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nThe trump card of all enhancement magi, the nightmare of all non-melee-type magi!

nAli’s expression changed; no enhancement magus can be fully immune to the physical damage brought by “mutating.”

nMana is not a panacea; it can deeply remodel a magus’s body, but it can’t turn someone into a monster.

nAnd “mutating” breaks through this limit.

nIt awakens the dormant beastly bloodline within, catalyzed into manifestation by mana.

nThis is what “mutating” is.

nAfter mutating, Code 19, aside from his soul, could hardly be considered human; his body had become entirely that of a monstrous being.

n“This is my utmost respect. If you have any skills left, use them. Otherwise, you will surely regret it.”

nCode 19’s voice had completely transformed, as if coming from a muffled space.

nThough his articulation was clear, the tone was bizarrely odd.

nHis eyes, burning with a faint blue flame within the crimson, fixed on Ali’s face.

nThough not surrounded by mana, the aura he exuded was incomparable to before.

nThe cyan-purple mana patterns, like tattoos, roamed across his body.

nThe cloak hid his vital parts but couldn’t conceal the coiled muscles and the roaming power.

nCode 19 slightly leaned forward, arching his back like a wild beast, quietly gathering force.

nHis enhancement wasn’t limited to physical capabilities; his reaction ability also significantly improved under “mutating.”

nNow, Code 19 possessed the sharp intuition of a wild beast, coupled with the cunning of a human.

nA true monster, in every sense of the word.

nWith no other options remaining, Ali sighed, acknowledging her own frailty.

nEven with “Brave,” which costs twenty years of her lifespan per use, how many times could she afford to rely on it?

nAgainst the continuous crises she faced, and the potentially greater ones in the foreseeable future, it was merely a drop in the ocean.

n“I feel like I’ve been duped by that unscrupulous god,” Ali muttered, mana coursing through her body like a surging tide.

nA faint golden light ignited deep within her eyes as she took a step forward, drawing a deep breath.

nBring it on, the final confrontation.

nVictory or defeat, life or death, it all hinged on this moment!

nMana erupted as Ali pushed her mind to its limits, simultaneously calculating dozens of spells.

nThe mana mist burst outward, with the spell matrix forming directly within it. .𝒎

nThe mana oscillated, emitting a sharp ringing sound, and Ali’s hair stood on end within the mana field.

nA faint smell of blood came from her nostrils, and dull pains throbbed through her brain—signals that she was nearing her cognitive limits.

nBut she chose not to stop.

nJust as Code 19 had opted for “mutating” to face her, she too pushed herself to the limit, seeking to break through the current predicament.

nRelying solely on “Brave” would never allow her to truly become strong.

nThe purpose of a limit is to be surpassed!

nTwelve spell matrices formed simultaneously, and in that moment, Ali’s mana was drained, nearly causing her to collapse from dizziness.

nHowever, only at that instant did the final battle truly begin!

nThe moment the spell matrix was completed, Code 19 vanished.

nThere was no sound of the wind, nor the noise of air being cleaved; it was as if he melded directly into the atmosphere, disappearing from where he stood.

nAli could no longer perceive Code 19’s existence, feeling only danger emanating from all directions, her intuition screaming like a malfunctioning alarm.

nThis situation didn’t exceed Ali’s expectations.

nThe enhancement “mutating” brings to an enhancement magus is beyond what outsiders can imagine.

nOtherwise, it wouldn’t exist as the trump card of all enhancement magi and the nightmare of all non-melee-type magi.

n“Mutating” signifies a body that transcends human limits, indicating an enhancement magus can use mana to squeeze their physique limitlessly, unleashing strength and speed beyond the brink!

nAlthough Code 19’s mana level remained at that of a level 2 magus, his current speed and strength were unmatched by most level 1 magi.

nApproaching the limit of a level 1 magus in terms of strength and speed means Code 19 needs only a single move to kill her.

nBefore she can react, Code 19 could grasp her heart in his hand.

nDuring this, Ali wouldn’t even feel pain, because before her pain neurons could respond, her heart would have ceased beating, and her consciousness would begin to detach from her body.

nThus, Ali simply relinquished control of all spell matrices, instead setting a trigger signal.

