Chapter 106

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Translator: Ryuma

Chapter: 106

Chapter Title: Return (1)

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Mershar couldn't close his mouth at the sight unfolding before his eyes.

"I-is that really a Draconian...?"

A lifeform created from dragon's blood, or so the legends said.

'Master should have seen this.'

What on earth was happening inside that mage's body?

Had he truly obtained the power of dragons that only appeared in myths?

Countless questions flooded his mind.

If he could uncover the secrets behind that power, he might create legendary artifacts or alchemy of equal stature.

'What a shame. I can't wield that power myself!'

It would be a lie to say he wasn't jealous... but after encountering countless ruins, Mershar had learned one truth.

Greed leads to death.

'Still, just witnessing this is satisfying enough. The past few years weren't wasted.'

This sight alone would advance his research by leaps and bounds.

"Time to move."

So, he had to do everything to survive.

His dreamed future required him to live.

He recalled the plan devised with the others and sprang into action.

A few days earlier.

While time remained until Jun's mutation, the group used it to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠finalize their plan.

"It's just a guess, but if your captain succeeds in mutating, the mutants will swarm here en masse."

"Why is that?"

Mershar answered Aiden, who had calmed down somewhat.

"Once mutated, they fall under the Mind Channel's influence."

"You said the final mutation form is the senior's 'scales,' right?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Indeed."

Then Mershar's words made sense.

From the mutants' perspective, their final form had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

They'd naturally flock to confirm it.

'He might even seize the Mind Channel.'

That seemed far-fetched.

It would require fully understanding the Mind Channel crafted by alchemists.

"Won't the senior be in danger?"

"Don't worry about that. Mutants are extremely vulnerable to magic."

Mershar spread out a map as he spoke.

"The path won't be hard. I have the sewer map I procured."

While Jun bought time, they'd move underground through the city.

Back to the present.

Jun felt the mutation's power spreading to his heart.

His mutation accelerated rapidly.

It felt like ill-fitting flesh was forcibly layered over his body.

And then.

"...!"

Something intruded ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠into his mind abruptly.

[Unyielding Will] and [Steadfast Heart] immediately rejected it fiercely.

But Jun quickly soothed the two skills.

He realized what had invaded his mind.

'Mind Channel.'

Entering it revealed a sea of information.

Jun gazed down from the surface.

Knowledge acquired by thousands of mutants flooded in instantly.

"Hah...!"

Dizziness hit him.

The price of facing such a massive info dump suddenly.

Jun closed his eyes and blocked the incoming information.

'Mershar said it's just voices, but...'

This was entirely different from what Mershar described. Likely tied to the final evolution form Mershar mentioned.

'Did I cross the line?'

The 'certain line' Mershar warned about.

Cross it, and no return.

'No. My mind is still intact.'

Soon after affirming that.

Jun felt something else invade his mind.

'This is...?'

An unpleasant yet familiar sensation.

The feeling of unlearned knowledge seeping in.

'The alchemists' knowledge...'

Complex formulas and turbulent history flashed by.

Through it, Jun perfectly grasped the Mind Channel concept the alchemists developed.

'Why is this so easy? Like acquiring a skillbook... Wait. Skillbook?'

Perhaps.

Jun quickly grasped what was happening.

'Final evolution form. Closest to it, and I've gained command of the Mind Channel.'

And this wasn't coincidence.

It was a deliberate device by the alchemists.

So the final evolver would naturally lead them.

'I thought they were fools who abandoned humanity to become monsters.'

No wonder Mershar chased their traces so long—their tech surpassed Jun's imagination.

This was practically an artificial skillbook.

'But using it right now... not enough.'

Named entities still tightly held dominance, unwilling to yield.

At best, he could confuse their command structure...

'But only once. Won't work twice.'

First, escape this info tsunami.

Fortunately, that was easy.

"...Success."

Looking at his hand, rough scales evoking dragons and pointed fingertips appeared.

Cautiously touching his face, everything except the center had mutated.

"Hm."

Changes didn't end there.

"The circle..."

Still unstable, shaking, but no strain on his body.

The mutation had strengthened it.

Wielding mana experimentally.

"...!"

Mana corrupted by purple mist obeyed his will.

'Corrupted mana... but.'

Mana was mana.

Corrupted, yet retaining its essence.

However, corrupted mana couldn't hold anything else. Solely sustaining mutation.

Thus, impossible to form spells with it.

Mana and corruptor fused inseparably.

'Like water mixed with paint.'

Water as mana, paint as corruptor.

Impossible to separate normally.

But not for Jun.

'Can't form spells, but can wield mana. So...'

Utterance release possible.

The circle still creaked.

But no agony like before.

'First, purify ambient mana.'

Releasing utterance sharpened pure mana's essence amid corruption.

Separating water from paint.

Mutant power concentrated corruption in right hand.

[Demon God Body] purified mana to left.

Yet corruption clung stubbornly.

Jun gripped both forces in each hand, twisting and tearing forcibly.

―――――!!!

A silent force wave rippled out.

Jun repeated twice, thrice.

Each time, separated mana exponentially increased.

"Hoo..."

He funneled purified mana into the circle.

