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After a brief gap prompted by the Astard’s statements, Merc enquired enthusiastically. After all, everything about the Falgaro had been cloaked in mystery for a long time and had never been thoroughly researched until now.

The source of its monstrous strength, as well as the cause for its appearance and how to avoid it, were all unknown. It would be a game-changing finding even if merely the reason for its appearance was uncovered.

“We’re still looking into it, but we have a lead. I’m here precisely to confirm that.”

“What? Is it really possible to test that theory in this Dungeon?”

“It is. Estert, you also saw the Falgaro that day. Didn’t it look familiar?”

The unexpected remark caused Merc to immediately divert her attention to the Gai, which stood beside her. Even though the Falgaro was much larger, it had a similar appearance to the Green Grade Gai.

“So you and your partner believe the Falgaro is a sudden mutation of the Gai?”

“Correct. According to folklore, the Falgaro is a Magic Beast that emerged from the Dungeons. Of course, this is only one theory among many, but I think it to be the most attractive.”

“Why is that?”

“There are some Magic Stones with immense Mana born once every few decades among the Magic Stones formed in the labyrinths. It’s thought that if a Gai consumes such a stone, it will turn into a Falgaro.”

“… Uh-huh.”

Indeed, if a Gai could somehow absorb the Mana from Magic Stones in the form of Life Force, it could be able to attain tremendous strength.

“If this were true, it would not be strange if the intervals between the appearances of Falgaros were shortened. If it takes several decades for a Magic Stone with immense Mana to form, then the time between the appearances of the Falgaros should be similar, no?”

In response to Merc’s question, Astard gave a small nod and said, “That’s a good question. Theoretically, yes. However, not everyone is capable of harnessing that vast Mana.”

“What?”

When Merc tilted her head in confusion once more, the Gai near them suddenly began devouring the Magic Stones from the basket.

“H-Hey?!”

“Estert, just watch.”

With a single word, Astard silenced Merc, who was baffled, and shifted his attention to Gai, which was stuffing its mouth with recently gathered magic stones one by one.

What is it doing?

Merc pondered inwardly, but followed Astard’s example and stared at the Gai.

The horn sprouting from the Gai’s head then began to swell.

The Gai’s horn burst as it swallowed the sixth magic stone, and his eyes went lifeless. It seemed to have died from the looks of things.

“As you can see, if you don’t have the tolerance, you’ll overdose before you can convert the Mana into your own energy. I’ve attempted this several times in this Dungeon, and each time a Gai which hasn’t been affected by any spell has died. Apparently, after quickly absorbing a large amount of Mana, an average Gai is unable to turn the energy into its own.”

“You’re acting heartlessly…”

Although it was supposed to make it simpler for Merc to grasp, Astard’s lack of empathy or pity made Merc uneasy. The person in question, on the other hand, cocked his head as if to imply that it was Merc’s reaction that was weird.

“What? It’s up to me what I do with my Magic Beasts, isn’t it? They’re merely Gai. They’ll respawn in no time.”

“Well, I guess you’re right, but…”

“That aside. Are you sure you understood what I was trying to say? In other words, a Falgaro is born only when a Gai who can withstand a rapid surge ingests a Magic Stone with a vast volume of Mana, which emerges every few decades in the Dungeons.”

“I see… A Falgaro will not be born unless a Magic Stone with enormous Mana and a unique Gai appear at the same time. And every few centuries, the timing of their emergence coincides, is that right?”

“Probably.”

Despite the fact that Astard did not confirm it, he appeared to believe his hunch was correct. Merc was positive Astard had unearthed something significant during his investigation.

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Wait…

“You just said that you’ve made attempts with Gai that haven’t had any spells cast on them, right? Is this to say that by casting a certain spell on a Gai, you may create a unique Gai?”

“You’re as clever as always.”

Astard’s lips raised slightly in a smile in response to Merc’s piercing stare. After that, a Gai rushed over to them once again and dropped the basket it was carrying.

Astard mumbled something as he extended both palms towards Gai. The barely audible chant was in a language, style, and tone that even Merc, who had been schooled in magic in the elf village, had never heard before.

She was able to discern, however, that it was similar to the chants used for the Body Strengthening and Psychic Fortitude spells.

The Gai began to consume the Magic Stones after Astard completed his spell. Its horn expanded and swelled, exactly like the last Gai’s, until it exploded when it put the eighth magic stone in its mouth. Its eyes went lifeless and it died.

“……”

“Hey…”

“Oh my, another failure.”

Astard murmured in a bothersome tone of voice in response to Merc’s low-pitched call.

“To be honest, I haven’t perfected the formula for producing a unique Gai. I am close, but it is not yet complete.”

“How is this ‘close’? Are you certain your research is progressing?”

“Of course… You encountered the Dorum Gai and Dorus Gai, didn’t you?”

“What…? You don’t mean those two…”

“That’s right. They are among the few positive trials. The spell I developed can increase the amount of Mana a Gai can absorb. However, increasing their Life Force to the point where they transition from a normal Gai to a higher Grade one is rather challenging.”

Merc shuddered as Astard’s eyes narrowed, as if he wasn’t content with his experiments.

If Astard’s allegations were true, it meant that an Orange Grade Magic Beast had been produced artificially, regardless of the fact that it was still imperfect. This was both revolutionary and frightening at the same time.

There would be a staggering number of casualties if a person with ill intent produced an Orange Grade Magic Beast and unleashed it on a city.

“Don’t you think you should leave this spell as it is?” Merc asked.

Astard mumbled quietly, perhaps realizing what Merc was attempting to express through her gaze.

“Artificially evolving a Gai to a higher Grade Magic Beast implies you can control a Dorus Gai, a Dorum Gai, or even a Falgaro1 as long as you have the power to control the original Gai.”

“What?”

“Count Fonan is most likely aiming for that precise result. It is extremely infuriating.”

“……”

Merc was horrified by the casualness with which Astard spoke.