UBM 162

 Chapter 162

**The Infinite Bacteriomancer,

#Treatment(4)

It was a tiny, tiny island where a single hut barely stood.

Such an island floated atop a sea of ink-darkness that had swallowed even the moonlight.

It was there that light bent and was drawn in.

Following the light, I arrived before the hut on the island and knocked on the door. From inside, a young man’s voice came through.

“Come in.”

The archaic manner of speech, so at odds with the voice, was translated and reached my ears.

*Creeeak.*

Frowning at the sound of hinges shrieking a rusted, withered scream, I opened the door—and inside, a handsome man who had been fiddling this way and that with the light emanating from my luminescent bacteria spoke to me.

“You are not one of those who overcome adversity and reach for the stars, I see.”

“…Who are you?”

“There are such humans, from time to time. Ones who try to explore lands not yet permitted.”

If he meant the land beyond the Atlantic—

“The American continent?”

“In the distant future, that is the name foreseen for that land. You have either seen the future or come from it. But I cannot read in the slightest what manner of being you are.”

What’s with this guy?

Anyway, the American continent… Don’t tell me…

“Are you the one blocking the route to the New World?”

“Not at all. I am saving them.”

“Excuse me?”

“You are a being who can produce light even in this abyss. I will show you—follow me.”

Before I knew it, I was flying up after him.

And there, in a distant darkness where even light could not reach, he said to me out of the blue:

“Light.”

“Ah, yes.”

With a peculiar feeling, I focused mana into my luminescent bacteria and emitted light.

The man took that light whole and shone it beyond the abyss.

The moment I saw it, I could not help but start.

“…Water.”

Like a severed cliff.

The sight of seawater pouring down as an infinite waterfall.

That was practically…

It was just like the flat Earth the ancients had envisioned.

“The power of belief is truly tremendous. Their faith created a barrier such as this. But humans, foolish as they may seem, are sometimes recklessly brave. Some steer their ships all the way here at the risk of their lives, and some fly toward the sun.”

And then—

Pointing at my back, he smiled brightly.

“You carry the keepsake of a reckless one who flew to me.”

“…Icarus.”

The human who flew toward the sun and fell when the wax melted.

If so, then this man—

“You truly are Hyperion. The sun… no, the god of ‘radiance’ who surpasses even that.”

“There was a time I held such divinity. Now I am merely the savior of the shipwrecked. If you are not shipwrecked, then just go back.”

“I heard that you were ostracized even among the Titans, surrendered your divinity to Helios, and were imprisoned here.”

“…Can you not understand what you are told?”

“But I also heard you cherished humans so much that you were the first to bestow radiance upon them. That you bestowed radiance in the age of darkness.”

At my words, Hyperion gave a slightly mocking snort.

“Having obtained radiance as divinity does not mean I bestowed light upon them. Light existed from the beginning; I merely obtained the means to handle that light.”

“I know.”

“…What?”

I do not take mythological tales literally, word for word.

“The story of bestowing light in the darkness can also mean bestowing letters and civilization upon humans who had not yet achieved civilization.”

Prehistory, in the ordinary sense.

The prehistoric age is sometimes seen as an age of darkness.

In other words, Hyperion is the god who bestowed civilization upon humanity.

Myths are full of such metaphorical expressions, and having studied hard, the connections came naturally.

“Am I wrong?”

“…It is merely a tale from very long ago.”

No, he was not.

He still…

“Are you not sending a hymn toward the humans who press forward through adversity?”

Even in imprisonment, he is a god who looks down with compassion upon those advancing across the far dark sea.

“No Titan, no god, would think of humanity as much as you do.”

“*Sigh*… Let us say that is so. And so, what is it you want?”

“Please save the humans.”

“…Do you not think that if I had such power left, I would be doing this here?”

“I will restore your power.”

“With that firefly?”

Glancing at my luminescent bacteria, Hyperion sneered.

“I will return the sun to you.”

“Helios is a fool, but… he is empty-headed anyway.”

“I know. The one who currently holds most of the sun’s divinity is someone else.”

“You… are serious?”

“Yes. In any case, with the current sun god, I have already driven him into a corner once. If the Sea God had not lent support, it would have been settled there.”

Hyperion, who had listened silently to my words, let out a hollow laugh.

“I do not know why your nonsense sounds true to me.”

“Because it is the truth.”

After a moment of deliberation, Hyperion slowly opened his mouth.

“You may not know this—no, no god knows this—but I can distinguish words by light. In truthful words I see radiance; conversely, if one speaks falsehood, only darkness is visible.”

“Is that so?”

“In my younger brother’s words, when he said we should share power and be together forever, the only thing visible was darkness.”

If Hyperion’s younger brother, then—

“Cronus.”

Cronus, god of agriculture, or of time.

Leader of the Titans and ruler of the previous age.

And father of Zeus and the other chief Olympian gods.

So Hyperion had seen through his lie and had no intention of cooperating from the start.

