Chapter 141
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: Shape Shifter
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"So, you're saying it never came up here?"
"Wu-ing."
The vast underground lake stretched out before us.
Dripping wet from head to toe, Aqua tried to hug me again, but Lilith subtly pushed her away, causing the embrace to fail. Aqua puffed out her cheeks in response.
I couldn't understand her words, but at least she could grasp what we were saying and nod or shake her head accordingly...
"Tch... Then what the hell is it?"
My expression grew a bit grave after hearing Aqua's reply. Had Lilith seen wrong? Possible. It was her first time flying over the ground on a unicorn, looking down from above—she might have misseen something.
But...
'It never came up at all?'
Not just now, but according to Aqua, while I was in the auction house, a sulky Aqua had been holed up in the lake. She even seemed a little proud of it, like she'd been keeping it consistently clean...
'Then... who did the subordinates see?'
When I came out of the auction house and asked for reports on anything unusual, the subordinates said they'd seen Aqua—out of the lake for some reason—wandering around on the surface. And not just one or two of them, but quite a few.
But if Aqua had been in the underground lake even then?
"...Someone's here."
My face hardened in an instant, tension filling the air. Right now. In this ruin. Some unfamiliar presence. Either wearing Aqua's form or fooling the eyes of the others.
"Let's go for now... Ah. Aqua. Stick with me."
"Wu-ing!"
Having confirmed what I needed to, I decided to hurry back to the surface using the [Fast Travel] function. And to avoid any confusion, I'd keep the real Aqua by my side.
"Aqua first. Lilith. Wait one minute."
"Yesss..."
"Wu-ing?"
While I was at it, I checked the underground level, but found no other anomalies. So, I decided to head up to the surface with Aqua, set as the representative employee. Due to the [Fast Travel] cooldown, Lilith would come up after a minute.
Aqua glanced around curiously, almost like she was searching for something by the lakeshore... but when I asked, she shook her head, so it seemed like nothing serious.
-[Fast Travel]
Bringing Aqua, the [Representative Employee] who bypassed the [Fast Travel] cooldown, up to the surface revealed the same peaceful surface landscape as before.
'Nothing's happened yet?'
Thinking about it, even those who spotted the fake Aqua didn't mention it doing anything specific... So what was the fake's goal? Its true nature?
-Step. Step.
'Hm?'
Lost in thoughts about the fake Aqua, I spotted a familiar demon approaching from afar, looking around warily. A demon with snow-white hair. Erzsebet.
Erzsebet was huffing and puffing, oddly manifesting a weapon in her hand as she rummaged through the surroundings.
"What's up, Erzsebet? What happened?"
She was in full battle stance... An enemy? Had that fake Aqua already done something...?
"Master. Where is that dream demon bitch?"
"...Huh?"
"Can't you track your subordinates' locations?"
Contrary to my expectations, Erzsebet was fuming as she searched for Lilith. What? Did Lilith do something to piss off Erzsebet?
-[Fast Travel]
Right on cue, the cooldown ended, so I brought Lilith up to the surface first.
"Master! I...!"
"Found you, you dream demon bitch!!"
"Kyaa?!"
The moment she spotted Lilith, Erzsebet's eyes blazed as she swung a blood-forged club at her. Caught off-guard right after teleporting, Lilith face-planted into the ground, trembling.
"Wh-why...!"
"Why? You just did that crap to me and...!"
"...What?"
I figured something must have happened between them, so I hesitated to intervene, but Erzsebet's words sounded off, and I quickly stopped her.
"What do you mean? What did she just do to you?"
"You forced me awake, and just when I was climbing back into my coffin to sleep... that bitch suddenly opens the lid, not content with waking me, and starts kneading my face like dough! Even after I told her not to, she forced illusions on me...!"
"Erzsebet? Lilith was with me until just now."
"......Hm?"
At my words, Erzsebet alternated glances between me and the aggrieved-looking Lilith, her face twisting in confusion.
"What does that...?"
"Daddy!"
In that gap, a familiar voice rang out. Trees parted on their own to clear a path, and through it came Dryad, cheeks puffed in clear sulkiness. Spotting Lilith on the ground, she charged over and whipped out her tree roots to smack her.
-Smack! Smack!
"Kyak?! Kyahung!"
"Bad! You ate my snack!"
Dryad, claiming Lilith ate her snack, spanking Lilith's butt. It was quite the sight, but I hurriedly stopped Dryad too.
Heading deeper inside to check on the other demons active in the ruins... it was total chaos.
