Chapter 344: Wiseman's Blood? Good Stuff!
In class, Mahiro rested his chin on his left hand and gazed absentmindedly at the sky outside the window. In his ears, he could faintly hear Natsuki-chan's adorable, slightly slurred yet somewhat serious voice.
Natsuki Minamiya was teaching English and also served as the homeroom teacher managing Mahiro and the others.
Unfortunately, he had absolutely no interest in such lessons.
His fingertips tapped lightly and intermittently on the desk, producing faint clicking sounds.
The king's homeland was too peaceful, too boring.
Perhaps because the classroom was too quiet, and with only Natsuki Minamiya lecturing, even the slightest movement was exceptionally clear.
All the students in the class couldn't help but secretly turn around and give him a thumbs-up.
What a brave soul!
Although Natsuki Minamiya was very popular among the students, especially due to her petite figure and cool, elegant appearance—everyone affectionately called her Natsuki-chan—it was equally well-known that her temper wasn't exactly mild. One could say that aside from Sasasaki Misaki, no one dared to provoke her anger, especially during class.
And this new transfer student not only frequently skipped classes but also spent most of his class time daydreaming and sleeping.
Incidents like today's disruption of classroom order had actually happened countless times already.
Yet, his classmates admired him even more because his academic performance was exceptionally outstanding, not to mention how he managed to leave Natsuki-chan at a loss.
"Yot. su. ba. Ma. hi. ro!"
Natsuki Minamiya's voice, gritted with anger, echoed through the classroom.
But Mahiro acted as if he hadn't heard, propping his chin up and yawning lazily.
The next second, a piece of chalk flew straight toward his temple.
Smack!
With a casual wave of his hand, Mahiro flicked the chalk back, sending it flying at an even faster speed and hitting Natsuki Minamiya's fair forehead with pinpoint accuracy.
The force was so strong that Natsuki couldn't help but cover her forehead and let out a muffled groan.
Without even thinking, it was clear the chalk had left a red mark.
What a brave soul!!
The students couldn't help but marvel inwardly once again.
However, just as Natsuki Minamiya was about to lose her temper, her body suddenly froze in place.
Even Mahiro couldn't help but frown. He looked toward the direction of the school's back mountain outside the window, clearly sensing a sudden surge of immense magical energy erupting from that area—and the magic was clearly out of control!
"Natsuki-chan, I have a stomachache. I need to take leave and go to the infirmary."
Without waiting for her response, Mahiro rushed out of the classroom in three quick strides, showing no sign of being a patient at all.
Even without looking, the students understood: Mahiro was skipping class again, and it was Natsuki-chan's class at that!
As Mahiro reached a corner of the hallway and was about to use spatial manipulation magic for teleportation, someone suddenly tugged at the hem of his clothes.
"You idiot, don't just run off like that," he turned to see Aya pouting at him, her fair forehead dotted with fine beads of sweat.
Clearly, she had hurried over from the library.
"Ah, sorry, I accidentally forgot about you again."
Mahiro grinned and scratched his head, then grabbed her soft, pale little hand.
Aya struggled slightly as if in a huff, then resignedly let him hold it tightly, her cheeks slightly flushed.
It's no wonder Aya was so angry. Recently, during school classes, he often received sudden tasks, either handled by Natsuki Minamiya when she had no classes or by him.
Moreover, using spatial control magic had become a habit, and he often forgot about Aya.
The result was that when he landed, he would often find himself holding a kimono-clad Witch bound into a dumpling-like bundle by the Laeding.
A moment later, he used spatial movement to bring Aya from the school building to the back hill of Saikai Academy.
It was less than a twenty-minute walk from Saikai Academy—a small park surrounded by green trees and grass.
But deep within, hidden by the forest, stood a small gray building that looked like a monastery.
"Help..."
Terrified and miserable screams echoed from the monastery, sending chills down one's spine.
The voices were very young, clearly a group of children in distress!
"Oh, quite powerful. I never expected to encounter such a presence here."
Ignoring the screams, Aya curled her lips slightly, commenting on the surging, out-of-control magical energy inside the monastery.
