Why can't humans do it too?

"By the way~, I'm very confident I can leave the mole's nest alive~", Xin Ke put on that smiling face again, but Su Er was not fooled by this illusion at all - without a doubt, this forest elf was threatening Su Er with the lives of the entire human race.

It was unknown whether the forest elves truly possessed the ability to send information from such depths underground, but even the slightest possibility was too great for Suer to gamble on.

Just closing his eyes slightly was enough to imagine the horrific scene of all humans being deliberately hunted down and tortured by the forest elves. Those long-eared people who lost the only Eightfold Spellcaster, Flower Crown Lord, would definitely do such a thing to vent their anger! Trembling, that was the world that Su Er had tried his best to empty his mind and not imagine during these past few hours.

The mistakes he has already made.

The sin he must atone for.

There's nothing to hide. To be honest, if he really had any superpowers or could use magic, Sull would have already revealed it in this situation... But he really doesn't know!

How could he possibly reveal something he himself didn't know?!

It felt as if a fire was scorching her heart. Biting her lower lip, Suer was so anxious that she curled up and grabbed her hair tightly, her platinum blonde hair falling onto the cold steel floor in front of her—that's it!

“I didn’t mean to deceive you, Miss Nirbalen,” Sue said, sitting up abruptly from the ground. She had never been so calm before. “To be honest, even I don’t know the reason for all that I’ve been through. How about this, I’ll tell you about the strange things I’ve encountered in the past, and you can judge for yourself… Is that alright?”

Looking directly into the eyes of the forest spirit, Suer forced her gaze to be as honest as possible, without the slightest hesitation or doubt. Her six-pronged pupils gleamed with scrutiny as she pondered.

“…Okay?” Xin Ke nodded gently without objecting, then curiously rested her chin on her hand. “Then let’s begin. Let me hear Mr. Monkey’s story.”

"..."

Without rushing to speak, Suer closed his eyes and carefully recalled everything he had experienced, every single detail.

Go back to the past, and back again, until that time—

"...The first anomaly appeared in an orc," Sur opened his eyes, still choosing to meet Xinke's gaze, trying to minimize his blinking. "That was when I led a few of my people on an expedition from the settlement to the area where the orcs roamed..."

Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Reason

Sul spoke slowly because there were just too many details to recall. The expedition that caused him to lose the hearing in one ear happened a few dozen days ago, and it took them several days just to reach the area where the orcs were active... As a result, Sul's memory had become very blurry.

From his reasons for choosing to go to that area because of Credor's illness to the entire process of leading a group of people to encounter the orcs, Suer didn't hide anything—he knew that the forest elves wouldn't give him any more chances.

He remembered everything Xin Ke had said, including the information that he possessed flowing spirits within him that she could sense. Although Xin Ke herself said that mind-reading magic could not work on him, Su Er could not gamble on whether Xin Ke could tell from the flow of spirits whether he was lying or not.

Moreover, does Xin Ke really mean it has no effect just because she says it can't? Su Er, who has already been completely deceived by what he thought was information, simply doesn't believe it.

Cunning, intelligent, and suspicious, she believed in and was forever proud of only herself, and of her coldness and cruelty. Suer had come to a deep understanding of the true nature of this forest elf beneath her seemingly beautiful exterior... at least that was the nature he had come to know for the time being.

Since Xinke needs an answer, then Suer will give her one.

“…After that, the real monkey escaped with pieces of clothing stained with my blood and that orc’s blood,” Su’er said in an unusually low voice. “It was for this reason that I left my settlement and wandered alone. According to the information I left behind, they should have moved away from that stronghold by now, right? Even if I regret it now and want to go back, I don’t know how to find them.”

Suer's story came to an end, but opposite him, the forest elf with long, light golden hair remained in the same position, deep in thought, as if he had not heard that Suer's story had ended.

"Um, the great Miss Nirbalen?" To be honest, even though being suddenly attacked and restrained like this didn't make Suer feel too much of a shock, there was only one thing that he found hard to accept, "...May I ask what kind of anomaly you felt before?"