"Li-Lina! I knew you felt the same...! I like you too! I've liked you for so long...!"
"Wh-what are you talking about! Out of nowhere!"
One of the Red Demon Tribe, a young man named Jerome, suddenly blushed and confessed to another Red Demon Tribe member, Lina, as if accepting her proposal.
"Grahhh! You beast... Breaking branches right in front of us! And on purpose, tons of them!"
"Ha? What the hell are you yapping about, you pointy-ears...! You picking a fight?!"
An elf, foaming at the mouth, loosed arrows at one of the werebeasts.
".....What are you all doing?"
"Pardon? As you ordered, Master, we're collecting our blo—"
Erzsebet's blood kin, clearly linked through blood, claimed she'd directly ordered them and were gathering heaps of blood...
"What the...?"
What the hell was going on?
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After barely calming the bewildered subordinates and halting all work, sending them back to their quarters, I gathered the key figures for a meeting.
The top suspect on my mind was a Hero's doing.
"Probably not. From what I know, the only one who could freely shapeshift and deceive others like that is the 'Hero of Deception' among the 5-star Heroes, but he's dispatched to the east..."
But Jeanne shot that down. To fool every single person in the ruins required power on par with one of the 5-star Heroes at best—the 'Hero of Deception.' No way he'd come here.
"I agree. If it were a Hero... their actions are too bizarre from the start."
Alfred nodded calmly. Reviewing the damage in the ruins, it wasn't anything critically harmful—just someone playfully donning others' appearances and stirring up mischief here and there.
No malice or hostility in those actions.
"Not a Hero... Then there's only one conclusion."
With the most likely theory dismissed, Erzsebet—who'd looked sour ever since realizing someone impersonated her—boldly stated her inference.
"Shape Shifter. It's that race's doing."
"Shape Shifter?"
Sounds familiar. Recently too... Ah!
[A mask containing the magic power of the now-extinct race, 'Shape Shifter'...!]
The auction house. Among the items up for bid was one mentioning 'Shape Shifter.' A magic tool that freely altered appearance and hair color, etc. I'd given up bidding due to the fierce competition...
"What kind of race is it?"
"A unique demon race that normally takes a slime-like form. There was even talk back then about whether they should be classified as magical beasts instead of demons."
"Wu-ing?"
For some reason, Aqua reacted the moment Erzsebet mentioned 'slime-like form'... but explanations first.
"A race that can freely alter their own form and even transform into various demons. It's said their ability doesn't just change appearance—they can copy the target's powers too."
"....MeXmong?"
"...What's that?"
No matter how you slice it, it's that MeXmong from PoXmonsters.
"Anyway... Witnesses say it wasn't just changing appearance—they used the targets' abilities too. Red Demon flames, elf plant communion... And... not that I'm thrilled about it, but even my bloodkin conversion..."
"Any limitations?"
"Normally, there'd be limits on what powers they can replicate... No idea. One thing's sure—mimicking my bloodkin ability shouldn't let them seize control of the kin...?"
Typical Shape Shifters had short transformation times and heavily degraded power copies compared to originals. But this one from the sightings... let's call it the doppelganger for now.
Its actions suggested it used the originals' powers fully...
'I can guess.'
Shape Shifters were an extinct race from ancient mythic times, right? Sounds awfully familiar...
'Seven Deadly Sins.'
The sixth of the Seven Deadly Sins. It's a Shape Shifter.
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"For now... even if it's inconvenient, pair up and move in twos. Don't want anyone becoming the doppelganger's target alone."
I had no clue what its goal was. It transformed into various people, but caused no serious harm—just puckish pranks at worst.
Had it lost its memories and slumbered here too?
Unlike the other Seven Deadly Sins who woke in personal chambers, this one was fished out by Aqua from the lake bottom. Earlier, Aqua reacted to 'slime-like form' and gestured explanations, like she had a hunch...
"Pairing up means you'll pair with me, right, Master?"
"Jeez, you. I told you to go sleep in your coffin...!"
"This is comfier."
I'd told the subordinates to pair up and headed to the bedroom for some rest, only to find Erzsebet had followed me at some point. Casually dragging her coffin—her makeshift bed.
"What's wrong with it? You said pair up, didn't you? You can pair with me."
She'd slept here plenty before, she deadpanned, ignoring me as she prepped for bed. I could only give a wry smile—until suddenly, a message popped up above Erzsebet's head.
Would you like to register the target as an employee?