5. Evolution>
After discussing their upcoming schedule to some extent, Sian and Steel had climbed up into a tree.
Konrad—
Ragaophe’s greatest masterpiece, one that even Ragaophe himself had been confident in, was steadily carrying out his goal of protecting the human race. Murakans and the Swarm were doing their part admirably.
Perhaps Lorbal’s claim that this peninsula was like hell had not been an exaggeration, because new giants had crossed over the peninsula and were engaging in fierce battles with the Murakans. The giants continued to pour across one after another, as though they never tired, while the Murakans fought back in bloody combat.
If they had tried to stop them with only the strength of the human race, they would have been overwhelmed long ago. The number of human betas—dukes—was limited. Even if they received the seal of the divine-blooded Lorbal, drank his blood, and crossed the wall to grow stronger, there were simply not enough dukes who could reach that wall in the first place. The Murakans were filling that gap admirably. Not only that, the enhanced ones were even showing that they could push the giants back.
“They fight really well.”
Steel offered his assessment as he watched the Murakans in the distance.
Dozens of Murakans were attacking a giant in organized formation. The giant swung its arms and spewed enormous quantities of energy from its mouth in an attempt to kill them, but it had already suffered far too many attacks from the Murakans to withstand any more. The Murakans, meanwhile, had devoured far too many giants. They simply endured the energy erupting from the giant’s mouth with their bodies, then instantly began gnawing at its ankles.
The giant’s ankles were incredibly thick, but they had no chance of withstanding dozens of mouths and hundreds of arms gnawing at them. In the end, the ankles supporting its massive body were reduced to shreds in an instant. With its Achilles tendons severed, the giant could no longer support its weight and was forced to fall to its knees. Since it was a naturally born fighting species, it did not collapse completely, but that did little to improve the situation. With its height reduced, the Murakans could climb over it much more easily. Stronger and more numerous than before, they eventually covered the giant completely and began attacking and tearing it apart from every direction.
It was no wonder Steel admired the sight. An army like that was something any king would want.
The strength of powerful individuals capable of standing against a giant’s attacks.
A nature that knew no fear.
The ability to devour opponents, copy their strengths, and overcome their weaknesses.
And an instinctive habit of obeying orders without question.
When Steel had once seen the toys of the Usharan Kingdom, he had thought they were fairly useful toys for war, but these were on an entirely different level. For one thing, every individual there was at the level of a duke. Moreover, they were evolving into betas at an incredible speed. He could tell simply by observing how they were gradually finding it easier to fend off the giants’ attacks. At first, the Murakans had suffered enormous losses while stopping the enemy, then eaten the corpses to increase their numbers. Now, hardly any of them were dying, and they were grinding down and devouring every opponent in their path.
“Are they planning to use those creatures to advance onto the continent?”
Sian was curious, since if they had that many troops to spare, they might be able to explore the region beyond the peninsula.
“Who knows… Huh? Another one of them just got stronger.”
Steel shouted when one of the Murakans in the distance, which had buried its head in the giant and was devouring it frantically, suddenly let out a great roar. Even from far away, it was obvious that the roaring creature’s body was changing dramatically.
Its assorted arms and legs were all sucked back into its body. The dozens of different kinds of mouths that had covered its body bit at one another, then slowly disappeared. The three heads growing from its body merged together, blending into one.
Before long, the creature had only two powerful legs, four sturdy arms, and a single head. At a glance, it resembled a beastman. Compared to its previous monstrous form, it possessed a far more graceful appearance. In a way, with its grotesque features gone, it even looked weaker.
However, the aura emanating from its body was on a level that could not even be compared to the ragged creature it had once been. The proportion of such creatures was gradually increasing. No one knew what had been done to them during their modification, but by fighting and devouring their enemies, they were growing stronger at a much faster rate.
“The difference in appearance is enormous. They may have grown stronger, but…”
“Perhaps that is the direction of evolution they were originally headed toward.”
Sian nodded at those words. If their previous forms had been the result of forced modification, it was not difficult to understand. But there was another matter that left Sian feeling somewhat uneasy.
“But those creatures… why are they looking this way?”
By then, the Murakans had defeated every giant that had invaded the area. After killing all the giants lying on the ground, they began greedily devouring them. Some of them stopped eating and looked toward the tree.
“What do I know? Maybe they still haven’t had enough to eat…”
Steel spoke indifferently. His tone was casual, but the meaning behind his words was anything but reassuring.
“Ha… Don’t say frightening things like that. Just hearing it is exhausting.”
Sian shuddered as he replied. If all those creatures came rushing at him, even he would find it quite exhausting. He would win, of course… but it would not be an easy fight.
With that in mind, Sian made a face that clearly said not to entertain such thoughts.
☆ ☆ ☆
“Hmm… The proportion of betas is increasing rapidly. To think it has reached this level.”
Lorbal wore a satisfied expression as he looked down at the Murakans gathered below.
“By the way… Is the installation of the magic formation proceeding smoothly, Konrad?”
Lorbal had been examining the Murakans when he turned to Konrad and spoke to him.
“Well… The barrier is nearly stabilized now, so… once it is completely stable, installing the formation will be quick.”
“That is a relief.”
“If we are allowed to release the barrier after wiping out all the Gernas… then afterward, we should be able to install La-Shar-Roa as well.”
“Well… Let us wipe out the Gernas first, then think about that.”
Lorbal nodded. Although he had no interest in the continent where the monkeys lived, he was interested in the ancient knowledge and other wonders they had preserved to some degree. If they only activated it from time to time, it should not place too much strain on Kiculus’s energy.
At that moment, Lorbal frowned.
“Hmm…”
“What is it?”
“…Those creatures are doing it again. The frequency of cannibalism among them seems to have increased lately…”
“We reduced the instinct as much as possible, but… it seems to occur a little more frequently during or after battle. It should not become a serious problem.”
Long ago, when Ragaophe had been researching various races as a researcher, he had discovered a peculiar trait of the Murakans.
When they reached the limit of how strong they could become, they devoured one another in order to discover new possibilities. But from Ragaophe’s perspective, as the one who needed to control them, that instinct was extremely dangerous. Thus, thousands of years ago, he had modified them to suppress it as much as possible. Once that was done, however, the army’s numbers themselves would decrease. That might have been acceptable when there was nothing to eat, but with creatures constantly crossing over from the peninsula for them to devour, there was no need for such behavior.
