Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Acresia Devours a Transcendent-Grade Monster

The fake Ria sensed the crisis and stopped rather than rushing straight forward, resisting the absorption force of Acresia.

Soon it pushed back against the force and even retreated backward.

'No—!'

If I let it escape here, it is the end.

I raised the absorption intensity to maximum.

Due to its fierce resistance, my Mana was being depleted rapidly.

However, it also seemed to be in BOOM condition, as the appearance of having transformed into Ria came undone.

'Is that its true form?'

A demon-like appearance wearing medieval noble clothing.

Soon my breath became labored from Mana depletion, and cold sweat broke out.

'I cannot hold on any longer……!'

No, I will hold on.

Even if I die, I will hold on.

If I give up here, everyone might die.

The will to protect my precious ones was holding my mind together.

Soon my consciousness, which I was desperately clinging to, began to fade.

Then.

Ria, who had gathered herself, discharged an aura at the fake Ria's back from a distance.

Hit by it, the fake's body, which had been resisting, staggered and lost balance, then was sucked straight into Acresia.

'I succeeded……'

I immediately closed Acresia.

Soon a pain as if my heart was not just hot but about to burst came flooding in.

Unable to maintain balance, I staggered and swayed, then collapsed on the ground.

Ria rushed over urgently and shook my body.

"Seon-u! Do not lose consciousness! Wake up!"

Rin had also rushed over at some point and was shaking my cheeks.

'I am okay…… Ugh!'

I do not seem to be okay.

My body will not move.

I do not even have the strength to move a single finger.

My vision is gradually blurring too.

Moreover, I felt pain as if ants were biting in lines through my heart and all the blood vessels in my body.

They say this sensation is the suffering experienced by Hunters possessing Skills when dying from Mana over-depletion.

Having experienced it, I learned that description was very accurate.

I did not particularly want to know though.

'Still, I protected them. Ria and Rin.'

I am satisfied.

I have no regrets about facing it rather than running away.

"Wake up, Seon-u! Please……!"

Ria is crying.

I made her cry again.

Still, I am glad I gave her the house before going.

Please live happily there together with Rin.

'I wanted to be together too, but it is regrettable.'

Just as I was about to completely close my eyes.

[You have captured a Transcendent-Grade Monster for the first time.]

[Acresia covets the Transcendent-Grade Monster.]

[Acresia has 'devoured' the Transcendent-Grade Monster.]

[You have achieved an Acresia growth achievement.]

[All stats increase by +5 as an achievement reward.]

[Acresia has devoured the Named Doppelganger 'Hunter of a Thousand Magic Stones' and been promoted to Ancient B-Grade.]

[You have learned Acresia's new skill 'Discharge'.]

Many system messages appeared.

However, the most important thing right now is that I received stat rewards.

That is, my Mana stat also increased.

"Gasp……!"

I had been on the verge of dying from Mana depletion, but through a slight Mana replenishment from the stat reward, a breathing hole opened slightly for a moment.

"Gasp gasp……!"

My heart still hurts as if about to burst and my breath is still labored, but I did not die.

What matters is that I am alive.

Drip drip!

Water droplets fell on my cheeks as if it were raining.

When I directed my gaze upward, those water droplets were not rain but Ria's tears.

"You fool……! I really thought you were going to die……!"

"……Sorry."

Come to think of it, I was using Ria's lap as a pillow.

Soon Ria wrapped her arms around my head and back and embraced me into her bosom.

For a moment, my mind became dizzy from the soft sensation.

Ria, are you planning to kill me again with cardiac arrest?

"I am so glad you are alive…… Really."

Ria's heart is beating just as roughly as mine.

She must have been really startled.

And right now I could feel that she was genuinely relieved that I was alive.

Soon she laid my head back on her lap and said.

"Even if it costs me my life, I will definitely protect Seon-u and Rin, so never overdo it again."

What kind of talk is this now?

Is she saying that even if she dies, as long as she just protects us it is fine?

But…… I also faced the Doppelganger with that same feeling.

