Return

"The host is being affected by an unknown force. Physical attributes are beginning to improve..." A mechanical prompt sounded in his mind.

A warm current slowly flowed through Arthur's body. As it enhanced his physical attributes, it also eased much of his pain and exhaustion.

Standing in place, he estimated that the power gained from killing this single ghost was enough to rival hunting several Knight Rank insect beasts.

But that wasn't all he had gained. The real prize was still to come.

Thinking this, Arthur forced himself to endure the pain and exhaustion throughout his body and slowly walked forward.

At the spot where the ghost had fallen, he bent down and searched the ground carefully. At last, he picked up a Crystal Core.

The Crystal Core was about the size of a fingernail. It gave off a faint red glow in the dark, like a ruby.

"Red?"

Arthur picked up the ruby-like Crystal Core and murmured in confusion.

The Crystal Core wasn't particularly large, but a tremendous force kept flowing into him through contact with it, far stronger than the cores he had obtained before.

Arthur estimated that this single pale red Crystal Core was probably worth more than everything else he had gained this time.

Boom!!!

A violent rumble came from the front of the village, accompanied by the faint sound of heavy footsteps.

Arthur put away the Crystal Core and instinctively looked toward the noise.

At the village gate, a huge shadow loomed over a vast area, slowly making its way toward the center of the village.

His excellent eyesight, inherited from the Elves, let Arthur make out the shadow's true form.

It was a giant eight or nine meters tall, covered in rolls of fat. From a distance, it looked like an enormous fat man as it lumbered toward the village.

Its immense size gave it tremendous weight. Every step left a huge footprint in the ground, and the resulting tremors could be felt throughout the village.

It held a massive white bone in one hand and swept it viciously across the way ahead.

Boom!!!

A powerful rumble rang out. Several buildings in front of the giant were swept flat, leaving nothing but rubble.

Amid the wreckage, it reached out with its right hand, grabbed several bloody corpses, and shoved them into its mouth.

Crack!

A crisp sound rang out as it chewed, crushing bones and organs.

Watching this, Arthur's heart turned cold.

A monster of this caliber was beyond him. Even at full strength, if he stood in its way, he would only be offering himself up as food.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded. Arthur jerked his head up as a bad feeling rose in his heart.

The eight- or nine-meter-tall giant seemed to have sensed something unusual. It turned and stared straight toward Arthur, a flicker of confusion in its eyes, then headed directly for him.

It moved slowly, but given its enormous size, even a leisurely stride covered more ground than an ordinary person could manage at a run.

"Not good!"

Hearing the footsteps and feeling the faint tremors beneath his feet, Arthur had a sudden thought.

"The way's completely blocked!"

He looked behind him. Beneath the Night Curtain, strange cries filled the area. Something seemed to be lurking in the dark, prowling outside the village.

Faced with this, Arthur gave up the idea of burning his Life Seed again to escape.

This place had become a hunting ground for all kinds of monsters. Trapped in its midst, Arthur seemed to be in a dead end with nowhere to go.

"Looks like this is my only option."

He sighed inwardly. In an instant, his mind connected with the source of his soul and lit up one of the coordinates there.

A point of light appeared in his mind, slowly taking the shape of a tangible door. As it opened at Arthur's command, the light within enveloped him, and his body began to fade.

The process would take some time. During that time, Arthur couldn't move. He could only remain where he was and wait for the door to open completely.

Roar!!!

A frenzied growl came from ahead.

As it drew closer, the giant finally picked up Arthur's presence and let out an excited growl.

In an instant, it sped up. Its legs, thicker than an elephant's, pounded the ground and left a series of deep footprints.

When it reached Arthur, the giant stretched out its right hand and swiped down viciously, apparently intending to grab him.

A powerful stench of decay and rot swept over him. Arthur looked at the creature's rotting body and the white fat exposed on its belly. His expression didn't change. He simply closed his eyes.

Boom!

A gigantic palm slammed down.

The next moment, the giant stared in confusion at the black dirt in its hand and let out a deafening roar.

At night, a figure suddenly appeared in an empty room.

Feeling the disappearance of the terrifying presences around him, Arthur opened his eyes and looked around.

"I'm back..."

He gazed at the familiar surroundings, his mind still reeling.

The fresh air carried a faint fragrance from the few pots of flowers outside the room.

It was already night. The faint chirping of insects came from all around, creating a peaceful, relaxed atmosphere. This place was like another world compared to the terrifying one Arthur had just left.

As if remembering something, he reached into a pouch at his waist and took out a black Crystal Core.

A familiar warmth spread slowly from his palm throughout his body, gradually easing his exhaustion.

"It works!"

Seeing that the Crystal Core had worked, a glimmer of joy appeared in Arthur's eyes, and a weight lifted from his heart.

Arthur had returned to this world in a hurry, and he'd been worried that the Crystal Cores might no longer work. Now he had confirmation.

"It's a shame, but these few Crystal Cores should last me for a while."

Standing where he was, Arthur murmured to himself, a glint in his eyes.

At a thought, a coordinate slowly appeared in his mind. It was dim now and didn't respond at all to his mental fluctuations.

As he reached out to it, a message came from the source of his soul.

"It'll take at least another five years to accumulate enough energy for one more journey."

Feeling the message in his mind, Arthur's expression darkened.

His two previous journeys had exhausted all the power he had accumulated over his past two lives. If he wanted to travel again, he would have to start from scratch.

But the time needed to build up enough energy was far beyond what Arthur had expected. It was simply too long.

"Looks like I won't be able to visit other worlds for quite a while."

Standing there, Arthur shook his head with a helpless sigh.