Illusory Eye Evolves
"Uh......"
Zakai's eyes began to glaze over hazily.
"Forget what happened today. You remember nothing."
I commanded Zakai to erase the day's events from his mind. At the same time, the purple light streaming from my eyes deepened in intensity.
"Ugh......"
Zakai's groans grew louder. I frowned at the sight.
He's resisting more than expected.
If it had worked properly, he shouldn't have made a sound. This reaction meant he was fighting back against the Illusory Eye.
Is it because he's from the king mantis clan after all?
Zakai's mental fortitude was surprisingly strong. I furrowed my brow slightly, feeling my ether reserves depleting rapidly.
I'd assumed someone still in the Growth Stage, unable to wield ether properly, would fall easily. But my skill proficiency was low, and the amount of ether I could push through was limited—it wasn't taking hold cleanly.
If this keeps up, the Illusory Eye might fail entirely?
That would lead to a massive headache. The moment Zakai remembered today's events, their reactions to the mysterious intruder's appearance would become unpredictable. Worse, it would draw the Amar king centipede clan's scrutiny even more intensely.
Hmm, should I just shatter his mind......?
In the worst-case scenario where the Illusory Eye failed, I'd considered breaking Zakai's psyche outright. He wouldn't just forget—he'd be left irreparably broken.
But going that far could backfire. Kind and Bishier, my real targets, might end up in greater danger than anticipated while piecing things together, complicating the situation further.
I couldn't just kill a king mantis inside Mantis Hall and make him vanish either.
"Ughhh......"
Meanwhile, Zakai let out an even thicker groan. Even the initial hold of the Illusory Eye was slipping.
To make matters worse, a metallic tang of blood rose in my throat. Overuse of ether had damaged my circuits. Transcendent Regeneration healed it swiftly, but repeating the cycle of damage and repair wouldn't last long.
No choice. At least break his mind for now......
I bit my lower lip, steeling myself to decide—
Illusory Eye links with the Empathy trait, producing an enhanced synergistic effect.
Paaat!
Pink light mingled with the purple glow from my eyes. The two colors fused, and soon a deep violet burst forth.
Instinctively, I understood what I could now do to Zakai and issued the command naturally.
"Zakai, you successfully made Kind ingest the cicada parasite egg. Your mission is complete. Report it that way."
"......Un, der, stood...... sir."
Zakai responded in a dazed, unfocused tone.
This went beyond mere forgetting—I'd implanted a false memory, and it took hold.
Paat.
A final, denser violet energy pulsed from my eyes. Zakai's eyes fluttered shut as he faced it, and he collapsed sideways.
Thud.
"Hoo."
Dizziness from ether depletion hit me as I looked down at the fallen Zakai.
Illusory Eye succeeded.
I hadn't checked his reaction yet, but I knew it instinctively.
Distorting memories like this—it's practically brainwashing.
Originally, Illusory Eye was a spell to induce hallucinations and blur memories, not rewrite them so thoroughly that the target couldn't even recognize the manipulation.
How is this possible?
I steadied my breathing and recalled the recent system message. It said Illusory Eye had linked with my Empathy trait.
The sensation I'd felt was entirely new.
It felt like Illusory Eye was evolving into a whole new skill.
If my ether capacity were greater and my proficiency higher, that's exactly what would have happened—I felt it strongly.
Is this a Megaera mantis racial ability?
That was the only explanation.
As I tilted my head, still catching my breath—
Illusory Eye (C)
Skill acquisition!
I jolted at the message. It wasn't my first skill conversion, but I'd never succeeded this easily.
Skills required endless practice and use to convert—and Illusory Eye's first conversion had only yielded a D-rank despite the difficulty.
Yet after one use, it converted straight to C-rank.
Does this even make sense?
I couldn't believe it. It wasn't from pre-regression experience or proficiency—otherwise, my shape-shifting spell would have converted too.
The trait's influence on skill conversion was now undeniable.
But traits that powerful aren't easy to come by......
The absurdity of defying providence left me dumbfounded, but my lips curled upward anyway.
It was a huge win for me, regardless.
Check skill.
A spell that induces illusions and hallucinations in the target.
―Success rate increases if the caster's rank or Illusory Eye level exceeds the target's rank or mental defenses.
―Hidden route discovered: Can evolve into a forgotten ancient skill upon fulfilling conditions.
The description confirmed the skill conversion was real.
Same explanation as before. But......
The final line caught my eye.
Hidden route and ancient skill.
A completely new addition. I couldn't say what it meant yet, but it seemed tied to how I'd controlled Zakai at a brainwashing level.
This is huge.
If I could reliably produce that effect as a skill......
Situation's looking good.
My lips curved again. Today had brought unexpected windfalls.
* * *
Overlord Club vice president's office.
Zakai faced vice president Brian after "completing" his mission.
"Handled it cleanly, no issues?"
"Yes! Mission accomplished without a hitch, and the target was sent back."
