Monster Girl Menagerie - Celestial Archive-Chapter 53 - 52 - Hidden Shadows

I would like to apologise for the delay in updates, but I got caught up in some things... That said, you can expect daily updates this week. Two Chapters exclusively for today.

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Magic is symbolic. Talents aren't.

To expound on this problem, one must understand that talents are a manifestation of one's Origin extending toward a specific aspect. A hunter with a Swordsman Origin, for example, would develop a talent related to their swordsmanship—perhaps enhancing the sharpness or weight of their blade.

But magic was different. Magic was the manifestation of the world itself—a conformity to the user's wishes and desires. And it followed rules.

Magic wasn't without limits, and that was the primary reason it wasn't as overpowering as one might assume based on a basic understanding. Control was one such limit, as was the relaying of desires and wishes—essentially, the user's imagination played a crucial role.

But another such limitation—which couldn't even be called that—was its symbolic nature. It drew upon the elements of nature, like wind or fire, but those elements could be more abstract, like the moon or spirit. One such element was the talent itself. That's why, more often than not, magic was used as a supplementary force to enhance one's talent rather than supplant it.

But this reliance also created a limitation, where the user would find it hard to separate their talents from magic.

A hunter with a Swordsman Origin would use magic to birth a mystical aura as a way to further enhance their talent for sharpness by extending the blade's reach. It was also why Amara had used Blood Monarch primarily to seal the Event instead of employing Spatial Magic, as Pyra had initially expected.

The reason: Amara wasn't able to.

She might be able to perform variety of magical tricks on a smaller scale, but anything else was well beyond her ability. The only magic she could perform at a higher level was that related to Blood and Shadow—augmenting her talents.

Since talent was related to Origin, and Origin varied extensively across the spectrum of hunters, magic too branched out broadly. Crafting was a form of magic, and so was Potion Craft.

The use of magic in Potion Craft or Crafting manifested as an unorthodox method of creating something with abnormal results—like a potion that corroded one's vitality from the inside. Thus, that segment of Potion Craft was renamed Poison Craft.

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Of course, poison wasn't the only result of aberrant creations. Sometimes, a creation would display results that were far outside the expected range—but in a positive way. Such creations were nearly impossible to replicate or reproduce, simply by virtue of being a lucky fluke.

Red Moon was that sort of potion.

A potion that required a vampire's heart as the main ingredient. It was capable of granting its user a second life. And apparently, I needed it.

"Why, though?" I asked, shaking my head.

Even after listening to Pyra's explanation for so long, I still hadn't figured out why I would need a potion that granted me a second life.

"Because you're going to die."

The answer took me by surprise—not only because of what it could mean, but also because it was Amara, not Pyra, who replied.

"I don't understand," Tania said, frowning. "Why would he die?"

This time, it was Pyra who answered. "Because his heart is unrefined," she said, and I shot her an inquiring look.

"I don't understand how this compatibility thing works by your Origin's standards, but it seems to only consider whether you'll be able to retain Draconic aspects and remain alive after evolution—rather than your state afterward."

"What you mean to say is that I won't get to choose?" I asked, shifting my gaze between Amara and Pyra. The duo shrugged, and I couldn't help but feel confused.

The dragon saved me, gave me its heart, and even advised that I would be allowed to choose my future path. Did it lie? Was I a fool to even consider that a monster could be capable of honesty? Or was I missing something in between?

Could it be that the dragon took into account my eventual meeting with Pyra? I thought reflexively but found the scenario unlikely. As far as my Origin was concerned, it appeared largely random—and that was good for me and whoever had bestowed it upon me.

I could be wrong as well... I shook my head before anxiousness could take root in my heart and stared at Pyra, who seemed to be silently communicating with Amara.

"Well," Pyra said, "normally, you wouldn't. But with the help of Red Moon, it's possible."

So, I still have a choice. I sighed inwardly in relief, feeling the tension leave my body.

"Enough talk. We have work to finish," Amara declared, gesturing in one direction.

