“…Are you insane?”
Loreal asked , her expression one of utter disbelief.
“What are you going to do with sothing that’s just a skeleton of bones and circuits? Planning to turn into a skeleton knight or sothing?”
She seed sowhat annoyed.
For soone like her—an artist in her own right—it was only natural that completing a piece would an covering it with perfect skin as a finishing touch.
But I am different.
I don’t need the skin.
Instead of explaining in words, I took my arm and pressed it against a nearby knife.
— Slash!
A deep line of blood appeared across my skin.
“What the hell are you doing!?”
Before Loreal could say anything more, my wound began to heal, slowly closing up.
“…Huh?”
Clearly startled, she asked.
“Are you so kind of troll?”
“No, I’m not.”
In truth, my Super Regeneration ability isn’t much different from that of monsters known for their healing, like trolls.
I could even regenerate a hand if it were completely severed.
However, since the form of my hand was currently mangled beyond recognition, Super Regeneration alone wouldn’t suffice.
By combining it with various healing thods, such as divine power, I could recover quickly.
“I want to buy this.”
It was a proposal to purchase the incomplete product she had been working on.
It was only natural for Loreal to fall into deep thought.
As a top-tier professional, she surely had a perfectionist streak.
And that’s exactly why I was the perfect candidate.
“You ntioned having trouble finding the right biological material for this item, didn’t you?”
“…Yes.”
“I’m probably your best option.”
Loreal’s gaze fell to my now-healed arm.
She sighed deeply before speaking.
“You’re right. My work would reach its highest level of perfection with you.”
“Indeed.”
“But to use my creation as a frawork, covering it with your own flesh through your regenerative ability? That’s sothing I’ve never considered.”
“I imagine so. Are you afraid? That your work might cause rejection when integrated with my body?”
Her eyes deepened as she looked at .
“…Yes, that thought did cross my mind. But your question made things clear.”
“Clear in what way?”
“I’m confident now. My creation won’t cause any rejection in you. It’ll fool even your body into believing it’s part of you.”
She nodded.
“Fine. I’ll sell it to you.”
I planned to acquire the core component of Loreal’s masterpiece.
And at an incredibly reasonable price.
If I had fists right now, I’d have clenched them in triumph and pumped them into the air.
Too bad I didn’t.
She returned with a notebook and a pair of round, short glasses, scribbling sothing down.
“The material cost is 750 million Krone. That’s the base price.”
“Understood.”
“The processing fee… I’ll set it at 100 million Krone.”
This was Loreal, the best alchemist. At that price, it was practically a giveaway.
“To prevent any potential rejection, I’ll add so coatings and blessings. That’s another 100 million.”
“Sounds good.”
“And finally, a warranty. I’ll cover repairs for as long as this workshop stands. That’s an additional 100 million.”
“…”
“That makes the total 1.05 billion Krone.”
I glanced at Loreal.
Her expression wasn’t one of soone trying to rip off. She was genuinely giving a fair deal.
And indeed, she was.
She was offering the core part of a product worth 10 billion Krone for just 1.05 billion.
Honestly, even if I bowed a hundred tis to thank her, it wouldn’t be enough.
“Could you cut 50 million off the price? Student discount.”
She stared at , dumbfounded, before finally responding.
“…Fine.”
“Thank you.”
“But on one condition.”
“…?”
“Make sure to co back next ti.”
Though I’d prefer to avoid losing my hand again, I nodded for now.
◆
Several days passed since then.
The outdoor training grounds of the academy.
Today’s training objective was to destroy solid granite.
— Swhiiiing!
An invisible bullet of Ether surged forward at incredible speed.
BANG!
The sonic boom lasted for only a mont before the bullet collided with the rock, unleashing a massive impact.
— KABOOM!
The explosion shattered the granite into fragnts, sending chunks tumbling to the ground with a loud crash.
The sheer force left the onlookers pale-faced as they observed from a distance.
“Hmm.”
Satisfied with the blast, I glanced at my new hand.
Though it was technically a “new” hand, it looked no different from my old one.
Clack-clack.
I flexed my fingers one by one.
Not a trace of unfamiliarity—it felt just as natural as before.
I clenched my restored hand into a fist.
‘…This feels amazing.’
It was as if my hand had been liberated from so unseen restraint.
Like removing a filter, I could now feel the flow of mana through my hand with vivid clarity, allowing for incredibly precise control.
It was akin to viewing every detail of my mana through a microscope, making even the mana I released more refined and forceful.
As Loreal had claid, all my mana-related abilities seed to have improved by at least 20%.
