Serum - C186 (Patreon)

Dirk let a drawn out breath of air escape his lips. He stood within a corner of his new home, the library/bedroom that Yumia had allowed him to reside in. It had everything he needed, including a side room for some seclusion. 

The side room wasn’t big, and it was completely empty. Dirk decided this would be a good place to make the last step. 

After settling his body, he launch dhis fist in front of him, air whipping around his knuckles before he twisted his body and lashed out with his leg, his heel tearing through the atmosphere. 

He went through a few more motions. He couldn’t go through all of his bare body martial arts. That would take hours and some things could only be done to another person. 

Once he was done with that, he stomped and took out his spear, thrusting it out but a single time before sending it away. 

He didn’t dare take out the bow. 

He moved on to the sword, unsheathing it before slashing out in a few directions, using some of the barely basic techniques he learned from Eleanor. After some seconds, that blade was sent away too. 

Then, he moved on to the knife, standing there with it in his hand, twirling it around his fingers a couple of times, before sending it away like the others. 

Then came the axe, which he swung around a few times, his body spinning with the weight and the air screaming around the heavy edge. When he came to a stop, that weapon disappeared before getting replaced by a staff. 

His hands gripped the two ends before sliding down into their comfortable positions. Then he applied force and swung his arms and body along with the staff, the wood creaking and bending under the force behind his movements. 

Once he felt comfortable with that, it disappeared. Nothing replaced it as he stood straight, letting out another breath. 

One last thing…

He lifted one leg, his heel riding up his thigh before he bent at the waist and twirled around like a ballerina. His entire body spun, spinning around his center of gravity, not a single correction being made with any of his support muscles. He was perfectly balanced, even as he stopped twirling and started walking. 

His movement was flawless. He made no sounds with his feet, and not simply by virtue of moving slow or avoiding tapping the ground with flat feet. 

His weight was perfectly distributed, his movements spreading all forces through his legs with ease and ensuring that all energy, created by him or otherwise, was unwasted and with purpose. The sounds made by tapping feet represented excess energy and a demand in changing the way he either planted his body or moved in its entirety. 

Of course, there was a purpose behind everything. Sometimes being quiet wasn’t the best course of action if it meant you could kill your momentum faster. It all depended on the situation. The point was that he was in full control of all the energy that either went into or out of his body. 

Complete mastery of the body, mind, and soul, allowing him to utilize not just his body, but anything attached to it with mastery. That included weapons. 

Once he stopped moving, he was rewarded with the fruits of his skill. 

<Alert. Requisite conditions for skill acquisition have been met.>

<Congratulations. You have earned the Skill: Basic Martial Mastery (Grade 6)>

<You have earned the Skill: One Body (Grade 6).>

<Merging skills…>

<Applying the Skill: Active Biokinesis…>

<Applying the Trait: Adaptable Genes…>

<Suplemmenting evolution with the Trait: Mana Body…>

Dirk felt his body warm as his organs and muscles churned a bit. They shifted, compressed, were damaged, and then healed immediately after. 

It was nothing like a full advancement, but he could clearly feel every little change. Active Biokinesis afforded him an unprecedented awareness of almost every cell in his body. Of course, the full power of that skill was unleashed when Spyte stepped in. 

[You’re undergoing a bit of a reformation. It’s optimizing you for combat.]

“I wasn’t optimized before?”

[Not for martial combat specifically, no. You have to remember that humans weren’t made for fighting with their bodies. They built tools around their greatest physical asset, which were opposable thumbs, and then they learned how to wield the full potential of mechanical force by using the levers known as their limbs in tandem with sticks. Still, they weren’t built to be machines that could swing things with the greatest amount of force. What martial arts seek to do is improve technique in order to take the most advantage of it in the least harmful way to the body.]

“So is this little evolution turning me into a machine?”

[No, but it’s turning you into something that can withstand the strains of using your levers with far greater amounts of force. It’s honestly just making you better while adjusting the positions of certain bones and muscle groups. It’s subtle, but quick simulations are pointing to marked increases in force output and resilience.]

“Neat.”

Dirk smiled as the changes rand their course. With all the power he had over his body and the malleability Adaptable Genes gave it, it was a quick process. 

It was concluded by Miss Record.

<You have gained the Skill: Foundation of Martial Mastery (Grade 7).>

<Note: A piece of advice.>

Dirk’s brow raised when he got the next notifications. She was speaking to him.

