Chapter 87

King of the Underworld (1)

The devastation left in the wake of Wrath of The Frenzied Dragon[L] made it clear that the skill had not been assigned the [L] rank, signifying Legend, for nothing.

It was one rank above Dragon Rage Explosion[E], but one below Myth[M]. That meant I could now revise the hierarchy to Rare[R] < Unique[U] < Epic[E] < Legend[L] < Myth[M] < Primal[P].

Every trace of Kraulgar had been burned away. Nothing remained here now but ash and blazing flames.

The one saving grace was that the range hadn't changed. Its area of effect was the same as Dragon Rage Explosion[E]. Having consumed 31,450 Kcal of Surplus Calories, it had affected an area of roughly 310 meters. No one besides Kraulgar had been hurt.

Its power, however, had been amplified enormously. Five times the base damage. Eight times the damage at the core of the explosion. Naturally, the recoil had been just as extreme—

“Cough...!”

My body was a wreck. Blood spilled through my tightly pressed lips. My right arm, which had contained Wrath of The Frenzied Dragon[L], was gone all the way to the shoulder, and the heat I hadn't managed to release was still scorching my body like a volcano.

I had no strength left. The recoil from that outpouring of energy had also shredded my muscles and tendons. Worse yet, I had completely exhausted the calories needed to heal them—

“““We greet the King of Violess!!”””

What the hell was wrong with them now—?

Just as those tangled thoughts were running through my head...

◆You have defeated Kraulgar!!

◆You have gained 830,550 experience!

◆You have leveled up!

Messages appeared before my eyes confirming Kraulgar's death. Roughly 830,000 experience. More than either the lycanthrope or Iratum had given me. A true Legion Commander of the Abyss, all right, but even so, my level had only gone up by +1.

Of course, the experience required increased sharply as my level rose, but—

'This is a bit much.'

Even allowing for that, wasn't a single level-up a little stingy?

I was currently level 76, including the +1 level I'd just gained. And already the experience requirements were this ridiculous...

'At this rate, I'll only be able to level up through quests.'

I was just realizing how important and valuable that “large amount of experience” among the quest rewards really was when—

“Are you all right?”

A sudden voice seemed to be addressing me. I turned to find Isolde approaching cautiously. Her ogre mask hid her face and expression, but behind it, her eyes were fixed on my battered body.

“If you're having trouble healing, let me help.”

Isolde strode toward me. But after repeatedly using Divine Ascension and pushing herself to protect everyone, she staggered several times along the way. It looked as though she ought to heal herself before worrying about me.

“I'm fine. Please see to yourself first, Lady Isolde.”

“I'm all right.”

... She really never listened.

She doggedly made her way over to me, and golden divine energy flowed from her hands to envelop my body. It was undeniably a power far superior to my Regeneration[B+], but—

“I said that because divine power doesn't have much effect on me.”

It wasn't particularly effective on me. Sure enough, my wounds showed signs of healing, but barely. There was no sign of them regenerating in an instant.

Isolde's gaze was as impassive as ever. Yet the emotion Find Weakness[U] detected was “bewilderment.”

“I have an unusual constitution.”

Divine power was the ultimate form of aura. Which meant it was still aura, after all. And aura was one form of available energy derived from mana. My body, however, couldn't use mana at all.

It wasn't merely that I couldn't use it. My body couldn't take it in.

Even raising my Mana stat through Ian's ability, I Alone Level Up[EX], had been useless. It only increased my maximum mana capacity. My MP remained fixed at zero.

It wasn't even like pouring water into a bottomless jar. The water couldn't enter the jar in the first place. A “jar with its mouth sealed shut” would be a better description.

So even if divine power was the miraculous force of collective faith, it wouldn't work on me as long as it was aura founded upon mana. Naturally, I'd known this since my previous life, but—

'I'd hoped it might be different.'

No such luck. Going back in time hadn't changed my body, after all.

Leaving Isolde to her bewilderment, I took a can of oil from my Inventory. I was about to ask her to feed me oil instead of using divine power when—

'Hm?'

I noticed that my left arm was intact. Strictly speaking, it wasn't unharmed, but my hand and arm were perfectly functional.

Wrath of The Frenzied Dragon[L], the evolved form of Dragon Rage Explosion[E], concentrated energy in only one arm. Consequently, only that arm suffered the recoil damage. I could now replenish my calories and use Regeneration[B+] on my own, without anyone else's help.

Once again, I had surpassed my limits.

