Chapter 269 Back-To-Back
'This is fine, right?' Mark asked himself as he stared at Elisa. 'I can do this. I can do this... Even though I am a Monster. I can allow myself to... Right?'
The white-scaled Monster turned back around, stared ahead for a bit, raised the Moonlit Feline off his stomach, and let his body fall to the side and onto the ground.
'Things were easier when there was just fighting and Evolving on my mind.'
Mark sighed and,
Tap-
Tap-
'Feels like I'm petting a snake or something. Duh. Of course, it would. Due to the scales and all. Still, so weird...' Elisa thought to herself as her hand moved up and down Mark's skull.
"Uh, do you mind?"
"Not at all." She whispered, and her hand continued moving upon and down his skull. "So your body is... Made by you."
Mark winced every time her hand moved.
He didn't dislike it though. Just wasn't used to it.
"You could say that."
"Isn't that weird?"
"No, it's great. I get to control my body however I want. Only reason I made it out of the Dungeon. Only reason I made it till here really."
"Yes but... I don't know. Your body is supposed to be... Something you're born with. Something you can't really change."
"Says who?"
"Uh... The world?"
"Seems like the world disagrees." Mark said as he tapped the spot on his skull where the horns used to be.
"Seems like it. Mmm... Pretty corrupt, if you ask me."
"I didn't ask." Elisa tapped his skull, which made his eyebrow twitch. "Think it has to do with Corruption?"
"Of course it does." Her tone made it clear that she thought she was answering the simplest question ever posed.
"I could... Do this way before I could use Corruption Magic."
"So?"
"So it's all circumstantial."
"Wow. Big word from the Monster." Elisa whispered as she chuckled.
"If I hadn't... Devoured certain things, or made certain choices, I wouldn't look this way. And I wouldn't be able to use Corruption Magic."
"You really think that?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"
"I don't know. I'm just... Talking."
"Seems like you think differently."
"I do."
"Feel free to share."
"Well..." Elisa pulled her hand off his head, pushed herself up, and sat with her legs to the side. "Corruption Magic is the one you can "Define use best."
use best, right?"
"Define use best."
"You're obviously just trying to argue the contrary." She sighed, before continuing. "It's the one you can use... The most freely."
"Just as freely as I can use Fire Magic." Mark remained lying on his side.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Don't you use a different Skill before Manipulating the Fire? The Fire produced by that Skill?"
Mark clicked his tongue.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean-"
"Corruption Magic is probably the Magic Type with which you have the highest Affinity."
The white-scaled Monster did try to argue the contrary. It really couldn't find a good way to counter though.
"Maybe."
"So it's more like once you were able to actually use Magic properly, you developed Corruption Magic."
"No, it's not."
"They say Magic Affinity has more to do with the Soul than the Body. Now... You are kind of an exception to that but... Okay. Are there Magic Types that you can use more freely than others?"
"Yeah. Fire and... Corruption Magic."
"There you go. Any you can't use? Or... That you can barely use?"
"Yeah. Water Magic and... I guess Wind Magic too."
"Wow."
"What?"
"We're total opposites then. I also thought I could learn Water Magic."
"Mm. Why didn't you then?"
Elisa scratched her head for a bit as she pressed her lips together.
"Never got around to it, I guess."
"Cause there was so much to do, right?" The sarcastic tone did make one of Elisa's eyebrows rise.
"Right." She let her body fall back to the ground. "After being trapped in a Dungeon with my people, I should've taken the time to learn Water Magic."
Mark could tell that she had turned back around to face the other way.
"I was trapped in a Dungeon and I still took the time to learn stuff."
"You're lucky I don't get angry easily."
The white-scaled Monster scratched its head.
"And I'm glad you don't."
"You should be."
"I am."
"Good."
Mark couldn't help but let out a chuckle, and so did she.
"So I'm trying to have a conversation that could help you and you just want to... I don't know what you want."
"It does help."
Elisa smirked as she stared at the tree ahead.
"So you admit that you need a teacher."
"I admit that I need information sometimes."
"So I am your teacher."
"I wouldn't go that far."
"I don't see a reason why you wouldn't go that far. An Elven Princess is teaching you things. You should be grateful.
"A capricious Princess."
"A Princess nonetheless."
-That's what you say- is what Mark wanted to say sarcastically, but didn't.
"It does help, thanks." He said seriously.
Elisa remained silent for a bit.
"Sooo..." She stretched her arms forward. "Can you grow arms?"
"I... Haven't tried doing that."
"A third eye?"
"Haven't... Tried that either."
"Your face looks scary, you know?"
Mark rolled his eyes.
'Of course, that's where she's going...'
"I know."
"And... You made it this way?"
"I did."
"Why?"
"I'd rather not talk about-"
"I want to talk about it."
"Good night."
"No, not good night."
"You're being capricious again, Princess."
"And that's my right, as a Princess."
Mark winced.
"I..." Elisa sighed. "I just want to talk is all."
The white-scaled Monster remained silent for a bit.
"My face does look scary."
"So you agree."
"Of course I do."
"And you can change it."
"I can."
"So why don't you?"
"Because..." Mark's gaze went to the ground. He stared silently for a bit, at a loss for words. "I'm a Monster. My face has to look scary. That's the whole point."
Elisa suddenly turned around, and, with a perplexed expression on her face, she stared at the Monster's back.
"Is that what you think?"
"It is."
A second later,
"I told you already, I've had bad experiences with women creeping up on me." Mark muttered as Elisa stared at him from above.
On her hands and knees, she extended her neck forward to get a good look at his face.
I'm a Monster-
It has to look scary-
That's the whole point-
And for a second, he didn't seem scary at all.
"You're just deciding to be ugly for no reason." Elisa teased with a smile.
"And that's my right, as a Monster."
