Ch.82Cannibalism (3)

“Weren’t you two on good terms?”

My question was perfectly reasonable.

As far as I knew, Melody was my sister’s colleague.

And Melody had probably gone through the events of Grim Darker 2 and 3 alongside my sister.

So I found it strange that Melody was acting this way.

Could she be under someone’s control? Like Hertol?

I looked at Melody with suspicion in my eyes.

“…Are you serious?”

I flinched at Melody’s gaze, which felt cold somehow.

So she’s not being controlled?

The expression I glimpsed on Melody’s face didn’t seem like that of someone under control.

Of course, I’m no expert on mind control, but it was just a feeling.

I broke into a cold sweat, wondering if I had misread the situation.

Melody’s cold gaze had a way of digging into wounds I’d experienced before.

So what should I do?

Should I pretend I know what’s going on, claim she didn’t mean what she said?

When I actually have no idea?

“Um… the atmosphere suddenly got chilly… Did I do something wrong?”

I didn’t think I had.

“It was my sister who made the offer, but I was the one who accepted it. If that displeased you, I apologize.”

I’ve always lived with integrity. Always honest with myself and with others.

This time too, I was being honest.

At my words, confusion clouded Melody’s cold gaze.

“Really…?”

The question wasn’t directed at me. Melody just blinked blankly while still holding onto my arm.

Should I confirm that it’s true? As I was pondering this, my sister laughed.

“I’m sorry.”

When Melody and I turned to look at her, my sister apologized with a smile still on her face.

“I was being inconsiderate, wasn’t I? Trying to teach something while bypassing the actual teacher… I’m sorry.”

My sister apologizing again. Even that sight painfully reminded me of the past.

My sister had always been quick to apologize.

She would apologize to difficult customers, to landlords, to all sorts of people for all sorts of reasons.

Seeing her apologize here too made me uncomfortable.

Especially since it didn’t seem like something worth getting so upset about.

I considered whether I should say something to Melody, opening my mouth after a moment’s thought.

But I didn’t get the chance.

“But you know what.”

My sister spoke first. As Melody and I both looked at her, she spoke with her usual approachable expression.

“Melody, isn’t that Luwellin’s decision to make?”

Melody’s expression froze. So did mine.

My sister saying something like this?

I’d never seen her like this before. It was behavior and words I never thought I’d witness from her.

And fortunately, I wasn’t the only one surprised. Melody was blinking rapidly, her eyes wide with shock.

Soon, expression returned to Melody’s face.

It was a look of astonishment and confusion, but with something like determination behind it.

What on earth is happening?

“Unnie, you can’t possibly mean—?!”

Melody’s shocked words were cut short by my sister’s extended index finger.

“Luwellin?”

“Yes?”

“Imperial fighting techniques are good for building fundamentals, but it’s hard to develop beyond that. When you get the chance, you should seek out one of these three to learn from.”

Three. I knew what she meant, but couldn’t bring myself to ask.

There was a certain atmosphere that made it difficult to question.

“The martial arts of the Elven Monastery, the Beastkin’s fighting techniques, or the Northern traditional combat style.”

All her raised fingers folded down. I nodded as I looked at my sister’s smiling yet somehow chilling expression.

Though I already knew all this, I couldn’t interrupt her.

Something about my sister’s demeanor prevented that.

She stared at my face for a moment, then smiled broadly.

“Well, I’ll be going now. Have a good time.”

There was a sting in her words.

But before Melody could notice and point it out, or before I could express my confusion, my sister waved her hand casually and walked away.

Melody and I just stood there blankly, watching her leave.

After my sister had gone, Melody finally came to her senses and gripped my arm tightly.

“I never expected things to turn out like this.”

“Yes, that’s true. The Guardian Knight has quite a temper—”

But that’s not like her at all.

For a moment, she seemed different from the sister I knew.

Had her personality changed after spending time in this world of Grim Darker?

Or was this a side of her she never showed in front of me, her brother?

I didn’t know. Similarly, Melody didn’t seem to notice this.

Instead, she only muttered one thing.

“This can’t keep expanding…”

I couldn’t tell exactly what she meant.

*

The three fighting styles my sister mentioned were, so to speak, the closest to the “correct answer” in combat techniques.

The martial arts of the Elven Monastery, which focused on fundamentals, combo attacks, and mana manipulation, ideal for professional fighters.

The Beastkin’s fighting techniques, which were fierce and aggressive yet surprisingly intricate, typically learned by special races with already superior physical conditions.

And finally, the Northern combat style, which emphasized weapon synergy and adaptability, seemingly designed to support an already “complete dealer.”

Though I didn’t often use combat builds, as far as I knew, if one were to choose a fighting style, it would be one of those three.

And the two that would synergize well with me when I acquired them were:

The Beastkin’s fighting techniques, which could leverage my perfect body as a Mourner and Homunculus.

Or the Northern barbarians’ combat style, which considered weapon usage.

Either way, I would need to reach level 12, the level for gaining a new talent, so I had plenty of time to consider.

