Chapter 68 : Starved Memory

Gula of Gluttony. Few in the Armonia Empire hadn’t heard that name.

If Ira of Wrath was the ancient Sarkas species that had long symbolized fear for humanity, the one that caused the most substantial damage was undoubtedly Gula of Gluttony. As his epithet “Gluttony” implied, Gula—with a stomach capable of digesting anything—awakened every few decades, wrought disaster upon a village, and, after sating his hunger, returned to slumber.

That year, he awoke in a small village in the Luden region, a place the people had already abandoned hope for. Only a handful of villagers and dispatched Spirit Masters remained, desperately defending it, but their efforts seemed futile. Gula devoured humans indiscriminately—children, adults, even those with Osteon components—and consumed the spells fired by the Spirit Masters as well.

Ch. 68 – Starved Memory

When even the Spirit Masters were on the verge of giving up, the tide turned with the arrival of a latecomer. Violet, armed only with his sword and dozens of catalysts, approached a still-living Spirit Master and asked,

“I’ve come from Semal to provide support. What’s the damage situation?”

The Spirit Master, bleeding heavily from his head, shook his head and replied,

“You’re the only one dispatched from Semal…?”

Retreating momentarily from the front line, he clicked his tongue at the sight of the gaunt man with long white hair. That Semal had sent just one person signaled they’d all but given up on suppressing Gula.

“It’s already too late. More than half the Spirit Masters are dead. Facing that monster is madness. You should turn back, too, and not waste your life.”

Despite the warning, Violet drew his sword without hesitation and advanced toward Gula.

“Hey…!”

“Please step aside.”

Taking the forefront, he unleashed every spell at his disposal. His combat talent was fearsome, but against a creature that devoured everything, no amount of magic seemed effective.

…Spells aren’t working…

Realizing magic was useless, Violet ceased chanting and began slashing at Gula. His blade left clear cuts—Gula’s skin wasn’t especially tough compared to other ancient species. Yet its absurd regenerative power rendered defense unnecessary. Sliced flesh healed fully within seconds, and as long as it could digest something as nourishment, it didn’t care what it consumed.

If that were all, it might have been manageable, but Gula possessed an unexpected ability. As Violet’s relentless strikes began to slow its recovery, Gula opened its maw wide and emitted a chilling, high-pitched sound. The surrounding Spirit Masters froze, clutching their ears, then lowered their arms one by one and stood at attention.

Some kind of brainwashing…!

Violet, a dark-type Spirit Master with some resistance to spells, was unaffected, but the others weren’t so fortunate. Non-dark-types either slit their own throats or turned on Violet, charging at him. To survive, he had no choice but to cut them down. He’d never heard of Gula possessing brainwashing abilities, yet what it had just unleashed was unmistakably a dark-type spell.

How can such a cruel monster…

After half a day of combat, only Violet remained on the battlefield. The fallen Spirit Masters’ bodies became Gula’s means of recovery.

For both Gula and Violet, it was the fiercest battle of their lives, lasting three days. To Gula, Violet—who deflected nearly every attack and was immune to brainwashing—was a formidable foe. Eventually, all the Spirit Masters’ corpses vanished into Gula’s stomach, leaving only Gula and Violet alive on the field.

“Grrrr…”

“Wait…!”

As Gula attempted to flee and recover, Violet clung tenaciously, slashing and dragging it back from the ground. This fight wouldn’t end until one of them fell.

Just as Violet yanked Gula from the earth and prepared the finishing blow, his heart pounded loudly. Instinctively, he knew.

…This is my limit.

He’d pushed Gula’s regeneration to its breaking point, but his own human limits had caught up. His overtaxed joints moved only by a miracle, and his body, dehydrated for three days, could barely function. Gula lay before him, panting heavily, yet Violet’s body betrayed him, forcing him to his knees.

He sensed that once Gula recovered, it would use him as sustenance.

[You are strong.]

