The Freak Show Foreman

The disintegration didn't cause everything to disappear like erasing with an eraser. Only the core parts made of debulroots were destroyed. The structure, about a dozen meters in size, couldn't withstand it, and the skeleton collapsed, with tightly connected muscles tearing apart, unable to overcome the limits of tensile strength.

The material that composed its body was the ordinary bones and flesh of a human. Without the power of debulroots, that form couldn't be sustained. The high-strength skeleton and elastic muscles of Mantula's Knife, without debulroot's power, were nothing more than a giant sausage.

I carefully withdrew my hand from the tentacles as I watched its body collapse. This was sufficient. It was pointless to try to destroy every part. Disabling some parts could neutralize the opponent's abilities without a problem.

"Kerk?"

"De, Debulroots…"

"Do we have to eat it?"

The hundreds of heads attached to its body looked at its own collapsing tail with a perplexed expression. The faces of the residents surrounding me turned to shock.

They probably didn't expect such an event to happen. A non-knight magician not only withstood the attack of this enormous monster but also retaliated and defeated it in return.

Due to the blade penetrating my side, blood flowed profusely. I tried my best not to collapse, relying on the cell regeneration of 5.0 to quickly stop the bleeding just by standing.

"Mr. Wonderstein…"

Valentina rushed towards me. I gave her a confident smile.

"See? I told you not to worry."

"How can you say that in such a condition?"

After looking at my wounds, Valentina frowned with a pitiful expression and rolled her eyes.

"I can't do anything… The treatment with sacred needles would harm Mr. Wonderstein's body due to the magic power."

The priests of the Church had a technique of creating sacred needles of needle-like size and inserting them into the body to aid recovery. However, since they were still sacred, they acted aggressively against those with magical power.

"Just receive your concern."

I politely bowed and quickly moved away from her. Even though I wasn't a magician, receiving her treatment was a serious consideration.

Even six or seven years after receiving the title of a saint, Valentina was still clumsy in recovery magic. She couldn't properly adjust the size of the sacred needles, often stabbing the wrong places with the wrong blood.

People who received her treatment were not only unwelcoming but often frightened, leading to scenes where they desperately avoided it.

It wasn't for nothing that the rumor of knocking the saint down with a punch circulated.

"Ms. Valentina, please step back. It's not over yet."

I examined the remaining amount of debulroots.

Name: Frank Wonderstein

Age: 27

Occupation: Biomancer

Debulroots: (1372/1966)

Muscle Strength: 5.0 (Gorilla from the gym)

Tissue Resilience: 5.0 (Tough sirloin)

Cell Regeneration: 5.0 (Lizard tail with ointment)

Characteristics: [The Smiling Man]

I only destroyed about half of the characteristics created by it. That alone consumed about 100 debulroots. When reverse calculating, it was estimated that its tail was created using around 400 debulroots. 400. It was indeed impressive. It was a powerful item that could pierce through a thick church door in one blow.

It was something that the human body, no matter how trained, could never reach.

However, that was it. I was now Frank Wonderstein, the biomancer who dominated debulroots. No matter how powerful its biological abilities were, they were powerless in front of me.

"Yiik! Increase the debulroots!"

"Wha-what should we eat?"

"Kill him!"

The bloodshot eyes stared at me with anger. The confusion they felt had now turned into rage.

Thud.

A large meaty lump, resembling exploded tofu, rolled on the ground. It had cut off its useless tail. The mass started extracting muscles and bones from the 300 humans within itself to create another Mantula's Knife.

Wood. Creak.

Bones grew, muscles overlapped, and a tower made of blood and flesh rose from the ground. It seemed larger than before, at least over 20 meters, or the height of an 8-story apartment building.

A sticky and repulsive crimson pillar stood tall behind it.

How many debulroots did it use this time? Probably around 1000. If I had to face that one more time, my body might not endure it.

I opened the status window and spent 150 debulroots to increase the basic attributes by 1 each.

Name: Frank Wonderstein

Age: 27

Occupation: Biomancer

Debulroots: (1222/1966)

Muscle Strength: 6.0 (Tiger that ate cereals)

Tensile Resilience: 6.0 (Bulletproof glass)

Cell Regeneration: 6.0 (Weeds after rain)

Characteristics: [The Smiling Man]

I contemplated whether to go up to 7.0 but decided against it. To do so, I needed to spend another 240 debulroots. I had to conserve resources as much as possible, considering I didn't know how much more of its characteristics I had to disintegrate.

As soon as it almost pulled out its tail, I stopped.

I flew towards the guy without hesitation.

There was no need to deliberately take such a foolish attack.

If I break it before he swings, it's over.

"Kiiii!"

"I'll kill you!"

As if he didn't expect someone to attack him first from my side, he quickly tried to swing his tail.

However, perhaps because the finishing touches were not yet complete, it stiffened and only made a dull sound without moving properly.

I didn't miss the opportunity and placed my hand on his tail.

"Disintegrate."

Crunch. Thud.

I felt the sensation of bones crumbling and muscles tearing through my hand.

When I had used about 200 Debulroots, I withdrew my hand from him.

