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Luk and the other three separated from the group and headed straight for the Volcano Dragon. On their way, they encountered falling volcanic rock and magma, as well as melted trees due to the forest’s terrain. Yui, observing this, turned to Luna with a question.

“What should we do now?”

“Let’s leave the monster side to the Elves and Gideon, and we can handle the byproducts of the volcanic eruptions.”

The Elves concentrated all their firepower on the Volcano Dragon, meaning they couldn’t deal with the falling volcanic debris.

Fortunately, Gideon stepped in to destroy it, so not much damage was done, but he couldn’t handle everything alone.

In that case, the three of them, including Luna, could clear the debris while attacking appropriately.

“That sounds like a good idea.”

“Then let’s each take a section. I’ll take the opposite side. Yui and Riche, spread out and attack, please.”

“Understood.”

“Yep!”

After a brief discussion, Luna leaped off the ground. Just before she fell, she used the wind to create a foothold in mid-air and jumped again. While Luna was soaring, just above the Volcano Dragon—

– Bang!

“······!”

The volcano erupted once more. Luna quickly changed direction, landing safely, but volcanic rocks were flying everywhere. As they had previously discussed, they each took their positions and began to deal with the falling rocks and magma one by one.

Luna infused her dagger with magical power and sliced through the volcanic rock, Yui created large fireballs to counter them, and Riche blocked the flowing magma.

However, despite their hard work, there were limits to what they could do. A volcanic rock they couldn’t handle fell in the direction of the Elves. The Elves caught underneath it didn’t even have time to scream before they perished.

It was truly a disaster—each explosion was a calamity for humanity. Thankfully, an S-Rank Adventurer, Gideon, was there. He swung his lance with great force, targeting the Volcano Dragon’s eye simultaneously.

-Kwahhhhh────────!!!!!!!!!!!

Thus, the Volcano Dragon lost one of its six eyes. But it wasn’t going down easily. In agony, it opened its mouth wide.

Lava bubbled up within its jaws, and instead of spitting it out, it shot it forward like a breath attack. Where the breath passed, everything melted away, leaving no trace behind, but the World Tree raised a barrier to protect Alvheim from the onslaught.

Of course, while Alvheim was safe, the surrounding area was not. The lava that spread along the barrier turned the vicinity into a mess.

Later, watching their habitat melt away, the morale of the Elves rose. They pushed every ounce of magical power they had, launching strong attacks, and the Volcano Dragon, accumulating damage from the concentrated fire, curled into its shell like a turtle.

– Kuguu──.

As it moved, the earth was swept away with it. The Volcano Dragon suddenly brought its legs together, almost like a creature preparing to jump.

“Yui! Riche!”

Just as Luna called out to Riche and Yui in warning.

– Kwaaaaaaaaa──────!!!

Suddenly, a tidal wave surged.

*

I opened my inventory. What I pulled out was water—not just any water stored in a container but water in its natural state.

It was a precious… or rather, a mundane resource acquired specifically for this raid.

The water began pouring out like a burst dam. The trees were knocked down by the pressure, presenting another disaster that distinguished neither friend nor foe.

Of course, the Demon nearby, caught off guard by the flood, was swept away, as were the Toilet family watching from afar.

I was swept away too, but I managed to stick my sword into the ground and hold on with the Iron Horn.

“Hihi~ grow big and strong~”

I said, but only the sound of bubbling came from my submerged face.

Wouldn’t it be nice if someone were impressed by my ability to summon this level of flood in a place without water?

It was a pity that there wasn’t anyone who recognized that line. Of course, even if they knew, they wouldn’t be able to say anything in this situation.

Do you know how far I traveled to bring this water? I spent three whole days in a cart, making my way without a proper cart.

To bring this much water, I couldn’t just use a lake or an ordinary well. I had to travel by cart all the way to the nearest sea.

In the process, I had learned one thing: the inventory system was incredibly profound. In fact, putting water into the inventory was kind of out of curiosity.

