Banished from the herd, I was actually a member of a very rare species. ~With the unique skills that only I can use, I can grow and evolve quickly. I will become an unrivaled monster~ - Episode 130: The Call to Arms

Episode 130: The Call to Arms

(Note: Special for this chapter the MC’s dialogue is written in ‘…..’. And telepathic conversation is /…../)

Clang, clang, clang.  

With each step down the narrow spiral staircase, the girl next to me made a high-pitched sound with her shoes. The noise echoed well in the cramped space. I was moving through the air… so I didn’t make any sound.

“Did you manage to get Fisu to forgive you?”  

‘Well, sort of.’  

“That’s what happens when you don’t confess quickly.”

A few days ago, I had revealed that I was a magical beast, and Fisu had been quite angry. She also seemed to have noticed my magical training with Paula, which I had kept secret. Things had been awkward for a while. However, we had managed to reconcile. So the only reason Paula was with me now wasn’t due to any fallout, but simply because of our roles. Fisu and Xanthos were waiting in the city in case I lost.

‘I’m going to make a small detour, unlocking the door now.’  

I used my |Mana| to interact with the cleverly disguised door-like artifact hidden in the inner wall of the spiral staircase, unlocking it. Behind the sliding door was a room filled with countless monitors and devices, along with a single figure… not a person, but a pseudo-magical construct.

“You need to hurry up, or we won’t be able to teleport together.”

“That’s none of your business. I’m currently conducting a final check and plan to move when the time comes.”

There stood the one known as the Sage. Technically, even on the day we first met, the real body was present right here. And what we encountered was merely a terminal mimic.

‘… So, the real body is also a pseudo-magical construct.’  

“Please don’t analyze it on your own; it’s against etiquette.” 

‘I’m not analyzing it; my [Skill] automatically reveals the position of artifacts. Besides, if it were analyzed, I’d know it.’

The general-purpose Sovereign Tier pseudo-magical construct was the true identity of the ageless Sage. She had a highly advanced computation circuit capable of housing a soul, ruling the Isa Kingdom while posing as a human for a thousand years.

‘Once again, the Great Sage was an amazing person to mimic humans so intricately.’

“Indeed, the master was a unique wise one throughout history. And you are about to throw away the great achievements he made. Failure is not an option.”

‘Yeah, I’m ready. I’ll put an end to this dull festival, so you prepare for the victory celebration.’

“… Then I have nothing more to say. Your combat power is rated Fifth Grade, equivalent to the Earth Dragon. It’s not an unwinnable fight… I wish you victory.”

Having concluded its business, the Sage stood up and left the hidden room. We turned our backs to her and began descending the stairs again. Soon, we could see the end of our journey.

The vast spiral staircase leading from the first basement level of the Tower of Sage ended just before a landing. Beyond a tightly shut door lay a vast cavity. It wasn’t as large as a cavern, but it was spacious enough to fit ten soccer fields.

‘Phew, finally I can stretch my body.’

Due to my {Evolution} into a school-sized giant, the space inside the spatial expansion bag had become quite cramped. I crawled out and stretched. 

My entire body appeared as a spherical shape, like a crystal ball. The smooth surface was free of any distortion and had a body color resembling lightning melted into a spring. A transparent golden sphere—that was my form.

‘The sealing device hasn’t changed.’  

In the center of the cavity sat the artifact for maintaining the seal. However, its size was out of the ordinary, equivalent to a large house.

“So, the Earth Dragon is inside that?”  

Paula’s gaze lifted upwards. Above the sealing device floated a warped object resembling several crystal pillars stuck together. 

While it was called a sealing device, the artifact itself wasn’t the one sealing anything. Its official name was the Soul Offering Magic Furnace, the Devil Kettle. It enhances magic at the cost of the user’s soul and can extend the duration of the magic by offering additional souls.

I approached the center of this sealing-maintaining device, moving through the air.  

‘/Alright, let’s begin./‘

“/Okay./”

‘/[Territory], Activate!/’

First, I established control over the surrounding space. My [Territory] transformed into a shining [Glittering Factory], . It converts everything within its range into Mana Crystals. However, with the ‘Identification’ active, I avoided involving the sealing device. Paula was already out of range.

I waited for Paula to finish her preparations while focusing on letting my [Territory] seep deeper and richer into the cavity.  

“/I’m ready too. Can I go for it?/”  

‘/Go ahead./’

Thanks to the range of my [Telepathy], we could communicate even from hundreds of meters away. With my permission, Paula placed her hand on the artifact and activated the spell.

“/—Here we go! [Area Sync], [Area Edit: Reinforce]… [Area Isolation]!/”  

Paula’s magic activated, tracing along the outer edge of my [Glittering Factory].

