Make Dark Fantasy Great Again-Chapter 36: Parasite (1)

An apprentice alchemist sat slumped on a bench. Her research submission for the semester had been rejected outright, not even considered for review.

“Scholarship revoked...promotion suspended...personal lab application denied...”

Her failure echoed in her mind, each thought worse than the last.

“I saw your research paper.”

“...What?”

A figure had approached, speaking without preamble.

“‘An adversarial understanding of black magic from an alchemical perspective’. It was interesting, and challenging...which is precisely why it was rejected.”

“...”

“The mage towers pride themselves on being progressive. But at the same time, they’re more conservative than any other institution. You must never cross the lines they decide.”

“...Master. What do you want with me?”

The figure before her was none other than a master of the Gray Tower—a being far above her station, one who judged and evaluated apprentices like her.

Yet despite the master’s apparent interest, the apprentice reacted indifferently. She could see that the former wanted to preach and warn under the pretext of giving advice, but that would only feel like salt on a fresh wound.

“Let’s just say I feel a sense of kinship.”

“...Kinship?”

Me, the same as you? How on earth are we the same?

The apprentice struggled to hide her displeasure.

“I wanted to approve your research. But, the other masters were vehemently opposed. They claimed it would set a bad precedent, corrupt the tower, and mislead the students.”

“...So, what is it you’re trying to say? Did you come here just to tell me all about how my work was dismissed by the great masters?”

“I told you, I felt a sense of kinship. Truthfully, I went through the same thing you did.”

The apprentice sneered inside, disgusted by how the master was so full of herself.

The same? What could you possibly know about me?

Having no way to hear the apprentice’s thoughts, the master continued to speak out her heart.

“I didn’t know it at the time, but I found out later. When I took the tower entrance exam, there were similar debates at the highest levels. Some opposed my admission, claiming that allowing someone like me in would harm the tower’s future.”

“...Yet here you are now.”

“That’s right. It’s not in the official records, but I learned that someone in that meeting spoke up for me.”

“So basically, you owe your place in the tower to that person. Who were they?”

“I wanted to know too, but I never found out. The tower let me in, but they didn’t fully acknowledge me. They didn’t even record the meeting where I was discussed, so they could always have the option to overturn their decision.”

The apprentice raised her head to meet the master’s gaze.

The master nodded and continued.

“It’s still the same now. Formally, I’m a Master of the tower, but I’m not listed in the tower’s official records. But as you said, I’m here. People don’t acknowledge me, but they can’t deny me either. All of this was possible because I had a chance. A chance to prove myself. And I had that chance because—”

“Because of that unnamed someone who spoke up for you.”

“Right.”

The Master extended her hand to the apprentice.

“I want to give that chance to someone else too.”

“...”

The apprentice lowered her head once more, concealing her true emotions from the master’s gaze. Out of sight, a vile smirk curled her lips—like a predator who had just caught the scent of opportunity.

Apprentice Tulan quickly composed herself, and the hunter vanished in an instant, replaced by the image of an inspired student.

She grasped the master’s outstretched hand.

“I won’t disappoint you, Master Didoa.”

***An adversarial understanding of black magic from an alchemical perspective.

The reason the tower rejected Tulan’s research was obvious—there was no guarantee her work wouldn’t cross forbidden boundaries.

After all, those who dabbled in forbidden powers weren’t always evil from the outset. Even those who began on the righteous path could falter, stray, and ultimately lose their way.

The tower’s judgment was sound. If one had to assign blame, it was Didoa who had made the misguided choice.

Didoa was fully aware her decision wasn’t rational. Yet she made it, letting her emotions take precedence over reason.

Her whole life had been shaped by relentless discrimination as a half-demon. The single most defining moment of her existence was passing the tower’s entrance exam.

That single instance of acknowledgment had transformed her from a despised half-demon into a respected master of the tower. Without it, she might have ended up brewing drugs in some dingy city slum.

