Chương 202: An Unpleasant Visit

This meeting somehow felt simultaneously very enlightening and also dull beyond belief. There was just something about the personalities of these people who were supposed to be part of a secret organisation which actively slaughtered opponents and actively sought to cause chaos and destabilise governments that was simply not right… I was confident that they were indeed the right guys, but it somewhat felt like everyone present was a paid actor acting as mouthpieces for the real ones.

Obviously, I was with the real Leou, so this was unlikely unless I had somehow ended up with the only one of them who showed up in person. They were deeply unserious for the most part, and none of them seemed to have a personality that went along with anything else they showed–For example, the giant minotaur guy, Godgrod, was absolutely a bloodthirsty warrior.

I had missed his existence since he wasn't around before my crushing in the backroom, and since awakening, I had been too busy, but he was well-known as a head-hunter. Not an assassin since he was the opposite of stealthy, but a sort of mercenary who hunted down only the strongest and most dangerous of people… And from what I understood, it was all for the love of the game, yet he acted like using violence was a surprising idea when it was brought up during the meeting.

This was just one example, but just about everyone present, except for the bodyguards, showed contradictory traits and ideas throughout the meeting. Regardless… There was one thing that I wasn't able to understand, and it was about what they were actually building up toward–The reason for the organisation's existence… They needed a whole bunch of materials that were either obviously incredibly rare or that I had never heard of, for…

Something, it definitely sounded like a summoning ritual, but I couldn't be certain. Leou was pretty clear that it wasn't something that could be spoken of in detail, even during the meetings. The people at the table all knew, but they weren't allowed to actively speak about it outside of a few key details, such as the materials they were seeking. However, the snow leopard assured me that the end result would be incredible.

Apparently, Ergonip had been working on this project for longer than the combined lifespan of everyone who had been inside the room. He had turned himself into an undead to continue pursuing this objective, and apparently, the list of required items was drastically smaller than it had originally been. Which definitely spoke to the sort of madness that was in the work… However, with how distant and nebulous this all was, it didn't really matter to me much for now.

Of course, considering what sort of being I was, as long as I wasn't destroyed, I would probably still be around when all of the items were gathered, but it was too far into the future for me to spare any care about it. I was instead more interested in adding more wires to my body, growing my resistance upgrades, cooking curses, and trying to figure out the proper way to use 'The Press'.

I had also been using the furnace to create a whole bunch of spectral servants, which could be used like normal, or as materials in 'The Press'... I was also spending a lot of my nights inside the Dreamscape, designing what Nara called the most evil pre-final trials in existence, actively making sure that the 'easiest' of them was still an absolute torture to go through. I wasn't planning on just testing the nerves and skills of my victims.

I was turning these nightmares into real tests of endurance as well, and with how the rules worked inside these trials I was making, one's martial or magical prowess was basically useless. If Rarelian and Tilimia were to face these, they would be likely to die… Not that it was going to happen, people who escaped the nightmares once became pretty much immune to them afterwards, so I would have to circumvent this, or kill them in the real world if I ever met them again.

Also, I had begun adding a little bit more variety to the pre-final trials. Most of them were about sitting in an office and fending off my clown gals, but I figured that I could spice things up with different kinds of challenges, not necessarily difficult ones, but the since I was making it all an endurance run, I was seeking to disturb the flow of the nightmare with something completely different, so that when they were thrown back into the main course, they would be off their game. Was it evil? No.

It was hilarious. How could something that makes me laugh be evil? In any case, since Leou didn't get any other victims for me to murder, I was able to finish up adding the wires to my body…

Aluminium Wires - Your body forms aluminium wires, capable of conducting lightning through them Nickel Wires - Your body forms nickel wires, capable of conducting lightning through them Copper, silver, gold, steel, tungsten, aluminium, nickel–Seven kinds of wires, all with slightly different properties, but ultimately, they all serve the same purpose of delivering lightning shocks to whoever and whatever I desire. Not long after I was done with the nickel wires, the system's prompts showed back up again.

You've successfully gained all seven kinds of wires. Four of which were earned through an alternative method. Congratulations! I see that you've also acquired an upgrade to your 'Faraday Box' with an ingenious trick–Very impressive! Thanks to your overall progress, discovery of the alternative method, and great efforts… I shall reveal to you the last upgrade you need to unlock the 'Wire Mess Form' Indeed, that is the form you have been working toward obtaining all this time. Your guess was correct! …

A further reward was requested by your assigned system… And it has been approved! Further upgrades that are not required to unlock the 'Wire Mess Form', but that will directly contribute to its strength, will now appear more frequently when you are given upgrade choices, and their price will be halved The last upgrade required to unlock the 'Wire Mess Form' is: 'Overvoltage' If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Overvoltage - Overcharge Upgrade - The lighting coursing through you reaches levels dangerous to you, but grants a massive bonus and a powerful coat of lightning Good luck in your future endeavours. Ask your assigned system for any further questions … It was more talkative than ever. Does this thing have its own personality as well? It does not. It simply uses automated responses to put on a show. It doesn't decide anything on the fly. Everything it does, it does because it was already approved by THE System I see…

So, is there anything else I need to know, judging from what it said at the end? From now on, you will receive hints more often when unlocking things relating to forms, though it seems not to be enforced equally for all forms from what I am seeing…

Some will require further progress for scraps to even be given out as clues, while others, it looks like it will just throw riddles your way Still, it looks quite good for unlocking more forms That's right, and it seems like forms can still be affected by upgrades I pick after unlocking them? I guess I already guessed this with the 'Molten Steel Form'. I had already assumed that upgrades that changed one of my arms into something like a buzzsaw would carry over into that form since I kept my arms in it.

