"You're transforming this openly right in front of your enemy. Should I call you overly passionate, or have you simply lost all basic judgment?"
Noah maintained the motion of his hand after launching the wind blade.
"Either way, it's over."
A core-like structure had appeared on Dr. Stylish's rapidly expanding body.
Since it resembled the magic stones found inside Dungeon monsters, Noah had instinctively aimed for it.
The attack ended up splitting both the core and Dr. Stylish's face.
Judging from what the man had been saying, he could absorb the bodies of his modified creatures to strengthen himself.
However, the absorption process was far from quick, so there was no reason for Noah to stand around and let him finish.
"It... isn't over!"
To Noah's surprise, Dr. Stylish did not die immediately despite the massive wound.
He writhed in pain as three more core-like organs grew from inside his body.
"H-hahahaha! That part isn't even my head anymore! The power of a Danger Beast... how intoxicating! How magnificent!"
Dr. Stylish laughed wildly as his body continued to swell.
The mud-like flesh spread toward Noah as though it intended to consume him too, but he burned away every part that came near.
Within moments, Dr. Stylish had grown into a gigantic Danger Beast several dozen meters tall, its body covered in dense, steel-like muscle.
Noah used Appraisal and examined him more closely with Seeker.
"The Danger Beast's blood swallowed your original body. You can't even maintain a human shape anymore."
Dr. Stylish had used his own body as the heart and brain of the creature, merging with it in exchange for control over its enormous power.
"Hahahaha! Do you see this, Noah? This is true style!"
Dr. Stylish's thunderous voice shook the surrounding forest.
"What do you think? Even you can't remain calm after seeing this, can you? I'll tear apart that false image of genius you've built around yourself! Bill's judgment was completely wrong. He actually called you a greater genius than me?"
"No! Someone like you could never compare to me!"
Dr. Stylish continued roaring, releasing years of pent-up resentment.
Finally, he looked down at Noah.
"So small... You were always this small. I simply failed to notice it before. The truth is that I've always stood far above you. I... I..."
His voice suddenly stopped.
After a brief pause, his eyes widened in fury.
"What is that look supposed to mean?"
Noah watched the giant man ranting to himself with a cold expression, then let out an impatient sigh.
"You're hideous."
Dr. Stylish froze.
"What... did you say?"
His face twisted repeatedly as veins bulged across his forehead and the muscles in his cheeks began twitching.
"You... You dare insult my ultimate creation? I knew it. You were never a genius. You're nothing but an ignorant fool who can't understand true brilliance!"
"Die!"
Dr. Stylish swung his enormous arm and smashed his fist toward the ground.
Noah looked up at the hand blocking out the sky and naturally had no intention of receiving it directly.
Based on a rough estimate, Dr. Stylish's current raw attributes were no weaker than those of a large Lv.4 monster.
He was still far below a floor boss, but even a high-level adventurer would not walk away unharmed after taking such a heavy strike directly.
"Oranides, give me Focalor."
The small creature leapt from Noah's bundle. Its head and mouth enlarged while the rest of its body remained compact.
Noah grabbed the sword hilt rising from Oranides's mouth and pulled it free, activating the water-blue blade.
"Cut it off, Focalor."
Responding to Noah's will, the blade extended several meters.
Since absorbing Black Marlin, controlling Focalor had become much easier.
Noah barely felt any burden from the weapon, almost as though he were swinging nothing more than an empty hilt.
A blue flash passed through the air.
Dr. Stylish's palm struck the ground with a tremendous crash.
This time, he immediately began laughing.
"Dead... Is he dead? Hahaha! I finally killed him!"
He tried to raise his arm.
The instant he moved, however, his body felt strangely light. He could no longer sense anything below his right shoulder.
Dr. Stylish stared blankly at his arm.
It had already separated from his body.
Blood poured from the severed shoulder like a stream.
"What...?"
Why was his arm gone?
That was impossible!
His body now belonged to a Danger Beast. Ordinary blades should not have been able to injure him, much less cut through the entire arm.
"What did you do?" Fear entered Dr. Stylish's voice.
His attention fell on the unfamiliar sword in Noah's hand.
"What is that weapon?"
It had severed his tremendously powerful arm with ease, yet its blade did not appear to be solid. It was blue like water, but it also gave off a strangely sacred light.
More importantly, Dr. Stylish could sense something in it that he had pursued for years without success.
Consciousness.
That sword possessed intelligence!
Even in his current form, he could clearly feel it.
"This?" Noah raised the weapon slightly. "It's Focalor, the Sword of Water. A Teigu I forged myself."
"A... Teigu?"
Dr. Stylish stared at Focalor without blinking, disbelief filling his eyes.
"That's impossible! A Teigu? You said you created a Teigu with your own hands?"
His remaining left fist tightened.
"That could never happen!"
"It already did."
Noah calmly watched him struggle against reality.
Until tonight, he had not realized just how much Dr. Stylish hated him.
No, hatred was probably the wrong word.
It was jealousy.
"I'm glad you dislike me so much, because I've hated you for a long time too. Did you honestly believe I never noticed all the things you did behind my back?"
Noah's voice remained cold.
"I saw through you from the beginning."