Chapter 511
Chapter 511
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 511
Chapter Title: Howard's Revenge (3)
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The laboratory where Howard first opened his eyes exuded an atmosphere just like an operating room.
Medical equipment filled every corner, an operating table embedded with mana restraints, and bloodstains lingering here and there, not fully erased.
"...Right, putting that aside. What the hell did you do to my body?"
Feeling a subtle sense of alienation in both his body and mind, he sat up on the operating table and looked down at himself with a displeased expression.
Of course, he hadn't expected it to be just a 'simple check-up' from the start.
The vibe of the place made it obvious, didn't it?
He should probably be grateful that his limbs were still intact.
"Ah, you noticed? It's nothing to worry about. We just added a few safeguards so the precious guest we went to such lengths to bring here wouldn't cause any trouble or accidents!"
The Doctor shrugged and replied with a bright smile.
As if it were no big deal.
Stunned by the brazen response, Howard could only let out a hollow laugh.
"That's rich coming from a kidnapper who dragged me here against my will."
"I'm very interested in you! Your abilities and knowledge, Howard, would be invaluable in advancing the world. Especially since you're the one who succeeded where even I failed!"
The Doctor nodded, spouting whatever he wanted to say.
He even clapped his hands lightly, as if genuinely impressed.
But that lighthearted mood didn't last long.
"...That's why I want to respect you. Brilliance and innovative creativity get damaged the moment you try to force them out."
Suddenly leaning in close, he murmured lowly, his face inches away.
His gloomy expression made his fluorescent yellow eyes gleam like a pair of jewels, locking straight onto Howard's as if piercing through his soul.
"So, if I unfortunately have to dissect you, that would be truly tragic. I hope it doesn't come to that."
"......"
Though he said it regretfully, it was ultimately a threat: cooperate properly, or I'd crack your skull open.
To extract everything he knew, by any means necessary.
It wasn't an idle threat.
Given the investment, if he fell short of expectations, who knew how this amicable attitude might change.
"Anyway, no matter what you try, you can't escape this place, so it's better to give up early! Puhahaha!"
Following that serious threat came a carefree laugh.
A firm confidence that things would go his way in the end.
Howard scanned his surroundings with a hardened face.
He already knew exactly why the bastard was so self-assured.
'The entire place is a secondary dimensional space governed by laws separate from Earth. Like what Heinz experienced in Romania... no, even more solidly constructed.'
The moment the assault and kidnapping happened,
he had been tracking Howard's location in real time.
Though the subject was unconscious, thanks to the close connection as an 「Avatar」, he could roughly pinpoint the position.
'But all I confirmed in the end was that Howard was taken toward Europe, specifically the UK.'
Right after that, the entity known as Howard vanished completely from Earth.
Trapped in an independent space where escape was impossible without the opponent's permission.
'...Not that it matters much to me.'
He hadn't devised this 'Trojan Horse' operation for nothing.
Howard was one, yet many.
A frail dwarf on the surface, but harboring a legion of the world's top-tier monsters within.
"...So, what do you want from me?"
But he didn't show it.
He just glared at the Doctor with the same stern expression as before.
"No need to think so rigidly! Progress in science and technology comes from exchange. Just understanding and accepting each other will make us all better off!"
You'll probably be plenty satisfied too.
Finishing his words, the Doctor looked at Howard with a meaningful expression.
Feeling oddly uncomfortable under that gaze, Howard frowned but didn't argue.
In truth, it was what he wanted too.
'Kyaha~ This is getting exciting! With the implanted suggestions in the restraints, his perception will naturally shift over time. He'll break free from his delusions and contribute to the world's advancement—what a win-win!'
'From what he's saying, even if I killed him right now, he'd just respawn somewhere. For now, gather as much info as possible and find a sure way to eliminate him. And dig into anything related to the Reverse Heaven Society...'
And so, the odd alliance between the two enemies began.
Each harboring their own ulterior motives.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Perhaps to win him over and secure cooperation, the Doctor allowed Howard free rein in his laboratory.
It was possible only because the restraints imprinted via some procedure completely blocked escape attempts or sabotage.
'Still, I had some idea, but...'
From spaces like the initial operating room, to workshops littered with metal parts, alchemy labs full of flasks, chimera workshops lined with biological specimens, and occult workshops piled high with magic tomes and related items.
The Doctor's research facility encompassed every field without exception.
'Impressive beyond what I imagined.'
Howard let out a hollow laugh after touring the various workshops.
He, who possessed multiple Avatars at the pinnacle of their fields, thought he wouldn't yield in his specialties.
Yet the Doctor, proficient in all areas, had already reached otherworldly heights in academia.
'Not the top executive of the Reverse Heaven Society for nothing.'
In terms of rank, the Doctor held a position equal to or above the 'Executioner'.
The Executioner, who could stop time and was a quasi-divine great demon.
Pure combat power might favor the Executioner, but overall, the Doctor had the edge—or so the Reverse Heaven Lord judged.
'That Reverse Heaven Lord.'
And the longer he stayed here, the more he couldn't help but agree.
"Oh ho! What an intriguing methodology. Hmm, indeed. Is it the intuition of a master craftsman, or the racial instinct of a dwarf? A fresh perspective for sure!"
In the early days of this bedfellows situation with the enemy.
To lower the opponent's guard, Howard readily engaged in technical exchange.
His uniqueness as a dwarf artisan leaned more toward intuition than theory anyway.
