Chapter 63

Chapter 63

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 63: Celestine Incident – Preliminary Skirmish (3).

Ceti’s neck snapped to the side as the calipers struck her.

Simultaneously, an indescribable pain and intense shock reverberated through Populus’s black hole.

The Outer God’s body contorted wildly within.

“Cough!”

Consciousness began to fade.

How was this possible?

There was no rule stating that the main body should suffer damage if the possessed body was hit. Such cases were unheard of by Populus.

[“I, me…”]

Taking a hit? Unthinkable.

Rage twisted within him.

But there was no time to ponder as the next strike followed swiftly.

Thud!

“Cough!”

A hot sensation seared through the prefrontal cortex, the area governing human thought processes.

As Ceti was struck on the temple, something like muddy water burst from Populus’s head, draining away.

Thud!

The third strike landed.

Populus tumbled inside the black hole, his body flung to its edge and crashing into it.

It hurt.

But more than the pain, it felt degrading.

Him, taking a hit from a mere life form beneath him? Impossible.

Step.

“……”

Step, step.

The eerie footsteps echoed through the possessed body’s ears.

The prey he had marked for a while now stood chillingly over him beyond the screen through which he witnessed it all.

He opened his mouth.

“You bitch.”

The words slipped out.

Populus doubted his own hearing for a moment.

“Interfering until the very end.”

“……!”

“Just die.”

Aidel, gripping the calipers in both hands, assumed a stance to deliver another blow.

The fear that followed was instantaneous.

Without realizing it, Populus rewound time.

Second attempt.

The end result is something you can’t know after just one attempt. There was a need to try the same way again.

He took over the girl’s body.

He moved to the narrow captain’s quarters to take advantage of the terrain.

At least up to here, it was the same as the first time.

He organized his thoughts until the two appeared here.

“Young master, this way to the captain’s office.”

It seemed like they had already arrived.

Populus prepared the possessed body under the same conditions and checked the order of the plan once again.

Kwang!

The door opened, and two people entered.

No, along with the two people, one robot also entered this time.

“Miss Ceti, are you alright?”

“……”

“Oh no.”

The android with dark sea-colored hair frowned upon seeing the possessed body.

Aside from this, it was all the same.

Things had just become more troublesome.

This time, there was a need to be more careful with the attack—

Clang!

The third try.

Populus felt like crap.

First of all, the physical abilities of the possessed body, named Ceti von Reinhardt, were too weak. The intelligence was exceptional, especially a brain suitable for handling wealth, but that was a useless advantage in the context of possession.

It was a significant disadvantage if they launched diverse attacks. Therefore, Populus asked his loyal servant, Oligos, to look for a new body.

The goal was to perplex Aidel and, by doing so, create a mental fracture in his mind. If Populus could exploit that gap and take over the body, he could also defeat the Outer God clinging to the human.

However, after just two attempts, he realized that this boy was no ordinary person. Aidel had no mercy, even for his own sibling.

So, who should Populus possess next?

Populus gulped and pondered carefully before causing another incident. The girl with the blonde ponytail was close to Aidel, but she couldn’t be possessed due to having a constellation. The girl with silver hair and purple eyes seemed to be an outright enemy, so there was no reason to possess her.

And the character called a teacher?

“He wouldn’t flinch that easily,” Populus muttered to himself. Aidel had beaten his own blood like a dog; he wouldn’t blink an eye for someone else.

No matter how much he thought about it, sticking to the original plan seemed to have the highest chance of success. There was also an android Aidel was somewhat close to; maybe he could use that one, too.

How many attempts has it been now?

It must have easily surpassed a hundred by this point.

Populus decided to go back to basics and focus solely on Aidel’s younger sister.

“This bitch.”

Up to this point, the same future had unfolded countless times. It was all too familiar now.

Populus had already explored the depths of the younger sister’s psyche. Though they got along now, this possessed body had once been heavily bullied by her brother. Perhaps Aidel had been treating her well recently out of guilt for his past actions. Of course, considering he had hit her without hesitation until now, it might not be the case. But he must have at least a shred of conscience towards her.

It was worth a try.

“Sniff, sob, brother…” The possessed body fell over with a thud after being hit.

Good. That’s the state to act in. In that state, she starts to back away.

“It hurts, it hurts, it hurts…! Stop!” she pleads, her voice trembling.

As Aidel approaches, Ceti starts to cry out even more desperately.

“Please, stop hitting me…! Brother, it hurts…! I hate being hurt! Don’t do it…”

This should shake him up a bit.

Well, what do you think? Isn’t this girl looking pitiful?

So, show some mercy. Grant her some sympathy. Hesitate.

At that moment, when a crack forms in his mind, I’ll swallow you whole.

Crunch!

Was it a thousand times… or ten thousand times now? Populus had lost count. He was tired of keeping track. Instead, he silently overturned each unsatisfactory result, waiting for a victorious future to emerge.

“Student, but she is your sister! What are you doing?”

Occasionally, Naier would intervene, stopping Aidel. Populus found some comfort in this unconventional pattern. Around the two-millionth attempt, he finally hit the jackpot. There was no Sonia or anyone else to interfere.

Naier, who usually cut off the possessed body’s tentacles with a single stroke, had accidentally sprained her ankle on her way here. Despite this, she actively restrained Aidel.

“Your sister can still speak fine. It means she still has the will to survive! I’ll subdue her, so student, don’t do anything rash and step back!”

“I refuse to do so.”

“Aidel!”

“It’s a matter of our family. Don’t interfere!”

“Listen to me! If the Pron value is below 800, we can take them to the Holy Pine tree and save them!”

Internal strife had finally broken out. It was an excitingly welcome situation. How this opportunity could be seized was still unknown, but Populus knew he couldn’t afford to fail this time.

