Theus stared straight at Chloe. His orange-red eyes were as deep as a bottomless abyss. He gently tightened his grip, intending to say something more, only to discover in surprise that the "Chloe" he was holding suddenly deflated.
This... seemed to be her Transcendence ability?
Before Theus could react, the girl's clear voice rang out beside his ear. "Well? What do you think?"
"What do you mean, what do I think?" Theus held Chloe's duplicate, frowning as he was about to say something when a thought suddenly struck him.
The duplicate in his hand was as light as a balloon, yet no matter how he tugged at it, there was no sign of it tearing.
"I mean this outer layer—more precisely, [Cocoon]. What do you think?" Chloe clasped her hands behind her back and slowly paced beside the table. "It's light, tough, waterproof, and fireproof. More importantly, I can shape it however I want. I thought it over, and nothing seems more suitable for making an airship."
Theus looked down at the [Cocoon] in his hand, then back up at Chloe, and said somewhat helplessly, "So that's what you meant... Fine. I misunderstood you."
A teasing glint appeared in Chloe's eyes. "Am I not allowed to lack humanity?"
"Of course not." Theus answered without hesitation. "I know you're a Transcendent, and all Transcendents suffer some degree of distortion. Apart from your appearance, you barely even share the same structure as a human anymore... But before becoming a Transcendent, you were still human, weren't you? Becoming a Transcendent was a decision you made as a human. Are you going to betray your past self?"
"I gave those things up in pursuit of knowledge. Giving up my pursuit of knowledge would be betraying myself."
Theus shook his head. "I heard that before