Chapter 41. Ouroboros's Inverse Scale (2)

Elves.

One of the races extinguished by the Outer Gods’ invasion during the Forgotten Era.

One of the ‘semi-immortal’ races existing on the border between life and death, referring to beings whose lives are sustained by their souls, not their physical bodies.

Like the Dragon Race, they are beings partially detached from the flow of time, a race that maintains its numbers through ‘manifestation,’ not reproduction.

'In many ways, they're a race often compared to the Dragon Race.'

Elves, along with the Dragon Race, are one of the two primordial races that protected the world.

If the Dragon Race is the lord of Demons, the Elves are the lords of Saints.

Both were transcendental beings, but they ruled different territories.

And the era when these beings protected the world is what later generations call the 'Forgotten Era.'

In any case, the most significant characteristic of Elves is their striking resemblance to humans.

Unlike the Dragon Race, who borrow human form through polymorphing, Elves are inherently close to the archetype of humans.

Therefore, Arkan’s misunderstanding was understandable.

Her Insight Eye would have seen through the fact that I'm a human.

However, there were too many suspicious points to consider me a mere human, so she probably suspected I was an Elf, the closest resemblance.

But there are too many flaws in her words.

The first one being...

“Elves don’t have males.”

“…What?”

Elves don't have a male sex.

No, to be precise, they have no sex at all.

It's just that their form always maintains a female appearance.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“Whether you’ve heard it or not doesn’t change the facts.”

Arkan stared at me for a long time, then muttered a question.

“……You’re a woman?”

“Do I look like a woman?”

“No, not really…”

I scanned Arkan up and down, clicked my tongue, and stood up.

“Above all, Elves are immortal.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“I age. I get older. Don't you see how my appearance has consistently changed from when I was young until now?”

“……Huh?”

I shook my head and turned around.

Arkan stared blankly at my back.

Honestly, I didn't need to correct her whether she was mistaken or not, but if I left it like this, the list of misunderstandings would grow like a receipt, so I had no choice.

What even are Elves anyway?

They’re a race that barely appears, even in the original story, existing only as a setting detail.

“Then what are you? Are you really saying you're an ordinary human?”

“I am a human. Aren't you, Great Lord, the possessor of the Insight Eye? You should be able to tell just by looking. Whether my words are true or not.”

“Wait. How do you know about the Insight Eye?”

“It's one of the characteristics of your race, Great Lord.”

“What are you? You know about my race?”

Ah, I shouldn't have said that.

I spoke in a calm voice as if it wasn't a big deal.

“Yes.”

“How?”

“I saw it. Outwardly human in appearance, but in essence, a legendary race whose very flesh is manifested Mana. With golden eyes that pierce through the essence of existence…”

I paused for a moment, then added,

“The last of the Witch Race on the continent.”

I narrowed my eyes and glared at her.

Considering her personality, it would be normal for her to fly into a rage at having her identity exposed…

“……A legendary race?”

…Is it just me, or does she seem to like it?

“Ahem, ahem! You really know a lot, don't you? What did you just say? A legendary race? Well, it's not wrong.”

I stared at her, dumbfounded.

Was she always like this?

It was quite new to see a more relaxed side of her, after always seeing her stern, serious demeanor.

When our eyes met, Arkan finally coughed and turned her head, glancing sideways.

“…But I’m not, am I?”

“Don’t play coy.”

“I’m really not! Just you wait, 6th Lord. If you go around spreading strange rumors… huh? I’m warning you!”

“You should be the one not even dreaming of spreading rumors about me.”

“No, so what exactly are you?!”

“A human.”

“Oh, come on, like you’re just some ordinary human.”

Arkan grumbled for a long time, muttering, "I can’t just use force to find out… this is driving me crazy," then let out a sigh deep enough to swallow the earth.

“To be paired with an ordinary human… the lifespan difference is still… no, but still… there’s no way you’re just an ordinary human…”

What the hell is she babbling about?

I didn’t have time to waste here.

I needed to check my abilities and absorb the Inverse Scale as soon as possible.

I stood still and waited for her, then frowned and turned around again.

“If you have nothing more to say, I’ll be going.”

“Huh? Where are you going! You have to finish explaining!”

“If you follow me, I'll disappear, Lord position or not. So don't follow me.”

“What? How can you do that! 6th Lord!”

Ah, damn it.

This is driving me insane.

****

After returning to my private room, washing up, and finishing my meal, I immediately struggled to pull out Ouroboros’s Inverse Scale, which I had hidden by my bed.

It was far heavier than a mere scale fragment should be, but it was still a key item for my future ability usage, so I handled it carefully.

I carefully stroked the surface of the scale.

