Chapter 113 - Babysitting Ammit

I swallow back reflux as I consider my options. Once I'm done surveying this room, I need to get going towards Crimsnow Glacier, but I can't leave Ammit here in her current state- even if I summoned an Eastern Spirit to keep an eye on her.

However, she is still the Master of her Lair, and her mind is too damaged to be able to consent to anything let alone becoming my Servant. Forcing her away from here via Teleport will add to my problems since it will leave her Lair open for grabs-

Wait.

*Removing the Master from their Lair leaves it open to usurp, but only monsters that don't have a Lair or Domain already established can usurp a vacant Lair.*

... Darn. If it was that easy to do, I'm sure some particularly intelligent monster would already have monopolized on the idea. But...

Can monsters with a Servants Bond claim a Lair?

*Yes. You could theoretically use Teleport to send Ammit to your Domain, then have a Servant with a rating of at least 5 Stars usurp the Lair. There might be changes to how big the Lair is if the Servant who usurps the Lair is much weaker than Ammit.*

And with her having lived well over a thousand years... Her stats must be crazy.

I glance at her statistics. Yep, her lowest is her speed, and that's still nearly a thousand. And I don't suppose Raised Undead can claim Lairs.

*Tsukumogami can claim Lairs, but no other monster that you're able to create or summon can. Either construct a suitable form for a Tsukumogami, or call over one of your Servants to take the role of custodian of this Lair.*

Those are my options, hm. Any suggestions?

*Using your silk to create a length of cloth, an Ittan-Momen may be created. It is able to Evolve further into a Death Shroud once certain criteria are met.*

I can sort of guess what at least one of those criteria are... But an Ittan-Momen is enough, right?

*Correct.*

I don't think I want to try to Evolve it, considering the Ittan-Momen's penchant for tightly wrapping itself around people's necks and mouths in an effort to strangle them... I'm guessing something like that is needed. Ugh, let's get this over with. I don't think the Miragia will let me get close until this place is under my control, anyway.

My skill and finesse with web-type Skills have increased dramatically since I spent those Tier Tokens on Crafting Skills. Before I would have needed a loom to weave on, now I can do it unaided. I decide to infuse the thread with Heat Resistance, in the hope that the Ittan-Momen would fare a bit better in this arid environment.

One length of silk cloth later, I call on a Hitodama willing to become the Ittan-Momen. "Remember, if you die after this, you'll be gone for good." I talk to the Origin Soul Core. The main difference between Undead and the Eastern Spirits I can summon and a Tsukumogami is that the Tsukumogami becomes entirely independent of me. I'm effectively sacrificing one of my Hidotama to create a new monster.

I feel the mental nod of understanding from the volunteering Hitodama before it hops out of the Soul Core. Its pale blue flames flicker in apparent excitement. I focus, and put a small amount of MP into the Hitodama as if I was summoning an Eastern Spirit. Instead of continuing to fuel its flames, I begin to put MP into the length of silk cloth, drawing a line of magic between the Hitodama and its new vessel.

With a final output of MP, into both at the same time, the process is completed. The Hitodama glows white, and the thread between it and the cloth shrinks in length as they are pulled together. A small grunt of displeasure from Ammit issues as the union of inanimate and animate creates a bright flash of light.

When I finally can see again, blinking away stars in my eyes, the newborn Ittan-Momen hovers before me. Fluttering in a non-existent breeze, its long body undulates as it twists and turns to take in all of itself.

*Establish a Servant's Bond with this monster?*

Yes.

A white mote of light exits my chest and enters the relative chest of the Ittan-Momen.

I breathe a sigh of relief. Now for the next step. I turn to the Ammit, looking deep into her eyes as I activate Hypnotic Gaze. Slowly, her head starts to nod before she closes her eyes and lies down on the ground, fast asleep.

I receive a telepathic nod in response. She trusts me enough to carry out my orders without wanting an explanation right away. Focusing my mind, I brace for the drain to my MP and SP as I Teleport Ammit to my den.

