NOVEL NEXT Chapter 53: Heart In Turmoil...
"When you attacked me back then at the Genesis Coil, you didn't think this moment would come, huh?"
Aleron didn't get the satisfaction he wanted, as Mello just glanced at him and then let out a laugh.
"Yes, I didn't expect this moment to come. Back then, you were just a little kid at the Origin Initiate realm."
Mello spat out a mouthful of air and said, "How did your strength increase so greatly? Want to let me in on your secret? I'm going to die anyway, right?"
Aleron squinted his eyes at Mello.
From how he was speaking, it was as though he had a plan in mind.
Aleron couldn't place his hand on it, but he didn't feel any sense of danger with his dragon sense, so he wasn't too bothered.
He turned to stare at Mello with a smile.
"It's nice talking to you. Are you sure you want to know my secret?"
A strange expression flashed through Mello's eyes, and then he replied evenly, "Of course, I would love to hear your secret."
"The reason for my strength is because of my children," Aleron said simply.
Mello's expression changed into a frown. "Why are you lying? You were at the Genesis Coil since the age of ten. It's only recently we let you have fun in the world. How possible is it that you've had children within that time?"
Anger flared in Aleron's heart at Mello's words.
What did he mean by saying 'they only recently let him have fun in the world?'
Images of his torture before his death surfaced in Aleron's mind.
Subconsciously, as though being controlled, he reached out for Mello's left arm and pulled.
"Arrrrrrrrrrghhhhh!"
Mello let out a pained scream as his arm was cleanly torn off.
Aleron stared at his hand in surprise.
It seemed in his anger, he had acted impulsively.
He tossed the arm to the side and then stared at Mello deeply.
"You were not the ones who let me free. I became free on my own!"
"Also, you know nothing about my children!"
"Hahahahaha, you became free on your own? Hahaha, that is the funniest joke, 1317!"
Mello let out maniacal laughter, ignoring the pain in his arm as though it was nothing.
"Are you really free?"
"Everyone is shackled in some way."
"You think you are free, but you have just changed shackles subconsciously! If you want to be free, why are you still alive?"
"Only dead men are free. We aren't!"
A terrified look surfaced on Aleron's face.
Now that he thought about it, since coming to this world, was he truly free or was he someone else's puppet?
Was he doing everything so far purely out of his own free will… or was he being controlled by the will of 1317?
Aleron fell into a state of confusion, unable to keep his heart calm.
Many thoughts continuously flickered in his mind.
Just at that moment, his dragon senses blared with warning.
There was danger nearby!
'Mello! He tricked me!' This was Aleron's first thought, and he didn't hesitate to slash out his claw at Mello, who was still on the ground.
His claw-like arm grazed Mello's chest and ribcage, ripping out flesh and bone. A pool of blood splattered into the surroundings.
Mello's expression, which had held a slight look of joy, froze.
"You…" He coughed out a mouthful of blood, then turned to the distant horizon and said in a low voice…
"Master… you came… late!" With that, blood splattered once again onto the ground, and his body slowly grew colder, his eyes dull and lifeless.
Aleron had finally killed Mello as he had promised, but he didn't feel a sense of satisfaction.
Although Mello had died, he had in the end harmed Aleron once again. However, this time, rather than physically, he had harmed him mentally, causing his thoughts to be in disarray.
The system flashed with a line of words, distracting Aleron from his thoughts.
[Congratulations on killing a major member of the Genesis Coil, your mission completion rate has increased slightly.]
[Congratulations, Origin Devourer, you have received the A-grade Gunman Precision.]
[Do you wish to upgrade the B-grade Metal Control directly?]
Aleron suppressed the turmoil in his heart caused by Mello's words and asked the system internally.
'System, does this mean I can directly upgrade any ability to A-grade if I get an A-grade ability?'
The system immediately flashed with the reply.
[Yes, host. All the abilities previously placed into the slot for origin upgrade will be added to your ability collection, and you can choose to use them to upgrade an ability!]
'What? That was possible?'
Aleron was startled and immediately accepted.
[Congratulations on upgrading the B-grade Metal Control to A-grade Metal Control.]
Aleron felt a change in his connection to this particular origin ability. He could now feel a faint link to the metals in his surroundings.
He could also feel that the cost of controlling the metals had decreased significantly, and the strain of using the ability had lessened.
There was no time to dwell on it as Mello's master had finally appeared in front of him, carrying a terrifying gust of wind.
Seeing this figure, Aleron's pupils shrank.
She was a tall, elegant woman whose every step carried a quiet, commanding grace.
Her long hair, black as midnight, had faint streaks of silver that shimmered in the light. Her skin was pale and smooth, like polished porcelain, unmarked by blemish or age.
Her eyes were sharp and almond-shaped, glowing faintly with a cold sapphire light that seemed to pierce straight into the soul.
She wore a dark robe threaded with faintly glowing runes, and the fabric shifted subtly with the wind, as if the air itself obeyed her. The pressure she exuded was suffocating, heavy enough to make the ground beneath her feet crack slightly.
Aleron had encountered Origin Experts before, so it was unmistakable—this lady was no longer at the Origin Expert realm. She was in a realm above that, or perhaps even higher.
Aleron's heart shook, but he wasn't fearful. With the empowerment of his two dragons and using his origin abilities and special eyes perfectly, it shouldn't be a problem to defeat or even kill her.
"So, you're the one my original body told me about?"
"1317, why don't you follow me back to the headquarters? I promise to treat you fairly. As for him…" she turned to glance at Mello, "he was far inferior to you, not as useful as you would be to me."
Aleron's expression changed slightly.
Take him to the headquarters of the Genesis Coil?
He already had a guess in his heart that the place he was at previously was just a branch of the Genesis Coil. Since he could barely survive there, was there hope of surviving in the true headquarters?
Aleron wasn't even considering her offer.
This was the Genesis Coil we were talking about.
If there was anything Aleron hated the most aside from his parents, who had sold him, it would undoubtedly be the Genesis Coil.
"How unique… you are so full of peculiarities. 1317, I am definitely taking you back to the organization. My main body will be very happy to meet you!"
At that moment, a thunderous roar filled the skies.
"I am not 1317. My name is ALERON!!!"