<The next step requires you to merge Anima and Martial Arts. Acquire Anima Manipulation, and apply it to your Martial Mastery. Completing this process will raise you to the realm of the only other man to achieve such a height, the Kimin Godsum, and then quickly far beyond. I know you will not waste the advantages you possess.>

“...No, I won’t.”

Dirk smiled in response. This was the first time he had ever felt like he was communicating with Miss Record, the Light Dragon Primordial. It was surreal, and the direction she gave him was invaluable. 

Anima Manipulation was the next step, it seemed. Now that he was told, it was obvious. 

Dirk had perfect control of his body, a body now optimized for martial arts, and the Foundation of Martial Mastery. This meant that he could grab any weapon and use it, in a basic fashion, perfectly. He didn’t know any techniques for them, but that was fine. 

A big thing with techniques, in this world, was that they utilized anima. Learning techniques would demand that his anima control follow. Dirk was currently a Rook class but that would have to change if he wanted to rise higher. He would need to become a Bishop Class, at minimum, to even attempt to get Anima Manipulation. 

It was ironic that, although Dirk’s primary form of combat revolved around anima and martial arts, it was his magic that achieved manipulation status first. With him being forced to manipulate the elements so often, it had climbed in proficiency much faster. His anima seemed to lag behind, but hopefully that would change now that his invisible shackles had been tossed away. 

However, gaining anima manipulation wouldn’t be the hard part. It would be applying it to his martial mastery. 

It was the difference between being able to manipulate the elements and being able to create any spell you could imagine, or the difference between conceptual knowledge and applied knowledge. Acquiring manipulation would be the first step toward acquiring a truly higher form of mastery. 

However, now he could learn all the techniques he wanted, and through them he would learn anima manipulation. Then anima manipulation would allow him to perfect everything and elevate what he knew. 

He had a feeling that Grandpa Qoi’s knowledge just multiplied in value to him. His spear techniques were not just powerful, but perfect. He was a Spear King, someone who held the highest level of technique and proficiency with the Spear. It would quite literally be the most perfect material to learn from. There was no better thing to learn from than a technique which used the highest levels of anima manipulation. 

If he could figure out that technique, then he would very quickly rise to the level of the Kings, and then as Miss Record said, quickly far beyond. 

Of course, there was a step before that. He wouldn’t be climbing straight to the top from here. Becoming a King was no small feat and required more than just good anima control and a weapon technique. It required an attunement into anima that bordered on godhood. The fact that Grandpa Qoi could sense his mana spoke to the level he had achieved. Dirk wouldn’t be rising that high anytime soon. 

He’d need to start by simply improving his control over Anima. He especially wanted to see if he could turn Anima Oscillation into resonation, a reinforcement technique instead of a destructive technique like with Mana. Figuring that out would be the first milestone. 

For now though, nothing much would be happening. 

Dirk had been through several successive advancements in an awfully short amount of time. Many years of constant accumulation had finally landed him in this position, and yet it only felt like the first step up a mountain. The difference in power between him and the true behemoths of this world was still incredible. Unlike on Earth, he couldn’t do whatever he wanted. He no longer had that unstoppable power and skill. 

But he had exploded with massive amounts of potential in recent months. He had almost completely unshackled himself. Perhaps the only thing that continued to hinder him was Asura’s curse on his eyes. 

Dirk lifted his blindfold, running his fingers across that dark, cracked skin. It continued to pulse with the subtle yet unrelenting powers of the most dangerous dark mage in the world. 

No amount of advancements, no matter how life altering, had affected it in any way. Not even his Mana Body had been able to circumvent it. It remained the same as it had been years ago. 

He knew it hadn’t affected his soul. Eldritch Primordial had made sure of that while the Dragon had confirmed it. That meant it was restricted to his body, perhaps having some influence over his mind. 

It was a thorough curse, however. Yumia hadn’t mentioned anything about being able to deal with it, while Emperor Horizon himself refrained in order to make sure Dirk didn’t die during the process. Even the Dark Dragon Primordial hadn’t offered solutions, though that probably wasn’t out of incapability. 

No matter how he looked at it, this curse wasn’t leaving anytime soon. And he had to admit, despite getting used to it, he really wanted it gone. 

He wondered though. Just what the hell was this spell doing to him? How was it able to stay with him even despite genetic changes and massive bio-magical overhauls? Was it that complex or was it that simple? 

Dirk had a hard time believe Asura cursed him with something so thorough just because his eyes annoyed him, or just because of his unrelenting defiance. He might’ve pissed Asura off, which was no small feat, but a curse like this wasn’t possible without purpose beyond malice, right?

