CHAPTER 254: OPERATION WOLF SLAYER. (PART 43)

As it is today, humanity has three paths toward evolution, and each one comes with its own shortcomings. The Cyborg path risked the loss one’s self with each body part that gets replaced by cold metal, while the Genome path is built on altering one’s genetics and thus has the highest mortality rate.

Despite the dangers they pose, humans have always found themselves choosing between those two paths. That’s because the third one, and by far the safest, had a far worse restriction.

The path of Sorcery was closed to most of humanity. The only way to walk it was to be born with the ability to sense and manipulate mana, and with very few meeting those conditions, Sorcery has remained a power passed down through bloodlines, never falling into the hands of those who weren’t blessed at birth.

Of course, there were many attempts to overcome the restriction and allow mundane humans to wield the power. No one has ever succeeded in breaking those chains, but that was finally changing.

Klaus’s obsession with history led him to learning many of the secrets relegated to the shadows, and once he got his eyes on Sorcery, he stopped at nothing until the power was his to command. The research took years of his life and billions of funding, but after so long, he finally did it. He created a way for mundane, Level 0 Basic humans to use the mystical power.

His biggest breakthrough could be attributed to several factors. The first one was the help he received from Ushida Shirogane, who defied his clan to carve his own path, and Giovanni Romano, who gave up his pride to search for a way to preserve the strength of his family. The second factor was the relics left behind by the Blue Oni, the terrifying cult that brought the Tōseika empire to its knees. The third one, however, was undoubtedly the most important.

A mundane human would have struggled greatly when trying to understand mana and Sorcery, but Klaus had a teacher, someone who sought the same goals as him. The principles they bestowed on him and the guidance they provided were a light that illuminated the path forward, and after numerous trials and errors, the fruits of their labor were finally ready to be reaped.

The Blue Skull was the crystallization of Klaus Stahlwölfe’s effort. With it as a medium, one can gain the ability to interact with mana, allowing them to manipulate it like a natural-born Sorcerer. Not only that, but it also reduces the strain on one’s mind, allows the use of Sorcery from different bloodlines, and increases efficiency, granting a great boost to otherwise mediocre Sorcerers.

It was only recently that Klaus perfected his prototype, a suit that can turn a Basic human into a Level 5 Sorcerer, but just as Steel Wolf Holdings made the decision to go ahead with its mass production plans, news reached them that the Radmir Union had authorized plans to take them down.

Klaus had long since anticipated such a development. The birth of a new, viable path to power was a threat to those who invested everything into the other paths, and the battle to control the market was going to be brutal. Eidolon had sunk its claws deep into the Union’s government, too, so much so that them controlling it was no longer a conspiracy theory in the minds of people.

Genomes are the future, that’s what the world’s biggest pharmaceutical company has decided on, and anyone who dares to challenge their supremacy is bound to be struck down sooner or later. Klaus didn’t back down, however. He chose to challenge the goliath, and unlike those who came before him, he didn’t step into the battle with just a sling and a few stones.

Unfortunately, the enemies he chose to make were no goliath. They were titans big enough to blot out the sun, and no matter how powerful he got, it would only take them a single wrong step to bring him down to earth.

~[ ]~

"AWOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

The howl echoed through the thirty-seventh floor, and for a moment there, the landscape changed, turning into a foggy forest illuminated by a bright full moon. Horror gripped the hearts of everyone who saw it, but it was the members of the Team Silver Wind who were the most shocked.

This was far from their first time hearing the howl, but it was only the second time that they found themselves caught in the illusory scene.

"Wolf..."

Just as she turned to the source of the sound, the fear clawing at Night Gale magnified severalfold. Her first reaction was to raise her wind shield and put everything in maintaining it, but even that wasn’t enough to make her feel safe.

The powerful gales failed to trigger any kind of change. The foggy woods didn’t vanish this time around, and neither did the moon. Silence returned as the beast ended its howl, and despite the stillness in the surrounding, it was clear that something had just started.

A faint rustle, a quiet thud. The air shifted every now and then, but everything seemed to remain the same. Despite the eeriness, Klaus was confident in his safety, seeing as he had perfect camouflage active. With his final attack brought to a halt, he quickly went back on the move while preparing a new set of Arts.

Simultaneously, he contacted the remaining three blue demons and gave out instructions. To avoid the complications that came from working with completely invisible people, the Blue Skull suits were synchronized with each other, allowing them to locate each other. Because of that, Klaus noticed right away when the first of his bodyguards was taken out a few minutes ago in the same manner he noticed the second one disappear right in front of him.

A spark ignited and a ball of flame rose to the sky, exploding like fireworks and illuminating the area, but the darkness returned right after.

The momentary flash was all the red demon needed as it launched a torrent of flames right after, moving it around as if chasing after something. The light allowed the others to see what it was targeting, but even with the enhanced sight provided by the Blue Skull and his OAM, the only thing Klaus saw was a white blur tracing a line in the distance with fire hot on its tail.

Knowing that thing was what caused the anomaly, the Stahlwölfe scion locked in on it and prepared to take it down with his Arts. As his gaze was focused on the white blur in the distance, two red circles appeared right in front of him. His thoughts suddenly came to a halt, and all he could do was watch as a giant maw spread open right in front of him, the long jagged fangs contained within it dripping with crimson.