A day or two had already passed, though to be honest it felt more like two months dragging on endlessly. I hadn't the chance, nor the will, to do much. The vivid hallucinations I'd suffered during my evolution still clung to me like a needy ex, refusing to let me breathe, refusing to let me rest. Their colors, their voices, their weight—lingering, pressing in whenever my mind dared to wander.
"Hey, Cognitus… you said before, to consume the core I'd need a purification skill, right?"
[Affirmative! To reduce risks and the probability of failure during assimilation, you must be able to constantly cleanse the core of its malicious miasma. Otherwise, the magicules could seep into your own being, causing your body to behave erratically and your sense of self to deteriorate—ultimately allowing for the resurrection of Charybdis.]
"Holy yapparoni… alright, fair enough, fairies. But seriously—where the hell am I supposed to find a skill like that? The only thing that comes to mind is that tiara, or crown, from that one OVA… or whatever it was. Honestly, the details are slipping my mind."
[Affirmative. From known knowledge, that artifact would grant the most powerful and effective cleansing effect.]
"Wait—why are you backing that idea? No, you dumbass! You want me skewered into a kebab by a purple-haired loli demon? The hell are you trying to do, get me killed!?"
[Correction. I do not harbor any form of emotional or malicious intent. In fact, your end would also mean my own undoing, so I have every incentive to aid you. I merely stated the crown's effectiveness, not its availability. It is true—obtaining it is a gamble with very high stakes.]
"Yeah? Got any other bright ideas?"
[Affirmative. Multiple paths exist. The simplest would be to consume contaminated water and, through precise manipulation with a water-manipulation skill, separate the impurities from the liquid. This would meet the most basic requirements for purification. However, you currently lack such a skill, though one could be easily acquired. Its effectiveness toward your ultimate goal, however, would be minimal. Alternatively, you could consume a user already possessing a higher-level purification ability, or seek another artifact containing one.]
"…That sounds like way too much effort. Honestly, Cognitus buddy, don't we have an easy way out?"
[Negative.]
"Damn." I visibly sobbed, dragging a hand across my face.
"Guess it's time to commit cannibalism… sounds so wrong, but I kinda have to, no?"
[Negative. Other options do exist. This may simply be a repressed fantasy of yours.]
"…It was a rhetorical question, dumbass AI."