Chapter 126: The Fourth Evolution

[Ah, there was one more gnat.]

[Quite fast.]

[But, that’s all it is.]

Along with the shrill, echoing voices, bright yellow lightning bolts fell around Muno.

Flash.

Ruuumble.

I had felt the flow of demonic energy in advance, but its range already covered the entire area where I was, so there was no way to avoid it.

The only thing I could do was to reflexively hug Rauel, whom I had just managed to save, and lower my head.

“Ack!?”

But that alone was enough.

Bzzzzzt.

Kraaaash.

Rrrrrrumble.

“Hooo….”

Muno, who had been struck by countless lightning bolts, smiled as he felt the armor that now perfectly encased him from head to toe furiously sucking in the magic.

The feeling of my usable mana, which had been depleted from finishing the evolution as quickly as possible during battle, instantly filling up.

But he was the only one who was unfazed.

“Ah! Agh!”

Bzzzt.

“Sorry! Rest for now!”

Even though he had absorbed most of the magic, Muno threw Rauel, who was trembling from just the aftereffects, toward the entrance of the plaza.

Soon after confirming that a pure white smoke person had caught her, he turned his head again.

[He’s fine?]

[What is that?]

[Strange….]

Through the slowly settling dust, a hideous monster with a bewildered expression came into view.

A five-headed monster the size of a hill that seemed to fill the entire vast plaza.

Its enormous visible body was overwhelming enough, but the Demon Devourer’s senses relayed the immense torrent of demonic energy surging like flames from its entire body.

A monster that wielded immense power, feeling more terrifying than it looked.

However.

– Grrrrrrr.

‘Still, it’s just prey.’

As long as that power was ‘demonic energy,’ there was no reason to be intimidated.

[It’s not a gnat….]

[I guess it’s about an earthworm.]

[Just be torn apart!]

[Burn….]

[Freeze!]

KABOOM.

Heat that instantly burned even the dust in the air black.

And even the cold energy and lightning that instantly cooled it down before scattering it again.

All that magic was nothing more than a supply that recharged his mana now.

On top of that.

‘As I thought, it’s crude.’

Muno sneered inwardly as he felt the overflowing demonic energy around him.

The demonic energy overflowing in the monster’s body was certainly stronger than any enemy he had seen so far, and the magic it poured out was enough to definitively surpass that witch from before in terms of scale and power alone, but.

It was rather easy to absorb.

‘The structure of the magic itself is clumsier than hers.’

Of course, if it were the old him, it was magic that would have overloaded him before he could finish absorbing it, but now was different.

KABOOOOOM.

‘It’s warm.’

My ‘capacity’ had increased beyond what it was when Miya had helped me absorb it before.

Muno was able to leisurely warm up even amidst the torrent of energy raging all around him.

I had confirmed that my speed had more than doubled when I saved Rauel.

And another big change was.

Creeak.

‘Good. More flexible than I thought.’

The suddenly formed helmet.

But since it was an expected change, adapting to it was also fast.

There was a slight stuffiness from my field of vision narrowing a bit, but unlike an ordinary helmet, it had sprouted from the armor to cover my head, yet it didn’t cause any inconvenience in moving my neck.

The feeling that its elasticity had also increased beyond its intuitively high strength.

‘It feels almost like rubber now.’

It was enough to make me wonder if the material making up the armor was even metal.

On top of that.

[Magic…?]

[It’s eating it…?]

[That thing…!]

[The blasphemous thing!]

[Die!!!!!!!]

The monster’s hill-sized foot suddenly dropped from above my head.

KRAAAAAAAAAASH!

Cruuuuuunch.

“Kuh….”

A body strong enough to withstand that immense weight.

I liked all the changes.

[You lowly creature!]

[It’s enduring!]

[How dare you!]

At that moment, demonic energy surged from the monster’s entire body again, its body instantly became harder and stronger, and the downward pressure intensified.

[Die!!]

[The power of the great Outer God….]

[…you blasphemous thing that has trespassed!]