We had taken shelter beneath a short tree, surrounded by bushes and leaves. A short distance away prowled a monster I had never seen before—or even thought possible to come face to face with.

A B-Rank monster.

Normally, a monster this strong would've had an overpowering sense of smell, just like mine. It would've figured out our location long ago if it weren't for Amara's Night Veil. Even an A-Rank, and probably an S-Rank, wouldn't be able to look—or, in this case, sniff—past her concealment.

"It's not alone," Pyra noted, her eyes shining mystically. It was a side effect—or benefit—of her talent, which allowed her to obscure herself. It basically let her see through basic camouflage and even smoke screens.

"Yeah," I nodded. Though I couldn't see them like she could, my senses noted each of their positions by marking their smell. I balled my fists, hands clenching and unclenching. My heart raced, and I felt a rush of blood shoot into my head—a bubbling sense of anticipation building within me.

"Are you also going to fight?" Tania asked, with no small amount of worry.

I breathed out to calm myself and offered the dwarf an easy smile.

"I am," I said—then hurriedly finished before the dwarf could express her worries, "but don't worry, I'm not going to do anything reckless."

After my meeting with my former teammates—and restraining myself from bashing their heads in—I felt a pent-up frustration rising within me. I had to do something to relieve that pressure, and fighting monsters seemed like the most apt choice at the moment.

"Alright, get ready—I'm going to remove the concealment," Amara said, giving each of us a nod. When she received an acknowledgment in turn, she retracted Night Veil.

The shift was instant, the B-Rank monster being the first to leap to its feet in startled perplexity. The other monsters followed suit, their hackles rising as they glared our way with a predatory look.

With Amara's Night Veil no longer concealing us, the bushes suddenly seemed thinner, allowing the monsters an uninterrupted view of our group. We stood, weapons drawn and ready for battle.

ROAR.

Sweeping her spear with a flourish, Amara launched herself into the crowd of monsters. Tania struck her knuckles together, a resolute look flashing across her face. Pyra simply held her hand forward, and a thick tome manifested in a shower of sparks.

I glanced at each of my companions and smiled. This is a true fight alongside a true team.

Tania and I rushed forward, weapons ready. Pyra stayed behind, creating flaming shapes by swirling her fingers in the air. I watched with rapt attention as a fireball manifested in front of her before shooting toward the monsters.

It shot forth with speed and precision, impacting the ground in a thunderous boom and giving rise to a torrent of flames. I didn't get a chance to admire the grisly scene left behind, as monsters besieged us from all sides.

My sword shot out, stabbing each monster that dared to get close. With each slash, blood coated the blade, and a limb went flying. Sometimes, a lucky swing would even claim a head.

Despite my ever-growing enthusiasm, I was still assaulted by an intense wave of weakness. Though I didn't grow breathless, I found myself getting lightheaded. I staggered, missing an opening. Big mistake.

A chimeric monster took advantage of my weakness and lunged—too fast for me to react. All I could do was raise my hand and activate Runic Empowerment.

The blow never connected.

A gauntlet-covered fist shot out, crushing the monster's skull to mush and flinging it to the other end of the clearing. My gaze followed the arm to its owner, and I found myself staring at the determined warrior in awe.

"Thanks," I muttered, and that was all I could say before the monsters swarmed us wholesale. Tania and I covered each other's backs as we batted one monster away after another.

In the distance, I saw Amara racing around the tall, bulky monster like a Crimson Goddess. The creature was a bear with pitch-black fur, standing nearly four meters tall. Despite its massive build, it moved with a startling grace and elegance I wouldn't even expect from B-Rank hunters.

I briefly wondered if that was the reason Captain Aldrin hadn't dared to face it.

Before I could shift my focus back to my own battle, a thunderous roar echoed through the forest.

The hairs along my back stiffened, and my gaze shot straight to Pyra. She was already looking at me, her eyes wide with shock.

I had no time to react or yell before a towering shape burst from the shadows behind her. It barreled through the vegetation, shearing through it as if it were nothing but air, and crashed straight into Pyra's petite figure.

And then, she was gone.

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