Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Harley (2)
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'Yeah, now that I think about it, that was strange.'
The Church of the Main God was one of the continent's greatest powers.
How could they fail to find even a single fragment over hundreds of years?
Of course, the Immortal King wasn't a fool—he'd have set tricky conditions to keep it out of the church's hands before scattering it.
That's why they'd missed two already.
But still, this was the Church of the Main God.
It didn't make sense that they hadn't found a single one all this time.
"Of course, we don't guard all the way inside the Radiant Guardians. We just block the passes. The higher-ups handle the actual management."
"...I see. Then why bother telling me that...?"
"Because of the Blessing of Silence. And we need to know what we're protecting to defend it more proactively, right? You know Landgard, don't you? Now that the Immortal King's heir has appeared, protecting the last fragment is crucial."
He knew that all too well.
Hans, the heir in question, had been racking his brain over how to find that final fragment.
'But now I don't have to worry about it.'
Just that another problem cropped up instead.
He knew firsthand how tight security was from the holy site all the way to the grand temple these past few months, thanks to Heinrich.
Retrieving the fragment from the deepest part of the Roselika Grand Temple, under ironclad security... it was close to impossible, no need to spell it out.
"Plus, entering the Radiant Guardians means you're trusted personnel. The higher-ups must think highly of you."
"Hahaha... I'm receiving more attention than I deserve."
"With your growth rate, they couldn't ignore you even if they wanted to. Hmm, now I'll show you your post. Follow me."
With that, Lairin stood from her seat and headed for the door.
Heinrich hurried after her out of the room.
"It's a hassle, isn't it? We're only allowed to speak in designated spots... unavoidable."
The room they'd been in was part of that convoluted "procedure" they'd gone through earlier.
Probably not an ordinary room either.
"Want to test it? You can't write it down either, obviously."
"Good point. That... ...!"
As she suggested, he tried to say it—just in case—but not a single word came out.
"You couldn't leak it anyway, but from now on, watch your words and actions even normally. Suddenly going silent looks suspicious. Just treat it like a secret only you know. One you absolutely can't tell anyone!"
"...Yes! Understood. I'll keep it to myself."
Heinrich nodded gravely, face stiff.
As if swearing to take the secret to his grave.
Yeah, he never planned to tell anyone from the start.
This fact was for me alone.
No intention of letting anyone else know.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ [The heart of the Roselika Grand Temple... If I'd just tried searching blindly, I'd never have found it in a lifetime.]
In a secret research facility deep in the Forest of Beasts.
A dreadlich let out a low groan amid the eerie atmosphere.
He was the target the church was desperately hunting—the one who absolutely could not learn of the last fragment.
The Immortal King's heir, Hans.
Having finished enhancing Harley, he'd entered free research when he stumbled on unexpected intel, plunging him into thought.
[A real headache. Nothing I can do right now, huh?]
No matter how strong Hans was now, storming the church's heart was still too much.
He didn't even know what defenses lay inside.
[No real need anyway. Time will sort it out. Sooner or later, an opportunity will come. Heh heh heh...]
He wasn't alone, after all.
Now that he knew the last fragment's location, he just needed to bide his time, build his foundation.
His current research was important in multiple ways.
[This is preparation for that moment too. First, find a way to shake off the saintess's tracking for good. Stuck in the barrier, I can't move freely—frustrating.]
He already had a rough plan.
It needed more time, but he had plenty left—no need to rush.
Harley's enhancement, his top priority, was progressing smoothly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In the woods, a good distance from Hans's secret lab.
Crash—
A black panther dropped like lightning from the treetops.
Its target: a foolish human standing alone.
He showed no reaction to the surprise attack, seemingly oblivious.
Or so it seemed...
"Ka-hat! No chance!"
The moment the panther descended on his head.
The human—Harley—had already spun around to face it.
His pointed ears perked up sharply.
Sensing the ambush failed, the panther swiped with a front paw, but he bared his teeth in a savage grin.
Battle prep complete.
Crunch—
In an instant, his right arm ballooned grotesquely, five blade-like claws sprouting from his fingertips.
"Hup!"
"Grraaah—!"
Human and beast clashed with battle cries.
The panther's paw swung for Harley's head, but he ducked, deflecting the trajectory with his taut left arm.
A technique from Heinrich's Holy Warrior Combat Arts.
Then, with his swollen right hand, he seized the panther's exposed neck.
Slam! Stab—!
"Kek!"
The five claws on his massive grip didn't just pierce the nape.
Scraaape—
They tore through flesh and scraped bone like a vise.
Thud!
Victory in one exchange.
The panther collapsed, nape shredded, while Harley was unscratched.
"Kee-hya~! What a rush!"
Once a life-or-death foe, now crushed in one grip.