“Hmm…”
Lorbal frowned as he looked at the scene in the distance. At a glance, the creatures seemed to be devouring giants, but the duke’s keen eyes did not miss the strange sight mixed in among them.
Some of them had fallen among the giants and were devouring their own kind. And there was not merely one or two of them. They were eating both giants and their fellow Murakans without distinction. It was not because they lacked food. Their numbers were enormous, but the giants were also numerous, and the amount of meat in their corpses was truly immense.
Ragaophe wore an ambiguous expression as he watched.
“Their control has not been broken… has it?”
“It has not.”
Indeed, when Duke Lorbal forbade the behavior, the creatures stopped cannibalizing, even as they growled in protest. Still, unexpected developments were never welcome.
“We should examine them more closely… The modifications we made this time may have altered some of what we did in the past…”
As he watched the creatures returning, Ragaophe decided that they needed to be even more cautious. They were handling an enormous power. If those creatures began running wild, things would become troublesome in the future.
☆ ☆ ☆
The Murakans clearly sensed the two kinds of blood surging through their bodies. Though both flowed within the same vessel, the sensations each blood conveyed to them were unmistakably different.
One kind constantly attempted to dominate them. It ordered them to remain as they were, to obey, and to heed its commands without end.
The other urged them to kill and devour ceaselessly, to be reborn as a different existence.
The created beings known as the Murakans. Under normal circumstances, they would have followed the orders of the first blood without a moment’s hesitation. That blood was the fundamental element that composed them. Compared to it, the second blood was merely a foreign substance that had entered them recently. But gradually, the situation was changing.
The Murakans did not know who the master of the second blood was. But they knew one thing for certain.
The master of the second blood must be incomparably stronger than the master of the first. The second blood, coursing throughout their bodies and devouring the first, proved as much.
The Murakans welcomed the changes taking place within them. Growing stronger was the forgotten instinct of their race.
And they dreamed. They wanted to meet the master of the second blood.
An existence that had made them this strong with only a few drops of blood. If they devoured it… they could become stronger than they were now by an incomparable degree.
But the time had not yet come. Too much of the first blood—the blood that dominated them—still remained among their kind. As long as that blood flowed through their bodies… they could not be reborn as a new existence. To be born anew, they first had to wash away every trace of that humiliating blood. When the day came that they had cleansed it all away… that would be the moment of their rebirth.
☆ ☆ ☆
“It is done. The proportion of betas has risen tremendously. At this level, there are hardly any left who have failed to cross the wall.”
Lorbal gazed at the creatures in the distance and smiled with satisfaction. The modified Murakans had continuously devoured giants, fishmen, and all manner of other races, growing stronger until most of the army had crossed the wall. With a force of that size assembled, they could now put their next plan into action. A difference of one stage could easily be overcome with numbers.
“It is a shame. If that many had become second-stage betas, they would have been far more powerful.”
“Then they would not be controllable. Heh heh. This is sufficient. Let us go inside. We should have them remain on the plains beyond. That will be better…”
Lorbal smiled contentedly as he watched the creatures walk toward the distant plains, then went inside.
☆ ☆ ☆
The Murakans sensed that the time had come. The blood that had tried to dominate their minds had been almost entirely washed away by the blood that entered them later. With so little of it remaining, it could no longer control them.
Better still, the existence of the second blood—the one that had enabled them to reach this point—was close by. There was no way they could fail to recognize it. That being was like their parent. Its presence and scent reached them even from afar. They had longed for it so terribly… and wanted to devour it so desperately.
But they waited. It was not yet time to bare their fangs. The Murakans could immediately recognize the might of the being that would grant them the freedom to truly calm themselves.
The ferocity and power lurking within it. They had grown stronger, but they were nowhere near the level required to defeat it. If they showed their fangs, they would all be torn apart. They might not have known that under normal circumstances, but the blood flowing through their bodies continued to warn them.
Fortunately, this was an excellent place to grow stronger. Prey kept coming without end. The blood that had bound them was washed away completely. Thanks to that, they grew stronger one after another, until every member of their species became a new existence that had crossed a wall.
But even that was not enough. Their numbers were sufficient, but their opponent was not something they could take on simply by relying on numbers. If they charged in as they were, they would all be torn apart.
However, there was a way. Buried beneath the possibility of their species’ evolution, suppressed by the modifications and domination imposed upon them thousands of years ago, lay a method.
They would eat one another, filling in each other’s deficiencies. They would make up for what was lacking and further strengthen their advantages. The blood that had ruled over them had sealed away their potential, but now that blood had been completely washed away. And the blood of the mighty being who had swept it away had opened a new possibility for them—a possibility that would allow them to grow stronger when faced with the threat of death.
The Murakans looked at one another. Now, every preparation was complete. Even if most of them were sacrificed here… if they could be reborn as new beings that had crossed one more wall, that would be enough. A difference of two stages could not be overcome… but a difference of one stage could be overcome through numbers. If that happened, a new possibility would open before them: the possibility of devouring the master of the blood that had led them.
And on that night, while everyone slept, the Murakans began to devour one another like mad. They did not allow themselves to be eaten tamely. They charged at one another as though intent on killing their opponents. With their powerful four arms and mouths bristling with sharp teeth, they clawed and bit at each other.
Yet the massacre proceeded in complete silence. They did not unleash their prayers to intimidate their opponents, nor did they release their murderous intent. They simply clawed, bit, and devoured one another in silence.
They killed and killed the ones around them who charged at them. Even as they killed, they never stopped chewing and swallowing their opponents. By devouring one another, they filled in their gaps and grew stronger. Their weaknesses gradually disappeared, while the powerful arms and teeth they possessed became even sturdier. The blood coursing wildly through their bodies hastened those changes.
When the number of their kind filling the plain had fallen to roughly a quarter of its original total, the changes began to appear.
The Murakan that had devoured its opponents most frenziedly and fought the hardest was the first to change. Another pair of arms sprouted from its back. A new head grew beside its existing one. Their bodies grew even larger, and the Murakans that had crossed two walls were easily more than twice the size of their former kin.