I understand Ria's feelings.

However.

"Because I do not like Ria getting hurt…… I will fight together too……"

"……I understand."

Soon I turned my head to look at Rin, and Rin also had a tearful expression.

"Sorry…… I made you worry, right? It is okay now……! Ugh!"

Actually it is not okay.

Even now I feel like dying.

Soon Ria lifted me up and moved me to the bed in my room.

As if my body wanted recovery, I fell asleep as if fainting.

I had a dream.

A dream of a certain Dryad dying while protecting its young child.

Also a dream of killing many Monsters and eating Magic Stones.

I realized.

That this dream was part of the memories of the Named Doppelganger that Acresia had devoured.

Soon I woke from sleep.

'So that Named Doppelganger was the one that killed Rin's mother and ate the Magic Stone from her heart.'

Occasionally there are also Named among Monsters.

Monsters that leave great achievements or are exceptionally strong even among the same species get the Named designation.

Taking Orc, the most common Monster among Named, as an example, even among the same Orcs, a Named Orc Warrior shows strength on a different dimension.

'Just an Orc is Low-Grade Monster level, but a Named Orc Warrior is said to be strong from Mid-Grade to maximum Highest-Grade level.'

This Doppelganger was such a case.

Normally, even though Ria was protecting us, she would not have been easily pushed back by a Doppelganger, but that one was a Named stronger than ordinary Doppelgangers.

A Named with the title 'Hunter of a Thousand Magic Stones'.

'The attached title meaning seems closer to meaning that the Doppelganger hunted over a thousand Monsters and seized their Magic Stones, rather than that it could transform into a thousand faces.'

In fact, the memories of it that I glimpsed in my dream were also memories of extracting and eating Monsters' Magic Stones.

'However, if it is a Transcendent-Grade Monster above Highest-Grade, the Magic Stone would sell for an unimaginable price. Acresia smoothly devoured that for its own growth.'

No trace whatsoever of the Doppelganger remained inside Acresia.

Of course, if it had not devoured, I would have died from Mana depletion.

Still, it is a bit regrettable.

That does not mean I gained nothing though.

All stats increased by 5 each, and the Acresia Skill grade grew and I even learned a new skill.

'But what exactly is Acresia?'

An Ancient-Grade Skill never publicly revealed even once.

Sometimes this Skill even feels like a living creature.

Since it actually devoured the Doppelganger of its own will, should it not be considered correct to say it has will?

Or did it devour to save me?

The mental connection between Acresia and me was quite deep, to the extent that I glimpsed in dreams the memories of Monsters Acresia devoured.

'The Rift in the countryside house also feels like it has a connection to Acresia.'

Could it be that Acresia invited me through the Rift to make me its master?

With the information I currently have, I can only speculate, and I cannot know the answer.

"Anyway, my Mana has fully recovered. Just how long was I asleep?"

I tried sitting up.

My body is quite light.

Then Ria opened the door and entered.

Holding a basket containing water and a wet towel.

Ria was very happy seeing me awake.

"Seon-u! You woke up."

"Huh? Yeah. How long was I asleep?"

"A full two days."

I was asleep for two whole days.

Well, I really had gone right up to the brink of death.

Soon I sat facing Ria at the table and told her about the Doppelganger that had attacked.

The contents I saw in the dream and the facts I learned from the system messages.

Having heard my story, Ria said.

"So that one was Rin's enemy. Even though it was said to be a Transcendent-Grade-level strong Doppelganger, I was flustered that it was stronger than imagination, but if it ate that many Magic Stones, its strength is also understandable."

If Ria had not overexerted herself to protect Rin and me, she would have been sufficiently capable of handling it.

Originally fighting while protecting is difficult.

Ria was not weak; she was carrying a penalty.

'As expected, I must become strong so as not to be a burden to Ria.'

I should increase training intensity.

Ria continued speaking.

"It does not seem like what the Doppelganger was targeting was me and Rin, and it probably targeted Seon-u."

"Me……? Why?"

Come to think of it, it seemed to target me from the start.

