Chapter 291: Same Time, Different Place (2)

< Same Time, Different Place (2) >

While his other avatars were steadily growing, his hatchling avatar, Horus, wasn't just playing around.

He had achieved remarkable growth during his stay in the hidden lair he'd reached under the guidance of the Elder Dragon Shuri Hartgen, whose days were numbered.

Invaluable teaching materials, the old dragon's final teachings before entering eternal rest, his innate talent, and the 'Growth Elixir' amplifying it all…

Because of this, while Horus could still be considered a hatchling in terms of age, his actual abilities had already surpassed those of a juvenile and were approaching those of an adult dragon.

'For a dragon, whose strength is generally proportional to their age, he's an anomaly.'

He was more than just a prodigy; he was a mutant. An incomprehensible being who wouldn't have been born without the various system-related buffs.

And these influences naturally reflected in the avatar's growth.

-Individual Name: Horus

-Race: Dragon (Hatchling)

-Common Traits: 「Mind Herb」, 「Persona」, 「Xenoglossy」

-Individual Traits: 「Gold Dragon」, 「Overlord of All Creation」, 「Polymorph」, 「Dragon Language Magic」, 「Seeker of Mysteries」, 「Defier of Order」

-Special Notes: The individual is growing very rapidly due to the 'Growth Elixir.' 「Seeker of Mysteries」 grants strong buffs and aptitude in all magic types. 「Defier of Order」 negates or mitigates restrictions imposed on the individual, allowing him to contain power beyond the capacity of a hatchling's body.

「Gold Dragon」, which further enhanced the dragon's racial traits, 「Overlord of All Creation」, which influenced magic power and attribute control, and newly added self-reinforcement skills.

Horus was growing rapidly, just as he had initially hoped.

'It's because he's reached this level that I entrusted him with enchanting the 'Titan's Left Arm.''

The Immortal King Hans, also skilled in magic, could have added the enchantment's additional effects, but he hadn't even considered that possibility.

If Hans, with his immense power, were to interfere with the Titan, which contained a vast amount of energy…

'It would probably become a cursed armor that turns the wearer into an undead the moment they put it on.'

Hans's power was so dangerous that it could even corrupt a Dragon Heart.

He wasn't planning to create a cursed item that disregarded the owner's well-being. The Titan he was creating wasn't for that purpose.

'Then, shall we move on to the next stage?'

And now, the 'Titan's Left Arm,' an invention recognized even by the God of Dwarves and handled by a dragon, a master of magic, was in the hands of—.

"Hmm, it might be a bit too much for me."

A young man with a black eyepatch over one eye and a bandage with mystical patterns wrapped around his right arm.

It was in the hands of Hesperon, who wore a solemn expression.

Who would be the most suitable user for the Titan had been a constant concern since the initial design stage.

While the merchant Hubert had briefly used it during the crisis when Tarak was attacked by the revolutionaries, it was problematic for him, with no special abilities, to use it as his main weapon.

He was initially designed as a non-combat individual, like the dwarf Howard.

'I'll make a simplified version for Hubert for emergencies.'

The most suitable candidate was Hesperon.

The reason he prioritized the left arm part was because he had Hesperon in mind from the beginning.

"Phew—."

Hesperon, holding the smooth metal arm, took a light breath in his private magic training room within the Imperial Palace, prepared thanks to Princess Riley.

"…Amazing. Even I, who consider myself to have a discerning eye, have never seen anything like this."

Riley, who had entered the training room with him and was quietly watching from a corner, let out a small exclamation of admiration.

She had returned to the Imperial Palace after attending the Pope's funeral and summit at the Grand Temple of Roselia.

Hesperon had even gone to meet her on her return, just in case, but as expected… nothing happened this time.

'If something had happened again, it would mean the Emperor was behind it, not just incompetence.'

Fortunately, such a worst-case scenario hadn't occurred.

The Crown Princess coronation ceremony was just around the corner, so it was unlikely.

"So, did you summon this from somewhere else too? Like your prosthetic eye?"

"Ahaha— Well, something like that."

And the first thing Riley did after returning to the palace was to have a newly cultivated eye implanted in Hesperon, replacing his prosthetic one.

'I appreciate the thought, but…'

With a wry smile, he pushed up the eyepatch covering his right eye.

A mystical, faintly glowing mechanical eye, foreign to this world, was revealed.

'Well, I was planning to tell Riley eventually.'

Human transmutation was one of the greatest aspirations and taboos of alchemists.

Even cultivating a part of the body to replace a lost limb wasn't easy.

He had refused the procedure that Riley had pushed through using her status and influence, so he had to give her a suitable explanation.

"Wow, it's amazing no matter how many times I see it. I never thought I'd actually see a magic tool from another world…"

She muttered, staring at his exposed right eye in fascination.

Even after getting used to two otherworlders, it was natural to feel amazed when faced with such overt alien technology.

"…It… It looks kind of cool."

Hesperon nodded in satisfaction, seeing Riley glance at him with a slightly flushed face and cough repeatedly.

'So, cyborg prosthetic eyes work in fantasy worlds too.'

