Failed Possession Chapter-31

# Ch-31

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“So… um… well… that is…”

Lacy hesitated for a moment, fumbling through the explanation drifting around in her head. The word *‘pad-lip’* hadn’t existed in the country she had lived in before possessing this body, but insults were more or less the same everywhere. Even if the specific term didn’t exist, there had been plenty of similar kinds of abuse in her homeland.

“Um… so… mm…”

While brewing the coffee, Lacy kept hesitating. It would be easier and simpler if she just said it plainly, but then as now, she was someone who valued “dignity” quite a lot.

“It’s a type of insult.”

“Insult? What kind of insult?”

Orca, removing her vest and unbuttoning her shirt, tilted her head.

“There are many kinds of insults, aren’t there? What kind needs ‘immunity’?”

“Well…”

“I thought ‘immunity’ meant some sort of attribute. Like brain-attribute or fire-attribute. But your world doesn’t have magic or martial arts, right?”

“Mm… it is classified as an attribute, in a way.”

“I still can’t picture it. Why don’t you just say it clearly?”

Having undone all the buttons of her shirt, Orca sank deep into the sofa and grumbled.

“It’s… insulting… insulting someone’s parents.”

“…?”

“I mean, um, exactly what it sounds like. Insults that curse the other person’s parents… that sort of thing is called pad-lip.”

Orca blinked both eyes, unable to respond. She stared blankly at Lacy, then nodded honestly.

“That’s… bewildering.”

“Mm.”

“So that… pad-lip-immune guy… means someone who’s immune to insults about his parents?”

“That’s right.”

“How is that even possible?”

“I don’t know the details either.”

Lacy let out a deep sigh and poured the strongly brewed coffee into the cup.

“He was a nasty guy.”

“Even the name sounds like it. No—should I call it a nickname rather than a name?”

“It’s not his real name. Though after coming here, it’s practically become one.”

“Besides the name, what nasty things did he do?”

“He was aggressive.”

Lacy searched through her old memories. Before she became *Lacy Yuzuha*. Back when she played games on Earth.
It was already fifteen years ago.

“While simply enjoying the game, people would openly share their know-how to help others. Targeting them one by one—that was his daily routine.”

“Sounds like he had quite a lot of hostility. Did he attack you too?”

“Of course. He outright called me trash and nitpicked the information I carefully wrote up.”

Even though more than fifteen years had passed, Lacy still couldn’t forget the humiliation of that time. In truth, what he pointed out hadn’t been entirely wrong, but back then she’d been full of pride and furious that someone dared criticize her opinion.

“I tried several times to have a dignified discussion with him. Respecting each other’s character and opinions, exchanging feedback. But every time I refuted him, he killed my mother.”

“He… killed your mother?”

“Ah, not literally. I mean he said those kinds of insults.”

Sighing deeply, Lacy sat across from Orca. She placed the coffee in front of her and crossed her arms.

“He probably hasn’t crossed over to this world yet.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. He… you could call his personality garbage, and the way he spoke was terribly wrong, but his understanding of the game was high.”

Though she’d never admitted it openly, Lacy had actually referenced many of Pad-lip Immunity’s posts in the past.

“If he had crossed over here, he would’ve stood out somehow. And by my world’s timeline, until recently, Pad-lip Immunity still hadn’t taken first place.”

“You’re certain?”

“Yes.”

“The kid from the Havert Mage Tower vouched for it, I suppose?”

Orca asked with a grin after taking a sip of coffee. The Havert Mage Tower, which cooperated with the Earth Cult. Only a very small few knew that the seed carefully raised like a greenhouse flower was actually a possessor.

“As far as I know, he’s the most recent one to cross over.”

Even “recent” still meant several years ago. The flow of time between this world and Earth was different.

“Right before he crossed over, Pad-lip Immunity was stuck in the lower ranks, nowhere near the top of the Hall of Fame.”

“Then maybe he was just someone strong in theory.”

“I don’t think so. He probably could’ve taken first place anytime, but chose not to.”

“You’re sure?”

“Pad-lip Immunity said it himself.”

In any world, someone who talks more than their skill invites attacks. When the Hall of Fame opened and many veteran players challenged it, Pad-lip Immunity stayed on the boards constantly yet never updated his record, so he was heavily mocked.

Pad-lip Immunity: *I could get first place, I just don’t.*

Newbies thought it was an ugly excuse, but Lacy didn’t.

“The greenhouse flower from Havert also said he got a lot of help from Pad-lip Immunity. He was about to give up on reaching first place because his record wouldn’t rise, but after revising his build according to Pad-lip Immunity’s advice, he improved.”

“What a ridiculous guy.”

“He’s suspicious too. It wasn’t just the Havert kid. Many players who reached first place before him also received advice from Pad-lip Immunity.”

Lacy’s brows furrowed.

“The number of players who reached first because of that guy increased a lot.”

“From what you’re saying, he doesn’t sound like someone to be grateful to.”

Orca chuckled and took another sip of coffee.

“Once you know the truth, getting first place isn’t exactly an honor. If they hadn’t taken first in that damned game, they wouldn’t have crossed over to this world.”

