Chapter 192: Lost Leaders

  John rushed out of the room just as Prota was about to go get him.

  “I see it,” he said, staring grimly. “Damn.”

  The last line he’d read was still on his mind, but at the moment, he had to fight. There was no time to be distracted by trivial matters.

  “Alright. Prota, you’re up,” John said, activating [Infinity].

  She nodded, reaching out once more. The blobs were still taking form, so this was thankfully a safe time to do so.

  “Best of luck, Prota,” Jinae nodded, taking John’s unconscious body back into the office.

  Prota spared one last glance at John before turning back to the forming threat.

  It was slowly gaining a human-like shape, unlike the last monster they’d fought. It was safe to assume that [Deus Ex Machina] energy would be needed to destroy this one as well. Prota wasn’t sure why [Infinity] was acting as a [Deus Ex Machina] replacement, since, as far as she was aware, the two were entirely different. Still, it wasn’t her place to question it.

  The creature was complete. It was similar to Doctor: a mound of goop that seemed to be somewhat in the shape of a human, but still seemed quite alien. Moreover, there was no human head, making it hard to see this thing as human at all.

  “Free… dom…”

  Prota ignored its words. If this were one of Doctor’s creations, the only mercy she could offer was death.

  She sprang forward, immediately launching a barrage of ice-based attacks. A set of icicles hid two Blossoms with the intention to buy time for a Frozen Bullet.

  The creature, however, responded in kind, firing off a set of fire-based attacks that negated Prota’s. She flinched, and in that moment, the monster dropped its human form, turning back into a blob and shooting toward Prota.

  She quickly leapt back, creating a massive ice wall to protect herself. There was no logic to it, but she got the feeling that if that thing made contact with her in any way, it was all over.

  Indeed, it seemed that this was the monster’s goal. The goop covered the ice wall entirely, backing off once it realized that there were no cracks to penetrate. It regained a human-like form as a set of fireballs began to appear, smashing the defence.

  For Prota, however, that was fine. She summoned Snowstorm, preparing to cast Absolute Zero. It was simple: she’d freeze the thing and smash it, just like she’d done to the other monster.

  Soon, the wall broke, but it was already too late for the enemy. Prota’s eyes shone with a cold light as she activated the spell.

  “Absolute Zero.”

  There was a loud cracking sound as the creature froze solid, the goop turning to ice.

  She walked up, preparing a blue fireball in one hand, a gust of wind in the other, with the intention of finishing things. After a few steps, though, she froze, then immediately backed off.

  Doing so saved her life.

  The ice thawed out, the creature lashing forward, barely missing Prota’s head. Using a gust of wind to leap back, she immediately made distance, reconsidering her position.

  “Free… dom…”

  Ice hadn’t worked. Right. If this creature knew magic, it was possible it could thaw itself out. What was she to do, then?

  …fire. She could raze it to the ground.

  Well, there was only one thing left to do.

  Using Snowstorm again, she began to dance around the room, narrowly avoiding death with every move, slowly preparing Absolute Zero. She wasn’t sure if the monster was intelligent, but it was best to assume that it was. It might not fall for the same trick twice. If that were the case, this Absolute Zero would need to cover a larger area in order to guarantee a hit.

  A few seconds later, and it was ready. The air grew even colder as the spell was cast, immediately freezing the creature once more. Cracks began to form as it was already breaking out, but Prota had bought herself the time she needed.

  Time slowed down once more. Just like before, she had to compound an effective domain.

  Heatwave was cast, the air turning sweltering hot. The mana became fiery in nature, reacting explosively to the spell.

  It wasn’t enough. One fold. Another. And another.

  The fire mana grew dense, its explosive and violent nature shrinking, yet still there, like a volcano ready to erupt. The heat grew hotter, if that were even possible, the air shimmering in waves from the sheer amount of heat being generated.

  Finally, Prota could hold on no longer. She felt as if her head was going to burst. Time snapped back to normal, and a burning, sweltering heat filled the room. The floors and walls began to crumble and melt under the intense heat. Had Prota’s mana reinforcement been any weaker, she would have burned alive. Indeed, the monster seemed to be struggling to maintain its form, melting away as if it were made of ice. It kept trying to pull itself back together, but every time it did, it would fall apart once more.

