'Yes, now that I think about it, it was strange.'
The Church is one of the largest forces on the continent.
It's hard to believe that such a place couldn't find even one fragment in hundreds of years.
Of course, unless the Immortal King is a fool, he would have set difficult conditions and spread them so they wouldn't fall into the Order's hands.
That's why the Order missed two of them.
But it's The Church we're talking about.
It's unbelievable that they haven't found a single one so far.
"Of course, we don't guard from the Glorious Guardian to the inner areas. What we block is just the gateway. The higher-ups will take care of managing that directly."
"···I see. Then there's no need to tell me this specifically...?"
"It's because of the Blessing of Silence. Plus, isn't it better to know what we're protecting for more proactive defense? Sir Landguard knows too, right? With the appearance of the Immortal King's descendant, how important it is to protect the last fragment."Indeed.
How much Hans, the descendant of the Immortal King, is contemplating how to find the last fragment.
'But now I don't need to worry.'
Instead, a new concern has arisen.
For the past few months, Heinrich knows well how strict the security has been from the holy land to the great temple.
Recovering a fragment in the innermost part of the Rosellia Grand Temple, secured with ironclad security, is practically impossible, needless to say.
"And initially, entering the Glorious Guardian means you're a trusted person. It seems the higher-ups think highly of you."
"Hahaha... I am receiving more attention than I deserve."
"Seeing your growth, it's impossible not to support you. Hmm, then let me show you your workstation. Follow me."
With that, Lyrin got up from her seat and headed towards the door leading outside.
Heinrich hurriedly followed her out of the room.
"It's cumbersome, right? Since we can only speak in designated places, but... it's necessary."
The room they were in was part of the complicated 'procedure' they had gone through earlier.
Probably that place wasn't an ordinary room either.
"Why don't you try saying something? Of course, you can't leave it in writing."
"Right... That..., ...!"
Just as she said, Heinrich tried to speak but not a single word came out of his mouth.
"You can't leak it anyway, but from now on, be careful with your words and actions. If you suddenly become speechless, it will look suspicious. Just think of it as a secret only you know. A secret that should never be told to anyone else!"
"...Yes! I understand. I'll keep it to myself."
Heinrich nodded heavily with a stern face.
As if swearing to take the secret to his grave.
Yes, he never intended to disclose it to anyone else from the beginning.
This fact should be known only to 'me'.
Absolutely no intention of revealing it to others.
***
[Rosellia Grand Temple's inner sanctum... If I had just tried to find it, I would have never found it in my lifetime.]
In a secret research facility deep in the forest of monsters.
In that place full of eeriness, one Archlich sighed.
He was Hans, the target of the Order's life-or-death pursuit and the one who must never learn the information about the last fragment.
The descendant of the Immortal King, Hans.
After completing his research on Halli's enhancement, he finally entered into free research and stumbled upon unexpected information, which plunged him into contemplation.
[What a headache. It seems like there's nothing I can do about this right now, is there?]
Even if Hans was incredibly strong now, it was still too much to directly invade the heart of the Order.
He had no way of knowing what kind of defenses were inside.
[Well, there's really no need to rush anyway. The issue will resolve itself over time. If I wait, an opportunity will come soon enough. Kekeke...]
He wasn't alone in this.
Now that he had located the last fragment, all he needed to do was wait for the right moment and continue building his foundation.
His current research was also crucially important.
[This too is a part of the preparation for that time. First, I need to find a way to definitively shake off the Saintess's pursuit. It's frustrating not being able to act properly because I'm stuck inside the barrier.]
He already had a rough plan in place.
It was still a matter needing more time, but there was no need to rush since he had plenty of time.
After all, the enhancement of Halli, his immediate goal, was progressing smoothly.
***
In a forest located a considerable distance from Hans's secret research facility.
Rustle—
A black panther dropped like lightning from the dense trees above.
Its target was a foolish human standing alone.
The human, still unaware of the panther's attack, showed no reaction to the sudden assault.
Or so it seemed...