But the situation veered unexpectedly. Gula, staring at him while gasping, spoke in human language. An unnatural, inhuman voice echoed in Violet’s mind.

“…You have intelligence?”

Over thousands of years of intermittent awakenings, Gula had amassed vast knowledge from what it consumed, surpassing ordinary creatures. Yet this was the first time it had attempted communication with another being.

[Your body has reached its limit, hasn’t it?]

“…”

As Gula said, even if he defeated it, Violet’s broken body wouldn’t survive the return journey. During their exchange, Gula had recovered enough to move, yet oddly, it didn’t devour him. Resigned, Violet spoke in a self-mocking tone.

“…What are you waiting for? Aren’t humans your favorite meal?”

Gula’s large, closed eyes opened, its black pupils vividly reflecting Violet’s form.

[…I’ve changed my mind. It’d be a waste for you to vanish from this world.]

Approaching, Gula met his gaze and said,

[I want your body, human.]

Violet doubted his ears, asking again to confirm.

“…You want my body?”

Born with devastating power, Gula had too little time to wield it.

[For millennia, I’ve watched the world shift countless times. I’ve amassed knowledge and strength, yet I’m awake only a few days every few decades.]

Gula’s hunger wasn’t for sustenance but for time—to live awake and savor the world.

[I need time, and you crave power, don’t you?]

Get lost. What chaos would you unleash in my body?

[Of course, I swear not to meddle in human affairs while in your form. I promise eternal peace instead. I’ll cede control of this body to you.]

Violet’s pupils trembled.

Eternal peace…?

[I’ll borrow your body to live as a human, awake for a full lifetime, while you protect humanity from Sarkas. It’s a simple deal.]

…

Violet hesitated for one reason: his obsession with peace. The Armonia Empire, rife with poverty and Sarkas-induced fear, was unbearable to him, who loathed even petty conflicts.

If he had the power to end it all, Violet would seize it, no matter the cost.

[Curious about my power?]

Gula detailed its abilities. It could wield the powers of what it devoured, though, true to its epithet, those powers faded as it digested them—a cursed, insatiable ability. Having consumed even its kin, Luxuria of Lust, from the same era, Violet, fused with Gula, could wield every form of magic in existence.

[Over the years, I’ve devoured countless beings—including humans—and amassed power. With this, your goals will be within reach.]

Gula saw the intense thirst in Violet’s eyes—a desperate yearning for peace—and pressed further.

Approaching closer, Gula asked,

[Will you accept my offer?]

Violet was the first being Gula had ever admired—or envied.

Drawn by Gula’s desire for a human life, even at the cost of immortality, Violet answered with unprecedented clarity.

…I accept.

It marked the first communication—and pact—between human and Sarkas in history.

[The deal is sealed.]

In the next instant, Gula swallowed him whole.

The two were reborn as one.

Post-fusion, everything went smoothly for Violet. Recognized for single-handedly subduing an ancient species, he swiftly rose to Spirit Master Commander. Gula lived on within him, unnoticed by others. All seemed well until a problem emerged.

“Ugh…!”

After a speech, Violet rushed into a room, locked the door, and vomited blood. He thought it was mere adaptation, but the symptoms worsened. His fingertips blackened, eventually spreading so much that gloves became a necessity.

Gula…!

Calling out in frustration, Gula responded.

[What is it, human?]

What have you done to my body?!

His form was shifting daily, increasingly resembling a Sarkas.

[Why the anger? Did you think a human body could wield such power unscathed?]

Gula’s unpleasant laughter mocked him, then whispered,

[There’s one way to stay human.]

It required consuming soul stones from humans or Osteons—items only obtainable through death, far from normal means.

You bastard… You planned this from the start…

Gula replied casually to Violet’s gritted teeth.

[Why act surprised now? I assumed you’d anticipated this.]