What would happen if I stored water in the inventory? Fortunately, it did fit. And when I pulled it out, it came out intact, just like now.

Then could I perhaps store fire or lightning too?! If possible, I could store magic in the inventory and use it like a scroll. But I hadn’t been able to test lightning due to a lack of a person to use it on, and when I tried fire with Riche’s help, I found that while putting it in was possible, it disappeared immediately when I pulled it out—like turning on a lighter and putting it out right away.

While I was lost in those thoughts, the inventory kept spewing water. If it were only about sweeping a few people away, I wouldn’t have bothered to deal with a cart for three days.

With the infinite grace of the sea, I had filled my inventory to the brim with water—so much so that even I didn’t know how much was inside.

The artificial tidal wave I created swept across everything in the forest. Even the firmly rooted trees were mere weeds before the oncoming wave.

The World Tree was far enough away to ensure that the village of Alvheim was spared from flooding, but the Volcano Dragon was right in front of me, making it impossible to counterattack.

– Thud─!

Even the massive Volcano Dragon staggered, its body tilting and collapsing to the side. When a turtle falls over, you can easily guess what happens next.

Ten minutes later, what seemed like an infinite amount of water had finally run dry. It had slowly began to dwindle in quantity until it abruptly stopped.

As the water spread across the forest, the ground was absorbed, thus its disappearance was merely a matter of time.

In the aftermath of this disaster, nothing remained of the previous scenery. Just uprooted trees lying around and muddy ground, with puddles forming here and there.

“Tsk… next time I’ll just hunt.”

I thought this would make things easier, but now my clothes were all soaked, and with each movement, the ground squished underfoot, making me uncomfortable.

Next time, it’s better to just hunt. After all, using this method on a low-level monster was giving too much effort for too little result.

“You really went and did it this time…”

As I wiped the water off my head, Luna landed in front of me, carrying Riche and Yui on either side.

“Well, it’s something I brought to use,” I replied with a shrug. Of course I brought it to use; what’s the point of keeping it otherwise? Luna should be thankful that I made the raid easier for everyone!

At this point, I’d probably be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for defeating a threat to the continent like the Volcano Dragon.

“By the way, where did the Demon go?”

I’d certainly seen them get swept away by the wave, but after that, I couldn’t see them as I had no goggles. They probably got washed pretty far away, so I widened my gaze to check a bit further out.

Fortunately, with the nearby trees all uprooted, the now flat forest wasn’t difficult to search.

“Oh. Found it.”

Near the overturned Volcano Dragon, the Demon was buried beneath several layers of wood. As I approached, it coughed and lifted its head to look at me.

“Kik… coughing! You are really insane…!”

“Thanks for the praise.”

What’s amusing was seeing the Demon’s mouth curl up despite the circumstances. I dragged the Demon out from under the wood. Its legs were pressed down, flattened like dough under a rolling pin. Even if left alone, it wouldn’t be able to squirm around like before.

“Any last words?”

“Hehe… This is fun──.”

“Yes, I heard you~”

– Scrape.

The Demon, who was about to say something, couldn’t continue as its head was severed from its body.

[ You have defeated the Demon Velocid! Obtained skill Berserker! ]

[ Level Up! Check your status! ]

[ Level Up! Check your status! ]

[ Level Up! Check your status! ]

[ Level Up! Checking status… ]

Hmm~ delicious! Demons yield amazing experience no matter when consumed. I really wish there was a mental and temporal chamber filled with Demons. If there was, I could have stayed for a few hundred years before coming out.

“Wasn’t I supposed to listen to your last words?”

“When did I say that?”

I asked if it had any last words, not that I would listen. What use is it to hear a Demon’s last words? It would likely be nothing but curses or strange nonsense anyway.

-Kwahhhhh────────!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

– Bang─!

Just then, a great sound shook the ground. Distracted from catching the Demon, I realized the raid’s goal had yet to be achieved. The downed Volcano Dragon was thrashing as it struggled to rise.