Expelling twisted mana, injecting new to spin.

Impossible for normal mages.

Only Jun could handle mana so delicately.

Soon.

"..."

Confirming the circle spun perfectly, Jun began next: separating circle's attribute.

-There are fools who say you don't need imagery for magic. Idiots spouting drivel.

Jun saw his master as a repulsive hypocrite but didn't discard his knowledge.

-Foolish. Half of magic is mana and patterns; the other is imagery—imagination.

Stronger imagery manifests heavier, unshakable magic.

His master, Damian, said so.

Thus, metaphors among mages weren't mere words—they shaped imagery powerfully.

'Magic. Core is the circle.'

Jun long likened the circle—magic's heart—to the sun.

Spinning, absorbing ambient mana.

Like the sun's gravity forming a 'solar system.'

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Even emitting heat energy mirrored expelling absorbed mana.

'So, what to liken circle attributes to?'

Nothing fit.

Instead, Jun granted attributes new 'forms.'

'Planets.'

Orbits circling sun's gravity, sustaining the system.

'Attributes orbit the sun, not merge.'

Eyes closed, Jun focused inward.

Fire attribute embedded in high-speed spinning circle.

Now, detach it.

Expect massive backlash from attribute and circle alike.

Heart tearing, mana rampage inevitable.

But Jun saw this as unique chance.

Now, suppress backlash with [Demon God Body] and mutant body.

The group, bracing for combat to fetch the key, united faster than expected.

Surprisingly, no mutants guarded the mansion's key.

"Looks like they all headed to your captain."

"...Let's hurry."

Aiden's face hardened as he took lead.

Mutants had long since moved toward Jun.

Battle sounds echoed from afar.

Aiden yearned to rush to Jun's battlefield but restrained, dashing down stairs.

"Turn here!"

Mershar, spotting tower map en route, leaped up the massive structure.

"There! That room!"

Mershar pointed to a huge iron door mid-tower.

"It's shut?!"

"Can we break it?"

"Doesn't matter!"

Unlike labs, alchemists left this untrapped.

Aiden unleashed aura in one breath.

Kagagak—!

Aura sliced door like tofu at first, but fierce resistance weakened it.

'Weakening!'

Not enough.

Aiden poured all mana, yet struggled piercing thick door.

"Grh...!"

Anger surged again.

Jun risked life gambling to save them, yet he stalled at this door.

Thoughts fading, something else filling self—

Golden holy power enveloped Aiden.

"Snap out of it! I told you not to use that power!"

Aiden jolted awake at Eleanor's shout, staring at his hands.

Callus-covered palms from endless sword swings were torn, bleeding.

"Ah..."

That power again.

Aiden instinctively knew the power within was dangerous.

But.

"No choice... right?"

Aiden eyed the X-crumbled door.

"Not the time to be picky."

Rarely assertive, Aiden's grim expression silenced Eleanor.

"We'll talk... later."

Aiden nodded hastily.

Mershar's shout broke heavy mood.

"There!"

Dark stairs and doors floated midair.

Doors showed opposite side, not black voids.

Cracked layers failed properly.

Mershar pointed knowingly.

"Good, insert key there."

Eleanor slotted and turned key in pointed mechanism.

Wuuuuung——!!!

Tower shook like collapsing.

Vast power surged pillar to layers.

Black energy seeped, black voids rippled in empty doors.

Then.

Kwaaaaaang——!!

Deafening roar shook tower.

Wall crumbled, revealing outside.

Massive mushroom cloud billowed skyward.

"...Senior."

"Aiden?!"

"I'll go!"

Aiden dashed out before protests.

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Translator: Ryuma

Chapter: 107

Chapter Title: Return (2)

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Ve Leblanc, a named mutant entity, stared gravely one direction.

Most emotions erased, survival-honed, yet she felt 'crisis' from distant threat.

Then, her clan lord 'De Dusante's presence.

"Dusante."

"What happened? Mind Channel command suddenly hijacked."

"You know."

"True ultimate form appeared?"

"Similar, but no. Excluding two dead, none reached ultimate."

"Then... outsider?"

"Suspecting those who killed our two masters."

"..."

Death familiar. Mourning wasteful.

Thus, no grief for longtime allies' demise.

But sudden ultimate shift different.

"Your plan?"

"Observe. Accept if possible. But..."

"Capture if can, kill if not."

"Yes."

Mind Channel hijacked by unknown.

Mutants surged toward epicenter.

Something approached.

Sensing instinctively, Jun lacked time to care.

Heart felt bursting.

Mutant body barely held, tightrope thin.

'Holding for now. But full circle-attribute separation shock...?'

Impossible.

Even mutant heart strained.

Separate now, problems recur.

Mershar's calc wrong.

"..."

[Demon God Body]-infused circle stronger than thought, backlash fiercer.

Can't blame Mershar—he didn't know [Demon God Body].

'Need solution.'

Another way must exist.

-Hard to describe... but feels approaching something. I neared it.

"Gonna become real mutant. Had that gut."

Mershar's advice echoed.

'Advance mutation further here?'

Would heal damage-accumulated heart.

Cross Mershar's line.

