Mythos Of Narcissus: Reborn As An NPC In A Horror VRMMO-Chapter 309: Upon The Landship, A Spark

Ishmael and Erika's conversation continued in quiet tones, a delicate exchange of curiosity and caution. I listened, of course—my perceptive extension allowed me to oversee every word, every hesitation, every flicker of emotion—but I let the discussion flow without intervention.

Ishmael, after hearing Erika's unexpected curiosity throughout the whole interaction, narrowed her gaze ever so slightly. She was searching, weighing the conversation as if trying to decide how much to trust.

"Why are you so curious about this?" Ishmael finally asked.

Erika, ever composed, simply smiled.

"Because I have a mission to fulfill," she answered lightly, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "And you, dear Ishmael, might hold knowledge that is invaluable to that mission."

Ishmael paused. "…Does Lady Narcissus know about this?"

"Of course."

I didn't have a single idea about this.

But considering her attempt and devotion, I'll let this one lie slide.

Ishmael exhaled through her nose, her posture easing just a little.

"Then I suppose I should be helpful for once," she murmured, almost to herself.

And then—she said something she hadn't told Viviane.

"I was trapped in the Unloving Sea for around ninety years."

Erika's serene, owl-like gaze did not widen in shock, nor did she react with any dramatic exclamation. Instead, she merely tilted her head, absorbing the information, letting it settle into her own calculations.

"That's quite a long time," she said simply.

"Yeah," Ishmael admitted, her voice quieter. "It didn't feel that long. Time moves strangely in that place."

Erika's voice took on a new edge of curiosity. "When you said that within the twenty years, the Entity of Light visited you twenty times—what did you mean by that?"

Ishmael inhaled, her fingers tightening around the edge of the table. She was careful now, calculating each word before it left her lips.

I watched, intrigued, as she sifted through the tangled restrictions of her curse, searching for a way to answer without invoking whatever unseen punishment loomed over her.

And in the end—she settled for the safest possible response.

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"I was grateful for the help," she said, voice even. "That's all I can say."

Ah. So even now, even with everything else she had shared, that truth remained bound.

But that in itself was a valuable revelation.

Erika, ever perceptive, did not push further. Instead, she let the topic drift into something lighter—personal histories, experiences aboard the Landship, casual musings of life before and after their arrival here. A bonding moment, disguised as idle chatter.

I listened for a little while longer, letting the conversation settle into the background of my mind. It was valuable, yes, but I had other things to oversee.

And something far more exhilarating had just begun.

Above the Landship, two streaks of motion cut through the air like blazing comets.

Verina and Lupina.

"They really went crazy, even for a friendly spar," Charis commented.

Sparring.

Verina, ever the embodiment of precision and overwhelming force, hovered high above, her crystalline musket gleaming under the eerie daylight of Carcosa's sky.

Every shot that left her weapon was a calculated onslaught, a concentrated burst of energy that shattered the air like thunderclaps.

Lupina, in contrast, was a streak of raw feral agility, her arm-shaped, rock-textured wings carving through the sky as she weaved between Verina's attacks with impossible grace. The organic jet-like booster at the end of her long tail ignited in violent bursts, propelling her through the air with erratic, unpredictable movements.

She was wielding a Prismforge of a standard Landship personnel weapon. Not entirely attuned to it, since she didn't have a personal Cognitive Engine assistance helping her.

However, her power came from the sheer will and creativity that she brute forced into existence. Using her psychic interference capability as a Theotech Vessel, she molded the shape into a solid, powerful function that had nothing to do but interrupting every attempt of destruction that Verina threw at her.

As in, I really had no idea what kind of weapon she was using. It was not a sword, it was not a flail. It was not a bow, a gun, nor even a spear.

It was both flexible and solid at the end, branching like living brambles, sharps and dull on the opposite ends.

Yeah, I don't have any idea how to describe the form of Prismforge that she was using.

"Regardless of your effort, it's useless, my dear friend."

"How can it be useless if I don't even know what I'm doing!"

Charis seeing Lupina's fighting style couldn't even be more confused, "This is one of your confidantes, Father."

"Ahahaha."

Below, from the deck and the observational dome, many of the bastioneers, Heavenly Maids, and Duolos vessels had gathered, drawn to the spectacle unfolding above them.

Because how could they not watch?

