Only I Am A Reader

Ever since coming to this boring continent, The Sword Demon had been overly stretched trying to find anything that he could make use of while waiting for the day of the harvest. His hopes had waned over the years…

However, Just when he was about to give up, he ended up coming upon something interesting!

Just like there was 'Alchemy' in the place where he came from, this world had its own 'transmutation' practice. It wasn't as sophisticated as alchemy, but this world's 'chemistry' had its charm for the bored Sword Demon, or at least that was what he thought when he accidentally discovered the Holy Sword School's underground research.

The Holy Sword School were research fanatics, willing to use any method to achieve their target, something that the Sword Demon greatly appreciated. Most importantly, they actually managed to produce results relying on the limited resources of a recently 'terraformed' continent!

'It was just something I started on a whim…'

What the Sword Demon didn't like, however, was the direction they were going in. Producing a set of items that could change or compensate for one's 'talent'? This was already easily achievable through alchemy! What he wanted to witness was the unraveling of truly new possibilities!

Without hesitation, the Sword Demon played his part as he 'urged' the guilt-burdened researcher to destroy the mediocre stability that caused the School's stagnation! He gave them the push that they required to live beyond the eyes of society, no longer monitored or bound by something as silly as morality. The remnant that survived the purge was his target!

Indeed, the remnant didn't disappoint! Before long, they were already embarking on a direction that he desired to see the end of as well. No matter how far similar they were, the humans in this world were still different from the ones on his. If anything, something that was impossible there might be impossible here. It wasn't like he had no time to waste. In fact, all he had was time…

Having waited until the very last moment, showing up when the group of researchers was on the verge of desperation, the Sword Demon boldly threw in one of the Progenitor Sword's fragments that he had picked up when he just arrived here, expectantly checking up on their results from time to time.

Naturally, he made sure to take some countermeasures so his identity wouldn't be revealed before it was time. While he had some hopes, he was particularly counting on something that he partially started for his own amusement. However, he didn't expect to see actual results within the first decade. The combination of this world's 'chemistry', his world's artifact, its by-products, and the little biological differences that this world's inhabitants had were actually very compatible!

Although there were countless obstacles over the years as the number of subjects kept falling, one satisfactory 'result' was successfully born! The Sword Demon was excited to see the complete form of what he invested in 'achieving'! Unfortunately…

The wretched 'tools' that were used in the project suddenly decided to rebel. He had personally killed them with his own hands, but they somehow managed to hide the subject from him. To make it worse, the useless people that those behind the Holy Sword School hired still failed to find his 'result' even when they discovered his location!

Everything simply spiraled down to oblivion over the subsequent years. Someone with some 'power' had caught on to the remnant and was giving it his all to ensure its destruction. Yet…

"Eleven?!"

The Sword Demon's slight displeasure massively intensified as he tried to digest what was happening at the moment. Just how is it that a complete Eleven was standing in front of him just now?

Losing the only last subject as a child was a setback, having some trash crop steal the 'soil' created under years of effort was enough to deem the project as lost. The Sword Demon didn't even care when he discovered that the underground research base got wiped out by the persistent pursuer now that his main plan' conclusion was drawing near. So…

Why? Why did he finally get to see the result that he desired to reach in front of his eyes on this particular day? How was it even possible for subject eleven from back then to have reached his 'final form' without completing his 'treatment' plan?

"Hm? Do you mean me? Are we familiar with each other?"

Although the theatrical atmosphere was quite intense, Leo wasn't infected with the main character syndrome of steering away from the battle for all kinds of reasons. He was only using 'talk no jutsu' to stall for time while Ray recovered his composure. A protagonist's plot armor was absolute, but Leo didn't want to gamble on what effect his intervention here would have.

If this battle was going to start, he had to make sure it was on even grounds!

'The intensity is toning down…'

The battle between his emotions was similarly subsiding as he stalled, Leo was even starting to grow too calm for being in the middle of the finale. However, the look on the Sword Demon's face was priceless enough to stir him up.

Standing at this stage, Leo experienced another kind of excitement. He couldn't help but remember his past once more. The transformation he had experienced to move from being a helpless child clawing away his life from the grasp of vicious wolves to becoming a person whose simple appearance was enough to throw both the protagonist and the antagonist into a fluster in one go, it was tough, but it was all worth it! This was a sensation that he couldn't compare to anything else!

'Is this it?'

A bold thought surfaced in Leo's mind at this moment. Perhaps… Was this the reason he was thrown here? Was the true goal of a 'Reader' to become part of their read and stand tall between its two extreme ends? Leo couldn't say for certain, but for a second, he didn't mind that being the case. This was actually… quite fun.

"Hmph! This has really gone on for too long! You think you have the right to ruin this moment for me?"

While Leo was coming to a life-changing realization, the disoriented Sword Demon seemed to have finally come to. His momentary shock could no longer be felt as an aura of arrogance took over!