“However, what I see in you is unmistakable light.”

“Naturally. Why would I come all this way and lie to gain anything?”

“That is also true.”

“At any rate, if only you regain the sun’s divinity… there is no being in this world who could use it better than you.”

Even that Apollo is nothing but a novice compared to the primordial god of radiance.

If this fellow would just join in…

“I am sorry, but I cannot leave this place.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Could you emit just a very tiny bit of light?”

At his request, I manifested light with my luminescent bacteria at minimum output. He took that light and shone it lightly on his own skin.

“Huh?”

Astonishingly, even though the light that touched him was no more than a single firefly’s worth, the skin where it touched was instantly shriveling.

Like that of an old man.

When I hurriedly withdrew the light, it recovered somewhat, but there was no helping that it remained wrinkled.

“What happened?”

“A curse Cronus placed on me. A curse that makes the god of radiance age when light touches him—is he not a truly insidious one?”

Hyperion smiled bitterly.

But that somehow seemed familiar.

“Could you entrust your body to me for a moment? I think I might be able to cure it.”

“…You can cure it?”

Momentarily dumbfounded, he burst into hollow laughter.

“Seeing no darkness in your words, it seems you truly believe what you are saying…”

“That is correct.”

“Do you know who Cronus is?”

“I know.”

He still sees light in my words, it seems.

After a hearty laugh, Hyperion nodded and spread both arms.

“Do as you please. With that much confidence, I can afford to lend you my body.”

“Good.”

The first thing to do was…

Naturally, the Microscopes.

With the Microscopes, I examined Hyperion’s interior.

It was a body both similar to and different from humans.

Other gods had been similar, but Hyperion was even more peculiar.

There was no such thing as telomeres related to ‘aging.’

No wonder he could live forever.

If scientists found him, their eyes would roll back at the prospect of studying him.

Approaching it magically, it was even more peculiar.

Cellular tissue with such an excellent rate of assimilation with mana that it could almost be called mana itself.

According to Baal chattering beside me, with this level of assimilation, even the greatest fool in the world would become an archmage in a few days and have days to spare.

The bodies of divinities were generally like this, but Hyperion, being close to a primordial divinity, was even more extraordinary.

But this is strange.

He has no telomeres, so why is he aging?

“Why do you look like that?”

“It is nothing.”

First, let me confirm whether my thinking is right.

Deep into every corner of his body.

I sent bacteria to investigate.

As expected, it is not easy to find.

Then…

“May I shine a little light on you for a moment?”

“Not for long. It is quite painful.”

“Of course.”

It is not as though I am a torture specialist.

Very faintly.

When I shone light with the luminescent bacteria—

“Ugh.”

Skin aging in an instant.

In that instant, I confirmed it.

Countless microbial individuals rushing up to the skin surface in an instant.

“This is…”

It’s Sloth.

Though it seemed to have undergone some mutation.

It was certain.

That is a Sloth individual.

And that was not aging.

In an instant, tremendous temporal acceleration occurred locally in the skin, and the skin died as it was because it could not properly receive nutrients.

Because the speed at which nutrients were supplied there was far slower relative to the time flowing through the skin.

No wonder.

Cells that do not age, lacking telomeres, could not possibly grow old.

Then first…

Shall I deal with those Sloth bastards that rose to the surface?

“Gluttony. Eat.”

When I gave the order to Gluttony, they flew toward the Sloth individuals as if they had been waiting.

And then—

Something astonishing happened.

As if time had stopped, the Gluttonies heading for the Sloth could not advance past a certain point and only marked time in place.

“…This will not be easy.”

For now, I retrieved the Gluttonies.

Fortunately, it seemed time control did not exert influence outside a certain radius.

“Is it impossible after all? Do not push yourself.”

Seeing my reaction, Hyperion spoke with a bitter smile.

Why give up already?

I have not even used my trump card.

“I was not going to bring this out until now, but…”

Rummaging.

I took out a function I had not used in a long time.

[Predatory Evolution]

─Description: Devours heterogeneous microorganisms with similar genetic traits and temporarily absorbs those traits. With high probability, causes a mutation with traits more powerful than the original species.

Gluttony’s Predatory Evolution function.

Using that—

“Using Gluttony’s Predatory Evolution.”

If it absorbs an individual with the same ability…

“Devour Sloth and absorb its traits.”

(1) Gluttony [Predatory Evolution State]

─Description: A bacterium that harbors within its body a miracle of unknown origin, far transcending the limits of its species. It is considered a being in which appetite itself is embodied. It devoured Sloth and absorbed new traits. It can use the skill ‘Acceleration.’ It can use the skill ‘Predatory Rejuvenation.’

[Acceleration]

Content: Rapidly accelerates the flow of time for the individual. Accelerated time affects the individual’s lifespan.

[Predatory Rejuvenation]

Content: Through the act of predation, a portion of the individual’s lifespan can be restored. The degree of restoration varies depending on the target of predation.

…I wonder if he can resist even this.