Chapter 177: No Longer Human

For those watching the scene unfold, the blinding glare radiating from the Destruction Beam alone was enough to blur their vision, forcing many to narrow their eyes against the violent incandescence consuming the area.

Yet it wasn’t merely the light.

A majestic, overwhelming magical pressure surged from the beam itself, heavy enough to weigh upon their minds and trigger sharp, sudden headaches in those standing nearby. It was as if their bodies inherently recognized the lethal threat before their minds could even process it.

As they looked upon the young girl standing directly in the path of that devastating beam, everyone believed they were about to witness a gruesome tragedy that would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

They braced themselves to see the child’s small body vaporized under the sheer force of the assault.

Yet what transpired before their eyes defied every expectation.

The beam slammed directly into a barrier that manifested abruptly in front of Amelia—a protective wall enveloping her entirely, appearing out of thin air.

It didn’t tremble.

It didn’t crack.

It didn’t bear the slightest trace of impact from the devastating strike.

And just like that...

The Destruction Beam ceased.

The blinding blue light dissipated before their eyes, leaving the crowd—their vision still swimming from the intense glare—staring at Amelia in absolute, paralyzed astonishment.

Some among the onlookers had been on the verge of rushing forward to protect the girl before the creature struck again.

Yet before a single soul could move...

Something else occurred.

The dragon hovering in mid-air did not attack.

Instead, its massive frame began shrinking right before their eyes.

The immense volume that had dominated the landscape vanished. The wings retracted, the razor-sharp talons withdrew, and the scales covering its body faded away as its fangs reverted to their natural shape.

Within moments...

The terrifying beast was gone.

In its place stood a young boy.

A boy they all recognized.

"Is... isn’t that Albert?!" a voice cried out from the crowd in utter shock.

"It’s... it’s Manner’s nephew!"

A heavy silence fell over the area for a brief second.

Then, hushed whispers rippled rapidly through the gathering.

"That merciless bastard..."

"Manner told us before that he believed they were monsters, but we didn’t listen to him."

"It turns out he was right all along..."

"They really are monsters."

Despite the visceral terror that had gripped them moments prior, a different sentiment swiftly replaced it:

Indignation.

To them, what they had just witnessed was an unpardonable act of betrayal.

How could anyone be so thoroughly ungrateful?

Manner was the man who had taken them into his home—the man who fed them with his own money, the man who took responsibility for them instead of leaving them out on the cold streets or forcing them into brutal labor no child could endure.

Yet in their eyes, Albert’s response to all of that was murder.

To the crowd, there was no clearer definition of a monster.

A monster devoid of mercy.

A monster that slays the very person who opened his doors to him.

A monster that repays kindness with death.

Consequently, they no longer saw a victimized child standing before them.

They saw a beast.

In that instant, surges of power began radiating from the crowd.

Not everyone gathered was an ordinary civilian; several were mana-wielding warriors. Though most were merely at the 1-Star or 2-Star level, a select few had even attained the 1st Stage of the 3-Star Level.

To them...

This was the ideal opportunity to strike.

They had witnessed Albert revert to his human form, and they could draw only one logical conclusion: he had completely exhausted his reserves during the transformation and could no longer maintain his draconic state.

He was weak now.

This was their chance.

They needed to eliminate him swiftly before he could regain his strength or transform once more.

Meanwhile, Albert remained standing before Amelia.

His heart thundered violently inside his chest, as though it had finally resumed beating after being frozen in terror.

For a terrifying second, he had believed he had killed her. He had watched his own Destruction Beam charge toward her, utterly powerless to stop it.

But she was safe.

Only then did the last embers of his strength drain from his body.

He collapsed to his knees directly in front of her.

His frame felt utterly powerless, his breathing ragged and uneven. He couldn’t even summon the strength to lift his head properly to meet her eyes.

He uttered in a trembling, broken voice:

"Lady Amelia... I’m sorry..."

He paused mid-sentence, desperately trying to gather whatever fleeting energy he had left just to speak.

"I didn’t mean to... I only wanted to protect you."

His voice shook uncontrollably.

"I swear to you, I never meant to hurt you..."

Raising his head slightly, his eyes welled with profound fear and remorse.

"Do... do you not want to be my friend anymore?"

His lips trembled.

"I know I lost my temper... but I swear I’ll never do it again."

Amelia stood frozen, unsure of how to respond.

As she tried to process the chaotic sequence of events, another threat was escalating rapidly right before her eyes.

The mob had begun to close in.

Dozens of people were drawing their weapons, their hostile gazes fixed entirely on Albert.

Yet he...

He didn’t run.

He made no attempt to transform again.

He didn’t even raise his arms to defend himself.

He simply remained kneeling before Amelia.

And that sight alone set her heart into turmoil.

"Get up... Get away from here, quickly!" Amelia urged with intense urgency.

The locals were nearly upon them. If Albert stayed here, he would undoubtedly be lynched. After the severe drain of his full metamorphosis, he couldn’t simply revert to his draconic form at will.

Yet Albert failed to grasp her intent.

He looked up at her through tears.

He believed she was driving him away out of pure anger toward him.

"I’m sorry..."

Tears streamed down his face as he remained on his knees, motionless.

"Please... Lady Amelia..."

There was no time left for explanations.

The mob had practically reached them, aiming their weapons directly at Albert. Auras of mana flared around their bodies, their fury blending with a residual fear that had not yet faded.

As for Albert...

He remained kneeling before Amelia, weeping uncontrollably.

A helpless child...

Utterly unable to comprehend why everyone had suddenly become his enemy.

(Author’s Note: The title of this Chapter reminds me of Osamu Dazai’s novel, "No Longer Human"... It is a brilliant masterpiece, but read it at your own risk!)