Heinz 2nd's blood had fueled Harley's rapid growth.
Not the full blood magic or abilities, but the enhanced Hybrid Evolution body was far from ordinary.
"Time to start!"
His swollen right arm deflated, sleek and ready.
It plunged straight into the panther's heart.
Stab— Slash!
The mana stone emerged in his clawed hand.
He shook off the blood and crunched it with his shark-like teeth—fist-sized crystal shattering.
Crunch! Graaunch— Grind!
'Black panthers aren't doing much anymore.'
Mutation evolved by acquiring diverse genes.
Repeating the same species dropped efficiency.
Extracting mana stones was simplest for fulfilling conditions.
'A Dragon Heart would be perfect.'
The ultimate mana stone.
None available, let alone known sources.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The entity has gained enlightenment through repeated actions. Acquired skill 「Gluttony」. As he finished the mana stone, a familiar alert appeared.
"Oh? A skill perfect for me."
Gluttony made eating anything easier, faster, more.
Bonus: faster digestion for energy supply. Solid.
'...'
More importantly, something nagging lately...
"Wahahaha—!"
A boisterous laugh burst out unbidden.
Not even funny, yet he couldn't stop.
'Harley's personality got weird after getting Mutation...'
Boisterous? Tough? ...
"Pfft... Pah哈哈!"
'Straight up psycho.'
Normal enough usually, but post-battle or bloodshed? Always like this.
Repeated experiments and skills warped the avatar's personality.
Self-inflicted—no blaming others.
'Hmm... Kinda growing on me though.'
Laughing heartily felt refreshing.
...Maybe this is fine?
⚔ ENTITY INFO ⚔ 👤 Entity Name: Harley 📋 Common Traits: 「Mind Hub」, 「Persona」, 「Clear Mirror Still Water」 ✨ Entity Traits: 「Mutation」, 「Body Transformation」, 「Regeneration」, 「Gluttony」 📝 Notes: Body adapted to mutations via experiments. Evolves optimally with new genes, mutating physique accordingly. Adapts to extreme environments. Body Transformation let him reshape his body via gene combos.
Sole drawback: massive calorie burn per use.
But it enabled this.
Crunch, crack—!
Muscles swelled, bones thickened.
Shoulders broadened, viewpoint rose.
Moments later.
Harley towered over 2 meters, a musclebound giant.
"Size matters in a fight. Need at least this bulk!"
He shredded his tight shirt, laughing heartily again.
'Tested adjustments, but full power scales with size.'
Monsters twisted mana into superhuman strength via tough vitality.
Human bodies couldn't handle it.
Harley looked human outside, but bones and muscles rivaled beasts now.
Slaughter-optimized bodies outperformed humans.
Gurgle—
Trade-off: abysmal energy efficiency. But Gluttony covered it.
'Ah, Body Transformation backlash plus hunger is intense.'
Drool—
Saliva dripped from Harley's mouth.
Eyes locked on the fallen panther.
'...With Gluttony, it'll be fine?'
Could digest anything safely now.
Perfect meal ready.
Rip—!
He tore off a front leg, skinned it roughly, and devoured ravenously.
Beast meat ripped by fangs.
Blood dripped steadily.
Harley's mouth and chest were blood-soaked.
'...No, still looks insane.'
He avoided meddling in avatars' personalities, but Harley needed special handling.
Minding speech/behavior constantly would tire him, but this vibe couldn't build normal relationships.
Not a barbarian, for god's sake...
'Wait, barbarian?'
Auterrica teemed with mixed races.
Barbarians existed too, with real power.
Southern wildlands hosted barbarian tribal confederacies.
'Barbarian... Wild Warrior... Sounds good.'
Huge build, tattoos galore.
Boisterous laugh, smashing skulls with a massive axe, drinking enemy blood.
"Oh! Perfect!"
Harley roared excitedly, munching meat.
While curbing him to eat properly, I sorted thoughts.
'Heard southern barbarians civilized lately... but weirdos exist everywhere.'
Rugged wild warrior Harley.
Felt right.
Gamer blood stirred since school days.
'First, helmet from beast hide, bone necklace, accessories, big axe.'
Bias-filled coord.
Stereotype fashion that'd horrify cultured southerners.
They'd rage about prejudices.
I didn't care.
'Good Heinrich learned axe skills too. Use axe publicly, Body Transformation solo.'
As long as I enjoyed it.
"Hahat! This'll be fun! Keep moving?!"
He tossed the gnawed bone, leg muscles bulging as he leaped through the woods.
Eyes sharpened predatorily, nose/ears twitching, scanning surroundings.
Before relocating, max out local beast genes first.
About a month passed.
With undead help, Harley hunted all nearby beasts, acquired genes, prepped to move.