Chapter 181 : The Fifth Evolution

“A domain!? Damn, it’s too late. Gale, we fight! Danger level highest!”

“Yes!”

The moment an unfamiliar voice was heard, a knight in red armor I had never seen before charged toward the monster behind my back.

Insane speed that vanished as soon as it entered sight, and the massive weight felt at the moment of passing.

It truly felt like seeing a specimen of a proper top-tier knight.

Karina’s movements were equally surprising.

Just before charging, she swung her rapier once again at the masked figures who were trying to dodge Muno’s chains.

Pushusyuk.

‘She got faster.’

Rapid thrusts, invisible even to his eyes now, punctured the legs of the Magic Knights, whose movements had already dulled, one by one.

“Eek!”

“X-bitch!”

That alone wasn’t enough to threaten the lives of the two Magic Knights, but.

Chwareuk.

It was enough to allow Muno’s iron chains to snatch their wrists and ankles.

“Aaaah!”

“Damn it……!”

Seuaaaa.

As the light in the masked figures’ eyes visibly died down, vitality began to overflow in Muno’s body in contrast.

Seuaaaa.

The demonic energies were converted into Origin Mana the instant they were absorbed.

At that moment, Muno forgot the present and focused only on himself.

Udeudeudeuk.

Kwadeuk.

Changes began to occur inside his body.

Muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and internal organs absorbed energy beyond their limit and began to evolve on their own.

‘Ughhhhh……!’

The feeling of his own existence and rank rising, a thrilling pleasure that turned his mind blank wrapped around his entire body.

That wasn’t the end.

Kwadeudeudeuk.

The armor and iron chains, which could be called his other body, also began to evolve another stage.

However.

Kwadeuk.

Kwadeudeuk.

The enhancement of strength and flexibility was accomplished quickly, but it wasn’t satisfying enough.

There was a lack of materials to change the mass, the fundamental power needed right now.

As soon as he realized that, an endless hunger rushed in.

The feeling was distinctly different from the evolutions he had undergone so far.

If there was a fortunate thing, it was that his instinct found the material to satisfy that hunger nearby.

Chwareureuk.

A forearm very similar to a human’s, but incomparably huge.

The extended iron chains wrapped around a part of the beast that possessed a moderate amount of demonic energy and a large amount of metallic fur.

Soon, the ‘mouth’ of the chain began to chew and swallow it.

Wageujak. Wageujak.

‘Eat this……?’

The feeling of disgust was momentary.

The mass, which vanished as if melting between the mouths(?) of the chains that had no digestive organs, fully added the energy needed for Muno’s evolution.

Kuuung.

The mass befitting the rank of the evolved body was filled in an instant.

The armor, whose perfect parts were already completed, also increased in weight just like that.

Kuuung.

The feeling as if the ground was sinking just by standing there.

He could intuitively sense that he could wield that tremendous weight entirely as power.

But Muno was more fascinated by the change in the armor.

‘This is…….’

The outward appearance remained the same, but he could feel its potential.

It wasn’t just the weight and strength that had increased.

‘It’ll be useful.’

Udeudeudeuk.

Kwadeudeudeuk.

Another thing he liked was that the evolution of his body and armor finished faster than expected.

The time it took was about 5 minutes at most.

‘Mage……!’

Muno turned around with a face full of confidence.

But he flinched upon seeing an unexpected sight.

[Hoh. You really evolved in that short time? You really are a guy overflowing with research value in many ways.]

“Haap!”

Kwaaaaaang!

The sword wielded by a blond middle-aged man with a quite handsome impression spread a shockwave through the area.

“Ta!”

Pushushusyuk.

Karina’s movements, approaching in between and thrusting her rapier filled with blue mana, were not perfectly readable even to his eyes now after evolving.

And Lauel’s arrows, flying from a distance where her location couldn’t be pinpointed, also occasionally aimed for the gaps of the black robe.

But all of them.

Were missing.

Paaaaang.

[Now. You come at me too, Knight Who Eats Magic. It is a combat power experiment.]

“What?”

[Overflowing fighting spirit, suitable allies, an environment without interrupters. It’s a perfect situation.]

The voice of the black robe, moving like a ghost back and forth between the ground and the air, was overflowing with composure.

‘How can a magician?’

Can he dodge the attacks of a middle-aged knight who appears to be 6-Star and Karina who boasts speed outside the norm despite being 5-Star, so easily?

Muno couldn’t help but be dazed at the sight of common sense crumbling, the common sense that magicians have weak bodies because they harbor demonic energy.

