Chapter 122
Chapter 122
Disguise
Growth was a problem I had to agonize over without end.
If I did not become stronger, I would not survive. Fundamentally, situations were bound to keep developing.
In that sense.
◆ The First Vow: Modification
This was a divinity that had opened its unique trait by receiving a direct blessing from the God of Purification at a sacred altar.
Reflecting your unique trait, this divinity could freely ‘reverse’ its attributes. As a basic function, the ‘Flame of Regeneration’ was granted.
Its direction of growth had not yet been determined. This ability would grow according to the ‘function’ you desired.
To not deeply contemplate how to handle an ability personally bestowed by a god could be called a sin in itself.
And clearly, the only time I could think about such matters in depth was within the Mental World.
Outside, there were far more moments when I had to move rather than think. I never knew when or where an incident might break out.
“You really are amazing.”
Fortunately, today, as on other days, there was someone who would sympathize with him without treating him like a madman.
“Even I can’t think about something else at the same time while doing this, no matter what.”
Teresa, who had been sprawled out beside me with a spinning smile, threw out that remark.
She had just been cleanly bisected by Meyer and was speaking while still in that separated state.
“I agree that it’s amazing.”
Meyer said as he shook off his sword, looking utterly exhausted at the thought of saying anything more.
Even though her entire body looked like it had gone through a grinder and been pulverized, Teresa and I were chatting as if nothing had happened, and he glanced back and forth between us with a fed-up expression……
“Watching you two lunatics, I’m starting to get the illusion that dying and coming back to life is a normal thing. Maybe having casual conversations even after death is something anyone can do?”
[…I’m not, you damned human.]
“Right, thanks. You’re the last indicator keeping my sense of reality intact.”
While Reaver and Meyer, both unable to even maintain their forms, formed a strange sense of camaraderie, Teresa snorted and retorted.
“Oh my, you’re describing us like we’re monsters.”
As her separated upper and lower halves reattached to each other, she rested her chin on her hand with that same spinning smile.
…Rather than calling me amazing, just as Meyer had implied, this woman clearly wasn’t in her right mind either.
But still.
‘It’s good to see.’
It had been quite a while since I had seen her like this, so it felt nice.
She had been holed up deeper within the Mental World, saying there was something she wanted to research, and had kept herself hidden all that time.
When she finally showed her face after so long, I asked whether she had finished the ‘research’ she had been shut in and working on.
The answer she gave me was as follows.
-Um…… I had almost finished, but I thought it would be a bit hard to show you right now.
-Is there a reason?
-It was definitely powerful, and it would probably be a great help to you…… but you were too dangerous. Maybe after you gained a deeper understanding of qi.
-Um, what kind of technique was it?
-I wasn’t going to tell someone who stole people’s hearts as naturally as breathing while not even giving Noel a proper answer.
-…….
-Still, you could look forward to it. It was my greatest masterpiece, you know?
……Well now.
The reason she gave for not telling me was regrettable, but the part about looking forward to it was worth paying attention to.
It was entirely thanks to this woman that the foundation and application of the Pure White qi Noel used had been established. I couldn’t say her contribution was small in how Aiden, who had never even properly received combat training, managed to somehow navigate through the powerful enemies he had faced until now.
‘Even in the game, she was closer to a theorist than a frontline fighter.’
Her own combat ability was terrifying, but where she truly began to stand out was in research—developing theories about battle itself.
As long as Aiden bore the task of ‘Protect the World,’ there was nothing better than receiving help from her in that field.
True to her words, it was certain she had finished researching some kind of technique. Compared to before, rather than purely enjoying sparring, she seemed to be measuring and testing various things.
Sometimes she and Meyer even discussed the application of abilities at such an exalted level that neither Aiden nor I could possibly understand it.
‘……Well, it should be fine.’
I still had one Skill Copy Ticket for her. When she said it was complete later, I could see what the technique was for myself and then decide whether to use it or not.
In any case, I had a far more efficient method of learning than simply being taught by someone.
“By the way, what are you thinking about? If it’s something I can help with, I will.”
And when someone like her asked a question like that, the chances of honestly receiving help were high.
I had heard that growing an ability was a matter tied to one’s very essence, and she had previously given clear answers on that topic.
“Honestly, I don’t know either.”
“…….”
So that kind of answer was something even she had not expected at all.
“A person’s essence is defined by their desires. It seems like yours hasn’t manifested yet because you haven’t clearly decided on something you’d be willing to die for. That’s not something I can decide for you, is it?”
“……I’ve already risked my life several times.”
“That was out of your sense of duty. I’m talking about what you ‘want’ at your core.”
“…….”
It suddenly felt like the conversation had veered into philosophy.
As Aiden scratched his cheek with a frown, Teresa snorted softly and continued.
“Simply put, I’m not talking about what you think you ‘have to do,’ but what you ‘want to do.’ The two feel a little different.”
“……As for something I want to do.”
After pondering for a moment, Aiden tilted his head slightly and spoke.
“If I could just spend peaceful days with my family……”
“I don’t think that’s it.”
“…….”
At Teresa’s blunt interruption, Aiden’s mouth snapped shut.
“That’s something you think you ‘have to do,’ even if it costs your life. It’s something you give. When we talk about wanting, we mean what you ‘want to receive’ from others.”
“…….”
“Aiden Kellermain. What do you want from the people around you?”
……Something I want to receive? Something I desire?
Aiden blinked in confusion.
