novelraw Chapter 100
Chapter 100
Chapter 100
I could use magic?
Me, of all people?
Good grief.
That meant I no longer had to rely on makeshift spells like Alohomora (Physical) to unlock anything.
Nice—going forward, I was going to be the king of lockpicking.
Maybe my thoughts showed on my face, because Evangeline giggled above my head as if she found it amusing.
“Looks like you’re quite shocked! Well, even if you can use magic, it’ll still be hard without my help!”
“What kind of magic, specifically?”
It was always welcome to have more cards to play.
But no matter how small the card, knowing exactly how it worked in my hand made all the difference.
How was it used?
What could it do?
That was the first thing I needed to check.
Personally, it would be great if I could use a chained Avada Kedavra. I’d tried it in a game and it was amazing. Being Magic Hitler had long been my dream.
“Haha, your body’s already itching to try, huh? But it’s greedy to try running before you can even take your first step. First, Aaron, I was going to test what you can do by showing you myself… but wait, where is this place?”
“It’s a colony owned by our group.”
“Colony? I sense quite a bit of magic around here… is this a place to cultivate Mystics? For that, it’s awfully messy…”
“No, monsters just barged in without permission. I was in the middle of driving them out of this area.”
“Ah, unwelc… unwel… what was it again?”
“Unwelcome guests.”
“Yes, that’s it! They’re perfect for a little test then.”
Evangeline soon waved her hand through the air.
The module I’d equipped detected the mana she released and began blaring warning signals.
The moment they felt Evangeline’s mana, countless Mystics started swarming toward us.
Forest Goblins, Vine Flora, Forest Wolves, Tree Shadows, Tree Spirits, Forest Imps—mobs of all kinds appeared, and Evangeline smiled with confidence.
“The targets have appeared.”
“Aren’t you a witch? Shouldn’t you be friendly with things like that?”
“Half of this body right now was made borrowing your blood and soul. So I’m half human, and of course I feel no hesitation in killing Mystics.”
“That’s sophistry. You just hate monsters, don’t you?”
“Fufu, you caught me.”
From the start, Evangeline had been the type of witch who liked humans more than other witches did, keeping some distance from monsters.
That was why she could form a comradely bond with the human protagonist without hesitation.
“Well, in any case, just watch closely.”
Saying that, Evangeline instantly constructed a magic circle and completed her chant before the monsters could even rush us. Enormous magical power began to dwell in her body.
“Now, Aaron! Reach out your hand!”
Evangeline shouted urgently.
The moment I reached forward to match her request—
Whoooosh—!
Like a flamethrower, massive flames swept over the approaching enemies.
The monsters, engulfed in fire, couldn’t even put up a fight before turning to ashes, and the surroundings were cleared in an instant.
“Oh…”
I—I actually used magic…!
Ever since I’d possessed this body, I’d avoided showing emotions outwardly, but at that moment I couldn’t help letting out a word of awe.
The sensation was completely different from using a module. The magic circle Evangeline built passed through my muscles and blood vessels, took on my own color, and finally manifested in line with my will. It felt refreshing.
Apparently satisfied with my reaction, Evangeline chuckled and tapped my head lightly.
“Well? Amazing, right? Impressive, right? Don’t you think making this contract was worth it? Hurry and praise me!”
“Yeah, well done.”
“Eek! Praise me properly!”
“Do you want me to pat your head or something?”
“I do!”
“Then first, get down from my shoulder. I can’t reach.”
“No! Praise me like this!”
“…”
What was this? A puppy who didn’t want to give the ball back but still wanted you to throw it?
Honestly, she had so many demands.
From this exchange, I was sure now—this one seemed quite different from the Evangeline I knew.
Sure, the platinum-blonde hair and red eyes, and the fact she could use magic as a witch, were the same. But her personality and behavior were clearly different.
‘So is that why I’m not getting points?’
It was too big of a gap to chalk it up to her simply becoming a child.
The original Evangeline had been more of an elegant princess type than this mischievous, cat-like brat.
‘And frankly, the magic’s power itself is about on par with a standard Level 3 to Level 4 module.’
If you’re coldly judging purely by efficiency, then carrying around a little kid slung over my neck was less effective in both firepower and performance than just equipping a flamethrower module.
Even so, if you asked me whether I regretted saving Evangeline, the answer would be no.
Because—it’s magic.
Where else would I get to experience magic, even like this? The satisfaction of gaining an ability others couldn’t have, no matter how much money they had, was a full 100%.
While I was thinking that—
“Uh, uh-oh? Aaron, look over there…”
Evangeline suddenly made a flustered noise for some reason.
I turned my gaze toward the direction her small finger was pointing, and something was moving there.
“A troll.”
It seemed that, because it was a monster with incredibly thick hide and exceptional regeneration, it alone had survived while the other Mystics burned to death in the fire.
Its stiff fur was still ablaze, and beneath the blackened, charred hide that had peeled away, I could see muscles and bones that had started to burn but hadn’t finished.
I had dealt it significant damage, but because I hadn’t killed it outright, its body was slowly regenerating.
I could see newly grown, bright red muscles filling in the hollowed, burnt gaps.
