Magnus was at a loss for words.

Wait, wait, wait. You're telling me the Nullfang is basically ours now? You can control its body, even as a skeleton, and use its glitch?

[Correct. However, as we suspected, the only thing keeping the Nullfang 'alive' is the nullification of its ability to enter the state of dying. The moment that nullification is lifted, my connection to its body will be severed, and it will truly die.]

Hmm... is that dangerous for you? I mean, since you've assimilated its mind. If it dies, will that affect you?

[I don't believe so. In my physical form, I am a body without a mind. In my mental form, I am a mind without a body. The mind only goes dark after death because it relies on the brain, with the soul bridging both. But considering what I am, I doubt I have a soul to begin with. Even if the Nullfang's body dies completely, I should remain unaffected. I exist independently.]

Oh... I see. No wonder the Headmistress was so confident sending you after me.

Looking at Basker from a hostile perspective, they were a near-unkillable mana beast. In the physical world, they were like a shadow, making them practically immune to physical attacks. And in someone’s mind, they could either stay hidden in the subconscious or outright devour it. If the victim couldn't fight back, they'd be consumed. If they could, Basker could simply escape into the physical world.

When it came down to it, the only way to truly kill them was to destroy their form entirely in either of the two states they could exist in—through some supernatural ability or mental attack. But the latter was nearly impossible as long as Basker was part of Magnus's mind, protected by the Command Console.

Alright, well, you did a good job hiding the Nullfang. Can you keep it like that and just have it trail me from underground? Is that possible?

[Yes, Master. The Nullfang no longer requires sustenance, rest, or air like normal living creatures, so it can remain hidden indefinitely.]

Guess we're lucky it didn't run off while fighting us then. We'll figure out what to do with it later.

Although he didn't want to keep the Nullfang's survival a secret from Mia, Gerald, and Marcos, he saw no other choice. It had already taken so many lives. No matter how much he insisted it was under his control, no one would ever be comfortable with letting it live.

Plus, even if they did believe me, it wouldn’t change the fact that the Nullfang is strong enough to fight Master-level beings—and it could become even deadlier depending on what states it can nullify.

People would see him as someone who could summon a living weapon at any time. And while that might work as a deterrent, Magnus had no doubt it would also cause him a whole lot of trouble.

For now, he felt it would just be better to keep it under wraps.

With that decision settling in his mind, the sound of footsteps caused Magnus to look up, spotting Mia heading this way. There was still a slight stumble in her step, the lingering imbalance from pushing herself too hard.

Marcos, still sitting on the ground, was the first to speak when she got close.

"How is he?" Mia glanced back at Gerald, who lay still on the ground.

A slight tension crossed her face before she answered, "He’ll be fine, I think. If there’s one upside to whatever hit him, it's that it did a clean job. No extended damage beyond what was actually removed."

"Well, that’s good." Magnus let out a low sigh, running a hand through his hair. Mia’s gaze shifted to him.

"What about you? How are you feeling?" From where he sat, Magnus looked up at her and shrugged.

"Honestly? All things considered, pretty good. Tired as hell, but not hurt."

"Good. Same goes for me and Marcos, for the most part," Mia responded. The three of them talked for a few more minutes until Magnus suddenly frowned in the middle of Mia speaking, his eyes scanning the area.

"By the way," he asked, "I didn’t really notice while we were dealing with the Nullfang, but I haven’t seen Galven or Hazel. Where are they?"

The moment the question left his mouth, Mia’s words cut off. Her expression tensed, her voice fading into something almost hollow.

"They..." She started, but the words trailed off. Before she could continue, Marcos spoke instead.

"The Nullfang caught us off guard after the ambush. We didn’t know it was immortal, so we let our guard down... and it cost us." He exhaled slowly.

"Galven was hit first by the Nullfang’s tail while it was in that frozen state. There’s nothing left of him. As for Hazel... he was still alive when I brought him back to the outpost, but he lost everything below the waist. The only reason he survived is because he reacted just a little faster than Galven and stopped the ice from freezing too many vitals." A different kind of silence settled between them. Magnus’s gaze drifted from Mia to Marcos, then down to the dirt beneath him.

His body trembled slightly.

