Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Changes (2)
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"Hm..."
Unlike the cheap inn, the temple's infirmary even had a full-length mirror, so I stood in front of it and checked my body's changes.
"This is weird... After lying around for four whole days, shouldn't my muscles have atrophied or I should've lost some weight?"
I'd spent two years as an adventurer, honing my body through real combat.
But since I hadn't exactly been eating proper, high-quality meals despite pushing my body so hard, I'd been pretty lean overall...
'Height seems the same. So what the hell are these muscles?'
Sleek build packed with compact, defined muscles.
The sagging skin had tightened up, and all the small scars from two years of rough handling were completely gone.
And on top of that, something felt oddly tight down below, so I took off my underwear to check...
"Ooh yeah..."
I gulped at the sight of my dick, now much bigger and proudly standing there compared to before.
"Is this why temple healing costs so damn much?"
I'd gotten plenty of minor injuries over time but never splurged on the ridiculously expensive temple treatment, so I had no clue if these changes were normal or not.
It wasn't just superficial—real power surged through my entire body, something I'd never felt before.
I threw a light punch at the air, and the whoosh it made showed just how much stronger I was now; it was incomparable to before.
Man. So this is why everyone raves about temple healing...
"...Nah, no way."
I'd been thrilled at first by the changes in my body, but I rubbed my dry face and let out a deep sigh.
I'd never gotten temple healing before, but I knew enough to realize this wasn't from their treatment.
Fine, say the old scars healing makes sense, but my body reshaping and my dick getting bigger?
If word got out about effects like that, people would've swarmed the temples even if they charged a hundred times more than they already do.
"Must be that sword..."
So the only other explanation was that red longsword I'd hastily replicated and used.
The creepy blade Laila and her master called the Black Sacred Object or whatever.
No doubt using that thing had changed my body somehow.
"Damn... Is this okay?"
The idea of my body changing because of some vicious man-eating demon sword suddenly made me uneasy.
I wasn't suddenly going to crave human flesh or anything, right?
'Laila's master and the temple folks didn't say much about it, so it seems fine...'
I had no idea. Once I got out of this room, I should look into these Black Sacred Objects.
But where? Snooping around about evil gods could get me labeled a heretic real quick.
"This is all Laila's fault..."
Now that I had this new worry, resentment bubbled up toward Laila for dragging me into this mess.
Sure, I'd saved my life and pocketed a fat reward in the end, but the rage from nearly dying for real wouldn't settle easily.
Even Laila's master had come in person and bowed her head, but I still hadn't gotten a direct apology from the one responsible.
Ah. Is that why her master told me Laila's whereabouts?
So I could go demand an apology myself?
'...Pass.'
I'd heard it, but I had zero intention of tracking down Laila.
What would I even do, go there? I was just an E-rank adventurer, and she was a mage from the Magic Tower.
If I stormed up yelling for an apology just to vent, my head might roll before I finished.
'...Ah.'
As I stewed over my grudge against Laila in my head, a perfect way to vent popped into mind.
"Hm... Now that I think about it, I haven't practiced Replication once while I was out cold?"
It was something I had to test anyway, grudge or not.
I slipped out the door for a sec to check on the priests working in the temple.
'Getting close to night, no one's wandering around... Perfect.'
To be safe, I locked the door and headed back to the bed, first confirming my ability still worked.
"Good... Replication."
I pictured the hand axe I'd replicated the most, closed my eyes, and muttered 'Replication'.
But...
"...Huh? Replication. Replication!"
No matter how many times I recalled the familiar feel of the hand axe and shouted 'Replication', no energy drained from my body, and no axe appeared.
'What the hell? Did my ability really break...?'
I'd thought it lightly at first, but cold sweat broke out as I panicked and pictured something else—my belt at my waist. I hurriedly unbuckled it, gripped it tight to feel its texture, and tried again.
"Replication."
Replication
-Flash!-
"Phew..."
Thankfully, it worked this time, and a copy of the belt appeared before me.
Once I confirmed my ability wasn't gone, I sighed in relief and analyzed why the hand axe failed earlier.
"Even after four days, the hand axe's feel and details are still fresh in my mind... Not a mana issue since I've succeeded plenty before... Wait. Could it be?"
Thinking it over, I recalled how the hand axe had been completely shattered during the underground fight.
'Because the original's destroyed? Makes sense. I've never tried replicating something whose original got wrecked.'
Realizing the hand axe was broken, I formed a hypothesis.
My Replication ability is based on my 'understanding' of the target.
The better I grasp the target, the easier it replicates, the longer it lasts, and if understanding drops, it fails outright.
