《Experience Points have reached a threshold. Individual, Zo-Ele has leveled up from LV15 to LV16》 《Various base stats have increased》 《Skill Proficiency Level-Up Bonus acquired》 《Proficiency has reached a threshold. Skill『Three-Dimensional Maneuver LV9』has leveled up to『Three-Dimensional Maneuver LV10』》 《Conditions have been met. Skill『Three-Dimensional Maneuver LV10』has evolved into Skill『Spatial Maneuver LV1』》 《Skill Points acquired》 《Experience Points have reached a threshold. Individual, Zo-Ele has leveled up from LV16 to LV17》 《Various base stats have increased》 《Skill Proficiency Level-Up Bonus acquired》 《Proficiency has reached a threshold. Skill『Corrosion Attack LV1』has leveled up to『Corrosion Attack LV2』》 《Skill Points acquired》 《Experience Points have reached a threshold. Individual, Zo-Ele has leveled up from LV17 to LV18》 《Various base stats have increased》 《Skill Proficiency Level-Up Bonus acquired》 《Proficiency has reached a threshold. Skill『Evasion LV9』has leveled up to『Evasion LV10』》 《Conditions have been met. Skill『Evasion LV10』has derived Skill『Probability Correction LV1』》 《Skill Points acquired》 《Experience Points have reached a threshold. Individual, Zo-Ele has leveled up from LV18 to LV19》 《Various base stats have increased》 《Skill Proficiency Level-Up Bonus acquired》 《Proficiency has reached a threshold. Skill『Accuracy LV9』has leveled up to『Accuracy LV10』》 《Conditions have been met. Skill『Accuracy LV10』has derived Skill『Probability Correction LV1』》 《『Probability Correction LV1』has been merged into『Probability Correction LV1』》 《Proficiency has reached a threshold. Skill『Omni-Thread LV1』has leveled up to『Omni-Thread LV2』》 《Skill Points acquired》 《Conditions have been met. Title『Dragon Slayer』has been obtained》 《Through the effects of Title『Dragon Slayer』, Skills『Heavenly Destiny LV1』and『Dragon Power LV1』have been acquired》 《『Vital Destiny LV1』has been merged into『Heavenly Destiny LV1』》 《『Dragon Force LV3』has been merged into『Dragon Power LV1』》 The Voice of Heaven—or whatever it really is—echoed all around. The Appraisal results for the Fire Dragon vanished from its Status, and its name changed to "Fire Dragon Corpse."
Seeing that, I finally let my guard down.
There were no Monsters anywhere in sight.
A fair number of them should have been gathering just outside the range of my Abyss Magic, but when I checked with Detection, I could see them scattering and fleeing like rabbits bolt from a snare.
Did they run because they saw the Fire Dragon get taken out? Or because they saw the Abyss Magic?
Either way, I'm exhausted, so I'll take it.
Stat-wise, the level-ups have fully healed me, but mentally, I'm wiped out.
As usual, that was a razor's-edge battle.
Winning was half a miracle.
Because one hit from the Fire Dragon's attacks, and it's game over.
A glancing blow or even just the residual shockwave would leave me on death's door.
A direct hit would punch straight through my Fortitude and kill me instantly.
It would've been bad if the Parallel Will hadn't leveled up right before we encountered the Fire Dragon.
The Parallel Will leveled up, giving us two members handling magic.
Thanks to that, I could finally use the Abyss Magic that had been inaccessible before.
Though, I should mention—this was basically my first time winging it.
I had a rough idea from the magic's structure that it was some kind of area-of-effect annihilation spell, but honestly, the destructive power exceeded my expectations.
I mean, the ground within roughly a hundred meters of me had caved in by about five meters.
Especially where the darkness converged and sucked everything in at the end—there's a deep pit in the ground there.
When I checked with Detection, it was a hole that pierced straight through beyond the range of my Detection skill.
Wait—did this punch straight through the Middle Layer and reach the Lower Layer?
Well, I'm not even sure if the Lower Layer exists below here, but still.
Looking at this hole, you'd think it leads straight to Hell.
As expected from the Gate of Hell.
But with that kind of power displayed, of course the Monsters would run.
Still, I took out a decent number of Monsters with that, but I didn't level up.
If I'd gotten the level-up right then, I would've had a bit more breathing room.
Was it not enough Experience Points?
Hmm.
I thought I'd killed quite a lot of them, though?
Well, whatever.
I won in the end, so that's what matters.
Ah, but even with all those level-ups, I'm still only 19.
Just one more level and I could've evolved.
So close.
Oh, crap.
[What's wrong, Information?]
The ground collapsed from the Abyss Magic, and now magma is flowing in.
{Wait, seriously?} Seriously, seriously. Physical—we need to grab the Fire Dragon's body and retreat before the magma overflows.
[You want me to carry THIS thing!?]
Stop being so slow about it.
[Ugh. This is gonna give me muscle soreness.]
And so, we retreated, carrying the Fire Dragon's body with great difficulty.
The magma wasn't approaching that fast, but hauling the Fire Dragon made things tight enough.
We nearly ended up sinking into the magma.
I know what you're thinking—just drop the Fire Dragon and go. But after all that effort to kill it, not eating it? That would be the real insult!
Kill it, eat it, say thank you for the meal!
It's all one complete package!
Well, the Monsters that got swallowed by the darkness of the Abyss Magic were completely gone without a trace, so there was no eating those.
Whew.
Now then—Physical, time for the usual scale stripping.
[Yay. Dammit.]
And I suppose it's time for my usual Skill check.
Monologues have been added to the activity report.