Chapter 178: The Second Stage
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 178: The Second Stage
"A certain... overlooked factor or condition?"
Muen followed Teacher Mela’s train of thought, but he couldn't find anything amiss.
Then again, it made sense. If even Teacher Mela couldn't avoid the Evil God’s suggestions, how could he possibly spot the discrepancy?
But speaking of suggestions...
Muen narrowed his eyes, his thoughts drifting far back.
The suspicious points regarding a certain previous event seemed to be gaining some clarity.
That Banshee...
"In any case, I can only keep moving forward," Muen sighed, his voice soft.
Regardless of the circumstances, if he didn't reach his Senior’s side as soon as possible, everything else would be moot.
"Oh? You have courage, but recklessness is never a good thing," Teacher Mela chuckled.
"Reckless? I won't be reckless anymore. Recklessness, naivety, and arrogance—these are all things I must cast aside."
Muen lowered his gaze. Through the breathtaking sea of flowers, he seemed to see that girl again—the one who had withered in an instant, just like a blossom.
"Hoh, what a look in your eyes. I don't know what happened over the last few days, but it seems you finally have the qualifications to enter the Second Stage." Glancing at Muen’s expression, Teacher Mela suddenly looked satisfied.
"Eh? The Second Stage?" Muen was utterly confused.
"Did you forget? The reason I had you fetch the Ancient Dragon Heart Blood."
Teacher Mela lightly clapped her hands. The colossal mechanical constructs that had blanketed the sky and earth slowly receded. As the breeze swept through the flower sea, enchanting waves rippled once more.
And in the center of those waves sat a creation that was completely out of place in this beautiful landscape.
It was... a bed. A metal bed that looked somewhat familiar. It was the very thing Teacher Mela had been clanking away at just moments ago.
"Alright, hop on. Face down."
Teacher Mela patted the large metal bed, which reflected a cold, sharp glint. It looked... very cold. She flashed him a smile.
"This... this is?"
Even though Teacher Mela’s smile was incredibly kind and filled with the specific "moe" charm of a white-haired loli, Muen couldn't help but instinctively back away.
His familiar Death Premonition had transformed into the bratty kid next door, frantically yanking on his hair and screaming at him to run, run, run!
"It’s just an ordinary bed, don't worry."
Teacher Mela’s smile grew even more radiant, her eyes brimming with an inexplicable joy.
She rubbed her small hands together and said excitedly, "Don't worry, you don't have to do a thing. Just leave everything to Teacher. I’m very experienced!"
"Don't say it like I’ve just walked into some shady massage parlor, okay?!"
His brain hadn't made a choice yet, but his body was already instinctively trying to flee. However, before Muen could even take a step, his vision blurred into a chaotic mess.
His face suddenly slammed into a cold, flat surface. Before he could regain his senses, he heard several sharp clack-clack sounds.
It was the sound of locks engaging. Muen looked back in horror to find himself pinned to the metal bed. Metal shackles had snapped out around his wrists, ankles, and even his waist, locking him down tight.
"Me... Teacher Mela, what are you doing?"
Only his neck could move within a small range. Muen turned his head to find that Teacher Mela had changed her outfit at some point.
Her pink nightgown was gone, replaced by a crisp, professional white lab coat. Her slightly baby-faced features were now partially obscured by a mask and goggles. As Muen watched, she snapped on a pair of rubber gloves.
Why did she look so much like a mad doctor about to transform him into some Indescribable Entity?
And Muen finally realized what this metal bed reminded him of. Wasn't this exactly like an operating table from his past life?
A doctor.
An operating table.
And this posture.
Could it be...
Was Teacher Mela’s so-called "Second Stage" actually just harvesting his kidneys?
"No! I haven't enjoyed life enough yet! Teacher Mela, can we find a gentler way? Or maybe just take one? The Campbell family is counting on me to carry on the bloodline!"
"I have no idea what’s going on in that head of yours, but rest assured, this isn't like the time I kicked you into the Mercury Well. This won't be life-threatening."
Teacher Mela tilted her head, thinking for a moment. "Probably?"
Probably?
What do you mean probably?
You clearly aren't sure yourself!
And you're totally treating me like a lab rat!
I know you said that from the start, but I’m shaking and crying right now—when will the lab rats of the world finally stand up for themselves?
Even if you're going to play the mad doctor, couldn't you at least...
Wear black stockings under that lab coat? A lab coat without black stockings has no soul!
"Focus!"
Teacher Mela suddenly reached out and flicked Muen’s forehead as he spiraled into wild thoughts.
Muen quickly held his breath and concentrated, pushing those strange ideas to the back of his mind.
"The so-called Second Stage is to establish an initial connection between you and the Eternal Clock, provided your physical body has reached a certain foundation.
To achieve this, I will carve a massive Alchemy Matrix onto your body. Using that matrix as a core, I will branch out thousands of Magic Circuits to link you to the Eternal Clock."
Teacher Mela pulled out the metal container Muen had given her earlier. With a wave of her hand, the container opened. Instantly, the terrifying pressure of the Ancient Dragon Heart Blood swept out. A solemn, hideous phantom of a colossal dragon roared at the sky, seemingly intent on crushing the disrespectful ant before it into dust.
But Teacher Mela merely gave it a cold glance with her crimson eyes. The dragon phantom immediately showed a look of terror. Its roar reached a high pitch halfway through before cutting off abruptly. The phantom shattered into a spray of bubbles, leaving only the crystal containing the blood droplet trembling slightly.
Teacher Mela pinched the crystal from the container, holding it up to the light to inspect the shimmering drop of blood. She nodded in satisfaction.
"The purity of this Ancient Dragon Heart Blood is quite good. Saves me the trouble of refining it."
She then produced a bottle of strange solution shimmering with five-colored light. She crushed the crystal, letting the Ancient Dragon Heart Blood drip inside.
"ROAR!"
An angry, hideous, yet clearly terrified dragon roar echoed again. A palm-sized but incredibly dense dragon phantom flapped its wings, trying to escape the bottle.
It was promptly shoved back down by Teacher Mela’s slender finger.
The Ancient Dragon Heart Blood let out an unwilling wail as it gradually merged with the solution. Countless violent reactions occurred within the bottle, yet it could not escape the control of Teacher Mela’s small hand. Bit by bit, it turned into a pure, brilliant gold.
"Amazing..."
Pinned to the table, Muen couldn't help but marvel at Teacher Mela’s display of "violent aesthetics."
But then he shuddered.
Because once that mysterious solution was prepared, Teacher Mela shifted her gaze... onto him.
"The first carving of the Alchemy Matrix for the Second Stage requires approximately seven thousand, five hundred and sixty-four cuts... It should take about a full day."
With a flick of her wrist, a scalpel as thin as a cicada's wing appeared between her fingers.
With another flick, that one scalpel... became too many to count, filling the gaps between all her fingers!
"My dear disciple, are you ready?"
Teacher Mela gazed at the pale-faced Muen with a smile. In a sweet, loli voice, she said tenderly:
"I’m... coming in now."