Didoa had never lost sight of this truth. It was why she had always dreamed of becoming someone who could extend such an opportunity to another, just as she had once received.

And so, Didoa vowed, no matter what, to be the one who believed in Tulan.

“Stupid wench. A half-demon dares to pity me? Fine. Pity me all you want.”

The opportunity Didoa offered became an unrivaled chance for Tulan.

***A lifetime of discrimination as a half-demon had left Didoa inept when it came to dealing with people.

“Miss Didoa—Oh! I’m sorry. You just feel so approachable...What? I can call you that way when we’re alone? I’m so happy!”

Tulan thoroughly exploited the vulnerabilities Didoa showed her.

“Me, your assistant...? I’ll do my best!”

Didoa granted Tulan authority beyond that of an assistant, and Tulan took full advantage of it.

She interacted with the tower community, freely used the tower’s research materials, and conducted research...all in Didoa’s name.

She filled Didoa’s surroundings with traces of herself.

“Tulan? The chair at my desk seems different.”

“Ah! Yes! I changed it!”

“Why?”

“I sat in it and found it uncomfortable! You know it’s all for your sake, right?”

“...I see.”

At some point, Didoa realized there were more of Tulan’s belongings than her own in her research lab.

“How could you do this to me?”

“Tulan—”

“Forget it! If you don’t allow this, I’ll quit being your assistant.”

“...This is really the last time.”

“Really?! Thank you, Didoa! You’re really all I have!”

Didoa, who was awkward in dealing with people, grew through her relationship with Tulan and realized she had allowed Tulan too much in the name of understanding.

To Tulan, Didoa was nothing more than a tool—neither a confidant, a friend, nor anything of significance.

Didoa tried to mend this, though belatedly. But by the time she recognized the problem, it was already too late.

“Didoa. What’s with that way of speaking to Master Tulan?”

This was the response from the apprentices around Tulan when Didoa approached to talk.

“...Apprentice. What are you saying? Master Tulan? Tulan, care to explain?”

“How dare you, filthy half-demon!”

An apprentice shoved Didoa, catching her so off guard that she couldn’t even react before falling to the ground.

Tulan stood over her, gazing down with cold eyes.

“Didoa. Didn’t I warn you to be more careful when others are around?”

“...Tulan?”

“It seems I’ve been too lenient with you. You’re on probation for a week. Use that time for self-reflection.”

The power of Parasitic Oblivion—a gift from a demon to its follower—activated flawlessly, as all conditions had been met.

***

▶Fate 44: Parasite

***

[Title : wow the Parasite fate story is seriously messed up]

Post : Parasitic Oblivion < isn’t this op af?

its some kind of mass hypnosis app effect

would take a retard to fail conquering the world with this right

: dats why I tried learning it but turns out thats not it...

: If you try it yourself, you’ll see the conditions are super strict, so it’s rarely usable

: might only work on low mobs under lvl 10

[OP] : ? then what about Didoa

[OP] : isn’t she level 45?

: she fell for it BECOZ she Didoa this for real

: mega introvert loser master Didoa Q.Q

: ya the parasitic oblivion effect triggered only because she gave Tulan pretty much everything

[OP] : uh so wut are these conditions?

: you gotta fully equip the target with your items + achieve higher affection with all characters who have active affection with the target

[OP] : I mean I get the first condition lol but is the second one even possible?

: ya well Tulan is social star and Didoa is a total outcast

: imagine the most popular kid in school stealing friends from the biggest loner

[OP] : oh.

***

[Title : So Didoa < what is she even doing?]

Post : Why isn’t she killing Tulan?

Saying if she kills her, things can never go back to normal

: wtf gaslights like some mind magic

: it’s coz Didoa got extremely low resistance to mind magic (acting friendly)

***

[Title : bruh how the fuck do you clear this Parasite fate lmao]

Post : do you just kill Tulan?

