Gula's Feast and Mana's Awakening
Ever since awakening Laila and getting entangled with her, encountering the followers of the evil god in the underground ruins, and replicating and using the black holy artifact Gula, a lot had happened. Moving my residence to Rivil, meeting Karen, becoming a D-rank adventurer, making a trip to the city of Palos in between, and continuing my training relentlessly afterward... I'd spent about two months in this world that felt far denser than the two years before, but even in that intense life, the image of Gula never faded from my mind.
The ferocious magic sword that devoured everything. The memory of being eaten alive by that sword was the kind you could never forget, to the point where even now, I'd often wake from nightmares of Gula consuming me whole while sleeping.
But thanks to that. 'The memory's crystal clear...!!'
Reliving those memories over and over through repeated nightmares had etched Gula's power and form vividly into my mind, allowing me to use my replication ability based on that understanding.
...Or not. Honestly, I had no idea. No matter how vivid the memory, my understanding of Gula was pathetically shallow—why could I replicate it? I couldn't even properly replicate one-use magic tools because I didn't grasp their principles fully, yet this black holy artifact infused with a god's power replicated so easily. I didn't know the reason, but...
-KWADDDDUDUDUK!!!!! "GRRAAAAAHHH!! KRUOOORRR!!!"
Right now, the ultimate magic sword I'd replicated was undoubtedly exercising its power.
The red-black blade lodged in the palate of the ogre trying to swallow me whole began devouring the ogre in reverse. Centered on where the sword was embedded, the ogre's flesh caved in deeply, and its violently surging mana started getting sucked into Gula.
-KWAJIK! KWAJIJIK!! "...!$!!!"
And I was no exception. Horrific pain spread from the hand gripping the red sword, every element making up my being turning into nourishment for the blade.
'This....is...!!'
Unlike the last time I'd used Gula, my body could now sense mana flow. Beyond senses I hadn't awakened before, even in this crisis, my unmoving mana writhed, getting pulled somewhere.
Gula's ability to devour not just blood and flesh, but intangible forces like the target's mana.
-KWADUDUK!! 'Suck...it...up!!'
My scant mana was yanked out, anemia hitting instantly as blood was drained in a flash. Just as I'd guessed, had all my training made my body tastier to Gula?
"GRRRRRK!!!" "...$@!!!!"
With a prime two-headed ogre feast right there, Gula greedily devoured both it and me. What felt like an eternity passed, though it was mere instants in reality.
And then, the end came.
-Plop.
The replication sustaining Gula. Having already replicated a massive amount of water earlier, my remaining replication power depleted instantly, and Gula began dissipating.
-Grrr!!
Mid-feast, it seemed reluctant to leave, struggling to hold on, but the moment replication cut off, Gula vanished like foam without mercy, ending the gruesome meal.
-Plop.
The instant Gula disappeared, the ogre's grip loosened, dropping me. I plummeted powerlessly to the ground, too weak even for a landing roll.
-Dododo!!! "Hyah!!"
Kir, who'd been struggling with the entrance, suddenly appeared, dashing over with quick steps to catch me from below.
"Yuseong! You okay?! I came to tell you I found a way to open the door...! What the hell happened!! You said you were just buying time! And why's the ogre like that?!"
Kir bombarded me with worried questions, but I had no spare energy to answer.
-KWADDDDUDUK!!
With Gula vanishing mid-meal, the lost nutrients backflowed into my body—the one that had wielded it—transforming me.
-KWAJIK! KWAJIJIK!! "Yu, Yuseong?"
I could barely open my mouth, but to reassure Kir, I tried to say something.
-Twitch!!
Kir's ears perked up as she worried over me, then her face turned urgent, shoving me away suddenly.
-Plop!!
My limp body floated in the direction she'd pushed.
-Whoosh!!! "Kyaa!!" -Boom!!! "......!!"
A massive fist burst out right beside me, smashing into Kir who'd shoved me aside. Like I'd been moments ago, Kir flew into a pile of debris, and amid the pain of my body's changes, I barely lifted my head to look up.
"....GRRRAAA....!!!"
There, one head was completely lifeless—blood, flesh, and brains ripped out—while the other, twisted in agony but still alive, glared down at me.
'....The two heads have separate lives?'
Not quite normal, its huge body staggered weakly, but with one head gone, the ogre still moved.
-Whoosh!! "....Ah."
Thanks to Kir, I'd dodged once, but the ogre squeezed out its last strength, swinging a solid fist at me again. With replication fully depleted, I stared blankly at it.
....Am I dying? Like this?
Facing death, strangely, time slowed, memories flashing through my mind.
One scene lingered.
'There's a moment when human will is strongest.'
Mana responds to personal will. Karen had said humans' will peaks at...
'Right before death.'
Karen's voice echoed and faded, all distractions vanishing, pure will surging through me.
The will to live. To punish the enemy. It moved me.
-Tzzzzz!!
My replication-exhausted body. Faint energy inside writhed.
My mana, nearly wholly yanked out and devoured by Gula, finally responded to my will.
'This is...!'
The moment mana stirred, I felt how my body, absorbing Gula's lost nutrients, had changed.
