Earth's Greatest Magus

When the Ouroboros Queen instructed him to verify the identity of the corpse, Emery swiftly returned to the gene facility. His prior exploration of the facility allowed him to pinpoint the exact location he needed. With precision, he opened a portal directly into one of the Faulen laboratories. He extracted the enslaved apothecary master from his aperture and summoned VIA for assistance.

“Is it really not her?” Annara’s voice trembled with a glimmer of hope, her eyes pleading for a positive answer.

Outside the laboratory, the sounds of a brewing commotion grew louder. Emery knew Annara alone would not be able to fend off any intruders. He quickly summoned Livi, the Baphomet. “Guard the door,” he commanded, ensuring their safety as he began his meticulous work.

Emery took a deep breath, striving to calm his mind and focus on the task at hand. The corpse on the table was a tragic sight—nearly drained of blood, with what little remained devoid of any living cells, making identification exceptionally challenging.

The initial examination revealed that the corpse was indeed a serpent bloodline female, approximately 15-18 years old. Emery felt a glimmer of hope wane slightly as he proceeded without Shinta’s real blood for comparison, knowing it would take much longer to confirm the identity, especially with Shinta’s information being sealed by the Ouroboros.

Emery decided to use another sample for verification—his own blood. As the father, his blood would provide some answers. The result, however, was a shocking revelation: the analysis came back positive, indicating a blood connection.

“No!” Emery’s voice echoed with a mix of disbelief and desperation, his heart refusing to accept the grim possibility.

Clinging to a sliver of hope, Emery activated his divine sense, meticulously probing the corpse. He scrutinized every inch of the body, searching for any inconsistencies. His efforts revealed several anomalies, particularly within the hands and face. Determined to uncover the truth, he swiftly took samples from these areas for further analysis.

VIA processed the samples with precision. The results appeared quickly on the screen.

[Two different DNA samples were found]

Despite his limited understanding of the complex data, Emery could decipher the essential details. The DNA from the corpse’s hand differed from the rest of the body, and new skin cells on the face indicated recent surgical modifications.

“This is not her,” Emery declared.

Seeing the results, Annara’s eyes widened in realization. “This is… this is most likely Shura…” she said, her voice a mix of astonishment and relief. She quickly explained the extensive operations performed on the girl to mimic Shinta’s identity. Her face turned hopeful as she added, “But what about Shinta? Where is she?”

Emery’s expression darkened with rage as he turned to the enslaved apothecary master. “Where is the girl?!!”

“Please….” the apothecary master stammered, trembling under Emery’s intense gaze. “I really don’t know anything. They took the girl three days ago… that’s all I know.”

Recognizing that the apothecary master couldn’t be lying under his influence, Emery decided on a more direct approach. He forcefully probed the man’s memory, searching for any suspicious details about the whole ordeal. His mind sifted through fragmented images and conversations, piecing together clues.

In the depths of the apothecary master’s memories, Emery discovered that the man had never been part of the Faulen top secret project, referred to as the “supreme gene project.” This revelation pointed to someone higher up in the hierarchy.

“Grandmaster Asclepius, He’s the one handling the project.”

Swiftly, Emery asked VIA to hack into every piece of information related to the project from the facility’s mainframe while simultaneously searching for the Grandmaster’s last known whereabouts. Screens filled with data, and VIA’s efficient processing brought multiple pieces of information to Emery’s attention.

As he sifted through the details, Emery’s sharp eyes caught several anomalies within the project documentation. Contrary to the information provided by the Ouroboros Queen, this project was not about breeding high-rank serpent offspring. Instead, it was using the offspring samples for a far more ambitious objective.

“They wanted to break through the rank 9 limit!” Emery exclaimed, his voice filled with astonishment. The project aimed at transcending the known limits of the Halfblood gene, a feat fraught with perilous experimentation.

While processing this revelation, VIA found the Grandmaster’s last known whereabouts: the patriarch’s sacred mountain. Emery’s heart pounded as he realized the significance of this location. Swiftly, he sent all the gathered information to the Ouroboros Queen.

#####

“My Lord, please forgive my transgression.”