"You-" Marcos started, but before he could finish, he and Mia heard Magnus whisper something.

"Dead... again. More people are dead because of me." His voice wavered. Mia’s expression softened as she bent down next to him, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"It’s not your fault, Magnus. We’re the ones who let our guard down—I should have been more careful." But her words didn’t seem to reach him. He slowly shook his head.

"It was my plan. Ambushing the Nullfang was my idea, and it didn’t work. And now..."

"You’re not being fair to yourself," Mia interrupted, furrowing her brow as she tried to get him to look at her.

"She’s right," Marcos added, standing up.

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"If not for you, we would’ve gone into this completely blind with an even worse plan. And even then, none of us could’ve known it couldn’t be killed." His tone shifted, revealing the sincerity behind his words even if his face didn't show it, while Mia nodded in agreement.

Magnus finally lifted his gaze, glancing between the two of them before hesitantly nodding.

"Maybe you two are right..."

Mia’s hand on Magnus’s shoulder tightened slightly, but she knew there was nothing more she could say. Even if she meant every word, in his current state, it would all just sound like empty reassurance. So instead, with a regretful, almost guilty look in her eyes, she withdrew her hand, stood up, and turned to Marcos. A small smile crept onto her face, her voice carrying a bit more energy as she spoke.

"We should get back to the outpost. Marcos, can you help me carry Gerald?" Marcos nodded. Mia glanced back at Magnus, still sitting on the ground, his expression caught between a daze and deep contemplation.

"Magnus, come on. I’m sure the villagers and soldiers will be happy to hear that this nightmare is finally behind them." Magnus looked up at her and gave a small nod.

"I’ll be there in a second." Mia hesitated. Her smile faltered for just a moment before she nodded.

"Alright." With that, she and Marcos walked away, heading over to Gerald. The moment her back was turned to Magnus, her expression darkened into a frown.

"We dragged him into this," she said, each word carrying a sharp edge.

Marcos didn’t deny it or agree.

Instead, he stated, "He’ll be fine, Mia. We all saw how strong he is. He’ll get through this."

"He’s not a soldier, Marcos," she shot back, her voice rising.

"He wasn’t trained for any of this—he’s just a kid. The only reason he’s even here is because we—because I—brought him into this mess and mentioned him to the Major General." She came to a stop, turning to face Marcos, who was just a step behind her.

"He shouldn’t have had to come save us in the first place. It doesn’t matter how strong you are; you and I both know what happens when someone that young grows up surrounded by death." Her serious gaze held his for a long moment before she let out a short sigh.

"When we get back to the city, I’m going to talk to the Major General. Magnus shouldn’t be pulled any deeper into this mess just because he’s strong… or because we saved him." Marcos didn’t respond right away. His eyes narrowed slightly, his mouth tightening.

"Alright," he finally said, meeting her gaze.

"If that’s what you want to do, you know Gerald and I will back you. Besides..." He glanced back at Magnus, still sitting there.

His voice lowered as he added, "You’re right."

As Marcos uttered those words, he and Mia continued toward Gerald. Meanwhile, a different conversation was unfolding inside Magnus’s mind.

[Master?]

It was rare for Basker to show emotion in his voice, especially outside of Magnus’s dreamland. But this time, there was a hint of concern.

I’m fine, Basker. It’s just... I didn’t take Eveline’s warning seriously enough.

Back then, when he fought that vampire woman, he had been completely overwhelmed. Death would have been certain if Eveline hadn’t saved him. Yet even though he survived, others who got involved because of him hadn’t been so lucky. Some died. Others were hurt.

That moment had led him to a simple truth—if he wanted to stop people from dying because of his mistakes, he needed to be able to handle things on his own. Without anyone’s help.

And to act independently, he had to be stronger.

Yet despite that lesson… I’ve been too complacent.

If he had focused on improving his body, if he had used [Perfective Regeneration] more actively, he might have reached this level a long time ago. He wouldn’t have wasted so much time in that magma chamber. Maybe he could have saved Galven and Hazel.

No… I would have been able to handle this all by myself. No one else would have needed to put themselves at risk.

It all came down to a lack of strength—and more importantly, a lack of willingness.

