abcnovels
Chapter 96
Chapter 96
————
Chapter 96: Conditions of Power (6)
A sudden transition to a strange space.
Lisa, barely recovering her composure, didn’t stop wandering around the changed surroundings.
The old room she was in just moments ago had vanished without a trace.
It wasn’t just the space that had changed.
“Li,Lindsay?”
No human figure was visible; instead, there was a peculiar shape shrouded in black mist emitting an unsettling aura.
The sight was extremely eerie, sending shivers of revulsion and discomfort.
Lisa quickly turned her head, naturally looking at the boy.
“…!”
He didn’t have the same calm face as before.
With slightly parted lips revealing teeth and a narrowed forehead, he seemed quite flustered himself.
It was a perfectly natural reaction.
It would be odd for someone not to be surprised by such a strange sight.
Perhaps thinking that even humans couldn’t help but be taken aback by this unfamiliar scene,
“Ha!?”
He laughed.
They say when people are too shocked, they laugh uncontrollably as if losing their minds, but it didn’t seem like that.
Though it’s hard to pinpoint the exact meaning behind his laughter, if we go by what’s visible,
it seemed like he laughed out of incredulity.
* * *
There are broadly two cases where humans can wield the power of gods.
One is when a god directly bestows power upon a human.
I’m precisely that case, having inherited the power of Aeru through the Mist Stone,
and the other is when the power of a god is passed down through relics or artifacts for their use.
Come to think of it, that’s me too.
Having received almost the entirety of a god’s power, it’s like having a child who’s practically inherited that power nestled in my arms right now.
“Surprised, aren’t you! Well, you can’t help it! This is the omnipotent power that you absolutely must obey!”
Whether it was laughter or tears, her ambiguous whimpering was ignored as I carefully examined the aura she emitted.
It’s familiar, even intimate to the point of being uncanny.
It was so familiar that one could believe it was just another pocket dimension created by that bastard god, devoid of any sense of distance.
I couldn’t create such a space myself.
“But, if a qualified human were to encounter it, they could handle it perfectly well! Just like I am right now!”
In the momentarily blurred mist, she directed a triumphant grin towards me.
Along with it, she extended her left fourth finger, indicating the gold ring she wore.
If my memory serves me right, that’s an artifact.
The so-called ‘Ring of Absorption’.
It’s a kind of storage device that can condense a certain amount of mana into a pocket-like form, and at times, it can contain not only mana but also other energies.
Given the circumstances, it seems she’s contained Aeru’s power in that ring…
“Ha!?”
I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.
Could it be that that idiot god allowed his power to be stolen?
This isn’t like stealing treasures from a warehouse; it’s a blatant act of taking them right in front of the owner’s eyes.
It’s laughable enough that a common artifact contains a god’s power, but the fact that she attempted it and succeeded… there are no words.
I’m sure the leader doesn’t know about this fact with absolute certainty.
If she did, she wouldn’t just stand by quietly.
It’s likely that she would have come running herself to try and destroy that artifact.
“What do you think is the reason I left the organization and settled in Lambert? To earn money? That’s just a secondary reason. I’ve been nurturing my own power in this city all along, not relying on the power of gods.”
I started to sense personal frustration in her voice.
“How foolish, isn’t it? In the end, just like how we humans were created by the hands of gods, there’s no problem in using their power! Yet we’re expected to wait idly for the sake of one supposed successor!”
Certainly, she wasn’t just rambling with an open mouth.
In fact, for the past fifty years until my appearance in the Mist, countless members of the Mist wasted their time in meaningless waiting.
It would be a lie to say there was no dissatisfaction among them.
Ultimately, she was one of those in that category.
“You might also be a pitiful existence. Clinging to passive obedience without understanding the changing world. I don’t know why you’ve resumed your activities now, but it doesn’t matter! Your organization will soon be destroyed by my hands…”
“Seems like your dreams are a bit too grandiose?”
She said it with a hint of disdain.
“You might see it that way with your naive eyes. But I’ll make sure to make you and your organization, even your leader, fully aware! Then, I’ll stand before Aeru once again and clearly state that I’m the only one who can fully inherit your power!”
“…”
It’s a peculiar feeling.
Was there some level of sympathy in me for what that woman said?
Disliking the decay of her own power, she left the organization and worked to increase her influence by cultivating her own strength.
Regardless of her motives, the fact that she firmly decided to pioneer her own life makes it hard for me to criticize her.
For some reason, though, I felt compelled to ask her one question.
“What do you plan to do with that power?”
To kill me, destroy the organization, and gain recognition from Aeru.
But what does she want to do next?
Lindsay responded with a joyous smile as if she had been waiting for this question.
“I will do everything I can!”
I retorted immediately.
“Everything you can?”
“Yes! Just as there’s a qualification needed to possess any power, the same applies even after acquiring it! To have power and abilities but not use them? That’s nothing but deception and waste! We must use the given power to its fullest extent! That’s the condition for wielding power!”
Though she spoke somewhat verbose, in reality, it was a simple and obvious statement when dissected.
One must fully exert the power they possess.
It’s a phrase often found in common sayings, but the importance lies in how one accepts it.
Hmm.
Sometimes, people laugh unknowingly, like when they have an epiphany.
And that’s exactly how I feel right now.
I think I might understand a bit why my leader sent me to this strange place.
“That’s a good saying.”
Coming from me, it was an uncommon acknowledgment.
“But even so, it doesn’t change anything. In the end, here and now, you’ll die by my hand.”
– Swoosh
As usual, I slowly raised my dagger, aiming it at her.
The intent of an assassin who will kill the opponent before them.
Recognizing this, Lindsay chuckled as if amused.
“Ha! You might have gained a bit of insight, but you’re still foolish. Well, it’s probably better to beg for mercy than to die. I’ll make sure to give you a death that suits you!”
She gently extended her finger and immediately shouted the incantation.
“Shadow Arts 6th Form: Mist Space!”
* * *
– Whoosh
The mist that extended from her fingers like beams of light soon divided into several strands, enveloping Cyan from all sides.
Without any resistance, Cyan was quickly engulfed, and soon a sealed space was completed.
“Although your physical abilities may be comparable to those of a senior officer, when it comes to handling tactics, you’re inevitably immature.”
The sixth form of Mist, the Mist Space.
It covers a certain area with black mist, completely isolating the targets inside from the outside world.
It’s not just about creating a barrier; it’s a technique that can control all the power and mana possessed by the target, leaving them feeling utterly powerless.
Despite having power, they’re rendered completely helpless.
And the misery that arises from it.
Lindsay’s purpose was to inflict such cruel emotions upon Cyan.
“Slowly, savor it for a very long time within that space! And finally, realize it! That you were nothing from the beginning! That in the face of absolute existence, you were nothing more than creatures groveling on the ground, even more powerless than insects!”
As Lindsay’s hands spread wide open, the energies contained within scattered in all directions.
As these energies gradually covered Cyan’s body, her laughter grew louder.
[A ring containing the power of Aeru… Humans can be quite amusing, seeing things like this, don’t you think?]
However, her joy didn’t last long.
At the sudden sound of a voice from behind, Lindsay quickly turned her head.
“…!?”
With an intense and seductive gaze, as if tinged with blood, the mysterious woman smiled provocatively at her.
A woman of mystery who suddenly appeared before her without a trace, without even the slightest hint of her presence.
For a moment, Lindsay doubted her eyes, but soon realized that she couldn’t move as if she were petrified.
[Hm, impressive, isn’t it? Most humans wouldn’t even be able to think about moving.]
The disdainful voice sent shivers down Lindsay’s spine.
It felt like a devil with an innocent face whispering in her ear.
However, the woman with black hair paid her no mind and carefully observed her ring.
[Frankly, I was surprised. Creating a pocket dimension similar to Aeru’s by human hands. I wonder what expression that bastard god would make if he knew?]
She sensed it.
Feeling extremely familiar with the energy of the pocket dimension she had unfolded, yet being dominated by a strange feeling different enough to suppress all that familiarity, she was overwhelmed by her emotions.
[This pocket dimension is quite an interesting place. It’s like a paradise for oneself, isn’t it? It makes you feel like you’re a god who can do anything when you’re inside. But…]
The woman with black hair reached out into the air and gently caressed it.
Instantly, the surrounding black mist, which had been blooming, responded and rushed towards her, converging in one place.
[It’s equally difficult to guard. You never know when or where a transcendent being higher than oneself might come and seize this place.]
– Whoosh
The gathered mist swirled like a whirlpool above the woman’s palm.
As if searching for its rightful owner.
Lindsay shook her head in confusion.
“W-why! Why are you here in this place?”
[Oh? You know me?]
The woman seemed nonchalant as she smiled.
The demonic sword, Kaeram.
An artifact that inherited the power of Aeru, the god of Black Mist, and serves as its successor.
She embodied the essence of mist and wielded the power of the mist god, making her an undeniable presence.
Is this feeling one of disbelief, yet also inevitability?
However, she soon realized what it meant for Kaeram, the demonic sword, to be present in this place.
It meant that someone capable of wielding the god’s artifact was also present.
“T-then you…!”
Lindsay’s gaze immediately turned towards Cyan, trapped within the Mist Space.
A single beam of light extended from the pitch-black mist, like a glimmer of hope.
Though it appeared as light, strictly speaking, it wasn’t light at all; it was merely the reflection of the sinister aura emanating from the sharp blade.
The tip of the sword was precisely aimed at Lindsay’s throat.
“Successor!”
————