: u just gotta do to Tulan exactly what she did to Didoa

[OP] : ?

[OP] : fill Tulan’s lab with Didoa’s shit, and make people like the super loser half-demon Didoa instead of the ultra-popular Tulan?

: yeh

[OP] : is that fuggin even possible?

: with some INSAAAANE!!!!! grinding technically yes

: usually it’s such an INSAAAANE!!!!!!! grind that people just wait for the subquest and do that

[OP] : what’s the subquest?

: catch Didoa who’s fleeing the tower after a shooting spree and make her stand trial at the tower

: god when you see Didoa’s feelings come out in that I felt so fucking sorry for her

: She believed everything would be solved by killing Tulan, but nothing changed and it’s ‘Apprentice’ Didoa who killed ‘Master’ Tulan kek

: after that she goes berserk and kills other apprentices before fleeing the tower, and you have to drag her back for trial

[OP] : yo that’s kinda heavy...

[OP] : and fugging doesn’t that make it impossible to get the ‘Clear All Fates’ achievement?

: Bondalles has plenty more of shitty fates like that anyway lol

: for real, the necromancer and master assassin teaming up was so bullshit

: two region boss-level enemies appearing same time was legendary af lmfao

: for ur sanity, it better to just give up clearing all bondalles fates

***“Risir.”

Meltas cleared his throat as he always did and patted the seat beside him, motioning for Risir to sit.

Risir’s brow furrowed, his expression twisting from instinctive disgust.

“...”

Looking visibly hurt at that, Meltas lowered his voice and began to speak, as though compensating for Risir’s refusal to come closer.

“Risir. Why don’t you reconsider?”

“Could you elaborate?”

“What else? Entrusting the elixir to Didoa.”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“...”

Meltas chewed his lips. It was clear he had plenty to say but no idea how to begin.

The public perception of half-demons was anything but favorable. Known for their relatively greater sensitivity to mana, they were said to harbor an obsessive fixation on it—so extreme that some claimed they would devour their own parents for magical power.

Such prejudices against half-demons were deeply ingrained, and few people were free from them. Meltas was no exception.

He had heard his share of unsavory stories. Rumors circulated that Didoa had been secretly pilfering research materials from the Alchemy Wing. Some even whispered that if not for the protection of her supervising master, Tulan, an audit would have been conducted long ago.

Meltas understood how foolish it was to judge someone solely based on prejudice and hearsay. But he was only human, and no one could completely escape the pull of such influences.

When enough people spoke ill of someone, their words had a way of creating truths out of thin air. And in Meltas’ case, numerous masters and students had offered their share of disparaging comments about Didoa.

Even so, Meltas worked hard to remain neutral as he spoke.

“Come to think of it, I may have spoken vaguely earlier. When I said any skilled alchemist would do, I meant someone on par with Tulan. I think it might be better to seek help from the other masters and—”

Meltas suddenly trailed off, his attention shifting in the same direction as Risir’s.

There stood Didoa, her palms cupped around her ears as if trying to amplify(?) the surrounding sounds.

She was eavesdropping on their conversation...but her awkward posture made it seem more like she was playfully pretending to eavesdrop.

“Didoa. What are you doing?”

“I was curious about what you two were discussing.”

Her perpetually emotionless expression and monotone delivery left her intentions ambiguous, opening the door to all kinds of interpretations.

“...”

Meltas felt embarrassed. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Didoa was mocking his attempt to secretly speak ill of her.

“We were discussing how, given the superior quality of my elixir, it would be best to consume it under optimal conditions.”

Risir perceived Didoa’s behavior as a playful expression of dissatisfaction. He could almost hear her say, “Let me in on it too,” in her characteristic emotionless tone and expression.

“How superior is it? That makes me curious. May I take a look?”

“Here it is.”

