Chapter 217

Chapter 217
## Chapter 217

Lycanthropes (2)

They were executing a campaign of this magnitude.

It was highly improbable that this was an isolated faction.

Additional Lycanthropes were likely distributed across the Elven Kingdom, or perhaps spanning the entirety of the continent.

‘I cannot manage the whole continent… however… ’

Could he at least deal with the ones present within the boundaries of the Elven Kingdom?

His initial intent had been to head back straight away following his report of the event… but his perspective had shifted.

[This is Harris. I have located a faction of Lycanthropes manifesting an abyssal crack within the northern mountain range…]

Upon concluding the cleanup process, he gathered his focus and utilized “Stargazer” to reach out to the remaining High Elves and relay the circumstances.

[…There is a potential for further complications, so I intend to persist in scouting the external territories.]

He remained suspended in the atmosphere atop the Wind Spirit Pascal’s air cushion, tracking his instincts.

[…We appreciate your dedication. We will proclaim a state of emergency and bolster our defense measures at once. As a precaution, we shall also notify adjacent realms.]

Following a tense exhalation from the Elf Queen, the High Elves linked to the World Tree grid in Drasha commenced their discussion.

[Hahaha! To be frank, I anticipated you would merely loiter and return, yet you are displaying real initiative! You certainly comprehend how to perform when circumstances demand it! I am at ease now.]

[Horut! Despite your retirement, Harris remains designated by the World Tree. Pray utilize proper honorifics.]

[…Ahem, ahem. In that case, ought we to begin scouting the external territories as well?]

Merely four of their number remained, counting the Queen and Cecily.

[Three of our ranks are already deployed elsewhere… The protection of the World Tree is our absolute concern. We cannot desert this location so readily. We shall entrust the supplementary scouting to the others.]

At present, there were eight High Elves residing within the Elven Kingdom.

Prior to the awakening of Cecily and Harris, the count stood at a mere six, and one among them had already withdrawn from external operations.

Furthermore, Rapori, Lydia, and another High Elf were currently stationed away on the Ion Continent for reinforcement deployment and temple erection!

‘They grew careless, assuming Enamel was secure… and now they have been blindsided.’

Naturally, it did not pose an insurmountable dilemma.

Even putting aside the four High Elves situated in Drasha, the Elven Kingdom retained numerous formidable combatants.

They might possess lesser inherent potential, but even standard Elves could attain great strength through focused personal discipline.

“Haaaam—”

Concluding the debate across the World Tree grid and severing the link, Harris sank back into his air cushion.

A restful, swift, and practical mode of private transit.

He shut his eyelids, savoring the soft airflow that caressed him.

‘Very well, shall I proceed with the scouting…?’

He had resolved the pressing issue, obtained recognition from the World Tree, and even accumulated status within Elf society.

It amounted to a rather productive excursion, when all variables were considered.

…Granted, it remained quite bothersome.

—

Crunch, crunch—

Harley gestured with approval as he masticated and took down his meal.

Fresh, yet recognizable genetic blueprints were embedding themselves into his anatomy.

‘It must be due to the presence of a general-tier specimen in the blend, correct? Opportunities to come across something substantial have been scarce lately, this surpasses my anticipations! It suits me flawlessly.’

The Lycanthrope crystals provided to him by Harris.

Diverging from alternative demi-human strains, they were essentially akin to monsters, meaning their internal organs harbored crystals comparable to mana stones…

And those gems were accomplishing far more than merely amplifying his brute force and techniques. They were weaving themselves into his fundamental cellular structure, unlocking fresh capabilities.

‘Perhaps it is due to our shared nature. It is a peculiar sensation… And I believe I finally grasp the element I was deficient in.’

A lineage that verged on monstrosity, that consumed vital organs to amplify power, that commanded superlative physical traits and even the capacity for metamorphosis…

Lycanthropes shared considerable commonalities with his own nature.

‘Though I am unequivocally the dominant specimen.’

That statement held true.

Barring the solitary realization he had attained after encountering a prolonged bottleneck… the reality that an impassable boundary restricted him.

He had extracted genetic material from a multitude of beasts, dragons included, and consumed the hearts of numerous giants, yet advancement eluded him.

