Chapter 80 - Remnant

Every night, Aiden and Reaver had the living daylights beaten out of them by Meyer. Naturally, whenever they entered the Mindscape, Aiden's mood and Meyer's were polar opposites.

Meyer looked ready to vent an entire day's worth of stress on Aiden and Reaver, while Aiden had reached the stage of resignation and Reaver was still half-dead.

But right now, the atmosphere was different from usual, mainly for two reasons.

The first was probably the unfamiliar object Aiden had brought with him.

"What's that?"

"Got myself something new to wear. Nice, isn't it?"

In truth, it hardly looked like something he could show off as though he were wearing a new outfit.

Meyer's eyes narrowed at the white cube floating beside Aiden. After staring intently at it for a while, he spoke in an admiring voice.

"Did you make that? Liquid metal?"

"... You recognize it?"

"Clever. Equipment you can reshape however you like? You could use it as armor or a weapon. What did you mix together?"

"Star Iron and ectoplasm."

"You certainly picked materials that are hard to come by. You put some work into this."

Praise like that was exceedingly rare coming from Meyer of all people, but the contents of the information window made his reaction seem perfectly justified.

-Item Info

[ Aether ] [ Special Equipment ]

[ Liquid metal made from liquefied Star Iron, with ectoplasm as its power source. Its shape can be freely designated, and it specializes in Supernatural Imbuement. ]

▶ The user can designate any shape at will!

▶ Supernatural-power conductivity is 100%. Imbuing it with supernatural power amplifies its potency!

▶ Durability is semipermanent. Any damage is automatically repaired!

< Unique Ability >

◆ Release

Specializes in attacks that fire the supernatural power stored within the equipment outward. Attack power is greatly amplified when using attacks formed through Shaping to launch supernatural power.

How should he put it?

It felt less like a mere weapon and more like something he could quite reasonably call an all-purpose tool.

The ability to turn it into anything—a gun, a sword, or armor—offered the undeniable advantage of responding flexibly to any situation. With a little creativity, he could get even more out of it.

And the key was the Unique Ability that had come with combining such compatible materials.

'... Amplified attack power, huh.'

It had ended up more like all-purpose equipment than a weapon, but its primary purpose would still be attacking other people. For something like that, this was a top-class bonus effect.

It was simple and straightforward, which made it easy to use. Aiden in particular specialized in forming supernatural power and firing it at his opponents. He could practically consider it an amplification of every attack he made.

'I can already think of a few good combinations.'

Combined with its freely adjustable shape, dozens of ways to deploy those released attacks tactically and strategically were already flashing through his head.

'... It really does remind me.'

There couldn't be many smiths capable of working Star Iron, and fewer still who could mix ectoplasm into it. Ganesha's ability to find him someone like that overnight was impressive.

Even if he'd added a few unnecessary comments.

["Indeed. An exceptionally skilled artisan. A very versatile youngster. Shall I arrange a meeting sometime?"]

["..."]

["It should be an interesting experience. I'll make sure you meet."]

["... No, there's really no nee—"]

["I said I'll arrange a meeting, didn't I?"]

Aiden's face twisted involuntarily as he recalled that exchange.

Something about it gave him an ominous feeling that made him want no part of that meeting, but in any case—

["Getting full of yourself over nothing. Utterly pathetic. A weapon like that couldn't even scratch m—"]

"Want to die just ten more times today?"

["..."]

"Since I've got some new equipment, trying it out on you doesn't sound like a bad idea. Agreed?"

["..."]

As Aiden swiftly silenced Reaver's latest attempt at talking nonsense, Meyer turned his head again.

There stood the second reason the atmosphere was so different from usual.

"... But," Meyer said, sounding bewildered, "who's this?"

Specifically, he meant the woman standing beside Aiden with a broad smile.

Aiden dragged a hand down his face and answered.

"Say hello, senior. This is—"

"Hello!"

Before he could finish, the woman beside him bowed her head to Meyer.

She wore only a simple set of light armor. Long, flowing blond hair. Blue eyes. A light dusting of freckles across her face.

Below that face, however, it was difficult to find a patch of skin without scars. Her body bore the marks of a seasoned warrior, someone who had clearly brushed with death time and again.

Yet in stark contrast to that fearsome array of scars, her sunny smile was the very picture of carefree innocence.

"I'm Teresa Adelaite! This man here killed me once!"

"..."

"When I came to, I was suddenly here, and I heard the Knight of Dawn was here too! I have so, so much respect for you!"

"..."

