Chapter 74
"Master Caron, this is..."
"Yes, the information seems accurate. Someone is undergoing physical assimilation."
What followed was a tedious continuation of tracking.
By the seventh day, the number of disappearing rats' corpses had increased dramatically.
It had given up running and chosen to fight instead.
Or rather, it had been forced into that situation.
And now, Caron confirmed the death of another rat.
He stripped off its clothes to examine its condition.
Every part of their body, from organs to skin to each finger, was intact.
This meant it was being pursued so relentlessly that it couldn't even mutilate the bodies.
'We're almost there.'
Caron immediately sprang into action.
After three days of relentless pursuit without eating or sleeping, he finally found it.
'Such a vast space exists here.'
A shabby house where a brother and sister had been staying.
A tunnel leading underground from there.
Following the tunnel, he came upon a space so vast it was hard to believe.
He sent a cuckoo to reveal the location before entering.
And then, he encountered it. Just looking at it was maddening.
A black mage emitting a terrible demonic energy.
"Kuku! What's this? How did a mere human find this place..."
Crack!
"Oh, opting for assassination right away. Not in the mood for a chat, are you? Why not keep me alive for information..."
Crunch!
"Aaaargh!"
Caron had initiated the fight without a moment's hesitation.
His dagger plunged into the black mage's shoulder.
No.
'Bitten by something!?'
Caron hastily withdrew his hand holding the dagger.
Then.
Crunch!
The dagger broke. More precisely.
Crunch, crunch.
The black mage's shoulder began to chew and consume the dagger.
Through the hole in the robe, Caron saw it.
A demon's mouth attached to the shoulder.
"Kuku! Not suitable for a meal, am I? You should at least have given me a hand."
"..."
"Ah, wait. I've seen your face somewhere before? Kuku, where was it? If I remember you, you must be quite something."
Click, click.
Squelch, squelch.
Rumble.
Screech!!
The black mage, covered in a robe.
Unintelligible sounds came from his body.
Caron knew. His body was...
Full of demons assimilated into it.
"Ah, thanks for telling me. Caron! Right, that was the name! The Empire's rat! I heard you're such an extraordinary rat that the word 'Empire' is attached to you. Right?"
"...Who are you?"
"Oh! Finally up for a chat? Kuku! Ah, stay still! You're too spirited!"
Insane.
Caron thought that word alone was insufficient.
Not only did he attach demons to his body, but he also conversed with them.
Truly, a completely insane person.
"Greetings! I am Lucius Black! The one who will recreate this world!"
"..."
"What? Who tells their real name, you insane? What? Use the nickname Lizbeth gave me? What? What if I mention Lizbeth's name?"
Caron recorded this information in his mind.
Recreation of the world, Lucius Black, Lizbeth.
The truly insane one was spilling lots of information.
Had he known this, he would have conversed earlier.
Then, he could have extracted more information. "Yes! I am the genius creator! What? Not that but the creator of madness? I see. I am the creator of madness who will change the world!"
The black mage gasped for breath and then shut his mouth.
It seemed he had finished introducing himself.
"...I am Caron. The one who will tear you apart."
"Good to meet you, Caron! But I'm a bit busy, you see! Hmm, right! Not a good match, they say. Demons telling me to run away! What a cowardly thing to do!"
Who said anything about letting you go?
Caron crossed his arms. In each crossed hand, he held a dagger.
Above them, a black blade energy fiercely erupted.
Caron's fifth original secret technique.
Black Fang Snatch.
Whoosh! Crash!
The black mage had barely prepared before the strike was launched.
But Caron was taken aback.
'What is this! The sword energy isn't embedding?'
Sword energy, a technique only usable by a 9-star knight.
He blocked it with his bare body.
Soon, Caron figured out why.
Shreds of demonic flesh writhing through the torn clothes.
It was clear that these had blocked the attack.
That's when it happened.
An unknown piece of flesh rapidly contracted.
At the same time, blood spurted from the black mage's body.
Aaaaargh-!
Of course, not every attack was blocked.
Strikes delivered from all directions to the entire body.
Although it was unclear what it was, it seemed obvious that it couldn't protect the entire body.
"Kuku! Two of my friends are gone! It's okay! I can fill it up with other friends! Then, I must be going!"
The surprising thing was that the black mage was still intact.
Even though blood gushed out as if from a fatal wound.
'The body I cut was that of the demon.'
It was clear the screams were from the demon.
What kind of twisted body was this.
Caron adjusted his grip on the dagger and assumed a stance.
"Do you think I will let you go?"
"Kukuku! The experiment was a success! Now, only time is left! That's enough for me."
Kwang!
Suddenly, the wall beside them exploded and something burst out.
It was 'something' that had fused human and demon.
"Behold! This is the new being that will change the world! From now on, I shall call you Chimera!"
Uoooooo-!!
A shockwave filled with magical energy.
He had to duck and pull up mana to protect his entire body.
But Caron chose to charge.
The creator of madness, Sirius Black.
He couldn't let him escape.
'Got you!'
It was when Caron's dagger reached his neck.
Kwang!!
An explosion occurred near the neck.
The recoil slammed Caron against the wall.