GULP. GULP.

As I replenished my calories with my remaining left arm, the wounds that hadn't even responded to divine power quickly began healing through Regeneration[B+]. Isolde simply stared at me.

“...”

Was she thinking that her divine power was worth less than discarded waste oil? She pulled off her ogre mask in one swift motion.

“How is that possible?”

Her question sounded almost accusatory(?).

She was the Saintess with the greatest divine power in the continent's history. Apparently, she couldn't accept that her power fell short of used waste oil. In that light, the emotion Find Weakness[U] was picking up was... self-reproach?

'So it's not that she can't feel emotions. She just doesn't express them?'

That seemed to be the case.

“You use divine power to heal, Lady Isolde. I use calories.”

“You're saying mere calories can do all that?”

“Calories contain more energy than you think.”

People commonly thought of calories as nothing more than something that made you fat, but they represented a truly tremendous amount of energy. To borrow what the allied army's Archmage had taught me—

[“1 Kcal is equal to the thermal energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 L of water by 1°C.”]

That amount of thermal energy equaled the explosive energy of 1 g of explosives. Thus, 1,000 Kcal was equivalent to 1 kg of explosives.

I could currently store 100,000 Kcal. That equaled 100 kg of explosives, enough power to create a massive crater 100 meters wide and 6 meters deep.

[“The energy required to keep a fire burning twenty-four hours a day to maintain a body temperature of 36.5 degrees can hardly be insignificant.”]

Calories, the energy that sustained life. Truly an immense source of energy.

“...”

Not that Isolde seemed particularly convinced.

Before I knew it, the oil can was empty. I'd successfully restored my right arm with Regeneration[B+], but I still had plenty of other injuries. Just as I was about to take more oil out of my Inventory—

THOOM!

A thunderous sound rang out, as though something were heaving. A wave of intense heat and energy followed. Isolde and I met each other's eyes, tension drawing taut between us.

Could Kraulgar possibly still be alive...?

THOOM!

The thunderous noise came again. As if on cue, Isolde and I snapped our heads around together. Amid the landscape where Kraulgar's gigantic remains had all burned away to ash—

THOOM!

We saw something shaped like a heart, pulsing.

THOOM!

Each pulse produced vibrations powerful enough to shake the surrounding air and earth. Its surface was hard as rock, yet possessed the elasticity of living tissue. Strange symbols and patterns were etched across it, and inside, it was filled with a red liquid that seethed like lava.

I used Predatory Instincts[S].

◆Source of Wrath

: A source of condensed, boundless wrath and energy. Possesses the ability to convert the primordial energy of existence into power.

That was the information it revealed. In other words, Kraulgar wasn't still alive. It had definitely died when the translucent message appeared. All that remained was the Source of Wrath, roughly 70 centimeters in circumference.

'So this is what the Archmage was talking about.'

Put simply, this was the power and energy that had given birth to Kraulgar. Its ability, One Conceived from Anger[?], had originated here.

For now, it was merely a mass of energy. But under the right conditions, it could resurrect Kraulgar. Normally, it should have returned to the Abyss to conceive Kraulgar anew over long years. But Wrath of The Frenzied Dragon[L] had destroyed its body in an instant, apparently leaving this stranded in the physical world.

As I studied the Source of Wrath...

'I think I could devour this.'

It didn't look as though it would cause any major problems. For one thing, I could clearly identify its information. Besides, Predation[S+] absorbed the basis upon which a target had acquired its abilities. It wasn't limited to absorbing genetic information, so what was there to stop me?

I could replenish the rest of my calories while I was at it. Without hesitation, I walked over and took a bite.

CRUNCH!

It felt like chewing rock, and the taste was utterly bizarre. Never mind the hardness—the flavor was truly “bizarre.” How could I describe it...?

Like dust accumulated in ancient sedimentary layers, mixed with mold and rotting on my tongue?

Simply put, its commercial value was zero. No, this thing's commercial value was minus one.

... I'd have to pay people to take it.

“Bleeergh—!”

Once again, I was reminded that the monsters of the snowy mountains were the best. I forced the chunk down and took another bite. It was fairly large, too, so finishing it would take a while.

“...”

Fortunately(?), Isolde said nothing. Her affinity didn't plummet into the abyss the way Kai's had. Understandably so: Isolde considered every person on the continent someone she ought to embrace. As such, her affinity toward anyone was always the same: [Indifference].

In other words—

“Urgh—! Bleeergh—!”

