Chapter 113

Chapter 113
## Chapter 113

### Party Disbandment (2)

Harley sprinted across the woodland terrain at immense speed.

Unlike his initial journey through this area, not a single beast rose to challenge him, which turned what could have been a perilous trek into a remarkably smooth run.

He had thoroughly cleared out the aggressive fauna in this zone earlier, and more importantly, the suffocating aura of savagery pouring from his frame made the local wildlife instinctively recognize him as a dominant force.

“Hah! This feels great!”

Chomp, chomp—

Harley kept his jaw working busily even as he maintained his dead sprint.

His physical capacity to store nourishment had expanded drastically following his transformation into a Dragonborn, prompting him to continuously consume flesh to maximize his internal energy stores.

The most striking detail of his current feast was that his hands remained completely free.

“The destination is just ahead. Should I squeeze in one more piece?”

Having completely consumed the portion of meat that had been hovering directly before his face, Harley wiped his mouth and pulled another cut from his subspace magic tool.

A split second later, a vibrant green light flashed within his left pupil.

The hefty slab of meat slipped from his fingers and hung suspended in the open air.

While the levitation itself mirrored his previous feats, the true extent of his evolved trait did not stop there.

Sizzle—

The internal temperature of the dragon meat spiked instantly, causing the surface to brown rapidly while releasing an incredibly rich, savory fragrance.

The upgraded version of “Gem Eye: Coercion” was no longer a basic application of telekinesis. It had evolved into an authority capable of overriding physical laws by forcing a resonance between the surrounding mana and the “Mad Dragon’s Heart.”

“Bwahaha! A proper warrior deserves a properly cooked meal! Phenomenal!”

Laughing with pure relish, the barbarian fighter tore into the hovering meat fixed before his jaws.

‘This makes things incredibly simple.’

It was a power fueled entirely by his intent, allowing him to throttle the output up or down seamlessly.

Naturally, a convenient trick like this came with a clear trade-off.

Because it lacked the intricate structure of traditional magic, the types of physical phenomena he could produce were strictly bound, and the overall efficiency of the energy conversion left much to be desired.

To put it plainly, Harley was burning internal energy to cook meat for the sake of restoring that very same internal energy.

‘…Still, constant application is the only way to master it. The efficiency will naturally balance out as my proficiency climbs.’

Fortunately, his immediate fuel reserves were far from depleted.

Dragon flesh was inherently saturated with primordial vitality, offering a massive concentration of raw energy.

Moments after finishing off his latest snack, Harley—whose protective gear was reduced to shredded remnants from his brutal clash with the dragon—finally broke through the tree line to meet back up with his allies.

—

A three-story residence stood prominently in the center of an expansive plot of land, shielded from the outside world by a towering perimeter wall.

Tucked away in the outlying districts of Seoul, this property served as my brand-new base of operations.

The layout was remarkably generous with plenty of individual rooms to spare, allowing me to outfit each space with whatever specialized gear I desired.

I set up dedicated training spaces, entertainment zones, and recreational facilities, ensuring I could lead an entirely comfortable and entertaining lifestyle without ever needing to step past the front gates.

‘Even though I’m perfectly free to wander the public streets now, I’ve grown so accustomed to isolation that staying inside feels infinitely more natural.’

Perhaps a prolonged period of being confined to my room had left a permanent mark on my habits.

I approached the interior design with the mindset of constructing a personalized sanctuary, bringing all my lingering daydreams to life.

‘If I trigger “Individual Projection” once a week to take over Harris’s form and tap into the local natural energy, keeping this massive lawn in pristine condition will be effortless.’

Manipulating a plot of greenery on this scale was basic child’s play for an Elf like Harris, meaning the sheer size of the grounds posed zero inconvenience.

Furthermore, the atmosphere out here in the suburbs lacked the heavy smog of the central metropolis, making it perfectly tolerable for his senses.

‘To be completely safe, I need to layer this place in high-tier defensive systems. I’ll deploy every security measure available to me.’

Naturally, my plans went far beyond standard electronic surveillance to include intricate arrays of defensive wards.

Since I possessed the ability to siphon the distinct talents of multiple specialized personas like Hans, Heinz the Second, and Heinrich, there was absolutely no reason to leave myself unprotected.

I simply needed to sort through my available options and apply the ideal tools for the job.

“Whew.”

I rolled my shoulders to ease the tension after clearing out the last of the crates retrieved from the underground vault, casting a glance toward the open space beside me.

Truthfully, the setup process had dragged on because of how meticulously I was organizing the various facilities, meaning my actual residency here had only just begun…

However, there was an immediate task that required my attention.

Fuuu—

Without a sound, a silhouette materialized out of the heavy silence of the empty room.

The figure was an exceptionally striking young man bearing a detached, frigid expression, deep crimson eyes, stark pale skin, and a formal black tailcoat.

It was Heinz the Second, the vampire noble who had just crossed back over from the alternate realm.