Meltas was momentarily stunned as Risir casually handed the elixir to Didoa. He stammered an uneasy “Um” and “Uhh,” but quickly decided to respect Risir’s judgment.

After all, as an assistant to that famous Master Tulan, Didoa wouldn’t dare try anything improper in front of another master.

“Let’s see.”

Instead of taking the elixir, Didoa clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward. Tilting her head slightly, she carefully observed the elixir resting in Risir’s hand.

“That’s an unusual way to examine something. Is that an alchemical technique?”

“No. I thought you might feel uncomfortable if I touched your precious elixir.”

“?”

A sudden sense of empathy washed over Risir.

Is this how people feel when I make jokes about being a bastard?

He didn’t insist on her taking the elixir. Instead, he shifted it in his hand, angling it to make it easier for her to inspect.

“Well, well...”

Didoa let out a soft exclamation after a brief observation. Though her tone and expression remained as neutral as ever, this was her way of expressing surprise.

“Turns out it’s a work of the Gosralta alchemists. As you said, it’s an incredibly high-grade product.”

This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.

“Gosralta...? You can tell just by looking at it?”

Risir inspected the elixir from various angles as Didoa had done. To him, it looked like nothing more than a transparent liquid in an ordinary container.

“Try rubbing the neck of the bottle carefully. You’ll feel a subtle embossing.”

“...Oh, you’re right.”

“That’s Gedratsa.”

“Gedratsa?”

“It’s an arcane technique where Gosralta shamans include the container itself in the alchemical process.”

“Uh...”

“Put simply, even the bottle becomes part of the elixir.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Gedratsa is one of the highest-level reagent methods known. Even with the same ingredients, creating an elixir using Gedratsa enhances its efficacy by at least one level.”

Meltas interjected skeptically.

“A shaman technique can achieve that?”

Didoa straightened up and replied.

“On the contrary, it’s because it’s a shaman technique.”

“Do elaborate.”

“Black magic, necromancy, elementalism, and magic—to shamans, these are all simply different forms of sorcery. In fact, only orthodox mages strive to keep such disciplines strictly separate. These boundaries hold little sway over shamans, allowing them to wield the different forms of power freely.”

Didoa gestured toward the elixir.

“Gedratsa is alchemy reinterpreted as sorcery, with principles of black magic incorporated. It’s a technique that minimizes the inevitable loss of components during the manufacturing process by substituting the creator’s life force.”

“...!”

That’s the true nature of my darling elixir?

Shocked, Risir inspected the elixir again.

Meanwhile, Didoa continued explaining.

“That’s why, despite their high efficacy, elixirs made with Gedratsa struggle to gain full recognition. Because they contain traces of black magic, improper consumption can lead to mana corruption.”

“Then is my elixir safe?”

Risir asked with worry etched on his face.

“I was just about to get to that. In that regard, your elixir is truly top-tier even among the best.”

“What?”

“The chronic flaw of Gedratsa—the lingering aura of black magic—isn’t present in your elixir.”

It just so happened that Risir had been wondering about that very point.

Huh...If it contained black magic, shouldn’t I have noticed something already?

“My guess is that they’ve removed the dark energy through an additional process...I’m amazed. Who knew such a thing was possible? And to actually implement it.”

Risir suddenly recalled the moment he first received the elixir from Master Pamon.

Come to think of it, I think I felt a slight tingling in my hand back then...

“If done incorrectly, not only would the elixir’s power be corrupted, but that corrupted power would flow into the body, wreaking havoc on one’s mana. Only a madman obsessed with alchemy could successfully create something like this.

“As a fellow alchemist, I’m in awe. Do you know anything about the alchemist who made this? If possible, I’d like to meet them and have an exchange of insights.”

“Actually, I might have done it myself.”

Didoa briefly considered Risir’s response, then let out a small snort, awkwardly tugging at the corner of her mouth.

“Interesting. I’m not good with jokes, but I like every one of yours.”

