Chapter 145

“By the way, this thing is really interesting. Huh? It’s drinking blood.”

Yuria couldn’t take her eyes off her left hand. A bright red dot at the tip of her finger pulsed like it was breathing, swelling and shrinking.

“It’s a creature that lives on blood. Just give it a little bit each day. Don’t give it too much. It might try to crawl all the way up to the top of your head, so make sure you show it that you’re not to be messed with.”

“Oh?”

“But don’t be too rough with it either. It’s quite strong, so even a 4-star Ki-blood magic user would have trouble controlling it. Push it down moderately and be moderately friendly. You know?”

“What? So it’s not dangerous?”

“It’s fine. It was in my body for a long time. It’s been influenced by my emotions a lot… at the very least, it won’t do anything to harm you.”

Her sky-blue eyes sparkled.

“Look at you! Now you’re even saying embarrassing things well?”

She poked my side and waved her hand cheerfully. She left the subdimensional workshop, saying she needed to prepare for the expedition.

Hmm—

Right. Let’s work hard.

It was time for me to start my own research too.

-Cube. Open the laboratory.

I opened the door that appeared before me and entered my personal research room.

A blackboard was visible, and capsules where the lich and Shado were sleeping could be seen.

Ah. I need to research those guys too… The pile of research I haven’t been able to touch is reaching the sky.

But finally! I’ve gained the leisure to tackle the research I’ve been putting off one by one.

-Hurry!

Right. The urgent matter to deal with is these fellows.

I took out three stones from my pocket that I had received as birthday gifts. The Stone of Fire, the Stone of Water, and the Stone of Lightning.

-Hurry! Come on, Divine Mage, come on!

Ari urged me again, it patience at its limit.

Alright, alright. I’ll do it.

I need to “evolve” these friends too and learn more about spirits in detail.

But before that, there was someone I needed to talk to first.

Just wait a bit, Ari. It’ll only take the blink of an eye for you anyway.

[Simulation]

Simulation capacity: 2,875,000

Condition burden: 70,762 Jun-woos.

Simulation possible time: 40 minutes.

Incredible. I can now simulate a wizard for 40 minutes? Of course, this is probably because the wizard has just entered 6th Circle, so the condition burden is lighter, but still, it’s something.

Darkness descended before my eyes, and a slender silhouette emerged from the shadows.

“Where is this…? Ah! You are the Divine Mage?”

The princess of Truth Tower. The Water Wizard Hwi Someong stood facing me.

* * *

Ari had said that it smelled the scent of a spirit around Hwi Someong.

What exactly does Truth Tower know about spirits? Do they perhaps have their own secret method for handling spirits?

If I could find that out, I could reference it when “evolving” spirits.

I decided to change the conditions slightly to get answers more easily.

To lower her vigilance and put her in a comfortable emotional state. The simulation time quickly decreased to 25 minutes, but that’s not a problem.

“I have something to ask you.”

At my voice, Hwi Someong smiled kindly. As if she would answer anything.

“It’s strange, isn’t it?”

“Pardon?”

She continued to smile kindly as she spoke.

“I feel like I could answer anything. That can’t be right. And above all, I don’t feel His Majesty’s… presence? And that you’re standing before me…”

What?

Thwack!

My vision turned completely white.

Wow, did she just hit me out of nowhere?

-No… don’t like!

Since this is a simulation, Iron Blood is here too. It urged me on. Judging by the burning sensation in my chest area, I had been wounded. Iron Blood hurriedly restored the blood and flesh that had been torn away.

…Huh? Wait. Come to think of it, my blood and flesh aren’t ordinary anymore, are they?

“Oh? It’s quite solid?”

Hwi Someong pressed on without giving me a moment to breathe. She was clearly intent on killing me.

‘How did she decide so quickly?’

In all my life, this was the first time I’d been attacked outright in a [Simulation]. I could understand if she noticed the strangeness of the [Simulation] space. But to immediately try to kill a friendly figure based on that? This moment gave me a glimpse of how fiercely Hwi Someong must steel her mind in her daily life. It was chilling.

My sight still hadn’t returned.

‘Well… should I try to dodge first? Ari!’

-Got it!

Feeling like I might die pitifully, I tried to pull my body back. But.

Zing! Clack.

I was caught. Somehow, some kind of liquid had filled my body. That liquid held me like a hook and wouldn’t let go.

‘What is this?’

“You cannot escape.”

Thwack!

It was just a brief moment.

Neck, heart, stomach—the attacks targeted only vital areas. The attacks came so rapidly that even with my sensitive perception, it felt like I was hit simultaneously.

The impact areas burned as if on fire, and then squelch—some liquid seeped in.

-Urgggh…! @#$%@#%

Iron Blood broke into speaking in tongues after a long time. Despite the creature desperately trying to drive out the invading liquid, it was no match.

‘What is this? How is this possible? Hwi Someong hasn’t uttered a single spell!’

Even memorized spells require an activation word. Even if the mouth doesn’t move, shouldn’t the Circle move? But Hwi Someong’s attack had none of that. It was as immediate and powerful as a Ki-blood magic user’s. I had assumed she was a simple Circle mage, and in this incomprehensible assault, I was instantly covered in Fatal Wounds.

“I’ll keep just the head and take it with me.”

The moment Hwi Someong’s cold voice fell, the liquid that had infiltrated my body exploded all at once.

Splash!

Wow, my body was really torn to shreds with only my head remaining? This is one of the most cruel deaths I’ve experienced in [Simulation].

Thud.