The monster, realizing direct magic wasn’t working, immediately strengthened its own body and pressed down.

‘Ugh. I thought its intelligence had degenerated.’

I hadn’t guessed that just from hearing them(?) talk.

When I had devoured a few magicians for my evolution, the Demon Devourer had instinctively read a part of the demonic energy’s flow in the magic circle.

The ‘need’ for them to try and use the magicians on the magic circle as sacrifices in the first place.

‘Was probably for intelligence support, I’m sure of it.’

The fact that the monster’s magic was structurally weak compared to its magical power was surely also an effect of that.

But now that thing was making a plausible situational judgment.

Cruuunch.

I didn’t know if its reason was more intact than I thought, or if its instincts were just that developed, but.

“Kkuu….”

Forcing myself to endure this blow felt like my body would be driven into the ground and my back would break.

Thump.

[Just like that….]

[Explode!]

[Insect!]

Crack.

Although he had gone through another evolution and his body had become much heavier, he had no intention of getting into a power struggle with a monster that was tens of times his weight class.

Chwaaaak.

Soon, chains shot out from his limbs, coiling around the monster’s leg like snakes, and began to rapidly absorb demonic energy along with his two hands.

[No…!]

Mana, filling up again in an instant.

Muno expelled all that mana back out of his body, cloaking himself in an armor of mana.

At the same time.

‘Here I go.’

Thump.

The Red Heart once again filled the momentarily emptied body with the mana of metal.

Thump.

‘Acceleration.’

His evolved body began to move nearly ten times faster than before.

Mana, emptying again in an instant.

But.

[That thing…!]

[Even our demonic energy…!]

[Is absorbing it!?]

Whooooooosh.

While the demonic energy continuously absorbed from the monster was converted and used to further strengthen the external mana armor.

Thump.

The mana pouring out of the Red Heart once again filled that empty space without a gap.

The new secret technique, Brute Strength, created just before by relying on the power of the Red Heart.

‘There’s still a bit of a delay. I’ll have to overcome this gradually.’

Grit.

Thump-thump.

‘Now!’

Whaaaam.

The moment a gray armor that seemed to inflate his body several times over was layered over his entire body like an illusion.

KRAAAAAASH!

[Ugh!?]

[How dare…!]

The black knight, who had slapped aside the monster’s foot that was crushing him, began to run up its body.

Chwaaaak.

The chains that tightened and loosened around the monster’s body, aiding his movement.

Krrack.

When the characters of light engraved on ‘Blade’ began to emit an even more intense light with the overflowing mana.

Muno had already approached the old man’s head attached to the monster’s middle neck.

“Haaap!”

Space Slicer.

The strongest blow he could currently muster was swung in his optimal condition.

Flash.

His mana, which would have turned into a heat haze before, became a blade of gray flame far larger than the original greatsword, materializing a tremendous slash.

And then.

Shhhnnnngk.

[Kuh… euk?]

The sight of the large old man’s head falling from its neck as if it were a lie entered my view.

‘Even though I poured all my strength into it….’

It was a close call.

Feeling his energy drain away like an ebbing tide in an instant, Muno gave a bitter smile.

Sir Anthony had cut off the monster’s neck in a single breath without any preparation, so realizing that he had to pour all his available power into one shot to do the same made him feel a little empty.

Of course, there was no time to be lost in such sentiments.

[Meaning, less!]

The moment the five heads shouted at the same time.

The magical power flowed in reverse, and the head that had fallen to the floor began to soar back up with blood, as if reversing time.

However.

“I’ve already seen through it!”

I had been unable to move while evolving during the battle, but my eyes had remained open.

Chwaak.

Thud.

Muno moved his chains to land on the severed surface of the neck and immediately wrapped the entire neck with four chains.

At the same time.

“Hraaap!”

Shuuuunk.

He plunged ‘Blade’ into that neck.

“Extend!”

Kra-du-duk.

As the demonic energy absorbed from his feet, which were in contact with the wrapped chains, converted into mana and temporarily washed away his fatigue.

Thump.