If it was something he wanted from Noel, or from Katya.
“…….”
Was there something like that?
I honestly didn’t know.
“Well, it’s a heavy topic, so think about it slowly.”
To Aiden, who had fallen into confusion, Meyer calmly dropped that remark.
“Starting tomorrow, let’s change the training course a bit. I think we can stop doing this now.”
[I-Is that really true?!]
“…….”
It was probably the liveliest voice Reaver had used since Aiden met him.
“You’ve improved quite a bit. Even I found it hard to keep fighting you barehanded.”
At Reaver’s voice, tinged with relief that he might die a little less now, Meyer cracked his neck and continued.
“Since you seem to be thinking about your ability as well. Starting tomorrow, we’ll properly train how to handle it. You’ve worked hard until now.”
Aiden’s eyes widened at those words.
‘……Did this guy eat something wrong?’
Anyone would be shocked hearing that from someone who had never once let even the first syllable of praise slip past his lips.
He had worked hard?
Would the sun rise in the west tomorrow……?
“So starting tomorrow, let’s roll around until what you’ve done so far looks like child’s play.”
……Ah.
So this was just the buildup before he tore into me even more viciously afterward.
As Aiden, having come to terms with it, patted the utterly dejected Reaver and nodded, Meyer continued calmly.
“And you. I’ve got a feeling you’re going to change in a big way soon. It’s about time we raised the intensity of your training.”
“……Pardon?”
“What’s with that reaction? Why are you acting like this is the first you’ve heard of it?”
Meyer spoke in a voice filled with disbelief.
“I’m not you, so I don’t know exactly what happened. But take a good look at yourself. From what I can sense, you definitely feel like you’re about to change from the ground up.”
“……What are you suddenly talking about?”
“There are guys who handle multiple abilities who end up like that sometimes.”
Something about it—
“……At some point, they catch the trajectory and leave the realm of humans. Getting tangled up with the incomprehensible and all that.”
His words carried a meaningful resonance.
“No, I mean, what does that even—”
“Just think of it as getting insanely strong.”
“…….”
“There might be some insanely serious side effects, but you’re guaranteed to get insanely strong first.”
……Still, I appreciated the concise explanation—it suited his personality.
▣
“Mr. Aiden, are you tired? Your expression hasn’t looked good since yesterday.”
“I don’t know what I want from other people.”
“……Did puberty suddenly hit you?”
Noel spoke in a voice of disbelief, but I was completely serious.
The things Teresa had said to me yesterday simply would not leave my head.
It wasn’t like I only had one or two headaches to deal with. It was enough that I had broken my own rule of only contemplating such matters inside the Mental World.
It wasn’t just Teresa’s words. Meyer’s final remark, telling me to examine myself, had also left me with lingering thoughts.
-System Log
▶ You recognize ‘Mystery.’
▶ The beings of the Pantheon observe you.
▶ You fulfill the minimum conditions for a change in ‘race.’
It was the window that had appeared when I first came into contact with Sia.
At the time, everything had been so chaotic that I hadn’t properly examined it. But looking at it now, I had no idea what it was talking about.
‘What do you mean, my race is changing?’
Of course, I knew very well that there were races other than humans. But hearing that it was something where one could cross that boundary was completely new to me.
As I mulled over those thoughts—
I suddenly noticed the surroundings were noisy.
‘……Ah, come to think of it.’
Today was the day external personnel were supposed to arrive in relation to the third ritual, ‘Black Night.’
For the members of the Grand Sanctuary, who usually lived isolated from the outside world, it was a welcome event. They could receive necessary supplies from outside, and it offered a brief respite in the tight schedule of the succession ceremony.
‘Maybe I should hear some news from outside…….’
Although the Grand Sanctuary was the site of the succession ceremony, it was fundamentally an educational institution, so of course it also accepted students.
Ordinary students, not royalty. From my perspective, having been stuck on this island, they were important sources of information about the outside world. Most of them were commoners of low status, and people like that tended to develop strong survival skills due to their environment.
During the Black Night ritual, they also took on an important role as partners to the royal participants.
‘……It was a ritual that emphasized teamwork, wasn’t it.’
The core of the Black Night ritual was that a royal and a commoner student formed a team and carried out tasks together over the course of one night.
In that sense, it wasn’t a bad idea to take a look at the students’ faces. One of them would eventually become my partner.
Letting the bustling crowd pass by, I searched for a student who seemed easy to strike up a conversation with.
And then, through the gaps—
“…….”
Suddenly.
Something that absolutely should not have been there was walking toward me.
My face went pale.
My hands and feet turned cold. A chill ran down my spine.
‘……What in the world is that……!’
What was this?
My eyes trembled. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
It felt as though reality itself was collapsing, and some metaphysical terror was piercing through a cosmic rift to infiltrate this world…….
And then.
The ‘thing’ that approached me opened its horrifying mouth.
“Helloo-! I’m the new transfer sent to the Grand Sanctuary this time☆”
The Pontiff, disguising his appearance with Holy Flame, winked cutely at me in the form of a young girl wearing a school uniform as if she had just enrolled.
He even added an adorable hand gesture.
“…….”
Beside me, Katya and Noel, who had been walking with me, hurriedly covered their mouths with pale faces.
It seemed they were genuinely feeling nauseous.
“Aiden oppa-☆, is that you?”
“…….”
“I’m looking for someone to be with me for this Black Night ritual☆”
……At this point, it was safe to say I could fully sympathize with them.