Despite sounding sarcastic, she didn’t mean to be. Didoa was genuinely enjoying herself. However, she wasn’t so much amused by the joke itself as by the fact that Risir was joking with her at all.

Noticing this, Risir posed a question instead of refuting her.

“You seem very knowledgeable in this field, Didoa. That’s why I’m asking—could I request your assistance with consuming the elixir?”

“You mean...You’d like me to analyze its components directly, and offer my opinion?”

“That’s right.”

“Are you sure?”

Risir glanced around the laboratory of the alchemist Tulan. Subtle traces and details caught his attention, fueling his growing conviction. He nodded to himself.

Rather than approaching Tulan, he decided it would be better to rely on Didoa.

“Yes. Please help me.”

“Shouldn’t we ask Master Meltas for his opinion too?”

“If you want my opinion, I’m honestly surprised. Didoa, I had no idea your knowledge was so deep. I can’t understand why Master Tulan spoke so poorly of you.”

“This Master Tulan seems like a strange person.”

“Woah now. What are you saying, Risir?”

“...”

Didoa’s perpetually emotionless expression flickered for a moment. She cautiously called his name.

“Risir...”

But just then, the laboratory door swung open.

In walked Master Tulan, accompanied by her apprentice followers.

“Didoa! You brought guests into the lab without my permiss—Master Meltas!”

Tulan was ready to scold Didoa, but upon seeing Meltas, she quickly shifted into a friendly smile.

“What brings you here without notice?”

“Ah. You see, I was just going to ask for your assistance with consuming an elixir. By the way, didn’t you say you’d be back around sunset today?”

“What? Me?”

“That’s what Didoa told us.”

“...”

Tulan openly displayed discomfort, and that was enough to have an effect. Meltas and the apprentices shot unfriendly glances at Didoa.

Meltas cleared his throat before continuing.

“Actually, we were just about to ask Didoa to assist with consuming an elixir consumption.”

“Assistance from the girl who lied about me being late...So what did Didoa say?”

“Well, she did express a willingness to help.”

“Didoa...”

Tulan’s amiable smile remained, only serving to heighten the tension. The others’ glares at Didoa grew even colder.

“That half-demon wench is embarrassing Master Tulan again...”

One of the apprentices muttered spitefully.

Didoa didn’t know how to react. The first thing she did was check Risir’s response.

“...”

Had he developed antipathy toward her, just as Tulan had intended?

His ever-gentle expression had hardened.

“Ah...”

Didoa lowered her head, feeling as though the last fragile foothold she had was slipping away.

For a while, she had almost felt liberated from this terrible nightmare. Yet now, the man who had allowed her to dream—if only for a moment—was about to become a part of that nightmare.

The anxiety she had briefly forgotten through her encounter with Risir resurfaced, solidifying into an inescapable reality.

I will...never escape this nightmare.

The faint light in Didoa’s emotionless eyes dimmed further, and she began to bitterly incant a certain spell under her breath.

But just then—

“Sir Meltas?”

Risir whispered something into Meltas’ ear.

“...!”

Visibly astonished, Meltas murmured a response.

“Are you certain?”

“Yes. I can swear it on my power.”

“...Very well.”

They exchanged a few more words, and suddenly, the atmosphere in the room shifted dramatically.

***“Meltas...?”

Tulan was taken aback by the sudden hostility from Master Meltas.

“Master Tulan.”

At that moment, a man she had never seen before stepped forward, holding out a bottle to her.

“Can you identify what this is?”

“Isn’t it an elixir? Oh, are you perhaps the owner of the elixir Master Meltas mentioned? I believe it’s our first time meeting. How about we introduce ourselves?”

Tulan responded with a smile, the kind that was impossible not to like.

Risir replied with a nod.

“I’m sorry, but would it be alright if I asked your assistant, Didoa, to help with consuming the elixir?”

“Excuse me?”

Tulan’s friendly expression cracked.