Chapter 137 - Hero’s Afterglow and Sovereign Bind
"Shaaaaaaaahh—!!"
A strong arm covered in blue scales swung a bone axe through the air, slashing toward the Dis sisters.
The twin girls gracefully sidestepped, evading the strike with ease.
The monster attacking them was—
—An Elite Lizardman.
A high-ranking variant of the Lizardmen found in the Great Tree Labyrinth.
The difference in power between them was vast.
Its scales had turned from red to blue, becoming as hard as armor—leaving no weakness in either offense or defense.
It wielded two natural weapons—white, bone-like stone axes—in its hands.
"Scaaaryyy! Why are there so many monsters, Big Sis Dina?"
"Aaah~ then why don't we just blow them all up in one go, hmm?"
"Ahahaha, that's what I was thinking too!"
"Alright then, shall we begin?"
"Yay~! Maybe Lord Raven will praise us afterward!"
The two girlish voices, brimming with glee, danced in perfect sync—amplified by enchantment spells.
Their power had reached Level 6.
Dina and Veena, holding each other's hands, twirled and chanted mid-step:
"—Devour, O Gate of Beginnings."
"—Despair shall replace all hope."
"[Dia Val O'touva]!"
With overlapping incantations, they released a torrent of dark fireballs.
Countless flames rained down like an apocalyptic meteor shower—
BOOM!!
All monsters surrounding the Dis sisters were annihilated instantly.
Elsewhere…
Unlike the isolated twin sisters,
Alise, Kaguya, Lyra, Ryuu, Neze, Aude, Letsha, and others—fourteen in total—
Fought as a unit, taking down waves of monsters through coordinated teamwork.
All while providing Raven with massive ability point gains.
As for Mikoto (Lv.2)—
She remained at the Takemikazuchi Familia's residence, training in martial arts.
As time passed, an entire day quickly flew by.
Now—
White light coiled around Raven's left wrist, while his right turned pitch black,
Emitting a soft golden glow.
This was—
—Afterglow + Sovereign Bind.
Alfia and Zald had helped him awaken a terrifying hidden power.
"Alright, everyone—enough for today."
"Let's wrap up training here."
"I feel so strong, it's scary," Raven grinned.
In the original story,
Bell's Afterglow Slash was powerful enough to one-shot a Level 7 Centipede Dragon.
Afterglow was a power that only those with heroic potential could attain.
Yet Raven…
Learned it in just a single day.
That alone spoke volumes about his monstrous talent.
Throughout the day,
He'd fought in over a hundred engagements with monsters.
As expected of the Deep Floors,
Each wave came with more than 20 enemies—
Yet none lasted more than a single blow.
Now sitting atop Little Jugger's head, Raven took a sip of mineral water,
Then looked forward.
There, a swift, green-haired elf danced among two or three dozen monsters.
"Ryuu, time to head back."
"It's getting late."
He called out to her.
"Zald—wipe out everything with your sovereign might, will you?"
"Sure thing," Zald grinned.
Raven had given him a second life, his strength, and immortality—
Even purged the venom that once corroded his body.
As the absolutely loyal [Gluttony], Zald obeyed his every command.
Sweeping his eyes across the horde of monsters, Zald raised his obsidian blade.
A howling vortex of black energy erupted—
The deafening blast echoed throughout the arena.
And in a single moment—
Every monster was consumed by darkness.
Even the giant circular coliseum…
Was reduced to rubble.
"Alright, we're outta here—"
With a mental command, Raven desummoned his companions.
Then, holding Ryuu close, activated Teleportation Magic.
Dungeon — 7th Floor.
Inside a vacant chamber, a pure white magic circle flared to life.
"You didn't get hurt, did you?"
Raven looked with concern at Ryuu's cloak, now lined with fresh cuts.
"I'm fine," Ryuu blushed and shook her head.
"Don't push yourself too hard, alright?"
Raven gently set her down.
Ryuu, after all, wasn't like Alise, Kaguya, Lyra, or Aude.
She didn't have immortality.
Nor did she have Raven's cheat-like magic or rare skills.
If she went down…
She'd really go down.
If Alise or Kaguya fell, Raven could revive them.
But Ryuu was fundamentally different.
"Starlight Madonna healed my injuries."
Ryuu whispered softly.
That was Maryū's title—Starlight Madonna.
While Lyana's title was "The Magician."
"Good. As long as you're okay."
"If you ever feel overwhelmed—promise me, you'll tell me."
"Mhm."
Ryuu smiled gently.
Using the Data Eye, Raven checked her updated [Blessing] stats.
And what he saw was…
Disappointingly low.
After a full day of intense combat, her ability points had only gone up by about 30.
Honestly—
He could've just boosted her more efficiently with his system.
"Let's go. Time to find Blue Butterfly."
Raven closed his eyes.
Thanks to his powerful perception-type skill,
he quickly locked on to Blue Butterfly's exact location.
---
Author's Note (PS):
The pacing will speed up—the War Game is just around the corner!
Soon, we'll bring in the Opera House arc from the mobile game, featuring the Aphrodite Familia.
Aphrodite, the goddess of love, will enter the story.
Then, we'll also include content from the new game arc,
"Water and Light of Forlandia,"
which includes the fairy heroine Tinia Elka.
And eventually—
Poseidon Familia and other IF routes will appear too.
---
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