87. Emperor of the Underworld (1)
The place that had been swept through by Wrath of the Frenzied Dragon [L].
It demonstrated exactly why the skill had received the [L] Rank, signifying Legendary.
It was one rank above Dragon Rage Explosion [E]. However, it was one rank below Mythic [M].
Thus, the ranking system could be reorganized as follows:
Rare [R] < Unique [U] < Epic [E] < Legendary [L] < Mythic [M] < Primal [P].
Every trace of Craulgarr had been incinerated and erased. Only ashes and burning flames remained in this place.
Fortunately, the range had remained unchanged.
In other words, the affected area was the same as that of Dragon Rage Explosion [E].
Therefore, the range produced by consuming 31,450 surplus calories was approximately 310 meters.
No one other than Craulgarr had been injured.
However, its power had been amplified tremendously. Five times the standard damage. Eight times the damage at the center of the explosion.
Naturally, the resulting backlash was just as severe—
“Cough...!”
“We greet the Emperor of Violess!!”
Just as complicated thoughts about why they were behaving like that became entangled in my mind—
◆You have defeated Craulgarr!!
◆You have gained 830,550 experience points!
◆Your level has increased!
My physical condition was terrible. Blood forced its way through my tightly clenched lips.
My right arm, which had contained Wrath of the Frenzied Dragon [L], had disappeared up to the shoulder, while the heat that had not been fully released continued scorching my body like a volcano.
As a result, I had no strength left whatsoever.
The backlash from the energy I had released had also completely destroyed my muscles and tendons.
Furthermore, the calories required to recover from those injuries had been entirely depleted.
A message confirming Craulgarr’s death appeared before my eyes.
The experience reward was approximately 830,000.
It was greater than the amount granted by the Lycanthrope and Iratum.
He truly deserved to be called an Abyssal Legion Commander.
Nevertheless, my level had increased by only one.
Of course, the amount of experience required increased dramatically with every level, but—
‘This is a bit much.’
Even considering that, gaining only one level seemed excessive.
My current level was 76.
That already included the single level I had just gained.
Yet the experience requirement was still this absurd....
‘It looks like I’ll only be able to level up through quests from now on.’
At that moment, I realized just how important and valuable the “large amount of experience” offered among the quest rewards truly was.
“Are you all right?”
A voice suddenly called out to me.
When I turned my head, Isolde was cautiously approaching me.
Her ogre mask concealed her face and expression.
However, the eyes visible beyond her mask were fixed upon my battered body.
“If you’re having difficulty recovering, I’ll help you.”
Isolde strode toward me.
However, she had pushed herself too far by repeatedly using Divine Ascension and protecting the people.
She staggered several times even while approaching me. It seemed that she needed to recover herself before worrying about me.
“I’m fine. You should tend to your own body first, Lady Isolde.”
“I’m fine.”
....She truly never listened to a damn word anyone said.
Isolde forced herself to walk until she stood before me.
Golden Divinity flowed from her hand and enveloped my body.
It was undoubtedly a power far superior to my Regeneration [B+], but—
“I told you that because Holy Power has very little effect on me.”
It was not particularly effective upon my body.
Sure enough, my injuries showed some signs of healing, but the effect was minimal.
There was no indication that they would regenerate instantly.
As always, Isolde’s gaze appeared impassive.
However, Find Weakness [U] identified the emotion she was experiencing as “bewilderment”.
“I have an unusual constitution.”
Holy Power was the ultimate form of Aura.
In other words, it was still Aura.
Aura was one of the usable forms of energy derived from Mana.
However, my body was completely incapable of using Mana.
It was not merely that I lacked the ability to use it. My body was incapable of accepting Mana at all.
Even increasing my Mana stat through Ian’s ability, Solo Level Up [EX], had been useless.
It only increased my maximum Mana capacity.
My MP was permanently fixed at zero.
It was not even like pouring water into a bottomless jar. The water could not enter the jar in the first place.
In that sense, it could be described as “a jar with its entrance sealed”.
Therefore, even if Holy Power was the miraculous power created by collective faith, it could not affect me so long as it remained a form of Aura founded upon Mana.
Naturally, I had known this since my previous life, but—
‘I still thought there might be a chance.’
As expected, there was none.
Returning to the past had not changed my body.
Leaving the bewildered Isolde behind, I took a container of oil from my Inventory.
Just as I was about to ask Isolde to feed me oil instead of using Holy Power—
‘Hmm?’
I noticed that my left arm was intact.
Strictly speaking, it was not entirely unharmed.
However, it remained perfectly capable of functioning as an arm and hand.
Wrath of the Frenzied Dragon [L] was the evolved form of Dragon Rage Explosion [E].
Wrath of the Frenzied Dragon [L] concentrated its energy into only one arm.
Accordingly, only that arm suffered damage from the backlash.
Therefore, I could now replenish my calories and use Regeneration [B+] without assistance from anyone else.