The Red Heart, which had begun to pulse again, spewed out as much mana as the revitalized body could handle.

The remaining mana, after recovering the body, began to form a gray armor on the outside once more.

Cruuunch.

‘Ugh.’

Brute Strength, used in succession.

The newly evolved body began to scream from the successive strains, but.

‘Endure it!’

Grrrind.

Muno gritted his teeth and put more strength into the chains and Blade.

[This bastard!]

[How dare you!]

[What insolence is this!]

KRAAAAAASH!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The shockwaves exploding right next to him continuously shook his body.

[You bastard! That’s my spot!]

KABOOM.

The building-sized head of the old man began to press down on his body from above, but.

‘Nngggh!’

Muno endured the pressure and forced himself to concentrate.

And soon.

Sgak.

Along with a sound only he could hear in his head, a smile spread across Muno’s face.

‘Success.’

The transformed ‘Blade’ had severed the thickest stream of blood flow supplying demonic energy from the giant monster’s heart to this neck.

On top of that.

‘Explode!’

KWA-AAAAAAANG!

The third spell, Explosion.

Blade, which had exploded inside the monster’s body, held a thick mana and burrowed into the artery through which magical power and blood flowed, lodging itself there.

At the same time.

Chwaaak.

Krr-r-r-rack.

“Iyaaaaaap!”

As the four chains extracted as much demonic energy as possible from the severed surface.

[This…!?]

The supply of blood and magical power completely cut off, the severed surface of the neck instantly began to necrotize.

‘It worked!’

Thump.

The moment he pushed aside the giant old man’s neck and jumped from the spot.

Unable to settle on the necrotized surface, the light in the old man’s head’s eyes began to fade rapidly.

At that, the other heads began to go berserk.

[Lord Taklan!]

[No!]

[How!]

[That damned bastard…!]

[The authority of a god….]

Hmph.

“Authority? What authority. If it keeps regenerating, I just have to cauterize that part completely.”

[You bastard!!]

Reacting to Muno’s mocking voice, different magical powers began to surge from the four heads.

But.

KABOOM.

As if they had forgotten the lesson from a moment ago in their panic.

‘Their intelligence really is… Hmph.’

Bzzzzzt.

The magic of lightning, flames, frost, and poisonous smoke pouring toward Muno was only used to further replenish his energy.

Of course, the poisonous energy among them was a bit concerning, but fortunately, it didn’t seem to have a major effect on him.

‘Phew. I’m glad it went as planned.’

Muno absorbed the pouring magic to recover his energy once again and reached out toward the edge of the magic circle.

Kra-du-duk.

The armor and weapons left by the Magic Knights who had been guarding the magic circle.

A part of them was mercilessly crushed, then flew to his hand and instantly took the form of ‘Blade’.

And only then.

[To him….]

[Magic doesn’t work!]

[Indirectly….]

[With our bodies!]

The four heads, having come to their senses again, began to devise another method.

Swaaaaaaah.

Soon, a green poisonous smoke filled the area around Muno.

Rrrrumble.

A giant mound of earth shot up from the ground, obstructing his movements.

KRAAAASH!

“Keuk!”

A shockwave that exploded right in front of him sent his body flying.

RUUUMBLE.

At the same time, the monster’s tail, now wreathed in dark blue flames visible to the naked eye, struck Muno’s airborne body.

Chwaaaak.

He wrapped his chains around the tail and barely managed to avoid a direct hit, but.

KRAAAAAASH!

The mighty force from swinging its entire colossal body was enough to slam his body into the plaza wall in an instant.

Of course, that alone couldn’t deal him a significant blow.

His body and armor, which had evolved to be much sturdier than before, dispersed most of the impact.

“Keu….”

The monster, whose all-out strike had missed, grew furious.

[What the hell!]

[You rat…!]

[You cockroach-like bastard!]

‘I’ve stalled for this long, and still…?’

Amidst that dizzying pain, Muno’s gaze inside his helmet turned toward the plaza entrance.

And as if in response to that gaze.

From the plaza entrance, a pure white wind began to blow.

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