Free Web NovelChapter 364: Chapter 361: The Episode with the Most Villainous Potential
The believers wailing in the cold wind soon fell silent. The Empire Army was quite skilled at consoling people with cannons, firearms, and bayonets.
The Empire Army was waiting for its ultimate move. What was the Church waiting for?
By now, the Empire Army’s intentions were clear. They wanted an all-out war of annihilation, seeking to completely eliminate the Church’s armed forces. That was why they held back when the Church’s cannon fodder and infantry phalanxes pressed the front lines. They held back even when the Holy Knights began to clash with the Empire’s Knights. The Empire Army’s commander sacrificed his own fodder units to achieve the greatest possible outcome.
And it appeared their plan had been executed perfectly. Despite sacrificing their infantry, they had held out until the Holy Knights were deployed, then used a combination of the Forbidden Magic Device and their cannons to carry out an efficient plan of extermination.
All around Rorschach’s head lay the bodies of fallen Holy Knights and their horses. The Empire’s Knights, brandishing their sabers, charged back onto the battlefield and began to mop up any remaining enemies.
’The Holy Kingdom’s Church Army is toast, but it looks like I’m not doing so hot either.’ Ninja Xia was completely bewildered—all he could control of himself was his own head.
’I have to act fast!’ This was the vacuum period following the Magic Tsunami; the ambient Magic Power was incredibly thin. But for the current Tuloxa, the Transmuting Dust he contained still held a small amount of Magic Power he could command. This wisp of his Soul tried to expand its "container," spreading out in an attempt to reconnect with his body. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
Then he sensed a vague affinity, as if the surrounding flesh, blood, and earth would answer his call.
’Living Aquatic Microorganisms?’ Rorschach was startled. He felt a response not just from beneath the ground, but from all around him—from the piles of corpses and pools of blood. Clearly, the ownerless flesh and blood had been infested by the microorganisms, and they were now multiplying with glee.
The bad news was that these things were expanding in number and territory exponentially. The good news was that Rorschach’s Soul could not only sense them but could also establish a connection and exert simple control. Perhaps the drop of blood from his original body, used when shaping this one, was having an effect. Rorschach’s now-extraordinary blood nourished these microorganisms, creating what seemed to be a brood of his own—quite possibly the smallest brood in history.
’It’s like they’re paying interest, but I need to collect the principal!’ The influence of his original body’s blood was being diluted with every Split and reproduction of the microorganisms. The current "Head Xia" had to establish control immediately, or his grasp on these tiny things would grow weaker and more diffuse.
’It’s too late to reform the body mixed into the earth...’ After assessing the situation, Rorschach took emergency measures.
An Empire infantryman, fallen in close combat with the Church Army, lay face down in the dirt, his Soul long departed for the great beyond. But then, a hand twitched. An arm followed, pushing up the entire body.
The pale young man looked as if he was discovering himself for the first time. He struggled to his feet, tested the joints in his limbs, and then inspected the wound. Fortunately, his clothes were completely undamaged. The fatal injury was to his throat; his trachea and esophagus had been severed. If he tried to inflate his lungs or contract his abdomen, it would produce a dry, rasping sound.
The wound began to squirm. A dark red and grayish-white mucus first sealed the surface, then formed into skin a shade redder than its surroundings. But it was just a superficial covering, not a properly structured tissue. After all, the body was dead. It didn’t actually need to breathe.
’But I do need to eat.’ For the first time, Possessed Xia was in a body in this world that had no Casting Ability. If not for the miraculous microorganisms occupying and controlling it, this Stand-In wouldn’t be able to cast a single bit of Magic.
He had to find a way to carry Magic Power and create a form of "endogenous Magic." So, the young man rolled up the sleeves of his military uniform, began digging at the soil, and then wolfishly devoured it.
What this version of Rorschach was eating was his old body, now scattered throughout the earth, because it contained Transmuting Dust. He used the concentration of Magic Power to judge how enriched the soil was with Transmuting Dust, selecting the most energy-dense portions to dig up, compress, and stuff into the young soldier’s stomach.