Beginning with that Murakan, the number of individuals undergoing gradual changes around it began to increase. The order followed how fiercely they had fought and how passionately they had devoured their kin. Their numbers were by no means large. They were astonishing beings who had barely been born after slaughtering hundreds of their own kind, transcending their species’ limits once again. Though few in number, the new evolutionary forms made their presence known by radiating an aura that overwhelmed every species around them.
Unexpectedly, these beings that had newly crossed another wall immediately stopped fighting and withdrew from the battlefield. They had become far stronger, so it should have been easier for them to hunt one another, yet they stopped feeding as well. They knew instinctively that eating one another any further would no longer benefit them. They could tell by instinct: this was the limit of how strong they could become through kindred cannibalism. Perhaps things would be different if they waited several hundred more years and devoured many more members of their species.
But they could not wait that long. Their purpose was not merely to cross a single wall. With a solution within reach, this was no time to squander their forces.
Those who had failed to cross the wall filled the spaces left behind by the departing Murakans and continued to devour one another. They killed and killed, devouring each other without end until they crossed the wall.
This massacre continued until their numbers had fallen to one five-hundredth of their original total. Though they had devoured one another like mad, the countless corpses still covering the plain offered an unfiltered testament to the desperate events of the night. The number remaining among the corpses was practically nothing compared to when they had first filled the plain. Only about a hundred individuals remained—a pitiful number compared to the number that had gathered at the start.
Yet not one of the surviving Murakans thought that the feeding of the night had been meaningless. Every one of them had been reborn according to the guidance of the second blood that had led them.
Three pairs of arms and legs like tree trunks. Muscles like twisted steel, and teeth that seemed capable of chewing and crushing anything placed in their mouths.
Only the final stage remained. It did not matter if they all died. If even one of them succeeded in devouring the master of the blood… their entire species would advance another stage. That individual would become the leader of the species that guided them and make their kind flourish once more.
And the Murakans were confident. They knew the might of the master of the blood, a being akin to their father… but their own strength was nothing to scoff at. They would prove that they had grown into such magnificent beings by devouring the master of the blood who had led them.
The master of the second blood would surely be delighted if this contributed to their species’ evolution.
There was no longer any need to hide. They had proceeded quietly for fear of interference, but the great evolution was over. Only the final stage remained. The Murakans who had survived the massacre of the previous night were about to race madly toward the enormous tree visible in the distance for their ultimate objective, but there was no need.
Grrrrr.
The master of the blood they had awaited so desperately had flown in from afar, cleaving through the sky. The sight of a being akin to their father sent the Murakans into a frenzy of excitement. Watching the scene, Sian sighed.
“Ha… I don’t think I can trust anything Mr. Ragaophe says from now on… He said nothing would happen.”
He might not have done it intentionally, but judging by the situation unfolding before him, it looked as though he had made some kind of mistake.
While sleeping, Sian had been startled by the murderous aura coming from beyond the plain and flown over to investigate. That hostility had clearly been provoking him while he was staying in the tree. At first, he thought Duke Lorval was scheming to ambush him.
‘No…’
Sian shook his head. He had realized it the moment he flew over. Those creatures were beyond Duke Lorval’s ability to control. No matter how powerful a supernatural ability might be, there was no way to control beings above the wall—beings stronger than oneself. Whatever method they had used during the night, they had broken through another wall and become beings one stage above Duke Lorval. Duke Lorval, who had crossed one wall, might have been able to control the creatures as they had been yesterday, but he could not control them now.
He had only been able to notice them and fly over once they had finally revealed their murderous intent without restraint. Upon arriving, he immediately understood what they had done during the night. At the same time, he was astonished by their cunning. Even while devouring one another during the night, they had concealed their aura thoroughly. Beings above the wall were extremely difficult to detect when they decided to hide from one another. They had undoubtedly acted with Sian in mind from the beginning.
Running away would be useless. Their murderous intent was directed precisely at him. They would pursue him to the ends of the earth. He could also roughly understand why they wanted him so badly. The blood of his that Mr. Ragaophe had used must have provoked them somehow.
“Fine… We might as well settle this here… Hoo…”
There would be no point retreating to the tree and fighting alongside the dukes. Even all the dukes together would have difficulty dealing with a single Murakan over there.
Though he spoke casually with a sigh, Sian was in a state of extreme tension. Even if the difference between them was only one wall, more than a hundred individuals were more than enough to pose a threat.
Sian drew out the strength throughout his entire body, and the Murakans that had been stealthily approaching from all around charged toward him ferociously. They no longer seemed to have any reason to hide. They unleashed all the murderous aura they had concealed within and roared, their monstrous cries reverberating across the plain.
“GRAAAAAH!”
Sian had no intention of dying either. He wrapped both hands in tremendous power and struck at the first one to charge.
No matter who it was… whoever survived here would be reborn anew. And Sian and the Murakans were certain that it would be them, swinging the immense power condensed in their hands at one another.
“Damn it! I just want to go home!”
Sian shouted with pent-up frustration, venting his anger upon the Murakans.
☆ ☆ ☆
“Crazy… What’s going on?”
Steel woke when he sensed Sian flying off somewhere in his sleep, and he rose to see what had happened. Then, feeling the vicious aura emanating from the plain on the peninsula beyond, he launched himself outside. Everyone around them was a duke stronger than Steel, but they seemed to have only just sensed it as well. Every one of them was leaping outside and hurling themselves onto the tree.
Steel grabbed Ragaophe, who was hurriedly running beside him, and asked,
“Hey! What is this? What happened? You said nothing would happen!”
Ragaophe shook his head and shouted in response.
“I have no idea what is happening. Ha…”
“What do you mean, you have no idea? It’s obvious those Murakan things and Sian are fighting!”
Steel grabbed Ragaophe by the collar and shook him violently. Though the former researcher was being tossed about helplessly in his grip, he began to say what he had to say.
“I mean, I don’t know why it turned out this way… Urk! In any case, that isn’t important.”
“What!”
“It means we may have to run.”
The answer came not from Ragaophe, but from behind him. Steel turned around and saw Duke Lorval standing there, groaning.
“You’re not going to go help him?”