"Enough, stop making comments."
Mahiro gently tapped Aya's head, earning a dissatisfied glance from the woman, though she said nothing more.
"It seems the situation is quite serious."
Another voice chimed in, this time from behind—unclear in articulation but carrying an authoritative tone and a mysterious sense of pressure.
Turning around, he saw a loli holding a frilly parasol, dressed in an extravagant gown, appearing instantly.
"Aren't you supposed to be in class?"
"None of your business! It's self-study!"
Natsuki Minamiya glared at him slightly before urging, "Let's go in and save them first."
"Right, right."
Mahiro wasn't too surprised by her arrival; in fact, he was quite calm.
After all, the magical energy burst was so strong that even beings with a slight amount of magic could clearly sense it.
Not only that, this magical energy was very peculiar. It possessed fluctuations surpassing those of noble Vampires, yet it didn't feel like it came from a Vampire.
It's worth noting that among demons, the magical power of the Vampire race is among the strongest, as they are born as Beast Vassal emitters.
But there are very few whose magical power can rival theirs.
When they arrived at the monastery, they finally understood the full picture.
The situation inside the monastery was truly devastating. A red, blood-like metallic sphere of chaotic magical energy surged like liquid, churning in waves as it tried to devour everything around it, including the fleeing children.
One of them had silver hair reminiscent of a snowy field and pale blue eyes like the glow of a glacier.
Perhaps due to her hair and eye color, the elegant girl exuded an indescribable noble aura.
Her height was similar to Yuuma and Avrora, and her delicate, ethereal appearance revealed an unforgettable sense of holiness.
At first glance, she gave Mahiro a strong sense of familiarity.
However, while she was fleeing with her other little friends, one of them accidentally tripped over some debris. Instead of running away, she struggled to help her friend up.
Completely disregarding the approaching metallic liquid, she watched as it opened its maw like a murderer, ready to devour them.
The girl completely gave up on survival, instead shielding her little friend beneath her and holding them tightly, intending to withstand the impact with her own body.
At this critical moment, a transparent barrier suddenly rose, blocking the surging tide.
"Alright, hurry and take your little friend to safety."
The gentle voice made the girl look up, and what met her eyes was a handsome and striking profile. His calm, indifferent expression and proud, upright posture made her heart skip a beat.
He was like a god-like big brother...
"What, not leaving yet? Planning to stay here for a swim?"
"Ah... no, sorry."
The girl immediately snapped back to reality, quickly helping her friend up and hurrying away. But she couldn't help looking back, glancing over her shoulder every few steps at the figure who had saved her.
"What the hell is this thing?"
The previously invincible "Layered Barrier Array" was now faintly developing cracks.
If it were just ordinary shattering, that would be one thing—the Layered Barrier Array could quickly generate new barriers to block the way.
But now, he could clearly feel that this metallic sea seemed to be devouring the power of the barrier array... no, more precisely, it was assimilating it!
He could see that from the cracks, the barrier was gradually being dyed the same metallic color.
Not only that, but this assimilation felt familiar to him, somewhat like material transformation.
Seeing this, Mahiro simply gave up on blocking it, instantly teleporting to the entrance of the monastery, putting distance between himself and the metallic sea.
"What the hell is this thing?" Mahiro rarely cursed aloud.
He had never seen this ghostly thing before, and he couldn't find any corresponding existence in his memories.
Even Natsuki Minamiya was unusually frowning deeply.
"This is..."
"Wiseman's Blood."
Aya nonchalantly took over the conversation, speaking in a light tone filled with arrogance and pride—the pride of having outdone Natsuki Minamiya once.
Natsuki Minamiya also felt Aya's triumphant gaze. She glared back slightly but didn't lose her temper, instead patiently explaining:
"I haven't seen Spirit Blood with my own eyes, but from the Demon Hunter intelligence network, I learned that the Wiseman's Blood is indeed sealed within Adelard's Abbey."
Hearing this, Mahiro remembered.
Wiseman's Blood—a deep red liquid metallic lifeform with independent will, created 270 years ago by the great Alchemist Nina Adelard. It was hailed as the perfect masterpiece of alchemy.
