Chương 95: Twenty-Eight Is A Lot

Conclusion: It does indeed work very well. I had expected something good, but it had gone beyond my expectations. The 'Remember Me?' curse is a bit expensive to apply, but still within the bounds of reasonability. I also seemed to need physical contact to apply it, but that was more of a quirk about 'Cursed Steel' than the curse itself. My ability to cast curses came from my steel body, if the name was to be believed, so touch was the primary and most efficient method for me to use a curse on somebody…

In any case, I placed 'Remember Me?' on quite a few people inside the orphanage, most of them I did so by taking advantage of the fact that they were in deep slumber, but I did make sure to give a good fright to a few others as well while I was here. It had now been a few days since the curses had been applied, and the results were already impressive…

Not only was the aura of gloom much larger than I had thought it would be, but it seemed like its effects could stack with itself, so the fact that there were several bearers of the curse was causing the whole orphanage to boom with negative emotions. The range seemed to be… Fluid, I guess that would be the right word.

In general, it seemed to be rather standard, forming only about a sphere of five meters around the carrier, but if they stayed within an enclosed space for some time, the aura of gloom would start to spread like some sort of noxious gas. So, with everyone feeling so negative, and with the return of my nightly frights, people were staying inside more than usual–Though that was also due to the temperatures dropping lately. I could barely tell the difference, but the breath of people had become visible.

Thus, with everyone staying inside, auras had spread to the entire orphanage, causing nearly crippling amounts of negativity in the residents and caretakers. Some held on better than others, but things were only going downhill for them as the nightmares soon began again. This is glorious. I don't even need to get inside at night to scare anyone. I can just sit outside and act like I was just doing my job while everything was getting bad and worse inside the orphanage.

I could just focus on gathering information on the wandering automaton that wanted me dead. Unfortunately, that thing seemed to have gotten better at evading detection after a few close encounters. If I had any doubts that it was Leton's creation, the fact that this thing had never done more than take a swing at a few knights who barely got a bruise from it would have been enough to dispel any suspicion. Only he would create something so unwilling to get rid of the obstacles hindering its purpose…

But that wasn't good for me. I had no real clue how powerful that thing was as a result. It had used its cunning to get out of disadvantageous situations, not pure brawn. For all I knew, that thing could have slaughtered its way through armoured knights if it had been allowed to. I doubt Leton would send something weak after me. He knows that I survived encounters with several powerful individuals. He may be a little treacherous coward, but he wasn't stupid. I'll have to be on the lookout…

Lacking in intel, I could just keep focusing on the task at hand. People were talking about the robbery that had taken place at the Bombidour manor a lot, but I didn't care to hear about my own exploits. Say, Nara–What would happen if more than one person were to enter the final stage of the nightmares? I can't be in two places at the same time. Would their nightmares be fused into one? That is something I don't know. I would have to experience such an event to know Mmh… I wondered about that because 'Remember Me?'

was extremely efficient… or maybe I had been way too heavy-handed with the amount I cast on people. The orphanage is like a sauna for negative emotions and horrifying nightmares at this point. It looks more like I unleashed a plague inside of there at this point. In less than a week, the situation has gone from business as usual to utter chaos. The caretakers are surprisingly resilient–Must be from dealing with devilish spawnlings so much–But they can't do anything against the curse.

People are having nightmares in droves, and the negativity in the air makes things worse. Those affected are failing their trials at high rates. I don't know if it's solely because of their near lack of positive emotions lately, or if it also has to do with the massive boost my curse nature received, which caused the nightmares to sort of evolve, possibly rendering them much harder to actually survive consistently…

Unfortunately, Nara is only able to speak freely about the nightmares and such when I am inside one, so she can't really give me a breakdown of what is going on. Also, I presumed that Heltna was busy at home due to my larceny and wouldn't be able to show up at the orphanage rapidly to try and deal with the problem–Though, with both 'Remember Me?' and the nightmares to deal with, even her noble talent might not be enough to deal with things properly, especially now that all of this was stronger than ever.

I am loving it. My heist was successful in all aspects, and I gained a genuinely good spell. A spell! Curses were spells, meaning that after all these years, and after being told that I was as untalented as it could get, I had actually become capable of magic! Ahahah, my magic instructors were hacks, I always knew it! I just needed to get crushed, rot for nearly a quarter of a century, get sliced up and buried a few times, and rob nobility… It sounds bad, but I think it's very good.

"... Did you hear? That steel golem thing has apparently been spotted nearby!"

"... Steel golem? Do you mean the wild automaton? Don't listen to the rumours, everyone and their mothers claim to have seen that thing recently… Just wait until everyone grows bored of this thing, and no one will say they've seen it. You know why? Because they are filthy liars looking for attention!" Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

"... Huh… Come on now. It can't be all lies! It was my fiancée who told me she wouldn't just lie to me like this, right?"

