A/N : I won't be posting any content every friday and saturday on WebNovel and RoyalRoad. BUT I will be posting daily on Patreon, meaning everyone can read 2 chapters ahead compared to viewers on WebNovel and RoyalRoad. And it's absolutely FREE!
There's not even a paywall to read 2 chaps ahead and it won't hurt if y'all could hit that 'BECOME A MEMBER' button....
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The El Malais Kingdom was thrown into alarm following the confirmed deaths of the royal agents dispatched to East Malais to harvest Eli's Staff.
Their sudden silence, followed by the recovery of barely a single charred flesh and discovery of the wreckage on the sites where Eli's Staff growing in the wild, made it clear that the mission had failed entirely.
The loss not only provoked political unease within the royal court but also disrupted Malrick's long-term strategy of maintaining a steady extraction pipeline from the region.
Until then, the operation had functioned quietly and efficiently.
Hidden facilities distributed across multiple continents had already accumulated several thousand secured units of Eli's Staff. Each base operated independently, minimizing exposure and risk.
With the final shipment delivered by Ekram and his team—salvaged at considerable cost—the total stock of unprocessed Eli's Staff crossed the five-thousand-unit threshold for the first time.
That milestone marked a shift: from experimental acquisition to strategic resource management.
When the supernatural reagent was first identified, its volatility made direct use impossible. Early trials produced unpredictable physiological backlash, ranging from cellular instability to delayed neurological degradation.
To counter this, successive refinement protocols were introduced.
The reagent underwent layered modification, stabilization, and containment adjustments, gradually eliminating both immediate side effects and latent long-term risks.
Progress accelerated once a specific anomaly was identified.
The underground research facility embedded deep within the Botchwick Mountain range was the first to observe Eli's Staff reacting to controlled nuclear particles.
The interaction was consistent, measurable, and—most importantly—repeatable. That discovery restructured the entire project hierarchy.
Oversight of all Eli's Staff–related operations was consolidated under the authority of the Botchwick facility's head researcher, Senior Professor Lima Cortez.
At the time, Cortez was already considered past his productive years.
Age had left its mark on him without restraint. His skin was deeply creased, his hands permanently trembling from nerve degradation, and his posture bent forward from decades of laboratory work. Prolonged fatigue dulled his expressions, and even simple movement required deliberate effort. He remained intellectually sharp, but his body was visibly failing.
That, too, changed.
In recognition of his contribution—both the discovery itself and his refusal to publicize it—Malrick granted Cortez eligibility for personal enhancement. It was not an offer extended lightly, nor was it reversible once begun.
The transformation was comprehensive.
Senior Professor Lima Cortez shed his former body like a discarded shell. Pigmentation irregularities faded first, age spots fragmenting before dissolving into uniform skin tone.
Loose tissue along his neck and jaw contracted gradually, guided by artificial regeneration fields that rebuilt connective fibers from the inside out.
Beneath the skin, structural realignment followed: his spine straightened in measured increments as compressed vertebrae separated and re-locked into optimal positioning.
There was no sudden rebirth—only steady, relentless correction.
Muscle tissue reformed next, not through hypertrophy but densification. Fibers layered themselves in precise alignment, producing strength without excess mass. Veins stabilized, no longer bulging or collapsing, maintaining consistent pressure regardless of movement.
His breathing pattern shifted subtly—slower, deeper, more efficient—as his cardiovascular capacity expanded beyond natural human limits.
His physical attributes—strength, agility, endurance, and resilience—rose past what his younger body had ever achieved. Cognitive enhancement followed close behind.
Neural transmission accelerated, reducing latency between thought and action. Mental fatigue ceased to accumulate. Clarity became the default state rather than a fleeting condition.
Despite having lived a life almost entirely absent of physical training, his body now contradicted that history.
He stood at 187 centimeters, posture naturally aligned without conscious correction. His shoulders rested square, center of gravity perfectly balanced. Each movement carried an economy that suggested engineered optimization rather than learned technique.
Even at rest, his body appeared ready—stable, responsive, and efficient. The frailty that once defined him had been erased without residue.
The most visible change, however, lay in his face. Wrinkles once etched deeply into his features were gone, replaced by smooth, taut skin with healthy elasticity.
His jawline sharpened, cheekbones more pronounced, and the perpetual exhaustion that once lingered in his expression had vanished. In its place was a neutral alertness, present even when his mind wandered elsewhere.
His eyes completed the transformation.
Where dark brown irises once dulled with age, lime-green eyes now stared outward—clear, vivid, and unnervingly focused. The sclera appeared unnaturally white, free of capillaries.
Under direct light, faint radial structures could be seen extending from the pupils, as though the color had depth rather than surface. When his gaze fixed on something, it carried a sense of evaluation rather than curiosity.
Standing beside Malrick as he welcomed Ekram and his two direct subordinates was the professor himself.