Steel was in an agitated state and spoke without restraint, despite the other man being a duke. In the first place, if he were to use honorifics simply because someone was powerful, that would be even less like Steel. Duke Lorval did not care about such things either and raised no objection. The situation was far too urgent for that.
“Hmm… Can you defeat me?”
“……”
“You can’t, can you? I don’t have confidence that I would survive if I were caught up in that either. The other dukes are the same. Needless to say, so are you. You would only get in the way if you went. At most, you could serve as rations to replenish their strength.”
“…”
“Damn it.”
Steel recalled the helplessness he had felt back then, when Sian had been sucked into the red hole, and cursed violently. He had lived with the confidence that he was fairly strong, but in the vast world he had seen while following his younger brother, he did not even qualify as one of the strong.
The battle was taking place dozens of kilometers away, yet its aura was enough to make his entire body go numb. His younger brother was one thing, but the creatures he was fighting were undoubtedly monstrous as well. If Steel went to help, he would only distract his brother.
“With your level of ability, you would simply die if you were caught up in that. So… go and escape. I ask you to take Ragaophe with you.”
“Hm? What are you going to do?”
The way he spoke made it sound as though Lorval and the other dukes had no intention of leaving, so Steel looked at him doubtfully. They had said it themselves: they would be of little help. There should be nothing they could do even if they went, yet Duke Lorval’s attitude did not match his words.
At that, Duke Lorval smiled and said,
“In any case, if those creatures win, we will be swept away. I don’t know what method they used, but if they can trade blows with that man called Sian on equal terms… there is no way we can defeat them. Naturally, we want Sian to win, but… if they win, where do you think they will come first?”
“…”
“They’ll come after you.”
Steel spoke with a stiff expression. The fact that they were rampaging so ferociously meant that they had escaped Lorval’s control. And they would never forgive the being who had ruled them and sat above their heads for thousands of years. It was a matter of pride. They would want to erase Lorval’s very existence.
Lorval nodded at his words and replied,
“Exactly. Well… judging by how things look, whoever wins will be left on the verge of death, but… would it not be better to prepare thoroughly? Even if they are on the brink of death, I doubt we could defeat them even if we all attacked together.”
Ragaophe’s expression hardened.
“…
“You’re planning to go berserk.”
Lorval merely smiled without answering. His refusal to deny it made it clear that he had already resigned himself to going berserk.
Steel did not know what going berserk meant, but he could tell that it was something tremendously dangerous. And that it was powerful enough to inflict considerable damage on those things called Murakans.
“Take good care of Ragaopé. Well… if I’m their next target, there’s no reason for you to be caught up in this just because you’re not of House Lorval. You must survive.”
“Damn it…”
“Don’t make such a face. If that Sian fellow wins, it’ll be a happy ending for everyone. Heh.”
Though he said that, Duke Lorval did not look particularly confident either. With a grim expression, Lorval gazed at the plains in the distance.
‘You must survive…’
That man was indispensable to the surviving humans. He was someone who could not be allowed to die in a place like this.
Lorval hardened his expression and began making preparations. He could not rely solely on going berserk. He had no idea how things would unfold, so he needed to be ready to jump in if the situation demanded it.
☆ ☆ ☆
Sian was struggling desperately, tearing apart the mad dogs rushing at him from every direction. As he fought, he noticed two things: one fortunate, and one unfortunate.
The fortunate thing was that, back in Apental, he had learned how to deal with several opponents rushing at him while targeting him.
The unfortunate thing was that these creatures had also thoroughly learned through experience how to hunt down a powerful opponent in groups.
Sian tried to break through their encirclement and face them one at a time in a rotating battle, but they were not foolish enough to open a path so easily. They clung to him with the resolve to die, maintaining their formation so that he could never escape from the center. They had never been taught anything like this, yet their formation was so cunning that Sian eventually gave up on getting out. If he forced his way out here, his blood loss would only increase. No matter how strong he was, there were over a hundred of these creatures, and none of them were pushovers. Being surrounded meant death. If he suffered a serious wound while trying to break through, they would catch him the moment he escaped and surround him again.
Sian knocked away one of the creatures rushing to bite his forearm and looked past the battle, toward the rear.
‘You damned bastards…’
Those that had suffered heavy injuries fighting him and fallen back were eagerly healing their wounds by devouring the corpses of their dead kin. Realizing that it was impossible for all of them to attack simultaneously, they were relentlessly pressuring him through a rotating battle.
At the same time, Sian immediately understood what these creatures were after. The way they fought made the answer obvious. They had no intention of defeating him while minimizing their losses. If they had, the fight would have been much easier for Sian. After all, attacks thrown while taking one’s own defense into account were inevitably weaker. An attack that kept the future in mind was far easier to block.
But none of their attacks showed the slightest concern for what came afterward. They were not trying to capture him while minimizing their losses. They were driven by the will to capture him no matter how great the cost.
‘Ah… Did I owe them a grudge in a past life or something?’
Sian wore an exhausted expression. These creatures seemed to have no attachment whatsoever to the basic condition of living beings—the will to survive. Thanks to that, Sian was forced into an even more difficult battle. They rushed him like mad, and even if they died after biting his forearm just once, they did not hesitate. If that were all they did, it would be one thing, but those that were merely injured fell back and devoured the corpses of their kin, now corpses at Sian’s hands.
Fortunately, eating the corpses did not make them stronger. But unlike Sian, whose body was steadily accumulating new wounds, those creatures ate the corpses, regenerated their bodies, and continued rushing at him without end.
The greatest problem was not the ones eating their kin. They did not grow stronger, after all. The creatures causing Sian the most trouble were those that had drunk and consumed his blood and flesh.
Crack!
‘Damn it…’
Sian cursed as he watched the creature that had bitten into one side of his forearm and torn away a mouthful of flesh. It was not the loss of his flesh that troubled him. What had truly alarmed him was the change taking place in the creature that had bitten into him.
The creature that had swallowed his blood had not healed its wounds. It had not taken a large enough amount for that. But it was more dangerous. Something was sprouting from the wounds on the creature’s back—wounds gouged open by Sian’s fists—after it had eaten his flesh and swallowed his blood.
