Chapter 116 : Chapter 116

Chapter 116

A Superhuman's intuition told him.

The mercenary before him had mastered the 7-star.

Isaac could tell at a glance who had hunted all the Superhumans he had sent.

“So Cornelia has made contact with an interesting fellow. Is he one who dreams of becoming the next Mercenary King?”

The Mercenary King was a title granted only to the strongest among the top-tier mercenaries.

“Come and serve under me.”

Isaac did not hesitate in the slightest.

“I will forgive all the disrespect you have shown until now. If you wish, I will even create a personal Knight Order for you.”

He made an irresistible offer to a mercenary he had just met.

Watching from the side, Mainz Kimbel quietly awaited the mercenary's reply.

And then.

“I refuse.”

The corners of his mouth twisted at the mercenary's response.

Even he himself had not received such a generous offer.

‘Foolish man. To kick away a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with his own feet.’

He sneered at the mercenary's action of not taking the practical benefit.

But the prince did not seem to give up.

“If you remain with Cornelia, you won’t even be able to leave your name behind.”

“I don’t care.”

“If you follow me, you will reach the next level.”

“I’m fine.”

“You madman.”

“None of your business.”

“Tsk.”

Isaac’s gaze turned to Sharle.

“Where did you find such an impudent man?”

“Isn’t today’s meeting for negotiations?”

Sharle smiled brightly and evaded the question.

“Right……. It was.”

The exchange of prisoners was already underway outside the Barrier as agreed, and this place was for new negotiations.

Originally, what Isaac had wanted was the Piece of the Grotesquery.

But now, he was trying to possess the mercenary named Agnil, who was before him, tainted with its energy.

“I will pay you generously. Hand him over.”

“Agnil, what are your thoughts?”

“I have answered sufficiently. However, depending on the prince's answer, I might reconsider a little.”

“It seems you two have coordinated your stories. There’s no need to waste time.”

Isaac gestured with his chin, as if telling them to state their conditions.

“I am aware that the Empire is conducting experiments using Evil Energy.”

Sharle’s gaze shifted from Isaac to Mainz Kimbel.

The Curse of Immortality.

“You people have crossed the line.”

“So, in the end, you’re curious about what we’re doing with the Piece.”

“It is not I, but Agnil who is.”

“Since I'm already tainted by the Grotesquery's curse, I just want to know the reason.”

At the mention of the word curse, Isaac burst into laughter.

“Now we’re talking. Indeed, it’s impossible to face the Piece and not be affected at all.”

Isaac looked at Sharle.

He genuinely wanted to possess the woman before him.

Next, he turned his eyes to the large-bodied mercenary.

He wanted to make this impudent man submit.

That must have been why.

He spoke of a certain truth.

“9-star.”

A level that only one human in history had ever reached.

“I will reach that unknown territory.”

And thus.

“I will evolve humanity to the next stage.”

“……”

“……”

For a moment, silence filled the area.

It was Agnil who broke the silence.

“What absurd nonsense.”

“You insolent fool! How dare you speak so carelessly, and in front of whom!!”

Despite the prince's knight's roar, the mercenary paid no mind.

“Still, I will ask. What does you reaching 9-star have to do with the evolution of humanity?”

It was a question of why the power of the Grotesquery was needed for humanity to evolve.

“Are you trying to become a mutant by fusing with monsters?”

“Shall I cut out your tongue!”

Isaac raised his hand to stop his subordinate who was shouting powerfully.

Then, he quietly observed the color of the Barrier.

The Barrier's color, divided between black and violet, remained unchanged.

This meant the prisoner exchange was still in progress.

‘There is enough time.’

Isaac raised his index finger.

Fwoosh.

Blue mana blossomed from his index finger.

When he then raised his momentum to the 6-star level, the mana took on the dark gray color he had awakened to.

And as he strengthened his mana even further.

Ssssss.

The 7-star mana transformed into black.

The jet-black mana shimmered like a heat haze.

“According to history, humanity only gained freedom after obtaining mana.”

