Chapter 1073 – Sharper Than Horns

000

When Laplace’s voice resonates loudly in a small space, where there are many objects that can reflect sound.

His voice bounces around the room like an echo.

That voice pierces Yuni’s ears over and over again.

Until it slowly disappeared, the group in the room had no choice but to remain silent for a while.

─ In a moment.

“Is that so…? So…?”

“…”

Yuni had no choice but to react.

Just because you were told that your change was due to a leap of evolution, it didn’t mean that anything had changed.

Although Yuni seemed surprised due to the atmosphere, she had no choice but to listen to Laplace’s words and understand them.

Of course, the fact that he tested a dangerous drug on himself is shocking enough to make my heart sink, and I don’t know if it’s okay to be angry about that.

Nevertheless, Yuni, who was on the verge of going crazy with so much information coming in, couldn’t even afford to devote resources to justified anger.

No matter how much a unicorn is called a holy beast, it is impossible to transform into human form with one’s own power.

The ability to transform was an ability possessed by only a small portion of demonic beasts, and it was only exceptions such as Gonzales who were able to perfectly maintain their human form.

‘Polymorph’, which Cleon uses to hide his identity, is essentially the magic of dragons.

Therefore, there must have been ‘some kind of intervention’ in Yuni’s human form.

Cleon also just ignored it in the hectic series of events that followed the shocking encounter.

“Listen carefully. There is a fatal flaw in the leap of evolution. That is, the body of a being that cannot adapt to evolution will collapse. I was planning to artificially turn animals into ‘demon beasts’, but the premise was wrong from the beginning. .”

“Premise?”

Certainly, from what I have seen so far, the elixir of evolution has shown quite distorted results when used on beings other than humans.

Perhaps, the fusion of the wyvern and magic armor due to the elixir used by the black giant in the brothel may have been a phenomenon during the collapse.

“Yes. If you don’t have the potential of a ‘magic beast’, you won’t be able to see the effects of the medicine in the first place.”

And Laplace answered Cleon’s question like this.

“So, you used medicine on Yuni…!?”

Then Nemeia became angry at Laplace’s actions.

It was natural, he had seen how many lives had been destroyed by the drugs he had used so far.

Nevertheless, just for the purpose of an experiment, I tried to make another sacrifice.

The good news is that Yuni did not die, but her appearance changed, and she survived.

Yuni became humanoid, and through the knowledge contained in the leap of evolution, she also acquired knowledge related to the ‘common language’ that allows her to communicate with humans.

In some ways, this may have been the result Darwin wanted.

However, it was a disappointing result for Laplace.

What Laplace wanted to see was a ‘stronger magical beast.’

He never wanted to see a beast in human form.

“So I concluded that this drug was a failure. I didn’t even tell Darwin about the unicorn.”

[Why…? Darwin would definitely want to know that demonic beasts evolved into beastmen. … Could it be that Darwin was trying to stop him from using medicine? For the demonic beasts of Mt. Chukryong?]

This time, Descartes asked as if he didn’t understand his comrade’s actions.

‘No, no, that can’t be possible.’ That’s what Cleon thought.

Laplace smiled at Descartes’ question and said, ‘Huh.’

“No way. The magical beasts living on this mountain are my precious test subjects. If Darwin captures the magical beasts and uses the medicine to check the efficacy of his medicine, where will I get the experimental materials?”

In response to Laplace’s remarks, which could only be made by a villain with an unwavering stance, both Nemeia and Cleon criticized him in turn.

“You trash bastard…”

“As expected, you are an evil that should not exist…”

“Say whatever you like.”

Even though Laplace could not hear it with his ears.

But right after that, Yuni quietly listened to Laplace and spoke as if she had realized something.

“Now, wait a minute. … So, that means that demonic beasts can withstand medicine, and so can Nemeia?!”

Certainly, if we summarize the information that Laplace just discussed, it is so.

The medicinal effect of the elixir was too strong for ordinary animals, and their bodies collapsed.

So, when I used it on Uni, who was a magical beast, Uni overcame the drug and transformed into a new form.

