The Cyclops's Gem
The next day. Under a clear blue sky after the rain had cleared.
"It's definitely stronger after the rain."
Somewhere in the high canyon ridges of Monster Island, I muttered while staring at the corpse of yet another thunderbird that had fallen into a puddle of rainwater and mud.
This one was the last thunderbird on the island. As top predators with vast territories, their numbers were pathetically low compared to orcs or goblins.
The ogres and cyclopes must still be holed up in their own territories, annoyed by the thunderbirds that had rampaged during last night's storm.
Thud.
I sat on a rock overlooking the surroundings and slowly scanned the area.
I wasn't scared of an ogre showing up like last time. Today, while hunting thunderbirds weakened from yesterday's storm, I hadn't once shifted into berserk mode.
Compared to a few weeks ago when the ogre had wrecked me, I was several times stronger now. In berserk mode, I'd be several times that again.
No way I could lose.
"Time to prepare to get off this rock."
Before leaving the island, I decided to grab that gem embedded in the cyclops's forehead. I stood up.
Step, step.
Strolling leisurely along the central ridge of Monster Island like it was a walk in the park, I casually raised my fist.
Yesterday, after devouring that perfectly grilled thunderbird meat in berserk mode, lightning mana had coursed through my body.
Lightning Punch.
'...I can feel it.'
It seemed usable only in berserk mode for now, but that was more than enough. I could maintain the state longer than before, and more importantly, I had high hopes that hunting monsters with specific natural attributes might yield similar effects.
This wasn't in the lab journals from the secret research facility, but I didn't dwell on it. Maybe Pauche planned to write it down later, or the journal got lost elsewhere, or it was an unintended side effect.
'Anyway.'
This thing... wasn't it getting too strong? This body, forged brutally for survival, suddenly felt overwhelmingly savage.
A completely rebuilt frame over 2 meters tall, packed denser than before with muscle. Enhanced to the limit with muscle fiber bundles and nerves, it could explode with power beyond peers even without berserk mode—and it could go even further into berserk.
As far as I knew, even among the human weapons known in this world, the number who possessed a body like this could be counted on one hand.
'But the fact that they exist is wild.'
Two came to mind right away. One was the eccentric old man sponsoring the novel's heroine, and the other was a guy who volunteered for kingdom experiments to become the ultimate war machine but fell for the heroine...
'Huh.'
...Come to think of it, both were tangled up with the original protagonist.
I recalled a few descriptions from when those two appeared in The Lady Monopolizes Attention.
Drakan watched silently from afar as the mercenary leader pestered Nadia, stroking his white beard.
It was after that day. The mercenary leader, quite famous around these parts, vanished from the city.
Nadia's carriage, escorted by Number 9, headed to the Empire's academy. Gazing at the scenery outside, she tilted her head.
Something weird? Why was there no one on the road?
A sudden cold sweat broke out.
Those descriptions, once just humorous asides, no longer felt light now that I was stranded on Monster Island, mentioned and then dropped.
Even from the brief physical descriptions, those two were no slouches compared to my current build. They were the crazy types who would actually deal with anyone tangled with the novel's heroine!
'Absolutely, absolutely no involvement.'
Nadia. Repeating the name of The Lady Monopolizes Attention's heroine, I vowed never to cross paths with her after escaping this island.
I'd gotten strong, but this was a world crawling with powerhouses who could shred regions with sword strikes infused with earth-shaking mana.
Take Ivan Hellenger, who would soon come to "subjugate" this island. That bastard could unleash sword winds that made thunderbird blasts look like sneezes. And that wasn't all—his ship would carry dozens of elite magic swordsmen from the Hellenger family.
I couldn't confidently say I'd survive the barrage of magic-infused sword strikes he'd rain down with them.
'And... that woman might come too.'
The monstrous woman who subtly tagged along whenever he went far, due to her long unrequited crush, might be on board.
That possibility was the main reason I'd accelerated my escape plans the moment I deduced it.
This woman was depicted in The Lady Monopolizes Attention as a mage with freakishly explosive wide-area magic.
'The biggest share of this island's explosion might even belong to that crazy bitch...'
By mid-novel, several achievements credited to Ivan Hellenger had foreshadowing linking them to her.
The "Monster Island explosion," barely mentioned after early on even by Ivan, might have been her doing too.
It was plausible. Karina, the sub-heroine crushing on sub-male lead Ivan Hellenger, showed terrifying obsession in the original to push her crush.
I didn't want to be on this island when that madwoman's wide-area magic rained down.
"I'm out by tomorrow."
With my maxed-out eyesight, I judged we had about a day. No trace of ships on the distant horizon.
"The raft... I can just use the one from before and patch it up..."
That was when it happened.
In the heart of Monster Island. Beneath the peaks stabbing like blades around the highest dormant volcano.
From the shadow of the rocks came a roar shaking the earth.
Thud...!
Thud...!
Thud...!
Grinning, I started walking.
As a final gift before leaving this godforsaken island.
Hoping that thing was the rare gem-bearing cyclops.
"...The cyclops's gem."
Mage Karina, lying on the cabin bed, twisted her abundant red hair irritably as she reached her conclusion.
"I'm seriously taking that thing. Otherwise, I'm gonna lose it."
Her face was full of pouty frustration.
In the middle of all this busyness! And who dragged me all the way here?! Not a single thanks! Instead, he acts all smug?!
Ivan Hellenger! Dirty, sneaky bastard!
The more she chewed on being dragged around by her crush, the more irritated Karina got. She shot up from the bed and grabbed the book by her pillow, flipping it open.
She knew from experience that she had to forcibly distract herself or the annoyance would double.
Flip!
Flip!
This book, her excuse for boarding Ivan's ship, at least soothed her foul mood a bit, thankfully.
Borrowed from the magic tower library, it detailed monsters across the continent—habitats, danger levels, and resources obtainable from them.
This was Karina's pretext to casually tell her childhood crush, "I was planning to head to Monster Island anyway."
But among the island's known monsters, few resources were useful to her. Just two: an intact thunderbird corpse and the cyclops's gem.
Honestly, even those were more for her eccentric master holed up in the tower than herself.
"Yeah... Guess I gotta score points with Master at least..."
Her energy suddenly drained.
She'd come this far, but Ivan didn't appreciate it, and there wasn't even some huge immediate reward.
"Might as well if there was a magic tower bounty..."
Like that criminal Pauche.
But of course not. It had been years since the tower issued the bounty on that mad alchemist.
Not even greedy adventurers chasing the reward had found him, so the odds of him being here were zilch. More likely...
Bang!
That was when it happened.
"Ivan?"
"Ah, sorry."
Karina whipped her head toward the suddenly opened cabin door, eyes lighting up—only to see a magic swordsman holding a crystal glass.
"I wanted to bring this to you, Lady."
"Ivan sent you?"
"Haha, no, I just..."
"Get out."
Karina said coldly.
The flustered swordsman asked again.
"Pardon?"
"Didn't you hear? I said get out. Who bursts into a lady's cabin without knocking?"
"S-sorry."
Already drunk—his face redder than usual—he flushed beet red and scurried out.
A chilling remark stabbed his back.
"No decent guys on this damn ship anyway."
Karina's reactions were polar opposites toward those she liked and didn't. Bursting in drunk when it wasn't even Ivan? No way that'd amuse her.
"Can't even close the door, those worthless jerks pissing me off..."
Frowning, she tilted her head to shut the open door—and her eyes widened at the view beyond.
"...Huh?"
The door opened toward the bow. Blue sky beyond.
In other words.
"Wait a sec."
She'd sensed something unnatural in the sky toward distant Monster Island.