Chapter 135 – Enslaved (1)

Chapter 135 – Enslaved (1)

It turned out to be a long winter, longer than any previous one since I reincarnated in this world. Luckily, no more behemoths came through, but the smaller wildlife did attack us multiple times, even in the daytime. It held us back from going out and trying to recover more from the corpse, knowing that we could be attacked anytime now. It just wasn't worth the risk.

Well, I can't complain much, as our meat reserves were piling up, so much so that by my calculations, we were bound to have more than we could handle. So I sent a letter to my uncle. Besides the constantly manufactured tractors, he would get meat so that he could start feeding his soldiers first, giving them an edge.

This returned my thoughts to the fact that simply eating the beasts' meat, even after cooking it, still carries some magical elements within itself. So, thinking about that, I was also considering trying to have an experiment: making something drink beast blood. I was not going to test it on a human, of course, but I got some animals to try it on. Ultimately, I gathered a few chickens and force-fed them, melting monster blood from the big one's ice and waiting until it cooled down enough to not hurt them. When we came checking on them...

"Well... Now, I don't know if we should try eating that one's meat." I told my Father, watching the grizzly picture that greeted us the following day.

"We can still test it. Maybe if it is a well-done steak, it won't have a similar effect." He argued, but his countenance wasn't so sure about the idea anymore.

We had four chickens and made them swallow a drop, not more than a teaspoon worth of blood... All of them died. Not only were they dead, but their bodies seemingly exploded, covering the pen with gore, guts, feathers, and frozen blood. It was a scene straight out of a horror movie.

"It seems that there is a limit to what the bodies can endure without enough preparation. I don't know how a human would react to it... Or what about mage... Brrr."

"You don't think about testing it out, do you?" Father asked, looking at me with one eye.

"Well... I would. Of course, not on my people, but if we ever get some prisoners or bastards who would be sent on the Walk, I would make them do it to see what happens."

"As long as it is not on our people, it's fine." He added with a shrug, patting my shoulder before beginning to clean up the mess before us.

"It isn't fine, but it is the sure way to learn more..." I sighed within my mind, chasing the thoughts away and beginning to help him out.

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....

.....

"I got it! I got it!"

"Huh?" I flinched, looking up from behind my drawing table. I was simply doodling about, trying to further clarify my mech plans, as I wanted to start building them the moment the weather began to clear up.

The sudden intrusion from Merlin surprised me as he ran in, slamming my doors wide open, shouting... no, squealing from happiness. I knew he was back and arrived this morning, but I didn't expect him to come and see me at once.

"Slow down! What did you get? Explain it slowly, so I understand! Did you bed your new lover?"

"Huh?" He stopped, looking at me confused, shaking his head. "No! But she made me realize that she does have a good head on her shoulders!"

"She gave you head? It's a start."

"Huh?" He stopped again, blinking his eyes.

"That is important, Merlin!"

"I did!" he answered proudly before pursing his lips. "Elena joked about the same idea..."

"Kinky girl. I like how she thinks!" Yuri grinned before raising an eyebrow, "You didn't tell her about what we did to her father, yes?"

"What? No!" he protested loudly, sounding hurt that Yuri would even think about something like that. "She doesn't even know a spell like that exists; we were simply arguing about theoretical things after dinner!"

"Instead of going to bed?" Luna asked, rolling her eyes, "Nerds."

"Pft!" We laughed in unison, making Merlin pout and crossing his arms.

"Hmph! Whatever! The main thing is that it should work, and because it would be imprinted into her, she would be able to control it—and only she!"

"How would we imprint it onto her?" Sasha questioned, tilting her head.

"Well, we could use a type of branding somewhere on her body... or a tattoo. It must be on her body like the beasts have runes on their bones. It won't work like the bracelets; that is simply not good enough."

"Well..." I whispered, wiping my mouth, "Let that be the last issue to solve. For now, I want to see your formation."

"Yes!" He yelled, standing up happily to roll out the parchment that soon took over the whole dining table.

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......

Since Merlin came up with his solution to Mikan's problem, we have been working exclusively on it the following week, ensuring that everything was working perfectly, even if only in theory. How would we test it? It was a question none of us had any answers for. Nobody here had a second persona locked away inside us besides poor Mikki-1... We also couldn't just kidnap someone and use it on them because this would only work on mages anyway. No matter how many times we went over it at the end, we didn't find anything we would change. It was finished... What remained was using it.

Looking at Merlin and Sasha, I felt we did what we could. While standing over the ninth revision of the first iteration of the new spell, I felt excited and also worried for all of us. Looking at it, it was incredibly complex, maybe the one with the most runes we have ever devised. Counting, it had a hundred and eleven runes arranged in three concentric circles, and it would require three mages to cast it.

Yes... three. The first circle would fall onto Sasha to activate. It would be what hones onto Elyzien's spirit and 'hacks' into it. The second would be Merlin's responsibility, injecting the mind-altering spell, forcing Mikki-2 to comply, no matter what. Then, the last circle was waiting for Mikan. She would have to imprint her will onto Mikki-2, and there is no other way around it. If any of these fail, it could be catastrophic, resulting in her mind being broken, dying, or something worse, becoming a mindless automaton.

"I think it is time we notify Mikan about it." I exclaimed softly, rubbing my face. "We will tell her the pros and cons, leaving no possible dangers hidden, and let her choose. If she wants to go through it, we will prepare and do it!"

"There is no point in waiting..." Sasha whispered, her fists balling up, "I will do my best!"

"Same!" Merlin shouted, saluting, the only one amongst us who had no misgivings nor any doubt about it. Damn, he was a confident little bastard, ahaha! I think he never questioned himself while coming up with the solution, being sure it would just work fine. After creating multiple revisions, his confidence strengthened every time... I just hope he is right; I don't want to lose Mikan.

"Okay!" I sighed, slapping my face, "Wait here, I will call her over."