  Prota wasn’t sure what the land of the demons was like, but a word John had said strangely came to mind.

  Hell.

  If this place full of suffering, pain and heat could be called anything, it would be a hellscape. A true room of pain and suffering.

  With the mana in the room so heavily dense, there was only one spell Prota had in mind to end things.

  “Plasma Disk.”

  Instead of forming it near herself with the intent to throw it, however, she reached out, pointing her finger at the monster. Immediately, a pillar of plasma materialized, then disappeared, practically vaporizing the monster.

  With that, her mana reserves fell empty. She collapsed once more, exhausted, but not nearly as much as she’d been when fighting the previous monster. Her staff was nearly empty, too, with these new domains burning through incredible amounts of mana. Had she not been using [Infinity], it was possible she wouldn’t have been able to initiate these spells at all.

  Now that she had, though, she felt as if she could do it again. There were so many inefficiencies in these spells, so many things that could be fixed…

  Once again, in a moment of distress, she’d learned.

  She let go of the [Deus Ex Machina] power inside of her, and a few minutes later, John came out, Jinae supporting him.

  “...good work,” he said, looking around. “You, uh… you really messed the place up, huh?”

  “...bad?” Prota said hesitantly.

  “No. Just… damn.”

  Thankfully, it seemed no other threats were nearby.

  “I think there are two more of those things,” John said, rolling his neck. “If the logs are anything to go off of.”

  “Did you find anything you were looking for?” Jinae asked.

  John froze.

  “...something like that, yeah.”

  He felt his pocket, where the notebook remained. He hadn’t bothered to take anything else out of the office. For better or for worse, he had a feeling that it was all he would need. Those last words stuck in his head, looping over and over again.

  {I have been provided with the corpse of a young dragon.}

  There hadn’t been enough time to read any more than that, but it was enough to give John ideas as to where this was going.

  It was a line of thought he didn’t want to go down. If he did, he would definitely end up regretting it. There was information in there he didn’t want to know. After all, he knew best of all that ignorance could be bliss. Was it really worth it to find out what was in that book?

  “I see. Then… is it time to leave?”

  John shook his head. “This can’t be it. There’s something else in here. I hate to break it to you two, but we’re going to be fighting two more of those monsters. It’s necessary.”

  “I understand. Well, I would have headed on in, even without you,” Jinae nodded.

  “...alright, out with it. What else are you here for?”

  Prota looked up, surprised. She, too, was curious as to why Jinae was here. It wasn’t something she’d bothered to ask, but she did want to know what was going on.

  “Hm… I suppose it is only fair to share, now that you’ve given so many secrets of your own,” Jinae sighed. “There was a member of ours in this village. He, too, was posed as a cultist, looking to gather information.”

  “...he didn’t do anything about everything going on?”

  “What would you have asked of him?” Jinae shrugged. “I understand your sentiments, but realistically, there wasn’t much he could do. I believe he did everything in his power, but whether or not it was effective remains to be seen.”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “And he disappeared?”

  “Yes. I… I would like to find him, if possible. Our members disappear over time. Such is the nature of our quest. But we are comrades. To abandon each other… That would be a sin, would it not?”

  John sighed. “I suppose. Alright. Let’s keep going.”

  “Going?” Jinae frowned. “But-”

  “I’m not looking for anything in particular at the moment. Prota, is there anything you want?”

  She shook her head. At the moment, the only thing she really wanted was to stay near John. That uneasy feeling was still simmering in her heart, and until she figured out what was going on, she had no intentions of wandering off on her own anywhere.

  “Then it’s fine,” John shrugged. “I have a feeling following you is going to lead me to what I want, anyway. So let’s go.”

  “...thank you, John,” Jinae said after a bit.

  John helped Prota up, and the three ventured deeper into the lab.

  The structure didn’t quite change. They continued to pass by heavy machinery, the walls still pitch black, still eating at the light Jinae was providing.