'How far mutated?'

Distant gazes.

Some of five clans' nameds arrived, assessing.

Other mutants' presences too.

Proof deeper Mind Channel dive.

'This the line?'

Now pinpointing mutants' positions.

Further, irreversible mutant, no return.

Emotions fade, efficiency obsession.

'But no choice.'

Half-separated already—stop, rampage certain.

True bind, surrounded.

Jun eyed hands.

Devourer from holy site visible.

'Let's try.'

Uncertain success.

Untheorized gamble.

No other survival path.

Jun swept hand, gathering ambient corrupted mana.

Shoved into heart.

Not brute force.

Separate pure mana, accelerate body mutation.

Absurd control, but [Demon God Body] enabled.

"Urp...!"

Info sea swirled.

Process this volume? Emotions exclude, machine-like.

Jun's emotions faded, heart mended proportionally.

All emotions vanishing, crisis to calm—

Skills triggered, hand reached heart barely.

Chwaaaaaap!!

Post-5th layer starved Devourer rampaged like fish to water, devouring corrupted mana.

Chwap...?

First such food? Bewildered, then gulped more.

Vanishing reason returned.

"Hahk, hahk...!"

Close call.

Delay more, no return.

Reward solid.

'Heart partially recovered.'

Repeat process.

Fear of inhumanity momentary, absorbed more corrupted mana.

After two, three times.

'Good.'

Heart fully mended, Jun focused circle-attribute.

Now fully sever half-detached pair.

Kwagwagwang—!

Invisible explosion burst inward.

Simultaneously, observing mutants moved.

"What’s that one doing?"

"Seems performing 'our' becoming ritual."

"Looks resisting too."

Ve Leblanc and De Dusante, reached west gate, eyed unknown.

"Scales definite..."

"Reached ultimate."

"Why resist?"

"No, look. Absorbing our mana."

"...Incomprehensible."

Emotions gone, efficiency-only minds confused.

Couldn't grasp unknown's acts.

But.

"...Kill."

Ve Leblanc ordered, seeing hand-to-heart repeated corrupted mana absorption.

"Not capture?"

"Devouring our mana clearly. Not aiming to become us."

"...Right. Understood."

Unknown meaning irrelevant—threat dies.

Not pure loss.

Corpse yields craved 'ultimate' clues.

Ve Leblanc commanded all mutants via Mind Channel: kill threat.

Half-day gathered mutants roared, charged intruder.

"We?"

"Wait. Remember Lu Badna lightning-fried."

"Right. Understood."

Expend lowest to drain, clan heads finish.

Then, nearby watcher, clan lord 'Mun Bennett emerged from shadows.

"Chance intruder uses Mind Channel to disable lowest?"

"Impossible. Even using our left knowledge, can't process volume instantly. If possible, takes long."

"Right. But Leblanc, explain that?"

"...?"

Seeing Bennett-pointed direction, Leblanc felt rare emotion: bafflement.

Kyarr!

Khaak!

Lowest mutants began mutual slaughter.

Hwik— Leblanc's gaze to intruder.

Coincidence or fate.

Intruder gazed back.

"...Evade!"

Hand extended instantly after.

'Success.'

Jun, vomiting blood, surveyed scene.

Oncoming mutants suddenly infighting ferociously.

'Dangerous.'

While line-straddling absorbing corrupted mana.

Jun collected Mind Channel info.

Brief window, extracted two essentials.

One: attack command.

Set range, command mutual attacks.

'Nameds ignore my commands. But...'

Can block theirs.

Other: perception.

Nameds' positions tracked.

'Enough.'

Hand extended, magicked toward three clustered nameds.

Clouds gathered overcast sky, lightning crashed instantly.

Three nameds dodged nimbly, evading range.

No issue.

"Hoo. Mutation. Perfect barring becoming monster."

Body tougher than human by far.

This state, endless spells without collapse.

'No need Golem core.'

Post-escape unusable, but enough for crisis.

Jun extended hand again, lightning over three directions' nameds.

Didn't fall easy.

Like harpy-named? Sensitive to mana gathering.

'No, purple mist.'

Mist detected mana keenly, relayed via Mind Channel.

'Then... eliminate corrupted mana.'

Utterance-free, mana freely wieldable.

Gathered all area corrupted mana instantly.

"How?!"

Named's scream-like bafflement.

Kwarung!

Jun's recast magic thundered lightning.

"Bennett down!"

Earliest arriver, constant scout mutant collapsed black smoke.

"Assassins demand vigilance. Most annoying—perfect."

Normally untouchable.

Shadow lurker, perfect timing, hides well.

But Mind Channel access predicted moves, enabled kill.

"Let's hunt."

Prey-predator reversed.

Aware, Jun gripped mana; nameds felt decisive moment.

Purple mist ever overhead vanished, lightning struck.

'Bennett dead.'

Leblanc sensed instinctively, felt despair.

Rare emotion, confirmed uselessness.

Ironically, despair revealed issue.

'Too reliant on our environment.'

Mist gone, Mind Channel hampered— this result.

Like blindfolded combat.

'Can't fight like this.'

Clash all at once.

Gathered info collection futile now.