“Th-this is impossible! Normally, trolls can’t withstand this level of magic! Unless there’s a spot nearby that’s undergone Otherworld Transformation…”
“They say there are three suspected points of Otherworld Transformation in this area. Judging by how the environment here’s also been affected, I’d guess the center is somewhere nearby.”
“Oh? S-so this wasn’t the original interior?”
It seemed Evangeline had thought the grass, mold, and moss sprouting all over the factory had always been there.
“F-for now, fall back!”
“Wouldn’t it be fine to just use that magic one more time?”
“T-that’s impossible. It’ll take a little time before I can use it again. And if the Otherworld Transformation has started, then taking care of just that one won’t solve anything—ah!”
Before she could even finish, several more trolls with thick, dark-brown fur appeared.
It seemed they had sensed the danger to their companion.
“T-this many is dangerous. We should retreat, make a new plan, and—wait, why are you going forward?!”
“Just stay quiet and watch.”
I wanted to try taking them out with magic again, but since that wasn’t possible, it was a bit disappointing. Still, I’d found the secret lab, met Evangeline, and used magic—so I’d had enough fun.
It was time to focus back on my main job.
“Module Online, [Cloud Spider].”
Activate the module.
Snap my fingers.
One second was all it took.
Snap.
I lightly moved my fingers and shot threads at the trolls.
Thousands of threads, so thin they were invisible to the eye, instantly turned the enemies’ bodies into small pieces of meat.
Shhhhhh—!
The things that had made up their bodies became an unrecognizable red pulp at a single snap of my fingers.
Careful not to step in the puddles of blood they’d left, I began walking forward.
“Time to move on to the next location. Evangeline?”
“……”
“Evangeline.”
“Uh? Y-yes?!”
She suddenly used polite speech.
“Why didn’t you answer?”
“…N-no reason, sir.”
What was she saying?
“We’re heading somewhere more dangerous now. I don’t expect any problems, but be prepared for anything, and make sure you don’t fall.”
“…!”
At my words, Evangeline hugged my head tightly as if determined not to fall off.
Honestly, I considered telling her to get down because it was a little bothersome, but keeping track of whether she was following me would be more of a hassle.
In the past, Aaron’s ego would never have allowed this kind of situation.
After clearing Act 4 of Part 1, a lot of restrictions had been removed, and it definitely felt more convenient now.
I held Evangeline’s legs to make sure she didn’t fall and began moving slowly.
Before long, she suddenly called my name.
“Ah, Aaron…”
“What is it?”
Her voice sounded strangely scared.
When I answered, she went quiet for a moment, then spoke with difficulty.
“I’m sorry for acting up…”
It seemed I’d successfully instilled manners.
Cyberspace.
A virtual electronic world.
Ciel, having been part of a generation used to the internet, had thought she knew all about cyberspace.
But the moment she put her consciousness fully into cyberspace via the ‘Deep Dive Port,’ a completely new world began unfolding before her—different from anything she had imagined.
‘Woooow…’
Before Ciel stood a massive wall.
A Security Wall.
In reality, it was nothing but a clump of code with no physical form at all.
The reason it was given the name and concept of a wall was purely for the convenience of its users.
But right now, in her eyes, it looked as if an incredibly tall and massive fortress was blocking her path.
[ Ciel. Disable this security on your end. ]
Iri’s voice came through, and an image of Iri speaking directly into her mind appeared vividly in her head.
Following the instructions, Ciel began searching for a vulnerability in the Security Wall.
As she examined various spots in order to break through, she soon found an area that felt off.
When she shifted her gaze toward it, a lock naturally appeared.
‘So this is why you need a Wizard.’
The image of this ‘lock’ was formed from her accumulated hacking knowledge combined with the various modules and devices that aided it.
Even for someone well-versed in hacking and security, finding a vulnerability through such a visual image was impossible.
But a Wizard could place their consciousness entirely inside the machine, transforming what would normally be a matter of staring down lumps of code and pounding away at a keyboard into a problem solved through entirely different senses.
“Please wait just a moment~”
Ciel pulled out a bunch of glowing keys from her pocket.
It was the image of her hacking module, visualized in virtual space.
When she found the key that fit the lock in the Security Wall, inserted it, and turned it, the massive fortress that had been blocking her disappeared, replaced by an ordinary door.
At the same time, the calculation unit in her head, which had been whirring energetically, found the solution and promptly drifted back to sleep.
The complicated process left her tired, but along with it came a strange sense of satisfaction.
‘Maybe I really do have talent.’
The sensation felt almost addictive, and she barely managed to suppress the smile tugging at her cheeks.
Truly, she had been dragged into a world where nothing good had happened to her, but this work alone was so enjoyable she could endure it.
‘I should thank Lord Aaron~’
If it weren’t for him, she would have lived and died as the original Ciel, just a simple maid android.
Surpassing that fate to gain such abilities was without a doubt largely thanks to him.
With that thought, Ciel cheerfully flung open the door that had been closed.
If things kept going like this, she felt sure she could become an indispensable member of the team.
And then—
“H-huh…?”
Ciel sensed an anomaly.
Beyond the door she had opened—
Something unknown was breathing.