Chapter 208 Pupa Movement
The evening breeze blew the crimson curtains, and the curtains hanging on the ground fluttered like waves. There was no light in the room, and the moonlight penetrated through the special glass skylight, cutting the shadows into white frost.
The marble steps supported the throne deep in the shadows. The red-robed warlock knelt in front of the high-backed chair, his head immersed in the slime of the mind flayer.
Marianna's tentacles stayed on John Kemp's head for only a few minutes. The claws of the mind flayer smoothed the wrinkles on the warlock's clothes, hooked his chin, and let John raise his head and open his eyes.
[The shadow area in your head almost covers the entire cerebral cortex. I can't help you anymore, John. I think no one can ignore your will and see into your thoughts. Your consciousness has merged with the crimson power. ]
"It doesn't matter, Marianna, this is normal."
After merging with the personality of Virtis, John Kemp could feel the transformation of his spirit more and more clearly. The warlock's mind became comfortable. After seeing through the essence of the crimson god, he no longer had any fear of this demon god.
"I just accepted another me."
The mental sorting tonight is over. Mariana's personality makes it difficult for her to treat the night together as a pastime like John, so it is likely that there will be no more late-night visits from the Mind Flayer in the future.
John did not feel very disappointed about this.
The psychic tentacles slowly extended and entangled with the swinging tentacles of the Mind Flayer.
Mariana's eyes lit up red. The Mind Flayer's mental network prompted them to gain far more intense happiness in the brief information exchange than physical contact. This is a more efficient way of communication, and it feels like experiencing each other's life in person.
"Have you repelled Count Smel's troops?" John widened his eyes in surprise. Mariana seized the power of the Blood Zone when the Mind Flayer fleet attacked. If she hadn't told him to go after the snail shell ship, he would have stayed to assist her.
Without the help of the Crimson Warlock, the Dark Elf Swordmaster and the Shapeshifter Druid, only Mariana and the remaining vampires she instigated could rely on. John had never seen the Mind Flayer show his command level, but from the mental network, the sorcerer saw the brave army under the command of Marianna.
"Is it too late for me to kiss your hand now? Lord Baron of Mind." John picked a vampire's honorific for Marianna from those memories and made a joke.
[It's too late to start being afraid of me now. ] The Mind Flayer laughed twice and pushed John's head off his knees.
John dodged Marianna's palm and glanced at the side of the Mind Flayer. A burly gargoyle stood on the side. Its cold rock face had no expression, and its small eyes flashed red. The gargoyle held a square pillow in both hands. In the middle of the pillow, the black egg case that he brought back from the Land of Lies was placed.
Marianna seemed to attach great importance to that thing. After getting it, she kept it with her.
[Care about it? I can teach you how to use it. ] The words of the Mind Flayer came at the right time.
John shook his head. The black egg that was taken away by the mind flayer, cultivated by the mind flayer and performed a blasphemous ritual, gave the sorcerer a strange feeling of alienation after it was taken back. The sorcerer often had an impulse to destroy the black egg, but he restrained himself because of Mariana's needs. John didn't want to touch this thing, let alone leave it with Mariana. However, he respected Mariana's decision. Experience told John that Mariana was always on the right side.
"I don't need it."
The psychic tentacles conveyed the sorcerer's vigilance to the mind flayer, and the mind flayer looked into the sorcerer's eyes and nodded gently.
Mariana talked about another topic.
[Regarding Virtis, I am very sure that Virtis lied to you once. You are not the personality we trained, John, not the two, three, four, and five that Virtis said. Both Nora and I are very sure that John Kemp is the main personality of the Crimson Follower. Maybe you can ask Francis, he must have a deeper understanding of your body sovereignty. 】
Mariana crossed her fingers and continued.
[I have never used the power of the Mind Flayer to transform any consciousness in a way that can be called distorted. This is my principle, and I will not violate my principle for any reason, even if the object is you. ]
[If you were really created by me, you can imagine that I would not let Nora easily become a foster mother. She is a little inadequate in raising and educating, relying entirely on emotions without rules. There is also the free-range custom of druid education, which is the most worthy of criticism. If a consciousness is subordinate to me, I will make more detailed arrangements for him and not allow anyone to interfere. ]
The sorcerer had strange emotions in his heart. This was the first time that Marianna showed dissatisfaction and competitive desire with Nora. Perhaps the Mind Flayer's mental network magnified her inner thoughts, allowing some deeply hidden emotions to finally be noticed by herself.
Marianna seemed to be a little jealous of Nora, a little bit subtle.
John laughed. He immediately changed his mind and tried to calm his inner happiness, not letting the sympathetic Marianna notice his emotions, which felt like he was teasing her.
"So why did Virtis lie to me?"
[You know it in your heart. 】
John was not sure whether his thoughts were exposed or not. Mariana's words sounded like a double entendre.
[Because Virtis is another you, who doesn't want to be inferior to you, even when facing you, he will try to be superior. You always like to use some language means to gain an advantage in communication. This is your characteristic, John. ]
The warlock shrugged.
"Okay, you are right."
They communicated mentally for a while, and when both sides felt satisfied, they disconnected the mental connection. The warlock left the mind flayer's room and returned to his flesh and blood hotel.
The gargoyle squatting on the edge of the building kept watching the warlock's movements with blood-red eyes until he disappeared from sight.
Marianna Dale terminated the magic of vision sharing. She knew that she had exposed her inner heart again. The ability of the mind flayer made John's mind more sensitive. She needed to control her consciousness more accurately to maintain the calm on the surface.
The warlock was changing the subject, but this was what Marianna had been doing.
Hide your feelings, hide your plans, but no matter which side you focus on, the other side will not be able to help but show its head.
Marianna got up from her seat, came to the black egg sheath, and reached out to touch the smooth surface of the black egg.
[It's getting more and more worrying, John.]
[The time is getting closer, we all need to be prepared.]
[If everything goes as planned, then according to Francis's vision, this will be your second life, John.]
A little red light appeared in the center of the dark egg sheath, and the deep red power gathered in the egg sheath, flickering like a heartbeat.