*Spell Teleport (Lesser) became Teleport (Normal) - Reduces cost, Caster can now designate up to two targets with this Spell without the need for Wide-Casting.*

A-Ah, that's nice- judging from a quick mental simulation, a Teleport from here to home still costs my entire MP pool. At least it isn't eating into my SP anymore.

"Master, I claimed this Lair, it's all mine now, right?" The Ittan-Momen excitedly chirps in the strange language of Eastern Spirits. They're curiously circling the Dream Mote that has appeared in between us as a result of their speedy usurpation.

"Do you want my Boons to be active here, or?" I ask. I'll let them have the run of the place for now.

They seem lost in thought for a moment, their face- which looks like it's embroidered onto their cloth-like body- wrinkled in concentration.

"I wanna try being the boss here on my own for a little bit, at least until the Demigod is back. That's okay, right?" I can imagine it's exciting for them, retaining their humanoid memories and now being a monster in control of their own Lair...

"Until then, you're in charge here." I nod, turning from the Dream Mote towards the odd indent in the floor beneath the Miragia. I hesitantly walk closer to it, but now that its main method of offense is far away from here, all it can do is grumpily wiggle its hyphae.

"I'm not going to do anything to you..." I mutter under my breath as I gently brush aside the thick curtain of mycelium to get a better look at the indent.

Dazzling stone of purple hues, speckled with bands of yellow and flecks of white, looking like a solidified nebula, comes into view. As I thought. This is where the Divine Spring once stood. It's destroyed though, all that's left is a few pieces of Celestial Marble.

Haa- Okay, it seems my theory is becoming more likely, though I still want to wait until Crimsnow Glacier to become certain. I stand back up, gently removing the hand that is holding back the mycelium.

"I'll be leaving now. Please take good care of the Miragia whilst I'm gone." I wave a quick goodbye to the Ittan-Momen before using Teleport to get to where I first landed on the edge of the lakebed. I sit down and wait a bit to steady myself, the Effluvium is still lingering and I don't have the MP to cast Miracure.

Once recovered somewhat, I take off towards Crimsnow Glacier. It's on the other side of the Curium Range, a somewhat small mountain chain that protects Eyslef from the sands of Yo'ud. I'll only have a short time before I have to return home, and then I have to hurry back to B'dur.

So many things going on... I just hope it will be quick and easy to inspect Crimsnow Glacier.

Of course, there's a blizzard. Why wouldn't there be. I can see my hand in front of me, but nothing beyond that. Everything is a white fog.

Navigating by my map, I finally touch down at the shore of the glacial lake at the foot of Crimsnow Glacier. Now, everything's red. The snow is red, the lake is red, the glacier itself is red... It is a stark contrast to the flurry of white billowing about, but the moment the snow lands on the ground, it quickly stains red, looking more like a strawberry-flavored slushie than fresh snowfall.

Get anything, World Knowledge?

*Affirmative. Scans show the presence of an unique species of red algae in incredible concentrations. Even the algae suspended in the ice of the glacier are thriving...*

Wow, that's some hardiness.

*Analysis shows that this red algae is a suitable host for the Demigod of Cold. Additionally, there's an odd energy signature within the glacier itself. It is possible to reach its location by diving beneath the glacial lake and resurfacing under the glacier, then navigating the glacier cave.*

Is the energy signature related to the Demigod?

*Unable to determine with full certainty. Estimating a 60% chance of it being unrelated.*

Less than half... Now I'm curious. But I don't have time. Scan for any Celestial Marble in the area.

*Scanning...*

*Disregarding the Celestial Marble found naturally in the Curium Range, there's a sizable chunk at the bottom of the glacial lake. It might have, at one point in time, been within the glacier itself, but time and the mechanisms of glacial movement has deposited it in the lake as the glacier has receded over a hundred meters in the time that's passed between the death of the Demigod of Cold and now.*

I see... Let's take a look, then.

I brace for the icy cold of the lake. Even if I'm resistant to both Cold and Hypothermia, I suspect this will be terribly cold. With an old habit, I take a deep (and unneeded) breath before diving into the water.