The obstacle keeping him immobile, despite his ceaseless exertions, stemmed from the fact that he—a chimera engineered by Hans utilizing blueprints from alternative scholars…

Possessed a fundamental defect in his biological architecture.

Quite unlike the Lycanthropes, who represented a creation of ‘God’.

‘That applied to the past!’

Harley smiled savagely, brushing his lips after consuming the entirety of the Lycanthrope crystals.

Laughter was unavoidable.

He had caught a glimpse of ‘God’s’ schematic!

At this moment, the final component was positioned, finalizing his trajectory toward transforming into the supreme entity!

‘Time to engage in a triumphal banquet!’

While Harley indulged in his private revelry amidst an immense pile of flesh…

“My, this is intriguing. It appears this behemoth is more than a thoughtless thrall of insanity.”

A recognizable voice reached him, prompting him to tilt his gaze slightly.

It seemed Saintess Liesta had concluded her obligations at last.

“It must have been evoked through insanity, which explains why it manifested with only that attribute. It is reclaiming its latent capability by drawing in alternative malicious energies… As though attempting to occupy a vacuum.”

She was scrutinizing the giant’s core, suspending it within a palm cloaked in sacred power.

“…We are already burdened with excessive concerns regarding the insanity permeating the lands. I am apprehensive that additional realms might collapse.”

The density of insanity drifting across the continent had reached a perilous threshold.

Even individuals possessing fragile mental resolve were beginning to experience its effects.

The initial reserve of insanity was restricted, but it had expanded relentlessly by latching onto beasts and provoking their primal drives.

Even upon the expiration of the vessel, the insanity would either disperse into the surrounding air or be claimed by a more dominant carnivore, meaning the scenario was solely deteriorating.

“Grrr! May I consume this presently? It will vanish if we linger further!”

“…Take it. However, are you entirely certain this is prudent?”

“Indubitably! I have fed upon numerous specimens of this nature! Hahaha!”

Yet, an unforeseen factor materialized: Harley, who possessed the means to consume and master insanity!

Given that his life form might hold the solution to halting the insanity cataclysm, she conceded against her better judgment, notwithstanding her misgivings.

As Liesta observed him consume the core with an expression of displeasure…

Twitch!

She abruptly detected an anomaly and shifted her gaze with a startled countenance.

…Predictably, multiple giants were materializing from the abyss.

And their numbers were substantial…?

“Saintess?”

Liesta, who had become motionless for an instant, recovered her composure after Heinrich uttered her title repeatedly. She gradually spoke.

“…Giants have materialized. And in great numbers… Five? No… Perhaps even greater.”

Her statement caused the remaining companions, who had been unwinding, to stiffen with grim expressions.

A solitary giant possessed the capacity to imperil a minor state.

Yet if five or more emerged simultaneously, it represented a disaster that would force even the Empire to deploy its entire military strength to manage.

They were required to eliminate those beasts prior to their further development, or their own realm might face ruination.

“Saintess! Pray supply the coordinates for the most exposed position! We must journey there and neutralize them with the utmost speed…!”

Isea pressed Liesta, who remained concentrated on a sensation, but she merely gestured negatively, grasping her sacred icon and shutting her eyes.

“It appears intervention is beyond us on this occasion… Even Lady Isea could not traverse the continent with such celerity, could you?”

“Eh? Well, that is accurate, but… Are you implying…?”

“Sigh, I must communicate with the temple and instruct Rapori to notify them. Why must this transpire once more…”

Pale Giants were manifesting within Enamel, which had enjoyed relative tranquility until this point.

And it constituted a concurrent assault by five or more entities.

Should they fail to react swiftly, the devastation would expand exponentially.

-Harris: Ah, what could this be…

Regrettably, their distance was too vast, preventing even Liesta from identifying the precise spots, though she could at least perceive the approximate zone. It would nonetheless provide great assistance.

As Harris, who had been patrolling the peripheries of the Elven Kingdom, contacted the other High Elves in haste…

“Ugh— I feel overfilled.”

Harley, who had just ingested the giant’s core, grimaced and massaged his midsection, seemingly unconcerned by the gravity of the mood.

Naturally, he was not truly enduring indigestion. His system could dissolve even iron.