"Keke! How about my creation! The human body has too many weaknesses! That's why I attached demon friends like this! How is it! Impressive, right?"
Caron used an artifact to extinguish the fire on his body and heal his wounds.
In this brief moment of distraction.
"I'd love to play more, but I'm being told to run away. Looks like the rats are coming. Haha! Then, goodbye! See you next time, friend Caron!"
Thus, the creator of madness left.
Laughing madly.
* * *
The creator of madness vanished like the wind.
Caron, watching his retreating figure, shifted his gaze.
'Demons attached to the legs and thighs too.'
In that case, he couldn't follow with his injured speed.
Even if he managed to follow, there was a problem.
He couldn't be confident of defeating that insane man.
'If I die without giving information about him... that would lead to an even worse outcome.'
Information is power and a weapon.
Therefore, Caron decided to focus on the task at hand.
The fusion of human and demon left by the creator of madness.
'Chimera, is it?'
A slightly lean body compared to its height of over 3 meters.
It seemed to walk on two legs.
But seeing human arms and legs attached here and there on the arms, legs, and torso, it was impossible to call it bipedal.
'How many humans were attached to this one body?'
Caron took out a potion from his pocket and threw it at the creature.
It was holy water filled with divine power.
Clang!
Hiss-.
The flesh sizzled but that was it.
The Chimera didn't scream, show pain, or even charge.
It reacted as if water had been poured on it.
That's right. It had no effect.
Caron frowned.
'The worst.'
Not noticing him blended into the darkness.
The Chimera moved only a little, without any special action.
Perhaps it was uncomfortable to move.
With human heads, torsos, arms, and legs attached here and there on the body.
It was impossible to move properly with parts clashing whenever it moved.
Caron kept observing the Chimera.
He needed information about its activities.
'...What's this feeling of foreignness?'
Suddenly, Caron felt a sense of alienation.
The experimental subjects he met while tracking the creator of madness, those who failed to become Chimeras.
Similar yet different from them.
'The identity of this foreignness...'
That was the clue to uncover what exactly a Chimera is.
Caron intuitively felt it.
"Please, save me..."
Crazy bastard.
Caron muttered to himself inwardly.
Because among the humans attached to the Chimera's body, many were speaking.
Living humans were fused to a demon's body.
Caron scrutinized the Chimera again.
Humans attached to a demon's body, still breathing.
Only then did Caron realize. That it wasn't.
Humans with demons fused to their bodies, but rather.
Humans fused to a demon's body.
'All the experimental subjects I've seen so far were based on humans. But this one, the demon is the core!'
That's why he felt the sense of alienation.
Why? Why suddenly switch to a demon as the base, and why was the experiment immediately successful?
'What benefit is there in attaching a fragile human body to a demon?'
Caron's mind raced.
Clues given by Zero, the black mage's research, humans, demons, divine power, and.
'The heart.'
Caron finally realized.
'It's about moving the demon with human blood. That's why divine power doesn't work!'
Removing all the demon's blood and replacing it with human blood, using the human heart to circulate it.
This would maintain the demon's strong physique while making the body immune to divine power.
The heart of a demon and that of a human are incomparably different in power.
It was overcome by sheer quantity.
By attaching dozens of humans to a demon's body!
'But it doesn't end there.'
What if one could remove all the cumbersome human heads, torsos, arms, and legs, and just insert the human heart into a demon's body?
The Chimera would become the ultimate killing tool.
'Damn.'
He had figured out what the Chimera was, and how it was intended to be used.
Now, the only thing left was to confirm if the assumption was correct.
'Has the investigation team not arrived yet?'
It would be ideal to investigate while keeping it alive.
Eating, reproduction, range of behavior, activity, strengths, weaknesses, and so on.
All these reactions could be observed.
It was essentially an experiment.
Caron silently waited for the investigation team.
"Please, save me..."
It was the voice of a human attached to the Chimera.
Regrettably, there was no help for it. Saving them was impossible.
Waiting until the investigation team arrived and then conducting the experiment.
It would be a great help to humanity.
They were making a noble sacrifice for humanity.
"No..."
That's when it happened. He spoke again.
Save me, no.
"Kill me."
...!
Caron, drawing his dagger, rushed in like lightning.
Poof!
'To use a human turned into an experimental subject for further experimentation. Are you sane?'
Caron began to kill the humans attached to the Chimera, no.
The Chimera began to resist.
Every attack was fierce.
Using even demonic magic, the demon's ability, to pressure Caron.
But Caron had no intention of backing down.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five, six, seven, eight...!
Thud!
The Chimera fell. At the same time, Caron murmured.
"...Twenty-two."
That was the number of humans Caron had just killed.
It felt filthy.
'Demons forcing humans to kill each other.'
The power of the Chimera was one thing, but the revulsion was another level.
Even for Caron, accustomed to killing, this was extreme; for ordinary people, it would be an immense pressure.
"A terrible creation."
It was no different from creating despair.
Creating a mad existence that brings despair upon despair.
"Master Caron!"
"Are you alright!"
"...Hold this place until the investigation team arrives. Leave only the minimum personnel and search the area."
The exploration of the cave began.
They moved as carefully as possible, aware that there might be Chimeras.
And soon, they reached it.
True despair.
--TL Notes--
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