Busheng's robe suddenly rippled.
Mithra swiftly dodged. Several insect-like limbs extended, their saw-like blades at the tips swinging wildly.
Mithra blocked a few of the closest limbs, then placed a hand on her sword.
The eyes etched on the sword briefly opened. Those Eyes of Night swiveled to look at Busheng, then lazily and swiftly closed again.
Blade of the Hunter!
Busheng had just stood up. His heart jumped. He felt only a gust of wind, and half of his body was severed!
Mithra shot upwards again, catching up to his backward-flying upper torso, and delivered a swift kick to his head.
Crack!
Busheng's neck snapped directly ninety degrees.
The minor objective achieved, Mithra intended to continue the pursuit, but suddenly heard Leon's shout from behind: "Behind you, Mithra!"
Too late.
Swish!
Several limbs slashed across Mithra's chest. The skin-colored blades were stained with blood and bits of flesh.
Mithra spun around, finding that the severed lower half of Busheng's body had sprouted grotesque eyes at the cut, and even opened a gaping maw, lined with uneven sharp teeth. Those eyes greedily fixed on Mithra. The mouth opened and closed, then directly lunged toward Mithra's face.
"Roar!"
When Mithra's head was swallowed by that mouth, a bestial growl suddenly erupted from within it.
The monster, consisting solely of Busheng's lower body, suddenly twitched violently.
Water blades swiftly slashed through, cutting the monster to pieces and rescuing Mithra.
Mithra's mouth was filled with crimson. As soon as she was freed, she coughed violently, spitting out large amounts of blood.
Leon quickly supported Mithra, his hands rapidly drawing the water totem. Then, one hand steadying Mithra, the other pulled out the limb that was still embedded in Mithra's body.
[Pure Water: A Water miracle. A healing miracle that condenses Pure Water. This is a flowing force drawn from nature.]
Mithra felt a cool sensation permeate her body, and her regeneration speed increased by a fraction.
Leon watched in astonishment as, after all the foreign limbs were removed, Mithra's entire body instantly returned to its original perfect state. Even the tears in her clothing shrank and mended!
His Pure Water spell was truly somewhat redundant.
"You can use Self-recovery miracles? No, what kind of Self-recovery miracle can even repair fabric?" Leon always felt that nothing he witnessed would surprise him much, but this he had truly never witnessed.
Mithra coughed a few more mouthfuls of blood, speechless for a moment.
Leon didn't press further, helping Mithra sit down to rest first.
Mithra cast Calmness upon herself first.
Ding~.
She wasn't vomiting her own blood; Mithra simply didn't possess that volume of internal bleeding.
When that lower-half monster bit Mithra's head, Mithra, without hesitation, transformed her own head into a beast and bit back, gnawing at the opponent before being gnawed herself.
The beast-transformed Mithra didn't prioritize delicacy. This time, she truly ate her fill. It was just that the rapid reversion back to human Mithra made her extremely nauseous.
Moreover, she suspected she had consumed something truly unclean.
[Event – "Chrysalis" Curse]
[You have indeed consumed something unclean. You may choose between the two solutions below.]
[Naflay's Gift: Second Mouth. It can also assist you in consuming noxious substances. Cost: It still requires sustenance. You may also use yourself to feed it.]
[Lebionce's Gift: Your body will become immune to all special corrosive external forces (excluding our power). Cost: Regeneration ability will be lowered by a certain margin, and regeneration side effects will be nullified.]
[Please choose.]
"The first one." Mithra deliberated for less than 5 seconds before making her choice.
It wasn't that the second option was bad, but regeneration, despite its discomfort, was inherently superior. Without the side effects, learning miracles wouldn't be as easy to manage.
Pain is pain; let's express gratitude to Lebionce for now.
[Lebionce's Signature: Hmph.]
Suddenly, Mithra felt a slight itch on her chest. Before she could carefully discern it, a surge of hunger rushed to her head, but the intense discomfort from consuming the lower-half monster quickly vanished.
Mithra clutched her chest, looking up.
"Feeling better?" Leon inquired.
Mithra nodded: "Where are those other figures?"
"They fled when you were restrained."
"Hmph." They escaped once more.
These slime tricks were truly too numerous. Mithra somewhat desired to learn Flesh Transmutation, but considering she already possessed beast transformation and Stranger within her, and her mental state was already quite robust, adding another mouth now—well, the more the merrier, it couldn't be better. Or perhaps it was wiser to pretend it didn't exist for the time being.
Around them, the monster's severed flesh was still twitching, not having completely lost its vitality.