Once again—
I had surpassed my limits.
Gulp. Gulp.
When I replenished my calories using my remaining left arm, the injuries that had barely responded to Holy Power immediately began regenerating through Regeneration [B+].
Isolde merely stared at me—
Was she thinking that her Holy Power was less useful than discarded waste oil?
Isolde suddenly removed the ogre mask she had been wearing.
“How is that possible?”
She questioned me in a slightly confrontational manner.
She was the Saintess who possessed the most powerful Holy Power in the history of the continent.
Apparently, she could not accept that her Holy Power had proven inferior to discarded waste oil.
Accordingly, the emotion detected by Find Weakness [U] was….self-reproach?
‘It isn’t that she cannot feel emotions. She simply doesn’t express them?’
Apparently, that was the case.
“When you use Holy Power, Lady Isolde, you recover your body through that energy. I use calories to recover mine.”
“You’re saying that mere calories can accomplish something like this?”
“Calories possess far more energy than you might think.”
People commonly believed calories merely caused weight gain, but calories actually represented a tremendous amount of energy.
To borrow the knowledge taught to me by the Coalition Forces’ Archmage—
—One kilocalorie is equivalent to the thermal energy required to raise the temperature of one liter of water by one degree Celsius.
That amount of thermal energy was equivalent to one gram of explosive energy.
Therefore, one thousand kilocalories possessed energy equivalent to one kilogram of explosive energy.
The maximum number of calories I could currently accumulate was 100,000 kilocalories.
That was equivalent to one hundred kilograms of explosive energy, enough to create an enormous crater one hundred meters wide and six meters deep.
—There is no possibility that the energy capable of maintaining a body temperature of 36.5 degrees Celsius around the clock could be insignificant.
Calories were the energy that sustained life itself.
They truly contained a tremendous amount of energy.
Although Isolde did not appear particularly convinced.
Before long, the container of oil was empty.
I successfully regenerated my right arm with Regeneration [B+].
However, I had suffered many other injuries, so I was about to retrieve another container of oil from my Inventory—
Thump—!
A tremendous sound rang out as though something had moved.
It was followed by waves of intense heat and energy.
Isolde’s eyes met mine, and tension stretched taut between us.
Could Craulgarr still be alive...?
Thump—!
The sound rang out again.
As though we had made an agreement, Isolde and I simultaneously snapped our heads toward it.
Within the landscape where every remnant of Craulgarr’s gigantic body had been reduced to ashes—
Thump—!
◆Source of Wrath : A source containing infinitely concentrated anger and energy. It possesses the ability to transform an existence’s primal energy into power.
Something shaped like a heart was pulsating—
Thump—!
Each pulsation produced vibrations powerful enough to shake the surrounding air and ground.
Its surface was as hard as rock yet possessed the distinctive elasticity of an organic body.
Strange symbols and patterns were engraved across it. Its interior was also filled with a red liquid that seethed like lava.
When I used Predatory Instinct [S]—
That was the information I obtained.
In other words, it was not that Craulgarr had survived.
Craulgarr had unquestionably died the moment the translucent message appeared.
All that remained was the Source of Wrath, which measured approximately seventy centimeters in circumference.
‘Is this what the Archmage told me about?’
Simply put, that was the power and energy that had given birth to Craulgarr.
Craulgarr’s ability, One Born from Anger [?].
That ability could be said to have originated from this object.
At present, it was merely a mass of energy.
However, once certain conditions were fulfilled, it could revive Craulgarr.
Ordinarily, it should have returned to the Abyss and spent many years giving birth to Craulgarr once again.
However, Wrath of the Frenzied Dragon [L] had caused Craulgarr’s body to collapse in an instant, apparently leaving it stranded in reality.
As I quietly stared at the Source of Wrath—
‘It looks safe to consume with Predation.’
It did not appear likely to cause any major problems.
Its information had been clearly identified, and Predation [S+] absorbed the source from which a target had acquired its ability.
It was not limited to absorbing genetic information—
So what reason was there to hesitate?
I could replenish my calories at the same time.
I strode toward it without hesitation and took a bite—
Crunch!
It had the texture of chewing stone, accompanied by a truly bizarre flavor.
Its hardness was one thing, but its taste was genuinely “bizarre”.
How could I possibly describe it?
Perhaps it tasted like “dust accumulated within ancient sedimentary layers, mixed with mold and left to rot upon the tongue”.
Simply put, its commercial value was zero.
No, its commercial value was negative one.
….It was so bad that I would have to pay someone to take it.
“Bleeergh—!”
Once again, I realized that the monsters from the Northern Snowy Mountains tasted the best.
I forced myself to swallow the piece and took another bite.
It was fairly large, so eating it appeared likely to take quite some time—
Fortunately, Isolde said nothing.
Unlike Kai, her Affinity toward me did not plummet into the abyss.
After all, Isolde regarded every person on the continent as someone she was obligated to embrace.