"Kroooo!"

The monster screamed in agony.

The Mantula's Knife he created suffered the same fate as before.

It writhed on the floor, soaked in blood.

"Dangerous…"

"What should we do…?"

"I want to eat…"

One after another, the guy, realizing that his attacks were futile, took a defensive posture.

With surprisingly agile movements for his size, he retreated to the entrance of the church.

Then, he opened his eyes wide and fixed his gaze on me.

His size had considerably reduced compared to the first encounter.

Still, the guy with an elephant-like physique looked quite ridiculous crouching in fear.

As I approach him with a smile, suddenly, he shouted.

"Don't come close…!"

"I'll kill you from afar!"

After wobbling a part of his body, he reached out.

A spear, several meters long, with sharp spikes emerged. It was Spear of Borgog one of Wonderstein's vital abilities.

It was a long-range technique that launched the bone spear from the palm.

Seemingly satisfied with this idea, he laughed confidently.

I also smiled back at him.

I knew he would launch a long-range attack when he retreated.

And I had prepared a countermeasure in advance.

Trait: Sticky Slime Substance

Applied Area: Mouth

Effect: Emits a viscous and resilient flowing substance radially.

Required Resources: [Debulroots x8］

If I layered this like spider silk, I could effectively slow down the projectile's speed.

Recalling the trait I obtained during the boss stage of TT1, the 'Spider Lady', collecting spider silk in advance proved useful for Wonderstein's strategy.

However, using it with the mouth was inefficient.

It would obstruct my vision and significantly affect the mobility of my neck joint.

Yet, using other body parts besides the mouth to achieve similar effectiveness would cost several times more in modification expenses.

The solution?

Simple.

Just create a mouth somewhere else.

Trait: Palm Mouth

Applied Area: Hand

Effect: Creates a mouth on the palm.

Required Resources: [Debulroots x6］

The skin of my palm split into a crescent shape, revealing teeth as it smiled.

This, too, was one of Wonderstein's specialties.

With palms facing forward, arms crossed, the mouths on his palms baring teeth, Wonderstein's face smiling between his palms adorned the cover of TT1.

Looking down at my palms, the mouth on the palm was giggling like a puppy, sticking out its tongue.

When I commissioned the Evolution Research Lab, the details were decided by my vague expectations and subconscious.

I might have unconsciously considered the newly acquired arms and legs as companion organisms like dogs or cats.

"Die! Kyaak, ptoo!"

The creature fired Spear of Borgog.

I, too, expelled "Sticky Slime Substance" from the mouth on my palm.

Unable to gauge its power, I used mucous soil ten times in a row.

Purple mucous substance shot out like bullets.

The sticky substance, like spider silk, wrapped around the spear.

Subsequently, the second and third mucous substances entwined the spear.

Thanks to the radial firing, the tips of the mucous substance stuck to the wall, pulling the spear towards it.

The speed of the spear noticeably slowed down.

When entangled by the seventh mucous soil, it lost all its strength, swayed in the air, and then, covered by the three following mucous substances, stuck to the wall.

"No way!"

"I'll eat you!"

The creature, which had been frightened a moment ago, now fired the second Spear of Borgog with a frantic expression.

Using the remaining resources hastily gathered, this time, the creature looked less refined than before.

I shot purple spider silk five times this time.

The spear wobbled and, narrowly, got stuck in my foot.

"No, no!"

"I have to… eat Debulroots."

With a terrified expression, the creature, now reduced to the size of a bear, crawled backward.

Maybe, with the muscle strength of a tiger, I, with bare hands, could defeat it.

As I walked towards the trembling creature scraping the ground, the creature fired its fist.

In a hurry, it used the remaining resources to create and use a defensive trait.

At that moment, the thorn that had been holding his shoulder emitted intense heat and, with a roaring sound, turned into white ashes.

"Kieeek!"

"It's hot!"

The burning monster, emitting a bright light, collapsed, making a pitiful wail.

In front of it stood a woman with pink hair, wearing a white nun's habit.

She shouted at me.

"Now is the time! Mr. Wonderstein! The decisive blow!"

I intercepted the fist coming towards me with both hands.

The thorns twisted my hands violently.

It was painful, but I smiled.

I was the Smiling Man.

"Uuuu…!"

The creature, intimidated by my smile, tried to retreat.

However, I firmly held onto the thorned fist with all my strength.

"Disassemble."

One of the creature's arms exploded.

Losing balance, the creature's body rolled on the ground.

I stood in front of the fallen creature.

Faces on its body looked at me with tears streaming down.

"Sa, save us…"

"Mas…ter…"

"We just followed orders…"

I gave them a bitter smile.

My expectation was correct.

My wish to increase Debulroots.

It affected the evolving Debulroots, and the blood containing that wish spread among the residents.

Who could I blame?

The woman who chewed my leg?

She wasn't visible inside the church.

She was probably more likely to have been devoured by the monster.

I could only say this to the people who were devoured by the tear-shedding flesh.

"I'm sorry."

I raised my hand to one of their faces.

"Disassemble."

Hundreds of people simultaneously screamed in agony.