["Chrysalis" Cursed Being: A high-concentration "Chrysalis" organism. Its limbs will not lose vitality after severance. Under conditions of abundant flesh, it will coalesce into a Cursed Being. When insufficient, its vitality will gradually disappear over time, turning into ordinary chunks of flesh.]
After slicing some pieces of flesh that seemed capable of transforming into Cursed Beings into small cubes, ensuring no further Cursed Beings would emerge, Mithra and Leon finally concluded their grim task.
"It seems they are the 'Chrysalis' individuals," Leon observed, condensing water to wash his hands, then helping Mithra clean some bloodstains from her body.
"You are familiar with 'Chrysalis'?"
"Of course. That organization is quite well-known on Earth, a terrifying force composed of Believers. After supernatural phenomena like miracles appeared, it is quite logical for such groups to emerge, isn't it?" Leon said matter-of-factly.
"Tell me about them," Mithra commanded.
"Just a collective of mice obsessed with Flesh Transmutation, who believe they have discovered a shortcut to acquiring power. They developed their influence on Earth and spread it into the Dream Nexus, though they remain nothing more than that—not a major power."
"Are their members also those Flesh slimes?"
"What is a slime?"
"A mobile mass of excrement capable of shapeshifting at will."
"Ugh~, what an unpleasant thing... But your description is precisely accurate. Indeed, they study Flesh Transmutation miracles without any moral restraint, arbitrarily altering their own bodies, ultimately resulting in this dreadful state," Leon said, glancing at the clearly less animated flesh mass on the ground.
"What kind of activities do they usually engage in?"
"That, I am uncertain about. Who can truly fathom the thoughts of terrorists? However, the 'Chrysalis' organization rarely causes such massive disturbances. Xyrin City hasn't faced an assault like this in a long time. This situation won't conclude well," Leon sighed.
While they conversed, the Xyrin City Guard finally arrived on the scene.
"Mithra and Crab!? Why are you two here?" Redwyn, wearing a simple, temporary guard uniform, followed the Guard team, instantly shouting as he saw the two standing amidst the ruins.
"Speaking of which, what's the situation with you all?" Mithra paid little attention to the wary guards. Noticing Redwyn's uniform, then looking at Leon's more casual attire, she asked curiously.
Leon, with a calm expression, explained their internship situation to Mithra.
Mithra nodded, deeming it quite beneficial, similar to a different form of military conditioning.
The Xyrin City Guard surrounded the scene, and then a captain-like figure stepped forward.
Leon held Mithra back, proceeding himself to communicate with the authorities.
A moment later, Leon returned to Mithra's side and reported: "As anticipated, this isn't being handled smoothly. Even though I explained our identities, they insist on a thorough investigation. We've caused complications. My status as an Earth student is fine, but your status as a returnee, directly intruding on the scene, is problematic."
"It doesn't matter; I will cooperate fully."
Leon nodded, then walked with Mithra to follow the Guard team, preparing to comply and vacate the area.
Suddenly, Leon turned his head and glanced back at the scene.
Strange…
Were those writhing chunks of flesh on the ground—weren't there fewer of them?
In a place he couldn't see, Mithra touched her chest, where a low rumble resonated.
...
Mithra sat in a simple room, with official Xyrin City guards posted outside.
After a prolonged wait, a tall, burly man entered the room. His face was rugged, covered in thick hair, and he exuded an imposing aura effortlessly. He wore red and gold interlocking armor.
"Greetings, individual from the Enchanted Realm. I am Nino, Captain-General of the Xyrin City Border Guard," the man stated, offering a slight nod to Mithra as he introduced himself.
Mithra also returned a nod, and the man approached her.
"My apologies, you may be innocent, but Xyrin City hasn't experienced such a malicious event in many years. I must report this to my superiors first," Nino explained.
"I will cooperate to the best of my ability," Mithra confirmed.
"Thank you."
What followed was an exhaustive interrogation.
Unlike the precise questioning at the Earth placement center, Xyrin City seemed desperate for Mithra to divulge everything, whether relevant or not.
From Mithra's viewpoint, the process felt slightly unprofessional and perhaps excessive, but as a person under suspicion, she was not in a position to voice such criticisms.
"Do you have any comprehension of the suspects you mentioned?" Nino inquired.
This question was somewhat pertinent. Mithra answered honestly: "My understanding is limited; I only heard a few theories." She then relayed the intelligence she had gathered from Leon.
Nino frowned: "A faction adept at Flesh Transmutation miracles? To what degree can their Flesh Transmutation be realized?"