The surface of the golden scale was smooth as a mirror, and within it, fine patterns pulsed as if alive.

It was only the size of my palm, but it was as heavy as lead, and a red light, reminiscent of a serpent’s eye, occasionally flashed and faded on the scale's surface.

'It looks pretty creepy.'

Ouroboros’s Inverse Scale is not just a scale, but a living entity.

It's like the core of Ouroboros, its very heart.

The most significant characteristic of this Inverse Scale is its immense Mind’s Eye and the power of circulation. By weaving these together to form a single loop, a permanent circulatory system can be established, automatically replenishing the Mind’s Eye even when it's depleted.

To be honest, the Ring of Yphrasia I’ve been using wasn't very efficient.

Rudine’s Heavenly Star of Slaughter was weak when not in combat, and the amount recharged was correspondingly small.

Moreover, the restriction of having to be near Rudine was also a nuisance.

But this time, it’s different.

The power of circulation dwelling within the Inverse Scale is a kind of Authority, and its fundamental essence is the same as the power of the Runes I use.

The important point here is that the ‘Rule’ of proliferation and circulation allows the Mind’s Eye, which constitutes the Authority, to circulate and proliferate.

‘This is a boon I wasn’t supposed to get until much later…’

In many ways, this *was* a boon. Honestly, I never expected the Spire to be connected to the Bottomless Pit.

Anyway, now that I had Ouroboros's Inverse Scale, only one thing remained.

I had to fully absorb everything within the Scale into my body.

"Haa…"

Steeling my resolve, I slowly raised my right palm and placed it on the Inverse Scale.

A humming vibration began, and a blue light emanated from the rune tattoos etched beneath my right and left eyes.

The cyclical power within the Inverse Scale activated, resonating with the runes.

The Inverse Scale pulsed with a red light as if convulsing. Blue and red lights intersected, making the Scale throb as if alive.

Then, a torrent of pulsing energy began to flow from the surface of the Scale into my palm.

"..."

As the energy seeped into my palm, I felt the first wave.

At first, it was a slight tingling, but gradually, the sensation of a thousand needles flowing through my blood vessels swept over my entire body.

"Kghhh…!"

My blood boiled, and something wriggled deep within my muscles. The sensation that started from my fingertips spread throughout my body in an instant, and the energy began mercilessly awakening each cell.

A pain that felt like every cell in my body was being squeezed one by one washed over me.

Simultaneously, my heartbeat changed, and my nervous system expanded into a new dimension.

Like a serpent endlessly chasing its own tail, the energy continuously reconstructed my body.

"Ahh…"

I barely managed to support my swaying body.

My bloodshot eyes blinked erratically as I struggled to breathe.

While sweat and tears mingled and flowed, the boundaries of reality crumbled.

But I had to endure.

The moment I lost consciousness, the entire process would become meaningless.

But…

"Fucking… hell…"

Damn it, this hurts way too much. It wasn’t just simple pain; it was an agony beyond what I could bear in my right mind.

Slowly, very slowly.

The fear of death crept up the back of my neck.

"Kyaaagh…!"

*Boom—!*

My head lolled heavily, and I lost my balance, collapsing to the floor.

Agony swept through my body, tearing at my muscles and scorching my nerves as I writhed in pain.

Through the pain, I saw a dimly lit, broken mirror shard. A golden aura began to swirl around my fading eyes.

My consciousness drifted.

I felt like my whole body was melting from the heat that enveloped me.

And then.

"Haa…!"

A refreshing sensation, like being doused with cold water, bloomed from my toes to the top of my head. The excruciating pain that had squeezed my entire body slowly subsided.

And soon, my hazy consciousness began to clear.

Lying on the floor, staring at the white ceiling, I was drenched in cold sweat.

My sense of time was gone, replaced only by the silence surrounding me.

I managed to stretch out my right hand and slightly parted my lips, uttering a familiar Activation Word.

"Acceleration."

Unlike the usual blue haze, this time a golden torrent, resembling the color of the Inverse Scale, tore through the space.

The golden torrent buzzed, gently enveloping a fly flitting through the air.

"Reverse."

…It stopped.

The dust, the air, even the fly's wings.

I turned my head and grabbed a stick lying on the floor.

And then.

"Transfer."

*Crack—!*

The stick I held in my hand pierced the center of the fly's body.

No, it wasn't a piercing.

As if the space between two points had been folded in half and touched, the stick in my hand passed through space and emerged on the other side.

An ability close to an Authority. Power, precision, range—it had undergone an unbelievable improvement in every aspect.

The golden haze was absorbed back into the tattoos under my eyes, and with a faint glow, the depleted energy began to recharge slowly.

A strange smile touched my lips.

"…Fucking broken."