Morpheus had tried several times, but each attempt failed.
It wasn't that he couldn't enhance the body, but every time, the formula produced varying effects, like a lottery.
Sometimes it boosted agility more, other times strength, almost like a randomized game stat system.
After about ten attempts, Morpheus halted the Heroic Spirit Transformation Formula tests and began analyzing the cause of these inconsistencies.
The Sainthood Formula had a basic template: emulating Jesus, aligning oneself with his state.
But Servants... or rather, Heroic Spirits... were different. They lacked a universal template. Each Heroic Spirit was a unique individual from the world's history. Using the formula as he did would randomly select traits from these spirits, making it impractical for combat.
Still, it wasn't hopeless. Though there was no universal template, one could be created by anchoring the formula to a suitable target.
Morpheus began mentally sifting through candidates.
The pool of Servants was vast and would only grow, as the creator, Kinoko Nasu, wouldn't miss any chance to add more for profit.
From the Servants Morpheus knew, he needed a hexagonal warrior... a balanced, versatile figure.
"It can't be too difficult, or it won't be practical to spread. It needs minimal weaknesses, as this is a Heroic Spirit Transformation Formula, not a Servant one, so it won't be limited by class restrictions."
Morpheus rubbed his chin, narrowing down candidates before settling on one.
Heracles!
Heracles's Heroic Spirit form wasn't about becoming a god but ascending to the Throne as a demigod. His physical strength and durability were exceptional, making him a quintessential hexagonal warrior.
Even if replicating his Twelve Labors to prevent instant death was impossible, his robust physique and strong self-healing would suffice for survival in most scenarios.
Most importantly, Morpheus was familiar enough with Heracles, and combined with the hero's legendary records, anchoring the formula to him posed no major issues.
With the target set, Morpheus resumed experiments.
...
Ritsuka became the test subject.
She swallowed hard, asking, "Is this formula safe?"
"It works fine for me," Morpheus said, patting her shoulder. "I need you to test if it's just as effective for regular people."
"Alright, I'll try."
Ritsuka nodded, focusing her mind and channeling her life force into magical energy.
This was the first step. Her sword, Ame no Murakumo, was set aside, leaving her unenhanced... a perfect baseline for an ordinary human.
As magical energy emerged, she struck specific poses, turning her body into a rune-like conduit. These actions guided the mana, circulating it within her.
The magic activated.
External mana was drawn in, transforming into a unique force that flowed into Ritsuka's body, altering her physique.
She felt her body surge with power... immense strength, not as intense as when wielding Ame no Murakumo, but still capable of overpowering dozens of ordinary people.
The power kept growing. Her hearing, vision, and other senses sharpened. She knew, in that moment, she'd become superhuman!
"Try it out," Morpheus said, pointing to a corner with dumbbells and weightlifting equipment.
Ritsuka walked over, effortlessly lifting a 20-kilogram dumbbell single-handedly, without strain.
Then she picked up a 40-kilogram one, just as easily, as if it were no heavier than a fork.
For her build and muscle mass, this strength surpassed human limits.
The tests didn't stop there. She lifted over 200 kilograms of iron, performing several poses with ease before gently setting it down. By then, everyone was convinced... she was superhuman.
Next came other tests: high jumps, sprints, and more. After over half an hour, Ritsuka stopped the formula, feeling her body return to normal, her face alight with amazement.
"It lasted that long? Even without Ame no Murakumo, I feel like I could fight Servants now!"
"Don't get too excited. We haven't finished all the tests yet. Activate it again!" Morpheus muttered, drawing a sword. Seeing this, Ritsuka flinched. "What are you doing?"
"Just a small injury. Don't worry, you won't die," Morpheus said with a grin, stepping closer.
When Romani arrived, he saw Ritsuka on the ground, her coat soaked red, looking like Morpheus had killed her.
"What are you doing?!" Romani exclaimed, rushing over. Morpheus waved him off. "It's fine, no panic. Just testing recovery."
"Recovery?!" Romani frowned, noting the blood loss suggested a severe wound. Yet Ritsuka gritted her teeth and stood, gasping, "That hurt like hell!"
Her movements were agile, as if the injury wasn't serious.
She glared at Morpheus. "Couldn't you go easier?!"
