Myths Reawakened

“Who are you looking down at? Regina is scorching hot when she transforms into a succubus.” Wayne shot back, indignant on Regina’s behalf. He patted her on the backside and told her to show Hestia what she was made of.

Nicely said. Please don’t say that again. Don’t get competitive about strange things like this.

Regina rolled her eyes, shifting into her succubus form. She immediately trapped Wayne’s arm against her bosom. She was indeed much bolder in succubus form, or more accurately, her threshold for embarrassment dropped sharply the moment she transformed.

Hestia blinked curiously. “How is this possible? Their succubus power and your talent for impersonating demons... Wait, I’ve figured it out. It has nothing to do with your incomplete Philosopher’s Stone. You have another way to steal the Seven Deadly Sins from Hell!”

“That’s none of your concern. I can’t comment on classified undercover information.”

“I’m not interested in your secrets. I’m just curious—can you turn me into a succubus?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’d be able to do it were I a succubus,” Hestia said with certainty.

Angels only took action roles and played heroes. Otherwise, it would be out of character for them, and Heaven would lose fans. If she swapped her character entirely, though, maybe she could break out of her mold.

Wayne’s eyes lit up. He had seen one successful case of an angel being corrupted by the Seven Deadly Sins. The Lord of Envy had kept a fallen angel. Later, Wayne and Hesione slew him to erase the stain on Heaven’s record.

His mind buzzed with anticipation. He wanted to create a specimen like that. Heaven and Hell represented two entirely different evolution paths. If the experiment succeeded, it would be immensely valuable.

The data alone would benefit him greatly. He nodded without hesitation. “Fine by me. But the process is dangerous. You have to think it through. I can’t guarantee that you’ll still be an angel when it’s over.”

“But your succubi were human before the transformation.” Hestia didn’t understand why things would be different for her. “You’ve remained as a reincarnated angel, too. You aren’t affected by the Seven Deadly Sins, are you?”

“With them, it’s because of their unique constitution. As for me...” Wayne raised an eyebrow. “Do you understand now why I haven’t awakened?”

Because his sins ran so deep that his dormant memories refused to wake up!

“Then I’m not doing it,” Hestia said honestly. “I’d rather die with Heaven’s honor intact.”

She’s such a headache!

Wayne’s itch for experiment had taken hold, and he didn’t care if Hestia wanted it or not. He cast a mass of black light with a flick of his wrist. An elaborate inverted pentagram blazed to life on the ground, pulsing with ominous black light. Chains snaked out of the magic circle, clattering as they wrapped around Hestia’s limbs, neck, and waist, anchoring her to the spot.

“Are you insane?” Hestia struggled, but her barely recovering thoughts succumbed under the pressure of the chains of the Seven Deadly Sins, and she became helpless once more.

“I’ve thought of a use for you,” Wayne said coldly. “I’ll make you fall to earn the trust of the higher-ups so that I can access more important intelligence.”

“Damn you. I may not be human, but you’re truly a demon. You’ve never been acting!”

“Whatever you say.” Wayne rubbed his hands together and started his experiment.

“Ptui!”

Wayne dodged out of the way and grabbed Hestia’s face, conjuring a black iron ball with the Seven Deadly Sins before popping it into her mouth, securing it with two straps that he created.

“Mmph... Mmph...”

Hestia’s eyes went wide when she realized that Wayne was actually committing. She cursed furiously, ”Yas ya wait—mnn someone cmm—I’ll ‘bos you—your mmph as rein-mmph-ated angel’ll be ‘spos—we’ll both go own!”

“Ha, this is the headquarters of the villains. Who would believe an angel when you accuse me of being an undercover agent from the righteous side?”

He looked around, thoroughly pleased. “Ottilia, Regina, tell me. I’m being falsely accused by a hero, am I not?”

Ottilia covered her face and looked away, unable to form a response. Regina sighed and bickered, “Boss, we couldn’t make out a single word out of her mouth. Why could you understand her perfectly? You’re way too used to that.”

“Oho, aren’t you a clever little thing? Your boss is growing fonder of you. Come here. Let me reward you.”

***

Turning an angel into a demon was delicate work. Unlike when Wayne created vassals using his own life essence, he was neither an angel nor a demon, so he couldn’t find the right leverage for his new experiment. He spent an entire night on Hestia without finding an entry point.

Forcing it through might be possible, but the consequences were too unpredictable. There was no way to guarantee that once Hestia became a demon, she would be able to turn back. He needed data; he never actually intended to corrupt an angel into a demon.

After a night of hard work, all he managed to do was paint Hestia black. The Seven Deadly Sins remained on her shell without penetrating deeper.

Research required painstaking effort and couldn’t be rushed. As dawn broke, Wayne dusted his hands and left his two secretaries to keep watch before heading off to the military academy with his letter of introduction.

Prussia’s greatest secret lay just ahead. That was what mattered now.

***

Berlo Advanced Military Command Academy.

The academy didn’t exist on any map of Berlo. According to Christian’s memories, it wasn’t where senior officers would normally go for advanced training.

Wayne followed the address and pulled over at his destination. Looking up at the cathedral-like building, he left his two guards in the car, going inside in civilian clothes with the letter.

There was no soldier in sight.

Or rather, there was no one in a military uniform. The clergy members moving about all had rigid, stiff smiles on their faces, like machines wearing human skin. At first glance, the sight made his skin crawl. On second look, all he wanted to do was flee.