Sul asked cautiously, not wanting to add fuel to the fire, and tried his best not to make his questions seem like a provocation. Fortunately, the forest elf in front of him had entered a state of rapid academic thinking.

“Miss Nirbalian, although you just said that I used magic to subtly influence your mind and interfere with your thinking and judgment, to be honest, I did not feel any strange connection between myself and that orc from that time,” Suer analyzed seriously.

"At that time, I could clearly feel that the relationship between me and that orc was like the feeling you described before, like my own limbs were extending when I cast a spell. And he did indeed hurt himself because of my subconscious thoughts. Although he broke free the next second, even though he was seriously injured after a series of battles, my next attempt failed because he was on guard..."

"It's not an extension of the limbs~"

Suer's analysis was interrupted by the Forest Spirit's voice. Seemingly having finished thinking for the time being, Xin Ke was looking Suer up and down, her pupils, which housed Liu Ling, filled with excitement and curiosity.

"Hey?"

“Although I previously described it as an extension of the limbs, that was just a simplified description for Mr. Monkey’s convenience,” Xin Ke said, quickly walking up to Su Er and squatting down. “No matter what analogy you use, casting magic is essentially the process of controlling the spirit within your body through the circuit. To be more accurate, it should be described as your consciousness residing and flowing on it—do you understand, Mr. Monkey? This is completely different from your previous description.”

“It’s like your body and soul are extending,” Xin Ke repeated Su Er’s words from the story, her excitement barely contained. “For you, that beastman is like an extension of your real body and will… It’s completely different!”

"...", remaining silent, unable to know where Xin Ke's excitement came from, Su Er could only quietly await his own judgment.

“You know what, Mr. Monkey,” Xin Ke suddenly brought up something seemingly unrelated, “you should have died a long time ago, right when we fell into the mole’s submarine together.”

Suer looked at him questioningly.

"To be honest, I don't care at all what's special about monkeys. Even if they are, so what? Even if your special abilities can add a few more combat points to the entire forest elf race, so what?" Xin Ke frankly admitted without any concealment. "I don't care at all. As long as the most talented person like me is here, the forest elves will definitely win the final victory."

Her pride and confidence were almost palpable, yet they didn't evoke the slightest resentment. The forest elf in front of her was simply stating the facts; she truly possessed the strength and the right to be proud, and whatever she said was the truth.

“You who humiliated me like that should have been torn to pieces when we fell into the submarine together. It doesn’t matter how many secrets the monkey has, as long as I’m happy,” Xin Ke’s fingers pressed against Su Er’s throat once again. “But I didn’t do that… That’s the biggest anomaly.”

“It wasn’t until recently that I gradually realized this, that this was not a decision I made at all—how could I have allowed my monkey to exist in such a rude and humiliating way for so long?” The pressure on Suer’s throat continued to increase, but it was still maintained at a level that was enough for him to breathe.

"It's as if something has subtly altered my thoughts, making all these changes seem so natural, as if they were decisions I made after careful consideration," Xin Ke said through gritted teeth.

Suer suddenly understood why the forest elf with the pale golden hair had suddenly become so angry that she had launched an attack—for a proud person like her, having her will twisted silently was probably the greatest humiliation, almost unacceptable.

“But it seems that this abnormal change cannot be maintained for long~” Xin Ke said gently, her fierce expression suddenly turning into a bright and sunny smile.

Mori Sei's mood is as unpredictable as the sky.

Chapter Fifty-Nine Abilities

"As time goes by, the effects of this magic gradually weaken, and once you realize something is wrong, a single deep self-analysis is enough to completely erase its influence," Xin Ke concluded. "And just like that, the power that had been influencing me, making me subconsciously close to Mr. Monkey, and forgiving me to survive, is gone~~~"

"Well? Mr. Monkey, is there anything you want to say? You can say anything~, speak freely~", Xin Ke asked happily as she released her grip on Su Er's throat in a childlike, cheerful voice.