They drove the monsters born with superior physical conditions into the mountain ranges, and pushed the long-lived elves into the forests and the dwarves into the mines.

“Conquest followed freedom.”

To possess vast territories, to secure abundant resources first.

Humans accumulated mana in their hearts to satisfy their greed.

There were numerous battles and wars.

The corpses of knights and mages formed mountains, and the blood of Superhumans stained the rivers.

And yet.

“There was only one who reached 9-star.”

Not a king of the Empire that had endured for a thousand years, but the king of the rebels.

Edan Eurasia.

“Countless Superhumans of the Empire were defeated and lost their lives to the sword he wielded. Just then, a being called the Monster Lord was born.”

The master of thousands of mountain ranges.

A being reigning over millions of monsters caused a Wave.

Faced with the rebellion of the Kingdom Alliance and the Monster Wave that swept the continent, the Empire, which had overcome countless crises, was on the brink of ruin for the first time.

“Indeed, the heavens did not abandon the Empire.”

The Grotesquery.

A being that appeared as suddenly as the 9-star master Edan Eurasia or the equally formidable Monster Lord.

It settled near the territory of Eurasia, as if intending to drive out the Empire's enemies.

“For the Empire, the Grotesquery was a stroke of luck from heaven.”

It made the blades of the knights and their army, who were valiant enough to shake the Empire, turn away.

The first knight in human history to reach 9-star stepped forward to subjugate the Grotesquery, but ultimately died in battle.

“It was like an epidemic. By the time they tried to suppress it, the small spark had already grown large enough to burn down the great walls, and it was too late.”

“So, you have now dabbled in the power of the Grotesquery?”

Mainz was about to shout at Agnil's question, but Isaac raised a hand to stop him.

“That’s right. The Grotesquery must be a being that surpasses even 9-star.”

The 9-star knight died leaving nothing behind, but that mysterious being left a curse.

“Radiance.”

The mana used by humans, the Evil Energy used by monsters, the Divine Power used by priests.

A heterogeneous power unlike any other.

“I will make that power usable by humans.”

He calls the curse left by the Grotesquery a ‘Piece’, analyzes it, and engraves the deciphered formula of Radiance onto the human body.

By doing so, a knight who could not break through the wall can be made into a Sword Master, and a mage who could not master the state of Clear and Still Water can be led to become an Arch Mage.

To obtain more result values, it will be necessary to cut open the bellies of countless monsters and take their Magic Stones.

Of course, there will be those who cannot withstand that heterogeneous power and will perish before even crossing the wall.

“Humanity will advance under my rule.”

In the end, humanity will evolve.

“They will overcome the limitation of only containing mana, and will be able to handle Evil Energy and poison. Even if a being like the Grotesquery appears again, the Empire will be able to fend off that disaster.”

The 7-star level, now called Superhuman, will become commonplace in just 100 years.

That was the future Isaac dreamed of.

“You have already come into contact with the Piece of the Grotesquery and have been cursed.”

He continued, not hiding his laughter.

“The Black Duke can either extract the curse or strengthen it further. Serve me. And become the standard-bearer who opens the path of evolution.”

“……”

He finally extended his hand towards Agnil.

It was a hand he had extended to countless Superhumans, but until now, no one had refused it.

He thought it would be the same this time. However.

“You’re spewing bullshit.”

“……”

“And here I was, wondering what kind of nonsense he would say.”

Agnil picked his ear with a face that said he had just heard utter nonsense.

“……”

“……”

Inside the Barrier where silence reigned.

“Pfft.”

Sharle covered her mouth with both hands.

“Oh my, that just slipped out.”

Contrary to her embarrassed expression, she showed a radiant eye-smile.

“……”

“I will cut him down myself.”

Mainz Kimbel revealed a menacing Fighting Spirit.

At that moment, the color of the Barrier changed.

It meant the prisoner exchange was over.

The time remaining until the Barrier dissipated was about 20 minutes.

Isaac and Sharle rose from their seats, neither waiting for the other.

“I also found the prince’s nonsense quite amusing.”

“In whose presence do you dare turn your back?”

