My Split Soul -Take Over - Isekai Elf Ariel Chapter 1 (Patreon)

I was kicked out of the guild. To be precise, I was "strongly advised to voluntarily withdraw," but in practical terms, it was the same as being expelled. As I packed my bags and left the inn, not a single one of my supposed comrades came to see me off. Well, it made sense. During a monster subjugation mission, my mistake in judgment caused one of my teammates to suffer severe injuries. If only I had retreated immediately back then… No, it's too late for regrets now.

"…What should I do next?"

Muttering to myself in the alleyway, I adjusted the straps on my worn-out bag. At the very least, I needed to stock up on supplies before leaving town. But I barely had any money left. Who'd hire an expelled adventurer anyway?

"Hey, you there."

I jumped at the sudden voice. A stocky man beckoned from the deeper part of the alley. Shady as he seemed, I didn't have the luxury of choice right now.

"Got my hands on something rare… Figured an adventurer like you might be interested."

What he held out was an ancient metal case with unfamiliar engravings on the lid. Clearly an ancient artifact. Why would something like this be in a back alley…?

"How much?"

"Nah, don't need money. Just…"

His eyes gleamed unnervingly. Tilting his head, he whispered,

"Instead, I want you to help me with a little 'experiment.' Nothing major. Just open the box and touch what's inside."

The stench of danger was thick in the air. But… what did I even have to lose now? No, but… As I hesitated, the man sighed in exasperation.

"C'mon, hurry up. An opportunity like this won't come again."

"F-fine… I'll do it."

The moment I decided, a chill ran down my spine. Regret flashed through my mind, but it was too late. The man grinned slyly as he opened the lid, revealing a waft of pale purple smoke.

"Go on, touch it."

The instant my trembling fingers made contact—

"Guh—?!"

A shock jolted through me like lightning, turning my vision white. My knees buckled violently. Something… something was invading me…!

"Heh, looks like it worked."

The man's voice grew distant. Half-conscious, one certainty surfaced— I'd just messed with something far beyond my reckoning.

When I woke up, I was collapsed in the alley. That smoke… what was it? My head felt fuzzy. My body weighed heavily. Had I dreamed it? Yet an uneasy discomfort clung to my core.

"…………"

The moment I tried to stand, something spilled out from my right hand.

"Wha—… huh?"

A white mist-like substance seeped softly from my palm. My fingertips looked faint, as if my body itself were turning into smoke. But touching it, I felt nothing. I could move it at will—yet, what the hell even was this?

"Disappear… Go away…?"

I frantically shook my hand, but the white haze didn't vanish. If anything, the more I focused, the more tangible it became. Like a ghostly arm—though lacking weight or temperature—it was something else, wholly separate from my limbs.

"…Is this magic…?"

Trembling, I pointed my hand at the wall—extending the mist slowly toward it.

——And then, I froze.

The white haze passed through untouched.

"Wh—what the…?"

No way. Stretching further, I could feel a trash bin beyond where I couldn't even see. Though invisible to my eyes, sensations of touch somehow remained precise—like gaining a third, intangible hand.

"What is this…?"

Fear and curiosity clashed. No spell or ability I knew of worked like this. Not magecraft, not Skills—was this a curse?

Testing, I willed the mist to retract—and instantly, absorbing inward it went. Stunned, I fumbled, extending it again—until gradually, something clicked. I could control it.

"…Is anyone… watching?"

Glancing around—deserted. But if others saw this power—what then? Experimenting tempted me, yet terror held me back. How do I use this?

And then—an idea sparked.

"What if… I touched something with it…?"

Say… slipping unseen into someone's pocket—?

I returned to the inn and shut the door behind me. In the dimly lit room, I conjured the white mist again in my palm. I had to test its limits—properly.

"…Let's see through the wall first."

Directing my split soul toward the wall, my vision blurred—until the room next door came into vague focus. A lone man sat on his bed, drinking. As if my own eyes had phased through solid plaster, I could scrutinize every corner of his space.

"Holy shit…"

Thrilled, I stretched my split soul further. Another room: two men playing cards. Next to them, someone reading alone. But every damn occupant male.

"…Where are the girls?"

Hope swelling, I pushed further—only to find drunks singing, merchants sorting goods, an old man snoring.

"Tch. Nothing but guys."

Retracting my split soul, I slumped back. Maybe I should've prowled the taverns instead. Walking nighttime streets, though? Too risky.

"…Wait. Where do girls gather here?"

The central fountain plaza flashed in my mind—women washing clothes by day. But night? Maybe someone lingered…

"Tomorrow morning, then."

Absorbing my split soul, I lay down. This power could do so much more. Testing it on men had gotten stale.

Tomorrow… I'd find better prey.

The next morning, I hurried toward the town square. Recalling last night’s sensations, nervous excitement prickled my skin—I envisioned extending that white mist, peeking unnoticed at the girls there.

But all that greeted me were passing men, vanishing like mirages.

"Tch. Nobody’s even here."

Silence hung heavy, barren of the lively scene I’d imagined. Frustration gnawed. Even if I had found girls… getting caught spying with this power? Disastrous. And today? Nothing.

"…Gotta find somewhere better for this."

Sweat beaded on my brow as I walked. Funds were dwindling—soon, I wouldn’t even afford the inn. Kicked from the guild yesterday; homeless by tomorrow…

A grim resolution settled. This stagnation would doom me.

"…Screw it. The forest, then."

A dangerous job, maybe suicidal. But what choice remained?

"Pain in the ass… but here goes."

Steeling myself, I trudged past narrow paths into the woods’ murky threshold. Rustling leaves, distant animal cries—an eerie tension permeated the gloom.

And with that, I plunged into the dark depths—ready for whatever awaited.

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