61. A: Even with two heads, life can still be sad.

Was it a second or two? Was it a minute or maybe an hour?... I really can’t tell... Though again, considering the pain, the dizziness, and the burning sensation I am still feeling, then I am probably alive, and so...

“I guess, it was but a moment...”

Opening my eyes and saying so, I calmly feel my body, before then glancing at the dark cloudy sky above, and...

“... is it already starting?”

Well, that can wait. Thinking so, and feeling the pain in my right arm subsiding, I slowly raise it above and...

“Wow... that seems painful... No, wait, it IS painful...”

Smirking and saying such, I look more at my arm’s sorry state. And how do I describe it?

Hmmm... Ah, right. I guess the best description would be like a mixture of my old wounds when I just escaped the drive’s mental interference and that rampaging curse when drowning in the oblivion. And Oh, if that’s not clear, then let’s just say that from my palm to my shoulder, to my neck, and even to the lower part of my right cheek and maybe some parts of my chest, I have these deep burn marks tearing my skin. And as if that is not enough, there is also this... Uugh, weird flow of black coursing through the wounds too, so... Yeah, this looks cool... No, I meant it feel painful. Yeah, really P.A.I.N.F.U.L.

“Oh, but jokes aside... I guess this can be called a success, right?... I mean...”

“... Even if it’s only 38%, it’s still a partial assimilation, right?”

Loudly thinking that and staring at my naked arm steadily healing, I once again look up at the cloudy sky and then...

“Alright.”

And then I flip back on my feet. After all, it’s not really healthy to lie down on a dusty crater for long, you kno-... No, wait a second. Is it just me or...

“ Is it just me or is this crater new? Hmm?”

Titling my head in confusion and saying so, I look once more at the ten-meter crater around me, before then taking hold of my half-burnt jacket and suddenly tearing it off.

After all, it was not only my arm that the black lightning affec-... Oh, I guess that is the source of the crater then, hee?

“But still, was is it even that powerful? Or is it the ground here that is just so weak? If not, then...”

“... is it the fact this place is nothing but a reflection made of Curse? Hmmm, I guess that’s the most probable reason...”

Oh, but reason and curse aside, I guess I should focus now. Thinking that and throwing all useless thoughts aside, I give another glance to the crater, the trees surrounding it, and those giant beasts running in my direction too, before then turning my back to them and ignoring them as I then check the series of notifications in front of me. But is this it?

-Conditions not met.

Assimilation has been temporarily paused.-

.........

-Adjusting.-

.........

.........

-Adjusting Complete.

Status has been updated-

“......”

Hmm... Updated, you say? Then, I guess I should...

“I should check it and see for myself, no?

Smiling a little and saying so, I take a couple of steps to the side and then raising my left hand a little, I swiftly swing it down bringing judgment, when suddenly...

Ssssssh.

Suddenly following a loud air-cutting sound, that halberd of mine, floating a few meters above my head, zoomed through the air and then to a certain rock-covered lizard’s neck, splitting it open. Still... is it because I just leveled up, or because I took it by surprise? Hmmm, well... Maybe a little of both? But anyway, that’s not important now. No, what’s important is that this kill was just too easy, and so...

“... And so, I am not satisfied yet.”

Smiling and saying such, I take a step back and then lower my head avoiding some claws, before then spinning in place, swinging my hand up and manipulating my weapon. When suddenly, following my every move, the halberd stop its descending path and defy gravity, only to then fly up cutting off another lizard’s neck. Still, this is not the last one and so...

And so, the halberd kept moving. With every swing of my hand and every movement of my fingers, it kept moving as it cuts neck, broke limbs, and splits heads. Once, twice, then thrice and more... Until finally, after a few moments of fun play, all those 20+ lizards were...

“... Done.”

Smugly smiling and saying so, I proudly stand in place and look around me at the demonic beasts’ corpses filling the crater, before then moving my attention from them and to my...

“... Status.”

Loudly saying that word, I stand in place and smile. Before then quickly and precisely moving my hand through the air, as I successfully catch all the parasitic needles aiming at me. But seriously...

“These things are creepy, you know?”

Turning my head to the side and saying so, I glance at the squirming black needles in my hand, before then throwing them to the side and instead start looking around me at all those suspicious pink flowers slowly withering. When suddenly, a certain flower among them picked my attention. Or more like the body below it did. After all, it’s really weird no matter how you look at it...

“The fact that a two-headed bear was casually mixing with lizards, and that it casually died with them without me even noticing... I mean, seriously Mister...”

“... Don’t you think your sense of presence is lacking? To just die silently like that? Even with two heads that practically scream ‘Look at me, I am here?”

Sigh... What a sad life Mr. Bear had. Oh, but life and bears aside. I am just saying but what picked my attention was not the fact that a bear was mixed in a crowd of lizards, okay? After all, it’s not like this bear was the only case, you know? Hell, I can still spot another furry creature at the corner of the crater, you see. Not to mention, that this is a group of infected demonic beasts controlled by weird flower parasites, so animal types are not really meaningful here.

But as I was saying, what picked my interest was not the two heads of the bear or the flower itself, but the place where the flower bloomed, its root spreading everywhere, and the fact that the bear’s headless body...

“... Is still moving even now...”