Almost immediately, I relax. Seems Hadopelagic Adaptation lets me withstand not just pressure, but intense cold as well. I'm more or less blind, the water is murky with red algae to the point it feels more like a soup and less like water. Using Awareness to navigate, I make my way towards the bottom.

The lakebed is made up of boulders, rocks and pebbles, no doubt dropped here by the movements of the glacier above. Everything is also coated in a thick sludge that seems to be the remnants of dead algae. Occasionally, the sludge quivers, and a flutter of bubbles escape from below.

I'm guessing there's a layer of water below the sludge, trapped within the cervasses between the rocks. Something in that water might be feeding on the dead algae, releasing those bubbles...

My ponderings are interrupted as I sense movement. I look around uselessly, everything's just red and murky. Focusing on Awareness, I begin to make out the shape of something in the water. A... Magic Crystal? But it's in a really weird shape, and it's very big.

Just as I'm about to try to get closer to the odd phenomenon, I feel the water around me get noticeably thicker in consistency. It almost feels like tentacles grabbing me. I feel a panic rising in my chest, old instincts laid dormant by Shadow fight their way to the front of my mind.

Before I know it, I'm struggling in the grasp of whatever is holding me- even though I have no need to surface to breathe.

"Focus!"

I hear Shadow's reprimands even though she's still deep asleep within our mind. I fight the panic, noting how the entity seems to loosen its grip slightly when I'm not moving, and tightening it when I do.

*Status resisted: Paralysis (Great)*

Shit, it's a monster, and it thinks I'm prey. Although I can't see its body, I know it's there, and it's holding onto me. Let's pull it out of its element, then. I exhale deeply, letting the air that was keeping me buoyant out in a stream of bubbles.

The tendrils seem agitated by this, possibly mistaking my move as the final throes of drowning prey, and they move to entangle me more. I grimace as my hind feet touch the oily goop that covers the bottom of the lake, but push through, bending my legs and storing power for a mighty leap.

There!

I push upwards, using the full power of my body to launch myself and whatever's holding onto me far into the air. Once airborne, I'm able to somehow maneuver myself in the direction of land, the thick snow cushioning our landing.

A bit dizzy from the maneuver, I shakily get to my feet, eager to see what it was that was holding onto me.

It almost blends into the red snow, since it too is a deep red color, but the difference in texture sets it apart enough for me to get a sense of its shape. That is, if it had one. The monster I pulled from the lake has a strange, ameboid body, seemingly the only solid matter within it is that oddly shaped Magic Crystal I sensed just before it attacked.

*Bloody Mary*

*An Unique Water Elemental born from the discarded Water Gem that once was seated within one of the palms of the Crimsnow Glacier's Divine Spring. Shares a resemblance with the much more common Ondine Water Elemental, but lacks its relatives deathly weakness to Cold due to the symbiotic Crimsnow Algae housed in its body, allowing it to live easily within the glacial lake at the foot of Crimsnow Glacier. Most monsters and Hunters have learnt to fear this lake, as the Bloody Mary relentlessly hunts anything that gets close to- or into- its home.

As an Unique monster with a very limited habitat, a ban on hunting it is in place despite the incredible value its Magic Water Crystal holds.*

*Rank: 6 Stars*

The Bloody Mary seems to quiver in fear as it reforms its body around the Magic Crystal that is its heart.

A feminine voice calls out in my head. Eh? It has Telepathy?

The now quite slime-looking monster somehow performs several bows of apology. "You were just following instincts?" I ask, very confused as to this sudden turn of events.

O-obey... I see... "Do you hold a Lair here?" I ask, hopeful that things could be easy for once.

"Would you object to me becoming your Master, then? I'm seeking to revive the Demigods, and the Crimsnow Algae were the host of the Demigod of Cold." I pause, awaiting their response.

Somehow, the Bloody Mary becomes an even deeper red, as if blushing. They- They think humanoids are cute? And wants to cuddle? O-OH, now I get why this place is considered off limits. Who knows how many people they accidentally killed when trying to hug them...

"They will." I answer, already formulating a plan on how to make petting the ice-water Elemental safe for both parties.

*Establish a Servants Bond with this Monster?*

Yes.