Chapter 181 – Elemental

000

The base of the organization Astarote was hidden where no one could know, but using the power of magic, it was possible to pass through the dimensional door connected to the back alley at any time, so there was no problem with manpower procurement or behind- the-scenes work.

In such a situation, the resistance of the human side has been strong lately, so the present is losing the camouflage base in the back alley one by one.

Nevertheless, Ishtal did not show any reaction, and recently, he was increasing his power by processing the humans he had captured and made into women one more time.

“────!!!”

The victim, whose limbs were immobilized, struggled as she felt the tentacles from the succubus penetrate her ears and penetrate her brain.

Even if he wanted to scream, he could n’t, and he just died mentally, feeling the sensation of his entire body his being rapidly remodeled.

Modifications accompanied by powerful pleasure substances are soon… It ends by pulling the tentacle out of the ear it entered while making a sound.

Eyes, nose, mouth… And in places where they can’t bear to look at the woman who spills her liquid humanity, the demons look at her with an eerie laugh.

And as a final step, the black crystal magic orb created by mixing the magical powers of her contractor her, Ishtar, and Lilim, a high-ranking succubus, is implanted into her body her.

When a magic circle was drawn near her belly button her and the marble was brought to her, the marble slowly synchronized with the magic circle and then permeated into the woman’s body her, which had lost its humanity her.

The contract of compulsory subjugation is made as the spark of black magic flies.

The shape of the magic circle is distorted, and when a specific action called vulva is performed, it changes into an imprint that grants a powerful pleasure to the host.

Then, the beads spread something of an obvious material like black rubber all over the body her, covering the entire body her except for the head her.

From the outside, it was something with a physical form, but when I checked it through my magic poem, I could see that it was like armor made of thick black magic.

However, since the human nature was excluded from the host to be controlled and shaped, it only appeared in the form of full body tights with no personality or characteristics.

The humanity plucked out of her body her is not thrown away as it is, but is gathered in another place through the waterway under the workbench.

It seems that even that could be used as a material for something.

Ishtar muttered while slowly following with her eyes the series of killing processes that were carried out like work.

“Suddenly, this side is ready… And what’s left is to capture the bloomed humans… Remilia, can I leave it to you?”

After the process was completed, Remilia, who had equipped the women who became the succubus’ chess pieces with her weapon and ordered her to stand by, looked back at Ishtal with a slightly uncomfortable face and nodded her head.

“Of course. … But can they really be freed later?”

“For that purpose, we don’t throw away our humanity and save it.”

When Ishtal answers Remilia, who seems to be concerned for the safety of her women, she lowers her head as if she understands.

At that time-

A dimensional door opened towards the fair room, revealing another demon.

As soon as Ishtal confirms that the dimensional door is opening, he snaps his fingers and hides much of the process room in darkness.

At the same time, Lilim goes through the dimensional portal and lands on the ground, looking at Ishtal.

“…Ishtal. That person. Magical power has gone far.”

“Cleon? If it were Cleon, he would have emptied the royal road. I must have heard it from that human.”

“…”

“I didn’t know because I was asleep while making the black crystal. Well. I’ll be right back. Until then, we’re ready-“

“Cleon-sama…”

The next moment, Lilim passes through the dimensional door once again and disappears.

Besides, I could even feel that her magic power was gradually moving away from the royal capital.

Her panicked her Ishtal sends her telepathy to her.

[Hey, Lilim!? Where are you going! Now is a great opportunity to get the perfect crystal!]

[Istal. I’ll leave it to you. …Now he is. More important… Not good. I have a feeling.]

[I have a bad feeling… ! Wait, if you go further than that-]

In the end, Lilim gets out of her distance and disappears.

Ishtal looked up at her sky her, her fisheye dumbfounded, then let out a sigh.

“… Lilim-sama is-“

“… I can’t help it. Let’s do it ourselves. This is her golden opportunity to capture her while Cleon is away…”

“Are you all right?”

Ishtal twitched the corners of her mouth as she made her sound ‘hmm…’.

“No problem. I can do things in my style more without her.”

Once again, the lights in the fair room return.

The spectacle of countless victims facing humane deaths and being transformed into the devil’s servants was the very existence of hell on earth.