If one could transplant their soul into this immortal metallic lifeform, they would not only achieve true immortality but also possess magic power as strong as a Progenitor.
No wonder it felt familiar—it was a damn product of alchemy!
As for those girls who were rescued by Natsuki using spatial teleportation, huddled together and trembling, they were likely intended as sacrificial offerings for this ghostly thing.
Unexpectedly, I happened to catch the tragic incident at the Adilade Monastery. As for how to deal with this thing... Just do it!
Natsuki Minamiya and Mahiro both took action.
Natsuki Minamiya used spatial control magic to transfer and imprison the surging Spirit Blood within a confined space.
Meanwhile, Mahiro's body was instantly enveloped in surging magical energy. The overflowing magical fluctuations transformed into a torrent, clashing violently with the Spirit Blood.
In the next second, this magical fluctuation turned into a frigid current. A chilling aura swept through the entire monastery, coating the walls and ceiling with thick white frost. The surging, liquid metal-like Spirit Blood froze instantly.
"Demon God Manifestation: Demon's Extract!"
This was Esdeath's Teigu.
Although its freezing power couldn't compare to Niflheim, it excelled in its wide range and rapid casting. The Spirit Blood flowing through every corner of the monastery was completely frozen in an instant.
If it weren't for encountering this Spirit Blood riot today, he probably would have forgotten he even possessed this ability.
However, in the next moment, the surging Spirit Blood suddenly shattered the ice, transforming into an even larger wave that surged forward!
"Fool, to destroy the Wiseman's Blood, you must destroy the Refinement Core that acts as its control switch."
Aya calmly reminded him.
"Tch, next time, say it earlier."
"If you don't ask yourself, what does it have to do with me?"
Aya's words were cold, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
Her mood today was exceptionally delightful. First, she had made Natsuki Minamiya suffer a setback, and now she had made this man who always acted frivolously toward her take a loss.
Mahiro couldn't be bothered to argue with her and immediately activated the "Eye of the Spirit" and "Multi-Observation," even using his Copy Eyes to analyze the surging Spirit Blood.
It was fine if he didn't analyze it, but once he did, he felt a sharp, needle-like pain piercing his brain.
Countless alchemical knowledge was forcibly crammed into his head, including the abilities of this Spirit Blood.
At the same time, the magical energy within his body was amplified countless times over.
If his previous magical energy could be described as a sea, now it was an ocean!
Is this the magical energy of a Progenitor?
It truly is powerful!
"Found you!"
While enduring the throbbing pain in his brain, he also located the Refinement Core of the Wiseman's Blood. Floating within the metallic sea was a black sphere.
In a deserted corner of the monastery, there was another one similar in shape, but that one resembled a fiery red gem—a true treasure.
However, just as he prepared to act, Natsuki Minamiya moved even faster.
Clatter, clatter!
Numerous silver chains appeared in the space, binding toward the Sage's Refinement Core. But the Refinement Core seemed to possess independent consciousness, dodging the chains' pursuit.
"Rheingold!"
Natsuki's delicate face tightened as a golden knight appeared behind her. The knight's sharp sword pierced through the air.
A ripple in space instantly appeared at the location of the Refinement Core, but unfortunately, it was dodged once again. Even the tip of the golden knight's sword became entangled with the Spirit Blood.
Just as it was about to assimilate, a powerful burst of magical energy erupted from the blade, shattering the surrounding Spirit Blood into pieces.
A brief vacuum appeared.
"Tch, troublesome.—Let all things freeze! Mahapadma!!"
As the powdered red liquid metal began to slowly coalesce once more, a terrifying surge of magical power erupted from within Mahiro, transforming into an extreme, bone-chilling cold.
Natsuki Minamiya and Aya simultaneously sensed this powerful magical fluctuation, rivaling that of a Progenitor, and instinctively turned their gaze toward him. Yet, the moment their eyes met, they found themselves completely immobilized.
A pervasive, icy chill instantly enveloped all things, freezing everything from the inside out with impartiality.