  However, it was clear that things were changing. While bloodstains weren’t visible, the number of sheets covering corpses began to increase, and the flesh staining the walls became more plentiful.

  John felt his heart begin to race. The deeper they went, the more he felt that the end was near.

  “Fuck it,” he muttered, pulling the notebook out of his pocket.

  He had to keep reading. If he wanted to avoid the problem, there was the option of simply failing to think of it. Keeping it out of his mind was something he could do, at least for the duration of time they were in the lab. But if things ended before he finished reading, he would never forgive himself for missing something of potential importance.

  {Entry 35:

  I have been provided with the corpse of a young dragon.

  This will, no doubt, be my masterpiece. To begin with, there is no sense of self to be lost. I have no doubts that this fantastic energy bears the ability to bring life to an inanimate being. The only question is whether it will produce a being capable of what has been requested of me.

  Further testing will be required. If I am able, I would like to attempt to extract a soul from a living being. If such a task is possible, then I may be able to perform what has been required of me.

  For now, we will store the body and preserve it until it is needed.}

  “John,” Jinae said worriedly. “Are you… alright?”

  “Huh?” he said suddenly, looking up. “What’s- why do you ask?”

  “John,” Prota said quietly, grabbing his arm. “You… your face. Scared.”

  John flinched. He hadn’t been hiding his emotions well enough, and they were leaking out. He tried to smile, tried to cover it up, not because he was uncomfortable, but because he didn’t need them questioning him at the moment.

  He didn’t want to say what he had just realized.

  “Ah, that’s- um- sorry. Let’s just keep going. It’s nothing to worry about.”

  “...are you sure?” Prota insisted.

  “Yeah. Just… yeah, don’t think about it too much.”

  “...ok.”

  The group carried on, John turning his attention back to the notebook. Prota had grabbed his scarf and was leading him on, keeping an eye out for him.

  He continued to flip through the pages, skimming through anything that seemed pointless. Once again, much of the entries between those of interest were merely documentation on experiments.

  {Entry 47:

  I have determined the existence of a soul. However, I cannot extract the soul itself; I am merely capable of extracting the energy and using it to power another being. I believe I have created what might be called a “chimera,” an amalgamation of bodies.

  I attempted to place a soul inside, but it acted more like a battery than a core. The beast is mindless and does not know what to do. It can obey orders, but nothing more, perhaps a result of a brain existing within its flesh.

  I shall call this creature “One.” I believe many more are to come.}

  “John,” Jinae said suddenly. “Come here.”

  John looked up from the notebook to see a new setting. The walls were grey instead of black, and the doors were more like those of solitary confinement, with a slit around waist level. There were a few bars instead of a window to look inside, but they were otherwise heavily reinforced, as any other door was.

  “These doors are made of an anti-mana metal,” Jinae said, staring intently. “Used to restrain prisoners. Then these must be…”

  “Yeah. This is where you’ll find your man,” John said quietly. “Let’s keep looking.”

  {Entry 56:

  I have succeeded in extracting souls from living beings. It is only possible using the power of “conceptual energy,” and it is still a shaky technique. It requires much effort and time, but I believe I have more than enough of that.

  I believe I am close to creating the being the Demon King requested of me. I will use a soul, but not a sentient one. If I can empty a soul of mana and instead fill it with this strange conceptual energy, I believe that should provide an ample “core” for the being I intend to create. This, too, aligns with my understanding of this energy.

  I do not need this to have the mind of one who already exists. This must be a new being entirely. I will have to teach it how to live, as any other being does. It will do no good for this to be a puppet. If it is to kill the one known as the hero, then it cannot be a mindless puppet. Those are too easily manipulated. It must kill the hero of its own volition.

  I am not quite sure how this shall be done. Ideas come to mind, but a definitely plan has yet to be formed.

  It matters not. For the time being, we have everything required.

  Conceptual energy to fill an empty soul. The perfect body to host it.

  I believe we may be able to execute the plan very soon.}

  John was about to turn the page when a strange sound snapped him out of it.

