Failed Possession Chapter-91

## Ch-91.

—

A soft bed. A faint fragrance. A high ceiling. Lighting that wasn’t flashy, yet clearly expensive…

Yuri opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling.

He had no idea how long he had been unconscious, but he wasn’t confused about where he was.

‘The Maybeld estate.’

He remembered clearly what had happened before losing consciousness. Looking as though he might collapse at any moment, he had been invited by Alnair Maybeld to the manor and boarded a carriage with him.

After that, his memory cut off. The moment he leaned back against the plush seat in the carriage—far more spacious than it appeared from outside—he must have blacked out.

Scratch, scratch, shff—

He heard that sound nearby.

Blinking slowly, Yuri turned his head.

Beyond the overly wide bed, Haryeong sat in an ornate chair, staring at him while peeling an apple. Estor sat in another chair.

“…”

Yuri said nothing and simply looked at them.

Haryeong, who had been staring at him, also said nothing. Estor brightened as if to speak, but seeing the silence between the two, he closed his mouth again.

Haryeong’s face was as expressionless as ever. The ripe red apple was being stripped clean by her sharp paring knife. Though her eyes weren’t looking at the apple, the long, continuous peel was so thin and translucent you could almost see through it.

“…”

Again, Yuri said nothing. Haryeong said nothing. Estor looked between the two and decided to keep quiet.

The silence stretched on.

Yuri examined Haryeong. His eyes caught the thick bandages wrapped around her right leg. She must have been injured while guarding Lacy.

By then, the apple was fully peeled. Still keeping her gaze fixed forward, Haryeong sliced it neatly and placed the pieces onto a plate.

“Would you prefer rabbit shapes?”

The silence broke.

Setting down the knife, Haryeong raised both hands above her head and made rabbit ears.

“Usa-usa.”

“Please don’t.”

“What’s ‘usa-usa’?”

Yuri answered in exasperation, while Estor tilted his head in confusion.

It felt awkward to keep lying down, so Yuri tried sitting up—

Was this what it felt like the first time doing strength training? His entire body throbbed with soreness.

“Ugh…”

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“It would be strange if it didn’t.”

Haryeong clicked her tongue and pulled her chair closer.

“Fortunately, there are no injuries that will leave lasting aftereffects. To be honest, they were the kind that *would* have—but while you were asleep, you received top-grade potions and healing miracles.”

“Healing miracles?”

“Yes. The sort most people never see in their entire lives. You received them simultaneously from three priests.”

Among clergy, those capable of granting healing miracles to others were considered high-tier personnel. It wasn’t merely about faith or the quantity of divine power—they needed genuine compassion to bestow grace upon others.

“If I received healing miracles, why does my body hurt so much?”

“Because the wounds were unnaturally mended, pain is unavoidable. Even so, considering the injuries you sustained, this is far less than it should be.”

At Estor’s explanation, Yuri examined his body internally and nodded.

“That seems about right.”

The injuries he remembered were numerous. His entire body had been shredded by Blade Storm. Bones in his arms and legs had been shaved, split, and cracked. He’d been slammed into the ground, his inner power reversed, suffering internal injuries.

Yet compared to that, what remained now felt like severe muscle soreness at worst.

“But you mustn’t overexert yourself.”

“I doubt there’s much to overexert here in this estate.”

Muttering, Yuri ran his hands over his body. The top-grade potions and miracles had done their work—there wasn’t even a scar.

“How long was I asleep?”

“A full day.”

“Did you stay by my side the whole time?”

“Regrettably, I was also tired and slept. Are you disappointed in that answer?”

“Not at all. Did anything happen while I was out?”

This time, Estor answered instead of Haryeong.

All the hostages from the exposition hall had regained consciousness. Agwi’s severed lower half and belongings had first been transferred to the Earth Church’s temple.

“Agwi’s belongings were examined first by priests of the Earth Church. After that, priests from the nearby War Church and Hammer Church were dispatched for further verification.”

The Hammer Church, which worshipped the God of Blacksmiths, was a unique Church. Its clergy were closer to artisans than religious figures. They forged items with their own hammers, or bestowed blessings upon crafted objects in exchange for offerings.

Though not implemented in the game mechanics, many endgame epic items—such as the Sword Emperor’s blade *Atria* and the Tang Clan’s *Mugin*—were divine relics crafted by master artisans of the Hammer Church.

“I get the War Church, but why the Hammer Church?”

“There may be items bearing the Evil God’s blessing.”

“And if there are?”

“I don’t know the details, but if they can be purified, they will be. If not… they’ll likely be destroyed.”

At that answer, Yuri’s face twisted as though he’d bitten into something foul.

Among Agwi’s belongings, the item he coveted most was the gold bracelet inlaid with gemstones. He wasn’t certain—but considering Agwi had been a melee beast mage…

That bracelet might be **Geburah**.

