Copy Skills with Affinity! Chapter 122

Chapter 122

Disguise

Growth was a problem I had to agonize over without end.

If I did not beco stronger, I would not survive. Fundantally, situations were bound to keep developing.

In that sense.

◆ The First Vow: Modification

This was a divinity that had opened its unique trait by receiving a direct blessing from the God of Purification at a sacred altar.

Reflecting your unique trait, this divinity could freely ‘reverse’ its attributes. As a basic function, the ‘Fla of Regeneration’ was granted.

Its direction of growth had not yet been determined. This ability would grow according to the ‘function’ you desired.

To not deeply contemplate how to handle an ability personally bestowed by a god could be called a sin in itself.

And clearly, the only ti I could think about such matters in depth was within the ntal World.

Outside, there were far more monts when I had to move rather than think. I never knew when or where an incident might break out.

“You really are amazing.”

Fortunately, today, as on other days, there was soone who would sympathize with him without treating him like a madman.

“Even I can’t think about sothing else at the sa ti while doing this, no matter what.”

Teresa, who had been sprawled out beside with a spinning smile, threw out that remark.

She had just been cleanly bisected by yer and was speaking while still in that separated state.

“I agree that it’s amazing.”

yer said as he shook off his sword, looking utterly exhausted at the thought of saying anything more.

Even though her entire body looked like it had gone through a grinder and been pulverized, Teresa and I were chatting as if nothing had happened, and he glanced back and forth between us with a fed-up expression……

“Watching you two lunatics, I’m starting to get the illusion that dying and coming back to life is a normal thing. Maybe having casual conversations even after death is sothing anyone can do?”

[…I’m not, you damned human.]

“Right, thanks. You’re the last indicator keeping my sense of reality intact.”

While Reaver and yer, both unable to even maintain their forms, ford a strange sense of camaraderie, Teresa snorted and retorted.

“Oh my, you’re describing us like we’re monsters.”

As her separated upper and lower halves reattached to each other, she rested her chin on her hand with that sa spinning smile.

…Rather than calling amazing, just as yer had implied, this woman clearly wasn’t in her right mind either.

But still.

‘It’s good to see.’

It had been quite a while since I had seen her like this, so it felt nice.

She had been holed up deeper within the ntal World, saying there was sothing she wanted to research, and had kept herself hidden all that ti.

When she finally showed her face after so long, I asked whether she had finished the ‘research’ she had been shut in and working on.

The answer she gave was as follows.

-Um…… I had almost finished, but I thought it would be a bit hard to show you right now.

-Is there a reason?

-It was definitely powerful, and it would probably be a great help to you…… but you were too dangerous. Maybe after you gained a deeper understanding of qi.

-Um, what kind of technique was it?

-I wasn’t going to tell soone who stole people’s hearts as naturally as breathing while not even giving Noel a proper answer.

-…….

-Still, you could look forward to it. It was my greatest masterpiece, you know?

……Well now.

The reason she gave for not telling was regrettable, but the part about looking forward to it was worth paying attention to.

It was entirely thanks to this woman that the foundation and application of the Pure White qi Noel used had been established. I couldn’t say her contribution was small in how Aiden, who had never even properly received combat training, managed to sohow navigate through the powerful enemies he had faced until now.

‘Even in the ga, she was closer to a theorist than a frontline fighter.’

Her own combat ability was terrifying, but where she truly began to stand out was in research—developing theories about battle itself.

As long as Aiden bore the task of ‘Protect the World,’ there was nothing better than receiving help from her in that field.

True to her words, it was certain she had finished researching so kind of technique. Compared to before, rather than purely enjoying sparring, she seed to be asuring and testing various things.

Sotis she and yer even discussed the application of abilities at such an exalted level that neither Aiden nor I could possibly understand it.

‘……Well, it should be fine.’

I still had one Skill Copy Ticket for her. When she said it was complete later, I could see what the technique was for myself and then decide whether to use it or not.

In any case, I had a far more efficient thod of learning than simply being taught by soone.

“By the way, what are you thinking about? If it’s sothing I can help with, I will.”

And when soone like her asked a question like that, the chances of honestly receiving help were high.

I had heard that growing an ability was a matter tied to one’s very essence, and she had previously given clear answers on that topic.

“Honestly, I don’t know either.”

“…….”

So that kind of answer was sothing even she had not expected at all.

“A person’s essence is defined by their desires. It seems like yours hasn’t manifested yet because you haven’t clearly decided on sothing you’d be willing to die for. That’s not sothing I can decide for you, is it?”

“……I’ve already risked my life several tis.”

“That was out of your sense of duty. I’m talking about what you ‘want’ at your core.”

“…….”

It suddenly felt like the conversation had veered into philosophy.

As Aiden scratched his cheek with a frown, Teresa snorted softly and continued.

“Simply put, I’m not talking about what you think you ‘have to do,’ but what you ‘want to do.’ The two feel a little different.”

“……As for sothing I want to do.”

After pondering for a mont, Aiden tilted his head slightly and spoke.

“If I could just spend peaceful days with my family……”

“I don’t think that’s it.”

“…….”

At Teresa’s blunt interruption, Aiden’s mouth snapped shut.

“That’s sothing you think you ‘have to do,’ even if it costs your life. It’s sothing you give. When we talk about wanting, we an what you ‘want to receive’ from others.”

“…….”

“Aiden Kellermain. What do you want from the people around you?”

……Sothing I want to receive? Sothing I desire?