"Kahat! No chance!"
The moment the panther dropped onto his head, Halli had already turned around to face the panther.
His pointed ears perked up.
The black panther, realizing its surprise attack had failed, swiftly extended its front paws, but Halli just bared his teeth in a fierce smile.
He was already ready for battle.
Crack—
In an instant, his right arm swelled enormously, and five blade-like claws sprang from his fingertips.
"Hoof!"
"Roar—!"
The combined shouts of the human and the beast clashed.
The panther's paw swung towards Halli's head, but he dodged by ducking and deflected its trajectory with his densely muscled left arm.
This was a technique from the "Holy Warrior Combat Skills" that Heinrich found very useful.
Then, with his swollen hand, he grabbed the exposed neck of the panther.
Crunch! Squeeze—!
"Kek!"
The five blade-like claws on his large hand did more than just pierce the panther's neck.
Scratch—
The claws tore through flesh and scraped bones.
Thud!
The battle was decided in a single exchange.
The black panther collapsed, its neck flesh torn away, while Halli remained unscathed.
"Kiya~! What a thrill!"
To think that an opponent I once fought for my life against was now crushed in his grip.
Halli's rapid growth was largely influenced by Heinrich.
The blood left behind by his prey served as a robust nutrient for Halli.
Of course, he couldn't obtain all the powers and the source of Heinrich's strength, the blood magic, but Heinrich's body, enhanced through "Hybrid Evolution," was far from ordinary.
"Shall we begin then!"
The muscles in his swollen right arm compressed, making the arm sleeker.
Then, he thrust his arm straight into the heart of the black panther.
Swoosh— Squelch!
The magic stone of the black panther came out attached to his sharp-clawed hand.
After casually shaking off the blood, he chewed the crystal, about the size of a child's fist, with his shark-like densely packed teeth.
Crunch! Crackle— Crunch!
'I guess black panthers aren't very effective anymore?'
"Mutation" is a trait that involves evolving by acquiring various types of genes.
Eating the same species over and over inevitably leads to diminishing returns.
The reason for extracting and eating magic stones was simple.
It was the most efficient way to meet the conditions for "Mutation."
'If I could get my hands on a Dragon Heart, that would be ideal.'
A Dragon Heart, the ultimate magic stone.
Naturally, there were neither sellers nor known locations for such an item.
It might be held somewhere, but there was no way for me to access such information.
[The entity has gained enlightenment through repeated actions. Skill 'Ghastly Consumption' acquired.]
As Halli was finishing the black panther's magic stone, a familiar notification appeared before his eyes.
"Oh? This skill suits me perfectly!"
'Ghastly Consumption' was a useful skill that allowed him to eat more easily, quickly, and in larger amounts.
As a side effect, it also accelerated digestion, aiding in energy replenishment, which was a nice bonus.
'······.'
But, there was something that had been bothering me lately...
"Wahaha—!"
A hearty laugh burst out unknowingly.
It wasn't particularly funny, but somehow Halli couldn't help laughing.
'It seems like Halli's personality has become a bit strange since acquiring "Mutation"...'
Should it be described as hearty or tough?
"Pff... Hahaha!"
'It's outright psychotic.'
Normally, he was quite alright, but during combat or upon seeing blood, he would invariably change like this.
The repeated human experiments and the skills obtained from them must have had a significant impact on the avatar's personality.
Given that, it was clearly a self-inflicted situation, leaving no room to blame others.
'Hmm... Continuing like this, it seems like it might not be so bad in its own way.'
Laughing heartily like this made him feel refreshed.
...Maybe it's not so bad after all?
<Entity Information>
- Entity Name: Halli
- Common Traits: 'Mind Hub', 'Persona', 'Clear Reflection'
- Unique Traits: 'Mutation', 'Physical Mutation', 'Regeneration', 'Ghastly Consumption'
- Notable Points: The body has adapted to mutation through various experiments. Evolves into the optimal combination with each new gene acquired, and mutates the body based on that information. Adapts to extreme environments by changing form accordingly.
