Chapter 104

EP.104 Interlude

Why suddenly put perception distortion on the Kraken?

Obviously, the goal wasn’t to decorate the Kraken with pretty colors or anything like that.

Parang’s purpose was to nullify its mental attacks by casting perception distortion on the Kraken.

The reason was, naturally, to be able to show the Kraken to the world.

Showing the Kraken to the world.

While this might seem like an incredibly radical move from Parang’s perspective, that’s not actually the case.

Parang’s exact plan isn’t to show the Kraken to the world, but rather to ‘make the Kraken safe to expose to the world.’

There’s obviously a significant difference between the two.

It’s a concept of preparing a contingency plan.

Of course, given her nature of fighting in the deep sea, it’s reasonable to say that people would almost never see her summoning the Kraken.

However, this ‘almost never’ part bothered her.

What if, by some chance, the Kraken’s appearance was exposed to the public?

What if some crazy person managed to get and spread footage of Parang using the Kraken?

Parang knows it’s an extremely unlikely probability. But considering the consequences if it did happen, it’s not something that can be ignored just because ‘the probability is low.’

So, the issue of exposing the Kraken has been weighing on Parang’s mind ever since she started streaming.

Until now, she had no way to deal with it, so she just left it alone.

And Parang saw a glimmer of hope in her newly acquired skill, [Perception Distortion].

It was clearly stated that the power of perception distortion is proportional to the user’s strongest mental attack skill.

As long as Parang has the Kraken, the power of perception distortion could be considered nearly infinite.

Then, what would happen if she distorted the perception of the Kraken?

What if she made the Kraken’s tentacles appear as simple rocks?

It was complicated. She didn’t know if it could be cast on the Kraken, or if it would actually block mental attacks.

But if it’s possible, Parang could both gain a powerful card and eliminate a major concern.

So she’s been testing it in various ways.

First, through today’s broadcast, she discovered that perception distortion works even on people watching through screens.@@novelbin@@

Next, she found that anything filmed while under perception distortion maintains its distorted appearance even after Parang removes the effect.

And crucially, she confirmed that perception distortion works on her body as well.

One might ask what her body has to do with casting perception distortion on the Kraken.

After all, Parang merely has the ability to summon the Kraken, she isn’t the Kraken itself, right?

…or so it would seem.

‘It’s about time I admitted it.’

Though Parang had been in denial until now, she was vaguely beginning to accept it.

That her ability wasn’t simply ‘summoning’ the Kraken.

That her existence was fundamentally connected to the Kraken in some way.

The reason Parang had desperately denied this fact was simple.

Because she’s human. Because she’s not a monster.

But if she really just summoned the Kraken and left auto-hunting to it.

Then why did Natsuko’s skill, absorbed by the Kraken, flow into Parang?

This was the worry that had troubled Parang the most over the past week.

The thought that she might not be human, but could be a monster.

It brought her an indescribably deep sense of revulsion.

That’s why Parang hadn’t yet used [Spirit Eye] on herself or the Kraken she summoned.

She hoped she would never have to use it.

“…Ah.”

Chomp, chomp.

Parang shook off the thoughts that were trying to drag her into darkness again.

The point is, yes. That perception distortion worked perfectly well on Parang’s body.

Which means there’s a high possibility it will work on the Kraken too.

‘Right. That’s good enough.’

Think only about the positives. Just the positives. Don’t get caught up in negative thoughts.

Parang deliberately changed her train of thought.

For instance, the countless possible uses of ‘perception distortion.’

‘Designate one object and make it appear as whatever form you want to everyone else, including yourself.’

The more you think about it, the more broken this skill seems. It’s incomprehensible why it’s only A-rank.

You could make a grenade look like a rock, or vice versa.

Just a little brainstorming brings up hundreds of ways this one skill could turn the tide of battle.

But that doesn’t apply to Parang.

Since she can’t use skills outside of water.

And underwater, there’s no real need for perception distortion.

It’s a chicken rib in many ways.

For the first time, Parang felt the condition of ‘cannot use skills outside water’ as a restriction.

She gave a bitter smile.

Still, there was one fortunate thing.

Though she wasn’t feeling great, at least the depression had lifted.

Putting aside her identity crisis for now, Parang spent her time enjoyably.

As she drew Yuna being chased by Tokeless, the outside gradually grew dark.

‘I’m getting sleepy…’

Current time, eleven at night.

A perfectly reasonable time to be sleepy. Parang left her art room and headed to her bedroom.

And right then.

Ding dong-

The doorbell rang.