“That’s why I said there was a possibility. However, it’s not 100%. Even when I used it on a demonic beast, it failed.”

However, Laplace ruthlessly denies Uni’s expectations.

“Such…”

Yuni’s face immediately darkened, but then Cleon told Laplace instead.

“… I don’t think you’ll bring me here and tell me to rely on luck.”

“Keu… Of course. Before that, I need to clear some space.”

At Cleon’s low voice, Laplace flapped his wings and went down to the bottom of the tank that had been behind him just a moment ago.

Then, there were a number of buttons listed there, and it was a type of item that Cleon could not figure out how to use.

Cleon quietly watched what he was doing, and Laplace moved his wings in place of his fingers and pressed several buttons in succession.

Then, the liquid in the tank began to slowly escape from the bottom of the cylinder.

Soon, the ‘deer with exposed spine’ inside it also flows downward following the natural flow.

No, it would be more accurate to say that I am being sucked in.

Due to the intense water pressure, the floating body of the creature is torn apart and falls to the bottom.

The bones of the spine are separated, the skin is torn, organs explode, and ultimately blood is mixed into the green liquid…

The good news is that no sound came out of it at all.

“…”

Cleon, Uni, and Nemeia also held their breath as they saw the scene.

“Ah, this is what happens if you fail to adapt.”

“You don’t have to tell me everything…!”

It was Cleon who strongly scolded him for deliberately saying what he was thinking in his heart.

When both the deer and the liquid finally disappear completely, the glass tube becomes completely empty.

“Your seat is ready.”

“Are you really telling me to go in there?”

“It’s ‘no way’.”

Laplace nodded his head as if it was obvious.

Then the next moment.

Kwaaak!!

In a flash of lightning, Nemeia’s front legs move, grabbing Laplace’s neck as he stands on the ground and pressing him to the ground.

“Yes, Nemeia!?”

“Okay, a little more… No, I understand, but hold on!”

Unlike Yuni, who was embarrassed, Cleon, whose true feelings had come out without realizing it, would hastily correct his words.

Ignoring what those two people said, Nemeia spoke.

“At least explain the reason. If the efficacy of the medicine you are talking about is an improvement in my abilities, then my body is lighter than ever before and I can understand what you are saying. Isn’t it okay to think that I am overcoming the medicine?”

Nemeia speaks in a low voice with a fierce fear of life.

However, Laplace, underneath, is not embarrassed and speaks as if squeezing his voice out of a blocked airway.

“Well, it only seems that way temporarily. The drug is definitely eroding your brain… The increase in body function is a kind of illusion caused by numbness… If the drug has successfully penetrated you,, a more direct change would have occurred…”

“For example?”

“Like that unicorn… It turns into a humanoid…”

“…”

Nemeia glances at her Uni at Laplace’s words, then turns her head again and looks down at Laplace.

“It seems to me that your body will disintegrate within an hour.”

“Well, like that…”

Nemeia, who was herself, was calm, but Yuni, who heard from behind her, became even more scared.

In her mind, the image of her torn to pieces comes into her head.

“Then, what is the meaning of entering that glass tube?”

“If I speak simply enough for you to understand… The liquid inside… Is a ‘stabilizer.’ The purpose is to prevent ‘mutation caused by drug penetration’ from continuing beyond a certain level… That’s why the body was able to avoid completely dissolving…”

“… Are you telling me to become an immobile specimen like those guys?”

Nemeia becomes even more enraged by Laplace’s words.

It was seen that Nemeia’s emotions had intensified to the point where her front leg muscles were bulging and Nemeia’s eyes were turning red.

“Nemeia! Then I’ll die!”

“It doesn’t matter! Yuni, you saw it too! What this guy did to his fellow countrymen in the name of an experiment! Besides, if you made a mistake, you too could melt like a monster!”

“Jeez, Nemeia could be like that now!?”

As Uni raises her voice, she rushes at her Nemeia and tries to pull her away from her Laplace.

It was true that she hated Laplace, but if he were to be killed by Nemeia here and now, she would have no way to save Nemeia.

