6.24.
{ACQUIRED GIFTS:
1. [Illusion Magic: Universal Haze]^; (2nd UP: 160)
2. [Passive Trait: Growth Multiplier]^; (2nd UP: 180)
3. [Activated Trait: Focus]; (1st UP: 20)
}
/
{SOULS AVAILABLE: 204.2}
/
{BOOKMARKED GIFTS:
1. [Passive Trait: Observative Elucidation]; (Acquisition: 5)
2. [Passive Trait: Skill Mastery Acceleration]; (Acquisition: 30)
3. [Unique Skill: Soul Nicking]; (Acquisition: 20)
}
/
Passive gifts are gifts that rarely become affected by gifts that affect systems. Having experienced first hand just how dangerous it was to lose the ability to use system functions, he was convinced that there was a need to raise his base ability.
“I.. killed a lot of people.”
He felt a sinking feeling, seeing the number of souls which he had acquired from that one battle.
Those were people that didn’t deserve to die.
/
{GIFTS CATALOG:
-Refreshes in 3 days-
1. [Activated Trait: Body Armor]; (Acquisition: 5)
2. [Passive Trait: Fine Mana Control]; (Acquisition: 10)
3. [Spatial Magic: Telekinesis]; (Acquisition: 10)
4. [Activated Trait: Cajole]; (Acquisition: 5)
5. [Charm Magic: Lull]; (Acquisition: 10)
}
/
Nothing interesting was found in the gifts catalog.
“If nothing then I’ll just..”
/
{ACQUIRED GIFTS:
1. [Illusion Magic: Universal Haze]^; (2nd UP: 160)
2. [Passive Trait: Growth Multiplier]^^; (3rd UP: 540)
3. [Activated Trait: Focus]; (1st UP: 20)
}
/
{SOULS AVAILABLE: 24.2}
/
‘How many people do I need to kill..’
The numbers just keep going up and up. Culling so many lives, Sequencee wondered if he would become a cold murderer some day. The thought of it made him tremble.
“Calm down.. it’s not like I’m doing it on purpose..’
– As if.
Sequencee shook his head to rid of the voice.
– You don’t even feel anything after their death. There’s not even guilt, only fear that you’d become a monster some day.. oh, aren’t you already one? You don’t hesitate to take a life at all hahaha..
“Shut up..”
“Are you alright?” Linton got before Sequencee and asked.
“I’m fine..”
“Can you show me that spear again?”
“The spear? Why?”
“I just want to look at it up close. It looks really cool,” Linton said with glittering eyes.
Sequencee smiled wryly.
‘Even there’s people who would find a cold weapon cool..’
Sequencee contrived the black dragon spear and passed it to Linton.
It fell to the ground with a heavy clang. Out of panic, Linto tried to pick it up.. but it was too heavy.
“What is this thing? How do you even carry this?”
“Oh, right, I forgot to tell you that only I can wield it properly.”
“What? There’s such a thing?” Linton looked at him dubiously.
Sequencee picked up the spear with ease. Linton circled around it, studying each detail. There were subtle differences to the design every time Sequencee pulled it out from within himself, as if it were casted differently.
“How strong is this artifact? You said it was from the Last Era, right?”
“Enough to kill a hundred knights in a single swing.”
“...”
“Sorry.”
“W-What are you apologizing for.. so you actually did that?”
“Yup..”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure it’s not a big deal, after all, we live in a world where people die every day, right?” Linton noticed a shadow cloud over Sequencee’s expression. He tried to make up for it with words, though it was a wonder if it did more to mar than mend.
“It's fine.”
“I won’t blame you for it. Those guys deserved it.”
‘Linton isn't’ wrong about that..’
Sequencee walked up to the window and looked down at the courtyard. The faint sounds of clashing could be heard, two people still training.
===
Tempered purple flames raged through the atmosphere like a vortex on the outside like a bubble, a scorching circle left in the wake of barren ground. Crystalline beads of purple covered his view. A mix of mist and heat haze kept sublimating outwards.
Spatial magic could barely make out the moving entity which he could perceive. Sequencee wasn’t sure if she was trying to find an opening or dissing him.
He wasn’t going on the offensive, rather, this was an experiment to try out a defensive arrangement.
The spiral of flame which surrounded Sequencee had been raised to an extreme temperature. The purple beads were additional traps which would burst upon impact. Most interesting was a second inner layer of purple flames which had a negative temperature to offset the heat outside. The difference between these two identical layers created waves of mist.