"...Although that power has disappeared, the great Miss Nirbalen shouldn't be going to deliver the fatal blow now, right?" Sul said calmly, moving his slightly aching Adam's apple.

"...What? Being this smart isn't exactly endearing, is it?" Xin Ke's deliberately cheerful tone vanished in an instant, and she stood up looking bored.

"Ahaha, I'm really sorry, so has the great Miss Nirbalen already decided how to deal with me?" As if she hadn't lived enough, Suer even asked in return.

"Hmm~, there's not much point in adding that last blow now. It would just make me seem petty and a sore loser... Anyway, from now on, Mr. Monkey, just live well in my workshop. Don't worry~, as the only precious material, I won't conduct irreversible research on you. After all, I don't think there will be another monkey with such magical power."

"Ah~, right, right, Mr. Monkey, you can start thinking about what kind of female monkeys you like now. Males should all enjoy reproduction, right? I'll find you lots of healthy female monkeys~," Xin Ke said with a grin, as if she had suddenly thought of a good idea. "If you have any special sexual interests, you can bring them up anytime. Should I summon tentacles from another world to liven things up for you? Anyway, Mr. Monkey, you must live a healthy life~"

"...Then could you please tell me, Miss Nirbalian, how were you and that beastman affected? And the ways you manifested after being affected were different," Suer asked, ignoring Xin Ke's absurd words, with her head bowed.

"Hmm, I didn't expect Mr. Monkey to be more concerned with knowledge than reproduction..." Xin Ke said, stroking her chin seriously. "Actually, the medium can be found with a little elimination. Mr. Monkey probably didn't think of that because he lacks experience."

“It was your blood and flesh~” Xin Ke gave the answer lightly. “That beastman devoured your blood and flesh before it died, right? I was a little concerned when I was listening to your story. According to your description, that beastman should not have the strength or body to act again, or even to activate Blood Evil again. But it not only moved again, but also activated Blood Evil before it died—even though it exploded because of failure.”

“That’s strange,” Xin Ke pointed out. “The Forest Elves have also conducted research on the Beastmen. Blood Evil is just accelerating one’s blood and compressing one’s nerves. No matter what, it shouldn’t have the ability to completely blow itself into pieces. Even if it fails to activate due to insufficient stamina, it should just be a simple sudden death. But according to Mr. Monkey’s description, that Beastman seemed to have exploded quite thoroughly.”

“…So that’s how it is?” Su’er muttered to himself, stunned.

Some things are like that; they're incredibly simple, but you could never imagine them until someone points them out. And after Xin Ke opened that door for him, without any further explanation, Su Er already understood why Xin Ke would be affected—

“That’s right, Mr. Monkey also thought of it, didn’t he? The blood,” Xin Ke said with a light snap of her fingers.

How could I forget? Whether it's Suer or Xinke.

The blood that Sul coughed up when the two of them tumbled and fell in the goblin airship landed right in Xinke's mouth, just as she was about to curse something. That was the reason for everything that was happening now.

"Hehe~, I thought Mr. Monkey's peculiarities were only in his spirit and soul, but it seems his physical body is special too~," Xin Ke smiled contentedly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation and curiosity. However, she shrugged regretfully the next moment and said, "The only pity is that compared to his spirit and soul, Mr. Monkey's physical body is slightly lacking in peculiarity~"

"Even a beastman who has already been through several major battles and whose mind and body have been severely damaged cannot be controlled for long, even though he has already swallowed a mouthful of flesh and blood... But with me, I can only give subtle hints, and I haven't even established a connection. Hmm, it may also be because I just happened to come into contact with a little bit of his blood?"

"Hmm, it probably has a lot to do with the amount of spirits within the body. The more spirits, the stronger the resistance, right? But thinking about it that way, it seems a bit useless... This ability," Xin Ke said, biting her thumb as she fell into thought, "I still need to do some specific experimental research. Ah, I really want to go back to my workshop~..."

Suer remained silent, watching the forest elf with pale golden hair sink into her own world without urging or reminding her, until Xinke came back to her senses.