nUpon detecting the corresponding signal, these spell matrices would activate automatically!

nAli stood motionless, maintaining the presence of the mana mist.

nThe disappearance of mana mist, of course, wouldn’t affect the spell matrix, but in pursuit of maximizing effect, even at the cost of bodily harm, Ali refused to die by Code 19’s blade due to a slight margin.

nSuddenly, Ali turned her gaze in a specific direction.

nNothing could be captured in her field of view, but the spell matrix was triggered.

nThe outermost defense, a mana shield, unfolded in an instant, bursting with electric light.

nElectric Shield, a defensive spell designed against melee-type magi, the shield surged with powerful electricity, automatically discharging upon contact with any conductor, attacking indiscriminately.

nSince Code 19 was the only enemy present, Ali hesitated not to set the spell’s electrical shock to its most potent level.

nSuch intensity of electric shock could instantly kill even a massive bear. 𝑖𝘦.𝘤𝑜𝘮

nThe powerful current would cause cardiac arrest within a fraction of a second, causing explosive muscular contractions, even bursting its own heart!

nBut it was in vain.

nNo human form appeared; the shield flickered a few times due to insufficient mana after the electric light shone and then disappeared entirely, leaving a shortsword falling to the ground.

nCode 19 had used his dagger as bait to trigger Ali’s outermost defensive spell.

nThis was certainly a feasible tactic, but Ali was not unprepared.

nA single trigger signal meant a defense gap, a basic error Ali was unlikely to make.

nHowever, the appearance of the shortsword also served as a reminder to Ali.

nThe opponent was not an irrational beast but a calm and cunning human! A monster among humans, that’s what magi are.

nThe Second Strike!

nAlmost the instant the Electric Shield vanished, three throwing knives reached the spot where Ali stood.

nThey passed through, yet drew no blood.

nThe Ali remaining in place was merely an illusion.

nFollowing the Electric Shield, what was triggered next was “Shape-shifting”!

nAli had now entered an invisibility state, leaving behind only an afterimage.

nEven the best defense can be breached, but asymmetry of information remains the supreme defense!

nIf the opponent is uncertain of your location, they naturally can’t hit you!

nThe greatest flaw of enhancement magi lies in the singularity of their combat methods.

nWhile possessing strength and speed difficult for magi of the same level to match, this comes at the cost of the nearly infinite potential of mana.

nEnhancement magi can exhibit considerable combat prowess at lower levels, but as magi progress and begin to emphasize the utilization of mana itself, the drawbacks of enhancement magi gradually become apparent.

nOf course, for those with exceptional talent, this talk becomes irrelevant.

nFor geniuses, normal rules often do not apply.

nEight spell traps remain.

nAlthough Ali is now in an invisibility state, Code 19’s movements are utterly unpredictable.

nHis high-speed movement makes him even more terrifying and agile than a ghost.

nJust a moment’s mistake, and he could appear behind you, hand thrust into your chest cavity.

nAli did not wish to experience such a sensation.

nThe fourth spell activated on its own!

nLinked with Shape-shifting from the start, this spell was set to activate within a second after Shape-shifting was triggered.

nMist Wall, a spell familiar to any magus.

nBefore truly learning sculpting spells, the Mist Wall spell serves as a primary practice tool for most sculpting magi.

nBy controlling the mana mist generated by the Mist Wall, magi indirectly enhance their control over mana, facilitating faster mastery of sculpting spells.

nIn other circumstances, Mist Wall might be considered a practice tool since it lacks attack power or defense, offering only the effect of creating a substantial area of mana mist.

nIt also does not support the expansion of mana sensing.

nA mere layer of mist seems hardly useful, barely even obstructing visibility.

nHowever, in the current situation, the emergence of Mist Wall seems highly appropriate.

nHow does Code 19 determine his surroundings?

nIn a state of high-speed movement, relying solely on vision to capture external dynamics is definitely insufficient.

nEven with enhanced hearing and touch, the benefits are limited

n—this is the constraint of human physiology.

nNo matter how sharp one’s eyes are, the visible field ultimately spans only about 130 degrees in front of them.

n𝘦𝑎.𝒸ℴ

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