His reluctance to push himself was evident in how he first viewed the magma chamber. Even though he and Basker were almost of the same mind, the thought of using that place to improve had never even crossed his.

In the end, it was a difference in mentality.

Basker thought in terms of efficiency, knowing Magnus's limits and thinking about how to break past them. Magnus, on the other hand, had only seen danger. He had focused on how to escape rather than how to overcome. It was the natural reaction of any person, any human.

But Magnus wasn’t natural. Everything about him—his body, his mind—was constantly being refined, altered, and edited.

And there are still more ways I can improve. I just need to change the way I think. I can be better—I just need to optimize myself properly.

As that thought settled in his mind, Magnus raised his hand, studying it with a focused expression. It looked almost unrecognizable. Not because it wasn’t his, but because it was—only with every imperfection removed. Every biological flaw had been erased. The skin was unnaturally smooth, almost too perfect, like something artificial. It was like looking at a painting you made when you were a child, being repainted by a professional. It was so similar you could recognize it with a glance, yet in the end, there was a difference that was impossible to not notice between the two.

Excess. That should be the first thing I work toward removing from myself.

With that thought, Magnus closed his hand, then stood up, brushing the dirt off himself and his clothes. As he did, his eyes drifted down to the uniform he was wearing.

Despite everything I’ve been through—even direct exposure to magma—this academy uniform still looks brand new. Is it made from some kind of special material? Or is it because of magic? If it’s the former, maybe I can study it and replicate its structure.

"Magnus, are you ready?" A distant voice pulled him from his thoughts. Looking up, he saw Mia and Marcos holding Gerald up, their eyes on him, waiting.

Magnus gave a quick nod.

"Yeah, let’s go." With everyone—aside from Gerald—more exhausted than injured, the journey back to the outpost didn’t take long. The moment they pushed through the outpost gates, soldiers rushed to meet them.

"Get him to the infirmary. His injuries need proper bandaging," Mia ordered as she and Marcos handed Gerald over.

"Yes, Captain!" The soldiers responded immediately, moving to help.

"Oi, no need to crowd me like that!" Gerald grumbled, pushing some of them away.

"I still have one good leg, you know." Some of the soldiers hesitated at that, but in the end, two stuck close, helping support his weight as he hobbled toward the infirmary.

After watching Gerald leave, Magnus turned his attention away and approached one of the soldiers Gerald had pushed away.

"Is Lieutenant Hazel in the infirmary too? Is he alright?" The soldier, briefly confused about who Magnus was, gave a solemn nod.

"Yes. But he’s in critical condition. We’re not sure how long he’ll be able to hold on." Magnus frowned slightly but thanked the soldier before turning toward Mia and Marcos, who were speaking quietly to each other.

"I’m guessing you’re planning to announce that we took care of the Nullfang soon?" He asked Mia.

She nodded.

"Yes, in about an hour. We’ll gather everyone and make the announcement. Then we’ll send messengers to the village with the news." Magnus nodded.

"Alright then." Without another word, he started walking in the direction Gerald had been taken.

"Where are you going?" Marcos called after him.

Magnus glanced back.

"The infirmary. I have two spell catalysts that let me use healing magic on others. I’m going to see if I can stabilize Hazel, maybe even get him out of critical condition." Mia’s expression shifted, a mix of surprise and hope.

"Do you think it’ll work?"

"It hasn’t failed me so far..." Magnus hesitated, his gaze lowering slightly.

"But it won’t be enough to bring back his lower half." There were plenty of things he regretted, but if he had to pick one, it was only bringing half of the spell catalyst he’d gotten from the Academy Exchange Center. If he had brought more, he could have healed a lot more people. But back when he left, he never imagined this much would happen outside of Arlciff City.

Who knows how many more unpredictable things will happen in the future?

His hands clenched slightly.

I need to be ready for anything. Even if that means figuring out how to afford and carry a hundred spell catalysts from now on.

With that thought, he turned and continued toward the infirmary. Mia and Marcos watched his back as he walked away. Unlike Mia, who kept her eyes solely on Magnus, Marcos’s gaze flickered between the two of them. Her words echoed in his mind: You and I both know what happens when someone young grows up surrounded by death.

I wonder why I didn’t notice it before... but the two of them—they really are alike.