Chapter 51: The Superior Magicule Body

I allowed the connection to form.

The moment it did, a familiar voice entered my mind.

“Lord, I have reached twenty-five percent strength.”

I nodded slightly.

“Come to me. Faster. I am going to purchase the Superior Magicule Body.”

The moment I finished speaking, Diablo appeared directly in front of me.

I stared at him for a second before remembering that he could teleport.

Right.

I really needed to remember that.

“Cover this area,” I said.

“Once I make the purchase, the Magicules are going to get out of control. I haven’t learned how to control that much energy yet. I don’t want anyone finding us because of the disturbance.”

Diablo immediately understood.

“As you command, My Lord.”

He raised one hand, and black demonic energy spread outward from his body.

It rapidly expanded around the abandoned campsite, covering the surrounding area before forming a massive dome that completely enclosed us.

The dark barrier settled into place, cutting the campsite off from the outside world.

I took a slow breath and prepared myself.

Then I confirmed the purchase.

An overwhelming wave of energy erupted throughout my body.

It didn’t come from outside.

It was born from within, spreading through every cell at once and flooding my nerves with unbearable heat.

“Gh…”

A low groan escaped my lips as my knees buckled.

I grabbed the edge of the chair, desperately trying to keep myself upright, but another surge crashed through me before I could regain my balance.

My fingers tightened around the wood, yet the strength quickly disappeared from my legs.

The chair broke beneath me.

“Ah—!”

I hit the ground hard as pieces of wood scattered across the campsite.

For a moment, I could do nothing but lie there and struggle to breathe.

A familiar blue notification appeared in front of me.

Superior Magicule Body Acquisition Initiated

Evolution in Progress…

“So it begins…”

The words had barely left my mouth before another surge crashed through me.

This one was worse.

Much worse.

It felt as though molten metal had been poured directly into my veins.

Every muscle tightened involuntarily, every bone trembled, and even breathing became difficult.

I gritted my teeth and pressed one hand against the ground.

The pain wasn’t sharp.

It was constant and relentless, as though my entire body was being dismantled and rebuilt at the same time.

“Research Assistant…”

My voice came out strained.

“Awaiting instructions.”

“…Status.”

“The evolution process is proceeding normally. Estimated completion time is currently unavailable.”

That wasn’t particularly reassuring.

Another violent wave of pain swept across my body.

A faint crack echoed from my shoulder, followed by another as my bones shifted beneath my skin.

Crack.

Crack.

The noises rapidly spread throughout my body.

My ribs, spine, arms, and legs all seemed to shift slightly before settling into new positions.

I could actually feel it happening.

“Damn…”

Cold sweat poured down my forehead as my hands dug into the dirt beneath me.

I fought to remain conscious while another wave of agony tore through my body.

Diablo remained beside me.

He had gone completely silent.

His golden eyes followed every movement of my body, and I could see his normally calm expression gradually becoming more serious.

Another wave of pain struck, causing my body to convulse violently.

I bit down hard enough to taste blood.

Diablo’s hand moved slightly, but he stopped himself.

He couldn’t interfere with the evolution.

All he could do was watch.

The abandoned camp remained silent.

No one came running.

No one heard me.

That was probably for the best.

If someone had witnessed this, they would have thought I was dying.

In a way, perhaps I was.

The body I had known until now was being left behind.

Another notification appeared before me.

Purifying Host Body…

A strange black substance slowly began seeping from the pores across my skin.

It carried a foul odor, far worse than anything I had experienced.

Impurities.

Toxins.

Every imperfection hidden inside my body was being forced out.

The process continued without mercy.

More black liquid covered my arms, my neck, and my face.

Even my breathing became labored as another surge of heat spread through my chest.

I clenched my fists so tightly that my fingernails dug into my palms.

“Research Assistant…”

I struggled to get the words out.

“Is this… normal?”

“Affirmative. The host’s body is undergoing complete optimization. Bone density, muscle fibers, internal organs, nervous system efficiency, and Magicule circulation pathways are currently being reconstructed. Host survival probability: one hundred percent.”

