Is There Anything Else? (2)

Is There Anything Else? (2)

As I manifested Lightning Mare more seriously.

The caterpillars that had been enduring the infinite lightning could no longer withstand it and burst, splattering blue blood and slimy flesh everywhere.

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

Seeing them burst just from being near Lightning Mare, while they had endured the direct hit of infinite lightning.

‘The difference in power is too great.’

Even though I’m not using my full strength yet, as I’m trying not to kill the opponent.

As the surrounding mana collapses, everything is bursting apart.

It’s a natural gap, if anything.

‘Shall we end this now?’

To finish this meaningless battle at last.

I used spatial expansion to ‘prevent the magic stone from exploding,’ then threw it.

…

Usually, when a point explosion occurs, it feels like a deafening sound that makes your head ring and destroys everything around it.

But with a proper Lightning Mare, rather than feeling like it explodes… it feels more like it vanishes, I thought as I looked ahead.

‘It’s as if a nuclear bomb went off.’

Even the sound is annihilated by that intense power, giving the feeling that everything returns to nothingness.

For a moment, I was watching a scene that could best be described as close to void.

Then I caught a glimpse of the Archbishop in front, shouting something with an expression of shock and pain.

Seeing him desperately flailing his hands, trying to escape somehow.

I thought I saw something quite interesting and looked at him with amusement.

As soon as the Archbishop saw me like that, he froze and started trembling more and more.

“……”

Because all sounds were swallowed up, I couldn’t tell what the Archbishop said.

But one thing was certain: the last emotion that guy felt was undoubtedly despair, I thought as I sneered at him again.

Just as I was thinking that, a massive roar that came belatedly filled the cavern.

As I watched the cavern shake and crack despite my preparations with spatial expansion, I.

I decided to refrain from doing this in confined spaces from now on, and began to draw up mana and calm it down.

*

To cut to the chase, the Archbishop became a pile of minced meat… no, a lump of flesh.

He had transformed into a state where his original form was completely unrecognizable.

I lifted the Archbishop, who was stickily attached to the floor, with mana and put him into the mace, then smiled with satisfaction.

‘Got him.’

I wonder if people really need to have hobbies.

I think that collecting something is quite a trivial activity.

But it’s quite satisfying in many ways, so I think it’s okay to do it consistently, as I massaged my shoulders.

‘Well, first I’ll stop by the Illusion Library to steal the Archbishop’s knowledge and experience.’

Then it would be good to move on to the next step using that.

I started to come up with a plan in my head, thinking that it would be better for me to make the first move this time.

‘Well, I’m not sure if this will work or not.’

Anyway, as long as ‘I’m not the one’ who loses out.

I decided to proceed with this in mind and headed straight to the Illusion Library.

When I arrived at the Illusion Library like that.

Ember looked at me and the Archbishop with a very bewildered expression.

Then she spoke to me in a voice that didn’t know what to do.

“… Hero, you are strangely strong.”

I shrugged at the expression ‘strange’.

I don’t know what I was doing in the first round, but as for my existence.

At that time, the preparations I had made influenced the current iteration, causing quite a large snowball to roll.

‘Well, starting as Deren was probably the biggest factor.’

They said it was a strong penalty to put me in the body of the person I disliked the most.

But because Deren possessed so many things.

I thought it might have become the driving force that allowed me to grow faster and bigger, making me who I am now.

‘Anyway, what’s important now is.’

Using this to defeat the Demon King.

With that thought in mind, I briefly conveyed my requirements to Ember.

“Memory and experience transfer. Do it immediately.”

“Oh, yes!”

After watching Ember run off, I slowly moved to a place where I could receive the transfer and closed my eyes.

After receiving everything like that.

I thought it would be good to focus on research for a while.

So I immediately shut myself in the laboratory and began analyzing the abilities of the archbishop in question.

‘Larva creation.’

I couldn’t hear the exact name, so I didn’t know precisely what kind of magic it was.

But one thing for sure was that this magic was different from a simple summoning concept and could be used in quite an interesting way.

‘This magic is closer to… necromancy rather than summoning, I suppose.’

The magic of necromancers, necromancy.

Recalling that magic which revives the dead and controls them as one’s own limbs, I tapped my fingers on the desk.

‘And unlike general necromancy… that is, unlike necromancer magic that only brings the abilities of the deceased…’

As the Archbishop described it as loneliness.

One of the great charms was that it could mix the abilities of several individuals to create a single entity.

‘Mixing, huh… Then can I mix the Archbishops and Bishops I’ve captured into one?’

If that were possible, I couldn’t hide my smile thinking that it would create a quite powerful ally.

‘Of course, it would probably take considerable time to combine them, but it would be worth investing in.’

Because if successful, operating this entity could deal a tremendous blow to the Heaven God Cult.

I immediately decided to research this magic and strengthened my resolve.

‘Then the first thing I need to do is analyze this magic.’

And after succeeding in creating loneliness a few times, I decided to use it to create what I had aimed for, raising the corners of my mouth.

*

Judging that it would be difficult to research this magic with the current research facility.

After building a quite large building near the Illusion Library, I brought in numerous new items and proceeded with the research on this magic.

‘If this were Earth, it would have taken quite a long time to build a research facility.’

Since magic and space expansion magic exist, the construction itself wasn’t that difficult, so I was able to complete it without taking too much time.

I was satisfied looking around the inside, which was as large as the main family’s mansion when you enter.

Although it doesn’t look that big from the outside.

Rumi, who was behind me, still in her maid outfit, speaks to me with a bewildered look.

“Um, Deren… Is it really necessary to move the research lab? Couldn’t you just use magic expansion on the original lab you were using?”

To that, I shrugged and explained the reason.

“There are two reasons. The first is that this research needs to borrow a lot of power from the Illusion Library.”

Second, even a single monster of archbishop-level can emit such intense mana that it collapses the surrounding mana.

If such monsters were to be summoned simultaneously.

Even for the Lercier Family, there was a high probability that all the protective barriers and defense facilities installed in the mansion would be destroyed.

‘I heard that they were once breached by the Heaven God Cult before.’

To prepare for this, it was necessary to move and create a new place.

I explained this to Rumi, who nodded while fidgeting.

Then, slowly looking around, she said to me.

“I think it’s best to organize first… Although the research facilities have all been moved, the living supplies and furniture are quite scarce.”

And as expected, if it’s to be expected.

Rumi, Delia, and Espin were forcibly relocated from their main house to my research building.

The reason was none other than ‘safety’ issues.

‘Although the Lercier Family has high-level personnel stationed, even if all of them were combined, they couldn’t match my combat power.’

It would be more ideal to keep them by my side rather than leaving them in their care.

‘Oh, by the way, the others all followed my words without complaint.’

Especially in Delia’s case, I remembered her saying nonsense like ‘Finally, our newlywed life begins’ while organizing various items.

As I was recalling past events, regretting if I had moved unnecessarily.

Rumi looked around and continued speaking to me.

“Um, Deren… There are no maids or butlers here now, so it’s just us, right?”

Due to security issues, as the Heaven God Cult might infiltrate, everyone else was excluded, and convenience facilities were replaced with magical tools.

As Rumi said, we were the only humans here.

I nodded in agreement, and Rumi, looking a bit embarrassed, hesitated before carefully speaking to me.

“S-so, does that mean it’s okay if something happens here…?”

Shouldn’t something not happen?

I looked at her with a puzzled expression, not quite understanding.

Rumi glanced around, then lightly loosened her outer garment, bowing her head shyly.