"After you recover from your injuries, we will send you back to the Silver Moon Tree Court."
Yila said this as he released the hand of the injured elf girl lying in bed, nodding towards Senata, who was observing the treatment. "We’ll leave her injuries to the flower demons."
Flower demons were close relatives of the little fairies. They typically slept in specific flowers and would only emerge when necessary for treatment... Yes, they were rare doctors among the magic creatures.
After all, given the self-healing abilities of magic creatures, they usually didn’t need doctors.
Yila held his head as he left the room arranged for the elf girl. Ever since the slaughter, his head had been filled with faint voices. What he didn’t know was... his eyes had been alternating between black and crimson.
As he stepped out of the room, he saw Satan Ye talking with Hilena about the situation. Not feeling the need to interject, he shook his head and walked down the corridor of the Demon King City.
Yila needed to find Wolf to help her get acquainted with the Demon King Territory’s environment and arrange future tasks. He also wanted her to try training some apprentices to help the territory start mass-producing magic armor as soon as possible.
As he walked, the voices in Yila’s head became clearer...
Then, in an instant, the chaotic voices vanished, replaced by a faint connection, a highly unusual sensation, as if something had materialized out of thin air.
Yila knew what it was... It was the result of the mutation.
After a governor undergoes mutation, a portion of their mana generates its own consciousness, which then separates from that mana, as if the mana’s owner lived within the governor’s body. This consciousness is permanent.
In other words, a governor’s mind will forever be haunted by a meaningless consciousness belonging to a magic creature they killed, interfering with their combat ability and rationality.
*Over time, they would surely go mad.*
However, for Yila at the moment, it might not be so bad. After all, during his mutation, all the mana owners had a good impression of him.
"Mutation... It’s finally here."
Yila muttered to himself helplessly. He casually connected to the presence in his mind, saying, "Let’s see who’s consciousness has appeared in my head."
[Huh? Lord Yila’s voice?]
Tipcapu’s voice suddenly appeared in Yila’s mind.
Yila nodded knowingly. The mana he had previously harnessed included the Crimson Dragon, succubi, the Blood Clan, and a Headless Knight. It seemed he had mutated the consciousness of one of the succubi.
During that time, he had chosen to abandon one of Hilena’s mana when he had two succubus mana.
"Ah, so it’s Tipcapu... though you’re not the real Tipcapu."
Yila conversed with the Tipcapu in his mind, sensing Tipcapu’s confusion. He said, "I’ll deepen the connection, and you’ll understand... You are an independent consciousness created by your own mana."
[Tipcapu: Hmm? How incredible. I can see what Lord Yila sees and feel the wall you’re touching. Am I inside your body, Lord Yila?]
Yes, this was the sensation of shared awareness. If he loosened the permissions, the consciousness could help control the mana or even the body, though it wouldn’t mean much practically.
[Tipcapu: But what does independent consciousness mean? I am Tipcapu!]
Yila smiled helplessly, preparing to head to the terrace where the real Tipcapu usually stayed. He said, "Once I find your real body, you will understand your situation a bit better... It might be somewhat akin to a clone?"
This scenario did occur occasionally.
Yila remembered a governor’s subordinate who had a similar situation... During the mutation, the mana owner was still alive, and that mana consciousness believed it was the main body.
When the governor actually went to see the mana consciousness’s main body, the consciousness collapsed, refusing to accept it wasn’t real, almost driving the governor into depression.
However, in rare cases of mutation, this situation was infrequent. Usually, the mana’s owner had long since died, leaving behind a hostile consciousness that would oppose the governor.
After all, the mana had typically belonged to enemies the governor had killed on the battlefield, and the consciousness didn’t hold any fond memories of them.
"You might find it hard to accept this, but there’s no other way. From now on, you can only live within my body, and for that, I am truly sorry, Tipcapu’s mana consciousness."
Yila said this as he slowly descended the stairs, intending to find the real Tipcapu.
[Tipcapu: Huh? But... Lord Yila, I’m practicing my punches right now! I must be the real Tipcapu, just connected with your awareness... right?]
[Tipcapu: Or maybe my consciousness has been replaced? But... it doesn’t feel any different! What does this mean?]
Listening to Tipcapu’s confused and self-doubting voice, Yila thought Tipcapu’s mana consciousness was having hallucinations. He apologized awkwardly: "I’m sorry."
"However, if you still doubt it, you can try using your ability to come to me, and you will find you can’t control your own body or do anything at all..."
Yila watched as Tipcapu materialized in front of him through Void Travel, becoming solid from a vague form. He looked puzzled as he and Tipcapu exchanged a confused gaze.
Uh, it must be a coincidence, right? The real Tipcapu just happened to want to find me... That’s all?
[Tipcapu: It’s me... So, what’s going on?]
Watching Tipcapu standing silently in front of him, hearing the Tipcapu in his mind, Yila deepened the connection with Tipcapu’s mana consciousness and mentally issued a command: Raise your right hand?
In response, the Tipcapu in front of Yila raised his right hand.
Tipcapu: "Lord Yila... I’m the one who’s supposed to say ’huh?’ What’s going on? Why are our consciousnesses connected?"
*Wait, why does this mutation seem different from what I remember? Is it because the World Spell Codex around my neck made the symptoms unique?*
Finally, Yila was deeply puzzled.