I Became an Ancient All-Host Lifeform - Chapter 25

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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025 A Brief Farewell

Excellent! With Morgul’s help integrating the Resurrection Mushroom into the Hive Mind, the range of perception expanded dramatically.
And at a distance, I sensed an enormous colony of Resurrection Mushrooms thriving.
How many days since these things were born, and they’ve proliferated this much already? Incredible.
Moreover, around the Resurrection Mushroom colony, I detected traces of many people.
Roughly forty or fifty of them, perhaps? It must be some kind of settlement.
And I wasn’t the only one who felt it.

– Hmm. That tamed mushroom of yours is growing prolifically near Debri Village. Let’s go investigate what’s happening. There’s bound to be a way to turn it to our advantage.

Ah, so the village is called Debri.
I agreed with Morgul’s suggestion.

‘Yes, that sounds like a good idea.’

A Resurrection Mushroom colony in Debri Village….
Now that I think about it, when I created the Resurrection Mushrooms, I saved a young child named Jimi. Could that child’s home be Debri Village?
I couldn’t be certain yet, but Debri Village was in roughly the same direction as where Jimi had been.
The fact that they’d multiplied so abundantly in such a short time suggested the villagers were deliberately cultivating the Resurrection Mushrooms….
Well, I could find out exactly what happened once I went there and saw for myself.

– Very well then, let’s depart at once.
‘Wait, before we do, there’s something I need to take care of.’

Just as I was about to head toward Debri Village in earnest, I stopped the group in their tracks.
It was a shame, honestly, but a promise was a promise to keep.
I’d finally succeeded in reuniting with Gyushik, my original host.
That meant it was time to let Bokgu 3rd Generation go, as we’d agreed.
I offered my thanks to Bokgu 3rd Generation for bringing me safely this far.

‘You’ve worked hard, Bokgu. I’m truly grateful. Just as I promised, I’m going to leave your body now. Go on back to your family.’
Slip.

As I released my Parasitism and withdrew, Bokgu 3rd Generation let out a mournful cry.

Whimper….

Then it began circling around me restlessly.
It was hard to imagine this was the same fierce beast that had been baring its fangs and tearing at enemies moments before.
Like a Samoyed seeing off its father on his morning commute.
Ugh, did you get this attached to me in such a short time?
But my resolve was firm.

‘I can’t steal your life from you by force.’

Honestly, I was tremendously sorry to lose Bokgu’s superb physicality and speed, but I’m the kind of man who always honors his word.
Through the Hive Mind, I spoke to Bokgu 3rd Generation resolutely.

‘A promise is a promise. I was taught from childhood that promises must always be kept.’
Whimper….

At that, the beast flopped down flat and huffed directly at me.
Go on, get out of here. Your face is way too big—I’m uncomfortable just looking at it. And that snout of yours blows hard too. I nearly got knocked back.

‘Hey, what if I change my mind? Get going before I decide to just ride around on you forever.’

At that, Bokgu 3rd Generation looked back and forth between me and Gyushik with those enormous eyes.

Squeak, squeak….

At this point, even he must have realized he couldn’t be stubborn any longer.
Just as I’d expected, Bokgu 3rd Generation turned his head with clear reluctance, then drifted silently into the forest and vanished.
Go well, Bokgu. Go live happily with your family.
I watched his retreating form for a long time.

* * *

A four-person investigative team dispatched from the Holy Church Authority arrived at the office of the Mage Tower Master on the top floor of the 3rd Mage Tower.
There were two Holy Paladins in heavy armor, a brown-haired Female Priestess with strikingly refined features, and the Guma Priest who led them as the representative.
While the remaining members waited outside, the Guma Priest and one Holy Paladin stepped into the office.

“…Ugh.”

The moment the office door opened, the Guma Priest’s expression twisted sharply.
The grotesque biological specimens crammed against every wall and the acrid stench of Formaldehyde assaulting his nostrils were to blame.
As he approached the Mage Tower Master, he made an effort to conceal his honest reaction and opened his mouth.

“Ahem, quite… impressive… an office indeed.”

After offering a measured greeting, the Guma Priest promptly produced a white mask from his robes.
At that, Cornelius smiled from across his desk with a hint of mockery.

“Yes. Personal collections of mine. All of them quite rare specimens.”
“I see. Well then, perhaps we should move past those matters.”
“Of course, naturally.”

The Guma Priest made an effort not to look at the Mage Tower Master’s collection and cut straight to the point.
He wanted out of this place as soon as possible.

“In any case, have there been any unusual signs recently in the Mage Tower territory? Even the smallest detail would be helpful.”
“Hmm… signs, you say.”

Cornelius leaned back in his chair with ease and spoke.

“I cannot say there have been none… but for us to cooperate properly, we would first need to know the specific contents of the Prophecy, wouldn’t we?”

The Guma Priest was unbothered by the Mage Tower Master’s probing question.
He answered in a strictly official tone.

“Unfortunately, we cannot disclose the specific contents, as there may be those who would perversely exploit the Prophecy for unholy purposes. Once the investigation concludes and the Holy Church Authority deems it appropriate to reveal, we shall inform you at that time.”

At this, Cornelius stroked his graying beard.

“Hmm, regrettable. What on earth could the contents be that everyone guards it so jealously…”

The contents of the Prophecy were clearly under strict secrecy.
Not the Empire, nor the surrounding kingdoms, nor even the other Mage Tower Masters knew its contents.
It appeared that only a select few within the Holy Church Authority shared the specific details of the Prophecy.
Then the Holy Paladin, who had been quietly listening beside him, suddenly spoke.