Dirk wasn't sure. Either way, he wanted to figure out how to rid himself of it. 

He wanted to see Ava, literally, and not just through his mana vision. 

With a sigh, he put the blindfold back on and left his secluded room. 

He found Yumia laying on her bed, feet kicked up in the air as she went through some papers in front of her. She looked like some teenage girl lounging in her bedroom and not some obscenely powerful dark mage at the top of the world’s hierarchy.

“Oh good, you’re finished. I’ve got another mission for you. A couple actually, spread out over the next few days. After that though we’ll be going quiet for a while. I’ll help you with your spells then.”

“Okay.”

Dirk nodded to all of her words. 

So long as he wasn’t with Pandora, things would be moving a bit slower. He’d probably be occupied with helping Yumia and the resistance for a while, waiting for news about anything particularly sensational. Once he felt satisfied with what he learned and gained, he’d contact Pandora and continue their journey to the Lair where they would search for the Key Artifact of Air. 

During that time, he’d have to learn all the weapon techniques he could, begin to cultivate the next step in his Mana Heart Technique, begin Bone Destruction, and develop his spells. He not only had Yumia to help him, but that lightning ball from the Dragon Uuvos, on top of the Heart Core which he could develop spells and techniques from. There was a ton for him to unearth across all fields of his magical power, but he was rather could at grinding out tedious and laborious tasks. 

After receiving some information on the next mission, Dirk thought about the future. 

He wondered how long this peaceful little gig as Yumia’s infiltrator would last. 

……

…

.

Pandora stood on the tip of the Sky King’s bow. The tips of her toes hung off the edge, nothing before her except miles of sky. 

Far into the distance she could see the branch city which she plotted against. Nobody in that city had been alerted to her presence, let alone her machinations. It was almost too easy, thankfully because vampires looked similar to elves with their pointed ears and generally slim stature. Even if they didn’t, just a slight bit of body modification would eliminate all suspicions, allowing her Shadow Troop to infiltrate and enact her plans without having to worry about the current genocide against everything non-elf. 

This city wouldn’t know what hit them, and by the time it did, it would be much to late. 

Nay, it was already far to late. Pandora’s concocted infection had already hit almost all of the population, the only exceptions being the most powerful individuals, which comprised all of about 8 people. The city had already declared a state of emergency as about a quarter of the population had started succumbing to the effects. They wouldn’t die, not for a long while, but they would suffer massively. It would be a very effective psychological blow.

What she was about to do tonight would be equivalent to shooting them in the gut while they were already beaten and half dead on the floor. She wouldn’t be surprised if this entire population was killed in the process. Regardless, she would learn how resilient these elves were, as well as the kind of response it would garner. 

Of course, the best part about it all was the fact that all of it would be pinned on the Resistance. It would turn their currently pitiful flame of war into a blazing wildfire. Perhaps it might even extend beyond the Otherworld. They may declare war on the Dark Kingdom given some of the evidence she had planted. That would be the best case scenario. 

But she would settle for a blood feud, anything to kick up an adequate storm. That would make it easier for her to draw out the big names and scope out the competition. 

Pandora took a long, deep breath, feeling the cold air in her lungs. 

“Captain.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“Take us down. It’s time.”

“Understood.”

The captain behind her bowed before rushing off. Before long, the Sky King started descending. 

Pandora stepped off the edge of the bow, making ready. 

Once landed, she boarded one of the land vehicles and drove off the hangar’s ramp. The Captain drove her all the way to the mine located just outside the city. There, she disembarked on top of a ridge that could overlook not just the mine, but the city about a mile away. 

The Captain remained by her side as they looked silently. At some point, Pandora took out a pocketwatch and smiled. 

“I have such a good internal clock. We have reached the 22nd hour. Is everyone in place?”

“They are.”

“Very good. All is right in the world. Now, we get to watch. Let the fruits fall where they may.”

Pandora smiled and brought up an orb, speaking. 

“Begin.”

There was no verbal response, but she could visualize exactly what began to unfold right when she gave the word. 

The lake next to the city, once an open pit mine that had been filled in to become a natural reservoir, was suddenly rattled by explosions. Pandora watched earth mana thrash around as a new canal was born, leading straight into the mine she stood before. 

The water rushed as if a damn had been broken down, flying toward the mine. This particular mine was responsible for unearthing a dense deposit of Void Metal. However, that Void Metal had spawned within a massive coal deposit. Since the elves had no use for coal, it was set aside, literally. Pandora could see mountains of the stuff. 