“Ugh! Buuurp—!”

A resonant emission broke from his lips, paired with a plume of vapor.

Simultaneously, a radical transformation commenced within his frame.

Vapor surged from his facial orifices and skin pores, his flesh shifted to a glowing crimson resembling forged metal, and the proximate atmosphere turned scorching instantly.

“Harley? What is occurring…?”

“Fall back! It is unsafe!”

《The specimen satisfies the parameters and advances. The unique capabilities “Frenzied Beast”, “Mad Dragon’s Heart”, and “Madness Control” have coalesced and shifted into “Tyrant of Madness”.》

It represented an inevitable progression, merely manifesting somewhat sooner than anticipated.

He had not envisioned that the fleeting instance of elation he had tasted earlier would return to complicate things so rapidly…

As the ‘vacuum’ inside him was occupied, the insanity that had been expanding without direction was compressed, surpassing a specific density threshold.

His capabilities shifted, his anatomical limits surged, and—.

Ultimately, his physical form shattered its boundaries and attained a fresh tier.

《The specimen satisfies the parameters and advances. The unique capabilities “Mutation”, “Physical Transformation”, and “Gigantification” have coalesced and shifted into “Ultimate Evolved Lifeform”.》

Harley possessed no profound comprehension of combat disciplines or revelations concerning cosmic truths.

His objectives comprised the contrasting principles of ‘attaining the pinnacle life form’ and ‘perpetual advancement’.

《The unique capability “Ultimate Evolved Lifeform” has integrated and amplified its subordinate traits “Super Regeneration”, “Super Strength”, and “Hypersensitivity”.》

Nonetheless, he had relentlessly gathered structural data and latent power from countless organisms.

He scrutinized and modified each of his cellular components to optimize their performance.

And the single-minded focus he had dedicated to that endeavor…

…proved sufficient to elevate his physical frame past its boundaries and claim ‘transcendence’.

“Retreat! Proximity to him is perilous!”

“W-what is taking place? Perhaps some defect resided within that giant’s core…?”

The companions rapidly moved back, startled by the abrupt metamorphosis in Harley, who was drawing in the totality of the proximate energy, insanity included.

They could not avoid feeling anxious, as the sound of fracturing and relocating skeletal structures resonated from within the dense vapor.

Heinrich, who was monitoring the developments firsthand, placidly comforted his distressed peers with a smirk.

“No, that is incorrect. This is merely…”

Yet prior to the conclusion of his utterance,

“KHAHAHAHAHA——!”

A cataclysmic roar of laughter, as if fracturing the space itself, reverberated in every direction.

—

Harley pondered his immediate circumstances.

‘Ah, this provides a pleasant and invigorating sensation… yet my appetite is so intense it proves vexing! I must ingest nourishment… nonetheless… ’

His attention drifted to the markings spanning his physique.

The detailed and enigmatic designs rendered upon his sculpted musculature.

“Tsk, these are inadequate.”

He represented the pinnacle, the mightiest organism.

Inherently, everything denoting his identity required being superior!

‘What were the words of that aged matriarch? She pledged to offer me something extraordinary… ’

He recalled.

She had vowed to bestow the ‘Tattoo of the Fighting King’ upon him should he settle the crisis within the Tribal Federation.

Yet currently, diverse complications were manifesting across the continent, and contact with the southern territories was severed, preventing him from simply journeying there.

The institution was attempting to treat with them, and if he intruded and initiated a conflict, it would merely aggravate the state of affairs.

‘…Hold, why am I even considering such factors?’

He could simply obliterate the entirety of it!

Ultimately, the former High Chieftain represented the source of the dilemma, did he not? If he merely disposed of that individual, the political alliances and all alternative matters would settle themselves!

‘Precisely! Let us depart, this instant!’

Harley, struck by his own intellect and promptness, vaulted to his feet.

All while masticating a massive portion of flesh he had crammed into his jaws.

And Heinrich, who was monitoring the entire display, silently rested a palm against his brow.

“…Saint? Are you unharmed?”

His peers, comforted to witness Harley rise and conduct himself normally, questioned him with anxious looks.

Yet he lacked the opportunity to respond.

‘Oh, Heavens… ’

An additional madman had just been introduced to the ledger.