‘I…… can’t catch up.’

The estimate came out easily.

If he activated Double Acceleration with his current body, he was confident he could catch up to the movements of Karina or that middle-aged knight.

But would anything change if one more enemy of similar speed is added?

‘If I add Brute Strength to Double Acceleration…… No, no.’

The black robe looks that composed?

Amidst the tension devouring the pleasure of evolution, his senses stretched out in all directions to assess the situation.

And as soon as he did, he could know one thing.

That the space close to a 1km radius was currently covered by that black robe’s magic power.

The feeling that the magic power, which initially pressed down on his whole body, had expanded the space and taken its place.

Suddenly, he remembered the words of that Red Iron Knight who charged toward the black robe saying something about a ‘Domain’.

It was likely that a space created by special magic had settled in this area.

‘Maybe those movements too…….’

The moment his thoughts were about to be organized.

Paaaaang.

[If you don’t move.]

Kwakwakwakwa.

[I’ll just kill these things?]

Dodging the middle-aged knight’s sword strike that soared into the air as it was, and also sliding to dodge the thrust of Karina who approached right after, the black robe.

That movement of sliding through the air and ground with a motionless posture was truly like a ghost.

And.

[Like this.]

Kwajijijik.

As the guy made a motion of lifting his hand inside the robe.

Momentarily, an optical illusion occurred as if the space where Karina was located was distorting, and a black light flashed.

Kwaaaaaang.

As soon as she escaped that spot, the refracted space exploded, driving a mad wind into the surroundings.

Kwakwakwakwakwa.

[Annoying…….]

With that annoyed voice as the background, Muno extended the chains on his limbs just like that.

Chwareureuk.

The chains that finished the fifth evolution now extended nearly 150m.

Aside from the length, the changed points were clearly visible.

Wageujak. Wageujak.

The feeling that every single link of the chain was wriggling and chewing on something nearby.

It was a change where ‘Chain Devouring’, which he had thought of as a branch of training, appeared fixed as a form of evolution.

As the iron chains extended long toward the black robe, the number of links increased, and the mouths of the chains began to devour the surrounding demonic energy more actively.

Precisely, the black robe’s demonic energy.

Ujeok-ujeok.

Uuuuuung.

That demonic energy was not converted into Origin Mana, but it was beyond sufficient for energy replenishment.

And that definitely dealt a blow to the enemy.

[To think it’s to this extent just because you evolved once?]

Going even beyond the black robe’s expectations, that is.

Paaaaang.

While the middle-aged knight and Karina poured attacks on the enemy, Muno began to assist the two by moving the iron chains from afar.

‘Acceleration.’

Uung.

In a state of using acceleration, which was no longer a big burden to maintain.

Hwareureuk.

He imbued massive mana into his whole body and the entire lengthened iron chains.

Even though mana like gray flames filled the iron chains that extended nearly 150m, the mana inside his body did not decrease.

It was thanks to the mana supplied from the Red Heart and the mana converted as soon as he absorbed the demonic energy from the surroundings.

[Ha!? This guy!?]

He had energy to spare.

Then.

With his evolved senses, he located and pulled the metals containing his mana that were broken and scattered here and there.

Kwadeudeudeuk.

The moment the debris clumped together again and combined to become the form of a complete ‘Blade’ and was grasped in his hand.

‘Oh?’

Muno also realized what more he had become able to do.

Hwareureuk.

The gray flame embraced the red flame that started from the handle of that ‘Blade’.

The result of the evolved senses making it possible to distinguish and handle mana more certainly.

That double flame spreading over the iron chains and his whole body brightly illuminated the dark forest.

[Ha……?]

It drew an exclamation from the enemy.

Paaaaang!

Pang.

The iron chains that checked the enemy while covering the air and ground in between Karina and the middle-aged knight’s attacks, and occasionally even served as footholds for the two to step on and move.

Mid-to-long-range combat assistance became possible without moving his body directly.

Of course, he had no intention of being satisfied with just that.

Tadadadak.

Muno charged forward just like that.

[Impressive……!?]

The moment he saw the enemy’s movement that seemed to disappear from right in front of his eyes.

‘Double Acceleration.’

Kung.

Overcoming the burden on his body that was increasing again, he jumped chasing the blurry presence.

“Ha!”

Paaaaang!

He didn’t necessarily insist on the form of a greatsword.

Since the enemy was a magician with a body like a sheet of paper.

Pararararak.

Chwajajajak.

The slash of Wind Slicer cutting through the air transformed into the form of a blade whip, hacking the entire surrounding space where the target was.