At a glance, one might not know what it was, but Sian, fighting the creature that had rushed right up to him, could clearly identify it.
Tiny nails had begun to protrude, and beneath them was a grotesque hand. If it were given more time, another pair of arms would surely emerge from that wound. But the additional pair of arms was not the real problem. That was merely the result. What mattered was the cause that had made those arms appear.
By consuming his blood, they were opening up a new possibility.
As though delighted that this possibility had opened for it, the creature let out a mad shriek and tried to retreat. It had unlocked the possibility, but its body was in poor condition, so it intended to recover by devouring its kin behind it.
There was already more than one creature like that. That was why Sian was having an even harder time. If those creatures retreated, recovered, and returned, the battle would become even more difficult, so Sian overexerted himself to pursue them and cut off their breath. Naturally, forcing himself during such a desperate fight caused the wounds on his body to multiply.
At the same time, Sian realized why these creatures were rushing at him like mad, willing to sacrifice their own bodies just to devour him.
‘If they eat only me… that will be enough.’
A single individual that had opened up a new possibility possessed greater value than the rest of its species combined. This was partly a matter of strength, but more than that, it concerned the value that individual would possess in the future. As a new beginning, it held the possibility of elevating all its kin by an entire stage. The Murakans were attacking like this, sacrificing the thousands and tens of thousands of individuals on the plains, all to obtain that possibility. If they could just devour Sian, a new future would open for the Murakan species.
The one fortunate thing was that something within Sian was creaking and changing fiercely. He knew this sensation well. He had experienced it three times already; there was no way he could fail to recognize it.
The Great Transformation he had felt three times before was now taking place within his body for the fourth time. He was not particularly pleased. The very fact that this change was occurring showed how dire the current crisis was.
Sian gritted his teeth and continued beating the creatures away.
“Ha… damn it…”
Sian spat out a string of curses. He had fought with all his might, but he had come up just short.
In one sense, it was clearly a victory. Every one of the creatures had died except for a single individual. Moreover, while beating them to death, he had crossed another wall near the very end. If he could recover here, he would have crossed four walls and reached Beta Level 4, in the terminology of this continent.
But in the end, it was a defeat. One individual was still alive before his eyes. The creatures had eventually devoured him, then eaten the corpse of the one that had devoured him, gradually increasing the proportion of his blood within themselves as they evolved. At last, the sole survivor had finally reached Beta
3. If it survived, it would become an immensely powerful being with no one capable of standing against it.
Its body was a wreck, and Sian’s body was a wreck as well, but Sian truly lacked even the strength to twitch a single finger. The creature was dying too, but it still seemed to have enough energy to sink its nails into Sian’s body and enjoy a feast.
‘Ha… This is unbelievably futile…’
Usually, the protagonists in situations like this were conveniently rescued by their companions, but not even the tip of a nose had appeared to help him.
“Whatever… damn it. Eat well and live well!”
Sian gathered the last of his strength, shouted at it, and then began to pant.
At that moment, the creature that could not walk because both its legs had been severed was crawling toward Sian using the three remaining arms out of its four pairs. It suddenly looked around and let out a shriek.
“Hm?”
Sian had no strength even to turn his head, so he merely looked puzzled at the creature’s reaction. But he soon understood the reason.
Dozens of people came flying from the distance in an instant. They surrounded the exhausted creature and unleashed attacks that were nearly a bombardment. Though it had been weakened, it was still Beta
3. They could not approach it, and instead attacked it frenziedly to keep it from advancing.
Then Sian felt arms lifting him as he watched the scene.
“Just in time. Whew… Don’t scold me too much for carrying a man.”
A man stood smiling with the rising sun at his back. Only after seeing him did Sian finally relax.
“Whew… Aren’t you a little late, Mr. Lorval?”
“Late? You’re still alive, aren’t you? And it seems you crossed a wall as well. What timing could be more perfect than this? Now all we have to do is eliminate that creature. Get some sleep. And don’t fall in love with us just because we appeared at such a splendid moment.”
Sian wanted to ask what nonsense he was talking about, but he felt the strength drain from his entire body and lost consciousness just like that.
☆ ☆ ☆
“Whew…”
Sian felt that his body had completely recovered and sat up. At the same time, he realized it. He had now reached the final stage of the Beta level.
‘Did Krona and the Dragona reach this stage as well…?’
They probably had. If he crossed just one more stage from here… he would become a being like the legendary Broxian or the Dragona. Of course, compared to them, he was still pathetically weak. That was only natural, given the difference in how long ago they had crossed the walls.
He could feel immense power within his body. The process of crossing a wall was unbearably painful, but the power he felt inside himself after crossing one never failed to fill him with wonder.
It was enough to make him think that perhaps all that insane nonsense had been worth it. He had no intention of doing it again, but the power he felt within his body was so sweet that it could make him think such a thing.
“Maybe I really am insane… to have thoughts like that. Up we go…”
Sian shook his head to drive away his idle thoughts, rose, and looked around. Until now, he had been unable to pay any attention to the outside while recovering and bringing his body under control. If his body had sensed danger, he would have risen automatically, but judging by the fact that he had been able to devote himself entirely to recovery, Duke Lorval’s household must have succeeded in eliminating the creatures at the end.
‘What a relief…’
Though they had entered at the last moment, their timing had truly been perfect. If they had jumped in any earlier, they would have become food for the creatures’ regeneration. If they had arrived any later, they would have been completely swept away by the last Murakan after it devoured Sian and grew stronger.
“Oh? You’re awake?”
“Ah… Mr. Lorval.”
Sian greeted Lorval warmly as he entered without warning.
“How many days has it been since I collapsed?”
“Hmm… About a month, I suppose.”
“Whew… That’s a relief. It hasn’t been too long.”
He had been so focused on recovering that he had not even been able to guess how much time had passed outside. But judging by Lorval’s answer, it did not seem to have been all that long.
“What happened to the Murakan?”
At Sian’s question, Lorval answered with a smile.
“It was taken care of safely. Normally… it would have been difficult for us to kill it with our abilities, but fortunately, you had already reduced it to a near-death state, so we were able to win. I had even been prepared to self-destruct.”
“Ha… Self-destruct?”
“Well, it was nothing much. I was simply going to lure the Murakans in, then make Kiculus go berserk and blow everything up.”