An endgame-tier accessory for melee warriors. Since it wasn’t considered a weapon, it was essential for melee beast mages who sealed their weapon slot through Barehanded. Its performance was so pivotal that some players even rerolled characters if they failed to obtain Geburah.

It was that rare even in the game.

In reality, it would be harder still—but for a Saint of an Evil God? It wouldn’t be strange if he possessed such a treasure.

“If it goes through both the War and Hammer Churches, won’t we be stuck in Alderan for quite some time?”

“They’ve said they’ll depart at once. Even at the latest, they’ll arrive in three or four days. You’re in no condition to move anyway—why not rest?”

Haryeong frowned slightly as she said it. Her tone wasn’t sharp, yet it sounded almost like a reprimand.

‘Is there any way to secure Geburah before the inspection…?’

It might not even be Geburah—but what if it was?

Yuri pondered briefly, but no method came to mind. He couldn’t ask Alnair Maybeld for such a favor. And if he fixated too much on the bracelet, it might arouse suspicion.

‘Could I ask Estor for help?’

No—impossible. Since it was tied to the Evil God, the Churches would be strict.

After a moment, Yuri clicked his tongue softly.

It was something he couldn’t help coveting—but he couldn’t obsess over it either.

As Haryeong said, all he could do was rest a few days and wait for the inspections to conclude.

“If I’d known it would turn out like this, I would’ve gone to the exposition too.”

Estor muttered, reaching toward the apple—

—Smack!

Haryeong slapped the back of his hand.

“…?”

“It’s for the patient.”

“Ah. Right.”

Estor obediently bowed his head. He wasn’t particularly hungry, nor did he especially want the apple—but the atmosphere didn’t allow refusal.

Yuri quietly picked up a fork and speared a slice.

“Even if you’d been there, nothing would’ve changed.”

“Nothing would’ve changed? At least you wouldn’t have nearly died alone.”

Estor reached toward the fruit basket again, cautiously glancing at Haryeong. This time she didn’t stop him. He let out a small sigh of relief and bit into an apple.

“And wasn’t that Saint fellow a rare powerhouse? I set out with you precisely to experience danger—no, a brush with death.”

“And if you died?”

“If I died, it would mean I was too weak. I couldn’t blame anyone else. Isn’t that true for you? I heard from Lady Haryeong that you fought like a demon.”

“If I’d died there, I’d have died blaming someone.”

Yuri grumbled, stuffing another apple slice into his mouth.

Knock knock.

After eating a few more pieces, a knock sounded at the door.

“You may come in.”

The one who entered was Lacy.

But she did not look well.

Yuri blinked at the sight of Lacy entering in a wheelchair. Haryeong and Estor, however, did not appear surprised—they must have seen her already.

At first glance, it was hard to tell whether this was Lacy—

Or Orca.

“Would you step out for a moment?”

At Lacy’s request, Haryeong and Estor rose from their seats and left the room.

Yuri stared blankly at the closing door, then at Lacy, and cautiously opened his mouth.

“Um… why are you in that condition?”

Unaware of the full circumstances, that was all he could ask.

The wheelchair’s wheels glided smoothly by magic and stopped near the bed.

“Because Orca ran wild in my body.”

It was Lacy.

She frowned, her face pale and drained of color, and muttered irritably.

“It hurts terribly every time I move. They say healing miracles don’t help in cases like this. Apparently, it’ll recover naturally if I rest for a few days.”

“Oh…”

“You really are worried, aren’t you?”

“My body hurts quite a bit too, so I can understand how you feel. But… why did you lie?”

“Lie? When did I lie?”

“You said five minutes. It was more than five.”

Of all things, that was what he meant?

Lacy’s lips parted slightly. She coughed awkwardly and avoided his gaze.

“I’ve never done it before, so there was some margin of error. B-but it wasn’t ten minutes… right?”

“If it had been ten minutes, we would’ve all died.”

“B-because of you, Yuri… we didn’t.”

Lacy still harbored suspicions about Yuri’s true identity. But she was not so ill-mannered as to let unproven doubts and past humiliation stiffen her pride.

So she bowed her head to him.

“Thank you.”

“Thank you as well.”

“You don’t need to thank me. In the end, I didn’t risk my life for you.”

“But if not for you, Orca wouldn’t have come. So—what exactly was that magic yesterday?”

He had witnessed it directly, yet it was difficult to comprehend.

For a short time yesterday, Orca had been within Lacy’s body. The spells that drove Agwi into a corner were Orca’s unique high-tier magics—far beyond Lacy’s level—yet the body casting them had been Lacy’s.

“Mm…”

Lacy hesitated briefly, wondering whether she should speak of it.

“Akashic Record.”

She spoke the name of the spell.

After all, Yuri had seen it himself, and Orca did not seem inclined to hide it.

“What Orca has been pursuing in recent years… is a kind of network formed through magic.”

“Net… work…? Is that a magical term?”

At Yuri’s question, Lacy’s eyebrow twitched. It almost felt malicious. He had claimed several times that he knew the situation—yet he still acted like this…!