Aiden blinked in confusion.

If it was sothing he wanted from Noel, or from Katya.

“…….”

Was there sothing like that?

I honestly didn’t know.

“Well, it’s a heavy topic, so think about it slowly.”

To Aiden, who had fallen into confusion, yer calmly dropped that remark.

“Starting tomorrow, let’s change the training course a bit. I think we can stop doing this now.”

[I-Is that really true?!]

“…….”

It was probably the liveliest voice Reaver had used since Aiden t him.

“You’ve improved quite a bit. Even I found it hard to keep fighting you barehanded.”

At Reaver’s voice, tinged with relief that he might die a little less now, yer cracked his neck and continued.

“Since you seem to be thinking about your ability as well. Starting tomorrow, we’ll properly train how to handle it. You’ve worked hard until now.”

Aiden’s eyes widened at those words.

‘……Did this guy eat sothing wrong?’

Anyone would be shocked hearing that from soone who had never once let even the first syllable of praise slip past his lips.

He had worked hard?

Would the sun rise in the west tomorrow……?

“So starting tomorrow, let’s roll around until what you’ve done so far looks like child’s play.”

……Ah.

So this was just the buildup before he tore into even more viciously afterward.

As Aiden, having co to terms with it, patted the utterly dejected Reaver and nodded, yer continued calmly.

“And you. I’ve got a feeling you’re going to change in a big way soon. It’s about ti we raised the intensity of your training.”

“……Pardon?”

“What’s with that reaction? Why are you acting like this is the first you’ve heard of it?”

yer spoke in a voice filled with disbelief.

“I’m not you, so I don’t know exactly what happened. But take a good look at yourself. From what I can sense, you definitely feel like you’re about to change from the ground up.”

“……What are you suddenly talking about?”

“There are guys who handle multiple abilities who end up like that sotis.”

Sothing about it—

“……At so point, they catch the trajectory and leave the realm of humans. Getting tangled up with the incomprehensible and all that.”

His words carried a aningful resonance.

“No, I an, what does that even—”

“Just think of it as getting insanely strong.”

“…….”

“There might be so insanely serious side effects, but you’re guaranteed to get insanely strong first.”

……Still, I appreciated the concise explanation—it suited his personality.

▣

“Mr. Aiden, are you tired? Your expression hasn’t looked good since yesterday.”

“I don’t know what I want from other people.”

“……Did puberty suddenly hit you?”

Noel spoke in a voice of disbelief, but I was completely serious.

The things Teresa had said to yesterday simply would not leave my head.

It wasn’t like I only had one or two headaches to deal with. It was enough that I had broken my own rule of only contemplating such matters inside the ntal World.

It wasn’t just Teresa’s words. yer’s final remark, telling to examine myself, had also left with lingering thoughts.

-System Log

▶ You recognize ‘Mystery.’

▶ The beings of the Pantheon observe you.

▶ You fulfill the minimum conditions for a change in ‘race.’

It was the window that had appeared when I first ca into contact with Sia.

At the ti, everything had been so chaotic that I hadn’t properly examined it. But looking at it now, I had no idea what it was talking about.

‘What do you an, my race is changing?’

Of course, I knew very well that there were races other than humans. But hearing that it was sothing where one could cross that boundary was completely new to .

As I mulled over those thoughts—

I suddenly noticed the surroundings were noisy.

‘……Ah, co to think of it.’

Today was the day external personnel were supposed to arrive in relation to the third ritual, ‘Black Night.’

For the mbers of the Grand Sanctuary, who usually lived isolated from the outside world, it was a welco event. They could receive necessary supplies from outside, and it offered a brief respite in the tight schedule of the succession ceremony.

‘Maybe I should hear so news from outside…….’

Although the Grand Sanctuary was the site of the succession ceremony, it was fundantally an educational institution, so of course it also accepted students.

Ordinary students, not royalty. From my perspective, having been stuck on this island, they were important sources of information about the outside world. Most of them were commoners of low status, and people like that tended to develop strong survival skills due to their environnt.

During the Black Night ritual, they also took on an important role as partners to the royal participants.

‘……It was a ritual that emphasized teamwork, wasn’t it.’

The core of the Black Night ritual was that a royal and a commoner student ford a team and carried out tasks together over the course of one night.

In that sense, it wasn’t a bad idea to take a look at the students’ faces. One of them would eventually beco my partner.

Letting the bustling crowd pass by, I searched for a student who seed easy to strike up a conversation with.

And then, through the gaps—

“…….”

Suddenly.

Sothing that absolutely should not have been there was walking toward .

My face went pale.

My hands and feet turned cold. A chill ran down my spine.

‘……What in the world is that……!’

What was this?

My eyes trembled. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

It felt as though reality itself was collapsing, and so taphysical terror was piercing through a cosmic rift to infiltrate this world…….

And then.

The ‘thing’ that approached opened its horrifying mouth.

“Helloo-! I’m the new transfer sent to the Grand Sanctuary this ti☆”

The Pontiff, disguising his appearance with Holy Fla, winked cutely at in the form of a young girl wearing a school uniform as if she had just enrolled.

He even added an adorable hand gesture.

“…….”

Beside , Katya and Noel, who had been walking with , hurriedly covered their mouths with pale faces.

It seed they were genuinely feeling nauseous.

“Aiden oppa-☆, is that you?”

“…….”

“I’m looking for soone to be with for this Black Night ritual☆”

……At this point, it was safe to say I could fully sympathize with them.