< Chapter 1463 > 1463. Dark Moon
“Hmm.”
I examine the dark mana-infused chip from all angles.
There wasn’t anything I could make out.
While I am studying magical engineering, my skills aren’t sharp enough to instantly understand this chip. To be honest, I’m only confident in the magic aspect of magical engineering – the engineering part? Not a clue. This feels closer to engineering than black magic.
‘In situations like this, it’s faster and more reliable to ask an expert instead of making judgments myself.’
There are several ways to go about it: finding a decent mechanic, or commissioning a broker.
‘Fortunately, the top expert in this field is nearby.’
With the chip in hand, I head toward the Transcendentalist ancient ruins.
“Ho ho! You really put up a fiery fight back there! You’re the first magician I’ve seen firing railguns with magic. Can I ask why you’d do such an inefficient thing?”
As soon as I entered the ancient ruins, Barkase’s voice rang out.
“Inefficient?”
“A railgun can be used without magic, right? Take the R675 rifle for example.”
“That’s military-grade. And one of those things the military manages with paranoia. Hard to get, and even if you did manage to get it, a special forces team would likely drag you away the moment you use it.”
“Hmph. Things have changed these days, huh? Back in my day, everyone carried railguns as standard equipment.”
“Sounds like an interesting era.”
“Interesting in many ways… but also a shitty one.”
As I walk down the corridor, I raise the chip in my hand. Black mana leaks out continuously from the small chip.
“I have a favor to ask. This chip was found inside a monster. Can you interpret it for me?”
“Not a difficult request. I’ll help with that. I’m curious about this chip myself.”
We move inside. Bell Terrier is still undergoing adjustments inside her capsule. Barkase’s hologram appears next to me and points somewhere.
“See that scratch on the wall down there? Place the chip there. Let’s start by scanning it before connecting.”
I throw the chip. It flies precisely toward the scratch. Just before it reaches, I gently lower it into place using telekinesis.
“Wow. That’s quite un-magician-like skill!”
“I’m good at throwing things and hitting targets.”
“Just give me a moment. It won’t take long.”
I sit in the chair. With nothing else to do, I look over at Bell inside the capsule. As expected from the character design I chose, she has an excellent figure. I never get tired of looking at her.
‘Mechanical arms and legs. Wonder what it feels like to have eyes attached? Is it comfortable?’
Not that I’d ever consider attaching machinery to myself.
For a magician who directly manipulates mana, machines are close to being nuisances. What’s important for a magician is maintaining mana balance, and replacing parts of your body with machines disrupts that balance. Could mechanical adjustments restore the balance? Sure, but those kinds of machines are astronomically expensive. Adjustments are also brutal – you’d need periodic fine-tuning from master-level mechanics. In my opinion, there are only downsides for magicians when it comes to machinery.
“The results are in. Quite fascinating. This chip is structurally very similar to ones I know.”
“Is it dangerous?”
“Yes, it is. Do you know what a Mutant Chip is?”
Of course I do. I think for a moment. Should I pretend I don’t know?
Is this more profitable? After weighing the pros and cons, I decided to just pretend like I knew what I was talking about. Listening to Barcase’s explanation sounded way too exhausting.
“…I believe it’s a biochip created by voidists to more easily accept void energy. It triggers mutations to make the body more receptive to void energy.”
“You seem well-informed. The chip you brought is structurally very similar to a mutator chip. The difference is that it’s made with dark mana instead of void energy.”
“Does it mutate the body to suit dark mana?”
I asked with a serious tone.
Something felt off. This thing didn’t exist in my original source knowledge.
“No, dark mana accelerates the mutation process caused by the mutator chip.”
“A chip that removes void energy and focuses purely on mutating the body… If it’s related to the Cabala Research Institute, their intentions are obvious.”
The Cabala Research Institute, under Cabala Industries, has branches all over the world—not just here. What they do is biological experimentation. They capture animals from various regions and conduct experiments on them. Of course, those “animals” include humans.
“Cabala Industries maintains its top position in the bio sector all thanks to the Cabala Research Institute.”
‘They also have an incredible market share in the food industry.’
They mass-produce livestock like chickens, pigs, and cows through cloning. With low prices and massive quantities, they’ve essentially dominated the food market.
‘These guys used to clone humans too…’
A project aimed at creating the ultimate army using clones of a legendary soldier.
That project failed.
Unlike livestock, humans require at least ten years of growth. More importantly, the legendary soldier’s combat skills didn’t manifest in the clones. Even the few clones who showed traces of those abilities were laughably inferior compared to the original.
“After analyzing it carefully, it seems this chip is called a Dark Chip. What do you plan to do with it?”
“There are plenty of people interested in anything related to Cabala Research Institute. I’m thinking of selling it through a broker. Might make some cash.”
“Not considering using it yourself, right?”
“I’d rather get shot in the head than do that.”
“That’s reassuring. The Dark Chip lacks directionality—it’s unpredictable how it might mutate. It’s been designed specifically to maximize the effects of the Dark Veil for mutation purposes only.”