There must be a peaceful way…

Initially, battlefield soul stones from fallen Spirit Masters sufficed. But as time passed, his body demanded more.

Damn it, why…

Now, only potent soul stones had any effect, and their impact dwindled. Unable to keep up, one of Violet’s arms turned fully black.

[Adapt, and living as a Sarkas won’t be so bad.]

Gula’s mocking laughter taunted the despairing Violet.

Soul stones… I need more…

His mind turned to a place teeming with vibrant Spirit Masters.

The Academy…!

There, inexperienced Spirit Masters gathered. A disappearance could be dismissed as an accident, and even without direct harm, dangerous missions could yield soul stones from the fallen.

It’s not cowardly… They’re sacrificing a little for the empire’s peace…

By then, Violet’s personality was warping. Leveraging his status, he became academy headmaster, deliberately sending Spirit Masters on lethal missions to harvest their soul stones.

He thought he’d managed the crisis, but Gula’s curse wasn’t so easily overcome. His body, saturated with soul stones, no longer reverted even with vast quantities.

This can’t be… Why…?

Having consumed next month’s supply, the blackening at his fingertips only slowed, never receding. Desperate, he realized what he needed.

A stronger, darker soul…

He required a soul stone from a Spirit Master of his caliber—proof of exceptional potential. Then, Yuri Freesia joined that year’s manifestation ceremony, her unprecedented soul stone undeniably top-tier.

[You’d kill your own student as headmaster? Even I find that twisted.]

Gula’s mocking laughter fell on deaf ears. Violet’s mind fixated solely on killing Yuri and claiming her unparalleled soul stone.

Wait—I don’t need to do it myself.

Killing her personally was risky and unnecessary with his power.

He needed a pawn—someone obedient, close to Yuri. His thoughts turned to the monastery children he’d adopted.

Behind the abbot stood a girl with curly brown bobbed hair, poised demurely. Smiling with satisfaction, Violet asked,

“Is that her? The child who wants to be a Spirit Master?”

The abbot replied awkwardly,

“Yes… I don’t know what to say. It’s just her stubbornness, yet you’re offering support from admission to graduation…”

Carne, legally Violet’s adopted daughter, was meeting him privately for the first time.

“Come closer.”

Beckoning her near, Violet whispered so only she could hear,

“From now on, your name is Carne Eckermann. Forget the monastery and those who raised you.”

As Carne Eckermann, adopted daughter of the fictitious Eckermann family, she was perfect for Violet.

He implanted brainwashing to target Yuri Freesia during her sleep, and as instructed, Carne seamlessly joined Yuri’s team.

Yet she never killed Yuri.

Per the plan, Carne should’ve struck just before Invidia’s hatching, when Yuri’s soul stone was ripest from training. But observing events, Violet’s—or rather, their—intentions shifted.

After the ball, Violet knew Carne’s brainwashing had broken, yet he ceased using her against Yuri.

[The plan has changed.]

Gula, nearly fully fused with Violet’s mind, had other ideas.

[‘We’ will move to a stronger host.]

Violet’s body was a hollow shell. Even Yuri’s soul stone would only delay its decay.

Thus, the entity—Gula and Violet’s blended consciousness—decided:

Let’s claim a better body and savor eternal life.

Cled longed to flee but couldn’t. Frozen, unable even to blink, he listened.

“…Whew. I feel lighter after confessing. By the way, you nearly died to Gula back then, didn’t you?”

Violet stood, licking Cled’s eyeballs. Immobilized, Cled endured the revolting sensation unfiltered.

“Your soul is utter trash—not worth keeping. But killing you now would stir trouble at the academy.”

With a refreshed smile, Violet’s excited expression twisted upward.

“Stay quietly in the basement until the transfer’s done. A month there, and you might find it cozy.”

He planned to jail Cled, claiming drunken insolence as a flimsy excuse. Eyes shadowed black, Violet added,

“Look forward to it. The reborn ‘we’ will come greet you.”