Book Eater

Chapter 297: Victory Scar (1)

Theo wasn’t aware of this, but the ancient elementals were proof of the similarities between gods and spirits. They were fragments of gods that had lost their power and divinity for some reason.

Mitra had been born from the remnants of the ancient Mother Earth, Demeter, at the end of the Age of Mythology, when the Titanomachy ended and Olympus was trampled on. While it was bored inside of Theo, Gluttony had come up with a hypothesis.

The material world is subject to the law of circulation. If a fallen god took the shape of an ancient elemental, there was no law stating that an ancient elemental couldn’t become a god again after regaining strength and divinity. In that sense, an ancient elemental could be seen as a god’s egg.

Of course, it was difficult to prove this hypothesis. How many ways were there to obtain divinity in this age? How difficult would it be to regain enough divinity to rival a god? It wouldn’t have been possible if Theo hadn’t met certain conditions.

[Hoing!]

Mitra responded vigorously to Gluttony.

“What, who is it? Whose voice is this?” Jerem looked around with shock, but he didn’t see Mitra.

Mitra had been summoned inside Theo’s body! In a voice that Jerem couldn’t hear, Gluttony repeated the contents of the arrangement.

- Wind of Aiolos, water of Poseidon, earth of Demeter, and fire borrowed from Nuada Airgetlám. A temple was built based on the four elements.

The body of a magician was a world, meaning it wasn’t impossible to reproduce a divine hierarchy and fertilize the world. If the hypothesis that an ancient elemental was a god’s egg was correct, they needed certain conditions. All eggs needed a certain temperature and humidity. Of course, the difficulty was literally the difference between heaven and earth.

However, Gluttony filled the gap between heaven and earth.

- All materials in this world are made up of the elements of fire, water, earth, and wind. The unique properties of these four elements, dry, wet, hot, and cold, are used to form all things. Paracelsus built the system of the four elementals by substituting the elementals into this theory, but I have a higher goal.

There was no concept of right and wrong when it came to theories of the world. There were many unique dimensions in the universe, from the burning Muspelheim to frozen Cocytus and demonic Pandemonium. The four elements theory was just one branch of the infinite world.

Using the framework of the four elementals, Gluttony laid down the foundation of the temple that would support Mitra as a god. Since ancient times, Mother Earth had been a goddess representing the world itself. Now, Mitra was a representative of Theodore Miller’s world, and she had recovered to her former level as a goddess.

[Hoing? H-Hoo... Ee, ahhh...]

In a place hidden from everyone, Theo’s mental world, Mitra’s body was growing little by little. Her wheat-colored hair grew down to her waist as her arms and legs elongated. Her two eyes, that shone with an innocent light, were now filled with wisdom. The cracks in her body closed and her skin glowed with a divine light.

The goddess, Demeter… She was only a flower compared to the tree of her prime. However, the light was real. At this moment, Mitra had reached the rank of a lower god.

“What? Don’t tell me... This power...?” Jerem paled.

The power of a god, born from the Circles inside Theo’s body, started to overflow.

It might be different for a divinity without a master, but a proper deity was the enemy of warlocks. Even the lightest touch of the power of a god would deal a fatal blow to Jerem, who was stigmatized as the enemy of the world. It was like an extreme poison in his heart.

It was the first time Jerem had suffered like this.

[... You, who are you?]

Mitra asked in a clear voice.

[Uhh, I am drowsy and feel bad. Get out of Theo’s body right now!]

“Kuaaaack!”

Pure divine power exploded in Theo’s body. Mitra had instinctively lashed out, but as Jerem was connected to the body, it felt like his soul was being torn apart by her reflexive repulsion.

It would’ve been a miniscule matter if it had been an external force. However, since they shared the same body, it was a fatal blow. It was like exorcising an evil spirit by pouring holy water directly into the patient’s brain.

I-I’m going to die. This Jerem, the king who should cause the end? I can’t give up this body...

A moment of hesitation caused a crisis.

[Get out now!]

“Kuaaaaah!” Jerem’s soul was being shredded. There was no more time for him to worry now. One more blow would kill him completely.

As he barely held the tattered pieces of his soul together, Jerem cried out, “P-Pale Rider, come here!”

The unidentified bandaged undead responded to his call immediately. Jerem reached out with his right hand and grabbed the monster’s neck with bloodshot eyes, “Give your body to me!”

“... As you please.”

Jerem’s soul flowed out of Theo’s hand. The soul fled through Theo’s right hand straight into the Pale Rider. But this hasty escape had cost him the ownership of Death’s Worship and half of his vast amount of knowledge.

Jerem stared poisonously at Theo after taking over the Pale Rider’s body. However, he didn’t have the ability to fight against Mitra, who was protecting Theo. His connection with Tartarus had also been cut off, and his knights had consumed a lot of power.

“... Don’t think I will give up so easily,” Jerem said before transforming into a blue fog and vanishing without a trace.

- A defeated dog barks in every era.?

Gluttony ridiculed. It turned its attention to Mitra.

- Now, it is time to go back.

Mitra pouted.

[I don’t want to return to being a puny kid.]

- It can’t be helped. User’s vessel still can’t contain a god.