"I am unsure myself. At least, treating one's own body as historical... clay, molding it arbitrarily, seems quite effortless for them," Mithra offered.
Nino nodded. At this moment, another guard entered from outside and delivered a brief report to Nino.
After the guard withdrew, Nino turned back to Mithra, speaking seriously: "Regrettably, our personnel have found no traces of what you described in the vicinity of the incident site. Although there are indeed signs of a skirmish as you mentioned, this evidence is insufficient to clear you of suspicion."
Mithra tilted her head, giving him a questioning look.
"Did absolutely no one else witness those five Flesh Transmutation Believers? Before the incident or afterward?"
"Unfortunately, no suspicious individuals were seen near the area, either prior to or following the incident. There are a few eyewitness accounts from the time of the explosion, but the majority of the populace was focused solely on escaping the danger zone, so verifiable testimony is scarce," Nino stated, shaking his head.
"Logically, aside from the explosion itself, these individuals seem to have materialized from thin air and then vanished just as quickly?" Mithra probed.
Nino confirmed this with a nod.
Mithra paused, then suddenly suggested: "Is it possible they utilized disguise?"
"Hmm?"
"The scope of Flesh Transmutation's physical alteration isn't restricted to combat. From what I've observed, as long as sufficient effort is invested, it is entirely feasible for them to transform themselves into completely different people," Mithra presented her theory.
"...You have a valid point, but we still must proceed with the investigation. Until the inquiry concludes, your movements will be restricted," Nino seemed to accept Mithra's hypothesis, but his official capacity prevented him from making a definitive ruling.
"Ah," Mithra replied blandly.
Nino asked a few further questions. After receiving various answers, he bid Mithra farewell.
Following this, dedicated guards were assigned responsibility for monitoring Mithra. She was effectively barred from leaving this simple small house; she was under house arrest.
When Leon, Redwyn, and a female advisor arrived, they found Mithra engaged in a peculiar game of domesticity with her makeshift arsenal.
Four swords were braced against one hammer.
Mithra shifted one of the implements: "Evil Hammer Demon King, we four blades have overcome countless difficulties to challenge you!"
Then she shifted the hammer, deepening her voice: "Haha, four childish little swords, you dare challenge me, the Hammer Demon King? Watch as I beat you back to your greatsword mother!"
"..." Leon, Redwyn, and the others were rendered silent. The guards stationed at the door, who had been standing by quietly, had been listening for nearly an hour.
Mithra looked up, noticed the group, and calmly set down the weapons in her hands: "Ah, you've arrived."
"Cough cough, I assured you that you wouldn't face trouble because of that connection." Leon lightly coughed twice, smoothing over the situation.
"It was quite lenient, actually," Redwyn echoed.
The female advisor looked somewhat bewildered. What exactly was transpiring here?
In any case, initiating dialogue was the preferable course of action.
"Xyrin City is resolute in its decision not to release you. The primary issue is that you are not yet officially considered an Earthling, and even on our Earth side, your provenance and documentation are incomplete, making it impossible to satisfy the standards of Xyrin City here," the advisor, surnamed Xin, stated to Mithra with a somewhat grave expression.
"Hmm, that Captain-General gentleman already gave me a similar rundown," Mithra nodded.
"Proving my own innocence is straightforward, but my testimony regarding you has been dismissed. Even Xyrin City, which has meticulously cultivated its public image for so long, still exhibits deep distrust toward Enchanted Realm individuals when push comes to shove," Leon said, scratching his somewhat disheveled hair, looking notably less like a crab.
"But they can't just immediately declare Mithra the primary suspect, can they? That seems far too hasty," Redwyn attempted to offer reassurance.
"It's difficult to say." Advisor Xin's expression was equally grim. "This type of scenario has actually occurred many times. If we Earthlings become entangled in a dispute, even without definitive evidence, and in situations where probability is similar across suspects, we often end up being implicated purely due to our identity."
"That actually happens?" Redwyn sounded surprised.
"Typical Earthlings," Mithra commented expressionlessly, nodding with a flicker of dark appreciation.
"Although I don't grasp what you mean by 'typical,' Earth cannot offer you support right now. You must be feeling some apprehension," Leon remarked, a touch more seriously.
"Earth can't offer support? Mithra is about to take that social aptitude test! Once she passes, she'll officially be an Earthling!" Redwyn countered quickly.