“Thanks for the analysis.”
I retrieved the chip and sat back down on the chair.
“Do you intend to wait for her? Didn’t you say you weren’t related?”
“I should at least greet her before she leaves. I’m curious about what’ll happen to her…”
“Or are you waiting to see her body?”
“……”
Her capsule opened. Bell quickly grabbed her clothes as soon as she stepped out.
“Hey, could you maybe look away? That’s basic manners, you know.”
“I thought you didn’t care… My apologies.”
I immediately turned around and faced the wall. I’d already seen everything worth seeing, so there was no lingering attachment.
“How do you feel? Any pain anywhere?”
“Not bad at all. Actually, I feel amazing. Today’s the first time I realized how light my body could feel. Thanks, Mr. Barcase.”
“It was nothing.”
Afterward, they started talking about machines—specifically, mechanical eyes. The conversation got pretty technical, but it went way over my head.
“The Transcendentalist facilities are hidden all over this world. I can’t tell you their exact locations, even if I wanted to—I don’t know myself. Haha. But these facilities will be helpful to you. Visit them when you have time.”
“…We’re not Transcendentalists though.”
“To me, you’re already walking the path of transcendence. A Transcendentalist isn’t anything special. If you qualify and walk the path of transcendence… then that makes you a Transcendentalist. You can deny it all you want, but I’ll treat you as such.”
“Mr. Barcase, why don’t you just admit you’ve been lonely all this time?”
“Haha. Can’t argue with that. Next year…”
“I’ll come again next time. And adjust it for me then too.”
“If I get the chance, I’ll come back.”
Bell and I said our goodbyes to Barcase and left the ancient ruins.
I didn’t expect Barcase to be this hospitable.
‘In the original story, I had to carefully build the relationship through quests…’
As Bell and I descended the mountain together, we chatted.
“That gorilla monster came back to life and attacked? Are you serious? We confirmed it was dead… oh, damn. Today’s Dark Moon, huh? That makes sense.”
“I got a Dark Chip from that thing. It’s mine now. Since it’s from Cavallia Labs, it should sell for a pretty penny.”
“You got a few of those Dark Chips?”
I explained about the Dark Chips.
“Wow. They do seem like they’d sell for a lot.”
“Not planning to sell them?”
“For now, I want to investigate further. I’ve got an associate in the city who specializes in these kinds of things. If it doesn’t pan out, I can always sell them to people who dislike Cavallia.”
As we exchanged various words, we quickly arrived at the village.
“Let’s part ways here. Can you give me your email address? I’ll contact you later. I won’t forget what happened today. Let me know if you need my help. If it’s not urgent, I’ll prioritize helping you.”
“Are you leaving right away? There are still a few hours until sunrise. It’s dangerous.”
“I came on a bike. I entered illegally, so I can’t take the train. Dark Moon or not, it’s fine as long as I focus on avoiding fights rather than engaging.”
“Alright. Let me know if you need help. I’ll assist you. But it’s not free. I don’t owe you anything.”
We exchanged emails. She grinned mischievously as she spoke.
“Today sure was lucky. Thanks to the transcendentalist, I feel refreshed, and now I’ve connected with a skilled mage. Maybe the coins I threw into the fountain earlier brought me good luck?”
“Maybe.”
Bell waved goodbye, hopped on her bike, and left the village.
I sat dumbly on a bench in front of the station, gazing up at the black moon. I planned to wait until dawn when the first train would arrive.
‘With the Dark Moon, hotels probably aren’t operating either. I should have rented a room beforehand… Mistake.’
While lost in thought about magic, I heard a noise.
Crackle.
At first, I thought I imagined it and ignored it.
Crackle crackle.
Coincidence doesn’t happen twice. I focused my eyes and looked toward the source of the sound.
A dark alleyway.
Something white was staring at me from there.
The moment I blinked, it closed the 10-meter gap in an instant.
White dress, hair almost as pale as snow, chalk-white skin. Thin limbs. In short, it was a ghost.
‘Guess the Dark Moon brings out all sorts of weird things.’
I blinked again.
The ghost closed the distance instantly. I blinked repeatedly on purpose. Before I knew it, the ghost was right in front of my nose and let out a scream.
“KYAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
Its mouth stretched wide like a shark’s, filled with hundreds of tiny sharp teeth. To top it off, it reeked horribly.
“Shut up.”
I grabbed the ghost by the neck as it lunged to bite my head and cast a spell.
[Lightning Grab]
Zzzziiiiippp!
The bright blue current emanating from my hand electrified the ghost’s body.
“KYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAH!”
The ghost screamed shrilly, fell to the ground, and dissolved into particles before vanishing.
As I was about to return to my thoughts and daydreaming, I felt a gaze and looked up. A red-eyed man was hanging upside down from the station ceiling. On the railway side, there was a repulsive lump of meat. From the snack stand, a woman crawling like a spider approached upside down.
“Huh, you’re keeping things interesting.”
I stood up. Mana surged through my mana circuits, and sparks of lightning danced at my fingertips.
“Alright, let’s play.”
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