Beatrice picked up speed and soon caught up with the Leviathan.
Its transformation left Ian stunned. Its black feathers had grown even "blacker"—a darkness close to nothingness, as if they had captured the light and prevented even a single ray from escaping.
The five crows flew toward Ian in a line. All he could see were five pairs of scarlet eyes. He couldn't help feeling as if creatures from the void beyond this world had set their sights on him.
Beatrice landed lightly in front of Ian. The crows had grown a little larger, and the red of their beaks and claws had deepened. Their strength had also increased.
That was what they had gained by devouring nearly a hundred ordinary people and one low-sequence Extraordinary.
One Evil Crow pecked lightly at Ian, and he understood.
He immediately sank into the Spiritual World. The crow-shaped "star" on the Veil of Fate suddenly began to radiate pure spirituality and vitality.
It was like a steady rain of life descending through the Spiritual World. A surge of vitality seeped into Ian's body. The Original Tree rustled as its branches swayed, growing slightly before his very eyes. Ripples stirred across the lake of Mana, and the walls of the Spiritual World grew more solid.
It nourished the very essence of life. Ian was lost in this wondrous sensation when the rain abruptly stopped, leaving him with a sense of loss.
This was Beatrice feeding back to him. The pure nourishment, entirely free of side effects, had improved his spirituality and vitality.
Ian had never heard of such a way to grow stronger. If there was a drawback, it was that the effect was a little small.
This time, it had probably added about a year to Ian's lifespan and considerably increased his spirituality,