Changes

"Why do I have to use her?" Siegren stared at the Spectator.

"How can she even appease the malevolence inside me?"

'In order for you to stay alive, you must get the rest of the fallen god's scattered power,' the Spectator exclaimed, with a voice deep into the hollow pits of the abyss. 'However, in the period of time where there is no piece of power collected and the moon has reached its full peak, you will have to feel the repercussions—that is your responsibility as the Vessel.'

"Vessel…" Siegren murmured, not understanding what the being meant by being a 'Vessel'.

'The [Wave of Insanity] will come to drain your mana if it is not satiated. Due to the decreasing mana, your rationality will be overshadowed, and you will go feral, like an untamed beast.'

"Then, how could I use Lumi for that?" Siegren's gaze darkened, "do I have to kill her?"

The Spectator laughed.

"No," it said.

'But you will use her power to stabilize your own.'

Siegren frowned.

'Divinity will be able to replenish the mana being depleted by acting as a substitute to the numen's power. Even if the energies are polar opposites, the imbalance will be temporarily covered by divinity, which has the same yet opposite compositions to malevolent power.'

"How can a power that stands opposite to my own help me?" Siegren scowled.

'You, the Vessel, have been granted the inborn power of utilizing malevolence,' the Spectator then snapped its long fingers.

Appearing now in front of Siegren are two versions of the numen, however—one radiates energy that is unstable, with purple lightning around it flickering to burst; while the other one simply drifts afloat, without irregularity.

'The stable malevolent power is the one you are born with, and the other one is the fallen god's shattered essence.'

'In your body, they will coexist. However, at the time of the full moon when the power of the Dark Guardian is at its peak, the shattered essence will be more erratic. If your inborn power and the god's power combined…'

Siegren stared as the projections merged, forming a black hole that radiates erratic energy that is different from the malevolence around the air.

'This irregular power…' The Spectator then clenched its hand, making the projections fully merge. This then led to an explosion of darkness, which is then subsequently followed by white noise.

'Will be too unstable for the Vessel's body, leading to possibilities of death.'

"'Possibilities'?"

Instead of answering, the Spectator reiterated his words.

'Divine power can bridge the gap to the missing pieces of power,' the Spectator exclaimed. 'However, only one with a divine power strong enough to handle the numen could do it.'

**

Siegren glanced to Lumi who was now walking on the night market with him. She was looking around like an excited child, seeing the night market for the first time.

"It's kinda different from the ones during the day, don't you think?" Lumi asked.

Siegren didn't reply, instead—he was immersed in his own thoughts about what had transpired.

After he exited the space where he met the Spectator, he realized that only a second has passed in the mortal realm. However, for him, he had conversed for that creature longer than that as the numen of the fallen god entered his body.

He was able to save her from falling down, and then with her newly established power—he was able to do things he has never done before.

Siegren stared at his hand which had bandages wrapped around them.

"Siegren," Lumi called. "Hey. I've been calling you for a while now. Why did you stop in the middle of the road? I thought we were gonna buy supplies."

'Strange.' Siegren narrowed his eyes at the girl.

She was talking to him comfortably. What changed?

"Hmm…" Lumi tilted her head. "What about we buy some clothes first?"

**

As the two of them entered one of the tailors, the night in Aclaria fell deeper.

In some of the houses, some grieved for those who died—while outside the town, there are those who celebrated for the triumphant victory.

"This would be a great addition to history."

"My adventurer rank would surely go up from what happened! We defeated lots of monsters, and we could go down in history as the ones who defeated that corpse in the sky."

"But isn't the one who defeated it the guy who somehow disappeared after he did it?"

"Guy? What guy?"

"Oh, you didn't know… Here, let me tell you about…"

.

.

.

"Aclaria's Hero," said a woman, with her silvery-white hair fluttering in the breeze. "Can you believe it?"

Beside him was another person who had the same features as her—except it was a boy that couldn't be more than thirteen.

"They call such an unholy person 'hero', I swear—people grow stupid at every passing generation," the woman said.

The boy was only silent, reading a book about the history of the saintess.

He then closed the book, looking at the view of the country below him.

"Let's go," said the boy. "We have to make sure that we wouldn't fail this time… Asmodea."

**

As Lumi and Siegren strode around town, buying their supplies for their journey to Hescurg, the night has progressed easily without any unfortunate encounters.

Nonetheless, Siegren still remained on guard, he couldn't detect the presence of the cloaked man who had disappeared midbattle.

"Where do we sleep tonight? At another inn?" Lumi asked as they ambled along the aisles of the streets. "But you already left the room, right? Why'd you done that? I left my room too."

Siegren blinked, "…you did?"

"Ah—" Lumi covered her lips. "I thought you left me, so I… uh… yeah."

Siegren stared, his eyes narrowing.

'So she wasn't just taking a stroll.' He thought to himself.

"Lumi,"

"Yes!?"

"We had a deal," he said. "I'll fulfill my part as per our agreement."

Though Siegren's expression was still void of any emotion, and even his voice lacked any hint of gentleness—

Lumi felt him being… "Human."

Siegren stared.

"Nothing!"

Lumi then grinned. "So, where do we sleep now? I kind of screwed us up… hehe."

Siegren watched as Lumi went ahead, looking around curiously at her surroundings.

'The inquisitive mind of a child.' The voice in his head resounded.

----!

Siegren blinked, turning around only to see people scattered about.

But he was certain about it.

That feeling could only belong to something else.

An ominous aura that deviates from the natural laws of this world…

The similar feeling he got from that cloaked man.

Siegren turned around to go towards Lumi.

"Lu—"

She was no longer there.

.

.

.

**

Next chapter preview:

"How are you alive?"

Lumi stared at the person standing in front of her. As he slowly turned around to face her, Lumi fell to her knees.

"Finally…" The man's lips curved into a wicked smile.

"I got you now, priestess!"