“We would be grateful if you could simply inform us of any strange occurrences or noteworthy incidents in the territory lately. The investigation itself is something we shall handle.”

Cornelius inwardly scoffed.

‘Tch. Stubborn fanatics, the lot of them.’

The Holy Church Authority was always like this.
They made one-sided demands without ever offering proper explanations for what they wanted.

‘Without the masses’ overwhelming support, they would be nothing but ordinary clergy….’

But now they had joined hands with political power and were ruling the world.
Cornelius found them deeply objectionable.
In that moment, a sinister gleam flickered across his eyes.

‘Since it’s come to this, using these dogs as hunting hounds might not be so bad.’

The series of incidents that had erupted recently in and around the Magical Beast Farm.
Cornelius suspected that a malevolent demon lurked behind the Blood-Sucking Specter disturbance.
Otherwise, the creature’s abilities—summoning magic and sorcery alike—would have no explanation.
And if he committed the Mage Tower’s elite forces to investigating this matter, only to discover a high-ranking demon was truly involved?
The Tower stood to lose valuable military strength.

‘But then again… don’t I have the Holy Church Authority’s clergy right in front of me?’

Cornelius swept his gaze across the priests before him with meaningful intent.
To look at them, they were quite well-trained.
In that case, wasn’t this ‘Holy Church Authority investigation team’ the perfect test of the demon’s strength?
If they defeated the creature, he’d gain something for nothing; if they failed, he’d at least measure the demon’s level. Either way, there was no downside.
Cornelius had nothing to lose.
He assumed a grave expression and spoke with deliberate weight.

“Recently, strange incidents have been occurring one after another at the Magical Beast Farm on the outskirts of my domain. I wonder if they might be connected to the Divine Oracle.”
“Strange incidents, you say?”

At the Holy Paladin’s question, Cornelius methodically laid out the sequence of events.

“At first, it was merely rumor of a Blood-Sucking Specter draining the beasts of their blood. But later, an unidentified Possessed Rat appeared, filling the people with dread. The damage spread beyond control, and ultimately one of the Mage Tower’s wizards perished.”

The Guma Priest, who had been listening in silence, visibly started.

“My… a wizard from the Mage Tower has fallen?”

Cornelius nodded heavily.

“Indeed. In all my years, I have never witnessed such bizarre occurrences. A specter that feeds on blood, rats possessed by its influence—it is clear that a malevolent force must be at work. I am certain my account will prove most useful to your investigation.”

The Guma Priest nodded with deliberate caution.

“Hmm… I see. Thank you for the valuable information. We shall look into it at once.”

Afterward, they exchanged brief courtesies and departed from his office.
The moment the door closed, a contemptible smile spread across Cornelius’s face.

* * *

With heavy steps, Bokgu 3rd Generation wandered through the forest until at last he found his pack.
They had finished their hunt and were resting.
Bokgu 3rd Generation bounded toward the gray wolves, barking joyfully.

Woof, woof!

Now that the strange presence in his body was gone, he naturally believed he could return to his family’s embrace.
But that hope shattered in an instant.

A low, menacing growl—

The alpha wolf spotted Bokgu 3rd Generation and bared its savage fangs.
The other brother wolves in the pack immediately raised their fur and began to snarl in unison.

Whimper?

Bokgu 3rd Generation’s footsteps halted abruptly as he turned back toward the pack.
The wolves bared their teeth, eyeing him with suspicion.
They had no intention of accepting back one who had been cast out.

Woof! Growl….

When the alpha barked savagely, the other wolves followed suit, snarling as if to drive Bokgu 3rd Generation away.

Whimper….

Bokgu 3rd Generation’s body went rigid beneath the harsh rejection of his siblings.
Though he had returned to his true form, the cold cruelty of a family that refused to accept him again left him in despair.

Whine….

His great eyes began to shimmer.
Once he confirmed they were not coming closer, the wolf pack turned and left, but Bokgu 3rd Generation kept looking back at them.
Yet they departed without sparing him a single glance.

During a rest, I used Regeneration—which I had obtained from the slime before—to restore Gyushik’s tail that had been severed.
Now, even if mortal danger came, he would survive it once.
While Gyushik rested for a moment, I carefully asked Morgul to teach me magic.
Since I had obtained Flame Mage Aptitude, I would need to know how to cast magic to use it properly, wouldn’t I?

I felt anger rising, but I barely held it back.
Just hold it. Hold it. Where else would I learn magic right now?
Though he was a charlatan grand mage who couldn’t even dispel a single barrier around the beast farm, he was still a mage, wasn’t he?

– Hmph…. Fine.

Surprisingly, he agreed readily. What’s gotten into this stubborn old man?
I wasn’t sure what he was scheming, but Morgul began to teach me magic willingly.

The explanation sounded difficult, but it wasn’t much different from ordinary meditation.
So I attempted to practice Mana Circulation using Gyushik’s body, following Morgul’s instructions.
But it was useless.

It seems drawing in mana from the air with the host body is pointless.
Of course, I need to accumulate mana in my true form, but breathing in air means I’m still using the host body….
In the end, I withdrew from Gyushik’s body.
I settled my small true form on the ground and followed Morgul’s instructions.

Breathe in and exhale….
Breathe in and exhale….

I concentrated for several minutes and tried to sense the mana in the air, but I couldn’t feel any real difference.
It must be because my training is still insufficient, right?

Breathe in and exhale….
Breathe in and exh— wait, is this really the Mana Circulation Technique? It’s just meditation!
So I sat there on the ground, attempting the Mana Circulation Technique endlessly.
But the magical power I was supposed to gather never accumulated, and my suspicions about Morgul only grew deeper.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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