'Boosted by various supporting skills, too. But...'
Having now experienced the Reverse Heaven Society's top executive up close—the Doctor—
he was a monster far beyond expectations.
"Whoa ha! Blind spot! So simple like this. Fixed ideas are scary. I thought I was pretty open-minded, but I still have a long way to go!"
If there was a goal in sight, his eyes dissected and analyzed it down to the atoms, finding a path to reach it.
Even if it was an intuitive trait unexplainable by theory or a skill requiring system assistance.
It was clear he progressed steadily without stopping, even if it took time.
'Dangerous. I might end up spilling all my secrets. Need to be careful from now on...'
But the situation wasn't entirely disadvantageous for Howard.
Already a grandmaster, having consumed the 『Elixir of Growth』, his learning and absorption rates weren't inferior.
No, this tightrope walk of technical exchange was even more beneficial for him.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The entity has met the conditions and gained enlightenment. Special Skill 「Dwarven Creative Logic」 has evolved into 「Understanding of Creation」. The entity has met the conditions and gained enlightenment. Skill 「Magitech Engineering」 has evolved into Special Skill 「Path of Engineering」. The entity has met the conditions and gained enlightenment. Acquired Skill 「Energy Conversion」. Unlike the Doctor, who lost system support upon returning to Earth, he could still fully enjoy its benefits.
The Doctor's personal lab was a veritable treasure trove of mysteries gathered from across dimensions.
Technologies and knowledge accessible only by visiting specific worlds were casually scattered about, sharpening Howard's insights day by day.
'Though it feels like I'm just boosting his favor with me. Still, I can't keep dragging this out. Isn't there some clever way? A surefire way to take him down...'
He already knew the bastard had tampered with his mind.
Of course, with 「Mind Hub」 as always, it had no effect; he just pretended to go along.
Missing this golden opportunity meant no guarantee of another, so he had no intention of letting him off again.
...The treasures piled up here were tempting too.
And so, steadily growing while biding his time for a chance, one day—
"Heh heh heh! It's finally time to show you this."
"...This is?"
Having cooperated and proven his abilities, the Doctor must have thought the brainwashing was sufficiently advanced.
Led by the Doctor, who seemed ready to start something in earnest, Howard arrived at a place
and encountered an unexpected presence.
"Allow me to introduce my masterpiece, steeped in my blood and sweat! The avenger returned from hell!"
A familiar yet drastically altered, heterogeneous form.
"Its name—Mecha Demon!"
There stood the Executioner, who had met his end at his hands.
As if undergone dark evolution, most of its body grotesquely rebuilt with machinery and biotech.
'No, not him. A homunculus base? But the dignity and aura in that body...'
Startled momentarily, Howard soon realized it was artificially created from start to finish.
Whatever method was used, the power dwelling within far surpassed the ordinary.
Overwhelmed by the intimidating pressure, the craftsman Howard stepped back a few paces.
Gazing proudly at him, the Doctor slowly spoke,
lightly shaking a glass vial in his hand.
"Howard, do you recognize this?"
"...That?"
A purple, gem-like liquid in the transparent bottle.
It was a familiar substance.
'Phantasmal Dragon's dragon blood?'
The catalyst crucial to current Harley’s birth, the core material of the Doctor's 'Complete Evolution Creature Project'.
"Lion Mask, was it? That monster from Masquerade."
Before Howard could respond, the Doctor murmured wistfully, gazing at the dragon blood.
"You might not know, but the Complete Evolution Creature Project was something I poured my heart into. Though I never saw its fruition."
A goal nonexistent in the world, with no set answer or visible endpoint—an endless journey.
Even for him with the 「Eye of Truth」, it was no easy challenge.
"But..."
To witness it completed by another's hand, not his own.
The shock was immense.
Especially since he prided himself as the world's greatest genius.
He wanted to capture that 'Lion Mask' right then and study it thoroughly.
With an answer key now existing, his 「Eye of Truth」 could surely unravel its secrets.
But having his entire research stolen wholesale, simply mobilizing the Reverse Heaven Society's forces felt unsatisfying.
"That's when I came up with this! Create a completely different creature and use it to hunt down Lion Mask!"
Crash!
The glass vial in his hand shattered against the floor.
By proving the newly made Mecha Demon superior, he'd relegate the 'Complete Evolution Creature Project' from failure to obsolete.
The secrets gained in the process would be mere spoils of victory.
Using the quasi-divine Executioner's homunculus smoothed progress beyond expectations.
Offering even parts of the prosthetic body forged from his own dignity as sacrifice, he bypassed the Executioner's legacy and linked it to the Mecha Demon.
Impossible by normal means, but nothing was impossible for him.
"But this isn't enough yet. It needs to surpass the already deceased Executioner at least, right?"
In that sense, Howard was the perfect talent to assist.
An artisan who crafted items defying the world's laws.
With his abilities added, couldn't the Mecha Demon break its limits too?
"Use the hands of Masquerade's artisan to reinforce the Mecha Demon and crush their Lion Mask. That'll be some petty amusement! Uhyahyahya!"
Lost in his own world, the Doctor rambled and burst into mad laughter.
'...Found it.'
But he didn't know.
In that moment of ecstatic fantasy, laughter, and chatter—
'A sure way to kill him.'
A chilling glint flashed briefly in Howard's eyes as he stared at the Mecha Demon.