"... She definitely would""... Hey!" It is pretty hard to tell what's true and what's false these days. Anytime something is a bit popular, the liars and attention-seekers come out of the woodwork, muddying the truth with their dirty deceptions. That foul machine could be nearby, and I wouldn't know about it because of this nonsense. It was fine, though.

I was confident that it wouldn't just enter the city, and even if it did, there were good chances that it wouldn't be able to tell that Maya, The Silent Knightess, and Mara, The Abomination Of Steel, were one and the same. Leton had no way of knowing that I even had more than a single form. He could only know the description of my 'Base Form', which was completely different from the elegant and appealing female knight I currently was… So, I did not worry and checked on the available upgrades for me to pick from.

I had been checking them out ever since I properly digested Anathema, but the number of options I was given was high, and as it turns out, I was given six opportunities to pick a new upgrade. … It actually felt a bit low, considering just how much I devoured and feasted upon the curses, but for some reason, according to Nara. There was some sort of function associated with my acquiring of experience when devouring items relating to either of my natures.

To put it in simple terms, there was basically a clause that was made to shaft and prevent me from abusing the acquisition of experience in this manner. The experience acquired decreased if I ate too much in succession, and apparently, this limitation was well-designed enough to know if I was hoarding and act accordingly if I attempted to just eat things little by little over a long period of time. The only exceptions to this rule were especially rare or unique things.

Those would give the appropriate amount regardless of anything. It was a bit annoying to know that there was an experience cop built into me, but I suppose it made sense. Nara had said many times that the reasons she couldn't just reveal things to me were not only so that I would explore things myself, but also to challenge me. Using this logic, it wasn't unexpected that there would be more things intended to ensure that my progression wouldn't be smooth sailing…

And besides, the heist had still yielded incredible results. Six choices were enormous considering the time I usually took to get just one these days. Not to mention… There were a whole bunch of new upgrades I had never seen before. I wasn't certain whether I should pick the more alluring upgrades that promised brand-new abilities, or pick simpler upgrades that simply made me stronger and better.

If I only had my 'Base Form', I would do a mix of the two, but I had access to more forms and would be gaining more in the future. So I felt that my 'Base Form' shouldn't be the one to specialise in certain areas, and instead be made into a more 'middle of the road' form, a form that I could assume in any situation if my other forms did not cut it. But also… I was fairly certain that some of the more exotic options were part of the keys needed for me to unlock certain upgrades…

So, I should probably still go for a mix of the two regardless… Reinforced Frame – Your entire body becomes sturdier, reducing all physical damage.

Hydraulic Limb – One limb of your choice gains piston-like strength, greatly increasing things like jump or lifting power Magnetic Core – You can generate a localised magnetic field, attracting or repelling metallic objects Gyroscopic Balance – Internal gyroscopes prevent you from being easily knocked down or disoriented Shock Dampeners – Reduce all fall and impact damage by a large amount Drill Arm (R) – Replaces your right arm with a rotating drill capable of piercing through armour or rock Retractable Claws – your body gains compact blades that extend from your fingertips Reinforced Spine – Increases flexibility and prevents structural damage from torsion or crushing Anchor Feet (Spike) – Spike-tipped feet allow for stability on piercable surfaces Anchor Feet (Magnetic) – Magnetic feet allow perfect stability on metal surfaces Exhaust Vent – You can store and release pressurised steam Altered Thermostat - This upgrade allows you to control the temperature of your body, capable of reaching extremes I'm All Ears - Improves your hearing Machine Stare - Your main eyes become capable of seeing electrical currents Bloodhound - Your body forms a small box, enhancing your sense of smell Repair Protocol - You can now choose to enter a special state of dormancy that will greatly enhance the progress of natural regeneration A Surprise For You - Your ribcage area will be modified into an enclosed, hidden cavity containing an extra limb equipped with a spoon-like protuberance, capable of surging out Hydraulic Bite - Your maw gains a great strength boost Sawing Maw - Your maw gains a layer of small blades that move rapidly, tearing into prey Death Roll Maw - Your maw becomes capable of rotating, allowing you to imitate an alligator's death roll Vibrating Maw - Your maw gains the ability to vibrate, allowing you to cut right through solid objects Smoke Machine - Your body forms a machine capable of manifesting smoke, allowing you to make a quick escape Smoke Spout - Smoke Machine Upgrade - Smoke can be spat from your maw with force and directed More Options - Music Box Upgrade - The music box gains more songs Hammer Head - Without damaging your balance, your steel skull grows heavier Purple Flash - Your eyes grow exceptionally bright for a moment, emitting a blinding light Silver Wires - Your body forms silver wires, capable of conducting lightning through them Let's Check The Weather Up Here, Shall We?

- Increases height by five centimeters, bringing an appropriate increase in weight, strength, and alike I already tend to overthink my choices of upgrades… But twenty-eight options?! Couldn't you just give me ten? Or even better, just six, so I just take everything and shrug things off? Some of these upgrades are quite attractive, though… Nara, I am going to need your wisdom.