ability, I’d come here in person to carry out a plan I’d thought of before.
‘Handling it quietly is always best. Thanks to Hans, the prep work is perfect.’
Light had flashed in the middle of a four-bed hospital room, but everywhere remained deathly silent.
Credit to Hans’s diligent preparations: sleep magic, shielding barriers, and more.
‘Though he couldn’t enter the room itself...’
He was still a short distance from the hospital, peering in and maintaining the spells remotely.
With skills like 「Path of the Archmage」 and 「Mana Dominion」, it wasn’t too hard, but efficiency suffered.
No choice, though.
‘Just being near patients is risky, so it couldn’t be helped.’
No matter how well he concealed his presence, the faint leaking aura could have unknown side effects. Caution was essential.
To the frail and sick, Hans was the incarnation of death itself.
I turned to gaze quietly at the grandmother sleeping soundly without a stir.
‘...She’s aged so much.’
She was someone I’d naturally grown close to through hanging out with Taesan.
The grandmother who always smiled while playing with her grandchild, thanking me and fussing over me with treats...
It had only been two years since I last saw her—when I holed up at home—but she’d visibly withered away.
Well, she’d been close with his parents too, so their tragedy must have taken a toll on her.
I gently took her frail, bony hand and channeled divine power.
Soon, a soft glow began to flow gently from my hand into hers.
I poured out endless divine power processed via 「Outerica Holy Law」 for effects like vital energy restoration, stamina enhancement, toxin removal, and more.
‘Not sure how effective this will be...’
Divine power wasn’t a panacea.
It was more effective for recovery than other energies, true, but age-related ailments were beyond it.
Even the Pope of the Church of the Main God was bedridden from old age.
‘Still, healing minor ailments and boosting natural recovery should help plenty.’
Weakened by Earth’s dimensional limits, yes, but bishop-level divine power was no slouch.
Holding her hand, I maintained the holy law while lost in sentiment.
I’d met Taesan, become friends, and naturally grown close to his grandmother too.
Children’s friendships extend to their guardians, so I’d hung out with his parents now and then as well.
I’d even visited her here together when she was first hospitalized...
That bond shattered alongside the accident that day.
I closed my eyes gently, maintained the holy law until just before the skill duration ended, then slowly released her hand and stepped back.
‘I’ve done all I can.’
Receiving bishop-level healing on Earth was a luxury few could have.
There were so few with that power, and even fewer who’d grant such a request lightly.
“...Next time, I’ll come with Taesan. See you then, looking much healthier.”
I whispered softly to the grandmother, whose expression had relaxed, then used 「Blessing: Leap」 again.
In an instant, I returned to the alley under Hans’s control, and soon Heinrich’s armor vanished, reverting me to my original form.
“Whew...”
It hadn’t been tiring, but a sigh escaped anyway.
Sudden memories of the past had stirred my heart.
...Today, my late parents kept coming to mind more than usual.
As I gathered my shaken emotions, Hans slithered into view beside me after finishing cleanup.
Exuding his usual chill that froze the soul.
“......!”
Seeing him snapped me alert.
Hans.
My first avatar, created with 「Persona」 infused with negative emotions.
Anger, sorrow, loneliness, resentment—all the festering rot poured into... my alter ego, my avatar.
I stared silently into the blue glow within his Hahoe mask.
Just facing my avatar made 「Clear Mirror Still Water」 waver violently, my mind reeling.
I felt the silent scream contained in that body.
...That’s right.
He was the embodiment of death, the incarnation of terror.
The aggregation of my negative emotions, proof of my weakness...
And simply, ‘me.’
“Ha! Right... I’ve been raging like this, resenting like this, grieving like this all along... No time now for sudden sentimentality.”
What I should be doing wasn’t reminiscing over the past with tears.
It was preparing for the future to tear those enemies apart.
I closed my eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and looked aside.
“Well, shall we head back?”
I smirked and spoke to Hans for no reason.
Shadows writhed from the ground, slowly engulfing us.
[Ahh— The great epic has only just begun. Save the sentiment for the finale, when it ends atop their corpses. Keheheh... I look forward to it!] ...One more thing to add.
This guy was my shameful abyss.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Harris arrived at the Elven Kingdom on the Enamel Continent and began his journey toward the World Tree, which took several days.
Along the way, the other elves and villages he encountered became new spectacles for his eyes, and the songs echoing as if in communion with the spirits delighted his ears.
After repeated travels, he finally reached it.
The heart of the kingdom where the World Tree stood.
Even on the approach, its size defied distance perception, but now it loomed like a massive cliff.
“Ah!”
At that moment, Cecily, walking beside him, suddenly exclaimed and stared blankly into the sky.
The focus faded from her orange eyes.
“...It’s beginning.”
High Elf Rapori said quietly, pulling the group back.
Harris followed them, watching Cecily silently.
‘That Cecily is finally becoming a true High Elf.’
As a subtle sentiment washed over him.
‘Ah! That must be...’
Harris spotted something slowly descending from the sky.
A leafy branch, caught in the wind, fluttering down.
‘A fruit of the World Tree.’
And at its tip hung a red fruit the size of a fist.