However, even with Yuni’s incredible strength, it was difficult to remove Nemeia.

Although she had a good physique, Nemeia’s strength as she lost her temper due to anger was greater than Uni’s.

Empty!

And right then.

Something about her lashed out like a thunderbolt and struck Nemeia on the head.

Then Nemeia lost her mind, her whole body went limp, and she fell down in front of her.

“Eh…?”

“Sorry, Uni. I had no choice but to use a slightly rougher method.”

To Uni, who is embarrassed, Cleon shows Galatea’s sword sheath in her hand and then returns it to her belt.

“… Oh, no… It’s okay. Rather…”

Uni raised her hand and pointed to Laplace’s leg sticking out from Nemeia’s fallen body.

When Cleon took it out with a sigh, Laplace, who was crushed, looked at Cleon and giggled.

Cleon warns Laplace.

“I know you don’t have time. Explain what to do. There’s no need for unnecessary words.”

“… Whew… I’ll do it. I still don’t know if there’s a reason to save her.”

“I should have said it. There’s no need for useless words…!”

Laplace felt that Cleon’s life was much sharper than that of Nemeia.

It was as if a blade made of her ice was touching his neck, not his body, but his soul.

“Okay. Then…”

Laplace escaped Cleon’s hand and operated the button once again.

The next moment, the glass of the empty water tank opens.

“Put the lion in here.”

As Laplace said, place Nemeia in an open glass tank.

Because of Nemeia’s large size, it was difficult to place it in an upright position.

If you press hard and lean against the glass, your face will be pressed against the surface, making you look quite silly.

… I couldn’t laugh at all because of the situation.

If Nemeia is somehow placed inside, the glass closes automatically and is filled with the same green liquid as before.

As Laplace said, this is a ‘liquid for maintenance.’

While this lasts, Nemeia will no longer be mutated by the drug.

“Okay. What’s next?”

Cleon shakes his hands and asks Laplace a question.

“… I see. Next, we need materials from the other room. I’ll be here making adjustments, so you two should bring them.”

What Laplace was referring to when he said that was Cleon and Uni.

Of course, at those words, Cleon frowned, and Yuni expressed doubt.

“What does this expression mean?”

“Ask because you don’t know? There’s no need for either of us to go. I don’t know what you’ll do to Nemeia.”

“Ah.”

After hearing Cleon’s words, Yuni seemed to have recognized this possibility and shrank her body and glared at Laplace.

“It’s okay for Yuni to wait here. I’ll get it on my own. Stay by Nemeia’s side.”

“… Yes! Thank you, Cleon.”

When Cleon said that out of consideration for Uni, Uni accepted Cleon’s favor and nodded her head and smiled warmly.

When two people look at each other with a smile.

[It’s just an unusual current.]

Descartes, who was quietly observing the situation, said something.

“I’m sorry, but it’s impossible to get those ingredients ‘by yourself.’ You definitely need that unicorn.”

“…”

It seems that Cleon’s consideration was meaningless.

“Ah, no matter what, I’m leaving Nemeia here…”

“If necessary, I can at least make a ‘covenant’ with you. I will not do anything to that lion while you are away.”

Cleon narrows his eyes at Laplace’s words.

“Is it heavy?”

“No.”

“Then, is it big?”

“No.”

“Then why do you have to go with Uni?”

“You will know when you go.”

As Laplace answers the barrage of questions with short answers, Cleon’s patience is about to run out once again.

Phew. Cleon sighs heavily.

And…

“… Galatea, Caliburn.”

The name of the two people, the Demon Sword and the Holy Sword, was called, and the two appeared in human form.

And Cleon will speak once again.

“I have these two people. If it’s because I need help, I can go alone.”

But Laplace speaks as if he will not lose.

“You told me not to say useless things. So I’ll just conclude. Make sure you go with the unicorn. It might be better to leave these two here instead.”

Of course, Galatea and Caliban object to Laplace’s words.

“Hah!? We can’t leave it like that! How can Cleon fight without us!”

