Reborn as a Succubus: Time To Live My Best Life!

Chapter 310 - 310: The Artifact, Part Six

Melisa spread her collection of random items across her bed, examining each one with the intensity of a general planning a decisive battle.

"Okay, so here's what I've got: leather gloves, silk gloves, wool gloves, cotton gloves—"

"Why do you have so many gloves?" Raven asked from her desk, where she was methodically sharpening one of her daggers.

"I don't. I borrowed them from literally everyone I know." Melisa held up a particularly fancy pair with embroidered lace. "These are Isabella's. She said, and I quote, 'I usually only wear these when I want to feel fancy while I'm stroking my dick.'"

Raven's expression didn't change, but she set down her whetstone just a bit more firmly than necessary.

"That's more information than I asked for."

"Yeah, that's kind of the whole problem, isn't it?" Melisa sighed, flopping back on her bed. "Too much information flooding into my brain every time I accidentally brush against someone."

After their late-night trip to retrieve the artifact, Javir had, of course, retreated to her private study at the academy, promising to re

"Well, at least touching you isn't traumatizing. That's more than I can say for most people."

"High praise indeed," Raven deadpanned.

Melisa flopped back onto her bed again.

"I just hope Javir figures this out soon. I cannot live like this."

Raven was quiet for a moment, her head tilted slightly in that way she had when she was considering a problem.

"Have you considered," she said finally, "that the disc might have a specific purpose?"

Melisa propped herself up on her elbows.

"What do you mean?"

"Magical artifacts, especially ancient ones, I would imagine were created for a reason," Raven explained. "They're tools, not toys. If this disc facilitates memory sharing, perhaps it was designed for a particular use case."

"Like what?"

"Information gathering. Training. Possibly even punishment." Raven set aside her dagger. "The point is, if you can determine its intended purpose and fulfill it, it might deactivate on its own."

Melisa sat up fully, her interest piqued.

"Wait... That sounds reasonable, actually. So like... it might have a built-in off switch that triggers when it's completed its job?"

"Essentially, yes."

Melisa chewed her lower lip, considering.

"But we have no idea what that purpose might be. It could be anything."

"True," Raven acknowledged. "But it's a possibility worth exploring."

"Hmm." Melisa laid back down, staring up at the ceiling. "You know, we all felt nothing when we first touched the disc. Me, Jaylin, Javir... nothing happened immediately. But something must have happened, right? Some effect we couldn't feel or see."

"A delayed reaction?" Raven suggested.

"Or something more subtle," Melisa mused. "What if the disc wasn't just transferring memories between people who touched it, but actually... collecting them somehow? Storing them?"

"For what purpose?"

Melisa's mind was racing now, piecing together a theory.

"I don't know, but what if it was designed to preserve memories? Important ones, from important people. Like, like a magical archive that somehow got... activated or corrupted over time."

Raven considered this.

"Possible. But that still doesn't explain why the memory sharing triggers through touch instead of touching the disc."

"Unless you don't want the memories you share to be readily available, right?"

"Ah, so if you wish to share secrets?" Raven asked, nodding. "That makes sense to me. It would also explain why, out of all memories, the ones you saw when you touched others were their sexual memories."

"Those were their 'secrets'!" Melisa got excited. "Though... Then..."

[Why were Raven's memories so mundane?]

She didn't say that though, mainly because she wanted to believe she was on the right track.

"This is a good starting point."

She rolled onto her side, facing Raven.

"I'll tell Javir my theory tomorrow. Maybe it'll help with her research."