Mythos Of Narcissus: Reborn As An NPC In A Horror VRMMO

The spire, no longer a chaotic labyrinth of shifting floors and reality-defying passages, was slowly coming under my command.

I had spent the last several minutes pouring my focus into its nexus, dismantling its once-confounding configurations.

Now, instead of endless, nonsensical loops or incomprehensible pathways, the structure was beginning to take on an orderly logic.

It should be to me, but I still need to make sure that it was understandable enough for someone like Lupina to not get lost.

And so I poured every bits of my brain cells, just like how I made the Warpiece Drone and ended up frying my brain.

Regardless, it wasn't entirely possible to make this weird place to be more than alien and confusing.

The once-turbulent layout adjusted to form more recognizable patterns, each floor stabilizing into a comprehensible sequence.

Corridors straightened, rooms returned to fixed positions, and the spire as a whole ceased its chaotic gyrations that had no reason to exist to begin with, but to mess with those who dared to challenge the sky-piercing spire of ancient knowledge and nonsense.

Just seeing how it used to be originally made me get angry at myself.

It was so baffling, that I understood how the concept of surrealism works.

But that was before I renovated this whole place.

What was once an impossible maze now felt like a massive fortress—alien and imposing, yes, but something that could still be navigated with precision and common sense.

Of course, the total hijacking of the spire didn't only come with an admin access to the structure rearrangement.

The spire's defenses, too, were mine.

The constructs that had poured in earlier to stop Lupina's transfer now stood inert, their programming overridden by my presence within the psychic network. And not only the one that was currently active, but every single one of them.

I could feel their dormant awareness, waiting for my commands like an army awaiting orders from its general.

Defensive turrets, automated traps, surveillance systems, defensive biomes, hyperreal conduit, nanoforges—all of it now should fell under my influence.

Looking at this in a bigger picture, this wasn't just a spire anymore; it was an entire complex of Theotech facilities, ripe for exploration and looting.

And of course, new toys to play with, hehe.

Satisfied with the realignment, I retracted my spiritual projection from the nexus.

The whole process had been more taxing than I'd expected, leaving my thoughts heavy, especially with the lingering presence of the divine figure I had encountered.

Even as I returned to my physical body aboard the Landship, the meadow of crystal flowers and the cryptic words of that faceless entity remained vivid in my mind.

"Are you okay, father?"

"For now, I'm alright. It's just the usual fatigue from overexerting myself." I put on a wide smile. "Thank you for worrying me.'

"Don't need to thank me!" Charis exclaimed with a flustered face. "Your health in both mind and body will always be my priority!"

"Sounds like what a personal doctor would say."

I pushed the thoughts about this divine Theotech figure aside for now.

There were more immediate concerns to address.

With a deliberate motion, I tore through the very fabric of reality, opening a portal to the location where the expedition team was working.

The air hummed with tension as the tear expanded, revealing the scene on the other side.

I stepped through, finding myself amidst the chaos of the transfer process.

Kuzunoha stood by the stabilizing device, her crimson eyes narrowed in intense focus as her hands deftly manipulated the glowing projection of glyphs hovering before her.

The device itself glowed with an unsettling vibrancy, a testament to the sheer complexity of what she was attempting. The restrained Theotech Vessel, bound and immobilized for Lupina's transfer, seemed to still pulsing with life, despite the original claim that it was nothing but a husk with nothing inside it.

Its form flickering with alien energies that resisted being overtaken.

Definitely not the sign of an empty husk, I must say.

"How's it going?" I asked, my voice cutting through the hum of activity.

Kuzunoha didn't bother looking up, her tone carrying her trademark haughtiness. "As expected, this is the only vessel capable of containing Lupina's soul and consciousness. As for the progress, the Theotech Vessel isn't just any vessel—it's the pinnacle of Carcosa's forgotten ingenuity. Naturally, it's taking longer, especially since there is more intricacy within it than what meets the eye~"

I said, suppressing a smirk. "Just making sure everything's under control."

"It is," she replied tersely, before adding with a faint smirk of her own, "Though it's amusing to think you doubted me, even for a second."

"I never doubted you," I said with a smile. "I always get suspicious of you."

"How cruel of you~"

Verina, standing nearby with her crystalline musket resting on her shoulder, broke her usual stoic silence with a deadpan observation. "Lupina, with all that power, I'm afraid that she is going to either get drunk on it or start taking shots at all of us just to prove she's worth something."

Kuzunoha snorted softly, her hands still moving across the glyphic projection. "Oh, I wouldn't put it past her. Lupina has a flair for the comedical dramatic. But as much as she might resent me or even you, Verina, she won't rebel against Narcissus."