“That’s a bit impossible.”

In the end, Cleon, Caliburn, and Galatea run parallel to Laplace.

With differences of opinion that could not be resolved even after several minutes, Uni finally raised her hand.

“Ah, okay… I’ll go back with Cleon. Instead, you two can look after Nemeia for me. With that… Is that okay?”

“Keu… Okay. That’s how it should come out.”

Laplace smiled at Yuni’s words, but Cleon was so irritated that he tangled his hair with his hands.

“I’m sorry Cleon. But… I don’t think we’ll be able to save Nemeia if we don’t narrow our opinions like this…”

“That’s—… Huh… No, that’s right. It’s just as you said.”

Cleon must have finally let go of his anger at Uni’s apology and looks at Laplace.

“… So, what should I do?”

“Exit this room and go through the second door on the left wall. You still have my eyeball, right?”

The sticky sphere was quietly placed in Cleon’s pocket.

“… Ah.”

Cleon must be wondering if he should keep holding this cursed item.

“You can also send a voice to that room from here. Once you enter, it will tell you what to look for inside, so let’s go.”

“Why is it an order…?”

Cleon listened to Laplace and left the room with Uni.

And after a while, Laplace looks back at Galatea and Caliban who are looking at him.

“We can’t help but watch, but it’s better not to do anything stupid. I’m not as patient as Cleon.”

Let’s speak as if Galatea was warning-

“It seems so.”

“What!?”

Caliburn caught Galatea, who immediately got angry, and stopped her.

001

“… It’s here.”

“Ah…”

Cleon and Uni entered the room that Laplace had talked about.

It was dark here too, so you could barely see inside, and Cleon looked inside with his eyes squinted.

A large room that appears almost empty.

When Cleon examines the wall near the entrance to find a switch similar to the one Descartes pressed earlier-

“─Ugh!”

Yuni must have sensed something about her and fell to the ground, covering her mouth and nose.

“What’s wrong!?”

“Okay, Cleon, this room… I have a bad feeling about something…”

Uni’s face turned pale.

Cleon urgently takes her and tries to get out of her room, but-

Squeak! Clap!

The door they entered suddenly closed, making a sound.

And at the same time, when the door in the room turns on –

There was really nothing in that large room.

Except for the magic power above the head, there was no ‘water tank crane’ like the room just before, and it was just a wide room spreading out.

“… The door won’t open.”

And as if it were obvious, when Cleon tries to open the door, he frowns at the structure that cannot be opened by force.

“Uh, what happened?”

“Well… I guess I’ll have to ask now. Hey, Laplace!”

Let Cleon raise his voice-

[It looks like you entered the room safely. That room is the place I used to check the ‘certain abilities’ of the demonic beast.]

“What kind of ability…? Why is the door closed? What materials do I need to bring? It looks like there’s nothing!”

When Cleon asks nervously, Laplace answers.

[Answer in turn. What was being checked in this room was the ‘demon beast’s reproductive ability.’]

“──…”

When Laplace’s answer came back, Cleon kept his mouth shut.

And Uni blinked her eyes two or three times-

“Ha, ha!? What!?!?”

Her face turned bright red.

I guess he is like that too.

The unicorn is a symbol of purity – she is a virgin.

“Wait… If what you’re bringing is a demonic beast’s semen or something like that, I’ll go back and cut you down right now!”

[It’s similar. Locking the door was unavoidable due to the structure of the room. Because the mating of the demonic beasts was so intense, it was necessary to make the structure of the room stronger than necessary.]

Passing over Cleon’s words, he speaks.

[It is the only way to save the lion dying from Darwin’s medicine right now, and there is only one material required.

Is it a habit to interrupt before making an important announcement?

When Cleon and Yuni are sweating coldly and looking at the ceiling from where they hear voices-

[Unicorn, a symbol of constancy and eternal purity…]

“Horns…!?”

“As expected, is it a horn…!?”

Cleon and Yuni say that before the answer comes out.

[It is the unicorn’s virgin blood.]

The answer that came back was even worse than the horns.