"Are you out of your mind?"
When I spoke to her, Yulice asked in a sharp voice.
I shrugged my shoulders and answered.
"There's no need to pray inside that damp bug's stomach. It might not be sunny... but it's still better to pray on solid ground."
"You think it's as easy as you make it sound?"
She continued, clearly agitated.
"If it were possible, I would have done it already... It won't work. If I try to pray here, that thing won't just sit still. I'll be crushed to death in seconds."
"But you'll die either way if you go into its stomach, right?"
"... At the very least, I can buy time for my companions to escape. And if possible, I might survive long enough inside to perform a ritual..."
"Why make things so complicated?"
I drew my Holy Sword.
"Everything would be fine if someone protected you while you prayed."
Her face flushed as she shouted.
"That's exactly it! It's obvious that won't work!"
"We won't know if it works until we try."
"You really...!"
Yulice briefly vented her frustration at me. She tried to convince me that it absolutely wouldn't work and that I should just quietly escape.
I briefly wondered if I seemed that unreliable... Then again, it would be difficult to trust anyone with something like this. I understand.
But I had already made up my mind to hold out.
So I decided to simply ignore her words.
After all, there's no need to listen to those weaker than myself.
"Stop arguing and start praying. It's coming."
"Sigh... really..."
In the end, I won the argument.
There was truly no more time for bickering.
The creature that had revived from the summoning circle was beginning to regain consciousness. It had finally noticed us. The Insect King indirectly controlling its mind from atop its head was likely one reason.
SHRIEEEEK!!
The Energy-Devouring Hungry Ghost that spotted us let out an insect-like roar.
I asked Yulice one last question.
"How many minutes will it take to gather enough holy power to defeat this thing?"
She, Yulice, had not only buff skills but also a few attack skills she could use as a last resort.
Using her highest-level skill might make defeating it possible.
As I was thinking about this, she said with a worried expression:
"It's night now, and that thing is so huge that it will take some time."
"What if you focus your holy power on its head where it's combined with Valkan, which I think is its weakness?"
"Even then, about 40 minutes..."
...40 minutes.
After encountering the Insect King, it took only 20 minutes to summon the Energy-Devouring Hungry Ghost.
And now I had to hold out twice that long by myself.
But that's fine.
I didn't just recklessly step up without having something to rely on. I had a few last resorts of my own, what you might call life-saving trump cards.
When at a crossroads, humans must choose. What to sacrifice, and what to gain in return.
What I would gain was victory.
"I sacrifice 20 years of my lifespan to enhance my durability and strength."
"..."
I didn't need other stats. These were the only ones I needed right now.
WHOOSH!!
As I paid the price, a strange sensation took over my entire body.
"...!"
It felt as if a part of my soul was being torn away. For a moment, I felt an intense emptiness that seemed impossible to fill.
At the same time, my body began to strengthen.
Crack, crackle...!
My 20 years of growth potential, all concentrated in this single moment!
Energy surged through my body, making me feel like I could do anything.
'Here it comes.'
At the same time, the creature began charging at me. It approached rapidly with its greedy maw wide open.
I took a defensive stance with my Holy Sword in front.
CRASH!
When we collided, a sound like clashing steel rang out.
Even though I blocked with all my might, I was pushed back several steps.
No matter how much I enhanced my body, there was no overcoming such an overwhelming difference in mass.
CRACK! CRACKLE!
"Ugh...!"
My body screamed in protest.
Despite enhancing my durability, sounds that shouldn't come from my body echoed. The sound of bones dislocating and muscles tearing.
If I hadn't enhanced my durability, I would have been crushed instantly.
Injuries were accumulating in real-time, but thanks to the cheat skill "Regeneration," I felt I could continue to hold out.
After blocking for a while, Valkan, who had merged with the creature, shouted:
"It's useless! Your mana isn't infinite! Even your endlessly regenerating body will eventually burst!"
He sounded quite excited, perhaps because he had lost so much.
Indeed, as he said, regeneration isn't infinite. When my mana runs out, my body will surely collapse.