001

The entrance to the underground stairs of the crystal tower was not particularly blocked, but the deeper you go down, the thicker the fog of magical power spreads, and those who have no means to resist it will lose their lives while wandering the stairs drunk with magic and losing their reason. Could know.

When Layla explains that it is not a structure that is a security aspect created to prevent going down underground, but a phenomenon that has arisen thanks to the fact that it was built in a place close to the spirit vein, what on earth was Tris trying to do?

There, the sights on the ground. No amount of experimentation with the current technology would be able to create something similar to this.

When the party carefully descends to the bottom of the stairs, the entrance is the opposite of the fantastic, nature-friendly village on the ground.

It was inorganic, covered in steel and machinery, and the entrance felt cold because it was frosted, perhaps because it had been cooled by something.

“…This is Tris’ laboratory…”

Lyla swallowed her saliva, placing her hand on the door of her lab with the magic of fire wrapped around her hand her.

The heat then slowly melts away the frost, revealing the full extent of the barrier blocking the entrance.

“Is this… Glass?”

The entrance, where the frost had completely disappeared, was a semi-transparent material, and the other side was dimly visible.

By looking at the light, I could tell that the power inside was alive.

“No, I don’t think it’s glass. The strength seems to be stronger… More than that, I can’t see any handles or magic tools to get inside…”

As Lila looks around, trying to find a way to get inside her, when her heat she wipes out all the cold-

[Detection of neutralization of cooling protection device. In addition, detect the magical response of the test subject.]

A sudden voice made the group stiffen.

[Don’t be vigilant. I am an artificial spirit in charge of managing this research institute. The given identification name is called ‘Mercury’. His role His is a librarian. Guide. Assistant. Tutelar.]

It’s weak, but something like a sphere of light appears, and Layla confirms that a voice is coming from it, and her eyes her sparkle once again.

“Artificial Spirit… ! And a type with such natural language ability is incredibly rare… !”

When her kuon her grabs her as she seems to be about to capture it, Cleon turns her head towards her group of lights.

“Mercury… Said. I am Cleon. I came to find traces of Tris Megistos inside this laboratory.”

[Confirm entity name, Cleon. …Database. Has exist. Welcome. Future visitor. You have been granted the second kind of viewing rights. If you present the information you want to read, we will start guiding you.]

“Cleon has authority…?”

“What happened?”

The group looked at Cleon asking questions like that, but he just shook his head because Cleon had no idea.

“I want to read information related to the hero Lesia. I already know that she had an exchange with Tris Megistos.”

[Lesia. …Search complete. Corresponding information requires first-class viewing rights.]

“…You mean no?”

When Cleon asks such a question, the light spirit shines as if affirming.

Cleon sighs and ponders what to do, but Layla creates flames at her fingertips.

“I have no intention of going back just because I came all the way and said ‘no’.”

“Ra-Layla, don’t be too violent…”

Did he sense the rising magic power, or did he intend to do so from the beginning? Mercury danced through the air and stopped once more in front of Cleon.

[Suggest a method to the visitor: Elevate the viewing authority.]

“Is it possible?”

[Positive. The viewing rights of visitors can be readjusted by me or ‘Mercury’. However, for that, the visitor’s help is needed.]

“As a condition of helping you, I can elevate the viewing authority…”

“… I think I heard that there are monsters inside.”

When Aruru said that, Mercury hovered in the air for a while before replying.

[All creatures free-ranging in the laboratory are under the management of the facility. If you are guided by me, you can avoid them and reach your destination.]

“…Okay. I’ll do your favor. What should I do?”

[Confirm. Follow this entity.]

Upon hearing Cleon’s answer, Mercury disappeared as if he had been waiting for it, and then the door to the laboratory slowly opened.

Thanks to the difference in temperature between outside and inside, a small gust of wind arises, but it soon subsides.

Mercury, who had disappeared, reappears in front of the party.

[Come inside. Welcome.]

The sight beyond the open door was mechanical and dark, just like the entrance.

Some lights twinkle from the ceiling, but basically it only seemed to light up when people passed by.

As they quietly walked down the aisle, Sasha came closer to Cleon and opened her mouth as if recalling her past her.