'Physical Mutation' is an excellent ability that allows the body to change through various combinations of the possessed genes.
The only downside might be the rapid consumption of calories each time it's used.
But thanks to that, Halli was able to engage in such activities.
Crack, snap—!
His muscles swelled and his bones thickened throughout his body.
His shoulders widened and his view rose higher.
After a while,
Halli had transformed into a muscular giant, towering over 2 meters.
"Indeed, a larger stature is advantageous in a fight. At least I should be this big!"
He tore off his tight-fitting shirt, bursting into a hearty laugh again.
'I’ve experimented with various adjustments, but to fully utilize Halli’s abilities, increasing his size seems beneficial.'
Monsters, including demonic beasts, convert the mana within their bodies into robust vitality, exhibiting destructive power beyond physical limits.
A strength unattainable by a human body.
While Halli still maintained a human appearance on the outside, his bones and muscles had become indistinguishable from those of demonic beasts.
Their bodies, specialized solely for slaughter, boasted far superior performance than humans.
Gurgle—
As a downside, the energy efficiency was extremely poor, but now it was manageable thanks to the 'Ghastly Consumption' skill.
'Ah, but the hunger is immense, especially with the aftereffects of "Physical Mutation."'
Drool began to flow from Halli's mouth.
His gaze was fixed on the black panther lying on the ground.
'...With "Ghastly Consumption," it should be fine, right?'
Now that he could digest anything without issues.
And conveniently, there was something to satiate his hunger right here.
Rip—!
Halli tore off one of the black panther's forelegs, skinned it roughly, and hungrily devoured it.
The raw flesh of the beast was torn by his sharp teeth.
Blood dripped down.
Halli's mouth and chest were already soaked in blood.
'...No, this really does seem insane.'
Normally, I try not to interfere with each avatar's personality, but Halli seemed to require special management.
Continuously monitoring his words and actions would be tiring, but with his current tendencies, forming normal human relationships seemed impossible.
He's not a barbarian, what's all this...?
'Huh? Barbarian?'
The Outerica dimension, where various races and species coexist.
Naturally, barbarians existed here too.
And they formed quite a significant force.
In the barren lands of the southern continent, there was even a tribal federation state of barbarians.
'Barbarians... barbarian warriors... that might actually work.'
A large physique and tattoos scattered across his body.
Laughing heartily, smashing enemies' skulls with a giant ax, quenching his thirst with the blood of his prey.
"Oh! That's good?!"
Halli, who was munching on his meal, roared excitedly again.
So I focused on controlling him to eat his meat quietly, while reorganizing my thoughts.
'I heard that even barbarians have been exposed to culture nowadays, and it's not like this anymore... But well, every society has its eccentrics.'
The rough, wild barbarian warrior Halli.
Somehow, it felt right.
After my school days, the dormant spirit of a gamer within me began to surge once again.
'First, I need to make a helmet out of the hide of the demonic beast's head, and then gather ornaments like a bone necklace and a big ax.'
It was a look full of bias and personal whims.
A stereotype of fashion that would make the cultured men of the modern southern generation shudder.
If they saw it, they would probably make a fuss, saying it reinforces prejudices about the southern barbarians as a whole.
Of course, I had no intention of considering their sentiments.
'It’s good that Heinrich learned ax skills. He can use an ax in front of others and resort to "Physical Mutation" when alone.'
Isn’t it enough if I am having fun?
"Haha! This is exciting! Shall we keep moving?!"
Having finished eating the foreleg, Halli tossed away the bone. His leg muscles swelled as he leapt up and dashed through the forest.
His eyes had sharpened like those of a predator, and his nose and ears twitched ceaselessly, scanning the surroundings for information.
Before moving to another area, the priority was to acquire as many genes of the local demonic beasts as possible.
***
For about a month,
With the help of the undead, Halli hunted all kinds of demonic beasts in the vicinity, gathering their genetic information. He was now ready to move on to a new location.
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