My understanding of the hand axe was based on the pre-destruction original.
Since its traits, shape, and form I knew had totally changed, maybe a destroyed item needs a separate level of understanding?
"If that's right... Not just destruction, but any big change to the target's state I understood would make replication impossible."
I'd just meant to test lightly, but I'd uncovered another trait of my ability unexpectedly.
My mood lifted a bit thanks to that, so I went further and gauged the energy cost for replication—then jolted in surprise.
"What? Why'd it increase so much?"
My Replication isn't some unlimited power without limits.
Each use drains a bit of the mysterious energy in my body, which started small but grew the more I used it.
Especially with brand-new items I'd never replicated before, it surged a lot...
"The only new thing I replicated lately was that Black Sacred Object..."
Does replicating special stuff boost it more? Or unique to that artifact?
Or related to how my body changed?
"More crap to think about..."
Still, the energy increase itself was a positive change.
For two years, I'd tried replicating all sorts of things to build it up, but my ability's mechanic—needing solid understanding first—always held me back.
I'd replicated my daily carry items to inch it up, but stalled there.
'With this much now, maybe I can replicate stuff even with slightly lacking understanding.'
The pleasant imagining didn't last; feeling my energy recover, I took a deep breath and returned to my original test purpose.
"Replication."
I delved into the vivid memory still etched in my mind and attempted replication.
The target? None other than Laila.
"Kuh...?"
But against expectations, it failed again.
A massive amount of energy drained, a hazy form flickered briefly, but it couldn't form Laila's body.
"Haa. What's the problem this time..."
Betrayed by hope once more, I analyzed the failure.
'Like the hand axe, original state changed a lot? I heard she got hurt, so possible... But last time, low understanding just partially manifested it, right?'
Analyzing step by step, I recalled that when I'd replicated her before, I'd been gripping her hair while doing it.
"Huh?"
One possibility hit me, so I frantically rummaged through my clothes, preserved in their original filthy state.
In the crisis, I'd hugged Laila and rolled on the floor, so maybe...
"There! Got it!"
And as expected, my battle-torn clothes from the ruins underground had a few strands of unmistakable purple hair—not mine—stuck to them.
I scraped them all off in a hurry, gripped one strand, closed my eyes, and strongly pictured Laila.
'Purple hair... Sharp eyes... Bitchy attitude... Fucking huge tits... Tits... Holy shit, those boobs...'
Mostly fixated on one part, but it made recalling her easy.
The moment I tried replication again, unlike before, intangible energy smoothly flowed from my body and gradually took shape.
"Yes!!"
As Laila's copy formed perfectly, I whooped and charged at her.
The copy's eyes were still dull and vacant, far from a living person, but it retained Laila's exact appearance.
"You fucking bitch!!!"
-Thwack.
Staring at that face brought back all the hell I'd endured, fury rising again. I knew it was pointless, but I still socked the copy anyway.
And then...
-Jiggle.
"...Huh?"
From the hand that struck Laila's body, a sensation hit totally unlike what I'd expected.
My sudden rage ebbed away, curiosity swelling. I swallowed hard, then cautiously reached out and grabbed the massive orbs deceiving my eyes.
-Squelch.
"Holy tits."
A dumb sound slipped from my mouth on reflex.
Last time I replicated her, only hands and face came out right; the rest didn't...
But the feel of these huge fat masses shifting elastically with my touch was way too real.
'Did hugging her back then...?'
I suddenly remembered rolling on the underground floor, clutching Laila to dodge Igor's charge.
It was dire, so I'd glossed over it, but I'd definitely pressed my whole body against hers.
That's how I got her hair for this replication... Holy shit. Look at these tits.
-Squelch♥ Squelch♥
I tried to think further, but couldn't stop my hands.
Complicated thoughts tried surfacing, but the bounce at my fingertips scattered them instantly.
"Fuck... Insane..."
Having free rein on those huge tits that drew my eyes from the first sight made my chest swell.
Lost in groping their feel, my body started heating up bit by bit.
'...What?'
My heart pounded wildly, senses sharpening across my skin.
My crotch throbbed painfully as it swelled, drool pooling at my mouth unbidden.
Like... a beast in heat.
'What the hell is this.'
Confusion at the bodily change was fleeting; something more beast than human boiled up inside.
Unable to hold back the rising impulse, I gave in and tore off the clothes on Laila's copy.
-Riiip!!!
'What the...'
Even I panicked a bit at my impulsive act.
I'd only accidentally touched inside those clothes, never actually seen with my own eyes...
Yet the pale skin peeking through the shreds, Laila's luscious bare breasts, looked perfectly replicated despite never being seen.