"I was gentle! Just nicked a blood vessel. If I went harder, it'd be your heart, not a vessel," Morpheus said, asking, "So, how was it?"
"Let me check!" Romani stepped forward, examining her. His eyes widened. "The wound's healed. There's a scar, but at this rate, it'll fade soon."
Puzzled, he asked, "What exactly are you testing?"
Morpheus and Ritsuka explained the experiment. Romani, stunned, stared for a while until Morpheus snapped his fingers, jolting him back.
"Wait, you're saying you developed a formula to let ordinary people easily achieve Heroic Spirit transformation?!"
"It's Heroic Spirit transformation, not Servant transformation. They're similar, but Servants are limited by class, while Heroic Spirits aren't," Morpheus corrected.
"That's incredible. From your description, it can hold its own against most Servants in direct combat. This… it's like Chaldea's years of Demi-Servant research were a joke…" Romani said, glancing at Mash and sighing.
"It's different. Mash's Demi-Servant state is permanent as long as the fusion holds. This formula is temporary... stop the magic, and you're back to normal. Plus, you can't sustain it indefinitely; it's mentally taxing," Morpheus explained.
Romani considered this, feeling better about the Demi-Servant research.
"What's your plan for this formula?" He asked. "Spread it or keep it under wraps?"
"How many in Chaldea have studied basic magic? If they're qualified, they should learn it. We might face dangers later. After we finish our work, some might turn on us, fearing Chaldea's power," Morpheus said with a smile.
"At that point, self-preservation is key."
Romani paused, then asked urgently, "Are you saying, after defeating Goetia and restoring Human Order, Chaldea might be targeted?"
"I've thought about it and noticed something," Morpheus said, looking at Romani. "What if the Incineration of Human Order happened because of Chaldea's existence?"
Romani's expression shifted subtly, caught by Morpheus.
"Sheba was set up by Lev, who played a huge role in building Chaldea. You gave up Solomon's identity, causing the Demon Pillars' anomaly, and as Romani, you kept contributing to Chaldea. Why?"
Romani was silent, then said, "Before I gave up my power, I saw a vision of Human Order's destruction. So… to prevent it, I…"
"What if your plan caused that destruction?" Morpheus asked.
Romani froze.
"Lev's involvement in Chaldea was deeper than yours. He aimed to destroy the first Singularity, Fuyuki... the most critical one. It's Chaldea's anchor. Destroy it, and Chaldea's foundation is gone. Without Chaldea, the Incineration, built on its existence, couldn't be undone.
"The answer was in front of us from the start, but we lacked the intel to see it. Even now, it's just a theory... too little evidence.
"But your reaction suggests some of my guesses are on point."
"I can't confirm it, but your theory holds water. I've had similar suspicions," Romani said, sighing. "So, you think after defeating Goetia and restoring Human Order, the world of magecraft will target Chaldea?"
"Chaldea can alter history's survival. How could they let it stand? The best move is to destroy it. No one can truly control or change history.
"But then, who'd give up such power? Whoever controls Chaldea holds humanity's fate, able to reshape it at will. It's tough now, but with more research, changing history freely becomes possible."
Romani fell silent, unable to deny Morpheus's concerns. Chaldea's immense power was its original sin. The world hadn't noticed before, but with Human Order's destruction and salvation, they would.
An entity that could erase or rewrite one's past was taboo!
More terrifying than assassination!
Destroying it was the safest choice!
Yet, for the ambitious, controlling it was the ultimate prize!
"Is this the Pandora's Box we opened?" Romani muttered, visibly stressed.
"What are you thinking? Time travel and history alteration are scary, but other methods exist. Isn't one of the Five True Magics similar? Goetia's light bands were built on that," Morpheus said, smiling, unfazed.
"On the path of magic, reversing time or recreating the world is possible... not just possible, but achievable. No need to worry so much. When enough world-altering powers exist, they'll balance each other out."
"Enough world-altering powers?!" Romani's eyes widened.
Could such things be mass-produced?
"It's simple. Spread magic, and it'll grow. It'll take time, but enough people will uphold a balance, maybe forming a council."
Morpheus gave a thumbs-up.
"Personal experience... guaranteed success!"
***
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