Level 24 â thatâs my level after the battle with Hydra.
Since my level was 12 right after the fight with Gozu in Ishka, it means it doubled in just a few days.
Larz, with his âFalcon Sword,â is at level 16, while Elgart, the adventurer guild master in Ishka, is at level 35. That puts me between Larz and Elgart in terms of level, but as previously considered, my level notation is fundamentally different from othersâ.
In reality, not even the Berch siblings, who are level 50 and above, or Gozu, who is level 81, could stand up to me. This is not just my own conceit.
During the battle with Gozu and his group, I was drunk on the power I gained from devouring a mythical creature, and that feeling did not go away even after the fight ended. I tried my best to stay calm, but there was a part of me that was still unsteady in my mind.
âŚAnd in an instant, that intoxication disappeared.
It was like having a bucket of cold water dumped on my head. The power of the Soul Eater, which I had thought to be infinite, paled in comparison to the power that flowed from the Dragonâs Nest.
âŚWell, itâs like comparing the power of humans and the power of the earth; in the first place, itâs absurd to compare them.
âI see. So, thatâs why forests like Titis are born, with something like this at its center.â
A huge forest that covers an area equivalent to that of a country. Many magical beasts and monsters roam around, making it impossible to develop. There are various medicinal herbs growing not only in the deep parts of the forest, but also in the outer areas, and countless adventurers gather them every day without ever depleting them.
Until now, I had never really questioned it and thought, âThatâs just how it is,â but now that I think about it, Titis Forest is notably richer than other forests. This is likely largely due to the presence of the Dragonâs Nest.
I have been able to live in Ishka for the past five years despite being at level â1â, and I owe it all to the Dragonâs Nest. Perhaps I should express my gratitude by throwing in a gold coin or two, like an offering.
âHowever, why didnât anyone notice this before? Or perhaps, no one could have ventured this far in.â
Clearing through the densely packed trees is already a challenge, with no room to walk through. And on top of that, the trees have the added bonus of automatic regeneration. Without following the Hydra, I would never have been able to reach this place.
Looking up, a thick canopy of plant branches blocks the view from the sky. Even if the dragon knights of the royal capital were flying overhead, they wouldnât be able to notice the Hydraâs lair. Of course, the same applies to me on Clau Soras.
If not for this moment today, I would never have been able to reach the Hydraâs lair.
With that in mind, I really want to make the most of this opportunityââ
My honest impression is that this is a power that cannot be controlled by humans. If we could harness the power of this dragonâs lair, we could gain tremendous strength. We might be able to wield power tens or even hundreds of times greater than what we have now.
However, I think itâs impossible, like trying to drink all the water in the sea.
Besides, my power is that of a âSoul Eaterâ, not a magic-eater or an element-eater. I havenât even completely controlled the power of the Soul Eater, so itâs best to avoid reaching for powers outside my area of expertise.
And at that moment, Clairaâs voice grazed my ears from behind.
âIs this the demon gate?â
âWhat do you mean?â I asked, turning around. As far as I knew, there was no such huge hole on the island. Besides, the demon gate was a building located in the center of capital city, a literal âgate.â
Before my eyes, Claira stood frozen, her already pale face turning even whiter.
Then, suddenly, Claira collapsed. Like a puppet with its strings cut, she fell to the ground with a thud.
In a panic, I rushed over and peered at her face. Clairaâs breath was ragged and labored, and her mouth emitted wheezing sounds. Her eyes were tightly shut, and a deep crease formed between her eyebrows.
It seemed her body couldnât withstand the massive amount of magic power being involuntarily infused into it.
As Iâve said before, the magic power here is beneficial to humans. However, no matter how beneficial a force may be, forcibly exceeding the necessary amount will cause the body to collapse. Itâs like forcing food into a full humanâs mouth and washing it down with water.
Even I myself am already suffering considerably. If I donât leave this place immediately, Iâll end up collapsing like Claira.
Upon looking, new plants were sprouting around Claira, crawling up and covering her limbs.
âŚHumans who collapse here would likely end up dying, with their bodies covered in plants like this.
With a click of the tongue, I removed the plants from Clairaâs body and kicked away the ones that clung to my own legs. Then I quickly scanned my surroundings.
One of the conditions for the birth of dragon species in this âworldâ had been confirmed. There was no need to linger any longer; we had to quickly defeat the Hydraâs main body that had taken refuge here and retreat.
We could conduct a detailed investigation of the dragonâs den next time. At that time, we should bring someone who is more knowledgeable about these things than I am, such as Lunamaria or Miroslav.
Fortunately, or rather naturally, I quickly discovered the location of the Hydra. It was easy to tell because there was a clear path of fallen trees.
I had thought it would be troublesome if I had to jump into the dragonâs den, but it seemed that even the Hydra should avoid such an action. Probably, even the dragon species wouldnât be able to escape extinction if they did so.
By the way, the remaining main body was more formidable than the eight-headed state, but I was able to easily defeat it with a single blow of the Soul Eater.
Well, it was predictable that it didnât have any fighting power since it was pretending to be dead. For the Hydra, this state was undoubtedly its last means of survival.
The Hydra was tough, but the influx of souls after the battle was the most difficult part. The sensation of a large number of souls entering my body combined with the erosion of the dragonâs den magic almost made me lose consciousness.
My level had increased to 25, but I had no time to celebrate. I carried Claira and left the dragonâs den, even going deeper into Titis Forest.
Along the way, I was terrified to see the path created by the Hydra blocked by fast-growing plants. The excessive power of life is more dreadful than ordinary demons.
Fortunately, I did not encounter any magical beasts on the way out, but I was convinced that they were more vicious than the ones in the deep and outer parts.
ââYes. It was like Demon Island.
Authors note:
Anima (Part 2)
Anima, the Other Self within You, are not necessarily a good thing for their wielders. They have a firm will of their own and if they donât like their wielder, they will refuse to cooperate and even become hostile. In the history of the Mitsurugi family, countless individuals have been mentally and physically damaged because they couldnât control their Anima, including those who were taken over by them. In this sense, Anima is synonymous with sickness or curse. These dual-personality beings possess powers that surpass those of ordinary people, and as a result, some view them as a threat, such as those who see the Green Woods Warriors from beyond Demon Island. This is why there are factions within the Adoastera Empire that view the Mitsurugi family as a danger.