Chapter 35 (1/2)

No. 08's legacy, the final magic stone, had elevated me to a higher rank of existence.

The same thing happened when I a.s.similated No. 17's magic stone. I skipped the rank-up process entirely, while still gaining the appropriate magic power.

[Shedy] [Race: Mistral Neige] [Greater Demon (High-Rank)] ・The demon of tempestuous mist that ravages the northern seas. A canny spiritual lifeform. [Magic Points: 4000/4000] 1760↑ [Total Combat Power: 4400/4400] 1936↑ [Unique Skill: <reroll> <cyber-manipulation> <materialization>] [Racial Skill: Fear] [Simple Identification] [Human Form (Wonderful)] [Specialist Packer]

…well, let's leave the nitpicking for next time. Basically, I gained a ton of magic and combat power.

However, the most drastic change came from the new power I gained from No. 08: [Materialization].

Before, my human form was just a paper-thin, weightless veneer. Now, I had gained real flesh and blood, crafted from matter of this world.

My body handled a bit differently from before. To be honest, I thought a body with actual substance and weight was easier to use. I curled and flexed my fingers, trying to get a feel for my new self.

”…Sherry? Is that you?” I heard Weed calling from somewhere, bewilderment in his voice.

I grew up again. I looked around 13 now, about 150 centimeters tall. Ten centimeters taller than when I first got these clothes, which meant my navel would peek out from below the hem of my blouse whenever I moved, and my knee-length skirt was pretty much a miniskirt now.

Kids this age grew up so quickly, they could gain an adult's face in just a single year. Isaac, staring at me in amazement, came back to himself as he heard Weed's utterance. Just as he was about to speak…

*clang!*

My dagger flew into the head of a spider in a corner of my view, discouraging whatever it was about to do. The iron blade sank half-way into its sh.e.l.l and broke off.

So just normal iron wouldn't be able to stand up to the spider's carapace or my current power, then.

Now, I only needed to create a bit of mist in order to gain a full view of the surroundings. I continued examining myself, while still keeping watch on the carapace-spiders.

The spiders had been watching me, too, noticing my change. But not any more; they began to move. I responded with a quiet step forward.

Just as I pa.s.sed by Isaac, mouth still agape and standing stock-still, I spoke.

”…my name's Shedy. Not Sherry.”

”Eh…” He jolted in another bout of surprise.

I leaped, my step blasting away a patch of gra.s.sland and bringing me to point-blank range with a spider in an instant. The vigilant spiders immediately scattered and began firing magical bullets from all sides.

Mist burst out from me, weaving itself into a cloak to hide me from sight. Its winding tendrils wrapped around my target.

The range and thickness of my mist had improved by leaps and bounds. Once the mist cleared, the spider under me was nothing more than a frozen statue, wasting away as grains of light.

Two spiders instantly began shooting again, while two other slid around me, swiping their claws in a pincer attack.

I stretched my cloak of mist into a thin fog, sapping heat from the surroundings.

Everything moving needed energy, whether they were living beings, machinery, or avatars. And where there was kinetic energy, there was heat. Not like I particularly understood how it worked, anyway.

Their movements rapidly dulled. I latched onto one of them, freezing the sh.e.l.l whole and shattering it with my claws. I drained it dry of magic.

The three remaining spiders decided to abandon close-quarters combat. They tried to escape the mist, their guns still firing to suppress me.

But I didn't actually need the chilly mist to slow them down. My speed was doubled with the explosive boost in combat power I gained.

The magical rock bullets now looked no faster than lobbed basketb.a.l.l.s. I just needed a light hop to the left, then to the right… oh hey, I think I could catch those.

So I did. Thankfully they weren't shooting fireb.a.l.l.s instead. I grabbed a boulder in mid-air and put all my strength into a return throw. It didn't even come close to hitting any of them, but the sight was still enough to shock a spider into a moment of indecision. I clung to it, freezing, stabbing, draining its magic.

The moment my target was down, the other two suddenly stopped moving. They restarted a short while later, but this time, their movements were strangely mechanical.

What happened? Did they changed to using AI controllers? I didn't quite get their intentions. If all they wanted was just a simple, indiscriminate ma.s.sacre, then an AI would probably work just fine. But using soldiers with predictable attack patterns against me? They wouldn't even be worth worrying about.

I baited them out, dodged their attacks, then froze them directly with both my hands. The last two spiders died without much fanfare.

”…phew.”