It wasn’t just a new hand—it felt more like gaining a new “eye” for magic.
“Whoo.”
This hand was the result of combining Loreal’s frawork and mana circuits, my Super Regeneration, and Elena’s divine healing powers.
The effort had paid off.
“…No matter how many tis I see it, it’s unbelievable, nyah.”
“Brother is a grand mage, after all!”
Danya and Elena, who had tagged along to watch, were now gushing with excitent.
Watching the two of them chatter away—both about the sa height—it was hard to tell them apart from real sisters.
Danya ran over to , pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and bringing it to my face.
“It’s fine, Danya. I have hands now, see?”
As I tried to grab her hand, she smacked the back of mine.
“Stay still, nyah! I was prepared to be your hands for life, you know.”
Standing on her tiptoes, she carefully wiped my face.
“Thank you, Danya.”
“I’m the one who should be thanking you!”
Her sense of responsibility and determination shone through.
Danya truly was a good person.
Ah, now that I think about it, there’s sothing I’ve been aning to ask her.
“Danya, have you ever felt sothing like this when you were in your cat form?”
“…What kind of feeling?”
“Hold on.”
I retrieved a mory I’d tucked away in a corner of my mind.
During my fight with Evan, there had been a mont when I reverse-engineered one of his techniques.
Reverse-engineering ant I had fully analyzed his technique.
At the ti, his overwhelming talent had made it seem impossible for to replicate.
‘I’ve got the feel for it now.’
With the hand I’d purchased from Loreal—my “second magic eye”—my magical sensitivity had reached a whole new level.
Now, I felt confident I could recreate that sensation.
Of course, Evan’s magic had been fueled by “blood magic,” which absorbed the life force and blood of others.
I, on the other hand, used my own mana.
Specifically, the pure essence of Earth elental energy, which now rested within , having grown to the size of a heart.
The mana was endlessly pristine, flowing through as I used my body as a circuit to circulate it slowly.
After thousands of repetitions and training since my possession, my senses had beco finely honed.
I layered a new interpretation on top of this familiar foundation.
It wasn’t my magic, but soone else’s—a wholly alien spell.
I mapped the flow of Evan’s reverse-engineered circuits onto my body, tracing the unfamiliar paths.
The first attempts were like carving a new route.
— Rumble!
Mana surged forward, forcefully breaking through occasional blockages.
The flow was rough, but everything was still under my control, happening within my body.
I carefully manipulated the circuits, gradually completing the shape and concept of the spell.
Flash!
The instant the spell took its final form, I swiftly adjusted the circuits within my highly sensitive hand.
Shadows are born from the earth; thus, the earth is their higher concept.
My hand acted as a command tool.
I oscillated and rotated the mana, creating countless vibrations and waves.
The result was a streaming flow of mana.
And that was magic.
From my fingertips, bright earthen-colored mana unraveled like threads, coiling and gathering.
— Caw!
The mass of mana coalesced and took flight—a bird.
An earthen-colored raven.
No, not quite.
Unlike Evan’s raven, this creature resembled a hawk.
A hawk of earthen hue.
It soared high, circling above our heads in wide arcs.
“…!!!”
Danya and Elena, watching intently, stared with wide, astonished eyes.
— Caw!
The hawk’s cry echoed, spreading gentle ripples through the air. Danya, captivated, murmured softly.
“…It’s the sa, nyah.”
“Really?”
“Yes, except while his raven was dark and ominous, this hawk feels warm and strong, nyah.”
The bird, after all, was a dium Evan had used for his dark magic.
“Well, that’s good.”
It ant I now had the foundation to use Evan’s dark arts.
◆
Evan’s death had beco a catalyst for shifts in the continent’s political landscape.
The balance of power between the continent’s two dominant forces—the Empire and the Holy See—had been increasingly strained.
The death of a high-ranking Bloodstone Cult officer, universally regarded as an “absolute evil,” was a politically significant event.
And it wasn’t just any officer—it was their fifth-ranking leader.
While news of this event was carefully controlled to prevent widespread public awareness, a flurry of political maneuvering had already begun beneath the surface. ʀä𐌽o͍ВĘȿ
The Empire acted swiftly, seizing the opportunity to craft a narrative of heroism.
If academy cadets were responsible for the death of a Bloodstone Cult officer, it would serve as an excellent propaganda tool.
Thus, the Empire began preparations for their so-called “hero-making” project.
anwhile…
Holy Constantine.
The Vatican moved to counter the Empire’s plans.
“Ian Blackangers. This man has defied the will of Deus. Ahaha!”
They sent none other than their inquisitors to intervene.
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