“……”
He spoke as though it were nothing, but even hearing the details was terrifying.
“Well, you needn’t look at me like that. You won, didn’t you? Ha ha. Thanks to you, everyone survived. I sincerely thank you.”
“Don’t make anything that dangerous again.”
“Phew… This was unexpected. I never imagined your blood would be so powerful… When I investigated later, I found that the blood of mine mixed into them had long since been devoured completely by your blood. That was why the Murakans suddenly grew stronger and broke free of my control.”
“Ha… So that’s what happened.”
“It’s been dealt with now, so you can forget about it… Hoo.”
“Ha… Then how are we going to defend against the ones that come over from now on?”
Sian asked with a puzzled expression. If all the Murakans that had been stopping the intruders were gone, it would be a considerable burden for Duke Lorval. Yet, contrary to expectations, Duke Lorval’s expression remained peaceful.
As if he had some other plan in mind, Duke Lorval gave a sly grin and opened his mouth.
“Well… We have other methods, so don’t worry too much. The Swarm is still here, after all.”
“The Swarm?”
“That’s right. We can use them now.”
“You must have cleared out the Gernas completely.”
“There weren’t as many of them hiding in the north as I’d expected. It seems they desperately forced their way in while the barrier was down. After cleaning things up this time, the Swarm’s numbers have increased considerably as well. There was plenty of food, so in a way, the result was only natural… At this level, we should be able to hold them back somehow.”
“Oh… That’s a relief.”
“The better news is that now that they’ve been swept away, we can freely use the barrier’s energy. Heh heh.”
“Oh… Come to think of it…”
Sian realized that the barrier, which had once covered the sky and radiated a strange energy, had completely disappeared without him noticing.
“It does feel a little strange to see the barrier that lasted for three thousand years gone… But it can’t be helped. Since we took this opportunity to thoroughly clean out the interior of the continent, we should be able to concentrate our defenses on the peninsula and hold them back for the time being, even without the Murakans. The Swarms scattered throughout the region are returning here now as well. They’ll probably all arrive by today or tomorrow.”
“Congratulations.”
“On what? And this is good news for you as well.”
“Ah… Come to think of it…”
Konrad had said before that once the barrier stabilized, its energy could be diverted and used for spatial movement. If the barrier had been deactivated like this, there would be far more energy to spare.
“That’s right. You can use spatial movement now. Konrad is outside, diligently drawing the magic formation for the transference. It should probably be finished by this evening…”
“Hmm…”
At Duke Lorval’s words that he could finally return, Sian was left dumbfounded.
“Aren’t you happy? You can finally go home.”
“Well… I am happy, but hearing that it’ll be completed while I sleep makes it hard to believe.”
“Heh heh. A month isn’t a short time, is it? We’ve been quite busy while you were asleep. Preparing this and that, you know. Get some proper rest.”
“Ah… Where is Miss Still?”
Now that the situation around him had more or less been sorted out, Sian remembered Still and asked Duke Lorval where she was. Lorval answered with a smile.
“She’s training at the roots outside the tree. She’s been throwing herself into training these days.”
“Hmm…”
“Her pride must have been hurt badly by this incident. But she has talent, so she’ll grow stronger quickly. The other dukes are keeping an eye on her. Shall I call her?”
“No. I’ll go out to see her.”
Since he did not want to interrupt her training, Sian rose from the bed and followed Duke Lorval outside.
☆ ☆ ☆
“Ha! That’s not it! You have to press forward faster!”
“Grrk…”
The training ground prepared at the outer roots.
This place had been built for the dukes to spar. The peninsula’s defensive line was a place where battles broke out nearly every day, but sparring between humans had a different feel to it, so the dukes often used this training ground either as a hobby or to maintain their instincts.
Naturally, since it was a place where dukes were expected to trade blows, it had been built incredibly sturdily. The floor of the sparring ground had been made by cutting away the strongest sections of Kiculus and Lorval and coating them in layers of the dukes’ various abilities. Unless one deliberately set out to destroy it, it was sturdy enough to withstand attacks from even them—the Betas—to a considerable degree. On this training ground, which covered a kilometer in diameter and had been built from thousands of such solid planks, thunderous noises rang out.
Still was engaged in a fierce battle against a duke’s bizarre wooden roots as they attacked her.
“Grrk… What the hell is this…?”
“Heh heh. Among the ancient races, there was once a race of trees called the Antara. My ability originated from them. They must be buried beneath Kiculus over there… in the southwest.”
“Damn it…”
The roots were absurdly sturdy for mere tree roots, and Still’s attacks could barely sever them. After fiercely attacking the wooden roots, Still was ultimately unable to withstand the duke’s roots as they rapidly coiled around her. She was sent flying backward and retreated a considerable distance.
“Hoo…”
“Not so easy, is it? Their race was also the overlord that ruled the southwestern region. Though they declined after being swept away during that old Gernas incident and losing their Betas.”
“At this rate, when am I ever going to get stronger…?”
Still grumbled. Everyone and their dog was a duke or a Beta; surely she had to at least catch up to people like them. Hearing her complaint, the duke looked at Still and spoke.
“Don’t you have anything good for the body? Why not try eating something like that?”
“Something good for the body?”
Still asked, her eyes lighting up. Kiculus answered with a laugh.
“Sure, there are plenty of things like that, aren’t there? The heart of an ancient race… or perhaps one of their cores.”
“Oh…”
Come to think of it, she seemed to recall hearing Sian say that he had something like that. Still did not particularly believe that strength gained through training was one’s true strength. Results mattered more than effort, and if there was something good like that, naturally, she should eat as much of it as possible.
“I’ll have to ask my little brother when he wakes up.”
“Well… Do that, then. Shall we loosen up your body one more time?”
The moment he finished speaking, the wooden roots around Still began coiling around her. Still grumbled, but she swung the black gloves covering her fists at them.
Watching the scene from a distance so as not to disturb them, Sian fell into deep thought.
‘Something good for the body…’
He did have something like that.
And there was something he could do through these two things.