“Why, somehow. It feels similar to the place in the basement of the academy.”

“…That’s right. It felt like a labyrinth and there were a lot of guardians, so it was dangerous. It would be okay if ‘Mercury’ guides you here, right?”

[Yes. It seems that you have also explored the ruins here and elsewhere. Was there an artificial spirit like me there?]

At Mercury’s words, Cleon and Sasha also shut their mouths.

[…From the reaction, I don’t think so… Is it. There are no more spirits like me left in this world.]

“That’s a quick conclusion. We didn’t go around all the ruins. In the past, there were artificial spirits unearthed from the ruins… Most of them were separated from the ruins and stopped moving.”

Lila’s answer made Mercury silent for a moment.

“Are you looking for your own people?”

[I’m looking for it. That is different In the past, it was possible to communicate with artificial spirits prepared in distant facilities or ruins through spirit veins… All those connections were cut off when the world you called the original world was destroyed. It’s just a survival check.]

To Cleon’s question, Mercury answered in an emotionless, mechanical voice.

But, somewhere. It may not be because of your mood that you feel a little lonely mixed with it.

“What were you researching in this lab?”

When Amelia asks, Mercury turns to Amelia for a moment.

[Confirm that the information can be disclosed… This laboratory is where Tris Megistos researched biotechnology. I was doing research on remodeling existing creatures by adding new characteristics.]

“…Just hearing about it doesn’t sound like a very pleasant study.”

When Aruru answered that, Mercury was silent for a moment, then spoke again.

[It was a study by necessity. , Wrote Tris Megistus. In fact, this research was conducted right before destruction came to the primitive world. The research results completed in the process lead to the original world.]

“What kind of research was it-“

[An artificial life form that transforms and strengthens its own body by adapting with magical powers. In addition, it is a life form that can emerge from nothing under certain conditions by mixing genetic information into the spirit vein.]

When Sasha tilted her head, as if his explanation her was difficult, Layla pondered for a moment before suddenly coming back to her senses her and a surprised expression on her face her.

“…That’s a monster.”

[In the current era, the species name is also called that.]

At Layla’s point, everyone in the party had no choice but to keep their mouths shut.

It was known that monsters were caused by one or another cause, such as the death of a person, contamination by black magic, or a runaway of natural forces, but fundamentally, it was not known why such a thing would happen.

Most of them are hostile to humans, and even now, the land dominated by demons was not a place that humans could easily set foot in.

“Wait. Then, did you say that the monster was made by Tris Megistos?”

[It’s not just monsters. Rather, the monster is just a by-product created in the middle of what Trismegistos was aiming for.]

At Mercury’s explanation, the party’s expression gradually becomes darker.

Even the weakest slime or goblin is a tough opponent for humans who have not been trained in combat.

There were not a few cases in which damage was caused by ruining crops or raiding livestock.

If there were no other enemies in the human race, one of the most annoying enemies was, of course, the ‘monsters’.

[Because monsters are born from spirit veins, they naturally contain a large amount of magic power, and when humans deal with monsters and eliminate them, the magic of spirit veins held by monsters spreads to the surroundings. It strengthens the human body and abilities.]

“…That’s right. The accelerated growth of adventurers and soldiers who fight and defeat monsters has already been proven magically.”

[Tris Megistus thought that mankind would continue after the primitive world. Therefore, we have prepared monsters so that mankind can grow in preparation for enemies so huge that mankind cannot resist.]

Enemies so gigantic that monsters are called ready.

Cleon thought for a moment and then-

“…Is it a demon?”

[You can say that. Anyway, they are also beings from the other dimension that Tris Megistos was wary of.]

“I see. In the original world, there were no demons because there was no Demiurge.”

When Aruru nodded her head knowingly, Layla continued.

“However, if it was a being in another dimension, it was a direct cause of destruction in the original world.”

“…Lesia.”

[… Yes. It’s a pleasure to talk with you guys. If you tell them the information, from there, based on the information you have, guess in turn and reach a conclusion.]

“…Are you happy? Do artificial spirits feel emotions too?”

There was a description that the artificial spirits that Layla had previously confirmed through documents and other documents did not have emotions, and were similar to mechanical devices.