Well, in the case of the 'Wire Mess Form', it turns out there are a bunch more wire-based upgrades. I don't quite know why there are so many of those specifically, but I think you can't get them for free as you did with the different types of wires… Mmh, I see… Anyway, 'Overvoltage', heh? I never saw this one before. Probably because it is an upgrade, to the upgrade of an upgrade–What a mouthful–But doesn't it seem pretty easy to get?

I just need to have a mechanist show up and crank up the power output a whole bunch. Honestly, it seems even simpler than 'Overcharge'... It looks like something that could happen by making a mistake while tinkering with my 'Faraday Box'. I'll pop into the Dreamscape and check how easy it actually is. With the mechanical genius I had within the Dreamscape, I was able to do it in just a few minutes. It indeed was as I suspected, it was only a matter of pushing the power output beyond what was safe.

This should be achievable even for a low-skill mechanist. I only needed to wait for Leou to find one willing to show up and work on what they would assume was just a weird-looking battle automaton. However, the world did not stop moving while I was waiting for things to happen, and in the early morning of one day. Someone showed up to speak to Leou, and the snow leopard asked me to be present during the encounter…

She often received people for all sorts of reasons, but she had never actually asked me to be directly present inside the room until now. Clearly, she didn't believe this was a friendly visit. The moment I saw the visitor, I understood why Leou was a slight bit worried… The individual was a rather tall man–Still shorter than me–With a stern look and an expression more frigid than a dead ice troll.

More importantly, his clothes indicated his nobility, and his neck twisted at a one-hundred-eighty-degree angle pretty obviously told me this was a Boorizar. Definitely not the greatest of signs. I stood next to Leou as she sat behind her desk, having a staring contest with the nobleman for a solid thirty seconds before she spoke up.

"I don't remember ever dealing with the Boorizar family or even any individual from the Boorizar family, for that matter. I was under the impression that my business ventures did not suit you. What's the point of this visit?"

"Miss Palf, I would first like to apologise for my father's behaviour in the past without your own father. It was unbecoming of his noble status to berate him so strongly–It is especially embarrassing considering that the Palf lineage is now amongst the richest of the country""I don't really hold a grudge anymore. Let's just get to the point""Very well. You must have heard how one of my nephews has been slain. We never found any traces of his body, but his lifestone has shattered…

I do not mean to throw any baseless accusations, but I know that you hold a friendship with Miss Salamandia, and you certainly know of my nephew's uncouth advances toward her""I am aware that Miss Salamandia can be a bit extreme in how she shows her disapproval. You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?" Leou raised an eyebrow–Her acting was immaculate.

"First of all, no, I do not know anything about this, and I doubt she does either–Second of all, why are you the one here, Sir? Shouldn't it be a job for the investigative branch of the crown? I know your family has ties with it, but isn't it a conflict of interest for members of the victim's family to be doing the investigations? His Majesty is very strict on such matters" The noble showed no clear reaction.

"The answer is simple. The investigative branch has already given up on the case. There is no lead. No proof. If not for the lifestone, we wouldn't even know if he was dead or alive. As such, it is our right as his family to look into this ourselves now that the investigation is over, no?"

"Ah, I see… Well, sorry that I can't be of help, but as much as Sahhi might have disapproved of your nephew's constant attempts at seduction, she isn't the sort to act like this. If she had done anything, it would have been by slapping or punching him directly. Her impulsiveness only extends in the heat of the moment… Have you talked to her?"

"Yes, but predictably, she only told me, and I quote: 'To go fuck myself, or my sister'... I expected such a response from her, but it still made it hard to learn anything""Well, I am once again sorry that I can't be of help, but I wish you luck" The noble's eyes suddenly came to resemble those of an owl.

"I am certain that you investigated Hulil, Miss Palf. So I would advise that you-" He stood up from his seat and tried taking a step forward. Which prompted me to do my job as a bodyguard and step in. I roared directly into his face, activating Embodiment Of Negativity, making the proud noble instinctively move away in a moment of fright.

"This… I see that you've surrounded yourself well, Miss Palf" He looked at me with emotion on his face, definitely wary that I was able to force him back without actually touching him. It was to the point that one of his hands had turned into a talon by reflex.

"Get the hell out of my office and take your accusations with you! I'll bring this up to His Majesty""... Very well. Know that I will not give up on discovering the truth""Do whatever you want, as long as you stay away from me" The noble didn't even take the stairs. He stepped into the hallway, opened a window, and turned into a monstrous owl to fly away.

"This was unexpected…"

"Leou, should I ma–make him disappear–ear?" The snow leopard shook her head.

"Let's calm down for now…"