"But she isn't yet, after all. Furthermore, Earth has maintained relations with Xyrin City for an extended period. It is highly unlikely they would jeopardize a relatively stable business relationship over this single factor. The initiative still rests entirely with Xyrin City," Leon analyzed calmly.
In his distress, he muttered, "I wonder if my family's influence could put in a good word..."
Advisor Xin, however, continued addressing Mithra: "But please, do not worry excessively. You were, after all, drawn into this predicament because you were attempting to safeguard our students. We absolutely guarantee we will exert maximum effort to advocate for you."
Mithra offered no immediate reaction.
This was because her primary motive at that moment wasn't entirely saving Leon. She mainly sought the commotion, then discovered the issue involved an "acquaintance" she had recently met, and thus, she intended to fulfill her personal promise: to twist Busheng's neck once.
"Then I have a question," Mithra inquired after a brief silence.
"Please, ask," Advisor Xin replied.
"If I were to take action against them here, would Earth still accept me?" Mithra stated casually.
The room fell into a moment of silence.
Hearing this, Advisor Xin, Leon, and even Redwyn couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Indeed, if Xyrin City insists on pressing charges, you are free to escape directly. Our academy will clear your name; it poses no issue," the advisor stated.
Leon's tone also relaxed considerably: "If this occurs on Earth, my family's connections are more than sufficient."
Redwyn added: "This approach suits your temperament much better."
The nearby guards: …
They were genuinely perspiring a little.
When plotting openly, could you at least switch to your Enchanted Realm dialect?!
Regardless, flipping the table was the last resort. Mithra did not wish to establish relations with a Dream Nexus city on such an antagonistic footing right from the outset.
Moreover, Xyrin City was backed by the Xyrin Empire. While Mithra suspected the people here wouldn't be so aggressively militaristic as to immediately declare war on an entire nation over such a minor incident, striving for a harmonious resolution was still preferable if she could avoid a tragic conclusion.
Failing that, she would simply become a Stranger.
Advisor Xin departed first, taking Leon and Redwyn along. This internship incident would likely cause the school administration significant trouble.
After a moment of quiet settled in the room, Mithra suddenly addressed the guard stationed at the door: "Do not be nervous, relax."
Guard: …
Mithra planned to resume her practice with her weapon dolls. As she rummaged through her bag, she unexpectedly discovered something potentially useful:
The Holy Sanctuary's Communication Slate.
"Hmm…"
Her half-Earthling status held no sway with Xyrin City. So, what about her half-Holy Sanctuary identity?
...
Nino entered the inner city under the cover of night, heading towards a hastily called assembly concerning this sudden confrontation.
However, he held no high expectations for the outcome of this meeting.
The inner and outer sectors of Xyrin City had already grown disconnected even during relatively peaceful times. To put it bluntly, the residents of the inner city wouldn't likely concern themselves much over such a minor disturbance.
When he reached the meeting hall, everyone was already seated and waiting.
"Since you're here, quickly report on the situation," one of the seated individuals said, rather impatiently.
Nino glanced around, sighed inwardly, then began to recount the incident, his subsequent investigation, the current progress, and everything concerning Mithra, holding nothing back.
"So the culprits are people from the Enchanted Realm?" As soon as he spoke, someone immediately interjected.
Nino frowned: "According to the investigation, the clues currently point precisely to people from the Enchanted Realm. Flesh Transmutation Believers are also a possibility..."
"I already warned you we shouldn't allow these Enchanted Realm individuals to operate freely in the city. Something was bound to happen sooner or later," the person directly interrupted. Even the rest of his statement seemed tangential to the immediate crisis.
"It's easy to say that. If we refuse to formally acknowledge them, can you truly stop them from activating their Transmission Points and acting as they please? At least by granting them a nominal status, everyone can be more rational and place Enchanted Realm people under a structured form of management."
"But now, you don't want to take responsibility when an incident occurs?"
"...The policy itself is sound. Xyrin City's condition has clearly improved after the Enchanted Realm people integrated. We hold no justifiable grounds for arrogance now."
"Then how should this matter be resolved?"
"..."
"Aside from the initial massive influx of Enchanted Realm people, Xyrin City hasn't experienced such a malicious event in a very long time. We absolutely must provide a clear explanation," another participant at the meeting spoke up at this moment.
"Haven't we apprehended an Enchanted Realm person? He is the perpetrator."
Nino's furrowed brow did not relax. Hearing this, he spoke again: "This matter is not yet confirmed..."
