Free Web NovelChapter 25: Possession (5)
It was already sunset by the time the northern tower came into view.
The structure stood atop a rocky hill like a giant spear driven into the earth. Thick wooden walls circled its base while crude watch platforms wrapped around the upper levels. Faded banners fluttered in the evening wind.
Humans patrolled around it but when Misha got a closer closer look at them, she noticed dark veins crawling beneath their skin like roots spreading through cracked ground. Some stretched from their necks to their cheeks, and others disappeared beneath armor plates. Their eyes looked worse since there were no whites, no pupils. They were completely black.
A chill crept up her back. Those weren’t people anymore... not completely at least. The guards chatted while they walked, one laughed at something and another stretched and yawned. They acted rather normal if it weren’t for the black veins and eyes.
Several carried horns attached to their belts. Misha immediately understood why the quest had a death condition. One alarm and everyone inside would be notified.
Gerbaut crouched behind a bush. "Watch."
Misha lowered herself beside him as he calmly pointed toward the tower platform. "Scout."
His finger moved in another direction. "Scout."
Then into another. "Horn carrier."
「 Trait in affect: Analytical Thinking 」
「 Mental focus sharpened. 」
At first, all she saw were people walking around. Then something clicked.
The patrol patterns started taking shape in her mind. One scout always paused beside a torch, another counted 6 steps before turning around. Two guards crossed paths every 30 seconds. Then, there it was, one of the horn carriers scratched his neck whenever he stopped while another always glanced towards the eastern treeline.
"Oh..."
Gerbaut glanced at her, checking whether she had caught on.
"I see it."
"Good." His answer came almost immediately.
A small smile tugged at Misha’s lips. Most people probably wouldn’t consider that as a compliment but she did. It came from Gerbaut which made it worth ten times more since the man barely wasted words after all.
Together, they slipped through the outer perimeter. One blind spot after another.
Misha found herself moving automatically as she followed Gerbaut’s lead. Step, then wait. Move, then hide. The rhythm simply settled into her body.
Several times, guards passed close enough that she could hear armor shifting against cloth. Each time, her heart jumped into her throat and each time, Gerbaut calmly guided them forward. Eventually, they reached a cluster of trees overlooking the tower’s inner gate.
Gerbaut raised a hand, making Misha stop from her tracks.
He studied the area ahead before turning toward her. His expression remained serious. "You stay here."
"Huh?"
"I’ll eliminate the guards."
Misha froze. "T-that..." She gulped slowly. "Do we have to?"
Gerbaut stared at her. "..."
"..."
"You are inside a death game. It’s either our life or theirs."
Misha bit her lower lip as she clenched her fists tightly. Her voice grew quieter. "They’re humans..."
Gerbaut’s gaze shifted toward the patrol route. "They stopped being humans a long time ago."
Misha followed his gaze. The nearest scout turned his head and there she saw the look in his eyes. It looked empty and cold.
Even so...
Her hand tightened around her rapier. She still couldn’t do it. Killing a human being was just too much for her.
Gerbaut seemed to understand. "Stay hidden."
He rose and disappeared into the darkness between the trees. Just like that, he simply left without any more words for her.
Misha released a slow breath. In the end, she had to leave it to him once again.
But still... killing a human?
Years of working in the medical field had ingrained certain things into her. Killing another person felt like crossing a line she wasn’t ready to cross.
Then– freewebnovёl.ƈom
Misha immediately regretted staying behind when a scout emerged from behind a cluster of trees.
Her entire body froze as the man’s dark eyes locked onto hers. Neither moved for a few moments until she noticed the scout’s hand slowly drifted toward the horn hanging from his belt.
Misha’s heart nearly stopped. Her fingers tightened around her rapier.
「 Elevated stress and fear levels detected. Emotional interference reduced. 」
Kill him... you have to kill him, Misha.
Her stomach twisted at the thought. She couldn’t. Not when he looked so human.
What if she tried talking?
What if–
Ding!
「 Constellation Soul within the Capricorn Chamber Requesting Authorization. 」
Wait... that was possible?
Curiosity immediately pushed aside part of her panic. This was her first contracted soul and she hadn’t even seen what it could do yet.
The scout’s fingers touched the horn.
"Oh come on..." She muttered under her breath as she clenched her teeth.
Would it count if someone else controlled her body?
The question immediately sounded ridiculous in her head.
It would still be her body, her weapon, her hands... but if [Senior Intern] fought in her place, then she could survive without crossing the line herself.
She couldn’t stop here. If possession would get her through this floor, then she would use it.
Fine! I’ll do it! She thought.
「 Authorization Accepted. 」
「 Possession Initializing... 」
The world shattered and a freezing sensation exploded through her entire body. Misha gasped as the forest spun. Then... everything blurred together.
The next thing she knew–
She stood outside her own body. "W... What?" freēwebnovel.com
「 Control Transfer Complete.
Possession Time Remaining: 00:20:00 」
Another Misha stood before her.
No. She quickly shook the thought away. It was not her.
The face belonged to her, yet the presence felt completely different. It was [Senior Intern], the soul she gave permission to possess her body.
Slowly, her body opened its eyes, amber light glowed within them.
"Ah..." The sound escaped her lips softly, it carried a strange sense of relief.
Then, she raised her hands, turned them over, and flexed her fingers. She touched her face like someone waking from an impossibly long dream.
The scout finally lifted his horn and a sharp blast echoed.
BWOOOOO!
Ding!
「 〔SYSTEM NOTICE〕
The first horn has been sounded.
Alert Level Increased.
Alert Level: 1/3
Additional enemy activity expected. 」
「 〔WARNING〕
Quest difficulty increases as Alert Level rises. 」
Misha nearly exploded.
"HEY!!" She pointed furiously. "I CALLED YOU TO STOP HIM!"
Her body ignored her completely. She tilted her head as her amber eyes settled upon the scout.
"My, my." A delighted smile spread across her face. "Look at what we have here~"
The scout drew his sword but he never completed the motion as Misha’s body stood several meters behind him with the rapier extended and blood dripping from its tip.
Fwooosh!
Blood burst upward from the scout’s neck like a crimson fountain. His head rolled through the grass as the rest of him dropped lifelessly behind it.
"Hm~" She tilted the rapier and watched the blood slide down the blade.
"Look at that..." She smiled softly at the blood coating the blade. The sight reflected clearly in her amber eyes, making them seem to glow even brighter. "I almost forgot how fresh blood looks under the moonlight. How beautiful~"