Sequencee had full command over these purgatory flames. He could alter their temperature, proliferation rate, movement, properties, and even magic characteristics.
If he wanted, he could literally coat someone in a layer of harmless flame just to scare them, or raise the temperature so much that it could even melt mythril.
Thanks to the spear’s mana storage function, Sequencee didn’t need to mind the mana cost. It felt almost bottomless, of course Sequencee dared not to squander it recklessly. The current flame construct was made of his own mana; and learnt that these powerful flames didn’t take as much mana to use as it did skill.
Spatial magic rippled.
Sequencee took a step to the side, something had just momentarily breeched his outer flame barrier.
‘She can get past even that huh.. crazy’
The presence disappeared and reappeared outside. Iona’s figure became visible.
“The defense is excellent. I can’t reach.”
Iona’s clothes were burned in some parts, her dominant hand was bleeding.
“So it passes?”
“The temperature change would catch people off..”
[Illusion Magic: Universal Haze]
The vortex around Sequencee disappeared. Iona went silent.
“Now this makes it even worse doesn’t it?”
“I hope you take caution.”
A barrier capable of killing people who walks into it while protecting the person within. Take that and add invisibility.
“I also have some other things to test out.”
“Don’t hesitate to use me as you wish.”
Just as Sequencee was preparing for his next spell, he paused as a thought occurred to him.
“Iona, are you aware of the coming war?”
“War?”
“I was wondering if you were the one who told her.”
“I’ve never mentioned such a thing. How did such a topic come to be?”
“You didn’t?”
“I don’t deny that there is a possibility of war breaking out. However, I’m not part of the faction in support of it. I can’t predict if it will or will not happen.”
‘So there are people who want to incite war?’
“That’s concerning..”
“Why did Her Highness bring up something like this?”
“I thought you were the one who told her about it? If not you then..”
‘Someone else told Schwii. But who?’
“If I may ask, what else did Her Highness mention?” Iona narrowed her eyes.
“She wants me to leave the heroes party. But is it possible at this stage?”
“It’s possible if you put your heart to it. If that’s what both of you wish, I will help you follow through.”
“.. I don’t know if that’s really what I want.. ”
‘If such a day comes..’
Sequencee began preparing his next spell.
===
Erst Dukedom.
A military house which had, over the generations, protected the human empire from beastkins.
It was a day trip away from the Kingdom of Lumbire riding trained wyverns.
The greenery seemed to fade the further south they went.
“This is equivalent to the act of antagonizing the entire beastkin race. If things are not settled well, it might lead to strife, or even war,” Duke Greg said, having read the plan drafted by Matilda.
“I understand that father. But it is something both parties have agreed upon that by the end of it, a neutral stance will be taken no matter the outcome.”
Matilda wasn’t lying. Fact was, even before they headed over to Lumbire Kingdom, this was the ‘game’ which Linux proposed. If not for it, Linton might’ve instead just given himself up. It was apparent here that the alpha didn’t just want to own him, she wanted to see him struggle too. They were going to take advantage of that.
“Your life is at risk.”
“I don’t ask for anything but your approval father. If you had any intentions of disagreeing, you should’ve voiced it out earlier.”
“That’s because I was unaware of your plans!”
“Dear, please calm down,” Duchess Marilyn tugged at the edge of her husband’s furry coat.
“I thought you were here to introduce him to your mother. It seems I was mistaken,” Greg folded his arm and looked down upon his daughter.
Matilda’s indifferent expression turned icy.
Marilyn, in the midst of the crossfire felt like tearing up. Her daughter had come back after so long just to leave the next day? What’s worse, she was being reprimanded by her own father?
The tension loomed, the silence was loud.
A sigh was heard once more.
“Stay here for at least a day. Your mother misses you,” Greg gave his final proposal.
“Understood.”
Marilyn started trembling.
“Mother?”
And then she began crying.
“M-Marilyn?”
Tears kept falling. She didn’t know if it was because she was touched by her husband’s consideration, or that things didn’t blow up into an argument.
“It’s your fault for being so harsh.”
“You were the one who didn’t tell me the whole story.”
“Do you think I’m still a child that needs constant monitoring?”
The two of them tried their best to console her. Stroking Marilyn’s back as they continued bickering.
