The black sun hangs high

Chapter 67 Black Claws
Hughes stared at the newly "lit" groove in the metal disc, lost in thought.

This is another new change that occurred after the very center of the disc was filled.

Moreover, in terms of the division structure of the metal disc, this change can be described as extremely groundbreaking.

“I originally thought that, judging from the regional structure of this huge disc, its rules should correspond to the spellcaster system in Vaan… but now it seems that there may still be obvious differences between the two.”

Hugh stared intently at the thin line connecting the old and new grooves. He could now feel the close connection between the two through the line that emitted a pale green light. Clearly, the remnant of the Dark Abyss Spawn did not bring a completely new magic, but rather a kind of "enhancement" to the Touch of Calron.

At this moment, Hugh felt that his magic had been restored to a considerable extent, so he withdrew his attention from the mental world and walked to a corner where he could avoid the car window. Then he raised his right hand and began to mobilize his magic.

The familiar soreness began to appear, but this time, the uncomfortable soreness was not as intense as before.

Hugh could feel the flow of magic in his palm more clearly. This time, the magic was not completely gathered in his palm as before, but was more evenly distributed throughout his palm. Hugh could even feel it actively jumping and flowing in his five fingers.

"what?"

He was surprised by this obvious change, and in order to verify the specific effects of the magic, he simply issued the command in his mind.

The magic took effect instantly.

This time, the black tentacles of Karron, which Hugh was already very familiar with, did not burst forth from his palm. Under the flow and effect of magic, Hugh was surprised to find that carapace and keratin had appeared on the skin of his pale palm, and his five fingers were also wrapped in some kind of dark substance under the effect of magic. They quickly extended and deformed in the air, and finally settled into five long, dark, and sharp black claws.

It appears that this black claw bears some resemblance to the sharp limbs once displayed by the offspring of the Dark Abyss.

Especially under the light, Hugh could even see that the surface of the sharp claws had a black light, similar to that of the offspring of the Dark Abyss, constantly flashing.

He tried moving his palms and found that the material covering his palms did not interfere with him in the slightest. It was as if he was wearing a very light glove, and all his movements were perfectly reflected to his claws.

"So... what about sharpness?"

Hugh raised his hand and very cautiously used one of his sharp claws to scratch the surface of the wardrobe next to him.

This seemingly gentle, even effortless, movement produced a rather jarring sound. Immediately afterward, Hughes noticed that a narrow, elongated mark had appeared on the surface of the wooden wardrobe covered in velvet, thanks to his simple action.

It was as if someone had deliberately slashed it with a sharp sword.

In terms of sharpness alone, this is already quite exaggerated.

In particular, Hughes discovered that the edges of the velvet torn by the claws also showed unusual charred black marks—proving that the claws, which had mutated through the Touch of Karron, clearly carried the corrosive power bestowed by the dark green crystals.

Hugh was delighted with this discovery, but the experiment with magic was not over. As he focused his mind, the hard keratin covering his palm and the black claws that extended outwards quickly disappeared. Dark green magical light and shadow flickered on Hugh's right hand again, and the next moment, the familiar black tentacles once again surged from his palm.

As expected, the magic itself, Karron's Touch, also underwent corresponding changes under the influence of the Dark Abyss Spawn's power.

The black tentacles, originally covered in hard keratin and capable of piercing like swords, now exhibited a more varied and bizarre appearance—the ends of these constantly swaying tentacles had transformed into sharp segments remarkably similar to those of the Dark Abyss offspring.

Just as the Dark Abyss Spawns devour other creatures to seize their instincts, power, and biological forms, the Touch of Calron, as the vessel for this power, also exhibits similar characteristics.

"It is sharper and its shape is more bizarre... Now it can not only entangle and pierce enemies, but also capture and cut targets by using the special characteristics of its limbs, just as the Dark Abyss offspring demonstrated before."

Hughes didn't bother with the room's furnishings anymore. Satisfied, he finished his magic experiment and then let out a long sigh of relief by the bedside.

"In this light, Theseus's description of the Dark Abyss Spawns was indeed accurate. No wonder these guys in the metal disc behaved this way; the power of the Dark Abyss Spawns is truly... a great tonic for them."

Under the light, Hugh carefully examined his palm.

His skin was still pale, and because he had worked as an apprentice and handyman at the Waterloo Academy of Magic and had spent long hours holding a pen, he had calluses on his fingers... Other than that, there was nothing else unusual about him.

At least the hardened keratin and the sticky, gelatinous appearance characteristic of the Dark Abyss offspring did not appear on the skin.

Hughes always harbored doubts about the practice of devouring such inhuman beings, and he felt somewhat resistant to it.

He wasn't disgusted by the form and nature of the Dark Abyss offspring, but rather worried that if he continued to devour them, he would end up like the Dark Abyss offspring, completely altering his form and way of thinking.

“I remember that in the memories of the Black Sun Society mage who summoned the Dark Abyss Spawns, he regarded those shapeshifters as incomplete beings… Considering the similarities between the shapeshifters and the Dark Abyss Spawns, the former is very likely also a descendant of the so-called ancient gods and their followers.”

"Both are essentially magical life forms that can continuously devour other life forms and acquire memories and wisdom that do not belong to them. However, the difference is that once a shapeshifter successfully captures its prey, its way of thinking and behavior will completely transform into the victim it has devoured and digested, until it completely replaces it and continues to walk in the world in this identity."

