Chapter 123

Chapter 123

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 123: The Last Of Yours (5).

The true form refers to the main body of a Constellation or an Outer God. When this true form descends into the human dimension, it is known as manifestation. It can occur in two ways: partial manifestation through an incarnate being or full manifestation, where it bursts forth directly from its celestial body without mediation.

The partial manifestation of an Outer God resembles the metamorphosis of a larva into an adult. The caterpillar perishes, giving way to a butterfly that emerges, proudly displaying its true form to the world. I had repeatedly warned the chief that the Outer God inhabiting Ire Hazlen would soon partially manifest, but my warnings fell on deaf ears.

“Nothing happened by the time we arrived, after all.”

Rockdalman looked at me with a mocking expression, trying to tell me to just leave at that moment.

“Don’t worry about Miss Hazlen’s well-being. Our Outer Gods Management Bureau will take full responsibility and provide all necessary support.”

“We can’t be sure of that yet.”

“Are you still worried about the Outer Gods?”

“Of course I am.”

I sighed, pressing on.

“There are fifteen of them within one person’s mind. For a storm to occur, one of them has to die. Do you really think the Outer Gods will agree on that?”

“……”

“The reason nothing happened on our way here is likely due to that very conflict.”

“Whew, if you’re so concerned, maybe you should just wait here until the inspection is over.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“Alright then. Shall we make a bet?”

Rockdalman stayed by my side, volunteering as a conversational partner—or rather, a monitor. In our current situation, the distinction felt irrelevant. Thanks to him, the hours didn’t drag on in silence.

After a few hours, I spotted Ire emerging from the blood collection room. The moment she saw me, her expression soured. Her eyelids were tinged blue, as if bruised, and I could sense the deep betrayal she felt towards me.

I prostrated myself, pressing my forehead to the ground.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m performing a dogeza.”

“A doge-what?”

“It’s a thing.”

“Are you a follower of the Holy Spirit Church by any chance?”

“No, I’m an atheist.”

Ire walked past the E building, where we stood and headed toward the C building, which housed the Department of Psychiatry and the Psychology Center. She was likely going for a mental evaluation. Once she was out of sight, I stood up and posed a question.

“Excuse me, if the Outer Gods parasitize the brain, why do they need to draw blood?”

“If I knew that, I would have become a doctor.”

What a charming response. Spending too much time with someone so adorable gives me an allergy rash on my arm.

“Where are you going?”

“To check my thesis.”

“But that way leads to the bathroom.”

“The bathroom is originally a place to check theses.”

I locked the door and sat directly on the toilet. A hollow laugh echoed from outside.

“Student, do you dream of becoming a professor?”

“No.”

“Then do you really need to check your thesis now?”

“Yes.”

I replied indifferently while scrolling through my tablet.

Young Master, the engine is running.

The escape route was secured. All that remained was to time it right and take Ire Hazlen to Eruyel University.

“When will you come out?”

“I’ll be out soon!”

“Let’s go eat. I’ll treat you.”

Just as I was about to leave the bathroom, the ground began to shake violently.

Rumble!

Rockdalman, who had lost his balance, let out a startled sound and grabbed my shoulder to steady himself.

“Wh-what is that noise?”

“It seems like an Outer God is rampaging.”

“Do you still believe in that hypothesis? This place has a high Ether density if not as much as the Holy Spirit Hospital. It’s probably just an earthquake.”

“If it were an earthquake, the building would shake too, not just the ground. The Tempest phenomenon can occur even at the Holy Spirit Hospital. What’s important is not the location but the environment where the Outer Gods can be most active.”

It was undeniably frustrating. Yet, I could extend this person some leeway; after all, I hadn’t revealed that I was the sole target of the Outer Gods.

The shaking intensified. The ground vibrated violently while the ceiling remained eerily still, indicating that the upper and lower layers were moving independently. It felt as if the earth was flowing beneath us. Even Rockdalman seemed to sense that something was amiss; his face turned pale.

Honestly, it was impossible not to feel that.

A chilling killing intent is in the air.

The presence of an Outer God—our survival instincts screamed a warning.

—This is not a drill. A Tempest phenomenon is occurring in Unit A-5. Non-combat personnel in the vicinity, please evacuate to Unit B or Unit C immediately—

The broadcast confirmed my fears, turning doubt into certainty.

—Repeating, this is not a drill. A Tempest caused by an Outer God infection under inspection in Unit A-5 has occurred—

Flustered, Rockdalman checked the location of the emergency exit. The wall where the escape route was marked began to ripple and turned black. The ground felt sticky beneath our feet. The floor, the ceiling, the walls—all seemed to soften, taking on a dense texture.

“It seems like an Outer God is coming this way.”

“That’s impossible. There should be two Great Omegas guarding it!”

“…I have a bad feeling about this.”

Perhaps the Leo and Scorpio troops were no longer in this world. Perhaps the constellations they led had already been devoured. The specifics were unclear, but one thing was certain: An Outer God had arrived, and it was trying to escape from Ire Hazlen’s body.

I smirked.

“Mister Rockdalman, I won the bet.”

“W-What bet?”

“You promised me earlier. If the Outer God appeared before I left today, you’d give me a one-year subscription to .”

“…Are you crazy, student?”

Rockdalman raised his voice, irritated as he wiped cold sweat from his forehead like oil.

“Is the bet important now?”

“Of course, it’s important. If you had listened to the scientists earlier, this could have been resolved by now.”

“What’s a scientist without a PhD!”

I pulled out a caliper and struck Rockdalman in the groin.

“Ha! Things are getting interesting.”

After propping the fallen man against a section of the wall that hadn’t yet eroded, I adjusted my grip on the caliper. Just then, a woman with weary eyes emerged through the opposite wall.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch… Who are you?”