“To properly cast magic, understanding is essential. And that understanding cannot be fully contained within a formula. Even if memories are shared, that does not allow one to fully wield the magic. Because then the issue of soul-force arises.”

Such was the nature of high-Rank unique magic.

Even with identical formulas, differences in understanding and prior magical experience altered the result. The formula—the original text—passed through the caster’s soul-force and produced a different answer for each mage.

“But if it’s not memory but the *soul* that’s shared, that problem disappears. Even mages with entirely different understandings can experience another’s comprehension through shared souls and manifest their magic. If repeated, one could fully grasp even foreign magic never learned or cast before—the very answers others arrived at. As time accumulates, magic and understanding would stack into immense knowledge, and someday… we might reach the end of magic itself—truth. And perhaps all could share in that great knowledge. That is the magic called Akashic Record.”

Even to Yuri, that sounded impossibly distant.

If it worked as she described, then even a Rank 1 apprentice mage could instantly become a grand mage by inheriting a grand mage’s soul.

“Is that even possible?”

“We’re developing it so that one day it will be. There are many instabilities. For now, only Orca can transmit her soul. Even I could only receive it because I’ve reached Rank 6—otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to withstand it.”

She cleared her throat and continued.

“Orca used a great deal of her unique magic through my body. The formulas are in my head—but I can’t understand them. My soul couldn’t accept them. In the end, this ‘great magic’ still has a long road ahead—it’s barely taken its first steps. To become the ‘library’ Orca envisions, it would require creating a kind of electro-mind space capable of recording souls filled with vast knowledge and experience. And to build a network from that foundation, one would need trigger spells to access it.”

Perhaps because she was speaking within her field of expertise, Lacy continued without pausing for breath.

Listening, Yuri felt genuine awe.

“Magic’s end. Truth.” Those words carried weight.

“I came here…”

Lacy straightened her voice.

“…because Orca wishes to speak with you. Receiving the transmission is burdensome for me, so I’d rather not—but she says there is something that must be said.”

“What now?”

“My life’s price.”

A faint, wry smile touched Lacy’s lips.

“You may think you survived thanks to Orca. But if you hadn’t bought time, she wouldn’t have come. So it was you who saved my life.”

“If you insist on giving something, I’ll gratefully accept. But must it be now?”

No answer came at once.

The dull haze in Lacy’s eyes sharpened with light.

“I dislike leaving debts unpaid.”

It was Orca who answered.

She looked down at Lacy’s seated body and chuckled.

“Lacy Yuzuha is someone I cherish. Not my disciple—but close enough. I have high expectations for her.”

Disciple.

Yuri’s cheek stiffened faintly.

“And there was the matter two years ago. I did not wish to let her die pointlessly, so I implanted the terminal.”

Yuri knew exactly what Orca meant by “two years ago.”

Lagos.

The encounter with the Blood Fiend Ghost.

“So I intend to repay the price for saving Lacy. If it is not impossible, I will grant your wish. I will not bargain. There are reasons I should not—and if I bargain, it would cheapen both my affection and the expectations I place upon her.”

“…Is Elena doing well?”

After a brief silence, Yuri spoke.

It took courage to ask that.

He had never asked about Elena before. Not to Haryeong. Not to Lacy.

More accurately, he had avoided her.

He feared what he might learn. He had heard occasional rumors—but he had never sought out more. Even when Haryeong mentioned her, he had consciously ignored it.

Their parting two years ago had left Yuri wounded.

He did not want to reopen that wound.

But Agwi’s dream had taught him something.

And burned something away.

“Elena?”

Orca’s brow lifted slightly, clearly surprised by the question.

“She is doing well.”

That was Orca’s perspective.

From her viewpoint, Elena was doing exceptionally well.

“That’s a relief.”

Yuri exhaled quietly and nodded.

“I’ve heard Elena became your disciple. In that case, my wish is… please take good care of her—”

“That is presumptuous.”

Orca smiled as she spoke.

“And obvious. I am her master. It is my duty to care for and teach my disciple well. That is not something for an outsider to request.”

“…”

“If I wished, I could take offense. But I will not. I am well aware of your relationship with Elena.”

Orca interlaced her fingers and looked at Yuri steadily. There was unmistakable amusement and interest in her expression.

“So, Yuri—state another wish.”

“…”

“Not something about Elena. State *your* wish.”

Yuri fell silent.

A wish.

He had collapsed immediately yesterday. He hadn’t considered what to ask.

“…Please give me a moment.”

He had thought ending with a request regarding Elena would suffice—but Orca was firm.

He needed to think.

It did not take long.

Whether possible or not, if he could receive something from Orca right now, there was only one thing that came to mind.

He couldn’t ask about the bracelet that might be Geburah. Not even Orca could snatch it away now that the War Church and Hammer Church were involved.

What Yuri could request was something Orca unquestionably possessed.

The unique magic of Heavenly Thunder Orca Dercia.