Last time with Gula, absorbed nutrients evolved my body—sharpening senses, toughening and flexing muscles, granting regeneration and ferocity.
And now...
'Circuits.'
Paths for mana flow. The passages Karen had let me feel by injecting mana. What she called 'mana circuits'. Those in my body were growing tougher, sturdier.
The blue energy racing through those sturdy paths responded to my will, transforming.
-Bang!! "Grwo!?"
The ogre grunted in confusion as it punched. Naturally— I was no longer where its fist landed.
In one leap dodging the fist, ignoring my creaking body's screams from forced movement, I drew the black iron sword I'd sheathed at my waist after replicating Gula.
Changes were happening, mana movable, but my body was wrecked. So...
'Throw it.'
Recalling countless handaxe throws, I positioned midair, aiming for the ogre's head. Target: the eye. Probably its weakest spot.
-Kwaaak!!
My arm muscles ballooned madly, mana lending power to my will. Unprecedented force exploded, launching the black iron sword like an arrow.
-Shweeeeeek!!!
The missile-like black iron sword.
-Puhwuuk!!! "Grweeeeeek!!!"
Perfectly burst the ogre's eyeball. No—far beyond. Mana-enhanced throw didn't just pierce; it punched straight through!!!
But that was it. Mana wouldn't move, body powerless.
Unlike me.
"....Gr....uh......"
Eyeball burst, yet the ogre burned its last life embers with insane vitality, still moving. I could see life fading, but it squeezed final strength to kill me.
I couldn't move seeing that. Or more precisely...
I didn't need to.
"Finish it off. Rikar."
"Krrrng!!"
The forgotten one during time-buying. Blood-soaked, parts charred black, Rikar howled, leaping onto the staggering ogre, climbing its body.
Reaching the eye pierced by the black iron sword, his sharpened claws ravaged the wound.
-Shredshred!! "Grrruk!!"
The ogre screamed in agony, trying to shake Rikar off, but even with immense vitality, two ruined heads left it immobile.
Finally.
"....Grk."
-Thud!!!
The massive body collapsed, and I smiled in satisfaction.
....
"Kir! Yuseong! You okay?!"
Burned all over but mobile, Rikar urgently tended us.
Kir, hit instead of me...
"Ow ow...."
Surprisingly fine.
"Hehe. I'm a cat beastkin, so my body's flexible—I'm okay-ish!...Ow ow."
One arm dangled like it was broken, but... Kir seemed tougher than thought.
'Defended with mana, huh.'
No matter the flexibility, she'd be hurt badly otherwise. With sharper senses now, I observed her, grasping the cause.
Like enhancing hearing with mana before, in crisis, she'd instinctively used mana to protect her body. Unaware of the principle, acting on instinct... She must have exceptional mana talent.
Rikar had most fur burned off, pus oozing from wounds, but no immediate life threat.
And me...
"...Your fingers...!!"
Rikar, hastily bandaging me, gaped at my hand.
Only then did I properly look.
"....Eugh."
My right hand that summoned and gripped Gula. Two fingers gone.
Not just that—skin flayed like devoured, exposing raw red muscle.
Oddly, no blood flowed, no pain.
'A bit longer with Gula, and the whole arm would've gone.'
Lack of replication power was a blessing. Pain had blinded me to canceling it.
"To the temple quick. High priests can regenerate severed fingers!!"
"I can walk, so tend your wounds first, Rikar."
Thanks to pre-bought potions, I could move somewhat, reassuring worried Rikar as I walked on my own.
I glanced at Kir, staring hotter than before.
"Kir. You said you found how to open the door?"
"...Such a...strong male..."
"Kir?"
"...Ah, yeah!"
We'd been attacked right after, so I'd glossed over it, but Kir had found a way to open the door. She'd mumbled something alone, but I was too exhausted to hear.
"Great! Let's go. Too late, even high priests might not regenerate!"
"...But is it okay to leave?"
We'd tried opening the exit to flee since we couldn't beat the ogre, but now?
Why were we here? Fleeing the monster presence Kir sensed from the Red Hawk Clan, right?
"Worried about that too...but no choice? Delay, and you might live fingerless forever!"
"Urgh...."
No current pain, but I didn't want lifelong disability. Still, beating the ogre risk only to exit into worse?
No. Could our wrecked party even beat normal dungeon floor 1 monsters?
"True. Even floor 1 monsters..."
Unable to decide, we hesitated before the entrance.
-Thud!!! "....What was that?"
A massive vibration hit; we all looked that way.
From the still-sealed entrance.
"Another monster respawned...?"
"No. From outside...?!"
We instinctively stepped back from the entrance.
-Ska-gak!!! "......!!!"
Skin-prickling sharpness hit, then the sealed entrance sliced clean off.
Chilling sensation as outside connected, presences felt...
"....! Th-that monster....!"
"What?!"
Our sharpest, Kir trembled: the monster presence from before returned.
Battered, we tried raising weapons defensively when,
"Hard to believe, but...you really are here."
"....Huh?"
A strangely familiar voice. I lowered my sword.
"Master?"
"....Yeah, Yuseong. What the hell happened this time to leave you like that...?"
....No way—the monster Kir sensed was Master Karen?!