Chapter 29: The Last Puzzle Of A High Human and Inscription

[By observing an Incomplete High-Human, you’ve gained enlightenment into High-Humans and obtained the final piece.]

The moment the notification appeared, the final piece of knowledge clicked into place.

Nero finally understood how to become a High-Human.

According to the information he received, he needed to create a special inscription capable of channeling both Mana and Demonic Energy. Once the two energies were combined, his body would evolve into that of a High-Human.

High-Humans could naturally wield both energies, which explained their unique biology and extraordinary abilities.

However, there was one major problem.

Demonic Energy was extremely dangerous to ordinary humans. It could corrupt their bodies or mind from within, and no ordinary person could control it safely.

Nero frowned.

’Where am I supposed to get Demonic Energy?’

One of the many sources he could think of was the Gates.

Demon spawns occasionally appeared inside certain Gates, but those places were usually handled by powerful Awakeners. There was no way someone like him could simply walk into one.

Still, obtaining Demonic Energy could wait.

The first thing he needed to do was prepare the inscription.

According to the knowledge he received, the formation had to be drawn directly onto his chest. Unfortunately, the design was extremely complicated, and Nero wasn’t confident he could reproduce it correctly.

Just as he was wondering what to do, the Choice System activated.

[Choice Detected: The Inscription]

[Option 1: Ask Lilly to inscribe the formation.]

[Reward: $5,000 (Common)]

[Option 2: Attempt to draw it yourself.]

[Reward: Steady Hands (Uncommon)]

Nero examined the options.

He wasn’t particularly confident in his drawing skills, especially when a single mistake could ruin the entire formation.

For some reason, he felt he could trust Lilly with this.

After considering it briefly, Nero selected the first option.

While waiting for Lilly to return home, he went online and purchased a Mana-infused pen.

These pens used special ink that could only be removed with a Mana-infused eraser, making them suitable for inscriptions that needed to remain intact.

The delivery arrived within an hour.

Nero examined the pen, which was sleek and black, with faint Mana circuits running along its surface.

Now, all he needed was Lilly.

Later that evening, the mansion’s front door opened.

Lilly had finally returned from her outing with friends. Jasmine was most likely with her too.

However, before she could head upstairs, Nero approached her in the hallway.

"Hey, Lilly. I have something serious to tell you."

Lilly immediately became nervous upon seeing him.

Throughout her outing, she had been unable to stop thinking about what happened between them last night.

She even caught herself touching her lips occasionally, remembering their kiss.

It was embarrassing!

She couldn’t understand why her heart kept beating faster whenever she thought about Nero.

He wasn’t particularly handsome, lacked confidence, and wasn’t even a proper Awakener.

Yet whenever she remembered how he held and kissed her, she couldn’t help feeling happy.

Of course, Lilly had never cared much about appearances in the first place.

And recently, Nero had been improving considerably.

What embarrassed her the most was that she had genuinely enjoyed their passionate kiss.

She even wanted to experience it again.

’What am I even thinking about?!’

"Come to my room," Nero said, interrupting her thoughts. "I’ll explain everything there."

"...Okay?"

Lilly nodded, although she was confused by his sudden request.

’Wait, is he finally going to say something about last night?’

The possibility made her even more nervous.

She followed Nero upstairs and entered his bedroom.

This was actually her first time inside his room, and she couldn’t help noticing how empty it looked.

Apart from a bed, computer desk, and a few necessities, there was hardly anything inside.

"It’s pretty bland," Lilly commented. "Why don’t you decorate it?"

"I plan to eventually."

Nero then turned toward her.

"Lilly."

"...!"

She immediately straightened her posture.

’Here it comes!’

Her heart was beating so fast that she could practically hear it.

However, instead of confessing anything, Nero reached into his pocket and took out a black pen.

"Can you give me a tattoo?"

"..."

Lilly almost choked.

"W-What the heck, Nero?!"

She stared at him in disbelief.

A tattoo?!

She had genuinely thought he was about to confess his feelings, yet he had brought her here to ask for a tattoo!

"A tattoo?" she repeated. "Why do you suddenly want one?"

"I felt like it," Nero replied. "It’s a new Chapter in my life, so I wanted something to mark the beginning."

Lilly’s eyebrow twitched.

’You dragged me all the way here for that?!’

She almost wanted to strangle him.

However, she eventually managed to calm herself.

"Fine. Where do you want it?"

"My chest."