It was chaos, pure and mesmerizing.

A dance of untamed ferocity against absolute precision.

And Lupina planned to land a strike first.

She shot forward like a missile, her tail-booster flaring in a sudden, violent burst, the raw propulsion launching her through the sky faster than any tracking system could calculate. Her wings, rock-textured and jagged, carved through the air like fractured stone, each beat shifting her trajectory at unnatural angles.

Her Prismforge, an ever-shifting paradox of weaponry, twisted in her grasp, reshaping itself into a bladed tendril, its brambled edges vibrating with unstable Theotech resonance.

She swung in a wide, reckless horizontal arc, the air itself splitting under the sheer force of her strike.

But Verina was faster.

Before Lupina's strike could land, Verina twisted in midair, her crystalline musket already repositioned, already aimed, already pulling the trigger before motion itself had caught up.

A split-second premonition.

The resulting blast ripped through the sky, a jagged spear of light piercing toward Lupina with pinpoint precision.

The force of the shot detonated in a brilliant cascade, threatening to engulf her completely.

But Lupina, she didn't retreat. She used the blast.

The moment the pressure wave struck her, she twisted, letting the impact roll across her side.

And then, with a wild grin. She launched herself higher.

Faster, turning what should have been a near-fatal shot into an acceleration.

Verina, ever composed, merely adjusted. A flick of her wrist—her musket fractured into segments, reshaping itself through some unseen mechanism into a long-barreled cannon in the blink of an eye.

A flash of energy surged through the weapon—not a single shot, but an entire barrage.

Verina fired.

And the sky erupted.

A rain of heat-imbued exotic crystalline projectiles fell from above, a relentless downpour of destruction. Each one detonated on impact, painting the battlefield with blossoms of fire and shattered light.

"These morons…" Viviane gritted her teeth, as she cast a defensive spell all over the Landship to protect the members and the exterior.

"Fufufu, this is better than expected," Kuzunoha grinned out of amusement.

The air roared with each explosion, the sheer force threatening to shatter the very concept of stillness.

And Lupina laughed maniacally.

Because of course she did.

She dove into the chaos headfirst, unrelenting, dodging the blasts by the barest of margins.

She was a blur of motion, a streak of wild, unrestrained energy weaving through a storm meant to erase her.

Her tail-booster flared in sporadic bursts, twisting her body at impossible angles, juking left, darting right, her unpredictable trajectory making it nearly impossible for Verina to land a decisive hit.

But even she couldn't dodge forever.

One of the crystalline detonations grazed her

A glancing blow against her left wing.

Not enough to cripple.

But enough to stagger.

Verina saw the opening. Her cannon collapsed back into its original musket form in a smooth, fluid transition.

Energy swirled into the barrel—the next shot was already prepared.

The decisive shot.

But Lupina did not fall back. She pushed forward with an even further abandon.

She let the impact twist her trajectory, using the force against itself, her tail-booster igniting with an even fiercer intensity.

The sky itself trembled as she closed the distance in the span of a heartbeat.

Her Prismforge, now something both whip-like and jagged, coiled in on itself, crackling with energy.

She swung with all her might, even though it was her best friend that she was aiming it at.

The weapon lashed toward Verina, a violent, twisting spiral of unrestrained destruction, aiming directly for the barrel of the musket.

Verina did not hesitate.

She angled her musket downward, bracing for impact.

And they clashed.

Prismforge met objective force of destruction.

The sheer force of the collision sent a shockwave rippling outward, shattering the air itself.

For a single, suspended second, the world held its breath.

Two insane warriors.

Locked.

Neither yielding.

The tension in the air was electric, suffocating, a frozen moment of absolute equilibrium.

Then, a burst of kinetic energy exploded between them, sending them both flying apart.

Verina was thrown backward, but she recovered instantly, flipping through the air, her wings spreading to stabilize herself.

Lupina was flung into a spiraling arc, but she used the momentum to twist herself into a controlled descent, her tail-booster flaring in rapid adjustments.

And just like that.

They landed on opposite ends of the sky.

Hovering. Breathing. Grinning.

From below, the gathered spectators erupted into cheers.

The bastioneers, the Heavenly Maids, even the Duolos vessels watched with absolute captivation.

A clash of otherworldly logic versus madness.

Precision versus improvisation.