  “Ah… shit,” he muttered.

  Before them was a strange, zombie-like silhouette. It seemed to have flesh, but at the same time, black liquid dripped down its body, coming out of its eyes, ears, mouth and nose. It had yet to notice them, but it was making a strange, distorted gurgling noise that couldn’t be ignored.

  “I think your buddy is nearby,” John muttered, putting a hand on Jinae’s shoulder. “You’re going to have to help Prota with this one.”

  “Help her?” Jinae frowned.

  “You have the ability to analyze the mana of a spell and create a counterspell, don’t you?”

  Jinae flinched.

  “Don’t worry. I highly doubt anyone else would be able to figure that out. It’s just a common ability reserved for powerful people. That strange light you cast is a counterspell, right?”

  “...I suppose it’s too late to be surprised,” Jinae said with a quiet laugh. “Indeed. That is my unique ability. I suppose others could replicate it, but I have yet to meet someone who can. I was born with a special constitution that allows me to read the mana signatures of spells. Thus, I learned how to create spells that would negate those being cast. It takes a toll on my mana core, but… I suppose that is what you wish of me?”

  “Yeah. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this thing use magic. If you could defend Prota…”

  “What about yourself?”

  “I’ll throw myself into one of those cells. Don’t worry, I don’t think this thing is intelligent enough to go after hostages.”

  John paused. He desperately hoped he hadn’t just jinxed himself, but then again, it seemed [Story] elements weren’t entirely present at the moment. Besides, the [Author] had designed a situation that took him out of the equation. Surely they wouldn’t make it so John was taken out in his state of weakness, right?

  “All right,” he muttered, putting his hand on Prota’s head. “You ready?”

  She nodded, fists clenched tight.

  “I’ll be fine,” he assured her. “You remember what we’re here for, right?”

  She nodded again. “Nn.”

  “Great. And… Prota. I just want you to remember, no matter what anyone thinks… you’re my sister, ok? That’s not going to change.”

  This sudden change in attitude scared her, but the words comforted her nonetheless.

  “Nn. John is my brother.”

  John grinned as his red eye began to glow. That grin remained on his face as his body fell over like a ragdoll, the light in his eyes snuffing out as Prota’s eyes began to glow.

  Jinae put her staff down, carrying him into an empty cell. Thankfully, it seemed the creature had yet to notice them. A few seconds later, Jinae walked out, John no longer in sight.

  “Let’s do this,” she said quietly, picking her staff back up.

  Prota nodded, closing her eyes. Now that she had time, she knew what to do.

  Her eyes flashed once more as [Infinity] activated, making it feel like liquid lightning was running through her veins. With it being the fourth time using this strange power, she was slowly understanding how it worked. She was adjusting to the increase in power, little by little. It wasn’t a noticeable amount, but once you knew how to control it, it was definitely a considerable buff.

  The air turned cold as the upgraded version of Snowstorm began to form once more. Ice began to gather on the ceiling, floor and walls, Jinae’s light reflecting off the now shiny surfaces.

  Just a little more, and the battle would be over—

  “No… no more…”

  It was too late. The creature had been alerted to their presence, and its head snapped to Prota and Jinae, its eyes glowing bright. A sudden torrent of flame wrapped around the area, melting the ice and somehow interfering with Prota’s domain.

  The girl leapt back, stunned at the sudden interruption. She’d never had her spell cancelled in this manner. What had happened?

  “Curses,” Jinae muttered. “But this one is manageable. I see why your brother asked me to help you.”

  Prota tilted her head in confusion. What did Jinae mean by that?

  “Prota. Do you trust me?”

  For a moment, Prota hesitated. Did she trust Jinae? Not a moment later, she shook her head. Of course, she trusted Jinae. This was the woman who’d sacrificed her life for her. The woman who’d taught her how to use magic, the second one to accept her, even after seeing her strange magic.

  John would always be the emotional pillar in her life, but if he were to disappear, Jinae would be a close substitute.

  “Nn,” she nodded.