“Ah, you must be the commander of the Celestial Archers. Your name is…”

“Yeshu Malcram. I’m not sure if you heard the alarm, but you need to get out of here immediately. The lab is swarming with monsters right now.”

As she spoke, a few grotesque creatures, wobbling like blobs of tar, chased after her. Malcram drew her sword and swung it swiftly.

Pababak! Black chunks flew in every direction. It was an impressive display of skill.

“What about the other one?”

“If you mean the Leo guy, he’s in charge of evacuating Building A.”

Malcram took a step closer, her expression shifting to one of concern.

“Yawn, what about that guy?”

“I don’t know. He just collapsed.”

“It must be due to the storm’s influence. If you have a weak Constellation and get exposed, it can happen. Ugh, this isn’t the time for explanations. Can you carry him and run?”

“Yes. Somehow.”

Tudududu!

Monsters were rushing down the hallway. One had an iron ball affixed to its head, while another sported limbs made of twisted wire. Some bore reaper-like appendages, and others glinted like mirror balls. Their appearances didn’t matter.

Malcram was a Great Omega level inspector. As she swung her sword, the punctured ether erupted in a burst of purple energy, tracing a crescent-shaped galaxy in the air. The world around us shone brightly. More monsters converged, but she continued her relentless assault. Despite being surrounded, her resolve remained unshaken.

I dragged the foaming Rockdalman, relying on Malcram’s unique protection. The method she employed was straightforward.

“Move. Backward.”

Breakthrough at one point. Strike the weakest spot and penetrate. Wherever she aimed, the monsters dissolved like sugar in water. With precision akin to a laser targeting cancer cells, she delivered just the right amount of force exactly where it was needed. Her specialty was poison—a lethal toxin particularly effective against Incarnates. Naturally, these creatures couldn’t withstand it.

And the opponent must have known that, too. The madness tightening around my heart grew ever closer.

“……Damn, am I late?”

Three seconds, two seconds, one second.

Ire Hazlen appeared around the corner of the street. She wore a white hospital gown, her lips curled into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, which rolled back to reveal only the whites.

“Was that kid in Building A?”

“That’s what I was told.”

As expected, mentioning that Ire went to Building C was merely a smokescreen. Building A housed a neuroscience research complex notorious for its human experimentation. It was possible that Safaul, having successfully negotiated just before they were about to open her skull, had caused the ensuing chaos.

How many are there?

“Six.”

So that’s it.

“They’ve devoured all of the Darwin Legion. Indeed, so that’s why.”

Crack.

Ire tilted her head toward me and began giggling like a madwoman.

Hehehe.

“Found you.”

Thud.

The girl’s body collapsed. From where Ire had fallen, a creature with a monitor for a face slowly emerged, as if it had been there all along, blending seamlessly into the surroundings.

‘Steel Flowing Like the Earth’ manifests.

Faced with that sight, Captain Malcram…

“Ugh.”

She clutched her chest and retched.

“Are you okay?”

“Th-this is nothing.”

Despite her expression being devoid of any emotion, her shoulders trembled slightly.

“But… why are you fine?”

“Who knows.”

“Strange guy. Anyway, that thing is supposed to be an Outer God…”

Step, step.

Squish, squish.

Steel flows like the earth; mercury solidifies like the sea. Like a monster gliding across a vast ocean, Captain Malcram raised her sword toward the approaching Safaul, her eyes closed.

“Are you going to fight?”

“I must.”

“You can’t. It’s too reckless.”

“I am a soldier.”

With calm determination, she gathered every ounce of ether she could muster, channeling it into sword energy. She manifested her physical attributes into the Multi Star Sword Energy used to capture Incarnates, embedding it with the special techniques unique to the Zodiac 12 Troops to complete her secret skill.

Swift and decisive.

Malcram launched her three swords fiercely, but Safaul deflected them effortlessly with a single tentacle.

“Do not interfere.”

In a flash, something beyond human comprehension sliced through the air. The wall tore apart with a loud sound. After a brief moment, the left side of the concrete structure crumbled away, and a chunk of flesh dropped to the floor, accompanied by a shrill scream that grated against my eardrums.

“So, the meddler is gone.”

“This is insane…”

Step, step.

Safaul floated closer, sharp tendrils hovering ominously in the air.

“Aidel von Reinhardt, you’ve managed to survive this long. I acknowledge your efforts. Though merely a mortal, you have posed a significant threat to our kind.”

“……”

“I sacrificed six more comrades to plan our future, with the remaining eight just to eliminate you. It has been a long and tedious process.”

“……”

“This is all I have to say.”

The situation was dire. My foresight activated, revealing only one outcome in all scenarios: my death. The next attack would be a wide-area strike, making it unavoidable.

I had to counterattack. But who could help me?

Rustila was absent, and the Scorpius girl, one of the top ranks of the Zodiac 12 Troops, had lost an arm and was incapacitated. For reference, she had fainted. I was alone.

If Ire Hazlen were here, she might have been able to hold her ground, but this chaos had erupted while I was trying to save her in the first place.

There were options, but they required the use of my silver tongue and, currently, Safaul was too consumed by his rage, having betrayed his fellow Outer God and incarnated his true form.

“Meet your end here, mortal.”

I assessed my resources. The calipers were useless. There was only one thing left.

Cartesia’s Hair: This is the hair of the true form of Cartesia. It is enclosed in an envelope.

It had been a reward from the Celestine Incident. I always felt uneasy carrying it, but I knew that if I didn’t use it, it would become a waste.

I tore open the envelope.

The God of ‘Wisdom and Curiosity’ manifests.