Chapter 204: An Old Friend (20)

The child suddenly swelled to an enormous size. It easily surpassed five meters in height. As it grew, jet-black eyebrows and long hair sprouted, tangled and dirty, as if scorched. From the black lids attached to its forehead, stomach, and back, jagged obsidian carapace burst forth, covering it like armor.

Even the surrounding air rippled and turned dark, as if the very mass of the atmosphere had changed. It wasn’t just a feeling. A thick, tangible black haze slowly emanated from it, wrapping around it.

I had to crane my neck just to keep track of the thing as it continued to grow. The moment I fully registered the creature’s new form, the world shuddered.

[Assimilation Rate has decreased.]

[70.9%...]

[Identifying output code.]

And it wasn’t just from the black haze... How strange. The creature’s presence was overwhelmingly more powerful than before, but I felt no fear or the sense that I’d lose this fight. The confidence that had been shattered when I was pinned beneath its child form was surging back.

The creature writhed and laughed, intoxicated by its own power.

"Kuhahaha..."

A remnant dares to gloat...

I didn’t know why the thought came to me, but it did.

Isaac flapped his wings in a panic and backed off quickly, as if ready to flee at any moment. "This is a problem. What are you doing, just standing still and staring?!"

It didn’t matter anymore. The creature in front of me...

"Weak."

"What did you say?"

With a hunched posture, it leapt at me.

Boom!

Fragments of stone exploded outward as a tremor shook the entire temple.

"How dare you speak to me like that, you pitiful worm!"

Even as it glared down at me, its gaze inspired no fear.

I can read its movements...?

Its weaknesses. Where to strike. How it would attack. Everything was exposed.

BAM!

Its massive hand slammed down beside me. The same move had massacred the dark elves. However, I’d read the attack from the start. It was too slow,

pathetically

so.

I almost felt grateful to the thing. The moment I saw it, it felt like the chains holding me back were falling away, one by one. Then, my body moved on its own, as if being guided by another will.

I dodged the next barrage of attacks, slashing at its wrist with my blade. Unlike before, the single strike cut deep, leaving its wrist dangling, nearly severed.

"Wh-what...?"

And no, it wasn’t because I had a sudden surge in power. It was my memory. Somewhere deep in my mind, a familiar recollection stirred. With that superimposed memory, I leapt onto the creature’s shoulder. As if in a trance, I could clearly see its weak points. It felt like simply pressing the blade into those spots would be enough.

Swish!

I traced the visible line with my greatsword. Even though it hadn’t cut properly before, this time the sword sheared through the carapace and cleaved the shoulder clean off.

Thud!

A massive, smoke-wreathed forearm fell to the ground as if severed by illusion.

"!!!"

Its scream filled the temple.

Was it always this easy...? Has it really gotten stronger since earlier? What happened to me?

Even as I thought that, my body kept moving, swinging my blade as if on a rampage. I stabbed along the exposed lines, slammed downward, twisted, and slashed again. I struck sideways, downward, upward, diagonally, moving like a wave atop the creature’s black smoke. In the dissipating mist, the creature’s eyes met mine, filled with terror.

"

K-Kiieeeek!

This makes no sense!"

Missing an arm, the creature leapt backward in panic.

Crash!

Its massive foot smashed down, shattering stone in all directions. I grabbed its long hair and stabbed along the visible black line again and again.

Crunch!

The sensation of cutting and breaking was indescribably satisfying. I twisted the blade as I stabbed. From its back to its head, I continued carving, and in moments, the creature burst apart.

It was a one-sided slaughter, but it was nothing like when I wiped out weaklings like the city guards. This was a psychological thrill. Like executing the exact actions I was meant to, as if I were standing exactly where I belonged. It was an eerie, familiar pleasure. Just as the tattered creature tried to crawl back into the hole it had emerged from...

"Sorcerer! Stop that thing!" I shouted, issuing a sharp command to Isaac.

"

U-uh

... To einai bomos proskamia sas telles edo! (This is the altar, your pilgrimage ends here. Halt."

A high-speed chant in the domain of thought. The spell took less than a second to cast. The fleeing remnant froze momentarily. That was all the time I needed. I followed the visible line, and my blade cleaved through the creature.

"No! No! Please, spare me! I’ll keep doing..."

I leaned in next to its head and asked, "Keep doing...? What do you mean?"

Already split in half, the creature mumbled, "I must... survive... I need to live first..."

As a final act of defiance, it bared its teeth and bit at me, but I decapitated it before it could even close. Silvery fluid splattered in all directions. The black haze surrounding it scattered like dust.

Isaac fluttered down beside me. "Did... did you just give me a command? And I obeyed it? Okay, setting that aside... How the hell did you take it down so easily? What just happened? Come on, talk to me."

"..."

