Chapter 62

Preparation

-System Message

▶ The Act I key figure, "Puppeteer," has been removed.

▶ The target’s main body will be sealed. They cannot awaken on their own!

▶ The target "Puppeteer" has been branded with the "Exorcism Mark."

▶ The progression of Chapter 3 will change. The difficulty is drastically reduced!

As the message window popped up the moment he crushed Rad, Aiden let out a satisfied sigh.

As expected.

If the guy had gotten away with information about him, he would’ve obviously gone and concocted all kinds of nasty schemes again. So it was a good call to take care of him before things got annoying.

"Sealed, huh."

And the fact that it used the word "sealed" instead of "killed" was also noteworthy.

Killing a member of demonkind completely was an extremely difficult task.

As the name "mental parasite" implied, their very existence was ambiguous. Unless one tracked down the main body, these weren’t the type to just drop dead. These were beings who had survived for centuries even after being sealed by the gods.

There were countless steps involved in putting them down for good.

And if it was someone who had an obsessive attachment to "puppets" enough to be called the Puppeteer, then it would be even harder.

Still, the fact that the difficulty of Chapter 3—the final part of Act I—had now been drastically reduced was more than enough to be satisfied with.

Also—

"If he’s sealed rather than dead, there’s always a way to make use of him later."

It might actually be better that he didn’t die.

That "Exorcism Mark" engraved in the system window—if Aiden remembered correctly...

"Reviving him might actually be useful?"

Sealed demons usually ended up forming a slightly special... "compatibility bond" with the one who sealed them.

To the point that they’d end up regretting not dying when they had the chance—a powerful restriction would be imposed on them.

So, if this guy ever woke up later, there could be a use for that in its own way.

"Well, anyway."

Aiden let out a deep sigh.

The finishing blow had gone well, but he was mulling over two lessons he had learned.

The first was that he really needed to get himself a decent weapon quickly.

"Ouch."

Aiden looked down at his hand, now a complete mess.

Thanks to the Sanctified Body skill he copied from Katya, it was slowly regenerating, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.

The revolver that had just delivered that last strike had exploded completely, scattering pieces in all directions.

Honestly, it was a bit much to expect an ordinary revolver bought from some random gun shop to withstand such a supernatural ability.

"...Maybe I should just have one custom-made."

Equipment was always important—especially for someone like Aiden, who would constantly be walking the razor’s edge from here on out.

Sure, his core growth revolved around copying skills, but there was no reason to shy away from getting gear that could amplify that further.

The second lesson was—

The second lesson was that he needed to be more selective about when, where, and on whom to use that last attack he unleashed.

"What the hell was that?"

Aiden let out a dry chuckle as he looked at the trajectory of the attack that had pierced through Rad.

The strike had swept clean through the spot where he had stood and only came to a stop after creating a crater in a small hill behind it.

...Anyone seeing this could easily mistake it for a missile strike.

It was an attack he himself had launched, but it was still ridiculous.

"At this level, couldn’t I even kill that senior of mine once?"

He entertained the hopeful thought for a moment, but soon Aiden shook his head and scratched the back of his neck.

Even now, after growing considerably stronger, the thought of dying to Meyer every night in his dreams kept him from even imagining it.

Back then, Meyer hadn’t even used any supernatural abilities. She had simply sliced through the Guardian’s Flame he manifested with a single sweep of her sword.

When Aiden was stunned and demanded how she did that, she replied—

"Just watch carefully and cut. Want me to slice it nice and clean?"

Then she cut his powers into star shapes, circles, triangles... She completely toyed with him.

"...Let’s give up on that."

Didn’t seem like it would work.

He’d have to save the plan to land a hit on that monster for another time...

Anyway.

As Aiden let out a sigh and started to step away, another window suddenly popped up before his eyes.

-System Message

▶ You have come into contact with "Puppeteer," Rad Ilja Varfon.

▶ [Malice] level has increased by 2 stages!

▶ Copying "Mutated Skill" from the target!

"...Oh."

This was an unexpected gain.

Come to think of it, he remembered a similar skill copy event happening with the Crown Prince before.

Apparently, it wasn’t just from earning someone’s favor—he could even copy a downgraded version of a skill from someone who held explicit and unmistakable malice toward him.

The Crown Prince had merely disliked him, but this guy had just been struck and sealed by Aiden. No wonder he harbored even more hatred.

"Two copies, huh..."

Thinking about it, this was a massive jackpot.