“I’m sure you are aware that I am synchronized with the Magic Tower.”

Sareureureu.

The mana of the mage who had reached 6-star billowed.

She grasped the pendant hanging around her neck.

It couldn't be called a complete pendant, but it was an object that had been modified to allow temporary synchronization with the Magic Tower.

Glance.

She looked over at Agnil.

With this man, she could synchronize with the Magic Tower at any time and use Arch Mage-level magic.

Moreover, with the Barrier up, external intervention was impossible.

“I don’t think I’m lacking to deal with you all.”

“In whose presence do you overestimate your abilities. Mainz, begin.”

From now on, the real negotiations would begin.

Kimbel Style.

“Carpe Illusion.”

Mainz unleashed his blackened mana.

“Sharle.”

The large-bodied mercenary sent a signal.

Cornelia Style.

Secret Magic.

The violet mana, waving like a tide, touched the black mana.

“The Sinner's Guillotine.”

“Creatio.”

The two manas mixed, dyeing the space in a new color.

***

Saaaaa.

The Evil Energy emitted by Isaac pushed back the mixed black and violet mana.

Agnil was the same.

Hwaaaa.

He surrounded himself with blue mana, refusing to enter the opponent's domain.

Isaac reacted nonchalantly, as if he had expected as much.

“Surrender. You don’t have a single chance of winning. Just because you're a mercenary who has become a Superhuman doesn't mean you have two lives, does it?”

“It’s a pity I couldn’t bring my sword.”

Before entering the Barrier, they had all put down anything that could be called a weapon.

That was the same for Isaac, however.

“You’re forcing me to take your life with my own hands.”

Saaaa.

At that moment, the black mana he conjured took the form of a sword.

A thin sword.

It was thinner than a finger joint, but the Haki leaking from it was not light.

From the body of Isaac, who held it, surged an Evil Energy that one would expect from a monster.

Agnil countered by conjuring mana from his fingertips.

Seureureuk.

Soon, a greatsword was gripped in his two hands.

“A greatsword? But you can’t block me with such a dull blade.”

“Come at me, Isaac Heinrich.”

Agnil pointed the greatsword at the triumphant prince’s face.

“It seems what you need is not evolution, but despair.”

“Are you trying to poorly imitate a knight? If it’s despair you want, I shall personally teach it to you.”

One strike.

Chaeng!

The thin sword and the greatsword clashed, letting out a metallic sound.

This was because the swords they had materialized were reproduced with a density close to real ones.

“How arrogant. You should be grateful that I am personally crossing swords with a lowly being like you.”

Seueuk.

Isaac’s sword aimed at Killian.

Heinrich Style.

Heavenly Punishment.

Kwang.

Black mana struck down like a thunderbolt.

Kwaang.

Heinrich Ke.

Heavenly Strike.

A thunderbolt shot up from below.

However.

Chaeng!

With a speed unbelievable for a greatsword, Agnil deflected the Shik and Ke techniques.

Kwareung. Kwareureung.

He didn't dodge but parried the attacks, each one carrying a massive blow.

‘Each sword ki is a First Flash.’

The flow created by their convergence is similar to Meteor Flash.

“However, it’s not enough.”

“You insect.”

Despite the festival of sword ki raging from above and below, Agnil paid no mind and stepped forward.

“You are wrong, Isaac Heinrich.”

His sword ki took form.

But the conviction contained within it denies Adamas, denies Killian Eurasia.

“With a sword bearing such a cowardly conviction.”

With the 7-star you reached that way.

“You cannot make me submit.”

Having closed the distance, Agnil exhaled and stood before Isaac.

A distance where he could cut his neck with a swing of his sword.

“I’ve reached you.”

“……”

Isaac spread his mana, looking displeased.

Through the exchange so far, enough mana had been released to form a Shik.

“Carpe Illusion.”

“Carpe Illusion.”

Heinrich Style.

Cornelia Style.

“Overlord.”

“Violet Magic Tower.”

Inside the Barrier created by two 8-star mages.

Two wills collided, mixing with each other.

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