But I didn’t have the strength to answer.

Thud!

I collapsed onto the ground. Even though I’d followed the visible lines... Even if I’d moved according to some unknown memory... The burden of that inhuman movement weighed heavily on me. More than the impact of any blows I’d taken, I had pushed far beyond my limits. Fine fractures now riddled every bone, rendering me unable to lift even a finger.

"So what happened? Could you actually see something...?"

I had seen the line. A memory returned. The memory...

[Assimilation Rate frozen.]

[Preventing further decline.]

[Fixing this slave to the world.]

[Deleting Memory Veil...]

My vision went red, then white, then pure black.

***

Consciousness slowly returned. Two pairs of eyes gazed silently down at me as I lay there.

"You’re awake?"

"Are you alright? Can you hear me?"

[Servant System]

[Receiving concern from master.]

[Concern level: Very High]

[Master’s health and mental strength are being depleted at a rate of 0.0017% per second.]

[Servant’s Health and mental strength are recovering 30% faster.]

What was this now? Maybe I had woken up so quickly thanks to Rubia. Still, I would’ve preferred to take a bit longer to wake than have her burn through her sanity for my sake.

"Don’t worry."

"How could I not worry...? You were unconscious for ages!"

"..."

Why had I passed out? It didn’t make sense.

I hadn’t taken a hit to the head.

Did the strain cause even my skull to fracture? I couldn’t pinpoint the reason. Suddenly, my vision wavered. Something had delivered a sharp shock to the mental realm, forcibly suppressing me.

Beside me, Isaac, who had grown to nearly the size of an eagle, spoke. "Waking you up cost a fortune. Maybe check your body."

I lifted my head and looked down at my arm. My armor had been removed, and faint glimmers of light sparkled across my bones.

"This is...!"

"You had hairline fractures all over. And we had plenty of Lurium left. So we used the opportunity to widen your circuits. Try channeling aura into your sword."

At Isaac’s suggestion, I activated the aura within my greatsword.

[Sword Energy Lv. 3: Maximum Output.]

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Wuuuuung...

A blue glow spread over the entire blade, but it didn’t extend several centimeters from the edge or deepen in color.

"Did I get stronger...?"

"You idiot! Keep going."

I maintained the aura for several minutes. No changes occurred. But that, in itself, was astonishing.

Until now, forcing magic through my circuits had always caused them to overheat. I’d feel thoroughly drained afterward. But now? I felt nothing. There was no strain.

"Now try generating flame and frost on the blade at the same time."

I hesitated. That kind of thing would normally just waste magic with no benefit. Yet, Isaac sounded absolutely certain.

Ssssssshhk!

Fire and ice surged forth together, naturally canceling each other out. It was an absurd waste of mana. And still, there was no burden. It was now completely clear what had happened.

"You injected Lurium into me."

Isaac nodded.

"Exactly! This guy here worked hard. Where’s the dagger?"

Isaac turned to look at Rubia. She gently picked up a small dagger with her hand.

"I etched your circuits with his beak, just as I was guided. I was told you’d wake up faster that way."

"Indeed. I used a spell to let the blood of an apostle seep into your body."

I looked down at myself more carefully. It was as if I had been completely opened for surgery. I could see bones slowly knitting back together. Maybe it was thanks to Rubia’s presence, but it felt like the microfractures were healing faster than if I’d been alone.

"By the way..." Isaac paced around the area, then asked, "How did you take that thing down so cleanly?"

"I don’t know."

I truly didn’t. Even though the enemy had been immune to my aura attacks before, I had somehow moved in ways not even I understood and taken it down. As a result, my bones had been left riddled with fractures.

"It was performance worthy of investment. Very impressive."

"Is that so."

This was the first time Isaac had ever complimented someone else like that. And that someone was me. I hadn’t even imagined the possibility.

How had I moved like that?

It had felt like I was possessed. I tried recalling the sensations that had briefly taken control of me. How the enemy had seemed pathetic, unskilled, laughable, and how I had issued a command to Isaac without hesitation. Even though it had just happened, it felt completely unreal.

If not for the undeniable evidence before me, I’d have thought it a hallucination. A gentle glow radiated from behind Isaac and Rubia. A silver light was coming from the remains of the massive remnant.

Clatter.

I sat up. It felt entirely different from when I absorbed enemy abilities using the Essence Absorption skill from Gith-Za-Rai. Even though the light was silver instead of green, I could instinctively tell I could absorb it.

If I absorb this thing... what will I gain?

Overwhelmed by the serious atmosphere, my two companions simply stared blankly at me. This was the same power that had backed me into a corner so easily in its child form. I reached out my hand.

Ssshhhhk...

The soft silver glow seeped into me, and a window appeared in midair.

[You have acquired: Class Change Authority.]