The skill he had taken from the Crown Prince before had turned out to be incredibly useful, and he had no doubt this one wouldn’t be any less valuable.

Being able to directly copy a foe’s abilities gave him a strategic edge that could never be called insignificant, even as flattery.

And that wasn’t all.

-Skill Info

◈ Weaver of Fate

⧾Rad Ilja Varfon

* Malice: Stage 2

* You can mimic 2 skills.

※ Malice is at Stage 2. The "Repel" function can now be used.

※ Increase the Malice level to unlock the "Filter" and "Seal" functions!

"...What now?"

A new feature had been unlocked.

▶ If you use the "Repel" function on a mimicked skill, you can use its effect once with performance matching the original.

A soft whistle slipped from Aiden’s lips.

In other words, it meant that even though skills were usually copied in a downgraded state, with this feature, he could temporarily use the skill at its original power.

This was far beyond just a lucky gain—it was an absolute win.

"And there are still other functions left too."

The fact that features like "Filter" and "Seal" were still locked but could be unlocked by increasing the Malice level was also encouraging.

Anyway, if someone was marked as an enemy, they were bound to clash sooner or later. And the more they loathed him, the more that hatred would be converted into his own power. A twisted irony, but one that worked in his favor.

Thinking about all this made him realize something once again.

"...From now on, I need to think about stealing skills first, no matter who I meet."

Whether it meant making them like him or hate him.

He’d need to start approaching people with that mindset as much as possible.

"Thank you."

As soon as they returned to the territory, Duke Aslan greeted Aiden with a deep bow.

"...I don’t know how you did it, but if it weren’t for you, my daughter would’ve died. No words of gratitude could ever be enough."

Speaking solemnly, the duke then raised his head and continued.

"When I first invited you to the duchy, it was more of a negotiation... but from now on, the Aslan Ducal House will officially consider you a friend. Feel free to visit anytime. And if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask."

And, as if to match those words, several system windows began popping up in front of his eyes.

-System Message

▶ You have successfully completed the sub-quest.

▶ Favorability with "Duke Aslan" has increased.

▶ Bond level has risen!

▶ You can copy 1 skill!

▶ Favorability with "Liza Aslan" has increased.

▶ You can copy 1 skill!

-System Message

▶ You have gained the favor of the "Aslan Ducal Territory."

▶ You have earned the favor of its citizens.

▶ You have received a large amount of points usable in the "Point Shop."

...Wow.

A flood of rewards poured in. Aiden skimmed through them with a glance.

"Sure, the skill from the duke was great..."

But he had also obtained a skill from the duke’s daughter. He’d have to check later to see what exactly he got.

Now that he thought of it—that person.

"Is she alright?"

"There are no abnormal vital signs, but they say it might take some time for her to fully regain consciousness. It’s the first time someone returned to being human after undergoing beastification. The doctors aren’t sure what to expect."

That didn’t sound too good. Aiden’s expression hardened slightly, but the duke shook his head.

"I told you, her vitals are fine. The doctors said it’s just her mind taking some time to catch up. Don’t worry too much."

"That’s a relief, then..."

What if there were side effects from returning to being human after undergoing beastification?

"...Didn’t something similar happen in the game too?"

Now that he thought about it, there had been a similar case in the original game.

As he recalled, something like a special "ability" emerged in people who had gone through that kind of transformation.

What was it again...

"It’s fine. I prefer to trust the doctors."

Before he could fully recall it, Duke Aslan cut in firmly and ran a hand through his hair.

"More importantly, do you have any clue who did this to Liza—"

"Oh, I know who it was."

"...What?"

The duke looked stunned, and instead of giving a further explanation, Aiden casually placed a nameplate in front of him.

It was one of the few remnants of Rad that hadn’t completely disintegrated.

"Rad Ilja Varfon. Minister of Administration."

"...That prince's lackey?"

"Yes."

The duke's face twitched.

"—Wasn’t that bastard supposed to be holed up in the capital? What the hell was he thinking, picking a fight with the Aslan Ducal House—"

"—Whatever his intention, officially, there’s no record of the Minister of Administration visiting this territory. He came here in secret."

After saying that, Aiden paused briefly, then smiled lightly.

"So, whatever happened to him here in this territory—officially, he doesn’t exist, Duke."

"..."

The corners of Duke Aslan’s lips twisted as he listened.

A smile that clearly showed he understood exactly what Aiden was implying...

"Right. That bastard never even 'came here' in the first place."