She didn't give a damn what kind of shit I got up to.

I stubbornly kept cramming the Source of Wrath into my mouth. A long time later, when I finally gulped down the last piece—

WHOOOOSH!

An uncanny energy suddenly stained my mind crimson. My consciousness began cutting in and out, my breathing grew rougher, and my chest heaved. My breaths turned low and heavy as my fingertips trembled uncontrollably. Just as an anger I could no longer suppress engulfed my mind—

◆Player's Will[EX] resists the blazing wrath of madness!!

As the message flashed before my eyes—

◆You have devoured the entity, Source of Wrath!

◆You have acquired the transcendent skill, Berserk[?]!

I saw a message announcing that I'd acquired a rather extraordinary “transcendent skill.”

* * *

Isolde had met all sorts of people from every corner of the continent. Not merely subjects of the Holy Kingdom, but countless worshippers who visited from other kingdoms as well. She had seen and dealt with them all. And so she could say with certainty—

CRUNCH!

She had never met anyone like him in her life. For starters, merely thinking of eating that grotesque thing was insane.

All right, suppose the thought had crossed his mind. Curiosity could explain that.

CRUNCH!

But actually going through with it? What on earth...?

On the one hand, this was Adrian, who sold and distributed monster meat, so perhaps it made sense. On the other, she couldn't help wondering how it was even possible—

“Urgh—!”

Just what kind of person was he, anyway? And yet—

“Bleeergh—!”

Did she really need to know?

Such complicated, conflicting thoughts swirled through Isolde's mind.

At last, Adrian forced down the entire grotesque lump of rock.

“Grrgh...!”

Then he suddenly started clawing at his head? His breathing quickened, his skin flushed red, and his whole body began to heave.

... Something had gone wrong.

It had been foolish to think he could eat something like that and be fine in the first place. Isolde was hurrying toward him when—

“Hmm...”

A curious nasal hum came from somewhere nearby. Turning toward it, Isolde saw a seductive red-haired woman. Extravagant clothing emphasized her figure. A whip hung from one hand.

Isolde knew at once.

“I didn't expect this giant to win.”

The woman was Lyla, Godmother of the Crimson Soiree in the red-light district. Isolde had heard she'd stepped back from the Visters' uprising to watch events unfold.

“But when giants fight, isn't it the dwarfs who end up collecting the spoils?”

Apparently, this had been her aim. Crimson Soiree Visters began closing in around them. They were completely surrounded. To make matters worse, Adrian still hadn't come to his senses.

Isolde would have to fight. But... her body still wouldn't obey her. When she looked up, Lyla's eyes were fixed on her face.

“... Well, aren't you gorgeous?”

Lyla gazed at Isolde with naked greed, as though she'd discovered a precious jewel. Her tongue flicked out to lick her lips.

“Boys? Don't kill that bitch. Bring her to me alive.”

Now the Visters' vile desires rose to the surface. Their lecherous gazes crawled over Isolde, enveloping her in a revulsion like invisible insects creeping across her skin.

“Hehehe...! One look at that pampered face tells me she'll fetch a pretty price.”

“Think she's ever imagined what's about to happen to her?”

“After today, the world you knew will be gone!”

Their blatantly lustful words pierced her ears like a foul stench, then clung like sticky slime that refused to come off.

This was Violess, the lawless city where even the barest semblance of law and order had collapsed. Worse, these were Visters from the red-light district: people who sexually exploited women and inflicted oppression and brutality without hesitation. If Violess's Visters were evil, the red-light district's Visters were ugly.

Isolde bit her lower lip and clenched her gauntleted fists. There were hundreds of Visters. This would be a difficult fight.

Just then, Adrian was gripping Lyla by the neck?

BOOM!

Only then did the explosion ring out. The spot where Adrian had stood a moment earlier had caved inward.

“...!!”

Isolde's eyes wavered a beat late.

“Gakh—!”

Lyla let out a groan two beats late.

“... Wh-what?”

“What just...?”

The Crimson Soiree's Visters reacted three beats late.

Everyone present had completely missed his movement. Not a single person had perceived Adrian moving, not even for an instant.

Only then did Isolde understand what had happened. Adrian had moved faster than their five senses could perceive.

No human could possibly move like that. It wasn't simply movement that exceeded human limits. It transcended them. Just like Isolde's Divine Ascension.

'How...?'

As though answering her question—

WHOOOOSH!!!

An aura of dark-red flames flickered around Adrian. It was stripping away every last trace of his human appearance.