My time with Vampire Eudite had been intense.
She had taught me more than I could count: the general layout of the dungeon, the location of her hideout, the positions of hidden passages and rooms, and the locations of the treasure chests where I could obtain skills.
She had also taught me how to fight with a sword.
But most importantly, she had taught me how to control the Parasitic Sword: Puppeteer.
The relationship we had built might have been erased, but the knowledge she gave me hadn't vanished. I immediately made use of a teleportation circle that led to the area where Puppeteer was kept.
"If I remember correctly, I'm not supposed to grab the hilt."
If I gripped the hilt, the sword would take over my body. Instead, I grasped the tip of the blade. Then, I shoved the steel down my throat, leading with the point.
The moment Puppeteer entered my body, my consciousness faded. Right—it had been exactly like this last time.
◆
When I opened my eyes, an otherworldly space stretched out before me. This was the Inner World.
"Hey there. Is this our first meeting? Hmm, I wonder why... I feel like I've met you somewhere before."
Puppeteer stood before me. Its appearance was bizarre—a mass of blurry darkness with eyes, ears, and mouths attached to its form at random.
"I have a request. Lend me your power."
In the previous timeline, it had readily agreed when I asked.
"Hmm, what should I do...?"
I felt a flicker of unease the moment Puppeteer hesitated.
"Is there a problem?"
"Well, you see, I have a goal of my own. I was just wondering if obeying you would help me achieve it."
"And what is this goal?"
"To become human," Puppeteer stated firmly. "The reason I parasitize people is because I believe that by stealing a body, I might eventually become human myself."
"Then will you be unable to become human if I'm the one in control?"
"Hmm, who knows? I've parasitized plenty of humans before and it never worked out. It’s possible that being dominated by you might actually bring me closer to my goal."
"Then will you enter my service?"
"Yeah, why not? I feel something fated about you."
It was surprisingly willing to listen to reason.
"I have decided to obey you."
The moment Puppeteer spoke those words, the Inner World began to crumble. Before I knew it, I was standing back in the dungeon corridor.
▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽
Skill [Master of Parasitic Sword: Puppeteer] acquired.
Derivative Skill [Black Blade] acquired.
△△△△△△△△△△△△△△△
A message window appeared before my eyes. With this, I had successfully reclaimed control over the Parasitic Sword: Puppeteer.
◆
Next, I moved to acquire two specific skills.
When I had been with Eudite, she had handled any monsters we encountered, but now I had to manage on my own. I proceeded with extreme caution to avoid combat whenever possible, but when a fight was unavoidable, I used Black Blade to cut the monsters down.
▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽
Monster subjugation confirmed.
Skill Points acquired.
△△△△△△△△△△△△△△△
"Phew."
I took a breath after finishing the fight. It would have been much easier if I still had my level three Swordsmanship skill. That said, the physical experience of how to handle a blade remained with me. My previous training hadn't been entirely in vain.
I pushed forward toward the hidden room containing the treasure chest. I remembered that pushing this specific section of the wall would reveal a hidden passage.
Just as I expected, the seemingly ordinary wall slid open to reveal a path. I walked straight to the end, where a treasure chest sat waiting. I opened it to find a Crystal of Wisdom, and the Skill List immediately appeared.
▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽
Skill [Swordsmanship] acquired.
△△△△△△△△△△△△△△△
Just like before, I reclaimed the Swordsmanship skill.
"Alright. Next is the Crystal of Brilliance."
The Crystal of Brilliance was an item that granted one random skill. In the last timeline, I had obtained Attribute Enchantment from it. However, I’d never actually found an opportunity to use that skill.
Thinking about it now, it didn't seem like a priority. The treasure chest containing the Crystal of Brilliance was located in the room just before the Boss Room. Reaching it would be both time-consuming and dangerous.
There was no need to force it. Instead of taking unnecessary risks, I decided to focus my efforts on leveling up my Swordsmanship.