“My master, we have not completed our symbiosis, so we cannot...” Night Crow's words were cut short.
A white light suddenly flashed before Ogre's eyes.
Burning with white flames all over his body, Macar returned to reality.
“Kar?” Ogre raised his hand slightly.
“It is me...” Macar suppressed the flames on his body and stood up from the ground. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“It's good that you are fine.” Ogre lowered his raised hand and drew back the dinner knife hidden in his other hand. He had now confirmed that the guy in front of him was indeed Macar.
This made Ogre feel rather surprised... It seemed his previous guess had been wrong.
‘Go back, Night Crow,’ Ogre murmured in his heart.
‘Yes, Master.’ Night Crow was also glad to have nothing to do and immediately returned to the shadow world from Ogre's shadow.
“Did something happen?” Ogre asked with some curiosity.
“Not much really. I only managed to get out thanks to the means left behind by Grand Friar Fula,” Macar took out the white bead from his clothes and said.
...
A few minutes ago.
“Fear... blood! You certainly need a lot of things to feed on—no matter how pitiable a creature like you is, you don't deserve to live!”
While swinging his sword to fend her off, Macar did not forget to talk back.
Those who consumed forbidden potions often became paranoid and eccentric due to the side effects—these were all points that could be exploited.
“I only want to live! What's wrong with that?!” The white-haired witch constantly generated illusions of her past memories in this space, trying to shake Macar's resolve.
“Your suffering was not caused by us. You have the desire to live, and I have the right and duty to purify you.” Macar snorted coldly and swung his sword, shattering the illusory scenes created by the white-haired witch.
Most variants and warlocks would fabricate a tragic past to gain sympathy, whether true or false, with the sole purpose of making Knights and Clerics hesitate.
Once a person hesitated, flaws would appear.
Countless past examples had proven one thing—variants did not deserve sympathy!
‘Mercy is never meant for the enemy...’ This was the very first lesson every official member of the clergy heard.
“We only controlled those villagers—we did not slaughter recklessly. I only need your fear and blood, so why must you resist?!”
If it hadn't been midday, when her power was difficult to use, how could she have ever allowed Macar to destroy everything?
“Nonsense,” Macar snorted coldly.
However, despite maintaining a disdainful front, Macar's heart grew increasingly vigilant. He, too, could sense that this creature's power seemed to be growing, and things were becoming troublesome.
‘Is she getting stronger as it gets closer to nightfall outside...? It seems her ability has quite a few limitations. I must have fallen for it only because I was too careless.’
However, the more troublesome the situation, the more one needed to remain calm.
“My strength is growing, while yours will only weaken. Once I kill you, the next one I deal with will be that ranger outside.”
The white-haired witch manifested an image of Ogre, who was waiting outside.
‘Why hasn't she left yet...?’ The moment he saw Ogre, a slight flaw appeared in Macar's focus.
This gave the white-haired witch an opportunity.
In an instant, thick black mist surged, and a bat flickered right to Macar's waist, baring its fangs once more.
She had found the weakest point in the film of battle qi covering Macar's body!
‘I won!’
The girl, having transformed into a bat, felt the joy of victory the moment she bit toward Macar.
However, at this very moment, things took a sudden turn.
“Analysis complete...” A calm, emotionless voice rang out.
Subsequently, trails of golden patterns spread out from the point of contact between Macar and the bat-transformed witch.
“What is this?!”
The white-haired witch finally panicked at this moment. The unease in her heart made her want to turn into black mist and flee—she could sense the sheer power of this force.
But unfortunately, this bizarre power did not give her the chance.
“You cannot escape.”
The phantom of a Hanged Man appeared behind Macar, flickering for half a breath. Right after, a white dove holding a white bead in its beak broke through the phantom and flew toward the witch.
During this process, the white bead also began to emit a blinding light.
A powerful suction force began to manifest, swallowing the area covered by the golden runes.
“No... No! How can this be?! How could there be another...”
The witch, who had turned into black mist, tried to flee, but the golden patterns on her body caught her like a net, holding her tight as the 'prey'. Ultimately, with an unfinished cry of resentment, this troublesome witch was completely drawn into and sealed within the white bead.
“Thank you, Grand Friar Fula.” Macar reached out his hand toward the white dove.
“Hold the bead and channel your battle qi to leave... This is all the help I can offer you...”
The white dove dissipated, and the bead returned to Macar's hand as Fula's voice faded away.
“Yes, I understand...”
...
“Thankfully, Grand Friar Fula left behind a contingency...”
Hearing this, Ogre also reached out and felt the black bead in his pocket.
He now fully believed in Fula.
If Macar could escape under such circumstances, then what kind of power lay hidden within his own bead?
In any case, having waited for so long had at least yielded some useful information.