Zakai bowed deeply in response.
"How long since infection?"
"About half a day plus five hours."
"Hm. If it took properly, it should be hatching by now."
Brian opened a personal safe in the corner and pulled out a palm-sized incantation stick.
Wuuung!
As he activated it, the transparent gem at the end glowed red.
"It's settled in properly. Good work."
"No, sir! It was nothing!"
"I'll call you again soon. Rest until then."
"Th-thank you, sir!"
Zakai bowed with an irrepressible smile. Being called back meant more opportunities ahead— a chance to make up for his last mistake and stay in Brian's good graces.
Things are going smoothly.
Zakai grinned, recalling how effortlessly he'd made Kind ingest the cicada parasite egg yesterday. He hoped it stayed that way, oblivious to what had truly happened that evening......
* * *
Wuuung.
A faint vibration hummed from the black cicada parasite egg in my pocket.
Checking if the cicada parasite has awakened, huh.
I knew the principle behind engraving spells into cicada parasites for remote use, so I recognized it immediately.
Uung—.
I promptly infused ether into the egg, stimulating the dormant parasite inside.
Plurr!
The jelly-like parasite inside shuddered in response to my ether.
Stimulation worked.
I watched the egg silently.
"......"
After ten minutes, no further vibrations came. It must have decided the parasite had settled into its host.
Good!
The immediate threat was neutralized. Full settling usually took at least a month, so it wouldn't try controlling Kind before then. Even after a month, Mantis Hall's heightened vigilance against spies would deter rash moves.
It's just groundwork for their next opportunity.
They'd strike again eventually. That's why they'd prepared this far in advance.
I still had some time, if not much.
After this relay team battle ends, I should visit Koon.
Koon, the eldest of the Shinseon butterfly clan.
He shunned worldly affairs, devoting himself solely to pursuing the pinnacle of incantations through asceticism and research. His spells were peerless among his kin.
Techniques like extracting cicada parasites from infected hosts were all his inventions......
If I bring him this egg, he'll be thrilled.
He hadn't developed the extraction spell yet. He'd only begun research after the four great lords' scheme infected various clan leaders, sparking the continental war.
But if I give it to him now?
He could develop the removal spell much sooner. It would spread across the continent...... greatly increasing the chances of preventing the pre-regression continental war.
Mantis Hall's infected could be freed from their control too.
Of course, before they realized Kind wasn't infected.
For now, carry it and stimulate on reaction.
If I held out until then, this would resolve smoothly.
But...... I need to grow my own power faster too.
This incident drove it home. With the strength to turn any situation, I'd have handled it far more leisurely.
The hunger for power surged anew. For the next molting into Growth Stage, preparations needed to start immediately.
* * *
After meeting Zakai, Kind and Bishier had grown noticeably closer.
"Bishier! Why the long face?"
"Oh, Kind......"
After morning training, Kind approached her.
"Couldn't get into Overlord Club?"
"What? Didn't that senior say he'd hook you up?"
"......I don't know."
Bishier hung her head, looking dejected.
After that day, contact with Zakai had dried up. She'd chalked it up to his busyness at first, but days passed with no word—she realized he was avoiding her deliberately.
"Ah! That senior—no, that jerk ghosted you? Never liked his vibe from the start."
Kind fumed on her behalf.
To them, that day's memory was just an unpleasant, awkward meal. So Kind harbored an inexplicable rage toward Zakai beyond reason.
"Chin up, Bishier. Let's grab something tasty for dinner."
"Yeah, thanks!"
"Still bugs me. Why'd he make bringing me the condition?"
"No idea. Memory's so fuzzy, I just wanna forget it."
"Yeah, let's forget it."
I watched them with an amused gaze. They made a good pair.
"Before lunch, an additional announcement on the relay team battle."
Norun halted us as we packed up.
Additional notice? The schedule and format were already set, so we tilted our heads, staring at him.
"Heard of Chung Hak Gwan?"
"Oh...... Chung Hak Gwan."
"Yes! I know of it."
Chung Hak Gwan. Originally an institute for studying ancient primal species. It still had dedicated departments for that.
Nearly every fossil of ancient primals found on the continent ended up there.
Over time, the research hub evolved into an academy fostering talented juveniles and below. Now, it was the continent's most prestigious educational institution.
The reason was simple. It received massive sponsorships from the four great clans and many others, pouring resources into entrants without stint.
Not just anyone could enter, but once in, you'd reach Maturity or Complete Body faster than anywhere else.
A dream academy for those in their Growth Stage prime.
"Top performers in this relay team battle will be nominated for Chung Hak Gwan dispatch selection."
"......!"
The trainees' eyes lit up at Norun's words.
Mine too.
A chance at Chung Hak Gwan entry?
An unforeseen development absent pre-regression. I hadn't predicted it.
But for someone like me needing rapid growth, it was a golden opportunity.
I have to seize it.
My eyes sparkled brighter than ever, like starlight.