“That’s right. The Havert kid actually suspects Pad-lip Immunity might have been a minion of an evil god. He even hates him.”

“That’s fairly plausible. From what you’ve told me, that Pad-lip Immunity guy intentionally increased the number of possessors.”

“I don’t go so far as to think he was an evil god’s minion… but if he really were, that’s terrifying. Honestly, the reason I could reach first place was also because I accepted his advice.”

“So you thought that Yuri might be Pad-lip Immunity?”

Orca’s eyes narrowed.

Lacy didn’t answer immediately. Tap, tap, tap… She tapped the table with her fingers, thinking, then let out a short sigh and shook her head.

“If he were a possessor, maybe… but now I’m not sure.”

“Yeah?”

“Orca. I only checked him once because you told me to. I didn’t have any deep conversations with him. But he’s very… rational. Sensible. The Pad-lip Immunity I knew wasn’t like that.”

“Couldn’t how he acted on that community be different from how he really is?”

“In the case of Full-Moon Play, the community and reality were the same. Well… that might just be because Full-Moon Play was insane.”

Lacy stopped tapping the table and looked up at Orca.

“Wouldn’t your impression matter more than mine?”

“He didn’t seem to have mana affinity. I checked when we first met, and he had no internal energy. I checked again before using the Thunder God form… his internal energy was just ordinary.”

“He could be hiding it, couldn’t he?”

“That’s impossible.”

Orca shook her head firmly.

“In the martial path there’s something called Returning to Simplicity. But that’s a realm where internal energy can’t be felt at all, and you can’t reach it before the 7th tier.”

“What if he used an artifact?”

“I directly examined his dantian myself. No artifact could perfectly hide internal energy in that situation.”

As Orca’s finger traced the air, space split open and a small bracelet emerged.

“This artificially blocks presence and internal energy. But with direct contact, it can’t hide internal energy or mana. Interesting, but practically made for demonic cultivators. It was crafted by the Demonic Cult to suppress the demonic energy they constantly leak.”

“Then Yuri isn’t a possessor.”

Lacy clicked her tongue lightly and rested her chin on her hand.

“He said he only started martial arts a month ago. He trained almost every day under Fist Wolf and never neglected internal energy training, right? If he were a possessor, he’d have made major progress in a month.”

“His talent for mana is average. But his talent for martial arts is real.”

“That’s what makes it ambiguous.”

A possessor with mana talent would usually choose magic over martial arts. Still, they didn’t necessarily avoid martial arts completely. Since they came through a game, they preferred familiar skills.

In that case, they would focus on cultivating internal energy first to raise their tier. Once they reached the 3rd tier, even ordinary martial arts would become powerful enough. From there, they would add techniques to build martial might. That was the standard route.

“If Yuri is a possessor, timeline-wise he could be Pad-lip Immunity…”

“You say he’s not, yet you keep sounding uncertain.”

“I am suspicious. You heard it too, didn’t you? Yuri reacted when he heard Full-Moon Play’s… that ‘Ten Thousand Heavenly Rains.’ And that reaction was very, very ambiguous.”

At first, she thought he had smiled.
But immediately afterward, she saw him coughing blood.
He had suffered internal injuries from witnessing First Wolf’s desperate state.

“And Yuri supported First Wolf at the very end. Right in front of that Full-Moon Play.”

“I believe Yuri genuinely cares about First Wolf. Even though everyone else was chanting Full-Moon Play’s name, he alone called out First Wolf’s. And like you said, someone who has only just begun learning martial arts stepping forward on his own before the Martial Zenith isn’t something just anyone can do.”

“And Yuri didn’t act friendly toward Full-Moon Play.”

“Act friendly?”

“In our world, the two of them were very close.”

“Even if they were close back then, you can’t go around flaunting that relationship in this world too. It’s only natural to be wary of other possessors.”

“If—if Yuri really is a possessor, what would you do, Orca?”

Lacy asked, her eyes shining.

Orca snorted at the look and shrugged her shoulders.

“Why. Do you think I’d roast him alive or something?”

“I thought you might, for Elena’s sake.”

“No. Even for Elena’s sake, I’d leave him alone.”

“If Yuri is a possessor, and Elena finds out… that child would be deeply hurt.”

“That’s exactly why I’d leave him alone.”

Orca answered with a smile.

At that reply, Lacy could only let out a hollow laugh.

“I told you—you’re a nasty person.”

“It’s not only for Elena’s sake that I’d leave him be. The fact that he’s a possessor yet avoided my detection. And the talent even Full-Moon Play acknowledged. That alone gives him value. You know this too, Lacy. It’s been thirty years since possessors began crossing into this world. Thirty years isn’t a short time.”

“…”

“Even now, many fools shout that possessors are dangerous and shouldn’t exist in this world and try to kill them. But some acknowledge their potential. Just look at me—I’m raising you, a possessor…”

Orca trailed off.

Staring at the neatly emptied cup, she muttered,

“Even the Heavenly Demon of the Demonic Cult shows great interest in possessors.”

“Really?”

“There’s suspicion that the Young Cult Leader is one.”

“That’s the first I’ve heard of it.”