When she peeked outside the door, there was a delivery box.

Parang traced back through her memories and deduced what it was.

‘It came faster than expected.’

When she brought the box inside and opened the packaging, there was a skill scroll nestled within layers of cushioning material.

As she picked it up, a message appeared before her eyes.

[Would you like to learn the skill ‘Dive’(S)?]

It’s Xiao’s Dive.

Seeing how Xiao was struggling too much with that eye monster during the dive process, this was the solution proposed by Oceanos, including herself.

Extract Dive into a scroll using Xiao’s blood, then have everyone possess it.

It’s definitely a way to reduce the burden. Though she’ll need about two days of rest after the blood draw.

Excluding Russell, Vertea, and Diego who couldn’t learn it due to skill conflict issues, Elvira and Parang would possess Dive.

[Skill acquisition complete.]

Parang wore a satisfied smile.

Skill scrolls give different sensations when learning them, and this one felt like, well, standing still while only your head is submerged in a swamp.

It wasn’t particularly pleasant.

So Parang’s smile must have come from the joy of being able to lighten her friend’s burden.

Having been thoroughly criticized by viewers today, she didn’t forget to write a broadcast notice.

[Next broadcast will be in four days.]

Then, she lay down in her bedroom’s water tank.

Though it was late, sleep wouldn’t come.

‘Tomorrow, finally.’

She would get to meet Alice.

Clutching her pounding heart, Parang tossed and turned in the water tank for a while before falling asleep.

#

“Ugh……”

Parang opened her eyes in a pitch-black space where there was no sense of direction – front, back, left, or right.

‘Ah, this…’

Somehow familiar… ah, right.

‘I think I had a similar dream before.’

Once before, she had a dream where she opened her eyes in this pitch-black space and met someone.

Though she couldn’t remember when it was.

But she vaguely remembered who she met. It was another Parang who felt somehow impure, unpleasant, and corrupted.

Parang slowly walked through the space that was nothing but darkness.

She’d heard that when you realize you’re dreaming, you can fly and do whatever you want. But apparently that wasn’t working.

Finally, she saw a throne standing majestically in the distance.

Just like she’d seen before – an unpleasant, sticky-looking chair emanating waves of evil energy.

Whoosh-!!

The moment Parang recognized the throne’s presence, the distance between her and it closed instantly, like magnets attracting each other.

Suddenly, Parang found herself face to face with that dark and ominous Parang. Though she clearly had Parang’s appearance, she was more depressed and darker. She sat on the throne and gave Parang a gentle wave.

“Nice to see you. Is this the second time?”

She sat there arrogantly, legs crossed, slouching slightly.

Parang felt disgusted.

Last time, she’d only said what she wanted to say before Parang woke up, but fortunately today Parang could speak.

“Who are you?”

“Can’t you tell by looking? I’m you.”

Something about her way of speaking was irritating.

“Stop playing games. You know what I’m asking.”

“Of course I know. And playing games? I don’t do such things.”

“What the…!!”

Parang tried to approach the throne in anger, but her legs wouldn’t move. It felt like they were bound in chains.

“Show your true identity. Stop hiding behind my appearance in such a disgusting way. Using someone else’s appearance like this, how creepy.”

“I don’t know how many times I need to say this, but I’ve already revealed my identity. Besides, this isn’t your appearance, it’s mine.”

Parang tried to express her unbearable anger, but the Parang on the throne beat her to it.

Grab-!!

“Ugh…!!”

In an instant, Parang’s throat was seized. Even though it was a dream, she could feel the pain and suffocation.

The Parang on the throne brought Parang’s ear close to her lips and whispered.

“Shall I tell you something interesting? You’ve been betrayed. By the one closest to you.”

“What… do you… who…!”

The words wouldn’t come out properly through her constricted breathing.

“Are you asking who it is? Should I tell you?”

The evil Parang’s smile grew deeper.

“Unfortunately, I can’t. And you’ll start doubting everyone around you. Trembling with anxiety, nurturing the darkness within you bit by bit.”

Parang’s consciousness began to fade.

“See you next time.”

“You… bas…”

#

“AAAAHHHHH-!!!”

SPLASH!!

“HAAAAAAH!!!”

Parang jolted upright as if she’d been launched from her body. It was her bedroom, with the peaceful nighttime ocean ASMR playing.

Outside the window, dawn was just beginning to break.

“Damn it…”

For the first time in a very long while, Parang let a curse word slip from her mouth.

She was feeling absolutely terrible.

The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!