“…”

Remaining silent, Heinz reached into his subspace bracelet to retrieve ‘Elinne’—the prized pickaxe belonging to the Dwarf Zaonic—and proffered it in my direction.

I took the tool from his grasp as a matter of course, turning it over in my hands to inspect the craftsmanship.

The surface was etched with a vast network of tiny abrasions that testified to decades of continuous labor, yet the weapon retained an undeniable luster that proved it had been cared for with immense devotion.

It possessed the dignified weight of a flawlessly maintained relic.

‘I do feel a bit bad for putting Zaonic through that. Still, looking at the bigger picture, it’s a small price to pay for escaping with your life intact.’

Right around this exact moment back in Auterica, Harley was likely walking back into his camp.

Remembering how Zaonic had entered a state of frantic panic searching for his missing tool the moment he noticed Harley’s ruined gear, eventually passing out from pure exhaustion, gave me a slight twinge of self-reproach…

But the reality was that they would have never survived the journey back if Harley hadn’t intervened!

Besides, from the intelligence gathered, that particular item didn’t hold nearly as much sentimental value to him as the specialized machinery locked away in his personal forge. Since they never would have seen those tools again anyway if they had perished in the wilds, this outcome benefited everyone involved.

“Ahem…”

I intentionally pushed the image of the frantic Dwarf out of my mind, clearing my throat to reset my focus.

‘Let’s prioritize. I’ll have Heinz assist with the immediate setup here before directing his path toward Heterosis.’

Heinz had already slipped into the outer courtyard without prompting, weaving a dense protective grid around the estate by combining the principles of “Blood Mystery” and “Concealment.”

He executed the task with extreme precision, focusing heavily on total erasure to ensure no stray magical fluctuations leaked into the surroundings to draw unwanted scrutiny.

‘The progress with Hans’s Bone Dragon is looking solid as well.’

Initially, a wave of concern had hit regarding the project, given that animating a Bone Dragon traditionally demanded an intact Dragon Heart to serve as its functional battery. As expected, however, Hans managed to bypass what should have been an insurmountable wall.

“Immortal Heart,” “Wicked Wisdom,” “Forbidden Knowledge,” “Path of Magic,” “Abyssal Eye,” “Magic Domination”…

With an entire arsenal of traits tied explicitly to the dark arts, modifying standard necromantic principles to suit his needs was a simple matter once he focused his intellect on the problem.

Borrowing inspiration from a Lich’s technique of channeling negative energy from an external phylactery across vast distances, he forged a direct metaphysical link between his own soul and the skeletal frame of the dragon, Heratos.

This allowed him to act as the primary power source, rendering a physical Dragon Heart entirely redundant.

In essence, Hans had transformed his very identity into the operational core of Heratos.

‘The downside is that their essences are permanently intertwined now, making independent travel highly impractical for him. If an emergency pops up requiring solo movement, I can simply deploy one of the other personas.’

Instead of relying on Entracio, Heratos could simply function as Hans’s exclusive mode of transportation.

“Excellent, time to review the accumulated gains!”

In order to manifest a fresh persona, it was imperative to level up his primary trait and lift the restriction on his maximum clone capacity.

Achieving that required an astronomical sum of Karma, but the current balance left him entirely at ease.

The preceding days had been packed with monumental shifts across the board.

‘To think it hasn’t even been a full week on Earth since “Individual Projection” was unlocked…’

To begin with, Harris had successfully sowed the initial seeds of cultural evolution deep within the borders of the Elven Kingdom.

The unfamiliar melodies and innovative instrumentation he brought forward during the grand gala acted as a powerful awakening for the Elves, whose artistic development had quietly stagnated over centuries of isolation. It sparked an immediate wave of experimentation.

Much like a pebble tossed into a mirror-still pond, the resulting ripples expanded outward until they began reshaping their entire societal landscape.

The dividends of that cultural shift naturally flowed back to him in the form of raw Karma.

‘The initial return is modest, but the fact that it guarantees a steady, passive generation over time is an incredible sign.’

Simultaneously, Heinrich had successfully conquered the trial of the sacred blade, claiming a Grand Blessing and securing his official elevation to the status of a Saint.

Rising to prominence as a Saint within the Holy Order of the Main God—one of the absolute titans of power dominating the continent—was a historical milestone destined to be studied for generations. It comfortably cleared the threshold for an epoch-defining accomplishment.

‘On top of that, Hans went toe-to-toe with the forces of the Holy Order right as the abyssal rift tore open, cementing his terrifying reputation across the lands… before systematically claiming the hidden artifacts of the Immortal King that had begun surfacing.’

Because the widespread panic and upheaval stemming from those events were directly tied to Hans’s actions, his metaphysical footprint on the world was massive.

The absolute pinnacle of recent events, however, was Harley’s northern campaign and the successful termination of the dragon Heratos.

Naturally, bringing down a calamity on the scale of a Mad Dragon yielded an incredible bounty of cosmic recognition.

‘Let’s see what the final tally looks like…!’