“It’s not confirmed, after all. Look at the Havert Mage Tower and the Earth Cult—they’re raising possessors diligently too, aren’t they? Better to raise someone with certain talent than a native with mediocre ability. As long as there aren’t personality issues, that is.”

Personality issues.

At those words, Lacy couldn’t help laughing.

Over a decade ago, when she had come to the Dercia Mage Tower on her own and knocked on the door, Orca recognized her talent and allowed her to become a mage of the tower.

A year later, right in this very room, Lacy had been subdued by Orca and interrogated on suspicion of being a possessor. If she had made even one mistake during that conversation, she wouldn’t have survived until now.

“What happened with the Ascad family?”

Even though she herself was a possessor, Lacy still felt uncomfortable discussing such topics.

The reason she could remain a mage of the Dercia Tower and enjoy the conveniences of being a prospective disciple even after her identity was exposed was because her interests aligned with Orca’s.

Lacy had become deeply captivated by the magic of this world, which was completely different from the game she once played. Truthfully, she didn’t wish to kill the evil god and return to her original world, nor ask the Goddess of Order for some reward.
What she wanted was simply to live here and continue enjoying magic.

She didn’t want the position of Tower Lord, and Orca had no intention of passing it to her either. But Orca was interested in the talent Lacy possessed as a possessor and acknowledged her pure longing for magic.

Right now, Lacy remained at the 5th tier, but given time, she could quickly rise. High-tier mages were the tower’s pure military strength, and the broadened insight gained with higher tiers would further develop the tower’s magic.

“I heard something about Full-Moon Play.”

“He solved a problem for the Ascad family in exchange for an elixir, right?”

“Do you know about the Blood-Congealing Ghost Blade?”

“I’ve heard that story too.”

The Blood-Congealing Ghost Blade was a 6th-tier rogue swordsman who had attacked an Ascad Trading Company branch several months ago, looted a large amount of wealth, and disappeared.

“It seems he planned to defect to the Demonic Cult, but Full-Moon Play took the Ascad family’s request and killed him.”

“There must’ve been plenty of people besides Full-Moon Play who could handle that. And an elixir as payment? Isn’t that excessive?”

“I don’t know what wind blew through him, since he never belonged anywhere before, but Full-Moon Play approached the Ascad family first.”

“Ah, so the elixir wasn’t just payment for the Ghost Blade’s head?”

“The Martial Zenith contacted them first and offered to become their problem-solver from now on. The Ascad family simply showed their sincerity. Apparently Full-Moon Play wanted something else as compensation, though.”

“What kind of compensation? Is it something I’m allowed to hear?”

“It shouldn’t be an issue. That’s probably why Alfreon told me.”

Alfreon, head of the Ascad family, had been Orca’s long-time associate. But no matter how close they were, they didn’t share sensitive secrets. Alfreon Ascad was that kind of man.

The fact he told Orca meant the reward Full-Moon Play sought wasn’t exactly a secret. At the same time, it likely meant he wanted Orca’s advice.

“Full-Moon Play is looking for the sanctuary of the Order Church.”

“…What?”

“Even if not the exact location, he’s searching for a way to contact the Order Church.”

The Ascad family was a major sponsor of both the Earth Cult and the Abundance Cult, capable of summoning even their archbishops if requested.

Those two cults had also been among the few that remained neutral during the persecution and expulsion of the Order Church decades ago in the religious federation city, Union.

“Is he asking them to build a bridge to the Earth or Abundance Cults?”

“If that were what he wanted, it’d be faster to approach them directly. Full-Moon Play seems to think the Ascad family secretly supports the Order Church.”

“Is that true?”

“I don’t know who the Ascad family supports, and I don’t particularly want to dig into it. But Full-Moon Play must have his own conviction. Though Alfreon denied any connection to the Order Church.”

Orca chuckled and stared at Lacy.

“What do you think? Why is Full-Moon Play trying to find the Order Church?”

“The Order Church’s… most famous priest, the Calamity Saint Lorellia, is an elusive figure. You can’t just meet her because you want to, right?”

“That’s right. I’ve never seen her myself either.”

“So it’s probably not that he has business with that priest specifically… A possessor like Full-Moon Play searching for the Order Church…”

Community.

Pad-lip Immunity.

Connections…

Information linked together in Lacy’s head.

“Maybe he’s looking for other possessors?”

“The priests of the Order Church would never leak information about possessors.”

“Of course he knows that too. But maybe he’s desperate enough to cling to even that small chance.”

Lacy remembered the people who used to associate with Full-Moon Play.

Even if they weren’t quite as bad as him, they still couldn’t be called sane.

Yet among them, the only one who openly flaunted being a possessor was Full-Moon Play himself.

Whether those four lunatics had crossed into this world, or what masks they wore now—there was no way to know.

“Well… it’s just speculation. Maybe he’s looking for the Order Church for a completely different reason.”

If she could hear information about other possessors from a priest of the Order Church—

There was something Lacy desperately wanted to ask about too.

‘Pad-lip Immunity.’

A man who might even have been an apostle of the evil god.

She wanted to know whether he, too, was living somewhere in this world right now.