With continuous explosions ringing out, the Volcano Dragon vomited up its lava breath while writhing on the ground. If we didn’t kill it quickly, the terrain would change, just like what happened in Marquis Territory. As I pondered what to do, a voice came from behind me.

“Luke. Help me.”

The voice belonged to Gideon, who appeared to be unharmed despite the tidal wave.

“I’m going to decapitate it. This is our chance while it’s immobile.”

“Do you have a plan?”

“Just once, if you concentrate, I can decapitate it. But I’ll need time to focus, and the armor around its neck will be a hindrance, so I need you to take care of that.”

“That sounds doable.”

If it’s just that much, I can help without any problem. It’s better to take action and increase my contribution for more experience than to sit around blankly doing nothing. Having struck this deal, I immediately jumped into action. But first, I checked if my newly acquired skill, Berserker, would help.

◈ Skill Information

Name: Berserker

Grade: A+

Description: Increases power based on the user’s injuries. Ranging from shallow wounds to injuries just before death.

It was a perfect skill for the current situation. The issue was that it requires self-harm, but that could be used wisely. So, I took the claws that the Demon had dropped and scratched at my body.

“L-Luke?!”

“Luke?!”

Yui and Riche gasped, trying to stop me. They must think I’m suddenly trying to commit suicide. On the contrary, Luna calmly assessed the situation and asked.

“Did you acquire another defense-related skill?”

“No, it’s the opposite. Luna, platform.”

A light scratch doesn’t feel like much, but when I made a long cut deep enough to flow blood, my body heated up. However, I couldn’t quite differentiate whether it was from the pain or the activation of the skill.

‘If it had to be something, why not give me something like pain immunity? What’s with this stupid skill?’

It was typical of a sadistic Demon to give me such a skill. Having never harmed myself in a previous life, I found the pain unsettling and my mind in turmoil. Meanwhile, as the buffs piled up, I thought about the impending damage bonus which brought a smile to my face.

Climbing onto the platform Luna made, I readied myself. Charge, Berserker, Blessing of Yggdrasil, and platform buff—four layers of benefits. This was definitely going to pack a punch. I held back Gideon concentrating behind me, and dashed toward the Volcano Dragon.

In an instant, I reached the Volcano Dragon’s neck. Getting closer, its size was even more impressive up close. Just the head alone seemed to be about 100 meters across.

“Alright—let’s get that experience!—”

I swung my sword, gripping it with both hands, and struck at the Volcano Dragon’s neck. Thud! The sound of my sword clashing against its armor rang out as I barely made a shallow cut.

-Kwahhhhh─────────!!!!!!!!!!!!

As the seemingly impenetrable defense was pierced, it began to thrash in agony. Then, the body of the Volcano Dragon gradually turned red, before it suddenly exploded.

– Bang─!

“Whoa— what a struggle.”

Seeing it flail about reminded me of a game I once played. Although I couldn’t finish it cleanly, that didn’t matter. After all, there was still one more person behind me.

At that moment, amidst the chaos, a surprisingly clear voice sounded.

“One slash, and flip.”

A calm voice brushed past me. Following it, two giant circles appeared. They were different sword paths; one circle spun to the left, while the other spun to the right, moving outward. Then the neck of the Volcano Dragon, touched by the sword paths, began to twist grotesquely before being cleanly severed.

– Thud─.

The ground trembled with a cloud of dust from the fallen head. The Volcano Dragon’s eyes hadn’t yet lost their light, given how quickly everything had happened, but before long, the red glow faded away, and it lost all its light.

[ Level Up! Check your status! ]

[ Level Up! Check your status! ]

[ Level Up! Check your status! ]

[ Level Up! Checking status… ]

Thus, the notifications signaling my level up marked the end of the raid against the S-Rank Monster, the Volcano Dragon.

*

After the raid’s conclusion, we headed to Alvheim to receive our rewards. The Elves were busy healing injuries and cleaning up afterward, but that wasn’t my concern. Once we gathered together, the World Tree opened the door wide, waiting for us.