If he attempted the Inheritance through the heart containing Nekra’s power and the weapon, Miss Still would undoubtedly gain immense strength in an instant. Unlike that half-baked Kuntarian from before, Miss Still would be able to fully melt down that power and absorb it into herself. If she ate it, she could be reborn at once as an existence that had broken through the wall.
‘Then… would that solve the problem of her lifespan as well…?’
At the same time, it might resolve the troubling issue of Miss Still’s lifespan. She probably had no more than a few decades left to live.
However, since nothing was certain, Sian watched Still trading blows in the distance and began considering what he should do. Seeing him like that, Lorval asked:
“What is troubling you so deeply?”
“Ah… Well…”
Wondering whether Lorval, who had lived for so many years, might have an answer, Sian explained the situation and asked him. But the answer he received was hardly helpful.
“Hmm… If that’s the case, I’m afraid I don’t know. That isn’t my area of expertise. Fighting, perhaps, but… Besides, I don’t even know what sort of race the Kal-Gul are. From what you’ve told me, they sound like a fairly useful Rotan-level race, but…”
“I see…”
When Sian seemed disheartened at being back where he started, Lorval added one more thing.
“But I do know someone who would be well-informed about that matter.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Sian realize that the experts he needed were not far away.
“Konrad and Ragaoper should know that matter very well. Go and ask them.”
“I suppose I should. Where are they?”
“They’re probably installing the formation. Go toward the core.”
“Thank you.”
With those words, Sian launched himself into the air and disappeared.
“Hmm… The Kal-Gul. That’s a race I haven’t heard about in a long time.”
Konrad and Ragaoper, who had been modifying the magic formation, approached after seeing the heart and Karnain that Sian had brought. In particular, the fact that these belonged to Nekra, the great warrior of the Kal-Gul who had fought them, piqued their interest. After examining them from every angle and conducting experiments with spatial transference, Konrad exchanged various opinions with Ragaoper. Their thirst for knowledge seemed to have been ignited, for they left Sian standing beside them and engaged in a heated debate over Nekra’s heart. Eventually, they reached a conclusion.
“Well… There shouldn’t be any problems.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. The heart is stable, and… I don’t sense any traces of Krona or anything like that, as you described, Mr. Sian. It doesn’t seem likely that she’ll be brainwashed.”
“Hmm… Even so…”
When Sian made an uneasy expression, Ragaoper wondered what was troubling him. Then he suddenly slapped his palm.
“Ah… Is this because of the soul transfer?”
“That’s right.”
Sian then told them about the case he had witnessed before: how a man named Kuntarian’s personality had disappeared, replaced by Kalagul, a warrior of the Kal-Gul race.
Konrad and Ragaoper made sickened expressions upon hearing the story.
“What is it?”
“Hmm… From what I hear, that Kuntarian fellow happened to acquire the heart we were researching… But to beat him until he underwent soul transfer… Mr. Sian, you really are something.”
“……”
“Well… You don’t need to worry about the side effects of soul transfer.”
“Hmm? Why not?”
Sian asked with a puzzled expression as Konrad spoke so lightly of it. If a person’s entire personality disappeared, it hardly seemed like a minor side effect. Konrad smiled and replied:
“Normally, if someone receives enough external shock to undergo soul transfer… they would die before reaching that point.”
“Ah…”
“Usually, the body is destroyed first. If Miss Still were to face that kind of crisis anyway, the soul transfer wouldn’t be the issue. And when you consider such a crisis, becoming stronger would actually be far more advantageous.”
“Now that you mention it, that’s true.”
“You should be able to let her consume it without worry. Ah… If it would be uncomfortable for her to eat it as it is, shall I process it for you?”
“That’s possible?”
Sian asked with an intrigued expression. Indeed, the heart was still beating vigorously, and it hardly seemed suitable for a lady to eat. It was rather large, too.
Konrad did not answer. Instead, he began drawing something in the air. Before long, a small circle appeared, with countless patterns engraved around it. Konrad took the heart from Sian, placed it on the formation, and applied his power.
Crack. Crunch. Crrrk.
A strange noise came from the heart. It crumbled and broke apart, scattering into dust through the air. It looked as though all the dust would simply disappear, but among the particles floating in the air, those with a particularly vivid red hue swirled back into the circle Konrad had drawn. Before long, they transformed into a small stone the size of a thumbnail.
In an instant, the enormous heart vanished, leaving only a red jewel floating in the air. Konrad snatched up the red jewel and handed it to Sian.
Sian tilted his head at its familiar appearance, as if he had seen it somewhere before, then spoke as though he had realized something.
“Ah… This is…?”
“It looks familiar, doesn’t it? I refined the heart using the spatial transference art used to create a Soul-Transfer Jade. Of course, the process of creating a Soul-Transfer Jade is far more complicated and requires many additional materials… But basically, the process begins with a jewel refined from a heart like this. Since it compresses the essence of its power, it may be smaller, but there should be almost no loss of strength. Absorption will also be much faster.”
“These arts really are amazing. Thank you.”
“Think nothing of it. We’re going to finish up our work now, so… Go and feed it to her. Heh… Still won’t be someone to take lightly anymore.”
Recalling the time when he had traded blows with Nekra, Konrad…
Rad smiled. Steel couldn’t wield sorcery, so she would be weaker than Nekra, but if she became a being capable of stopping the barrier, she ought to be able to put up a decent fight.
Sian thanked him and turned away, flying toward the training grounds where Steel would be.☆ ☆ ☆
“Oh my! Sian, bringing such a present the moment you woke up. Heehee. You saw it at the training grounds, didn’t you?”
“Yes. Well, after hearing about it, I became curious and went to ask about it myself. They even processed it like this.”
Sian showed Steel the red jewel in his hand.
“Wow… They provide good service. So you’re saying there aren’t any significant side effects?”
“Well… Mr. Rad said so, didn’t he? And Miss Ragaofe said the same thing.”
“Didn’t that Ragaofe fellow say everything would be fine during the Murakan incident last time, too?”
“……”
“Well, nothing will happen. So… I just eat this and hold the sword called Karnain against my heart, right?”
“Yes. But are you really all right with this?”
Sian asked once more, clearly uneasy. Steel smiled at his words.
“What could possibly go wrong?”