With the combination of the microorganisms, the Transmuting Dust, and the wisp of Rorschach’s Soul, the body now possessed a rudimentary Casting Ability.
’Not enough! It’s not enough!’ Rorschach was receiving sensations of hunger from the microorganisms. The body had lost too much blood; if the microorganisms were to survive, they would have to start consuming other parts of the body. Driving the body by having the microorganisms link up and manipulate its fluids was awkward and energy-intensive. The internal organs were almost gone. If this continued, they would have to start to Decompose muscle, resulting in symptoms similar to rhabdomyolysis.
There was plenty of flesh and blood nearby... After a moment’s hesitation, Rorschach bent down and began to drink the blood from the other corpses.
Thankfully, his numb tongue couldn’t taste a thing. Soon, color returned to his face, and he no longer looked so lifeless. As he reabsorbed more microorganisms, the Magic Power stored within his body grew.
’Contamination, creating a brood, possession, and vampirism... I could transition into a villain role pretty smoothly now...’ As if struck by a thought, Rorschach quickly fumbled in the uniform’s breast pocket. Inside were the body’s identification papers: Joseph Mueller, Private, 22 years old. Attached to the Northern Empire Army, Marlin Fifth Corps, First Infantry Regiment, Second Battalion.
The rest of the information was irrelevant. Rorschach let out a sigh of relief. ’Good, no portraits of a sweetheart or letters from family.’ What could he say? Rorschach the great villain was just too soft-hearted to see things like that.
He then collected the dog tags from all the nearby Empire soldiers. He also found a few broken lumps of brown sugar. Given the current literacy rates, it was highly unlikely for a common soldier to be carrying letters from home, so this was all he could find.
Joseph Rorschach scanned his surroundings. The battle was over. The remnants of the Holy Kingdom Army were struggling to regroup and retreat, while the Empire Army advanced cautiously, firearms at the ready. More importantly, the Magic Power was flowing back, gradually suffusing the environment once more.
Now, Rorschach no longer had to let the microorganisms in his body endlessly consume flesh and blood or absorb the contents of the Transmuting Dust. He could pump Magic Power from the outside world to nourish them instead.
However, this also meant that the microorganisms scattered elsewhere would now multiply and spread at an accelerated rate.
... ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
With the Knights’ part in the battle finished, the Empire’s infantry began to clear the battlefield. One of the soldiers spotted a surviving comrade standing amid a pile of corpses and called out as he approached.
Suddenly, a huge explosion engulfed the lone survivor in a flash of Fire. The soldier felt a searing heat wave wash over him. Just as he thought the survivor had been killed in the blast, he saw the man miraculously sent tumbling by the shockwave, rolling to a stop right in front of him.
The young man was pale and weak. The soldier hurried to help his remarkably lucky comrade to his feet. "You alright? Must’ve been an artillery shell. A dud that cooked off..." He remained cautious, however. Everyone on the continent spoke the common tongue, so there was no guarantee this young man wasn’t an enemy in an Empire uniform. "I’m Ahim. Second Regiment, Third Battalion."
The young man gave a military salute. "Thanks. First Infantry Regiment, Private Joseph..."
’An Imperial Capital accent...’ Ahim relaxed. He had noticed that Joseph’s salute was sloppy, but the man had just cheated death. This was hardly the time to be grading his form.
Joseph pulled out a handful of dog tags and identification papers. "These are my comrades’ tags and papers. Please take them. Mine’s on top."
Ahim was touched. The young man wasn’t trying to prove his own valor, but had first gathered the identities of his fallen comrades. Still, he had to reprimand him. "You’ve already proven who you are, I believe you. But listen, kid, you have to save your own skin first. Lingering near an unexploded shell’s impact zone is against regulations."
With that, Ahim took out his canteen and offered it to Joseph Rorschach. Before Rorschach could refuse, a streak of golden light shot across the sky, heading straight for the Airship.
The Giant Beast, which had achieved such a brilliant victory, instantly erupted in a massive explosion, its shattered remains spiraling down toward the battlefield.
