NOVPUB
Chapter 248
The hellfire boiling within the Heart of the King of Dragons surged straight through the Kamish’s Wraths in a blazing, linear blast.
The overwhelming heat made it hard to breathe. If the blades had been crafted from ordinary materials, the firepower would have melted them down to the hilts. But these daggers, forged from the fang of a dragon, had excellent compatibility with the Breath of Destruction. After all, if a dragon’s teeth couldn’t endure its own fire, it would be left toothless by simply breathing.
Nidhogg was likely no different, but even if its bones or teeth could withstand the Breath of Destruction, the soft and fragile roof of its mouth was another matter.
With a loud boom, Suho’s attack burned through Nidhogg’s palate—the ceiling pressing down on Suho and Esil as they were swallowed whole—and carved a hole straight through its head.
The snake roared.
Unfortunately for Suho and Esil, having seven heads made a difference. Piercing a single head wasn’t enough to kill the creature. Instead, it clenched its jaws even harder, still determined to devour them.
“Urgh!”
The immense weight eventually proved too much for Esil, who had been keeping the mouth from sealing entirely shut. Her leg snapped under the pressure.
She didn’t scream. Instead, she gritted her teeth and bent her unbroken leg, using her back to support the ceiling.
“I’m... still fine! Keep going!”
She braced her arms and back against the roof of the snake’s mouth and yelled toward Suho’s back.
Hearing her voice behind him, Suho’s grip tightened on the handles of the Kamish’s Wraths, veins bulging across his hands.
Just a little more! Almost there!
Sweat dripped from his brow as he continued to unleash the destructive beam, slowly cutting through the snake’s head.
The sheer power of the destructive ray consumed an enormous amount of mana just to maintain. Its recoil was so intense that even adjusting its direction was difficult.
However, it was worth it. The further Suho shifted the beam to the side, the wider the hole in Nidhogg’s head became.
I’ll cut it... off...!
Finally, a piercing shriek sounded.
Ah! I did it!
Nidhogg let out an anguished scream as the beam half-severed the back of its head, forcing its mouth wide open.
At the same time, Esil felt relief as the crushing weight that threatened to pulverize her body lifted. For the first time, she raised her head and looked forward.
Oh! We made it!
Through the gaping hole in the snake’s head, melted through by the flames, the endless abyss beyond was revealed. The gap was large enough that she could see the World Tree in its entirety.
However, the danger was far from over. The remaining six heads, now yowling in pain, began to take interest in Suho and Esil.
In that moment, an intense murderous energy was focused on them. Through the hole blasted by the Breath of Destruction, the snake’s many eyes locked onto Suho’s.
[Nidhogg, the snake which feeds on the World Tree, watches you.]
A chill ran down Suho’s spine.
The six sets of eyes staring at him all at once caused him to stiffen. Though it was just a look, the immense pressure made his whole body tingle.
[Effect: “Fear” has been activated.]
[All of the player’s stats are reduced by 50% for 1 minute.]
Ha...!
Suho laughed incredulously at the sight of the window.
The temporary debuff had cut off Breath of Destruction. His mana pool had already been cut down to half its amount, but now it had been halved again. Even if he used Breath of Destruction again, he wouldn’t have enough mana to face all six remaining heads.
[In the current location, the use of potions and the shop is unavailable, and even with level-ups, status recovery will not occur.]
Additionally, potions were unusable since he had been dragged here by the “Unknown” skill.
The six heads roared at him, and those who were most worried for Suho—the dead Monarchs—appeared.
[Sillad creates a snowstorm, obscuring Nidhogg’s vision.]
Blistering Blizzard activated. The frigid storm swept through the snake’s mouth, freezing the melted areas with icy cold.
[Querehsha attempts to poison Nidhogg but fails.]
[Querehsha attempts to poison Nidhogg but fails.]
[...]
[Rakan urges you to run while you can!]
“Suho...” Esil called out weakly as she crawled toward him, dragging her now broken arm and shattered leg across the ground. “R-run...”
She wanted to insist that he escape immediately, but her teeth chattered so badly she could hardly speak.
Though Suho was struggling himself, the terror gripping Esil was far worse. However, the survival instinct engraved in her soul was about to make the most rational yet inefficient choice.
“T-take this...”
With trembling hands, Esil offered him something. It rustled softly as she pushed it toward him.
What’s this?
Suho’s eyes widened at the sight.
A leaf of the World Tree...?
While falling earlier, Esil had managed to grab a branch of the World Tree. Now, a small leaf from that branch was resting in her palm.
A ding sounded.
[Item: “Leaf of the World Tree” has been acquired.]
Esil put the leaf in Suho’s hand and closed his fingers over it. Her terrified eyes met his as she spoke.
“E-eat it.”
Even now, her instincts whispered to her that she should eat the leaf, not Suho. If she did, she might evolve into a stronger demon like Vulcan had.
But she knew herself well.
“I’m... too weak.”
A single leaf wouldn’t make her much stronger. It wasn’t like she could eat every leaf off of a branch like Vulcan had. She wasn’t even sure she could escape this place, much less get stronger.
But Suho was different.
“You eat it,” Esil insisted.
She had no doubt. If Suho ate it instead of her, things would change.
“Run away. Save yourself, at least.”