  “Good. Charge your spell again. Focus only on the spell. Summon your domain as quickly as possible, and leave the rest to me.”

  With that, Jinae took a step forward. Prota started channelling her mana immediately.

  She tried to slow down her perception of time, but found that she couldn’t. If she wanted to summon this new domain, she wouldn’t have enough mana or stamina to use her special form of mana reinforcement. Of course, she could use one of her charms of healing, but using it on something like this wasn’t worth it. They had no idea what was in the rest of this lab, and should John get hurt, she couldn’t risk not having it when they needed it most.

  She truly had no choice but to trust Jinae on this one.

  Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t watch. The mana began to flow, the air turning frigid once more, but her eyes were locked on Jinae.

  “You’re quite the troublesome one,” the old lady called out. “But I’ll be your opponent this time.”

  “No… please…”

  “...I see. Then, sit still, lost soul, and let us release you.”

  “No… no! No more!”

  The creature screeched, a giant fireball materializing out of nowhere, flying toward Jinae at terrifying speeds. Prota wanted to cry out, but she remembered what Jinae had asked her.

  Prota trusted her old mentor.

  For a moment, though, it looked like the spell was going to connect. Then, for a brief moment, there was a flash of light, and the spell disappeared. It vanished, the mana dissipating into the surrounding environment. That mana was immediately given an ice affinity, pulled even further into Prota’s domain.

  “Let me go!” the creature roared.

  “Wait one more moment. Prota!” Jinae yelled.

  Prota nodded. The domain was complete. Once again, the walls and floor were coated in a layer of pure blue ice, the light reflecting off the surfaces brilliantly. Prota could see her reflection a million different ways, her blue eyes glowing bright.

  Ice began to condense around her body, spiralling, twirling, spinning and twisting until a brilliant blue dragon of ice formed. If possible, the ice was even purer, sparkling like it was made of diamonds.

  “Go, Frozen Dragon.”

  Its jaw snapped open as it spiralled forward. The creature tried to put up one last defence, but Jinae was faster. A golden light shot out from her hands, cancelling the spell the monster tried to summon, and the dragon closed in, its jaw snapping shut.

  The creature’s body was instantly frozen upon contact, the dragon smashing the body into a thousand shards, the sound of ice falling on ice echoing throughout the new domain.

  “Rest,” Jinae said, catching Prota before she could hit the ground.

  The light in the little girl’s eyes faded as she let go of her brother’s power, and she felt her body go limp. For the time being, this spell wouldn’t be possible without [Infinity].

  She was getting close, though. Soon, she’d be able to cast it using her own powers.

  Once again, she was growing in the midst of adversity.

  “Great,” John muttered. “All taken care of. I feel like shit. Prota, use one of your healing orbs on yourself.”

  “But-”

  “Just do it. We’ll be in more danger if you can’t fight. You… you don’t look too good.”

  Prota couldn’t argue with that. Still, she wasn’t a fan of using this artifact on her own body. It was meant to be reserved for John, or for emergencies. To use it as a mere energy booster…

  Well, it was too late to think about it. The group pushed on, passing more and more prison doors.

  “Wait.”

  Everyone stopped as Jinae frowned, looking around. She closed her eyes, slowly shuffling toward a door.

  “In here,” she said quietly. “It’s locked with magic, but…”

  She muttered a few words, and the door flew off the hinges, smashing into the wall behind them. Prota almost jumped, but she managed to keep herself calm.

  “Henry!” she exclaimed, rushing inside the cell. “You’re alive. Thank Celeste.”

  Inside was an old man with a long white beard and a bald head. He was covered in rags, his face looking painfully thin, even in the semi-darkness.

  “J-Jinae?” the man muttered, looking up. “You shouldn’t have… those things can’t be hurt…”

  “We’ve dealt with them. Come. We should get you back to our base. The others can help you.”

  “Wait,” Henry said, coughing. “You said ‘we.’ Who… who is with you?”

  He peered past Jinae, seeing the siblings behind her.

  Similarly, Prota looked past Jinae, only to find a familiar face. A face not seen in quite some time.

  “...chief?”