That was comforting.

At least I wasn’t about to die.

I let out a slow breath, but another wave of agony immediately crushed it.

“Agh!”

My entire body curled involuntarily.

Diablo’s expression tightened.

“My Lord…”

I couldn’t answer.

This wasn’t something I could fight.

The only option was to endure.

I slowly closed my eyes.

If enduring a few hours of pain granted me a stronger foundation, then it was a price I was more than willing to pay.

The evolution had only just begun.

Another wave of pain tore through my body, so intense that my vision blurred.

Every muscle spasmed violently as Magicules surged through me like an overflowing river searching for new paths.

The pressure built with every passing second.

But something was wrong.

There was too much energy.

Far too much.

The newly forming pathways couldn’t contain the enormous amount of Magicules being produced.

The pressure began spreading outward, making my skin prickle as the air around me started to distort.

Crack.

Crack.

More bones shifted.

More impurities seeped from my skin.

I clenched my jaw hard.

Diablo suddenly turned his head toward the surrounding forest.

“The amount of Magicules gathering around your body is increasing at an extraordinary rate. The concentration is already beginning to affect the environment.”

Only then did I notice it.

The air itself had changed.

A faint blue mist surrounded the abandoned camp, while leaves trembled despite the absence of wind.

The grass beneath me had begun glowing ever so slightly as stray Magicules escaped from my body.

Diablo’s gaze sharpened.

“The amount being generated is too great. The Magicules are attempting to break free.”

Another surge erupted from my chest.

“Ahh!”

My back arched from the force, and the dome around the campsite trembled.

Even the ground beneath me seemed to shake.

“So they’re trying to escape my body?” I managed to ask.

“Yes.”

Another wave of pain struck before I could say anything else.

My fingers dug into the dirt as I struggled to breathe.

“Then…” I forced the words through clenched teeth.

“…stop it.”

Diablo moved immediately.

“Of course, My Lord.”

He raised one hand, and the black demonic energy surrounding the campsite changed.

The dome tightened as dark energy spread across the ground and inner surface of the barrier, forming additional layers of suppression.

The Magicules escaping from my body were forced back toward my body.

The blue mist gradually became thinner, the trembling leaves settled, and the faint glow beneath me disappeared.

The pressure weighing on the surrounding forest slowly faded.

But the pressure inside my body didn’t.

If anything, it became worse.

The Magicules had nowhere to escape.

They continued surging through my newly forming pathways, forcing my body to adapt faster.

My entire body shook violently.

“AGH!” I slammed my hand against the ground.

Diablo immediately moved closer.

“My Lord!”

“I’m fine…”

The words barely escaped my mouth before another wave of pain hit me.

“Ah—!”

My body lurched forward, and Diablo caught my shoulder before I could collapse completely.

His grip was careful, extremely careful.

He didn’t try to stop the evolution.

He simply made sure I didn’t hurt myself against the ground.

“The reconstruction has accelerated,” he said quietly.

I struggled to breathe.

“I noticed…”

The heat inside my body continued rising.

It no longer felt like molten metal.

It felt like a star had ignited within my chest.

Every heartbeat released another torrent of Magicules throughout my body.

My newly forming pathways expanded under the pressure, becoming stronger with every passing moment, but the process came with another wave of agony.

I forced myself to remain conscious.

Diablo still stayed beside me, silent and watchful.

There was nothing he could say and nothing he could do except make sure I survived the process.

Another violent surge struck, and my vision went completely white.

For several seconds, I couldn’t hear anything, couldn’t think, and couldn’t even breathe.

Then, slowly, my senses returned.

The pain was still there, and the evolution was still continuing.

But something had changed.

The pressure inside my body was beginning to settle, and for the first time since the evolution began, I could feel the process approaching its final stage.

…..

Author’s Note

With this, we have officially completed 50 chapters!

See you in the next chapter!