< Chapter 132: Chaos (3) >
The Maestro was on the school’s rooftop, eyes closed, listening intently to the classical music.
Vivid music that’s only felt on the battlefield.
More beautiful, noble, and precious harmony than anything in the world.
Every time the Maestro moves his hand, the sound changes.
Explosions sound calm (tranquility),
Screams rise in crescendo (increasingly louder),
Despair sings in cantabile (as if singing).
“Beautiful.”
He rearranges completely to a new tune in response to the uncontrollable behaviors of the executives and continues conducting.
‘This orchestra is solely mine.’
The audience outside the stage can never step inside.
This is the trait of the Maestro.
[Conductor on the stage]
A spatial mastery trait that completely isolates the inside and outside of the stage.
‘No matter what the fools do outside the stage, they cannot ruin my performance.’
Until the music of the Maestro ends, no one can set foot on this stage.
‘Everyone on stage must obey my command.’
The Maestro waved his hand.
As if engraving the score of life on the musical staff of the world.
Then,
―Maestro.
Saint’s voice echoed in his ear.
“What is it?”
―Do you think the boss would be pleased if we captured and brought Shin Jia alive?
“…Shin Jia.”
Shin Jia of Shinwa Group, sitting with one leg over the incident where Vagabond was assassinated.
“There’s no harm in capturing her.”
She might have some information. It’s not critical, but there’s no harm in capturing her.
―Alright. I’ll try to capture her alive.
“Did you find Shin Jia?”
―Yes. I happened to run into her.
Saint’s distinctive smooth laugh faintly echoed.
―By the way, since we’re extracting information, it’s okay if she’s missing up to four limbs, right?
“Yes. As long as she doesn’t die from excessive bleeding.”
―Aye, Maestro. Do you see me as someone who’d make such a mistake?
Saint laughed cheerfully.
―I’m also curious about the incident where Bishop Piale died… Anyway, I’ll capture her alive, so don’t worry too much.
* * *
Yu Hwa and Maiden’s situation was horrendous.
“Haa… Haa…”
“Krrk.”
Maiden’s right arm was completely broken and dangled, while Yu Hwa had injuries on both legs, making it impossible for her to stand properly.
“It’s exhilarating. The look on the faces of superhumans, who’ve lost their power, biting their lips and looking up at me is always thrilling.”
Blood is incessantly pouring from wounds all over the body. The clothes have been tattered since a while ago.
“Damn… bastard…”
Maiden spat out a curse with a voice thickened by blood.
“Seems the mouth is still alive.”
The aura of the Alchemist began to fade,
Crunch!
The loud sound of bones being crushed resonated.
“Arghhhhh!”
“Unnie!”
Maiden’s left arm twisted like a twisted donut, losing its strength and dangling.
“You’re weak. The bones, the skin, the muscles. Everything is below average.”
Behind Maiden, the alchemist who revealed himself wiped off the blood from his hands that was oozing from Maiden and turned around.
“So, this is the extent of a ‘Dungeon Creator’ and ‘Creator’ who can’t use magic and equipment. Heh heh heh.”
Magic Freeze.
For the two who enhance their bodies with magic, control the battlefield with magic, and fight using magic, the absence of magic was almost equivalent to losing their superhuman abilities.
“…”
Maiden looked up at the Alchemist with fierce eyes.
The Alchemist laughed crudely.
“Such defiant eyes.”
The apparition of the Alchemist became blurry again.
Whoosh!
A sound of something piercing flesh was heard.
“Kyaaaaaa!”
“Unnie…!”
A tearing scream.
When the Alchemist’s form became clear again, he was holding something in his hand.
“Now you won’t be able to give me that look.”
Eyes.
It was Maiden’s two eyes, forcibly extracted.
Maiden’s body swayed and collapsed to the ground, her strength drained away from the unbearable pain.
“Heh heh heh heh heh.”
The Alchemist sneered, looking down at the scene.
“You look quite fitting, groveling on the ground.”
The Alchemist opened his mouth.
Then, swiftly,
He placed Maiden’s eyes he was holding into his mouth.
A horrible sound of the eyes being crushed by teeth was heard.
“You… bastard.”
Though she couldn’t see, Maiden instinctively knew what he was doing and muttered in a very low voice.
Chewing.
Swallowing.
“Haha. Indeed, human eyes taste the best.”
The Alchemist said with ecstasy, savoring the taste.
At the same time, he stared intently into Yu Hwa’s eyes, his lips curling into a crescent moon shape.
“You can manage without eyes, can’t you…”
Yu Hwa’s shoulders trembled slightly.
“!”
Suddenly, the Alchemist, now much closer, slowly reached out for Yu Hwa’s eyes.
“Damn!”
Using her still-functional arms, Yu Hwa attacked the Alchemist.
Thud, thud!
However, both of Yu Hwa’s arms were effortlessly restrained by the Alchemist.
“Let… let go!”
“Feeling wronged? Should’ve worked on your physical strength.”
While restraining both arms with his left hand, the Alchemist brought his right hand closer to Yu Hwa’s eyes.
As the man’s hand loomed larger, Yu Hwa clenched her eyes shut.
“Closing your eyes won’t help.”
Right when she felt the rough touch of his fingers on her eyelids,
“ROOOOAR!”
The cry of a tiger echoed.
A familiar roar.
It was instantly recognizable whose roar it was.
“Goldie!”
Crash!
Like a lightning bolt, Goldie lunged forward and bit down on the Alchemist’s right arm.
Simultaneously, with a sharp twist, he broke it.
“Oh…”
The Alchemist, now missing his right arm, stepped back with an amused expression.
“Quite a strong tiger, I see.”
Smoke rose from the Alchemist’s right arm. The skin bubbled and boiled as it rapidly regenerated.
In less than 3 seconds, the Alchemist’s right arm had returned to its original form.
“Growl…”
Goldie, after dropping the arm he had in his mouth to the ground, bared his teeth at the Alchemist.
To anyone watching, he clearly looked enraged.
As Yu Hwa blankly watched Goldie’s back, a thought crossed her mind.
‘If Goldie is here…’
“Sorry for being late.”
Suddenly, behind Yu Hwa, the icy voice of Kang Seo-yul echoed.
“Seo-yul!”
“…Kid.”
Kang Seo-yul, with his hand placed on Maiden’s body, was biting his lips.
“Don’t speak. Your injuries are severe.”
A pure white light flowed from Kang Seo-yul’s hand.
He was using his divine power to heal Maiden’s wounds.
“I’m sorry, but Yu Hwa, please be patient for a moment.”
Having somewhat completed healing Maiden, Kang Seo-yul stood up with pursed lips.
“After I deal with that guy, I’ll heal you without leaving a single scar.”
In his left hand, he held a familiar carrier.
The carrier that Maiden had set down on the ground before confronting the man earlier.
It’s a carrier containing an ancient relic. Holding that carrier, Kang Seo-yul took a few steps forward.
“Be, be careful! He’s immortal!”
Yu Hwa shouted urgently.
“I know.”
Kang Seo-yul opened the carrier.
“I know everything about him.”
With a mechanical sound,
The carrier opened. Inside was a small staff.
Draconic Staff.
An ancient relic of the dragon tribe that Maiden had obtained using all of her connections as a gift for Kang Seo-yul.
“Hey, quack.”
Kang Seo-yul gripped the [Draconic Staff] in his hand.
“Don’t think you’re going to have a merciful death.”
In that moment,
A surge of power erupted from Kang Seo-yul’s entire body, rippling violently as if showcasing his fury.
[Draconic Enchant]
Along with that incantation,
“This area will be ‘quarantined’.”
A weighty voice echoed from Kang Seo-yul’s mouth.
The sky turned crimson.
“…..What’s this?”
For the first time, a look of confusion settled in the Alchemist’s eyes.
“I’ll erase your entire existence.”
* * *
Draconic Staff.
A staff made by an ancient dragon for his son who engages in play by polymorphing.
Its basic performance is, needless to say, top-notch.
It has a unique ability called [Draconic Enchant].
The effect allows the user to harness the power of a dragon even when polymorphed.
Yes.
The power of a dragon.
Referring to the [Dragon Words].
< O power in the atmosphere, become blades and pour forth >
Blades of energy rained down from the sky.
< Earth, rise up >
The ground surged up like a spike.
< Burn >
Without any warning, the Alchemist’s body burst into flames.
< Twist >
The Alchemist’s body twisted like a pastry.
“Kuaaaaaaak!”
A scream echoed from the Alchemist’s mouth.
“Why can’t I collect magic power!”
The Alchemist’s ability is ‘collection’.
The power to collect an opponent’s magic and bring it under his control.
Using that, he collected the magic from Yu Hwa and Maiden, freezing them.
“Why?”
But his collection doesn’t work on me.
“Every time I use magic, I change its nature.”
“…What?”
Looking at the perplexed Alchemist, I smirked.
“That doesn’t make any se…”
< Explode >
Boom!
The Alchemist’s body exploded unexpectedly.
I could guess what he wanted to say even though he was cut off.
That it’s nonsense to keep changing the inherent nature of magic.
Sure, by ‘human common sense’, it’s impossible.
But now I am a ‘dragon’.
For the dragon, the origin of magic, changing its nature is no big deal.
“You shouldn’t be worried about the nature of my power now.”
I tapped on the watch on my wrist.
“The effects of your potion are wearing off, right?”
“!”
The Alchemist, now with only one eye left, looked shocked.
“Surprised that I know about your ‘Time-Reversing Potion’?”
The reason the Alchemist is immortal is because of a ‘potion’ he developed.
A culmination of his research, made by condensing the blood of a thousand humans.
Its effect provides near-immortality for 3 minutes.
But after 30 seconds, the effect completely wears off.
“So, are you really curious about that? You’ll die in 30 seconds, you know?”
< Crush >
As I continued to use the Dragon Words, I sneered.
“You’re no match for me.”
The Alchemist’s power was the type that is potent when it’s a ‘secret’.
Now that I know all his secrets, he poses no threat to me.
“Any last words? You’ll die in 30… no, 25 seconds. I’ll listen.”
Using the Dragon Words, I adjusted the magic, ensuring the Alchemist’s mouth remained unharmed.
“…Heh heh.”
The Alchemist laughed.
“As the Maestro said, there indeed is a traitor leaking inside information.”
Even with just a floating mouth, his pompous laughing figure was quite a sight.
“Why? Want to inform the Maestro who uses the conductor on the stage? Try if you can.”
This space has been isolated for a long time.
Even if Maestro’s [Stage] is exceptional, it’s nothing compared to the [Dragon Words].
“Your research ends unfinished. You will die in vain, unable to grasp even a thread of truth.”
An Alchemist in pursuit of the truth.
For him, death is the greatest punishment.
Boom!
His body, which had been regenerating, exploded once again.
There was only about 10 seconds left.
“Nonsense! The research results remain within the organization! The potion of time reversal! It’s a flawless potion that will be remembered for eternity!”
The alchemist laughed.
It was a confident laugh.
“As long as that record exists, I am immortal! I will not die!”
Madness.
The laughter of a chemist obsessed with his research.
He seemed genuinely unafraid of his own death.
“…”
It was bothersome.
I glanced back at Ms. Maiden and Ms. Yu Hwa.
“Sis… are you okay?”
“…Yeah. Somehow… I’m still alive…”
It’s distressing.
Seeing the alchemist, who did this to the two of them, die with a satisfied look on his face was highly unsettling.
“Hehehe! I am immortal!”
“….Nonsense.”
That’s why I decided to give him a different kind of death.
I won’t kill him easily this way.
You must die, negating everything in life.
A fierce gleam shone in my eyes.
< Explode! >
Boom!
The air exploded, and the alchemist’s body shattered into pieces. At that moment, I moved towards the regenerating body of the alchemist.
“…What are you thinking?”
Starting from the head, the alchemist, gradually returning to his original form, frowned.
I didn’t respond.
I simply reached out with my right hand to the regenerating body of the alchemist.
“You…?”
Flash!
A bright white light flowed.
The manifestation of divine power.
< O magic in the nature. Become the magic power that constitutes my body >
Countless types of mana in the atmosphere flowed into my body and became my magical power.
It was soon replaced by divine power and absorbed into the alchemist.
“This is… healing power?”
“Yes.”
Healing the enemy.
Anyone would say it’s madness. But I’m perfectly sane.
“You said that as long as your time-reversal potion is a flawless product of research, you won’t die?”
My divine power kept flowing into him.
“Nonsense.”
It flowed without end.
“What is, this…”
The fully restored alchemist suddenly froze.
“Your potion is flawed.”
At the same time, various parts of his body began to swell, as if the cells were multiplying.
Swelling, and swelling more.
“You don’t even have a basic countermeasure for excessive healing in potion-making. I’d say that’s a failure as a researcher. What do you think?”
Looking at the alchemist, who was buried in flesh and swelling like a balloon, I continued to pour my divine power.
“You… scum…”
The alchemist’s voice could be heard between the flesh.
“Congratulations. As you said, the time-reversal potion will be remembered for eternity.”
“You… damn…”
With a squelching sound, his body began to rupture.
“You can’t even uphold the most basic things, a product of arrogance and complacency. You’ll be recorded in history as a cautionary tale.”
“Ah, ah, ah!”
Excessive healing.
Cells that had been completely destroyed were bursting one by one, collapsing from various places.
“It can’t be like this! It can’t be…”
The pitiful screams of the man echoed. It sounded as if his vocal cords were dissolving in acid.
I laughed.
Finally, he’s found a voice that suits a trash like him.
Sizzle.
At the same time, sparks flew from the Draconic Staff.
The one-minute time limit had ended.
[Error!]
Looking at the status message that only appears at times like this, I threw the Draconic Staff into the ‘Artisan’s Portable Forge’.
“…Heh, heh. It’s too early to be happy.”
Suddenly, the alchemist said something strange.
“It’s not just me here…”
He mumbled something from within the collapsing mass of flesh.
“Even if you protected Yu Hwa…”
I know what he wants to say.
“You can’t protect Jia, right?”
“…”
I smirked.
“You wanted to land a blow on me, but you seem regretful now.”
Looking at the increasingly disgusting mass of flesh, I gave a small laugh.
“A ‘Saint’ cannot defeat the ‘current’ Jia.”
< Chapter 132: Chaos (3) > End
Visit freewe𝑏(n)ovel.co(m) for the b𝘦st novel reading experience