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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Day Twenty.
Twenty days wasn’t a long time. Not enough time for significant growth, certainly not enough time to master new skills.
I didn’t feel much stronger than I had twenty days ago. I was actually more tired, more sore.
But I wasn’t worried.
I’d known, from the moment I entered the deeper layers, that I would face the Mountain Lord again. It had actually taken longer than I’d expected.
And I thought I had a decent chance.
I’d learned something when I’d cut off its tail. My attacks could hurt it.
This time, I just needed to aim for the neck.
The fight began.
My strategy remained the same. Avoid the deadly attacks, counterattack when possible.
It was stronger, faster, larger. My only advantage was my regenerative ability. I would use it to my fullest.
Pierce!
“Grrr…!!!”
My spear found its mark, burying itself deep in its foreleg.
That single strike had cost me dozens of dodged attacks, several glancing blows that left burning scratches on my skin. My heightened senses were a lifesaver. Without them, I wouldn’t have lasted this long.
I used my spilled blood, both defensively and offensively.
I didn’t rush.
My next Berserk episode was tomorrow, but I fought like it was my last day.
I didn’t have time to think. I had to survive.
I retreated when injured, then attacked again, relentlessly chipping away at its health.
A war of attrition favored me. I gave it no time to rest, harassing it like the jaguar had harassed me.
“Roar!!!”
It roared in frustration, its eyes burning with rage. It seemed to be calling me a coward, a dirty fighter.
I chuckled inwardly.
So what if I was a coward? So what if I fought dirty? It was how I’d survived.
I’d clung to life, defying the odds, reaching this point when I should have died at ten years old.
Maybe this was the kind of fight I was meant for.
Crash! Boom!
The fight raged on, through the night, until the new moon rose.
Its wounds accumulated, slowly but surely.
I was tired too, but not as tired as it was. Wounds made a difference.
Especially for an older creature like the Mountain Lord. Its stamina was waning.
“Grrr…! Grrr…!”
But it didn’t give up. It knew it was a fight to the death.
A testament to its will, its dominance over this forest.
The other monsters watched from the shadows, drawn by the commotion. It was hard to miss such a loud and violent battle.
I worried they might intervene, but they didn’t. They simply watched, waiting for the outcome.
Waiting for the victor to emerge, or perhaps waiting for the forest’s ruler to fall.
The fight ended near dawn.
“Grrr…”
Exhausted, it finally made a mistake.
I seized the opportunity, lunging forward and thrusting my spear into its neck.
Pierce!
A sickening squelch, a torrent of blood.
The light faded from its eyes. Its ragged breaths slowed. Its massive body began to crumble.
Thump!
It fell, dead.
“Ha…!”
A wave of euphoria washed over me. I wanted to scream in triumph.
But I didn’t have time.
Day Twenty-One.
My Berserk episode was tonight.
‘Is there a safe place?’
I didn’t know. I didn’t have the energy to search.
I dug a hole, as deep as I could, large enough to hide in.
I used the Mountain Lord’s carcass as a makeshift roof.
As I dug, I felt a familiar surge of energy.
My Berserk episode was starting.
Berserk A.
I silently thanked Gaia.
‘Thank you…’
A Berserk episode, after such a grueling fight, would have been disastrous.
But I’d been saving my holy water.
If it had been Berserk B, the holy water wouldn’t have helped. But Berserk A… I would survive.
Gulp, gulp.
I drank the holy water, enduring the pain.
Exhaustion claimed me, and I slept. I woke when the holy water wore off, the pain unbearable. I drank more, then slept again.
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Day Twenty-Two, late afternoon.
“Ugh… uh…”
I woke, the accumulated fatigue keeping me asleep longer than usual.
“Gasp…!”
I sat up, checking my surroundings. Had any monsters attacked me while I slept?
It seemed unlikely, but I’d been deeply asleep. I couldn’t rule out the possibility.
But I was unharmed.
I actually felt… refreshed. The uncomfortable sleeping arrangements had left me stiff, but otherwise, I was fine.
‘…What?’
I was relieved, but also confused. The hole I’d dug had been shallow, hastily constructed.
I should have been easy prey.
I climbed out of the hole, curious.
And then I understood.
‘Aha…’
The monsters hadn’t ignored me. They’d simply found a more convenient meal.
The Mountain Lord’s carcass lay above the hole where I’d slept.
They were feasting, no need to hunt.
I chuckled, watching them tear at the flesh.
“You opportunistic scavengers.”
They’d saved my life.
“Kiii?”
“Kuiii?”
They noticed me and looked up, wary.
But they didn’t attack. Their eyes held a flicker of fear.
I understood.
I’d killed the forest’s ruler.
I was the new apex predator.
They’d seen me defeat the Mountain Lord. They wouldn’t challenge me.
I was at the top of the food chain.
“Ha…”
I felt a sense of relief, and a surge of confidence. No more random attacks.
“Get out of here.”
I chased them away. It was my kill.
“Kiii…”
“Whimper…”
They whined, disappointed, but they obeyed. They’d had their fill. No need to risk their lives.
I collected my spoils. The carcass was too large to carry. I took what I could.
Teeth, claws, some choice cuts of meat. Then I continued my journey.
…I walked for a day.
Day Twenty-Three.
I reached the deepest part of the deeper layers.
I knew because I saw a cave, leading downwards, radiating an incredibly strong demonic energy.
As if it were the source.
Gulp…
I felt a surge of apprehension, but I entered the cave. I’d come too far to turn back.
The descent wasn’t long.
But the cave opened into a large, circular chamber, the size of a small soccer field.
The floor and walls were surprisingly smooth, almost… artificial.
And it wasn’t dark. Glowing crystals, embedded in the walls, illuminated the chamber.
I stared, awestruck by the eerie, ethereal beauty.
But what truly surprised me was the voice.
“I sensed a disturbance in the forest. You’re the cause.”
A voice, emanating from the center of the chamber. A clear, resonant voice, like the forest itself. A female voice.
“Well, you’re a guest, so I suppose I should introduce myself.”
I looked towards the center, curious.
A woman’s face, emerging from the center of a raised platform, like an altar.
Long green hair, gentle features.
But there was something unusual.
“Greetings. I am the Eighth, Barbatos, the Demon of the Forest.”
She only had a head. As if that was all she could manifest.
The face, which had introduced itself as Barbatos, asked a question.
“And you are? Why are you here?”
“…Hmm.”
“…Why are you staring at me?”
I stared at the disembodied head, silent.
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