"The Dark Abyss Offspring, on the other hand, is more like a tireless and insatiable beast. It is not satisfied by devouring intelligent beings, nor does it completely change its form afterward... Based on previous contact, although it can also acquire the memories and instincts of those victims, all of this is ultimately preparation for a new round of hunting."

Hugh examined the long, narrow cut he had made while testing the black claws, his mind racing: "So, if a Dark Abyss offspring is allowed to keep consuming, what will it eventually become? Will it still be possible to use magic or other methods to suppress or destroy it?"

The thought made Hugh's body tremble involuntarily. He remembered that during the time he was unconscious, he had seen memories related to the main body of the Dark Abyss offspring.

In that fragmented scene, the body of the Dark Abyss Spawn split in two when faced with the threat posed by the spellcasters. The severely injured part burrowed into the sewers and found itself, while the other part rushed towards the other side of the central square of Seren City.

Based on the news he had heard, Hugh was pretty sure that, even now, another group of Dark Abyss offspring were still active in Seren City. It might not be able to break through the ritual site's blockade for the time being, but everyone in the city was probably on its food list.

"To stir up chaos and summon such an existence... what exactly is the purpose of the Black Sun Society?"

On this increasingly cold snowy night, Hugh began a long period of reflection.

……

Time will not stop flowing because of personal doubts.

The changing situation will not be slowed down by a sudden snowfall.

Although the heavy snowfall over the past two days has reduced friction and tensions on the border, for the officials and politicians at the negotiating table, the battle has just begun.

As a member of the Fifth Juggernaut Regiment, Hugh naturally couldn't get news from the newspapers in a timely manner, but fortunately, Alfred, as a major in the Juggernaut Regiment, had many ways to obtain fresh and reliable information.

Alfred naturally omitted the information about the troop movements at Waterl, but he was very happy to discuss other topics related to the changing situation with Hugh. As a result, Alfred spent the rest of the day in Hugh's carriage, which he used as his room for handling military affairs.

"Tomorrow! Tomorrow we'll be able to reach Borden. To be honest, this trip, though short, was incredibly exciting and yielded amazing results."

The slightly roguish major placed a trimmed letter in front of Hugh.

This is a brief report on the mobilization of the Kingdom of Delan. Alfred has crossed out the important data and only retained some adjectives that cannot be used as concrete evidence. However, Hugh can still sense the current tension in the Kingdom of Delan from these adjectives.

The actions of the Fifth Jaeger Regiment and other legions on the border between the two countries have instilled fear in the Kingdom of Delan.

They have realized that they are facing an enemy that has transcended past military theories and logic. Under these circumstances, the cooperation between the Delan royal family and the Legal Council has become closer. According to the description in the letter, those executive members who were originally subordinate to the Legal Council and whose rank was at the Stream level or below are now allowed to join the official army of the Kingdom of Delan and will enjoy the same treatment as officers.

"It seems you've really frightened them."

"These cowards on the plains are certainly afraid... Ha, they are so lenient with their officials. If the enemy were to infiltrate the border and destroy several camps in succession, I'm afraid a bunch of them would have their heads crushed by magic before the next day."

Like all the soldiers of Water, Alfred's tone was full of contempt for the Delan army.

"However, their cautious approach is still commendable."

Alfred handed a cigarette to Hugh, then said, “We deliberately erased those important traces during the mission, so it’s normal that they don’t know what’s going on. Under these circumstances, mobilizing as many people as possible is the only thing they can do… More people always give them courage.”

Hugh took the cigarette but didn't light it; he looked out the window.

On the road outside, soldiers on foot, officers and mages on horseback, and steam-powered vehicles used to transport the wounded and important supplies created a somewhat strange scene.

Steam power is still in the process of being promoted and applied, so this situation of mixing the old and the new has emerged here.

"Major, let me guess... the traces you just mentioned that were cleaned up, they must have been left by your weapons, right?"

"Ok?"

Alfred looked up: "Why do you ask that?"

“I am not familiar with the current training and tactics of the Voltel army… but from what I can see, the most unique aspect of this place compared to other teams is the promotion of new technologies and the weakening of traditional magical traces.”

"But we still have military magistrates with us."

Alfred did not refute Hugh's judgment, but smiled and said, "Mr. Klaus and the other mages still play an important role in the Juggernauts, and their status has always been far above that of ordinary soldiers and officers."

"Major, you should know that I'm not talking about the existence of non-magicians."

Hugh shook his head: "I was referring to the cooperation between the soldiers and the mages."

At this moment, in Hugh's mind, the memories that once belonged to the Enforcers of the Law Committee and the soldiers of Seren City began to become clear. He said, "I have talked with some soldiers from Seren City, including some veterans who have served in other countries. According to them, the combat methods based on crystal guns and spellcasters have not changed for a very long time. The fundamental reason is that the weapons used by soldiers are always greatly limited. Everyone knows how to guard against crystal guns, and sometimes they are even less effective than bows and crossbows."

"So, Mr. Ernst, you mean that the weapons used by our army have changed, thus affecting the past tactical system... and thereby gaining the upper hand in the confrontation with the enemy?"

Alfred gave Hugh a deep look: "While not entirely accurate, it is indeed part of the truth... Mr. Ernst, you are quite different from the image others have portrayed you as!"

(End of this chapter)