“Good sir, how may I help you?” An immaculately dressed priest came over with a warm, gentle smile.

“I’m here to...” Wayne took out his letter of introduction. “Forgive me, but I haven’t come to the wrong place, have I?”

The priest’s expression didn’t change after glancing at the letter. “You’re in the right place. This is the Advanced Military Command Academy, established for officers’ further education. Please follow me.”

He led Wayne into a confessional. Once both were seated, he opened the small partition window between the two booths and placed a fragment of red stone on Wayne’s side.

Philosopher’s Stone?

Wayne’s eyebrow jumped up. The fingernail-sized red stone was a shard of Philosopher’s Stone, and an incomplete one at that.

He didn’t reach for it immediately. Playing an ignorant newcomer, he asked, “What is this stone, Sir?”

“Just call me ‘Father’.” The priest smiled. “The fact that you carry the letter means that you stand out both in loyalty and competence among your peers. You’ve earned the right to learn the truth of the New Reich. You’ll give your life to protect the secret, won’t you?”

“I will.”

Wayne shot to his feet and raised his arm at a forty-five-degree angle, shouting the slogan with fervor.

It never failed in Prussia. Even the priest’s stiff smile softened into something almost warm. “This academy teaches no military theory. The only thing you’ll learn here is the truth.”

“This is the Philosopher’s Stone. Within it dwells the power of miracles and evolution. It’s the empire’s greatest achievement in science and technology, and it’s the source of our power to overcome every enemy, even the gods.”

...You’re overconfident, Father.

This was only a fragment of an incomplete Philosopher’s Stone, and even a complete stone was only demigod-level. A demigod’s power could conquer a nation, but not a church, much less the deity standing behind one.

Wayne felt his excitement deflate. He had hoped to witness something that would define the era, but it was just a Philosopher’s Stone.

“When you hear me talk about gods, I imagine you’re confused. You may think I’m speaking nonsense.” The priest smiled. “No need to deny it. Philosopher’s Stones are the pinnacle of alchemy, also known as the Fifth Element and the Stones of Miracles. The knowledge involved is vast, touching on many disciplines, including magic. It’s entirely outside the education you’ve received until now.”

“Most of the empire’s soldiers are ordinary men and women. We possess an indomitable fighting spirit and hold loyalty as our highest honor, but that’s not enough.”

“Every question you have will be answered by the stone. Just accept it, and you’ll understand everything.”

The priest’s stiff voice sounded like a demon’s whispers. Wayne nodded in a daze, reaching out to hold the stone fragment in his hand.

Nom.

The Book of Greed went through it in an instant.

In a flash, a strange surge of knowledge flooded in. Unlike knowledge on Nature or Death, the book routed the information straight to its cover. In Wayne’s mind, a series of vivid, illustrated scenes unfolded, showing him what true power was.

Humans had limits. Flesh was weak, making aging, sickness, and death inevitable. To evolve, one had to change what they were.

Prussia had developed a new evolution path, formally known as Mechanical Augmentation.

Among all the possible directions of evolution, Mechanical Augmentation had the greatest potential. It could replace the frail human body and transmit neural signals through machinery, fusing a human consciousness with a blank mechanical vessel. Through replacing the mechanical body when it wore out, immortality could be achieved.

Machinery held infinite possibilities. With a vessel like that, one could not only live forever, but also gain transcendent power.

From the simplest prosthetics to putting a brain suspended in a nutrient tank to pilot a mechanical body through neural signals, and then to freely switching between human and mechanical form, it was an evolution path unlike anything the Chosen Land had ever seen.

The scenes shifted, showing Wayne the sources of inspiration behind Mechanical Augmentation and the conceptual sketches of the final product. The last image featured a deep space of infinite stars, with a fleet of interstellar battleships flying across the void. They were unrivaled and irresistible wherever they passed.

Wayne swallowed his drool, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

The cannons. The long, thick cannons immediately grabbed his attention. Who wouldn’t want to carry a battleship’s main cannon that was over four hundred millimeters in diameter around, able to one-shot all enemies?

The bigger, the better. Caliber was the true measure of power!

Seeing Wayne’s obvious obsession, Little Wayne scrambled to intervene. That’s perversion. That way leads to the dark side. Pull yourself together. The factory default is the best.

Wake up, you traitor. The Sea God failed to sway you, but now you’re falling for a slideshow making empty promises?

Wayne argued, But the slides include tank girls, mech girls, ship girls, and many more waifus. Fake or not, don’t tell me they don’t look appealing.

Well, they do.

Wayne’s eyes blazed. “I’ve seen a new world, Father,” he said impassionedly. “A door is opening before me. A demon’s power pales in comparison to this, and the power I’ve gained falls too short. What should I do to keep getting stronger?”

In other words, where were the warehouses he could raid?

“No rush. The war has only just begun. You have ample time to grow used to your newly gained power.”

Wayne’s excitement was to be expected. No one could resist the appeal of mecha, the priest included. He had reacted just like Wayne back then. “Every few days, someone will provide you with another piece of the Philosopher’s Stone. You’re a soldier. If you wish to evolve further, you must earn merit on the battlefield, trading your achievements for your future.”

So I still have to grind after evolving, huh.

Wayne nodded vehemently. “When’s the next time? Do I come back here to find you?”

“No. Your information is already in the system. Once the online assessment is complete, someone will find you.”

“...”

Wait, we’ve already got a local network?

Have you people launched a satellite already?