“By the way, what kind of ability did that creature use to pull you in? It doesn't seem like something a Professional could master.”
Ogre still couldn't understand how Macar's journey back and forth had actually occurred...
“I'm not too sure either. It was probably a Mind-Image ability she awakened—that's the only logical explanation. I suspect it might have something to do with her past experiences.”
At first, Macar had even assumed it was an illusion. It was only later that he confirmed he had indeed entered a special space.
“Let's talk as we walk,” Ogre said, turning toward the town not far away.
“Alright.” Macar put away the white bead that sealed the witch and walked ahead of Ogre.
“If it weren't for Friar Fula's help and reminder, I really wouldn't have been able to break through her ability. That kind of unique Mind-Image is simply too troublesome. I still haven't figured out its activation conditions,” Macar said with a sigh.
“Unique Mind-Image?” This was the first time Ogre had ever heard of differences regarding Mind-Images.
“You don't know about this?” Macar asked back.
He realized “Gelin” might not be as well-behaved as he thought...
He had already confirmed that Ogre's identity was fake.
‘Could it be that her gender is the only real thing about her?’ Macar glanced sideways at Ogre.
Under the moonlight, even dressed in men's clothing, one could still see a faint trace of an exquisite beauty in Ogre.
“Mind-Imagers are too mysterious, and I haven't cultivated a Mind-Image Seed...” Ogre could sense a subtle hint in Macar's words; he had likely fallen under suspicion.
Only now did Ogre suddenly realize—he might have been misled by Yade...
Even Macar knew some of these secrets, so how could a Grand Knight like Yade, who used to spend his days with Clerics, possibly not understand Mind-Imagers?
He had clearly kept it from Ogre just to pique his curiosity.
‘Maybe I should have asked Folke earlier. He might have known something...’ Back then, Ogre had been naive enough to believe Yade's claim that the secrets of each class were kept strictly separate.
Thus, it had never occurred to him to ask a Mage Apprentice about Mind-Imagers.
“I don't actually understand it very well either, but the church still teaches basic theory,” Macar said, turning back with a meaningful look.
He no longer believed Ogre's identity.
How could a connected Sister from the church not even know basic common sense like this?
And even if she lacked common sense—she was actually raising a shadow demon!
How could Macar believe her?
Even the shadow demon itself would probably jump out to protest.
“You aren't angry that I lied to you all before, are you? It's also my fault that the dragon-blood horse was lost.” Ogre put his hands behind his back and changed his voice to a soft, feminine tone.
“Though it does make me a bit uncomfortable, you are someone recognized by Friar Fula, and you haven't done anything bad...”
Had it been anyone else, Macar might have started cursing by now.
Yet, of all people, this person happened to be Gelin...
And looking back along the way, Ogre indeed hadn't done anything bad.
This made it even harder for Macar to voice his blame or questions.
“Then why don't you tell me while we're at it? After all, there's still some distance to the town, and you owe me for waiting so long,” Ogre said, pushing his luck.
“You little witch...” Macar realized he really had no way to deal with Ogre. “Fine, then I'll tell you about it. It's not confidential information anyway.”
“Heh.” Ogre rubbed his nose.
A little witch? Is there a male witch who carries a hammer?
Macar began to explain as he walked, “In this world, there is a segment of the population born with various inexplicable, miraculous abilities—perhaps from bloodline solidification, or from a unique soul. But regardless, these people are ultimately a tiny minority among minorities.”
‘Does this have something to do with Mind-Imagers too?’ Ogre thought of his own ability—the Ogre's Lunchbox.
Many of these innate miraculous abilities went beyond the conventional divisions of Professionals.
Even Ogre could use his to bridge the gap in power levels.
“And Mind-Imagers, in a sense, also belong to this category of people...” Macar said calmly.
“But isn't a Mind-Image's power subject to change based on one's experiences later in life?” Ogre was very curious.
“Yes, which is why Mind-Imagers are also known as—artificial Awakeners.” Macar stated a professional term.
“Awakeners... That is indeed fitting.”
“Actually, I'm not particularly clear on the specific details of their subsequent progression, but I do know the classification of Mind-Image types,” Macar said as he swung his sword to clear the thorns along the roadside.
“Are they categorized? Is it due to differences in elements?” Ogre had previously assumed there wasn't a particularly massive difference among Mind-Imagers.
“Not entirely...
A Mind-Image is a reflection of the soul, which is why the Clerics of our Church of Dawn all possess the power of the Holy Light.
But, that only determines the nature of the power.
Just like how Knights possess battle qi of different elements, strictly speaking, it cannot be considered a fundamental difference.
The true difference actually lies in the differentiation of abilities brought about once the Mind-Image Seed completely blossoms.
Whether it's the Church of Truth or our own church, both share a similar threefold division. These are the categories you were asking about.”
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