The heightened perception of the space, now that I’ve become a Calamity Beast, indicates that the hollow walls have significantly receded. [Area Isolation] is a magic that separates spaces. Even objects that seem close can be hundreds or even thousands of meters away if separated by this magic.

This spell was necessary to prevent the aftereffects of battles between Calamity Beasts. Normally, activating it on such a scale would quickly drain her |Mana|, but Paula has been using a piece of Sunstone as the focal point for the magic. She has learned the advanced technique of pushing |Mana| consumption onto matter over the past few days.

‘(That said, it’s not like she’s got endless reserves to waste, so I need to start this soon—let’s get charged up.)’

I buff myself with my [Unique Skill] and focus on the sealing device. The Earth Dragon isn’t physically trapped inside the crystal; it’s under a more conceptual seal. That’s why it hasn’t starved after a thousand years without food.

And because it’s a conceptual seal, if the sealing device and crystal disappear, the Earth Dragon will be released in an instant.

‘([Yin and Yang Wisdom])’

I activate the new [Skill] I gained from my {Evolution}. With this [Skill], which allows me to store artifacts and Mana Crystals in another space, I erase the crystal and sealing device. Immediately afterward, an overwhelming presence emerges. The sensation of being pushed back by the [Dominion] confirms it’s definitely beyond a Sovereign Beast. A powerful shockwave results from the collision between [Dominions]

 “”GISHOOO—””

‘([Sparkle Pluto])’

I unleash my prepared attack [Skill] at maximum power. It’s a perfect sphere, ideal in magical terms but deemed impossible to replicate with current technology. From it emanates a fully powered |Mana| beam, shooting out in countless directions above the horizontal plane.

“”GYU—-””

‘([Lock-On Aim])’

The first beam, shot from the front, strikes the Earth Dragon directly. Next, beams hit from the side, and finally from the rear, launching a wave attack. Even attacks heading in a completely different direction adjust their trajectories to hit the target. That’s the power of [Lock-On Aim].

“”GISHAAaaa””

The Earth Dragon, a serpent-like and dragon-like magical beast with a neck that splits in two, is bombarded by the rain of beams. However, it quickly moves its eight legs to distance itself. But it shows no intention of fleeing, glaring fiercely and pushing against my [Dominion].

““GISHISHISHI…….!!””

‘(Sorry to wake you, but you’re about to become <Soul Fragments>.)’

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Species: The Far-Off Radiance of the Luminous Sapphire Ring (?) (NEW)

Beast Rank: Calamity Beast  

Soul Accumulation Level: 264

Stats:  

Life: 6325/2530  

Mana: 776496/315343  

Power: 1482  

Toughness: 19886  

Resistance: 1641  

Speed: 1610  

Skills: [Cover] [Climbing] [Block] [Perfect Defense] 

[Escape Instinct] [Whip] [Compact Whip] [Folly]  

[Transport] [Slash] [Compact Slash] [Gesture] 

[Weapon Body] [Body Repair] [Dance] 

[Swimming] [Flee] [Instant Shift] [Cross Counter]

[Challenge] [Concentration] [Storage] [Transportation] 

[Weapon Storage] [Replicant Form] [Bewitching Gleam] 

[Thrust] [Antibody] [Ambush] [Compact Thrust] 

[Shoot] [Decomposition Liquid] [Charge Thrust] 

[Charge Slash] [Compact Shoot] [Concealment] 

[Mollusk Body] [Powerful Throw] [Receiving]  

[Tear Off] [Wave Slash] [Wave Thrust] [Capture]

[Heavy Slash] [Heavy Thrust] [Heavy Shoot] 

[Precision Shooting] [Poisoned Hands] [Rapid Regeneration]  

[Weapon Creation] [Intensified Warfare] [Multi-Sword Style] 

[Thousand Blade Genesis] [Territory] [Parry]

[Compact Swing] [Heavy Swing] [Charge Swing] 

[Quake Swing] [Battle Dance] [Assassination]

[Storm Strike] [On the Edge of the Ring] 

[Brilliant Technique of the Storm]  [Diving] 

[Clairvoyance] [Countercurrent] [Perforation] 

[Strangle] [Super Jump] [Divine Staff] [Explosive Charge] 

[Terrain Comprehension] [Telepathy] [Mimicry] 

[Projectile Prediction]  [Yin and Yang Wisdom] (NEW)  

[Sparkle Pluto] (NEW) [Lock-On Aim] (NEW) [Update] (NEW)  

[Perfect Sphere] (NEW) [Repair Moonlight] (NEW) [Kin] (NEW)

Unique Skill: [Thunderstorm Rich Harvest – Minori no Jingi]

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