“Huuk, brother, brother…” The possessed body began to stagger, wailing more miserably than in any other iteration. After spewing out a flood of fake tears until her tear ducts were dry, she said to the approaching Aidel.

“Don’t hit me.”

“…….”

“It hurts if you hit me.”

“…….”

“……Are you going to hit me?”

“Yes.”

Clang!

One hundred million times.

“Let’s give up.”

Despite everything, Aidel’s attitude remained unchanged.

No matter when Populus possessed.

No matter who he possessed.

No matter where he possessed.

No matter how he acted.

Aidel continued to execute the possessed without blood or tears.

From the moment Aidel showed no agitation, every attempt seemed futile.

“…Things aren’t going as planned.”

But the entire plan hadn’t failed yet.

Once we move to the next timeline, it would be difficult to return due to causality, but it seemed like it was about time to let go.

“This can’t be helped.”

If it’s unsatisfactory, just killing them all in a short-term battle is enough.

Simply put, it’s declaring an all-out war with the Outer God who rules this galaxy.

It needs to end quickly. There were hostile Outer Gods around the base to be wary of, after all.

And for that reason, his minions were dispatched here in advance.

“Guys, move out now.”

With Populus’s command, time began to move forward.

You have escaped from the ‘looping section’ of the hostile Outer God.

‘The Orchestra of Mud and Flesh’ has abandoned its possessed body and fled the scene.

You have acquired 10,000 Pron as disassembly compensation!

Bella cradled Ceti, who had fainted with foam at the mouth.

“Sob, sob… I’m sorry, miss… I’m really sorry…”

The Outer God had possessed Ceti and then abandoned her, likely trying to take her hostage before fleeing when I managed to land a few hits.

It was a close call, but I knew this wasn’t the end. This was just a preliminary skirmish, a test of our defenses.

The Outer God would be back with a new strategy. As I pondered our next move, Naier and Sonia approached.

Sonia spoke first. “All students except for the young master have been evacuated.”

“Any casualties?”

“12 seriously injured, 38 lightly injured, no fatalities,” she replied.

“Good.”

So far, so good.

We had survived this encounter, but I knew we had to be prepared for what was coming next.

After a brief exchange with Sonia, I locked eyes with Instructor Naier. Her expression was a demand for an explanation of the recent chaos I had caused.

There was no time for lengthy discussions.

“Outer God,” I said, conveying the essence succinctly.

“When they encounter a pattern they can’t understand, they panic.”

Naier remained silent, her eyes probing for more information.

“By exploiting that weakness, they can be easily subdued,” I continued.

“And how do you know this?” Naier frowned, clearly skeptical.

“The only known way to drive away the Outer Gods is to burn them with ether under the protection of the Constellation,” she stated.

“That’s the common belief, but it’s not the only method,” I replied.

“Isn’t that explanation insufficient for me to trust you?”

“Just know this for now: an Outer God is a living being.”

Naier chuckled. “Are you saying an Outer God is also a form of life?”

I checked Ceti’s pulse, whom Bella was embracing.

Ceti von Reinhardt: 990/1000

[Mental State]

Due to critical condition and unconsciousness, her psychological state cannot be determined.

A Pron value of 990. She was on the brink of death. If the possessed body dies, the possession ends automatically. If the Outer God tries to possess her again, Ceti will truly lose her life.

“Student Aidel, it would be best to take that younger sibling to the Holy Spirit Hospital,” Naier advised.

“Are you referring to the place where one officially receives the blessing from the Holy Pine Tree?”

“Yes,” Naier continued calmly. “If the level of Pron received from the Outer God has stopped at a certain level, it can be recovered by making a contract with the Constellation. Of course, it will cost a lot of money, and if madness occurs, there will be restrictions on employment and such…”

I sighed. According to the novel, a Pron level of around 800 was manageable. But at 900, even the help of the Constellation was futile.

Fortunately, the Pron level doesn’t change while one is in a coma. As long as Ceti remains unconscious, she is in a state of neither life nor death.

“Bella,” I ordered, “take my sister to a hospital in the Lainrath sector. As close to the Holy Spirit Hospital as possible.”

“Ah, yes!” Bella responded.

“And be sure to contact father and mother.”

First, I needed to move her to a safe place.

What remained was to anticipate and respond to whatever move the Outer Gods might make.

As I had that thought, the mission window in front of me updated.

[— The ‘God of Wisdom and Curiosity’ is angry at having her plans interfered with.]

As an apostle of the ‘God of Wisdom and Curiosity’, you must accomplish the following tasks.

Task 1 – Eliminate the avatar ‘Lyzlactia’ (0/1)

Task 2 – Eliminate the avatar ‘Yoodl’ (0/1)

Task 3 – Eliminate the avatar ‘Mayrem’ (0/1)

Task 4 – Eliminate the avatar ‘Oligos’ (0/1)

A new assignment was given by Cartesia. She was clear with both rewards and punishments, and the rewards for success and failure conditions were generously provided.

If successful: A gravity package filled with Cartesia’s love (>∇<)

If failed: You better look forward to it 🙂

“What is this?” I muttered.

Notification: A sudden change in the Pron value has been detected!

“What’s this now?”

“Young master, whatever it is, you and I must go to a safe place….” Sonia began, but she was interrupted by a sudden jolt.

Boom!

The hull began to shake, and before Sonia could finish her sentence, my body floated up.

“Wh-what’s this?”

“Damn, it’s the work of the Outer God.”

The ship was launching, moving out of the planet’s gravitational field and into the free space of zero gravity.

“Shoot it down, Oligos.”

Crash!

The glass of the captain’s quarters shattered.