Molecules ceased their motion, interactions between particles came to a halt—as if a pause button had been pressed on the entire world.
"What a ridiculously overpowered skill..."
Within this frozen space-time, Mahiro surveyed the scene around him, everything suspended as if paused, and couldn't help but click his tongue.
Truly, this was Esdeath for you.
Such an absurd time-stop ability—even now, after experiencing many worlds, he couldn't help but be amazed.
He just wondered if, within this Mahapadma, he could do some... hehe... things.
He didn't dare to try, though, because the cost was too great, and the duration was far too short.
Even for him, it could only last less than a minute at a time—hardly enough to accomplish anything.
Lost in thought, his eyes swept the surroundings, finally settling on a scattered metal candlestick nearby.
He bent down, picked it up, and then walked step by step toward the black alchemical core, similarly frozen mid-air.
"Material Transmutation!"
With each crisp footstep, the metal candlestick in his hand gradually melted, transforming within his grasp into a sharp longsword forged from black super-steel.
It was just mere Alchemy—he could do it too!
He just didn't know if Est would get angry upon learning he had used another sword.
Crack!
The moment Mahapadma was lifted, Natsuki Minamiya and Tokoyogi Aya realized that Mahiro had vanished from their line of sight.
Looking around, they found him standing at the center of the Spirit Blood sea, holding a black longsword that had pierced straight through the alchemical core!
The crisp shattering sound from earlier had come from the core itself!
Another crack! echoed as the alchemical core instantly shattered into powder, scattering into the air.
The entire mass of Spirit Blood seemed to have lost its energy source, freezing eerily in place.
The liquid solidified into a solid state, resembling a massive ruby.
What had this man just done?
Neither Natsuki Minamiya nor Tokoyogi Aya could comprehend the scene unfolding before their eyes. They instinctively exchanged a glance, seeing mutual confusion and bewilderment reflected in each other's gaze.
But then, almost simultaneously, they turned their heads away, ignoring one another.
Still, everything that had just happened was far too bizarre. Even for a Witch with an exceptionally high understanding of knowledge and another skilled in spatial manipulation, it was beyond comprehension.
Yotsuba Mahiro—how had this man appeared beside the alchemical core and so effortlessly pierced through it?
Even spatial movement couldn't match such speed, and the Progenitor-level magical power they had sensed earlier had vanished without a trace.
It felt as though a segment of time had been erased from the scene.
"Natsuki-chan, how do you plan to handle this thing? It can't be decomposed."
Mahiro kicked the hard metal lump at his feet. Just moments ago it had been soft as water, but now it was hard enough to kill someone if thrown.
However, it truly couldn't be decomposed. Even after losing control of its refining core, this thing still contained magical power nearly on par with a Progenitor. If he tried to decompose it, the released energy alone would be enough to blast Itogami Island into the sky.
"It seems we'll need to reseal it. Keeping it around is too dangerous. But that's not something for us to consider," Natsuki-chan said calmly, recalling her thoughts.
"Is that so? What if you leave it to me to handle? I promise I'll take care of this thing..." Mahiro began.
"Absolutely not!"
Before he could finish, Natsuki-chan cut him off. "I don't know what you plan to do with it, but this thing is far too dangerous to meddle with casually."
"Huh? Why?"
He wanted to argue further.
But Natsuki-chan gave him no chance. She glanced at him sideways and sneered, "Don't you already know the reason yourself? You already have the Twelfth Primogenitor by your side, along with a powerful Demon King Killing Sacred Sword following you, and now you want to get your hands on Wiseman's Blood too? Are you planning to gather all these dangerous things around you?"
"Uh..."
Mahiro was momentarily left speechless.
Well, she did have a point.
But this thing really was a treasure—capable of storing souls and reshaping flesh.
He remembered that Nina Adelard, who had lived for 270 years, seemed to have been revived using this very thing.
It would be perfect for both Marianne and Aurora, who was attached to Claire, to use in creating physical bodies.
But if she wouldn't give it to him, it didn't matter.
He had already analyzed it completely with his Copy Eyes. At worst, he could just replicate a mass of Spirit Blood himself.