Valto smirked but didn’t propel himself forward.

”We aren’t going anywhere – I have been informed that the item that you would find useful in your search for strength is right here.”

The man smiled and tapped Zoemi’s side before pointing back at the plush bear…

”…?”

…which honestly shocked the black-haired boy, until he realized that the former royal tutor was pointing at the crystal container that the toy was sitting upon…

The translucent crystal was some kind of mana crystal and in itself possessed some sort of magic properties, but in and of itself, it wasn’t the main part of the whole set-up.

The container on its own was resting on top of a pedestal that was fully covered with mana stones with runes carved all over them. Most of which even Zoemi recognized as the sealing runes.

And although Zoemi from the murky-black world focused on the severed human arm.

Even before the toy, Zoemi from the supposedly perfect timeline focused on it only then.

He could not help but think that it was somewhat still alive – it looked too… fresh… just as if it was cut off only moments ago – although there was no blood dripping from the part that was severed from the rest of the body.

At first, the black-haired boy wondered why would anyone keep such a thing there but then the realization struck him like lightning.

”This…! This is…!”

He gasped.

”Yes. This is the arm of the vice-commander of the Ghosts of Bellcephora, Kirissu. As you can probably imagine, it’s still partially connected to her, even after it was cut off. This is definitely what you are looking for.”

Valto nodded his head and said, as the boy greedily gulped down and stared at the arm.

Zoemi became so much more powerful after devouring Oktria’s hair…

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|Excuse me? In that timeline, the other me got stronger after doing WHAT?!|

Zoemi called out in anger mixed with disgust.

|Ghosts of Bellcephora abandoned their flesh and blood bodies and are basically made out of mana. I believe that is what they mean.|

The original personality spoke up, trying to calm down the disturbed boy.

|No! He clearly thinks that devouring the actual thing is what makes him stronger!|

The black-haired boy growled in fury, trembling from anger.

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He got so many useful spells from doing that, and Oktria was supposedly specialized in support abilities like tracking and localizing the enemy. From what he knew about Kirissu, she was an offensive type and apparently could shapeshift… If he could get those abilities plus the mana that would come from converting the darkness mana remaining in the arm…!

”Here.”

Valto pushed himself towards the container and cautiously unlocked the mechanism somewhere on the pedestal, which caused the front panel of the crystal container to sprung open, giving them access to the severed arm.

”Shadow emerge.”

Without further instructions, Zoemi stepped forward and his own hand became engulfed in a mass of pitch-black darkness that looked more like a bottomless pit than a liquid-like cloud.

With the pre-activated spell, Zoemi reached and grabbed the arm and made the darkness slither and wrap all over it, the moment the arm started melting a huge surge of mana hit him like a tsunami.

It couldn’t be compared to the amount that he got from Oktria, even though she was threatening to kill him, she apparently didn’t use that much of her power, but in this case, it was so much that Zoemi felt scared.

Wave after wave of mana crushed into him, he felt his body swelling from the sudden increase of power, and it wasn’t stopping at all.

He fell to his knees clenching his stomach and his chest.

Just like when he was still a child, and his magic was forcibly awakened byHoreo, he felt that his insides were pushed to the sides by the new organ that stored and produced mana.

Only this time, it was swelling and swelling, and swelling indefinitely until Zoemi felt like he no longer had any physical organs, he was completely full of mana… Composed of mana… He no longer felt like he was using the shadow.

He…

He WAS the shadow.

But then his mind was assaulted by the streams of memories, so entangled and intertwined that even though they belonged to twenty different people it seemed like they melted into one.

Just as Zoemi was on the edge of dissolving into the quagmire of different memories and personalities, a golden light appeared in his mind.

”WHAT IS THIS?! NO! YOU ARE MINE! YOU HEAR ME?! MINE! YOU ARE MY TOY, ZOEMI, YOU BELONG TO ME AND I’LL CRUSH ANYONE WHO TRIES TO TAKE YOU AWAY!”

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|Master…!|

The original personality let out a longing cry and no doubt was reaching his hands towards the screen.

Zoemi stayed silent, feeling slightly sorry for the moved artificial soul.

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It was the presence.

Its light squashed the other personalities that were gnawing on Zoemi’s soul and cleansed them completely.

”Thank goodness. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

Did…Did this voice really belong to the presence…?

It sounded so concerned and genuinely worried about him that Zoemi thought it must have been some sort of a mistake.

”Ah, whatever, my plan is already ruined, I can as well just drop the act altogether! You see… Eh…? Uh-oh…! Ummm… Zoemi… You see… this time I was the one who messed up…”

Suddenly the presence’s tone changed, it sounded like a child who realized their mistake but tried to act cutely to minimize the amount of scolding they would receive.

”I hurried here to save you and accidentally released the seal… and now I can’t go back it seems… Tee-hee…?”

”Seal…What seal…?”

Zoemi asked confused.

”Umm…You’d better hurry back to the academy, oh, I know, I’ll better transport you there myself, it will be faster. I’ll bring the double attribute magician too, he’ll definitely be able to help.”

”Wha-what are you even talking about?”

Although it might have sounded like a dialogue – the presence was just saying what she wanted while ignoring the black-haired boy while Zoemi asked questions in confusion, not getting any of them answered.