Not for long though. Not long after the explosions at the lake went off, more explosions rattled the pit mine, both opening up an entrance for the water to rush in as well as push all of that discarded coal and waste into the open pit. 

Water, carbon, and refuse mixed in the pit, filling fast with no end in sight. The canal only widened as more water rushed into the pit. It had taken a long time and many powerful bombs to make this happen, as well as some digging on the part of her Shadow Troop. But now it was all coming together. 

The water turned black and mixed into a toxic slurry. This went on for but a couple minutes as her troops hastened the mixing with their own magic. 

Then, more explosions went off, opening up another canal out of the pit mine. 

A canal that ran straight toward the city. At the same time, an opening in the city walls was created as walls were erected around the canal, providing a perfect funnel for the oncoming mix. 

The slurry within the pit mine was pushed out. Even Pandora cast her own spells to expel it, hurling that water down the new canal and creating a flood of toxic slurry that rapidly entered the city. 

“Come on. Keep going…”

Pandora urged more power into her spells, water flying through the canals like they were rapids. More slurry was created, and the city was quickly flooded. A river had been opened up on their doorstep. 

Of course, this didn’t go unnoticed. Before her adversaries could even react though, Pandora spoke. 

“Alright. Retreat.”

“At once.”

Her Captain rushed back to the vehicle. As soon as Pandora landed in it, they sped off into the distance, Pandora casting a spell to completely conceal their presence. 

At that moment, a few powerful domains of magic expanded as the leaders of the city emerged. 

Pandora watched their powerful signatures, snickering. 

“You have no idea…”

She muttered, the vehicle taking them straight back to the Sky King. 

Many elves rose to the disaster and used their magic to push back against the flood, but over half the city was flooded by the time they did so, amounting to about half of the lake. It was night and everyone had been asleep, not to mention most of them were sick with her disease. It was too shocking of an event to react quickly to, not to mention how difficult it was to stop a river dispersing throughout all the hundreds of buildings and roads. 

Once Pandora was back on the Sky King, she ran over to the bow once more, standing on its edge and looking at her pocket watch. 

“And… Now. Let’s see how they handle this…”

She looked back up right as the slurry started to flash. 

A few of her troops lit the flooded pit mine on fire. The flames spread across the slurry before traveling slowly down the river that was heading into the city. 

Pandora could barely make out the disgusting black smoke that rose from the fire. She didn’t have to though to understand the effects such toxic fallout would have on biological life should that fire be allowed to spread into the city. But if they couldn’t prevent that fire, then they didn’t deserve to survive the aftermath. How difficult could it be?

The Sky King lingered for a bit, collecting the rest of the troops. Their mission was completely successful. 

Once everyone was back, the Sky King rose, Pandora remaining on the bow, watching as the fire spread up to the opening of the wall they had created to funnel the river. One of the Tier 8’s was quick to respond, but they were an air mage, so the only thing they could do was blow the river backward. It didn’t put out the fire nor did it solve the problems in the city, but it did save them from immediate devastation. 

Pandora sighed, looking up at the towering tree miles in the sky. She knew her little stunt today would never catch it on fire, but she could dream. One day, she would properly light one of those trees on fire. It would be the greatest bonfire in this world’s history, something she wouldn’t mind watching. 

With the view of the chaos in the city, they rose up and away, creating comfortable distance between them and the now fuming elves down below. 

Pandora smiled, the flames of the slurry river flickering in her ruby eyes for a bit longer before she turned around in glee, skipping away. 

“Not my best work, but certainly adequate. I wonder what Dirk would think? I think he should thank me. I could’ve lit that city on fire. Much more effective… but perhaps too much. So long as they aren’t stupid, they can survive all of this. It’ll only be their fault if they don’t, and I can’t be blamed. This is war, tree huggers. Don’t dish it if you can’t take it.”

Pandora chuckled, her captain standing to the side, silent and brooding. 

He agreed. This certainly could’ve been worse for the elves, not that it wasn’t already close to as bad as it could get. Still, he was a bit surprised. 

She actually cared about what Dirk would think. Even absent, he was inhibiting her, preventing her from carrying out the most egregious war crimes that demon brain could think of. He didn’t know of anyone else who could do that. 

Oh how he wished for that boy to return. He felt like he was aging years for every week that he had to stand by this girl and deal with her normal menacing antics. 

He sighed and walked, following her. 

Now they would watch, and hopefully, this would be the beacon that called their saving grace back.