Chapter 43: The Awakening of Black Fang

On the battlefield, a towering ice wall successfully blocked the giant’s arm. Shakia swiftly plunged into the fray, positioning herself before Luoyi and Feng Ling.

Her ice spear pointed high, maintaining the formidable strength of their defense.

Akuma quickly moved forward, adding a second layer of protection to the burgeoning shield.

“To think, I’d be saved by you of all people…”

Luoyi remarked casually, a deep sense of emotion welling in his eyes as he gazed at the chillingly resolute Shakia.

He recalled a time when he still resided here, and Instructor Conrad would often bring her to visit their master.

Compared to back then, the confusion in her eyes seemed to have lessened somewhat, though Luoyi couldn’t pinpoint the reason.

“Indeed. You, of all people, vanished for two years. I never imagined I’d encounter you again.”

Shakia’s long black hair, stirred by the fierce winds of the ongoing clash, danced wildly in the air. She stood like a war goddess, her silver spear never wavering.

Just as Luoyi had said, Shakia found herself reminiscing about her past.

She was an experimental subject, a test subject for the Sacred Artifact.

[Listen closely, Shakia, your sole purpose is to survive as a weapon.]

[You bear the future of humanity on your shoulders. Should those damned Corrosive Swarms dare to attack, you will use your power to make them submit.]

From her earliest childhood, these words had clung to her like a curse. Every brief moment of freedom she found at night, these phrases would resurface, leaving her heart scarred.

Day after day, her life unfolded between test tubes and medical examinations. Shakia felt profoundly lonely and bored.

The small girl couldn’t help but wonder what the world outside truly looked like.

As a complete adapter of the Sacred Artifact, her existence and value were immeasurable.

In the event of a conflict with the Corrosive World, she was destined to be a sharp sword, capable of piercing the heart of the Corrosive Swarm and turning the tide of battle, bringing hope to humanity.

This power was immense, even capable of, to some extent, weakening the Corrosive Energy of the Seven Kings of the Corrosive World. Thus, she was safeguarded like a precious, fragile artifact.

Her lonely and monotonous childhood had completely eroded her curiosity about the world. She couldn’t recall when, but a singular thought had begun to take root in her mind.

‘I am merely a tool.’

Time held no meaning for her, and the world offered no value. Her sole purpose for existing was to serve as a vessel for the Sacred Artifact, to unleash its power.

This belief was unequivocally wrong. When Conrad brought her to the Magic Academy, he was the one who enlightened her—that old man who always wore a white lab coat and broken spectacles.

[Shakia, the Sacred Artifact isn’t a curse. I believe, true curse lies in the inability to confront the Sacred Artifact with an open heart.]

[You are not a machine. Look, at the very least, you still possess a beating heart… I think that, more than anything, is the finest symbol of your humanity.]

His words transformed her, allowing her to truly become human.

Luoyi watched Shakia, who was still fending off the attack, and let out a soft sigh.

“You’ve changed quite a bit too. I remember when you first arrived here, I thought you were that legendary Puppet.”

Luoyi’s words were light and casual, yet his emotions could not be entirely hidden. Even as he tried his best to project a relaxed atmosphere, he briefly paused when he spoke of the Puppet.

Akuma subtly glanced at him, then turned her gaze back to Mo Ya, who remained locked in a stalemate with the giant.

The giant roared, spewing purplish-black blood that sizzled and corroded Mo Ya’s skin upon contact.

Mo Ya distinctly felt the searing pain on his body, yet his arm remained unyielding.

Black surges of energy continuously emanated from the giant, but they could not penetrate deeper.

‘Not enough… this isn’t enough, my strength isn’t enough.’

Mo Ya calmly analyzed the situation, once again confronting his own powerlessness.

‘Calm down, feel the flow of magic. Among countless presences, find your own.’

With that thought, Mo Ya slowly closed his eyes.

Darkness. A world where nothing could be seen.

Mo Ya stood in the center of this profound darkness. He was feeling the pulsations that emanated from his surroundings.

He could sense the thrumming of his own heartbeat, the surging of his blood vessels. But for now, these sensations were irrelevant. Beyond them, stretching infinitely into the darkness, lay a colossal black snake, dormant within the shadows.

‘Found you.’ The black snake’s aura continuously emanated, and Mo Ya rapidly sprinted forward, arriving directly before it.

Its massive body coiled, a pair of serpentine eyes fixed on Mo Ya, brimming with murderous intent. It was truly unimaginable that Mo Ya’s magical powers would manifest as such a monstrous entity.

“Why are you here?”

The black snake did not speak aloud, yet Mo Ya heard its voice, which resonated directly within his mind.

“I need power.”

Mo Ya stated with composure. Astonishment flickered in the black snake’s eyes. Its body writhed more quickly, its head rising high to gaze down at the young man standing before it.

“Why do you need it?”

“To grow stronger.”

“Why grow stronger?”

“To seize my destiny in my own hands. Only by becoming the strongest will I achieve that.”

Mo Ya’s reply was exceptionally firm; he clenched his hands tightly. The black snake observed him, then slowly lowered its head, its golden serpentine pupils meeting Mo Ya’s gaze. Mo Ya could even discern his own reflection within the black snake’s eyes.

“Once you become the strongest, what do you intend to do? Change this world? Or perhaps… become a king?”

“I haven’t considered such things. For now, I simply need power.”

The unexpected answer stunned the black snake. Yet, it immediately burst into a hearty laugh, a sound filled with delight and mockery.

Mo Ya’s response was a potent seasoning for it, reawakening a sense of pleasure that had long been dormant.

“Do not assume I will approve of you so easily. The Sacred Artifact’s acknowledgment is not so readily earned.”

“Sacred Artifact…”

“However, this time, I shall grant you a small reward.”

The black snake’s words piqued Mo Ya’s interest, but as he sought to question further, he found himself already departing the mental world.

Purplish-black blood evaporated from his hand, the biting pain only sharpening Mo Ya’s resolve.

‘Why is such a thing appearing in my body? Is this also connected to the Ouroboros…’

‘Who exactly is that man?’

Conrad’s figure grew increasingly mysterious in Mo Ya’s mind.

He released his arm, which had been pressing against the giant’s eyeball. The spherical black energy dissipated into magic particles, scattering into the air.

“Brother…”

“What are you doing, you slacker!”

From behind, the voices of Feng Ling and Akuma reached him. They were clearly bewildered by Mo Ya’s actions, their eyes filled with urgency.

The giant, of course, also noticed this surprising development. Free from the interference of pain, its arm swiftly swung towards Mo Ya.

The colossal arm, carried by a powerful gust of wind, hurtled directly towards Mo Ya’s face.

It was almost upon him. Soon, this annoying mosquito would vanish from its sight.

“Roar!”

Finally able to deal with this irritating nuisance, the giant’s heart swelled with excitement. Its arm swung even faster.

The palm rapidly approached, finally pressing down upon Mo Ya. Everything was over.

The giant roared triumphantly, but its exhilaration lasted only for a fleeting moment.

In that instant, it savored the thrill of victory. Yet, in the very next moment…

[Black Fang]

The Ouroboros twisted and detached from Mo Ya’s body. Like ink spilled into the air, the Ouroboros left him.

The black ink continued to contort, reattaching itself to Mo Ya’s elbow.

Only, its form had changed this time. A gleaming black scimitar extended from Mo Ya’s elbow.

“My apologies, but I can’t let you destroy my dorm.”