A slender hand grabbed my hair.

Dangle…

The feeling of only my head remaining and swinging is very strange. Not to mention the humiliation of an unknown liquid forcibly injecting oxygen into my brain.

But my survival wasn’t just due to Hwi Someong’s management.

Blink.

I blinked my eyes. My sight, which had been completely blinded by the bright light, gradually began to return. I could see a white, hazy mass.

Blink, blink.

Phew. Now I can see a bit better.

I could see a fresh beauty with platinum blonde hair fluttering. Her eyes widened.

“Hmm? You’ve recovered your sight? You shouldn’t be able to regenerate in this state?”

Yes. I was surprised too. I’m only calm because this is a simulation; if I had suddenly encountered this situation in reality, I would have been terribly shocked.

‘What… have I become?’

On the outside, I was human. Even if any cell from my body were examined under a microscope, it would probably be analyzed as a perfectly normal human cell. But that’s only on the outside; in reality, the inside was made of the Philosopher’s Stone, the greatest treasure in the material world.

-Physical limitations have been removed. You can become as strong and fast as your will permits, and transform into anything.

So that’s what it meant?

I could still feel my shattered body. Not only could I feel it, but I could still move each piece of flesh and drop of blood.

Oh, now I see that Iron Blood has changed a lot too? Since it drank my blood, which had become Philosopher’s Stone, it couldn’t remain the same as before. Only now that my body was torn apart did I realize that the connection between Iron Blood and me had become much stronger.

Just as mitochondria, which synthesize energy in Earth humans’ bodies, have completely different DNA from their hosts, Iron Blood had moved beyond symbiosis and was in the process of integrating with me. The current state was similar to a computer. Iron Blood was like a detachable graphics card? It was ambiguous to call us one body, but even more ambiguous to call us separate entities.

…Thinking that Iron Blood is now with Yuria makes me feel strange somehow… Shoo. Shoo. Anyway, I should focus on the current situation.

‘I wonder if this would work too?’

Slap!

It sticks.

“Wh-what!”

Slap! Slap!

The blood and flesh that had been torn to pieces flew to me and stuck. Horror etched into Hwi Someong’s face. Well, I can see why. Even though I’m doing it myself, it looks horrific to me too. Is this even human? It’s a calamity.

“Kuh! You think I’ll just watch?”

Thwack!

Another attack poured onto the flesh that had just stuck back on. Hot light burned the flesh, and a liquid that seeped in prevented the body from combining.

But I was actually getting excited.

‘I think this might work too?’

Whoosh!

Like ghost fire, flames engulfed everything. The flesh and blood drops that had separated from my body turned into flames. After all, it’s made of Philosopher’s Stone, so it can become anything, right?

Whoosh—

My body, which had become flames, simply passed through Hwi Someong’s attacks and vaporized the liquid that had infiltrated.

“Kuhh! Hot!”

My head naturally escaped from Hwi Someong’s grasp as well. I gathered the scattered flames again. I became a single, surging ball of fire.

‘This is nice!’

Forgetting about the fight, I flew around excitedly. I scattered and gathered the parts of my body that had become flames, created shapes, and was thoroughly satisfied with sensations I had never experienced before. It was explosive. No thoughts came to mind. Freedom! Yes, this is freedom!

After playing to my heart’s content, I wanted to see Hwi Someong’s expression. I just realized that in my flame state, I couldn’t see ahead. Once I realized that, my head suddenly felt painful and dazed.

‘Let’s return to my original form.’

I first reformed my eyes. But,

Huh?

What is this?

Hwi Someong appeared as eight copies. Is my focus off? I closed my eyes and opened them again, and Hwi Someong became sixteen. What’s going on?

I rubbed my eyes. And then I understood. Thin and stubby, black and white, fluffy and sticky… I had over ten arms, each different. Insane!

My body had mutated on its own. Arms grew longer then shorter, legs disappeared then reappeared. Even my emotions fluctuated. I writhed in pain, then cheered, then became stupid, then felt crisis, never stable for even a moment.

This, this is…

Suddenly one phrase came to mind.

-But beware. If not properly controlled, you may self-destruct with your own power.

Philosopher’s Stone, a substance that can become anything. But casually changing one’s own form was a very dangerous thing to do.

“Kuh! Divine Mage! So you weren’t human after all. Apostle of the Outer God! Filthy beings! Even at the cost of my life, I’ll exterminate you here!”

With the sound of grinding teeth, Hwi Someong shouted.

For the first time in this fight, she began to recite a long incantation.

By the way, what?

Apostle of the Outer God?

“I remember! The primordial light that ran across the sky. I also remember! The moment the sky congealed and became clear water. Even if curses gnawed at our will and my body and memories were scattered, they cannot erase even our beginning engraved in our souls… Call it a dream if you like, or a lingering attachment if you prefer. I once again become starlight, become a water shadow, and sink into the Milky Way.”

With each word she uttered, the mana symbolizing Hwi Someong swelled. No, it wasn’t swelling. It was being overlaid.

Like a fertilized egg dividing into two, four, and eight to create one person, a small mana pattern that had been dormant within Hwi Someong grew endlessly, covering her.

What? Hwi Someong. You’re also a bit too strange to be just human, aren’t you?

“Milky Way Eruption!”

[Ah$%aa~~%*rrr$!!]

I couldn’t understand any of the sounds her Circle was making.

Rather than words, it was an incomprehensible exclamation mixing screams or wails, laughter or humming.

But the moment the spell manifested, I could clearly understand.

‘Ah, I’m going to die.’