But I wasn't worried.
'That's why I have this skill.'
[Activating 'Blood Energy Absorption'!]
I placed my hand on the Energy-Devouring Hungry Ghost's body and used the skill.
All things in the world contain a certain amount of mana.
The blood flowing inside is no different.
No, rather, because it's part of life.
The density of mana in blood is extremely high.
If so, manipulating that mana shouldn't be impossible.
That was the essence of Bloodcraft.
The study of controlling blood and the mana contained within it.
As long as blood flows in the opponent's body, I can always gain the upper hand with it.
[Congratulations!]
[The level of 'Blood Energy Absorption' increases!]
WHOOSH!
With each absorption, mana gradually filled my body. The creature was so ridiculously large that I couldn't tire it out, but at least I could replenish my mana.
Then it happened.
[WARNING!]
[You have been poisoned!]
"Cough...!"
Suddenly, as I coughed, blood poured from my mouth. My head gradually became dizzy, and my breathing became labored. Pain that felt like stabbing my entire body repeatedly struck me, from who knows how many types of poison.
Seeing this, the Insect King remarked:
"Ha! Foolish one! Did you think absorbing blood would solve everything? This creature has already become one with me. Now that my blood and its blood have mixed, its blood is nothing short of deadly poison!"
Thanks for the explanation, damn it.
"Hero!"
The Saintess called out worriedly from behind.
She must be watching all this while praying.
I said one thing for her sake.
"I'm... fine..."
I can't receive Purification. She's already busy praying for another skill. We can't waste the holy power she's gathered just for Purification.
But it's okay. "Poison Resistance" is still in effect.
I believed that no matter how deadly the poison, I would eventually neutralize it.
I continuously sucked in blood. Each time, the creature's poison accumulated in my body, but I forcibly endured.
Even if blood leaked from all seven orifices, I wouldn't stop using the skill.
Pain gradually built up in my body.
The instinct in my brain kept sounding alarms. But I saw this as an opportunity.
If I had 'accumulated' this much pain, its power would surely be extraordinary.
'I'll be using this for the first time today...'
While keeping my hand on the creature's body, I used one skill.
[Activating 'Pain Memory'!]
[Returns part of the accumulated pain to the opponent!]
Magic is the manifestation of mental imagery.
It's about implementing the images in your mind into reality through mana.
The power of magic varies depending on what form you picture in your mind and how specifically you picture it.
Then, couldn't pain, one of human's mental images, also be materialized?
No, rather, there is no mental image as intense as pain, so if materialized, it would be incredibly powerful.
Pain Arts is the study of that.
If there is pain, it can be used as magic.
BOOM─!
Suddenly, a heavy impact sound rang out.
The creature's body, which seemed like it would never be pushed back, was momentarily forced backward. The spot where I used the magic was dented as if hit by a giant's fist.
[Congratulations!]
[The level of 'Pain Memory' has increased!]
As expected, because I had accumulated so much, even at level 1, the power was tremendous. Moreover, the level increased after just one use.
"You!"
The Insect King on top of the creature's head shouted.
"That's Dark Magic, isn't it! How can someone who calls himself a Hero..."
"You sound just like my companions."
"What are you! Why does a Hero use such bizarre techniques?!"
"The process doesn't matter. The result does."
Cough, I continued speaking while spitting blood.
It had been a little over 10 minutes since the standoff began, and my body was starting to adapt to the poison.
"I'll take your head and the Demon King's by any means necessary... That's my goal."
And at that moment.
[Congratulations!]
[The level of 'Poison Resistance' has increased!]
[Lv10 achieved!]
[A skill is created from the experience of being poisoned by numerous poisons!]
+
[Master of Poison Lv1]
You can use some of the poisons you have experienced being poisoned by.
+
The skill's level increased.
At the same time, a derivative skill was created.
The poison was further neutralized, making it easier to breathe.
I smirked.
'Lucky...'
I was becoming increasingly confident.
Confident that I could win.