The words hung in the air as the Ouroboros Queen unleashed her strength, shattering the metal door to pieces.

“Silviana, are you going mad?!” shouted the Targaryen King, flying right behind her. However, he quickly halted upon seeing the chamber beyond the door.

“It’s empty! Where is the patriarch?!”

“There is a secret door up ahead,” said King Severus, his keen soul senses detecting an aura behind the walls.

The Jafar Shaman Queen, her face hidden by a veil, voiced her thoughts. “It’s a high-grade tier 8 formation seal, it would not be easy to open”

“This is strange… Why does our patriarch need another secret door inside his chamber? We should check it out,” suggested the Giant Monarch, his voice filled with suspicion.

“Wait! What if we end up hurting the patriarch?” cautioned the Kruk King, his eyes darting nervously.

All eyes turned toward Roland Faulen, the viceroy, demanding explanations. His expression was stern as he responded, “I am oblivious to this just like you all.” He then shifted his gaze toward the masked grand magus, his voice dripping with authority. “Grand Guardian, you better explain.”

To everyone’s shock, the viceroy’s words were immediately followed by the Ouroboros Queen casting an instant spell, [Sub Zero]. The tier 7 icy spell transformed the area around the masked man into a frozen wasteland, powerful enough to immobilize him completely.

“Tell me where my granddaughter is!” the Queen demanded, her voice sharp with fury.

The masked man, despite his dire situation, let out a chuckle. He turned his gaze to the viceroy and said, “… it’s you… this is your doing… you dare to defy the patriarch… your own father!”

The viceroy’s response was cold and unyielding. “Just answer the question.”

Suddenly, a powerful domain surged from the masked man, shattering the ice that encased him. However, the Giant Monarch was already in motion, his massive form hurtling towards the masked man with unparalleled speed. “You’re not going anywhere!” he roared, his fists glowing with explosive power.

With a thunderous impact, the Giant Monarch’s fists connected with the masked man’s body, each blow releasing a shockwave that reverberated through the chamber. The force of the punches sent the masked man hurtling backward, crashing into the stone wall with bone-jarring force. Stone and debris exploded outward, filling the air with a cloud of dust and fragments.

Before the masked man could gather himself and retaliate, the Ouroboros Queen already finished her second spell. Her voice cut through the chaos, resonating with ancient power as she began to chant an incantation. The temperature in the chamber plummeted sharply, and a chilling wind whipped through the air. Frost began to form on the walls and floor as the Queen invoked her tier 8 spell, [Ice World].

The spell’s magic surged forth, enveloping the masked man in its icy embrace. Sheets of frost crawled across his body, quickly encasing him in a thick layer of ice. Completely trapped within the frozen prison, only his masked face remained visible.

The sudden eruption of the battle took the faction leaders by surprise. King Corlies of the Targaryan faction, his eyes wide with shock, shouted, “What the fuck is going on!!”

The viceroy approached the frozen Grand Magus with an air of calm authority. “Grand Guardian, you have stood by the patriarch’s side for fifty years, yet I never truly knew who you are.”

With those words, he reached out and, with a swift, decisive motion, shattered the Grand Magus’s mask. The sight that met his eyes was shocking—a faceless entity, devoid of any human features, an eerie, almost inhuman figure.

“Who are you?! And where is the patriarch?” the viceroy demanded.

The faceless man chuckled, “You think this will stop us? You can’t!!”

Suddenly, a powerful earthquake shook the entire mountain, causing the ground to split and tremble. The ten Grand Magus exchanged alarmed glances as they sensed a formidable energy emerging from deep within the earth.

“What is happening?” The ground continued to heave and crack, and from the depths of the mountain came a terrifying roar.

The people of Faulen City looked up in horror as the sacred mountain erupted in a violent explosion. Debris rained down, and a colossal beast emerged from the ruins—a serpent of unimaginable size and power, its nine heads each roaring in unison.

ROAARR!!!

It was a godly beast with the power of a supreme being. The [Nine-Headed Nightmare Hydra] loomed over the landscape, its presence casting a dark shadow across the city.