> 『Karma Shop』
> 『Unique Skill Enhancement (1,000,000)』
> 『Status Enhancement – View Details』
> 『Karma Owned – 1,608,961』

“Beautiful!”

The total had surged past the one-million mark in less than seven days of Earth time following the acquisition of “Individual Projection.”

‘As anticipated, multiplying my active bodies changes the entire game.’

With multiple high-tier personas simultaneously orchestrating massive disruptions across different regions, harvesting the notoriously elusive currency of Karma had become remarkably straightforward.

‘Honestly, trying to navigate a world this perilous with a single mortal frame is pure madness. There’s a perfect reason behind the old adage that a man needs a dozen bodies to get anything done.’

Looking at it through that lens, even commanding seven distinct forms left me feeling slightly understaffed. I needed to push that number to ten as quickly as possible.

The more assets I had on the field, the safer I would be.

And the artifact currently resting in my hands was the absolute foundation for my eighth identity.

My gaze locked onto the pickaxe, Elinne.

I could instantly feel the internal resonance of “Customization” flaring to life, confirming that this specific item possessed the ideal properties to anchor a brand-new persona.

“I just hope the option to expand my maximum clone limit doesn’t get locked away again this time.”

While the acquisition of “Individual Projection” during the previous upgrade cycle had proven to be an exceptional asset, falling short of a direct capacity increase on this attempt would still leave a bitter taste in my mouth.

Not that I had anyone around to vent my frustrations to anyway.

“Let’s do this… Upgrade.”

With that mental command, the one-million Karma transaction initiated.

The interface immediately updated.

《The ceiling of the avatar’s latent capabilities has expanded. The host’s fundamental cognitive retention and learning speed have been enhanced.》

《The primary trait undergoes evolution, unsealing hidden parameters. You have successfully unlocked the specialized authority: “Avatar Cloud.”》

A sharp sensation of expansion flooded my mind, accompanied by a brief, throbbing ache behind my temples.

Then came the confirmation of the capacity upgrade I had been anticipating so desperately…

“It worked!”

The updated parameters were clearly cataloged within a corner of my consciousness.

The restriction had officially cleared, granting me the freedom to forge a new vessel whenever I deemed the timing appropriate.

Simultaneously, my core mental endurance and processing speeds experienced a massive upward surge.

Even when taking into account the extra mental strain that an eighth active mind would inevitably demand, it felt as though the baseline mental energy distributed to each individual persona had taken a step forward.

‘This works out perfectly. Now, let’s break down the nature of the secondary rewards…’

With the primary objective safely secured, my focus shifted to deciphering the supplementary notifications from the system.

The structural boost to my avatars’ natural talent had reached a point where any complaints would be entirely ungrateful.

‘If I were to drop into a direct physical confrontation against any one of my creations right now, I would lose every single match without exception.’

That reality remained completely unchanged even when measuring myself against Hubert, who possessed absolutely zero specialized combat traits.

Of course, given the utility of “Individual Projection,” prioritizing the development of my active proxies over the physical stats of my original body was objectively the correct strategic path…

‘Well, it doesn’t really matter. When have I ever actually been more powerful than my own creations?’

The only window where that might have been true was during the absolute infancy of my dimensional travel, immediately after rolling a fresh persona.

Now that my various extensions were all actively carving out legacies at the absolute apex of their respective fields, drawing a comparison between my base self and them was entirely pointless.

‘Setting that aside, let’s analyze this newly unlocked authority. “Avatar Cloud.”‘

In computing terms, a cloud setup represented a centralized data node accessible from any location via a network connection.

And “Avatar Cloud,” keeping true to its namesake…

Was a utility that permitted my various clones to seamlessly transfer physical objects among themselves through a shared, distance-agnostic spatial pocket.

‘Incredible! This is exactly the kind of utility I was desperately missing. The sheer convenience of this upgrade is massive.’

With this mechanism operational, I would no longer have to orchestrate risky, face-to-face meetups in the alternate realm just to hand over vital equipment from one persona to another.

‘This means I can immediately route the core of Arch-Lich Dwell currently held by Heinrich over to Hans.’

I had held onto that specific prize for a considerable time, but their fiercely opposing social standings on the continent made arranging a physical meeting incredibly hazardous.

Furthermore, utilizing third-party personas to act as couriers was always an awkward logistics puzzle due to the steep cooldown timers governing the regional transit arrays.

‘The exact solution I needed, precisely when I needed it.’

Additionally, I could now funnel resources from modern Earth directly to Hubert by routing them through Heinz’s inventory, giving me absolute peace of mind even if he found himself stranded in some completely unmapped wilderness!

‘I’ll need to run a series of tests to determine the volume limitations for transfers between Heinz and Hubert. There’s bound to be a cap on the mass or density allowed through at one time.’

All things considered, the return on this investment was profoundly satisfying.

Naturally, the true highlight of the session was still waiting to be triggered.

Reaching down, I gripped the handle of the pickaxe tightly and initialized the “Customization” sequence.

The time had officially arrived to bring a genuine Dwarf into existence.