“No… That’s not what I meant… Even if you become stronger in such a manner……”
Sian had been worried that Steel, who possessed such a strong pride, might find the process distasteful, but she showed no sign of that at all. Steel smiled and said,
“There’s no proper path to becoming strong. You have to seize power by any means necessary. Anything that happens later because I was too weak will be my responsibility. If there’s an opportunity to become stronger, I must take it without question. I learned that in the royal palace when I was young.”
“Huh……”
Sian nodded.
“But what about you, little brother? Are you really all right? You won’t be able to use Karnain anymore, will you?”
Sian nodded and replied,
“It was already broken. During the fight at Apendal. Please don’t feel burdened by it.”
“Hehe. After all these years, you’re finally paying me back for borrowing my armor and break—ing—it.”
“……”
“Ugh……”
“I’m joking, joking. Now, then……”
As soon as she finished speaking, Steel tossed the jewel into her mouth and swallowed it. Then she grasped Karnain, which had emerged from Sian’s palm, and brought it to her heart. Fortunately, she did not need to stab the blade into her heart. The moment she pressed Karnain’s hilt against it, a reaction began.
There was no loud noise or visible change. However, to Sian’s eyes, every change taking place inside Steel’s body was perfectly clear.
The red jewel split apart in her stomach and became red powder once more. It then began to coil through Steel’s entire body. At the same time, a fierce energy poured from Karnain, which was pressed against Steel’s heart, reacting with the red powder and rapidly spreading throughout every corner of her body.
The parameters of her body changed ferociously.
Her muscles twisted like steel, while her nerves became more sensitive and precise.
Her bones grew sturdier, and the blood flowing through her veins began to be replaced entirely with new blood, starting from the spinal cord.
The transformation did not take long. Nekra’s heart and weapon changed Steel’s entire body in an instant. Before long, all the power of the red powder had been exhausted, and the transformation came to an end.
Sian, who had been watching the entire process anxiously, cautiously spoke once it was over.
“Hmm… Miss Steel?”
“……”
Steel did not answer. She looked over her body from one side to the other, then began throwing punches and kicks. Her fists and feet shot out with power on an entirely different level from before.
Steel twisted her body around with an extremely satisfied expression, then looked at Sian and grinned.
“Wow… I guess people really do need to make sure they eat things that are good for their bodies.”
“Phew… You scared me.”
Sian had been worried that another personality might have taken over her, but upon hearing Steel’s cheerful voice, he sighed in relief.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with me. Hehe. This is so exciting!”
Seeing Miss Steel hopping up and down, it seemed she was quite pleased with her newly acquired strength. The sight made Sian smile, glad that he had given it to her.
“Aren’t you going to use Karnain?”
Steel did not seem particularly interested in Karnain, so Sian asked with a puzzled expression. Steel’s face immediately turned displeased.
“You said that thing was broken.”
“It should still be useful for carrying your gauntlets. It will certainly be more convenient than wearing them around your neck.”
“Oh, you’re right. I can keep them in here. Nitzmatan can go back to you, little brother.”
Sian had given her Nitzmatan because she needed somewhere to store her gauntlets, but now that she had another option, it was better to switch them. He exchanged the necklace with Steel.
“Hmm… Gauntlets really are the best. Even if that Karnain thing hadn’t been broken, I think I would have used gauntlets.”
Sian laughed as Steel smacked her hands together. Just then, he saw an enormous silver tide approaching from far away.
“Good heavens… There are an incredible number of Swarm. And they seem to have grown even stronger……”
The Swarm army approaching from the distance boasted numbers incomparable to those they had possessed when protecting the Margrave of Carltonheim. It did not seem possible for their numbers to have multiplied so greatly in such a short time, so the Swarm stationed throughout the region must have all been returning.
The most unusual thing was the tremendous energy they contained.
“Where did they get that kind of energy……”
“Hehe. Now that we no longer need the barrier, we can make full use of all that energy.”
“Ah, Mr. Kiculus.”
It seemed Kiculus had been the one directing the Swarm. Leaping through the middle of the swarm and flying toward the tree, Kiculus answered Sian’s question.
“We’ll have to use that to hold them back now. I traveled around the various regions and gathered every last bit of surplus Akra remaining in Kiculus. By the way… I heard the news. Whew… You’ve had a hard time.”
“It was nothing… I’m fine. More importantly, with that many… they’ll definitely be of help.”
The arriving Swarm began entering beneath the enormous Kiculus, Lorval, one after another. Since the tree itself was so colossal, even their tremendous numbers were all able to pass beneath it.
Seeing the massive energy contained within the Swarm, it seemed they could hold out to some degree even without Murakan. They were somewhat lacking compared to Murakan, but they would not be overwhelmed with that much power. Besides, Sian did not know what they intended to do with the energy being added to the barrier, but it would surely help their defense rather than harm it.
Watching the reinforcements arrive, Sian felt more at ease and began looking forward to going home.☆ ☆ ☆
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Sian awoke in the middle of the night when he felt an immense tremor reverberate throughout Kiculus, Lorval.‘…
What is it this time……?’
Sian had reached the point where any unusual event immediately made him anxious. Moreover, this was not a mere energy fluctuation that could be ignored. It was a truly colossal wave of energy. Compared to this, the explosion was nothing more than a child’s prank. If it burst forth, Sian felt that even he would suffer considerable damage.
But Sian did not worry about that. The force carried within the energy told him that the phenomenon occurring now was not intended to cause destruction.‘Still, I’m uneasy…….’
Judging by the sheer amount of energy, it was clear that something far from minor was happening. Sian was about to fly toward the direction in which the energy was moving, but he first went to find Miss Steel, concerned about her.
Miss Steel had also been awakened by the disturbance and was looking around in all directions, wondering what was happening.
“Sian? What kind of trouble did you cause this time?”
“……”
Hearing the first words that sprang from Steel’s mouth the instant she saw him, Sian spoke with a sullen expression.
“When you put it that way, I sound like some sort of god of calamity. I came out because I was startled, too.”
“Hmm… Suspicious……”
“More importantly… It doesn’t seem particularly dangerous.”
“Apparently not… Nobody’s running away.”
“Let’s go over there first.”
The dukes were standing still, watching the situation unfold, so it seemed the danger was not as great as he had thought. Sian and Steel flew in that direction.