Therefore, her Affinity toward anyone she encountered always remained the same: [Indifference].
In other words—
“Urp—! Bleeergh—!”
No matter what absurd thing I did, she had absolutely no interest in it.
I forcibly stuffed the Source of Wrath into my mouth piece by piece.
After a long time, I finally swallowed the last fragment.
Sssssssssss—!
A sinister energy suddenly dyed my mind crimson.
My consciousness began cutting in and out, my breathing grew increasingly ragged, and my chest heaved violently.
My breaths became low and heavy while my fingertips trembled uncontrollably.
Then, just as my mind became engulfed in anger that I could not possibly suppress—
◆Player’s Will [EX] resists the blazing Anger of madness!!
A message flashed before my eyes—
◆You have consumed the Entity Name “Source of Wrath” through Predation!
◆You have acquired the Transcendent Skill “Berserk [?]”!
A message informed me that I had acquired a rather ominous “Transcendent Skill”.
* * *
Isolde had encountered countless people throughout the continent.
She had seen and experienced not only the subjects of the Holy Kingdom but also countless believers who visited from various kingdoms.
Therefore, she could say this with absolute certainty.
Crunch!
She had never met anyone like him in her entire life.
The very idea of eating that bizarre object was already insane.
Suppose he had entertained the idea. Suppose his curiosity had driven him to consider it.
Crunch!
But why would he actually do it...?
Then again, Adrian sold and distributed monster meat, so part of her thought this might be normal for him.
At the same time, she wondered how such a thing was even possible—
“Urp—!”
She truly wondered what kind of person he was—
“Bleeergh—!”
But did she really need to know?
Those complicated and subtle thoughts left Isolde’s mind in turmoil.
Ultimately, Adrian forced himself to devour the entire bizarre lump of rock.
“Urgh...!”
But then Adrian suddenly began clawing at his head.
His breathing quickened, his skin flushed red, and his entire body began convulsing.
....Something had gone wrong.
Thinking that he could eat such a thing without consequences had been foolish from the beginning.
Just as Isolde hurriedly approached Adrian—
“Hmm....”
A peculiar hum came from somewhere nearby.
Isolde turned toward the sound and saw a seductive woman with red hair.
She wore revealing clothing that emphasized her figure.
A whip was held in one hand.
Isolde immediately recognized her.
“I didn’t expect this giant to win.”
That woman was Lyla, the Matriarch of the Crimson Soiree from the Red-Light District.
She had supposedly withdrawn from the Vister uprising to observe the situation.
“But when giants fight, isn’t it always the dwarves who collect the spoils left behind?”
Apparently, this had been her true intention.
Visters belonging to the Crimson Soiree began surrounding them.
They were completely encircled.
To make matters worse, Adrian had still not regained his senses.
Isolde would have to fight.
However….her body still refused to obey her.
When she raised her gaze, she found Lyla’s eyes fixed upon her face.
“....What? You’re incredibly beautiful.”
Lyla looked at Isolde with greed, as though she had discovered a precious jewel.
She flicked out her tongue and licked her lips.
“Children? Don’t kill that bitch. Capture her and bring her to me.”
The Visters’ vile desires began to rise. Their disgusting gazes settled upon Isolde.
The resulting discomfort felt like invisible insects crawling across her skin.
“Hehehe...! Anyone can tell that a well-bred face like hers will fetch an excellent price.”
“I wonder if she has imagined what’s going to happen to her.”
“After today, the world you once knew will no longer exist!”
Their blatant words of desire assaulted her eardrums like a foul stench, clinging to them like sticky mucus that could not easily be removed.
This was Violess, the Lawless City where even the most basic laws and order had collapsed.
Furthermore, these were Visters from the “Red-Light District”.
They sexually exploited women and committed oppression and brutality without hesitation.
If the Visters of Violess were evil, the Visters of the Red-Light District were ugly.
Isolde bit her lower lip and clenched her armored gauntlets.
There were hundreds of Visters. This would be a difficult battle.
At that moment—
Adrian was already clutching Lyla by the back of her neck.
Boom!
Only then did the explosion erupt.
A deep crater had formed where Adrian had been standing moments earlier.
“...!!”
Isolde’s eyes trembled one beat too late—
“Urgh—!”
Lyla groaned two beats too late—
“....Wh-What?”
“What just happened...?”
And the Visters of the Crimson Soiree reacted three beats too late.
Everyone present had completely failed to perceive his movement. Not a single person had perceived even one instant of Adrian’s movements.
Only then did Isolde understand what had happened.
Adrian had moved faster than the five senses could perceive. That was unquestionably not a movement a human could perform.
It had not merely surpassed human limitations. It had “transcended” those limitations.
Just like Isolde’s Divine Ascension.
‘How...?’
As though answering Isolde’s question—
Whoooooosh—!!!
Dark crimson flames of Aura rippled around Adrian.
They were completely stripping away his human appearance.
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