A bloody offensive to the point that the middle-aged knight, who was trying to leap sideways together, flinched and stopped.

However, there was no feeling of impact.

[This isn’t everything, right? Hm? Show me more.]

Along with a voice that still had composure remaining, a black shadow brushed past his side.

‘Just how…….’

Kkadeudeuk.

He had to wipe away that composure.

“Of course!”

Kung.

The mana spewed out by the Red Heart created another body on the outside, and the mana converted from the surrounding demonic energy quickly filled the empty space.

Brute Strength following Double Acceleration.

The two-colored flames spreading over his whole body and iron chains drastically widened their range and chased the enemy’s movements.

The iron chains on his limbs wrapped around surrounding trees and sometimes bounced off, aiding in three-dimensional maneuvers.

Kwaang.

Tak.

His infinitely overloaded body chased the substance of the enemy moving like a ghost.

Regardless of ground or air.

Kwaaaaaang!

Pababababak.

Four iron chains moving according to his will, and the bloody blade transforming freely, devastated the surroundings.

“Keep going!”

Paaaaang!

“Push him!”

On top of that, two red knights showing movement and speed no less than his aimed at the enemy, filling even the gaps of large movements.

[Hoh. You can go this far?]

Even so, the composure of the enemy showing ghost-like movements was not broken.

The green flame dancing inside the hood rather felt like it was smiling.

However, if there was something different from before.

Pajijijik.

Kwaaaaaang.

It was just that the frequency of the magic distorting and bursting space had increased a little.

Even that wasn’t able to directly hit the allies moving at tremendous speeds that were hard to read even for his current self.

It seemed there was a reason for using only that magic.

But for now, doing something about those movements came first.

‘Just what trick did he use? How can a magician’s body…….’

Even with the senses chasing demonic energy that had evolved once more, he couldn’t grasp what principle the guy’s magic worked on.

Unexpectedly, the answer came from an ally.

“The Domain is……!”

Paaaaang!

“Either break it with concentrated energy!”

Seugak.

“Or ram it with a greater amount!”

Paaaaang.

“Don’t get tired!! He’s bluffing too!!”

The shout of the nameless middle-aged knight who was endlessly chasing the ghost was persuasive.

Especially to him, who was definitely checking the total amount of demonic energy spread across the battlefield.

‘Right. The demonic energy is definitely decreasing. He is being consumed too.’

But that speed was too slow.

‘Now…… 10%?’

Therefore, the middle-aged knight’s last demand was unreasonable.

Just looking at the person himself, his face was already covered in sweat, and Karina’s complexion was also becoming pale.

Lauel’s arrows hadn’t been flying at all for some time now.

Decisively.

Udeudeuk.

Mana was overflowing thanks to the continuously absorbed demonic energy, but his own body was already overloaded and had already started screaming.

‘At best, 4 minutes.’

As much as he evolved, the amplification of combat power due to the secret technique also increased, so the load on his body was almost the same.

Then.

‘Quantity. Or quality…….’

While endlessly pouring attacks chasing the enemy, he pondered in a corner of his head to find a breakthrough.

But before he could come up with a suitable move, the enemy’s attitude changed first.

[You, this is your limit, right? Then shall we end this here.]

Kwajijijijik.

Around the enemy who suddenly stopped, an optical illusion as if space was distorting spread out.

“Dod……!”

Kwaaaaaaang!

An explosion much stronger and faster than the magic the black robe had used so far swept the surroundings in an instant.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwa.

Ureureureureung.

As a massive shock he had never experienced before swept hundreds of meters in all directions in an instant, he saw his allies throw their bodies like the wind to escape that range and reduce the impact.

But Muno was rather charging toward that epicenter, albeit a bit slowly.

‘It works!’

Wageujak, Wageujak.

The evolved Demon Devourer absorbed even that huge magic explosion in an instant, rather providing the power to move forward.

‘If only I can catch him.’

Chwareureureuk.

The iron chains cherishing the double flames ignored the aftermath of the magic and aimed for the black robe just like that.

[Ha?]

He saw the green flame inside the hood waver for the first time.

However.

The green flame soon regained its position.

[As expected, an amusing fellow. Now, then, another experiment.]

Along with a voice stimulating childhood trauma.

“Kyaoooooh!”

“Kyareuk.!”

“Kkirurururu.”

The giant gorilla, which seemed to have disappeared after losing one arm, intruded into the battlefield with much smaller and numerous offspring(?).

[It’s a melee! Kuhahahaha!]

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep