LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 156
– 1 –
The experiments of Arpina continued.
Gone was the psychologist and professor who merely twisted the intimate aspects of human memory for self-satisfaction and pleasure.
Only a predator and murderer remained, one who usurped talents and even a part of the soul beyond mere memories.
“Heh, ha, hahaha.”
At the mere age of twenty-five, Arpina already possessed numerous abilities.
In the light, she corrupted the most talented students as a psychologist and counselor, absorbing their abilities.
In the shadows, many strong individuals near the kingdom were mysteriously murdered and buried.
They were all likely candidates for future great powers on the continent, had they still been alive as mercenaries or adventurers.
“How boring!”
Her talent as a serial killer was outstanding.
Some of those she killed began to be “displayed,” with their most secretive details written in journals beside them.
Sometimes good deeds. Sometimes evil acts. Sometimes unbearable truths.
And in every location, her black hair and a single green brooch could be found.
“Please do exercise restraint. Do remember that the royal family is watching.”
“I am always grateful for the support.”
The royal family, confirming this, had long known that all these murders were her doing, but they discreetly took parts of her research from her.
“This is insufficient. I need more, much more!”
She targeted increasingly stronger individuals.
With their dying bodies, she indulged in physical pleasures, reaching mental ecstasies with the stolen abilities.
“I’m becoming increasingly perfect. More! Even more!”
It didn’t matter whether they were men or women.
Only strength and pleasure.
And her own growing perfection.
That was of utmost importance.
As the sensation of pleasure heightened, she believed she was becoming perfect.
“Truly excellent, Arpina.”
“Of course, Mother. And I will become even more perfect now.”
“Wait… are you saying…”
One of the climaxes of those peak moments came from achievements where Arpina successfully reclaimed her family’s nobility from a fallen status through her mother and family.
“Hmmm…”
A glowing thing among her black hair reflected in the mirror.
Arpina slowly caressed the source of that light with her finger.
The newly sprouted silver hair shimmered coldly in the moonlight.
“The silver… does look pretty.”
Soon, a sneer appeared on her lips.
“Though it does ruin my appetite.”
She still raised her cunning green eyes to look north.
She believed she had nearly achieved perfection.
Having devoured numerous souls and stolen their abilities, she had taken steps to a position where she could gaze at lord-level powers.
Yet, it was still not enough.
The decisive and ultimate powerful fragment that would lead her to true perfection.
“Noble Abelerus.”
It was when the rumor reached her that the hero had arrived in the north.
One of the thirteen greatest adventurers on the continent.
Famous as the most powerful and one of the three heroes who uphold firm justice.
Originally, he should have been guarding the boundary of the magical realm in the north, but he had temporarily come inland due to family matters.
“Ah….”
Arpina felt a thrilling squeeze in her stomach.
Imagining the pleasure she would gain from his physical form sent shivers down her spine.
How immense would the climax and omnipotence be when she drained his strength?
It would undoubtedly be the ultimate ecstasy she had never felt before.
– 2 –
– Master. An anomaly has been detected in the movements of the ‘Owls’ during the investigation.
Talhan’s voice echoed through the communication device.
Receiving the signal, I saw his face illuminated through the linked communication device.
Though the face maintained its usual calmness, I could read the subtle tension flowing beneath it.
This was surely no light news.
“Tell me in detail, Talhan.”
– Well… We aren’t certain, but it seems to be internal strife.
“Internal strife?”
– Yes.
I couldn’t hide my surprise and tilted my head.
Talhan’s expression was clearly confused.
This was certainly strange.
The Information Guild was a place born from comrades who shared a past, while the Information Merchants were entirely different.
It was a faction gathered under the single charisma of one man and the values he promoted.
“If the guild is a republic, then the information merchants are akin to an absolute monarchy.”
It was unimaginable for such an organization to have internal strife.
Then the remaining possibility was…
“A rebellion?”
“I don’t think that is the case, my lord.”
At that moment, Lan interjected.
She had come to report on Elena’s situation but got caught up in this conversation.
“Why do you think so?”
“There are no resources among the Information Merchants that could replace the ‘Thousand Faces.’”
Lan’s voice was filled with conviction. It was a determination that stood in stark contrast to her faint smile.
“Are you saying they lack capable individuals?”
“More than saying they lack capable individuals…”
Lan tilted her head before choosing her words carefully and then continued.
“… There is no one who can surpass him.”
Only then did I understand and nodded.
Well, ‘Thousand Faces’ is suspected to be on the very cusp of advancing to lord-level.
If the leader is a superhuman, then it wouldn’t be a fault of the subordinates that they can’t follow in his footsteps.
“Right… then.”
“The Dream Witch possesses various powers, my lord…”
This time it was Xue’s turn to speak.
Having been lost in thought, she suddenly recalled something.
“… One of those is the ability to manipulate human minds.”
That was a sound that made instant sense.
The situation had clicked together from an unexpected angle.
“Did you really think no one else would resort to such means besides me? Particularly among humans?”
That was an error in my judgment.
I had limited my perception of Arpina to the simple category of a “criminal.”
Arpina was one of the continent’s top powers. Also, a being who had once been caught by the continent’s strongest adventurer but managed to escape.
“I should have viewed her not merely as a simple criminal, but as a heavy hitter. At least someone who established an organization single-handedly.”
Then it was only natural that she possessed the corresponding arrogance and pride.
While evaluating her based on earthly standards was somewhat flawed, it wasn’t entirely off-base.
Humans tend to be similar no matter where they go.
“In other words, she may have thought that trading with another organization would be beneath her pride.”
Xue’s following words validated my hypothesis.
“She likely didn’t attempt to seize the entire information network… but perhaps she just wanted to use part of it. Surely she thought they wouldn’t notice if she returned it.”
That was a plausible conjecture.
The ‘Dream Witch’ wouldn’t have likely attempted to plunder the entire organization of ‘Gray Eye.’
She had previously witnessed the strength of the continent’s strongest and surely wasn’t unaware that ‘Gray Eye’ was one of them.
Of course, the subsequent story was purely her hypothesis, so it should be taken with a grain of caution…
“Borrowing from another’s organization.”
… There was some ‘consistency’ in this.
If she were someone with such a reasonable thought process, she wouldn’t even have considered trying her luck against the continent’s strongest, ‘Noble Abelerus.’
She wouldn’t have needed to enter another body at all.
Though the essence of who she was remained the same, she was certainly a different existence now.
“By the way, I haven’t heard anything about why she was challenging the magical realm.”
– As far as is known…
It was Talhan who opened his mouth.
But he frowned as if unsure whether he should share this information.
“Just say it.”
– To challenge Abelerus again, she said it was necessary to understand the strength of the Duke of the Magical Realm, which even Abelerus feared.
“Where did you hear this?”
Talhan hesitated once more.
That previous expression and the uncertainty around the credibility of the information seemed to weigh heavily on his mind.
“It’s alright, just tell me.”
– Well… at a tavern in the north… I can’t be sure, though.
“Okay. But based on the current situation, it seems plausible.”
She likely accumulated the powers of the local higher abilities through a series of thefts.
When she couldn’t fully digest that power, she might have attempted to challenge the continent’s strongest and got caught, only to be released afterward.
Then, soon after, she recklessly challenged the Duke of the Magical Realm.
After escaping from the Duke, she wandered down without even hiding her tracks.
Instead of dealing with information merchants, she attempted to control and use some of them.
The seemingly irregular pieces started connecting together.
Like a mosaic.
While the intentions behind each individual incident were still not fully grasped, the outline of who she was began to take shape.
“A fool with talent. And a sense of desperation from something.”
“Seems like it.”
“Perhaps…”
Seeing that Lan, Xue, and Talhan all appeared to agree with my assessment, I felt my judgment wasn’t far off.
It was interesting that Lan and Xue seemed to truly not know anything about Arpina…
However, I decided to ask about that later.
“If her goal is what we assume, she will be descending soon.”
“Why…?”
“She won’t be able to retrieve information about me from the information merchants.”
If Arpina had come out after hearing information from the Duke of the Magical Realm, she would likely also know my position.
The information regarding my Dungeon could easily be uncovered in the Demon World.
Regardless of the precautions taken by Scarlett, Mari, and others from the Mammon Trading Company to prevent information leaks, there were limits.
They would have certainly grasped at least the general area if not the exact location.
So…
“Lan, try to wrap things up quickly and return. Bring Eve as well.”
“We shall keep the queens close by for standby.”
“Right. That’s a good idea.”
Someone with at least a high-level ability.
It wasn’t certain yet if they bore truly aggressive intentions, but her actions exhibited no pattern.
Even if it appeared that she had other motives, she was a foe we must never let our guard down around.
Such a person was nearing us now.
And she still held onto my items that I had placed in the basket.
“Alright…”
“Master…?”
“My lord?”
I felt my lips naturally stiffen.
It was evident that Lan and Xue were cautiously observing me, yet I couldn’t help but sense my mood sinking to the bottom.
“…I will soon see what kind of face dares to touch what I wanted first.”
The information manipulation power of the ‘Owls’ was so significant that I would be compelled to want it, pouring countless resources like Talhan into obtaining it.
Yet, that something, even if it came entirely into my hands, lacking nothing, was a vital piece I needed for my and my people’s absolute safety.
Someone had broken it.
Most likely, it was someone unworthy who either could not perceive its value or chose not to assess its worth.
“For a very long time…”
The stiffness in my lips began to melt away, and I felt a smile unbidden.
“…I’ll have to let her live.”
I wanted to trample her underfoot.
Thoroughly.