She didn’t know how much it would help, but at the very least, she wanted him to escape. It had been with that thought that she’d given him the tiny leaf from the World Tree.
It was a miracle. The moment Suho touched the leaf, an information window appeared.
[Item: Leaf of the World Tree]
[Acquisition Difficulty: ??
Type: Ingredient
A leaf torn off a branch of the World Tree.
The leaves of the World Tree contain powerful life force and are used for the highest quality magical elixirs.
A major ingredient for potions.]
For potions?!
Suho’s eyes widened.
Was it a coincidence that he’d come across a potion ingredient when the shop window and potions were inaccessible? It couldn’t be. Looking at Esil’s battered form, no one would call it luck.
Without hesitation, he put the leaf in his mouth and chewed.
The result was surprising. A refreshing blue energy enveloped his entire body, and he had the sensation of fresh air filling his lungs and escaping, a familiar sensation that he had experienced every day.
There was a ding.
[All status abnormalities removed.]
No wonder it’s a potion ingredient, Suho thought.
As his depleted health and mana were fully restored, he began to suspect that the World Tree’s leaves were the basis of the quest rewards granted by Kandiaru. The proof was right in front of him.
[“Kandiaru’s Blessing: Blissful Longevity” has been temporarily enhanced.]
[Debuff: “Fear” is resisted.]
Suho’s body, which had felt heavy thanks to Nidhogg’s bloodlust, grew light again. He then realized what he needed to do.
Ruler’s Authority!
He dashed into the air, soaring upward.
Nidhogg’s six heads bared their fangs at him, exuding more murderous intent than ever before. After doing little more than blankly staring at him, they now clearly saw him as a direct enemy.
[Nidhogg is wary of Ruler’s Authority.]
[Nidhogg opposes you.]
Suho twisted sharply in the air, dodging the snapping jaws by the slimmest of margins.
As the snake lunged, some smaller branches of the World Tree snapped off under its movement and fell. This was exactly what Suho wanted.
Bring it on!
He sent Kamish’s Wraths flying toward the falling branches. Though these were small branches, their size was only relative to the World Tree itself. To Suho, each branch was enormous.
However, he wasn’t interested in the branches at the moment. He was after the leaves.
The air split as Kamish’s Wraths tore through it, sending leaves scattering. Ruler’s Authority guided the falling leaves toward him, and Suho quickly grabbed another one and chewed.
[All status abnormalities removed.]
It was the same effect as before. As though he had leveled up, both his health and mana were fully restored.
But a serious problem had arisen.
[The Monarch of Destruction urges you to look at Nidhogg’s wounds.]
Antares had a point. Suho wasn’t the only one capable of eating the World Tree’s leaves.
One of Nidhogg’s remaining heads had bitten off a nearby branch and devoured it whole. The wounds in the head that Suho had sliced half open began to rapidly heal.
So this is why it’s called the snake which feeds on the World Tree, huh?
Before the wound fully healed, he shouted toward Esil, who was still inside the head, “Esil! Open your mouth!”
“Huh?”
Like petals fluttering in a spring breeze, a flurry of leaves flew toward her.
Esil had been ready to die, but she gawked at the countless leaves soaring toward her. Her mouth widened in surprise.
Her expression made Suho grin.
“Now I’ve paid my debt.” I’ve paid it a thousandfold.
The leaves managed to reach Esil before Nidhogg healed completely. As the head’s wounds closed entirely, the demon’s figure vanished from sight.
Suho, however, wasn’t worried.
Come back stronger, Esil.
It didn’t take long. Suddenly, the head that had taken Esil in its mouth suddenly swelled. With a deafening explosion, it burst apart.
There was no blood or flesh—only darkness.
[The primordial darkness has been transferred to a new Monarch.]
The darkness churned violently in the air, swirling like a storm. Esil’s eyes, barely visible in it, glowed sharply.
[Nidhogg retreats.]
The snake’s six remaining heads hastily pulled back. Like a lizard severing its own tail to escape, Nidhogg abandoned the traces of its lost head, fleeing from the spreading darkness.
This darkness had originally come from Baran, the King of Demons, and it had a new master now.
Esil Radiru floated at the center of the swirling storm, her hair billowing. Her gaze, more mature and resolute than before, met Suho’s.
The title given to the new owner of this primordial darkness was slightly different from the one Baran had once held.
[The King of Demons and the Monarch of Gluttony has been born.]
The Monarch of Gluttony? Suho thought. It sounded more like a nickname for someone obsessed with food.
Before he could finish his thoughts, their minds were thrown out of the Sea of the Afterlife.
Suddenly, the cheering of demons filled the air. Suho and Esil had returned.
Esil was still holding Baran’s Horn, which Suho had given her, in both hands. Her face showed no confusion, however.
She dropped to one knee.
“Thank you, my liege.”
She humbled herself and bowed to Suho, the shaman who had made her a ruler.
[The Monarch of Gluttony swears loyalty to you.]
[Esil Radiru offers you the “Blessing of Gluttony.”]
[Blessing: Blessing of Gluttony]
[The blessing of the King of Demons and the Monarch of Gluttony.
Esil Radiru, the Monarch of Gluttony, swears loyalty to you. You will be able to absorb and digest nutrients from the rift more efficiently.
- Effect “Gluttony”: Gain in experience points increased by 300%.]