"Wow, I still vividly remember being hit by something you created! It hurt like death! Actually, it did kill me a second time! Speaking of dying, that reminds me of my very first battle!"

Meyer's face went blank.

Seeing that expression on the Knight of Dawn was quite unexpected, but Aiden could hardly blame him. Anyone swept up in that level of enthusiasm would react the same way.

... Meyer was probably feeling exactly what Aiden had felt when he'd first spoken to Teresa.

"—Wow, I really thought I was going to die back then. I think all that saved me was the training I'd drilled into my muscles day after day! So when Aiden here just told me you train every night, even though I don't understand any of what's going on, I thought I'd like to give it a try—"

"..."

Meyer's gaze slowly returned to Aiden.

Beside them, Teresa's speech continued without end...

"Hey."

"Yes?"

"Is this the girl you called the Lord Protector or whatever?"

"Yes."

As for why she was here, it was thanks to this.

-Item Info

[ Soul Connector: Modified ] [ Special Equipment ]

[ A bracelet containing the supreme soul 'the Knight of Dawn.' Grants entry to < Mindscape >, a unique space that those who have attained mastery can open. Within this space, you can make direct contact with spirits. ]

[ Through the effects of 'Special Ectoplasm,' you may summon a spirit of your choice from among those you have come into contact with. However, the spirit must have previously manifested in the physical realm. ]

▶ Selected Spirit: 'Lord Protector,' Teresa Adelaite

That was how it had happened.

Honestly, Aiden had been startled himself once he'd somehow brought her back.

To think this was the same person who had once tried to tear him apart without a word.

And though being forcibly brought back from death like this ought to have confused her, she had grasped, understood, and accepted the entire situation in mere minutes.

["Huh, so I've died twice and come back twice?"]

["... Yes."]

["And you were the one who killed me the second time?"]

["... Yes. I'm sorr—"]

["No, no! Now that I think about it, I think I was trying to kill you then too! So we're even, right?"]

... Just like that.

It had left Aiden, who had been doing his utmost to calm her down, utterly bewildered.

Now, as Meyer regarded him with a dubious look, Aiden quietly met his eyes.

"She's a knight impressive enough to earn a special title?"

"..."

"Really?"

... Wasn't the normal thing to ask in this situation how he'd brought her back?

Come to think of it, Meyer missed the point quite often too...

▣

One thing was certain: Teresa was every bit as unhinged as her boundless enthusiasm suggested.

"Ahahahaha! This is fun!"

"..."

After experiencing this Mindscape's signature attraction, 'sparring while dying over and over,' Teresa burst into cheerful laughter. Meyer and Reaver looked equally appalled.

"You keep coming back no matter how many times you die? That's the best! You could get stronger so fast!"

"Right?!"

"..."

... Their expressions soured even further when they saw Aiden wholeheartedly agreeing with her.

They plainly hadn't expected her to hit it off with a lunatic like him...

And Teresa clearly wasn't just being polite. The window appearing before Aiden's eyes proved it.

-System Message

▶ Target 'Teresa Adelaite's' affection has increased.

▶ You may copy 1 skill.

Aiden blinked at the sight.

The fact that this could earn him a skill was surprising enough, but...

'Before, this definitely...'

He had raised Teresa's affection before, but hadn't he received a large amount of Points for buying potions instead of a skill that time?

Apparently, now that she was somehow 'alive and able to interact,' he could copy and use her skills.

'... Even if I normally can't copy someone's skills, I can get them somehow as long as I can interact with them.'

Another new discovery.

His skill copying could work on anyone, provided they met the conditions of being 'alive' and 'having emotions.'

In short, as long as the prerequisite of 'affection' was met, he could take skills regardless of who the target was. Even someone who had died and come back.

"..."

A few ways to exploit that property immediately came to mind.

There were several targets whose skills he absolutely wanted to acquire.

Until now, he'd only entertained the thought because approaching them was out of the question. But knowing this, he had good reason to set his sights on them.

Take that monster serving as the Pontiff's bodyguard knight in the Holy Kingdom, for instance...

"So, Aiden."

While he was mulling that over, Dame Teresa grinned and spoke beside him. Like him, she had been beaten to a pulp, and her body was slowly knitting itself back together.

They had only just met, yet she was already addressing him with such familiarity. It really brought home how astonishingly friendly she was.

"Since you let me try something this fun, I'll at least hear you out."

"... Pardon?"

"You're doing something bad to Noel, aren't you?"

"..."

Without a doubt, that question had hit so close to home that he could hardly find an answer.