"Exactly."

"Even if he turns up dead somewhere and ends up missing, neither you nor the Aslan Ducal House has anything to do with it. Right?"

"Of course."

"Hey. Aiden Kellermain."

Duke Aslan couldn’t hold back his laughter anymore and chuckled as he spoke.

"You already dealt with him?"

"Yes."

"You know, you seem like a pretty good guy to talk business with."

"Thank you."

Two men, whose intentions aligned, shared a transparent smile and shook hands. It was a moment of forging a solid bond...

"—By the way, Duke."

Of course, it was good to have cleared that up, but—

"Isn’t the Night of the Hunt coming up soon?"

At that question, a brief shadow of concern passed across Duke Aslan’s face.

"That’s true."

"Then I should help. That was the reason I came here in the first place."

"...After everything you’ve already done, I can’t ask for even more."

"No."

Before the duke could firmly refuse, Aiden cut in.

After all, this was a Main Quest. Even if he were told not to, he couldn’t just drop it.

"Lady Liza can’t participate in combat right now. That’s going to leave a pretty big hole in your defense network."

"But—"

…Why did this man keep trying to stop him?

It would be just as disastrous for Aiden if things went wrong.

As Duke Aslan still hesitated, Aiden replied firmly and decisively.

"I can’t just stand by and watch people die."

The duke’s eyes widened briefly at Aiden’s words.

Then, those eyes slowly closed.

And at that moment, a certain intuition surfaced in Aiden’s mind.

Oh, this is it.

Now’s the time to go up.

-System Message

▶ Favorability with "Duke Aslan" has increased.

▶ Bond level has risen!

▶ You can copy 2 skills!

"...It really worked."

Being able to sense this kind of timing now was a wonder in itself.

"I really did know how to pick people well."

Duke Aslan shook his head with a helpless smile and sat down.

"...Take a look."

With those words, he pulled out a stack of documents from beneath a pile on his desk.

After skimming through the contents, Aiden gave a dry chuckle.

"This is real?"

The Night of the Hunt was practically an annual event in the Aslan Ducal Territory, which naturally meant there had been a wealth of data accumulated to predict its patterns.

The fact that there were such neatly compiled observation logs on the movements of beasts spilling out from the Void Zone was thanks to that.

And what Aiden had just read looked similar to the usual phenomenon.

Mass-scale beast movements. Normally, they would pour out and raid the ducal territory.

But—

"These movement patterns..."

"They’re running. Driven out."

Duke Aslan summarized it in a single sentence.

"This is different from the usual assaults. These mindless beasts are fleeing out of the Void Zone, scared of something. They’re not attacking us. Not yet."

He ran a hand over his face, clearly burdened.

"This year’s Night of the Hunt won’t be a large-scale raid. It’ll be a single, terrifyingly powerful 'entity' flowing out of the Void Zone."

In some ways, that was even more dangerous.

A horde of beasts could be countered with troops, but if it was something that powerful, throwing regular soldiers at it would just be feeding it.

It would require a superhuman capable of subjugating it.

"And the problem is… we have no idea what kind of beast it is. Based on what we can tell, it’s likely an exceptionally powerful type among the beasts."

"......"

"It might even be the most dangerous of all—the top-tier, intelligent kind."

An intelligent being. The monsters among beasts who possessed intelligence close to that of humans.

They were extremely rare, but each one had combat power rivaling high-ranking supernaturals.

‘...Yeah, that’s a seriously tough one.’

If anything, it might even surpass Rad in raw combat strength. The level of concern shown by the duke wasn’t mere paranoia.

As Duke Aslan let out a deep sigh, Aiden briefly closed his eyes.

Then, his gaze moved through empty air.

He was reviewing the skill copy tickets he had received.

Mainly—

Two from Rad.

Two from Duke Aslan.

With that...

‘...I can make this work.’

In his head, he was calculating what needed to be done.

"Duke. Earlier, you said if I had any requests, I should let you know, right?"

"...Do you already have a plan in mind? You look like someone who’s already figured it out."

Of course he did.

"You said it might be an intelligent, top-tier beast, right?"

"...Yes, that’s what we suspect."

"Then that’s perfect."

Duke Aslan looked at him with an expression that said, “What the hell are you talking about?” But Aiden was being completely sincere.

Intelligence meant the ability to think, and if it could think, then there was a high chance it had emotions.

And if that was the case—

‘...Then I might be able to use that.’

One way or another, there was definitely a way.