"Welcome back—Ekram, Zain, and Walter," Malrick greeted them with a smile as the three men exited the plane.
Beyond his ambition and desire for conquest, Malrick was a leader who valued his subordinates, treating them as people rather than expendable pieces. He remembered faces and names, a simple habit that nonetheless inspired loyalty. Having been a soldier during the chaotic era more than six decades ago, Malrick had developed a keen understanding of the fickleness of human nature—and he knew how to exploit it when necessary.
Malrick was undoubtedly not the strongest, but he was a capable leader who knew how to strategize and sympathize.
The three warriors snapped to attention and offered a respectful salute, standing straighter yet noticeably more at ease in his presence.
"Boss. We apologize for—"
Before Ekram could finish, Malrick raised his right hand, prompting him to stop mid-sentence.
"It was unavoidable. I would have done the same in your position," Malrick said calmly. Then his gaze shifted, hardening as it fell on Zain. "Zain, your pyrokinesis control was excellent. How did you still end up leaving evidence behind?"
"My incompetence has disappointed you, sir! I am willing to accept any punishment!" Zain bowed deeply.
"This is your first offense. However, the consequences of this mistake have jeopardized our agenda considerably. The El Malais Kingdom has been alarmed because of it. We have paid a significant price—our forces can no longer be deployed into the region to obtain the Life's Grail." Malrick paused, allowing the weight of his words—and the scale of the repercussions—to sink in.
Zain said nothing, lowering himself even further in acknowledgment.
"Haa… forget it," Malrick continued. "Given how advanced the El Malais Kingdom's intelligence division is, I am certain they have already noticed inconsistencies over the years. The fact that they sent that team of agents was proof enough."
He straightened slightly. "Your punishment is one hundred hours of physical grunt work. No machines. No assistance from other workers. You start tomorrow. Rest tonight."
Only then did Zain rise and offer a firm salute.
"Of course, responsibility does not stop with you alone," Malrick added. "Especially you, Ekram, as the mission leader. Walter's punishment will be the same as Zain's. As for you, Ekram—you will take double the combined total. Four hundred hours of grunt work."
"WE HEAR AND WE OBEY!" Ekram and Walter responded in unison.
Malrick then gestured for Professor Lima to step forward.
"As usual, Professor Lima will conduct extensive examinations on your bodies after the mission. After that, you are to rest. The days ahead will be rough. Dismissed."
With that, Malrick turned and departed, leaving the four men behind.
"Phew…" Zain exhaled in relief.
"Because of you, I'm doing four hundred hours," Ekram snapped. "What exactly are you relieved about?"
"Ahahaha… my fault, Boss," Zain admitted sheepishly. "I'm just relieved that Sir didn't kill me. It was a serious blunder on my part."
"You're relieved far too early," Ekram replied, a malicious grin spreading across his face as he made a throat-slitting gesture. "Who says I won't be the one to do it personally?"
Zain immediately darted behind the only man present who wasn't part of their team.
Professor Lima cleared his throat lightly.
"Alright, enough fooling around," he said. "Be grateful—we serve a good leader. Now follow me to the medbay. There's a great deal of work to be done."
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After decades of preparation, the moment is finally within reach.
El Malais Kingdom—the true titan of this world. I will be the first to bring it to heel.
For centuries, the kingdom has stood unchallenged. Countless ambitions were swallowed by the Malais Strait, crushed before they ever reached its shores. I will not share their fate. I am certain of this, because unlike them, I have uncovered El Malais' greatest secret.
Eli's Staff.
They call it a spice. A crude label for something so profound. It is not seasoning—it is the purest expression of evolution itself. And yet those filthy hands reduced the Life's Grail to a garnish, scattering it over food, ignorant of the potential they were squandering.
I owe that discovery to the Hakta Tribe.
They saved my life when I should have died. Their shelters, their food, their care restored me from the brink. What they offered was not obligation but kindness. They trusted me—trusted me enough to share their customs, their knowledge, and even their understanding of Eli's Staff.
To them, it was ordinary. A common ingredient passed down through generations. Familiarity had blinded them to its true value.
They did not realize the magnitude of what they possessed.
They served me well. Especially Renna.
She was beautiful—not in a fragile way, but warm and vivid. Her eyes glimmered like honey when she spoke. Her smile carried the calm of early morning dew. There was light in her presence, like a moon suspended in a dark sky—quiet, steady, impossible to ignore.
That is why it was difficult to meet her gaze as I drove the blade into her chest.
The flames, the screams, the chaos as my men finished the others—all of it blurred into the background of that night. I remember only her weight as she collapsed into my arms.
I had no choice.
Ambition does not tolerate weakness. If I am to commit greater cruelties in the future, my heart had to be tempered first. Mercy would have destroyed everything I seek to build.
As I held her body one last time, the warmth fading rapidly, something inside me snapped. Cleanly. As if a thread I hadn't known existed had been cut.
That was the moment my heart broke.
And it was the price I paid to move forward.