[ It seems like I may have summoned a disaster… ]

“Something like the Volcano Dragon is indeed a disaster.”

[ …That’s not it. ]

The World Tree still had her eyes closed, but her expression seemed more somber than usual, and her corners of her mouth were strangely downturned, which indicated some discomfort. Shortly after, she bowed her head to us slightly.

[ In any case, thank you for your help. ]

“Don’t bother with those thanks. What about the reward for this raid?”

The World Tree offered her gratitude, but I wasn’t in the mood for that. I needed to think about practical benefits more than mere surface-level gratitude.

We had assisted almost by accident, but we hadn’t come on a formal request from the Adventurer’s Guild. Moreover, we hadn’t even agreed on a reward with the World Tree before the raid began.

That meant now we had to negotiate, and I figured the World Tree would offer generously. If the reward didn’t meet expectations, then it would be Alvheim that would suffer as a consequence.

[ First, some materials from the defeated Volcano Dragon will go to you, Luke. ]

“That’s only natural.”

The first reward would be the materials from the Volcano Dragon. Of course, I would collect plenty of materials, given my significant contribution to this raid. After all, how much work had I put into this? But that was just the beginning; it was time to collect the World Tree’s personal rewards.

[ Indeed… what I can offer to Luke is no more than this. ]

I wondered what she would give me. As I stood quietly waiting, a green light began to rise from the World Tree’s body. At the same time, a green light began to sparkle around my wrist. When I rolled up my sleeve to check, a small leaf-shaped design was engraved there. And then—

[ You have gained the skill Blessing of Yggdrasil! ]

“Oh…?”

Suddenly, a notification appeared in front of me. I had gained a skill even though I hadn’t defeated a Demon. I assumed it was the World Tree’s doing, and as I stared at the notification in amazement.

[ Is this sufficient as a reward? ]

“Do you have any other skills?”

[ …All I can offer you is that. ]

What a pity. I had hoped there might be more skills worth taking. Still, I was satisfied, having received a better reward than material ones. I’d certainly earn enough money from selling the Volcano Dragon’s materials to live comfortably for years.

“I’m going to enjoy this.”

[ What are your plans from here on out? ]

“Well…”

I’m not usually the type to think and act ahead. I’d probably need to contemplate what to do next.

[ It seems difficult to move you today. If you’re not busy, how about staying an extra day? ]

Well, whether I left now or tomorrow didn’t matter much. If I left right away, I’d have nothing to do, so I might as well rest and eat.

“Let’s do that.”

After finishing our discussions about the rewards, we exited the audience room since a further stay seemed inevitable. Just as I was thinking of resting, I found someone waiting at the entrance of the audience room, unlike my earlier entrance.

“Riche. Can we talk for a moment?”

As the dialogue suggested, it was the Toilet, wrapped in bandages from head to toe. In contrast, Riche remained silent, indicating she had nothing to say. The ensuing silence drove the Toilet to speak again, eager for any response.

“I’ll ask just once. Can’t you make an exception?”

“Fine. Let’s discuss it at dinner.”

“······!”

Immediately, a flower of joy bloomed across the Toilet’s face. Gross.

“Alright!”

With that, they hurried away, likely wishing for dinner to come quickly so they could take a nap. Once the Toilet disappeared, Riche looked up at me as if she had been patiently waiting.

“Can you help me out at dinner, Luke?”

“Why should I?”

Why drag me into it when you’re the one who wanted to meet?

“I promise you’ll be satisfied. How about it?”

“What is it?”

“Can you lean in a bit closer?”

I wondered what kind of big revelation could require a whisper. As I leaned in and heard Riche’s words, my lips curled up into a big grin.

*

That evening, Arthur was excited. Riche had accepted his conversation request. This might be their last chance, so he planned to start slow. He wanted to bring her back to the Academy. So, sitting alone on a bench, all dressed up, he waited for her.

– Crack!

He suddenly lost consciousness from an ambush.

 

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