Report
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 323
The alley between the old buildings.
Isabel closed the distance with a single leap, and the scythe in her hand sliced through the air with the swiftness of a predator hunting its prey, aimed directly at my head.
I pushed off the ground with my four legs, simultaneously pulling my upper body back while swinging my two tails. I aimed the right tail, with its pincers, at her scythe, and with the left tail, I aimed for her wrist.
Even though my pincers were smaller due to my "Clever Weakling" state, they were still much larger than the scythe she wielded.
‘I don’t know the exact cutting power of that scythe, but the size difference can’t be ignored.’
The blade of the scythe was only about as wide as two of my fingers. If the two weapons collided, it would be hard for her weapon to avoid damage.
She seemed to think similarly. Her hand holding the scythe quickly swerved, and the sharp blade scraped across the rough surface of my pincers, emitting a chilling cracking sound.
Meanwhile, my left tail moved like a serpent striking its prey, attempting to coil around her arms. Just as my tail was about to touch her wrist, Isabel's waist twisted in a bizarre way. Her ankles practically reached the position of her wrists, and she kicked my tail out of the air.
Both of my tail attacks missed. She used the recoil from the tail kick to leap back.
However, I had predicted that it would be difficult for me to land a meaningful hit with my tail. I stomped the ground with all four of my legs.
"Tch!"
As I landed, I heard a sharp click of her tongue. Like a bull charging, she rolled to the side to avoid my oncoming attack. I kicked out with my back legs as if trying to strike her, but she dodged with her agile movements.
Not only that, she crawled up my back like an insect or a lizard climbing a wall.
‘Where do you think you’re going?’
My back, covered with thick fur, hid the nests of my humanoid parasite. Upon receiving my command, the insects inside my fur prepared their paralysis waves.
Just as five of the carnivorous bugs were about to unleash their deadly soundwaves, Isabel produced another tool. She threw a small hexagonal plate into my fur and jumped off my back.
The parasite screamed out their intense noise, but the sound didn’t reach me. The hexagonal plate had generated a psychic shield that enveloped my entire body, blocking the soundwaves.
I struck the shield with the pincers on my right tail, breaking it. The shield tore apart like paper, and in the gap, the scythe flew toward me.
‘Just as I thought.’
I didn’t try to dodge her attack.
As expected, the scythe lodged into the horn on my head. The thin blade pierced my horn, creating a brief opening.
Now that she was so close, it was time for my heads on either side to act. The head closest to her opened its mouth wide.
"!"
Isabel’s eyes widened, surprised by the movement of both heads. In the end, she decided to abandon the scythe. My teeth, covered in scales, narrowly missed her arm as she dropped the weapon.
While the left head was active, the right head, which had been waiting, unleashed a pile of acidic fungus at Isabel. It would be quite painful if she was hit, but this was something she had brought upon herself.
She hurriedly rolled her body to avoid the incoming mass of fungus. However, she couldn’t completely escape and ended up getting a bit of it on her toes.
"Tch!"
Without hesitation, she sliced off her own toenails with her claws. Her blackened toes, stained by the fungus, tumbled to the ground.
‘Impressive.’
After she cut off her toes and retreated a considerable distance, the battle entered a brief lull.
I lowered my central head and used my small arm near my chest to pull the scythe from my horn.
‘A weapon I’ve never seen before.’
I thought it might be some sort of sonic blade or advanced vibrating weapon, but it wasn’t. There was no button or mechanical device it was just a simple scythe.
‘The sharpness and durability are impressive.’
I don’t know what kind of metal it’s made from, but its durability is extraordinary. Like my tail’s pincers, the horn on my head is quite sturdy. No matter how sharp the weapon, I didn’t expect it to hit my horn or pincers without causing any damage.
‘I have to be careful with things I don’t understand.’
I threw the scythe behind me and stared at Isabel, the 22nd-ranked Coldblood.
The damage to my horn isn’t something I need to worry about. It’ll regenerate soon enough.
The real issue is that she hasn’t shown her full strength yet.
‘What kind of Vortex One power is she using?’
If the key to an Amorph’s power lies in how they acquire and use their traits, the core of Coldblood play is their relationship with the Vortex One.
For Coldbloods, whose entire race’s existence is tied to the Vortex One, their fighting style changes significantly depending on which entity’s power they borrow.
Some get their physical combat abilities enhanced to the extreme, while others are granted immense psychic powers. As long as the cost of the contract is paid, they can use the powers of apex beings at the top of the hierarchy.
However, this is Cult territory. Just like me, she can’t freely use her power here.
The Cult strongly despises the Vortex One. That’s part of the reason Coldbloods are looked down upon.
If she uses the Vortex One’s power here, all of the military forces of Verzan 02 would focus on her.
‘Or maybe she has another intention I don’t know about.’
Since she knows of my infamy, it’s possible she’s deliberately hiding her true power. Not only the Vortex One power but also her unique abilities she hasn’t used them yet. Just like I haven’t revealed all my cards, she hasn’t either.
‘Let’s see a little more…’
ï½¢Wait! Both of you, hold on!ï½£
Just as I was about to move again, Mother of the Sky intervened between Isabel and me.
ï½¢I said I would give you time to talk first!ï½£
She pulled out her wings, which had been hidden by tattoos, and looked at me with a desperate expression. There was a fierce urgency in her eyes.