He might’ve unintentionally reached the 8th Circle, but it was preposterous for a mortal to become the vessel of a god. Even a lower ranked god was more transcendent than a dragon. As an entity that could manipulate the material world at will, the current Mitra could cause an earthquake with a casual sigh.

[... I understand.]

Mitra, who became a beautiful woman, let out a long sigh.

[Then give my best regards to Theo, Uncle Tongue.]

She disappeared into Theo’s body with a mischievous smile.

- ... Uncle Tongue?

For the first time in thousands of years or longer, Gluttony was shocked by someone’s words.

***

Theo’s consciousness came back to the surface a few moments later.

“... Um...” He groaned as he slowly raised his throbbing body. His blurred vision cleared immediately, and he sorted through his confused senses and thoughts.

Once he had finished taking account of the situation, he said, “Thank you, Gluttony.”

- ... What are you talking about all of a sudden?

“From your position, it would’ve been more efficient to choose Jerem instead of me.”

Gluttony was silent for a moment before speaking in a rare surprised tone.

- User, you remained conscious? Wasn’t your body taken over?

“A little bit, it wasn’t clear. I know how things went, but it isn’t detailed.”

- I-I see.

Gluttony felt relieved for some reason.

- There is someone you should greet before that.

“Ah.”

Theo turned his palm over, and a little girl appeared on top of it. She was the ancient elemental who had lost the power of a lower god and returned to the appearance of a child.

[Hoing! Deoo!]

“Mitra, thank you for saving me.”

[Hoong?]

.

It seemed like Mitra had no memory of when she had been a god, as she looked at him with a strange expression. Theo just chuckled and stroked her head. One day, he would tell her these words when they could communicate properly. Theo recalled that memorable sight and choked down his emotions.

After a moment, Gluttony spoke again.

- User. It is okay to relax your mind and body, but don’t you still have something to do?

“Something to do... Ah!”

Theo belatedly recalled his two companions, and he surged to his feet in sudden panic. A single step and he was suddenly a hundred meters away.

This is the power of eight Circles!

Jerem’s meddling had left Theo with eight Circles, which multiplied Theo’s magic power and physical abilities several times over. This was the path to transcendence beyond the human framework.

Theo might not have red dragon blood like Veronica, but he now held divinities in him as well as Aquilo’s blood. His strength and reflexes reached a level where he could evenly battle a swordmaster of the same level. In the past, he couldn’t use lightning and Dimensional Leave for long because his body hadn’t been able to bear the burden, but now those two spells would be much easier.

It only took a few moments to reach his companions. “Sister! Randolph!”

First, he pulled out Randolph, who was buried in a rock wall, and laid him down next to Veronica. His diagnosis spells activated much faster than before over the two unconscious people.

Randolph... is still okay. His wounds are pretty heavy, but they should heal quickly when combined with magic potions. The problem is Sister’s soul was stitched together by Jerem...

Theo’s face stiffened. “Shit. His magic is being released now that he has been kicked out of my body! The collapse of her soul will soon begin!”

The damage Invidia’s Destruction dealt to Veronica’s soul wasn’t something that could be cured with an 8th Circle body. Thus, Jerem had temporarily sewn up the soul. Now that Jerem’s magic was being ejected after Theo regained his body, the crack in Veronica’s soul would widen and her body would be torn apart in the aftermath.

Theo could see Veronica’s soul with his eyes. The efficacy of the drug was going away, and Veronica would soon be lost.

What should I do? Is there a way? I don’t have time. Hurry!

His head was rapidly heating up, and blood dripped from his nose. This was a rapid acceleration of his thinking power that even an 8th Circle magician couldn’t endure. He went through all the magic and shamanism he knew in his mind at super speed. Any single school of magic couldn’t save Veronica, so Theo looked through rituals.

Not just magic or shamanism alone. I have to try combining magic and shamanism.

There was no room for Gluttony to speak. Theo’s eyes turned red as Veronica’s life was fading in front of him. The vitality of her dragon blood was at its limit.

At that moment...

“... Yes, there is that method!”

Theo shifted his hand, bringing his palm to the middle of Veronica’s chest. He didn’t tremble at all as he calmly manipulated his magic power.

He couldn’t allow the slightest mistake. The mark of Umbra on his right arm shone a bright verdant as eight Circles’ worth of magic power flowed into it.

Normally, I would seek permission from her, but it can’t be helped now!

Veronica’s wound was fatal because an injury of the soul couldn’t be healed. In order to heal a destroyed soul, the person needed to be at a transcendent level or have healing abilities equivalent to a god. At least, that was the limit for normal methods.

Therefore, Theo came up with a shortcut—a spirit contract!

It was a forbidden spell that bound the soul of a master and slave together, forcing a vow of allegiance that couldn’t be betrayed. However, Theo intended to apply this technique to Veronica’s treatment. This was a binding spell where the soul of the slave would die if they disobeyed the master. In some cases, one could even manipulate the slave’s personality.

- Do you still want to do it?

... I will apologize to her and pledge myself to her. I can’t think of a method other than this. And if this continues for much longer, it will be irreversible.

- Well, good. The method that User thought of is much more efficient than any measures that I envisioned. There is a high likelihood of success.

Theo felt a little reassured as he took a deep breath and cried out, “「метемпсихоз (Soul Reversion)!」”

Borrowing the power of Dragon Words, Theo started an unprecedented type of soul surgery.