Chapter 201: Mastering Transformation (Part 1)

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"Crackle, sizzle!" 

With a stomp of his foot, George sent a surge of electricity coursing across the ground, instantly striking Mokuhara Kazuto. His entire body convulsed, his formerly slicked-back blond hair frizzed up like a puffball, and his knees buckled beneath him.

"What's the meaning of this?"

Mokuhara Kazuto quickly grabbed a nearby tree for support, glaring at George with a grim expression.

George replied indifferently, "Nothing much. It's just that your laugh was so hideous I couldn't help myself. You might want to tone it down in the future—before someone beats you to death for it.

"Now, tell me, what's in it for me if I join?"

"You've got personality, I'll give you that," Mokuhara Kazuto said, forcing himself to suppress his anger. After a brief pause, he continued calmly, "We can help you advance from Level 4 to Level 5 quickly. Does that sound like a good deal?"

Based on the combat performance of Clone No. 9981 and her use of Atomic Collapse, calculations suggested she had the potential to become a Level 5. With proper development, it was highly likely she could achieve this within six months.

If that happened, Academy City would gain another Level 5—a combat-focused one at that.

For this reason, the Director himself had issued a direct order: no matter the cost, they had to find a way to bring Clone No. 9981 under control.

As a member of the eccentric and fanatical Mokuhara family, Kazuto had a natural fascination with powerful mutations like this clone. It made him more than willing to take on the task.

As a scientist, he believed in the principle that science equaled power. Every esper, no matter how strong, had their weaknesses. The key was to take the time to observe and analyze carefully.

Even the near-impenetrable reflection ability of Accelerator could be countered with enough preparation.

Clone No. 9981, should she choose to join them, could have her weaknesses identified and then be molded into the strongest weapon of their experimental Hunter Squad.

"Not bad, I suppose," George said with a slight nod.

Initially, he had intended to dismiss Kazuto with a few half-hearted words. But now, he was starting to think this might actually be worth exploring.

After all, who in Academy City knew more about espers, their potential, and how to develop their abilities to the fullest than the Board of Directors?

The city itself had been built under their direction, as was the entire esper ranking system.

If the Board was willing to fully support his advancement from Level 4 to Level 5, it would undoubtedly be far faster than anything he could achieve on his own through trial and error.

This might also be an excellent opportunity to infiltrate their organization, uncover the secrets of the Board, and use their resources to gain a deeper understanding of this world.

As for whether he was walking into a trap?

He had confidence in himself.

So far, they only viewed him as a Level 4 combat clone with impressive practical abilities. They were completely unaware of his magical powers.

"Besides that," Mokuhara Kazuto added, noticing George's apparent interest, "if you have any other requests, feel free to mention them."

George didn't hesitate.

"First, I want proper wages, benefits, and all the perks that come with the job.

"Second, I'll come and go as I please. Whether I show up or not depends entirely on my schedule.

"Third, I'll take on missions at my discretion. If they cross my moral boundaries, I won't do them."

"You've got a lot of demands," Mokuhara Kazuto said through gritted teeth, the corner of his mouth twitching. But he still nodded in agreement.

Right now, the priority was getting Clone No. 9981 into their unit. Once she was in, there would be plenty of time to figure out how to bend her to their will.

"Alright then, let's head to the headquarters of the Hunter Squad. I'll evaluate your situation and create the most efficient plan to help you become a Level 5 esper."

With that, Kazuto pressed a button in his hand, and shortly after, a sleek black sedan pulled up to the roadside.

George didn't hesitate and followed Mokuhara Kazuto into the car.

While George, under the guise of Misaka 9981, was joining the Hunter Squad in Academy City, a major event was unfolding in the Fairy Tail world.

"Transform!"

In the Fairy Tail guild hall, George stood on the bar counter, casting transformation magic.

A blue magic circle glowed above his head, and his golden feline body transformed in an instant into the imagined human form of George from his original world.

"Still a bit off," George muttered, standing on the bar counter as he glanced at the mirror he had prepared beforehand. He shook his head in mild disappointment.

While he had already mastered partial transformations, full-body transformation still presented some challenges.

In the mirror, George indeed looked human. However, while he had successfully taken on the shape of a human, his size hadn't changed—he was still only palm-sized, far from the stature of a normal human.

Clearly, there were some minor flaws in the execution of his transformation magic.

"You've already done really well. For someone who hasn't been learning for long, being able to do this is impressive. With more practice, you'll soon master the basics of transformation magic," Mira Jane encouraged him while wiping a glass nearby.

"I understand," George nodded before reverting to his normal magical feline form.

Until he mastered advanced transformation magic, using transformation magic significantly limited his power output. As a result, he usually operated in his original cat-like form.

Transformation magic in this world's magical system was considered one of those "easy to learn but hard to master" types. It was straightforward for beginners to pick up, but truly mastering it required extraordinary effort.

It was said that at the highest level, transformation magic allowed one to shift into nearly anything—plants, animals, insects, and more—with ease. It was essentially the magical equivalent of the "72 Transformations."

Of course, no matter what one transformed into, only the appearance changed. Turning into a demon, for instance, wouldn't grant demon powers—that was an ability exclusive to Take Over magic.

"The Guild Master is out today, isn't he?" George asked, nodding at Mira Jane's encouragement as he reverted to his usual form.

"Yes, he went to negotiate with a large magic equipment company about modifying the mobile fortress," Mira Jane replied.

After defeating Phantom Lord, Makarov had accepted the mobile fortress as a war prize, thanks to George's suggestion.

However, due to the guild's limited funds, they had been unable to afford the high costs of renovation, leaving the fortress unused and parked in the lake near the guild as a mere decoration.

Fortunately, since Fairy Tail's victory over Phantom Lord, the guild's reputation had skyrocketed within the Kingdom, attracting more clients to post requests at the guild.

On top of that, George's ability to use Phantom Step to repair public property damage caused during missions had significantly reduced the guild's financial losses. Slowly but surely, their funds had grown more robust.

Now, they had finally saved enough to make the down payment for the mobile fortress's renovation.

Thus, Makarov personally delivered the fortress to the large magic equipment company for modifications today.

"By the way, I don't see Natsu or the others around. They haven't been taking many missions lately, have they?"

George glanced around the guild hall but didn't see the usual noisy bunch of Natsu, Gray, and their companions.

At this time of day, the guild hall would typically be in disarray, half-destroyed and waiting for him to fix it.

(End of Chapter)