"That doesn't sound reassuring," Verina replied flatly. She turned her gaze toward the restrained form of the Theotech Vessel, now flickering more intensely as the transfer neared its climax. "She'll probably just use all that power to monopolize Narcissus' attention. If anything, we'll be her targets."

"Indeed. She might start to get the idea that she has a complete chance at winning this race~"

The idea seemed to strike a nerve in both of them, because within moments, I noticed a distinct change in their posture.

Verina's normally unreadable expression hardened, while Kuzunoha's smirk took on a sharper edge.

Both of them locked their eyes on the glowing stabilizing device where Lupina's headless consciousness was being transferred into her new body. Experience exclusive tales on empire

Then, without a word, the two of them surged forward as if to intervene the transferring proccess, their movements surprisingly coordinated for once. Kuzunoha reached for the stabilizing device while Verina aimed her musket—not to fire, but clearly with the intention of causing just enough disruption to delay the transfer.

Before they could get far, Viviane intervened. With a burst of her fae magic, she conjured a barrier around the stabilizing device, its shimmering surface acting as an impenetrable shield.

"Will you two stop being children??" she snapped, her voice ringing with exasperation.

Kuzunoha raised an eyebrow, her smirk unbroken. "Children? We were simply ensuring the process was stable. Surely you wouldn't want anything to go wrong, Viviane."

Verina, meanwhile, simply lowered her musket, as if nothing had happened. "You could say we were… preemptively resolving a future issue," she said, her tone so flat that it was impossible to tell if she was serious or sarcastic. "You know, fixing some anomaly to ensure that the transfer process is running smoothly."

"Both of your words betray your actions!"

Charis, who had been observing the commotion with wide eyes, tugged at my sleeve. "Father, do you think I should step in? Lupina might not survive if they keep acting like this."

I placed a reassuring hand on her head. "They're just teasing Viviane. Lupina will be fine."

Charis tilted her head, her silver hair catching the light. "They really enjoy making everyone around them panic, don't they?"

I chuckled. "It's how they entertain themselves."

If they really want to stop the process, I would have interfered otherwise.

But Viviane didn't know that, hence why she became the prime target of their bullying this time around.

I'm just glad that I was no longer the punching bag anymore.

The tension eased as the transfer process reached its final stages. The glowing light surrounding the stabilizing device intensified, and the restrained Theotech Vessel began to take on a more defined and stable form.

Finally, with a surge of energy that sent a ripple through the room, the transfer was complete.

Lupina, now fully integrated into the Theotech Vessel, took her first shaky steps forward.

"It hurts," she muttered, clutching her head. "Everything… hurts."

Charis was the first to approach, her small hands gently guiding Lupina into a seated position. "It's okay," she said softly. "It's over now. You're safe."

Lupina looked up at Charis, and then everyone around her, who bore the same relieved expression.

"Congratulation!" Charis happily commended. "You're no longer a disembodied head!"

Lupina's azure glowing eyes filled with tears. "I… I finally have a body," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I'm not useless anymore. I'm not just… a head…"

She broke down completely, sobbing into Charis' shoulder. Her rock-textured wings and two-meters tall figure towered my daughter, but Charis held her tightly, her expression calm and mature as she whispered words of reassurance.

"You were never useless, Lupina. You've always been part of the bastion. This just means you can do even more now."

"Huwaaaaaa! I'm no longer the dumb-looking head of a consul!"

Wasn't that the title that you claim yourself?

The room fell silent as the rest of us watched the scene unfold. Even Kuzunoha and Verina, who had been moments away from jokingly sabotaging the transfer, seemed subdued by Lupina's raw emotions.

Because their eyes were now gleaming with something else.

"Hehehe, a Theotech Vessel capable of morphing into a psychic form~" Kuzunoha was trying so hard to hide her devilish expression. "Oh, I wonder what kind of experiment that I can conduct later~"

"It's been a while since I sparred with Lupina, now that I think about it." Eve Verina loses her deadpan expression, as she puts on a scary smirk alongside her sadistic glare. "Thing will get very interesting from now on.'

The bastioneers and Heavenly Maids around us weren't that surprised anymore.

"Huee.. Charis…" Lupina was still bawling her eyes out as Charis was comforting her, but he wings were shivering and her tail stopped wagging. "Why do I feel extremely cold goosebumps…? Is this what having a body feels like?"

"No," Charis was unsure on how to comfort her on that one. "I don't think that one is normal. We should give you a follow up check-up later."

Eventually, the expedition team began to split into two groups.

Kuzunoha led one of the groups to continue exploring the spire, their goal now to harvest the remaining Theotechs and map out the various facilities. With the spire under my control, their task would be far more manageable.

The second group, including Charis and Lupina, prepared to return to the Landship. The Duolos, were also tasked to assimilate the remaining Vandasisimos into their ranks, while also helping everyone to ensure the stabilization of the situation back at the bastion.