"Well, I do not know the exact reason, but even while fighting me, that one kept paying attention to Seon-u running away."

"Then did it target the Mana crystal in my heart?"

"That could be. Or it might have targeted Seon-u's Acresia."

"Acresia……?"

"When we first met, do you remember I said that seeing Acresia, its shape was similar to Archmage Yaike's treasure?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"I once saw a painting depicting Yaike's treasure in the Arcane War victory hall of the Empire where I lived. So I said it because I thought Seon-u's Acresia was similar in shape to Yaike's treasure."

Then was Yaike's treasure really Acresia?

It is just speculation; I cannot be certain.

Ria continued speaking.

"According to the notes Yaike left after his death, it was written that 'One who possesses my treasure shall become the master of Rifts.' After his note contents were leaked, many adventurers set out to find his treasure, but no one found it, according to what is told. So the Arcane faction still believes Yaike did not die and is alive."

"I see. Then if that treasure really is Acresia, you are saying the Doppelganger might have tried to steal Acresia to kill me and become the master of Rifts?"

"The possibility seems low, but I thought it might be possible."

According to Ria's continued words, it was also precisely Yaike who caused the Rift incident in the world where Ria lived hundreds of years ago.

His treasure had the ability to open Rifts.

Then was the Rift incident that occurred throughout Earth where I live also perhaps caused deliberately by someone?

It seems not impossible.

Soon I asked a question I had wanted to keep asking but could not ask because we were in the middle of conversation on other topics.

That was precisely about Ria's condition.

"Ria, is your injury okay? Is there anywhere you are hurt?"

"There are almost no external injuries, and I did sustain internal injuries, but I recovered almost completely during the two days."

"RUMBLE, I am glad."

"I am glad Seon-u also woke up safely."

Soon there were no more words between us.

When we made eye contact, we slightly averted our gazes.

We had each fought risking our lives to protect the other.

Perhaps because of that, it feels like our relationship has grown one step closer.

We grew closer, yet why did things become even more awkward?

"Rin?"

"She is hard at work farming outside. Rin was also by Seon-u's side until a moment ago."

"That is touching."

"For two days she did not sleep and stayed by Seon-u's side. She must have worried tremendously."

"Really? That one, she is commendable."

Then since my body had recovered, there were piles of things to do.

I must also install the house roof and yard deck.

I must also plant grass.

And I must also try various experiments with the Applecherry Rin cultivated.

'And even testing Acresia's newly obtained skill.'

The threat has disappeared, and it is time to return to everyday life.

Before skill experimentation, I first did cooking using Applecherry.

'No matter how rare a skill is, cooking comes first.'

Because my main occupation is cook.

Soon I made healthy juice by putting in Applecherry Rin cultivated and vegetables RUMBLE for the body.

Then the result was astonishing.

[C-Grade Master's Darot Healthy Juice]

[Blessing of Dexterity Effect: For 6 hours, Stamina recovery rate and Mana recovery rate increase by 37%. Stamina increases by 10%. Immunity to poison Level 3 and below. Immunity to hunger.]

[C-Grade Fruit Effect: Freshness lasts long. Does not spoil easily.]

An insanely good Buff juice was born.

Moreover, accompanied by a natural preservative harmless to the human body.

"This is truly insane……!"

6 hours of Buff and the Buff contents are also no joke.

If I sell this, it should fetch some money……?

Soon I made a sandwich with Applecherry putting in sauce and fruit slices.

[C-Grade Master's Darot Sandwich]

[Blessing of Dexterity Effect: For 6 hours, Agility increases by 12%, Strength increases by 9%, Stamina increases by 25%, Mana increases by 17%.]

[C-Grade Fruit Effect: Freshness lasts long. Does not spoil easily.]

Compared to what I made with existing Applecherry, what I made with Applecherry Ria cultivated was about twice as RUMBLE in both effect and duration time.

'This will definitely sell expensively.'

While I am at it, should I also make fruit wine?

I did not know at this time.

Of the great incident that would occur due to fruit wine.