novelParasite!
| ← Ch.0920 | Ch.0922 → |
Merlin was taken aback. He glanced at the pristinely dressed old man from head to toe a second time. As much as he hated to admit it, the old man had a great fashion taste and had a mysterious air to boot.
"Curator Herault, you were saying something about an Almighty Beast roaring?"
Merlin continued to deny it. Who knew what these Almighty Beasts fossil represented? He could not tell if the roars of Almighty Beasts would bring danger to him either. Hence, he could only deny it. Afterall, Merlin was now a weakling, so he had to take extra caution when dealing with things.
"No need to play dumb. You came close to being assassinated by the Black Manta troops, you should keep your guard up. That said... If I ever intended to harm you, those bodyguards you have, or anyone for that matter, can't protect you. Consider this a second chance. It's not every day you get to meet someone who's attuned to the will of the almighty beasts, especially in a small place like this. Tsk tsk. I heard you have yet to inherit Hildebrandt's ferocious bloodline. Don't you desire power?"
Noticing the curator's rather "enticing" words, Merlin remained ever so vigilant. After all, he's the sole successor to Count Stanwin, and within the Stone Kingdom, that was good as being invincible.
However, Curator Herault seemed to disregard Merlin's title.
"Power... How could you ever grant me power? I do not possess the Bloodline of the Almighty Beasts."
Merlin responded slowly after a little contemplation. He knew that without the Bloodline of the Almighty Beasts, it was impossible to possess a great deal of power in the realm.
"It is true that things are much harder without the Blood of the Almighty Beasts. However, inheriting the bloodline isn't the only way to go. There lies another way to obtain the might of the beasts."
"What way?"
Merlin excitedly asked.
With a vague smile, Curator Herault answered, "Master Leon, Count Stanwin is the fourth Greatest Wizard to have ever existed. Did he not tell you about the other method?"
Merlin furrowed his brows. Granted, the curator was extremely enigmatic, but this was his father that they were talking about. As the Stone Kingdom's ruler, with a ferocious bloodline running high within him, surely his father would have known of an alternative. Yet in Merlin's sea of memories, there was certainly no recollection of such a matter, or perhaps... None that Count Stanwin had ever mentioned to him.
Sensing Merlin's silence, the curator continued, "Also, while this method may work, it does have a huge possibility of backfiring. It is highly dangerous. Considering that you are Count Stanwin's one and only son, Master Leon, why would he ever allow you to undertake such risky measures?"
The curator smiled again, finally realizing something himself.
"What is this alternative that you speak of?"
Deep down, Merlin had already made up his mind. No matter what the curator said, he intended to speak to Count Stanwin. In this new realm, he was the only one who could provide Merlin with any form of reassurance.
"A Parasite!"
"A Parasite?"
Merlin was shocked because he was reminded of himself. Back when he was in the Void Zone, he had inhabited the body of Sterman, and later, he had planned to invade Leon's too. Except it was not easy to grab hold onto one's will in this realm.
Given Merlin's status as an "intruder", he would be obliterated by the will of the Almighty Beast if he had successfully infiltrated Leon's body because he lacked any meaningful link to the realm.
With no other solutions in sight, Merlin could only settle with possessing Leon's body, and in doing so, "fooling" the will of the zone.
Technically, Merlin was no longer considered a Parasite. Since he had already gained full possession of Leon's body, it was something even the enigmatic curator could not tell.
"Precisely! A host! Our body contains the blood of the Almighty Beasts. Those who possess a larger amount of it can tap into its potential to possess the might of the beasts. Now what happens if their blood does not course our veins then? Does that mean we're left with no other choice? Never to wield such powers again?"
"Of course not! Apart from the bloodline, there is another way to grant those without the bloodline access to greater powers belonging to these magnificent creatures, the way of the Parasite!"
"Those sensitive to the presence of the will, either through the remains of the Almighty Beasts contained within a fossil or places teeming with the remains of the beasts' will that have yet to fade could fuse their will and become one with the beast through a unique method. When that happens, they'll be able to enhance their physical properties through the will of these creatures, thereby gaining their might too. In fact, at the peak of their powers, they may become a true Almighty Beast, thus making them more powerful than those who inherited them through a bloodline."
With that elaborated explanation from the curator about "parasites"... Was he suggesting that one can will for their will to come together as one with the beasts', thereby gaining possession of it?
No wait... What it truly meant was a man's will tamed the will of the beast. However, that's too high of a price to pay at this point, what more with Merlin being a magic-user manifested out of the Illusory World. The topic of one's will was difficult for him to comprehend.
"Mr. Curator, I doubt this Parasite that you speak of comes easily, does it? Otherwise, why else would you possibly need some Almighty Beasts' bloodline?"
Obviously, Merlin was not going to buy the curator's explanation. If Parasites were as effective as they were, this world could easily do without some bloodline.
"Heh, you are observant, Master Leon. You're absolutely right, the Parasite does come with certain life-threatening consequences. It so happens the will of the beasts are far too strong, and when one gains full control of its body, they would always need to suppress the beast's will at all times. If one fails to keep it together, then the roles are reversed and the beast turns into a rampaging monster, a being without a mind of its own. In other words, death."
It would seem that this "Parasite" does have its flaws with a high price to pay. However, coming from the mouth of the curator, all this seemed rather tame. Merlin thought to himself a little more. The stakes were high and the chances were slim.
Even one-tenth of a chance was a miracle at this point. After all, there was no telling how strong the will of a beast was. Not everyone can suppress a beast's will, let alone the remains of a will belonging to a once-powerful creature.
Also, given that it was a Parasite, as the power of the human grew, so would the Parasite. All things considered, the user's life will always be in jeopardy.
It explains how Merlin could not seem to recall any knowledge of a Parasite, because none of it ever existed in "Leon's" mind to begin with. With a method that dangerous, Count Stanwin would have never allowed him to attempt it.
Merlin remained calm. He possessed no bloodline and this "Parasite" in question was but a battle of wills, he was sure of that.
He had once battled a Latitude Cosmos, so the will of a beast did not faze him.
Merlin had yet to conclude his decision. This curator was far too enigmatic and with his identity a shroud, it was better if he headed back to speak to Count Stanwin to learn more about Parasites before coming to a decision.
"Mr. Curator, I'll be on my way now. I'll be back tomorrow, perhaps."
With that, Merlin quickly left the Fossil Museum for the Count's manor.
| ← Ch. 0920 | Ch. 0922 → |