"The Third Sun Creation Project is approaching. An incident like this, which causes terrible public impact without necessarily inflicting massive physical harm, requires us to prioritize public appeasement. Reducing the overall impact to the lowest possible level, or eliminating it entirely, as swiftly as possible, is the utmost priority," an old man stated, his gaze fixed squarely on Nino, emphasizing each word towards the end.
Ever since the Sun Creation Project replica began, a significant portion of Xyrin City's finances had been diverted towards this venture. Many operational expenditures were cut repeatedly, including the budget allocated for Nino's border defense force.
With the reduction came, naturally, a corresponding decline in his influence.
"Then this matter will proceed accordingly..."
Suddenly, a guard entered the hall: "Reporting to everyone, the Holy Sanctuary Ambassador outside requests permission to attend the meeting."
"What does this matter have to do with them? Participate in what?" someone asked unhappily.
"But the Holy Sanctuary funds a substantial portion of the Sun Creation Project replica..."
"..."
"Invite them in first..."
...
Mithra observed Nino enter the room alongside a polite, dignified-looking man wearing a white hooded cloak.
"Good evening," Mithra greeted him.
Upon spotting the tower-like symbol on the man's clothing, Mithra instantly realized this must be the reinforcement Aoife had summoned for her.
Earlier, she had placed a call to Aoife using a Communication Slate. After exchanging pleasantries about minor recent happenings with Aoife, she had almost forgotten her own precarious situation.
And Aoife, being aware of Mithra's predicament, had immediately affirmed she would provide all possible assistance.
However, because Mithra hadn't explained the situation clearly, she could only continue waiting.
But evidently, she had underestimated the commitment behind Aoife's promise.
Indeed, her weapon acquisition endeavor had barely resumed before help arrived.
"Good evening, are you Miss Mithra?"
"That is me."
"I am Salomo, the Andemiriya Holy Sanctuary's ambassador to the Xyrin Empire in Xyrin City. Miss Aoife has briefed me on the entire situation," the man said, smiling as he shook Mithra's hand.
Mithra didn't reply immediately but looked towards Nino beside her.
Nino, seeing this, spoke up: "Miss, you have now received the Holy Sanctuary's guarantee. Although some aspects of the incident remain ambiguous, we will withdraw our current recommendation of suspicion against you."
"It's that straightforward?" Mithra hadn't truly assessed the Holy Sanctuary's influence within the Xyrin Empire, but their impact now seemed quite significant.
"Persuading people with logic. As long as we engage in proper discourse, everyone can always reach mutual understanding," Salomo maintained his steady smile.
Mithra observed Salomo for a moment.
You Holy Sanctuary people wouldn't happen to engage in white-washing, then black-washing, then white-washing again, would you?
Nino's expression also became subtly complex.
Salomo continued: "However, this incident has indeed created considerable disruption in Xyrin City. Therefore, I am here to present one request of you: I hope you can assist in investigating this attack. Of course, this aligns with Xyrin City's own immediate goals."
So that was the arrangement.
Assisting in the investigation was, in a sense, another method of binding Mithra. While it granted her freedom within Xyrin City, participating in various investigative procedures would severely restrict her ability to act independently, making it difficult to simply depart before clues were uncovered.
It was a gentler form of control.
Of course, Mithra could refuse, but Mithra was certain that refusal would likely result in her being politely escorted out of Xyrin City immediately afterward.
"I agree," Mithra answered.
She had arrived in Xyrin City without definitive answers to her doubts, and that group of slimes had provoked her twice—though the second instance was her own instigation—plus, she remained curious about the whereabouts of "Chrysalis."
It was evident that "Chrysalis" was also a Wandering God in an incomplete state due to certain factors.
Mithra currently lacked the capacity to confront a fully realized Wandering God, but probing an incomplete one was manageable, at the very least.
For the "main quest" assigned by the major figure, she would exert her full effort.
Hearing Mithra's reply, Salomo exchanged a look with Nino. Salomo showed no pronounced reaction, but Nino visibly exhaled a sigh of relief.
"Thank you for your cooperation," he said gratefully.
"No trouble, but right now, I have a very crucial priority," Mithra stated seriously.
"What is it?" Nino also sobered up.
"I am extremely hungry. I require sustenance, vast quantities of it," Mithra declared, clutching her chest.
Nino fought the urge to question why Mithra was clutching her chest while discussing hunger, managing only a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Salomo chuckled twice: "Alright, alright, absolutely. I shall arrange provisions for you immediately."
"Hmm, when I eat, I wish to be completely alone and undisturbed," Mithra added, pressing her advantage.
"That can be arranged," Salomo readily agreed.
But Nino felt a twinge of apprehension.