"So, shall we leave it at that for now?" After picking up the white fruit that had rolled off his hands and fallen to the ground during the previous vigorous activity, Su'er blew off the dust and asked, "Shall we continue on our way? To take a look at the place where the Divine Essence is located?"

Suer took a bite and chewed, his expression was so normal, as if nothing had happened during that time. It was so normal that even Xin Ke couldn't help but feel puzzled.

"Are all monkeys like you?" Xin Ke asked curiously. "Even after experiencing something like this, they still choose to live? Or is this what you mean by humans?"

“But isn’t that contradictory?” Xin Ke pointed out sharply, “If Mr. Monkey really acted so indifferently towards you, then why did you, who so desperately wanted to live, choose to exile yourself in the first place, even though my body was completely controlled and your life would be confined to a domesticated place?”

Chapter Sixty: The Strange Man

"Even I'm almost moved~" Xin Ke said, her eyes half-closed as if deep in thought, one hand resting lightly on her chest, as if reciting a poem. "The experiences Mr. Monkey just described could be considered heroic even in the picture books passed down among the forest elves~"

"...Ha, is that considered a compliment?"

"Mr. Monkey, you can think that way?"

Hero? Sur never expected to hear this word, which meant "monkey," coming from the mouth of this forest elf who kept using the word "monkey," and even using it to describe herself.

For those ordinary forest elves, Xin Ke is probably everyone's hero, a hero who belongs only to the forest elves.

"...It's just living a contradictory life," Suer replied softly after a moment of silence, "but what does it matter?"

He didn't want to talk about it anymore; it was pointless.

Standing up, Suer tugged at his sweat-soaked clothes. The air rushing in from outside made him shiver; it was chilly.

"Which way up?" Standing in front of Xin Ke, Su Er waited expressionlessly for instructions from the forest elves.

“…Hmm? Then let’s go to that platform first.” After a slight pause, Xin Ke put on her hood and walked towards a wall. “I wonder if Mr. Monkey noticed that I didn’t use a seed when I used this magic just now.”

“?”, Suer asked, puzzled. He didn’t understand what this forest elf wanted to say.

"The reason we don't use this magic to create food in the desert is that the fruit it ripens only provides a feeling of fullness and doesn't contain any of the nutrients necessary for the survival of living organisms... That's the reason."

Watching the figure in the robe ahead nimbly leap onto the high wall in a few bounds, Su Er turned back in a daze to look at the corner where the two of them had just been—the clump of soil that he had personally brought over had lost its original dark color and had now turned into a cement-like dark gray, solidified into a block, with all the moisture in it gone.

So, is this the answer to his previous question?

Suer suddenly understood.

A strange forest elf—that was Suer's biggest thought at the moment.

Even though she constantly uttered disdainful words, she would still seriously answer the questions posed by the monkey she genuinely looked down upon. If she had previously acted this way because of the unknown abilities that Suer possessed, now that the influence of those abilities had been removed, she still gave Suer answers... This was definitely not just being arrogant.

It's strange, so very strange. It's as if it possesses its own unique world, and holds a different perspective from that world, making it an even more special existence.

She was arrogant and disdainful of everyone; no one existed in her world, not even the god who created her.

Without reaching a conclusion, we remain completely ignorant.

Sull wondered if Riku were here, could he see through the heart of this forest elf?

"...Is Mr. Monkey, who's standing there like a fool, waiting for me to come down and carry you up?"

A sharp, urging voice came from above.

Shaking his head to stop thinking about it, Su Er took a few steps back, took a running start, and then nimbly climbed up the high wall.

--------------

The architecture of the goblin race is unique. Perhaps because they live underground, their buildings are not limited to the most basic ground, but are also three-dimensional networks constructed in mid-air and overhead.

Those iron walls overhead were not just walls restricting passage, but also gates. At least, Suer had seen many furballs extend golden spells upon merely touching the surface of those iron walls, then split into tiny mosaic-sized shapes and contracted to the sides to make way until the furballs passed through.