Glancing at her health information, including body temperature and heart rate, displayed in his vision, he turned his gaze back to the metal arm in his hand.

It was quite heavy, but to him, who possessed 「Superhuman Strength」 as a Common Trait, it felt moderately weighty.

'Let's begin.'

Taking a deep breath, he slowly inserted his left arm into it.

Creak—

A unique sensation enveloped his arm.

Starting from his fingertips, the inside of the Titan gradually engulfed his arm up to his shoulder, and his muscles, nerves, and the Titan began to synchronize.

However, even as the process proceeded smoothly, his brow remained furrowed.

'…As expected. Even with the improvements, it's still like this…'

The time taken for equipping, synchronization, and activation was about 10 seconds.

It wasn't long compared to other armor, but it was far too slow to react quickly in emergencies.

'It's unavoidable since it's not just armor you simply wear. But reducing the output to improve response time is a waste.'

Another problem was that he had to store it in a subspace and take it out piece by piece to wear.

If even the relatively simple arm part took this long, how long would it take for the torso and other parts?

'Hesperon is the only one who can use this effectively.'

Moving the fingers of his Titan-clad left hand, he glanced at the message displayed in his vision.

-Estimated Energy: 12,257,225

-Estimated Risk Level: B

-Energy signature equivalent to a kiloton-class ship reactor detected. Current state is stable, but handle with caution.

'I put a lot of effort into magic concealment, and it's still like this… I don't know if it's because the mechanical eye's performance is that good or if the energy is too high to completely conceal.'

Either way, there was only one thing he had to do now.

After briefly looking at the messages, he used 「Chain of Vows」 on the Titan without hesitation.

Woooong—

The connection began, and with a tingling headache, his metal-covered left arm began to vibrate loudly.

A violent reaction, proportional to the amount of energy it contained.

It seemed like a difficult process, but he had one thing he could rely on.

'Now, be good.'

「Chain of Vows」 was a skill that formed contracts by weaving connections through empathy between individuals.

And Hesperon—.

'Empathy stems from understanding.'

…was the person who knew the Titan best in the world.

From the smallest metal fragments to every single magic circuit engraved within.

This creation was made entirely by 'him,' from start to finish.

Whirr—!

The result appeared quickly.

The moment detailed information about the 'Titan's Left Arm' appeared in his mechanical eye…

His senses extended, and his physical boundaries expanded.

At this moment, the metal armor covering his arm wasn't just armor; it was his skin, his very arm.

The complex structure of the Titan was imprinted in his mind, and he felt certain he could use all its functions as if it were his own body.

Whirr— Click!

Clack—

Blades sprung from the back of his hand and forearm, and sharp spikes erupted from his knuckles. He checked the various auxiliary functions, such as the muzzle that opened in his palm and the boosters revealed throughout his arm, and nodded with satisfaction.

'…Done.'

After a brief check, he deactivated the Titan and stored it in his subspace magic tool. Then, he looked forward.

"Huh? Are you finished, Heron?"

"No, there's one last thing left."

He calmly answered Riley's curious question and slowly raised his now empty left hand.

It was time to confirm the most important thing.

'Like that time.'

Focusing his mind with his left hand outstretched…

He quietly spoke.

"Titan."

As Hesperon called its name…

It answered his call.

Woooong—

An elegant, dark metallic armor appeared, cutting through space, and seamlessly enveloped his empty left arm.

Whirr—!

Simultaneously with its appearance, lines of light ran through the circuits, instantly completing the activation.

In less than a second, he was fully combat-ready. He moved his left hand around and smiled contentedly.

"…Not bad."

By summoning it directly to his arm, he bypassed the equipping time, and using the contract's constant synchronization, he skipped the subsequent processes.

A method only he, with 「Chain of Vows」, could use.

'It's good now, but I'm looking forward to when all the parts are complete. A transforming hero… this is…'

As he smiled in satisfaction, clenching his powerful left hand, lost in thought…

"Uh… Ahem…"

A subtle cough came from behind him.

…He felt a strange gaze piercing the back of his head.

A sense of déjà vu washed over him.

"Ah."

Slowly turning his head…

He met eyes with Isea, who was standing next to Riley with an awkward smile.

His excitement faded as he objectively reflected on his actions.

"Uh, I was going to help if you were having trouble… I heard Riley was here too… Um…"

She averted her gaze, muttering excuses, seemingly apologetic and awkward.

After a moment of hesitation, she lifted her head as if she had made up her mind, and nodded softly with a warm, understanding look.

"That's an amazing ability. It suits you, Heron."

"Ah! I agree with Seah unni. It was really cool!"

Clap clap clap—

Riley clapped like a seal, echoing Isea's warm encouragement.

For some reason, their reaction stung even more.

"…"

Hesperon, suddenly brought back to reality, couldn't say anything and just stared at his hands.

At his palms, one covered by a futuristic metal gauntlet, the other wrapped in an occult bandage.

'…Wait, that's strange. Hans should have taken all the chuunibyou tendencies.'

Why was he being treated like this?

He swallowed the unanswered question and closed his eyes.

Of course, it had no effect because of his mechanical eye, which automatically saw through his eyelids.