‘A conversation, huh.’
I looked between her and Isabel while using my auxiliary organ to scan the surroundings. I had already checked when I was chasing Isabel, but this place is in a blind spot where the watchtowers can’t see. Unless we engage in a major battle, the warriors probably won’t notice us, but it’s still not risk-free.
‘It’s not a good idea to fight here.’
Aside from the possibility of the Cult catching us, this is the place where Isabel lured us. This is practically her home turf, so I don’t know what could happen during a fight here.
‘For now, establishing a positive relationship with Isabel is a better option than taking her down.’
Currently, because of the relic weapon from Si-Hyun Yujin, my "Parasite Colony" is sealed. To extract the information I need, I would have to turn her into humanoid parasite.
Eating Isabel would allow me to steal her unique traits, so it’s not necessarily a bad thing. But the problem lies in the process. Though I haven’t seen the ending, she’s still a 22nd-ranked fighter. She’s not an easy opponent.
‘But while talking, I can gather information…’
As Mother of the Sky buys time, I can gather more information about Isabel and this area. I might even find clues to her weaknesses from the conversation. Giving her another opportunity isn’t such a bad choice.
[ZZ (Okay.)]
ï½¢Thanks.ï½£
She nodded gratefully.
I took a few steps back to observe their conversation. We had jumped straight into battle earlier, so I hadn’t been able to pay attention to Isabel’s appearance. Now, I could finally take a proper look at her.
Her face was a mix of a lizard’s and a human’s, with antennae on her head and scales covering her body typical Coldblood traits. Her body’s scales were a light blue color, and her snout had a faint sky-blue hue. Her height was, as I had heard, quite small, and her arms and legs were thin, giving her an overall delicate appearance.
Her outfit wasn’t the usual hotel-servant dress but worn-out cloth that she had draped over her body. Her arms, thighs, and abdomen were exposed, and it didn’t seem like she was hiding any additional weapons.
‘The Coldbloods aren’t a species that relies on weapons.’
Her frail-looking body, small stature, and shabby clothes she still looked like a pitiful slave. But it was all a deception. Based on how she behaved in the scouting battle, she’s far from someone to be underestimated.
I kept my guard up and focused on the surveillance with my auxiliary organs.
"Just like an Amorph, doing the same thing here as in the game."
ï½¢No, Isabel.ï½£
Isabel, too, was focusing all her attention on me. While talking with Mother of the Sky, her eyes were fixed solely on me.
ï½¢He saved me when I almost died.ï½£
"He saved you? An Amorph?"
｢I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. He didn’t implant any parasites. I’m not under his control, I’m with him as an ally.｣
"……"
Mother of the Sky’s words caused Isabel to become flustered.
‘Strictly speaking, half of it is a lie, though.’
The real reason I saved her was to use her as insurance. That’s why I implanted the parasite.
Of course, Isabel doesn’t know about that, and she doesn’t need to.
"...Then why did you come here?"
Perhaps because of the unexpected revelation, Isabel, who had been silent, finally spoke up.
ï½¢I came to ask you something.ï½£
"Ask me something?"
｢Yes. Both Amorph and I saw illusions as we grew. We’re currently investigating what those illusions mean.｣
"Illusions..."
As soon as she heard the word "illusions", Isabel’s gaze shifted from me to Mother of the Sky for the first time.
"Did you also see 'memories'?"
"Memories? You saw an illusion of your human past too?"
Instead of answering her question, Isabel shot another one back.
"What choice did you make in front of the memories?"
ï½¢Me?ï½£
"Did the memories consume you? Or did you consume the memories?"
ï½¢Neither. I only peeked at the memories.ï½£
Hearing her answer, Isabel’s eyes returned to me. It seemed like she wanted to ask me what choice I had made, but I kept my silence.
ï½¢That guy is similar to me. He only peeked at the memories.ï½£
To be exact, I didn’t get consumed by the illusion; I fought and defeated the ’real me’ that the illusion manifested. As Isabel put it, neither consumed nor was consumed by the illusion.
Mother of the Sky knows that, but since she isn’t sure how Isabel will react, she seems to have deliberately avoided being specific.
ï½¢We want to know what choice you made.ï½£
"......"
Isabel remained silent, observing us, before soon closing her eyes.
After a brief pause, she opened her eyes and spoke.
"Seoa, do you remember how long it’s been since we last contacted each other?"
ï½¢Just over 8 years.ï½£
"It’s been 8 years and 2 months. A lot has happened since you left."
ï½¢Isabel?ï½£
Her reptilian eyes showed no emotion. The longing she had shown when she looked at Mother of the Sky, or the anger she displayed when fighting me, was gone. Instead, there was a deep emptiness in her gaze.
She took a small breath as she met her eyes.
"They trampled my friends and the place we built."
ï½¢!ï½£
Although Isabel spoke in passing, Mother of the Sky seemed to understand the meaning. I could feel the increasing intensity of her heartbeat.
"Don’t worry about it. It’s been too long to blame anyone now."
ï½¢.......ï½£
"I’ll give you the answer you want. But first, I need you to fulfill my request."
Her eyes, now resembling the ashes of a fire, spoke to us.
——————
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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