"...Your chest?"

"Yeah."

"Why there?"

"Please don’t question it." Nero met her eyes and awkwardly asked. "Can you do it? I trust you."

Lilly fell silent.

For some reason, hearing him say that made her feel rather happy.

"...Fine."

She sighed before crossing her arms.

"Let’s get this over with. Take off your shirt."

Nero nodded and pulled his shirt over his head.

However, the moment he did, Lilly’s eyes widened.

"Wait... What happened to your body?!"

Nero’s physique had changed considerably.

His chest was broad and muscular, while his abdomen was covered in well-defined abs. Even the veins along his forearms were clearly visible.

He looked like a professional athlete who had spent years training.

This was completely different from the scrawny Nero she remembered.

"It happened along with my half awakening," Nero explained. "My physique changed quite a bit."

Lilly considered his explanation.

"Changes like these usually happen to people with Physical-type Talents."

She continued, "Mana connects the soul to the body, allowing Physical Awakeners to develop body-related Talents, unlike Energy-type Awakeners like us."

"There’s even a theory that the soul represents someone’s perfect form. Depending on the soul, a person’s appearance can change during awakening."

Lilly gestured toward him.

"That’s also why some Physical Awakeners develop mutations like cat ears or bunny ears."

She examined his physique again.

"A half awakening usually means someone has very little chance of awakening fully. But considering how much your body has changed, you might actually have a chance."

Lilly was secretly happy about that possibility.

Nero, meanwhile, lay down on the bed and handed her a piece of paper containing the inscription.

Lilly examined the design carefully.

It was an extremely strange pattern, unlike anything she had seen before.

However, she was quite skilled at drawing, and reproducing complicated designs was something she had always been good at.

That was probably why the System had suggested asking her.

After studying the pattern for a while, Lilly climbed onto the bed and positioned herself beside Nero.

"D-Don’t move."

"Okay."

Lilly took a deep breath before examining the area where she needed to draw.

However, sitting this close to Nero’s bare chest was making her rather nervous.

She could clearly see his defined muscles, and even the movement of his abdomen whenever he breathed was distracting.

’Focus, Lilly! It’s just a tattoo!’

She placed the pen against his chest and began drawing.

The process required considerable concentration.

Every line had to follow the design precisely, and even the smallest mistake could ruin the pattern.

Fortunately, Lilly’s drawing skills were excellent.

Her fingers moved steadily as she reproduced each curve, occasionally checking the paper to make sure everything matched.

Nero remained perfectly still throughout the process.

Several minutes passed before Lilly finally lifted the pen.

"Okay, I’m done."

The completed inscription resembled a distorted, upside-down pentagram.

Unlike a regular geometric symbol, its lines were crooked and uneven, twisting together almost like the branches of a dead tree.

A strange black formation now covered the area between Nero’s chest muscles.

Lilly set down the pen and tried to stand.

Unfortunately, she had been sitting in an awkward position for quite some time, and her legs had grown stiff.

"Ah!"

She suddenly lost her balance and fell forward.

Thump!

Her body landed directly on top of Nero.

"!!!"

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Lilly’s chest was pressed against his bare torso, while her face had ended up only inches from his neck.

She could feel his warmth against her body, making the situation even more embarrassing.

’W-What the hell?!’

Lilly immediately pushed herself upright.

"I-I’m leaving!"

Without waiting for Nero to respond, she scrambled off the bed and rushed toward the door.

Bang!

The door slammed shut behind her.

However, Nero barely noticed her departure.

The moment Lilly completed the inscription, something strange had begun happening inside his body.

His vision suddenly wavered, and the room around him appeared to distort slightly.

Then, an enormous amount of Mana began gathering around his chest.

The energy poured directly into the inscription, gradually filling one side of the formation.

The black lines began glowing faintly.

Nero’s eyes widened.

"It’s working..."

He could clearly feel the Mana gathering inside the inscription, settling into the formation exactly as the knowledge had described.

However, the process wasn’t complete.

Only one side of the inscription had been filled with Mana, while the other remained dark and empty.

That section required Demonic Energy.

Once both sides were filled, the two energies would combine and initiate his evolution into a High-Human.

Although he still needed to find a source of Demonic Energy, Nero was satisfied with his progress.

At least the first step had been completed.

However, before he could examine the inscription any further, his phone suddenly rang.

"Hm?"

Nero picked up the device and checked the screen.

It was an unknown number.