Shadow Dragon: The Fallen Angel Is My Teacher

Chapter 211: Increase Of Mechanic Force Mastery, Fuck You Henry

With that in mind, I returned to L Corp and instructed Lyra to begin preparations for Henry’s operation.

The necessary materials had already been secured.

The operation was scheduled for four days later.

Until then, I focused entirely on improving my Mechanic Force Mastery.

Mechanic Force Mastery: 8% → 24%

"It’s increasing nicely now," I muttered to myself as I adjusted the calibration of a half-assembled mechanical arm.

The last time it had taken me more than a month to reach eight percent.

Back then, I was still under control of the Soul Parasite.

The mental interference, the sudden dazes, the hours of lost focus. It had slowed everything down.

Now I was free of it.

No more unexplained mental lapses. No more forced sleep. No more foreign impulses interrupting my thoughts.

I could train properly.

The result was explosive growth.

I spent long hours in the lab, alternating between theoretical design and practical construction.

Four days passed quickly.

On the morning of the operation, I didn’t visit the surgical wing. There was no need.

Lyra was competent, and the surgical team she selected was carefully screened.

I remained in my lab, refining a compact energy regulator.

Several hours later, the door opened.

Lyra walked in wearing her white lab coat, holding a stack of documents. There was a faint smile on her face, one she didn’t bother to hide.

"The operation was a success," she said.

I paused for a fraction of a second.

A sigh of relief left me inwardly.

’He is safe.’

’I fulfilled my promise, Charlotta.’

Outwardly, however, I kept my expression neutral.

"Good," I said simply, then resumed adjusting the regulator.

Lyra stood there for a moment, clearly expecting more.

When nothing came, her smile dimmed slightly.

"That’s it?" she asked. "I thought you would be more... happy."

"I am happy. Now I can rub the fact we succeeded where another Corporation failed onto everyones faces. We saved a Saint who was deemed be a failure," I replied calmly.

She blinked.

"That’s what you care about?"

"It’s useful for reputation."

She let out a small exhale and scratched the back of her head, slightly thrown off by my reaction.

"Alright," she said after a moment. "Then when should we schedule your operation?"

That made me stop.

I slowly raised my head and looked at her.

"What operation?" I asked, as if unable to comprehend her words.

"You joined the System Church because they promised you incentives: Access to one of the Emperor Legion’s factories and the operation to become a Saint," she said.

I leaned back in my chair.

I hadn’t gone to the Emperor Legion’s factory yet.

Going at my current mechanic level would be useless.

The equipment there was designed for higher-level engineers. If I entered now, I would just waste my time.

I needed to raise my level further before claiming that reward.

As for the operation to become a Saint...

"I don’t need the operation," I said.

Lyra’s brows lifted slightly.

"Are you worried about failure? With the Severity Level Reduction Technology we developed, the risks are minimal—"

"I already have access to the System," I said, cutting her off.

Before she could respond, I placed my hand on the metallic table and began drawing.

Lines formed smoothly beneath my fingertip.

An Advanced Rune etched itself onto the surface.

There were no preparatory arrays. No layered stabilizers. No anchoring circles. Just direct inscription.

Creating an Advanced Rune without any preparation was only possible if...

"Advanced Inscription perk. It is available when the Runesmith Class reaches Artisan Runesmith, which is the peak of the Runesmith Class," she muttered quietly.

"Yes. My master performed the operation on me long ago. I’ve always had access to the System," I nodded.

Shock flickered across her face, but she composed herself quickly.

She was not someone who lost control easily.

"That explains a lot," she said slowly.

It did.

With the Severity Level Reduction Technology I gave them, it would have been strange if I hadn’t undergone the Saint operation.

My previous statements now aligned neatly.

But one question remained.

"If you didn’t need us to perform the operation on you, why join the System Church?" she asked.

I shrugged lightly.

"I’m a mechanic. I joined an organization filled with mechanics because I thought I could learn something."

I paused for a moment and added flatly, "But honestly, most of you are useless."

Lyra gave a wry smile.

She didn’t take offense. At this point, she was used to my arrogance.

"Fine," she continued. "If you don’t need the operation, I’ll update the records accordingly."

"Do that."

She turned and left the lab.

Once the door closed, I leaned back in my chair and exhaled slowly.

Henry’s operation was successful.

That meant he was now a Saint.

That was both good and problematic.

Good because his survival was guaranteed.

His growth potential would also increase significantly.

Problematic because the System Church would now pay special attention to him.

Taking him away quietly would not be easy.

I tapped my fingers against the table.

Now I need to bring him back to Charlotta.

There were options.

I could kidnap him.

Force extraction was possible.

With enough preparation and misdirection, even a Saint could disappear without immediate trace.

But that would paint a target on my back.

The System Church would chase after me, no matter which identity I used to kidnap Henry.

The other option was persuasion.

Convince him to leave on his own.

That was easier.

If he agreed, I would have an easier time making him ’disappear’. He could ’die’ in a Cursed Spirit domain or vanish in an ancient ruin.

I spent the next two days arranging access. As the primary sponsor behind his operation, I had legitimate grounds to visit him.

When I finally met Henry, he looked far better than when I had first seen him.

His complexion was stable. His eyes were clear.

The dullness that once lingered around his body had disappeared.

He bowed slightly when I entered the room.

"Thank you. I was told you arranged everything for my operation," he said.

"I did," I replied. "How do you feel?"

"Better than I have in years," he said honestly.

We spoke for a while about his recovery and the training schedule the System Church had prepared for him.

He listened attentively. He spoke calmly.

There was no trace of resentment or confusion.

Eventually, I secretly used a parasite I borrowed from P Corp’s director today.

This parasite would erase Henry’s memory after our conversation was over.

The memory couldn’t be recovered either, since parasite would directly destroy the parts of brain where memory was stored and then rebuild new parts.

"Your sister has been worried about you. She wants you back," I said.

He went quiet.

I was mildly surprised, seeing how nicely he hid his shock.

He must’ve been surprised hearing about his sister from my mouth.

’He matured faster due to the harsh life he has lived. That’s why he is calm,’ I thought.

"I know," he replied after a moment.

"Then come with me. You’ve recovered. There’s no reason to stay here," I said plainly.

He hesitated.

I could see the conflict in his eyes, but it wasn’t what I expected.

"I... don’t want to leave. I want to stay here," he said carefully.

I looked at him.

’...what is he is saying?’

’Doesn’t want to go back home?’

’After all I’ve done?’