[We do not feel direct emotions. However, it is designed so that ‘pleasure’ occurs when academic achievement is obtained by Tris Megistus]

“…”

“That, yes…”

For some reason, Mercury’s answer became a little chilly, and the party fell silent once again.

As we walked down the corridor again while maintaining silence, Cleon, who felt a little bit bored at seeing the same scenery, opened his mouth.

“… So, how far do we have to go?”

[Almost here. Here.]

The room Mercury sent the party into was a place that could be called the very center of the laboratory, with several huge mechanical devices placed there.

In the middle, a huge orb surrounded by several metal frames was constantly rotating under magical power.

Around it, the illusion of the developed magic continues to indicate the state of the sphere.

“…Is this the core of this laboratory…”

[…

When Cleon asked such a question, Mercury did not answer, but instead headed for a place like a giant iron ‘coffin’ nestled in the corner of the room, and then disappeared.

“…Wait, Mercury?”

“I hope you didn’t cheat…”

When Cleon and Layla each reacted like that, it was seen that something like magic was flowing into the tube connected to the iron pipe.

And-

“Cheating, that’s unreasonable.”

Unlike the tone of voice I had heard earlier, but an emotionless and genderless voice, a voice that felt completely female came from inside the iron coffin.

Soon, the door of the iron coffin opens with the sound of ‘Push’, and a cold white mist spreads out from inside.

If you hear the sound of footsteps and think that something moving inside has revealed itself-

“Eh, an elf!?”

It was Quon who raised his voice.

There stood a tall, silver-haired woman with long ears, naked.

Her eyes are the same color as her hair her. However, similar to the homunculus, it was characterized by no light.

A beautiful S-shaped body that boasts a balance like the golden ratio overall without being too much or too little.

And, her face her had clear features, but her skin her was like white jade, and the high bridge of her nose her stood out.

Perhaps thanks to her elf-like appearance her, which has only been recorded in her records her, Cleon and her party her naturally drew attention to her body her, which boasted an enchanting figure despite the absence of magical interference.

Her nipple-like areas of her were covered with her hair, but her underside of her was exposed, and she was looking at her party with one hand resting on her side of her.

“Why is the elf in the lab…”

Amelia too muttered in bewilderment at seeing the elf who had now completely hidden herself.

“Calm down. This is a type E artificial corpuscle.”

A calm voice and a hard tone.

Cleon listens to her and she asks back with a slightly disbelieving expression.

“That way of talking… Is that Mercury?”

“That’s right. I possessed this body because I thought I needed this body for the work to be done in the future. How about Cleon? Does this body appeal to you?”

Saying that, Mercury turned around in front of the party.

When her silver hair fluttered in a shimmering glow, Cleon felt strange, but she nodded her head in affirmation.

“…Why do you look like that?”

“For some reason, they say that humans tend to take elves as the standard of beauty. Probably, this kind of body is ‘beautiful’. A beautiful individual also occupies an advantageous position in ‘reproductive activity’.”

Lila nods at her words her.

“It’s true that elves have a lot of handsome men- no, wait. What? Reproductive activity?”

All the women in the party stiffen. Except for Amelia.

“Cleon. I request analysis of your genetic information, who possesses the body of the modern archetype B. Therefore, for him, the substance that contains your genetic information most densely in the body for analysis-“

Saying so, I take a step forward.

Maybe it was because of his long legs his, but with just that one step he came close to Cleon’s body and stretched out his hand his, and the ‘Mercury Elf’hand touched Cleon’s chin his.

“We ask for a fixed amount. It will spur us on to academic advancement. This also applies to the follow-up of biotechnology, which we are aiming for. We promise to increase your viewing rights by cooperating with us.”

“…”

After looking at the Mercury elf who said so, Cleon turned his head to the cold yet sharp energy he felt from behind.

“Oh, that’s great! Cleon. It’s not that difficult.”

“…Cleon-san. I-I’m fine.”

“Wait, two of you…! Because mana is flowing…”

“The same seems to be the case with Quondo. Oh, never mind this arondite. I just took it out because I wanted to.”

“…What’s going on?”

“I feel ‘jealousy’ from them. Cleon. What are you going to do?”

“…Don’t ask me.”

Cleon sighed and began to remove the armor from his body.