[Name: Luwellin]

[Race: Homunculus]

[Class: Warrior – Mourner 8]

[Reputation: Public Enemy]

[Strength: 22(+6)][Dexterity: 20(+5)][Constitution: 22(+6)]

[Mana: □][Inspiration: □][Charm: □]

[Play Time: 9,474 hours]

My current level was 8. I needed to gain four more levels for a new talent.

And at this stage, four levels is quite significant. It was still a long way off.

“If you can choose, the Northern tribal combat style would be best.”

After my sister left, I walked with Melody.

Even as we took the elevator down, left the Pantheon, and walked along the street, Melody wore a complicated expression.

Even this comment seemed forced, meant to change the subject.

But I gladly played along.

“Why is that?”

“Because it works well alongside weapon techniques. The Northern tribes are particularly fierce… and as a barbarian combat style, it would complement Luwellin’s excellent physical abilities well.”

This was information I already knew. And it was true.

Even looking at performance rather than lore, barbarians were similar to Mourners.

Barbarians were more… natural, you could say.

Using muscle strength, physical might, and the inspiration accumulated by their ancestors, they were categorically similar to Mourners.

The difference was that Mourners unknowingly received power from the mysterious entity known as Father, and had neither mana, inspiration, nor charm.

And the handling and role of their power differed slightly.

Personally, I didn’t mind barbarians, but performance-wise, they couldn’t match Mourners.

Though race advantages probably played a part too.

“What about the Beastkin?”

“The Beastkin are… fine too.”

Melody twisted a strand of her hair with one hand as she walked beside me. She leaned slightly against me and said:

“It’s just that those proud Beastkin might not share their fighting techniques with outsiders.”

She was right.

Among the Northern tribes, the Beastkin were among the most exclusive.

Proclaiming themselves descendants of dragons who once ruled the world, they held the largest seat in the Northern Tribal Federation.

To learn their fighting techniques, one would need to earn their favor accordingly.

For an ordinary human, it would be an unattainable achievement, practically impossible.

So Melody’s suggestion was entirely sensible.

“If you’re willing to go through the trouble, I won’t stop you, but I don’t think it would be comfortable. I have connections in the Northern tribes, so we could go there later as tourists and learn.”

Melody pressed against me, resting her head on my shoulder. After walking like that for a while, she let out a long sigh.

“Was I too ugly earlier?”

“A bit, yes.”

“…Are you disappointed?”

I had enjoyed Grim Darker 2 as well.

I had played through it countless times, trying various builds and revisiting the story from different angles.

Even to someone like me, Melody’s behavior just now was unfamiliar.

Melody showing jealousy?

Of course, it wasn’t incomprehensible. Melody was still young, and being human, she couldn’t be perfect.

Rather, isn’t that the opposite of perfection?

She had been raised as the final tool of the Dueling School and joined the “protagonist’s party” as a double agent.

Though she was liberated when the Dueling School that raised her collapsed at the end of Grim Darker 2, she was still young.

It wasn’t strange for her to be obsessed with her disciple and upset at losing the opportunity to teach them.

So I decided to understand her.

I was a top laner with generosity and decency, after all.

I was the kind of person who wouldn’t even curse at teammates who ignored my bright, energetic greetings or trolls who disregarded reasonable orders, settling for just reporting them.

Besides, having two beautiful women jealous over me wasn’t exactly an unpleasant feeling.

One was my sister, and the other, though young in appearance… well, they were both beautiful.

Having grown up without parents, I could overlook this kind of educational zeal, obsession, and jealousy as refreshing.

“Not at all. Actually… I found it refreshing and pleasant that you wanted to teach me so seriously.”

And Melody gladly accepted my generosity.

Though she still seemed a bit disgruntled. Probably because of the chilly atmosphere with my sister earlier.

Before long, Melody started leading the conversation again with her usual chattering voice.

Asking if I was using the grimoire she gave me, or telling me to visit her bedroom anytime if I couldn’t sleep.

I gladly accepted her considerate offers, which contrasted with her seemingly impudent and scheming face.

“Oh, right. There was something I wanted to ask.”

“Yes?”

“Did you get new armor? It suits you well.”

Melody smiled brightly as she placed her hand on my chest.

She gently moved her hand across the surface of the armor.

Facing her flushed face beyond that gentle touch, I thought:

What is she talking about?

“No, this armor is the same one I’ve been wearing…”

Naturally, my hand touched the armor at that moment.

[Mother’s Favor]

In that instant, a status window filled my vision.

The flavor text that typically appears when acquiring a new item or when checking an item for the first time.

“Luwellin?”

Simultaneously, a vague memory flashed through my mind.

When I lost consciousness and woke up in my studio apartment.

The status window I had ignored and moved past.

“Are you okay? Luwellin?”

[This is your armor, forged with your blood and tempered with your flesh and bone.

May Mother protect you.]

[All parts of the armor are treated as parts of your body, sharing the effects of regeneration and health recovery.

It also shares the effects of body enhancement spells or effects.]

The status window seemed to speak to me.

[(Luwellin Exclusive) When activating Repeated Mourning, you can offer tributes to Mother through predation and killing.]

As if telling me that something had happened during that brief moment when I lost consciousness.