Chapter 376

The sudden clash with the eerie monsters had taken its toll. The state of the remaining survivors was worse than anticipated. Many were stricken with terror to the point of incapability, some even appeared unable to move properly.

"When did this start happening?" Davey asked.

"A few days ago... This has been the situation since we returned from the reconnaissance mission. I didn't want to trouble you, so I didn't mention it..."

"Amy."

At Davey’s soft call, Amy jumped and bowed her head. She apologized, "I-I'm sorry, my Lord."

"I'm not blaming you," Davey said calmly, placing his hand on her head.

"You've taken on too much alone all this time. It's not just about the last few months. You may have had to do things you didn't want to do because they were orders, things you didn't want to do while governing the territory, but you did them because of discipline."

"..."

"That was wrong."

Davey sat on the infirmary bed, reaching out to the men shivering with fear.

[O mighty Freyja who oversees all creation.]

"I consider you an important talent. Remember what I told you: think of this not as a military relationship, but as a relationship between a boss and an employee. If something is efficient, you should always speak up, and if something isn't right, you should address it. What good is it to keep everything to yourself because of what you think I would think?"

[Here, miserable souls are gathered, all seeking mercy, all stricken with fear.]

"But, but..."

"Would it have been a loss if I had stopped what I was doing to come here after you told me about this? Or would it have been a loss if I had been unaware of their suffering, even though I was closest to them?"

"I-I'm sorry..."

"Everyone in the territory is my family, including you. Even though I don't govern directly often, I trust you that much. It's right for you to come to me for help when you're struggling. But I hate it when petty and pointless reasons keep you from efficient methods. Who is the person in front of you? Is it simply a superior who is hard to deal with and a royal of this country? Or is it the person who has given you faith?"Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com

At Davey’s words, Amy lowered her head again.

"Can you do it?"

"Yes!"

"That's good. I trust you. You should trust me completely, too."

‘Pointing out what's wrong and giving opportunities. I believe that's the right way for a leader to rule. Goddess Freyja, don't fret about your weakened influence, please take good care of everyone here.’

[8th Level Holy Magic of Blessing]

[Grand Purification]

Whoosh!!!

As the warm and bright light began to envelop the soldiers, a sense of calm gradually began to creep into their trembling bodies.

"Master Davey, the current condition of the subjects is extreme fear. It's anticipated that purification magic may not be sufficient."

"Perhaps."

The reactions were too uniform to be just fear. It was a deeply ingrained fear that seemed artificial. Davey could only interpret it as a deliberate imposition of fear that needed to be erased with purification magic, much like Lysol. There was no other way to perceive it except as a characteristic that forcefully engraved fear.

‘If you want to challenge me, you'd have to bring at least a transcendent-level black magic that engraves fear. You're out, you bastard.’

Whoosh!!! Crash!

With the sound of something breaking in the air, the soldiers and knights began to fall all at once. As the stimuli that had kept the fear-ridden soldiers alert disappeared, those who had been enduring pain and sleeplessness could no longer resist the overwhelming urge to sleep and collapsed.

"Prepare a simple meal. They'll probably sleep soundly for half a day. When they wake up, they'll be hungry, so distribute the food. And give them a break to rest."

"Yes."

"Just a word of thanks for your hard work... No, I'll deliver this message myself."

"Yes!" Amy responded energetically.

After all, he was the mentally strongest among the three mythical beasts. As Davey spoke, she closed her eyes and fell into silence. An intangible current began to radiate from her body. At first glance, the World Tree appeared as a mere towering tree, but that was far from the truth. Its roots spread across the continent, and the seemingly modest World Tree possessed the power to interact with everything in the world.

A potent surge of energy erupted, moving swiftly and seamlessly. Like a spirited gust of wind, the energy flow extended high into the sky. When she opened her eyes again, some time had passed.

"He is not present."

Upon hearing her words, Davey let out a sigh. "He wouldn't be easily found, would he?"

"Just a mythical beast evading the scrutiny of the World Tree?"

"The issue is that he is more than just a mythical beast."

The distinction between a Mythical Beast King and an ordinary mythical beast was strikingly apparent.

"With this, we can be reasonably certain that he still possesses some sanity."

"That's likely. If he had completely lost his mind, he would have at least revealed his whereabouts."

Davey's judgment was that an individual driven to lunacy, someone who had completely lost their sanity, would not possess the capacity for thought or the ability to decide to conceal themselves. Those who had been driven insane by forcefully traversing dimensions relied solely on their instincts. Particularly, someone as mentally resilient as Megalodria, who could be deemed a visionary, likely had a decent chance of resisting the tides of madness.

"If related information comes up, I'll deliver it to you directly."

Davey quietly nodded.

"But what happened with that?"

"Are you talking about the title?"

"Yes, the title."

Davey waved his hand lightly, and simultaneously, the lingering power of the abyss within him swiftly brought up his status window.

"Indeed, there are abilities attached. However, it appears that they all require a Metamorphosis by Force Stack 1 to activate."

Al, who was well aware of Davey's circumstances, didn't need to overanalyze his words.

"If the dimensional key remains functional, why not give it a try considering what has transpired?"

At her suggestion, Davey nodded quietly. Metamorphosis by Force Stack 1. He only possessed a single stack at the moment, but that was precisely why he harbored no significant regrets.

‘I don't know where I can use it right now, let alone how much I need to accumulate.’

As he pulled down the titles marked with a plus sign, he suddenly stopped at the very last title he had obtained, Starbreaker.

[Star Breaker]

- Current efficacy not manifested. Unlock when Phantom and Skeleton Stack 1 is used.

"Starbreaker..."

It was an excessively arrogant title, but after a while of contemplation encouraged by Al, Davey cautiously extended his hand. With boldness, he invested the only Metamorphosis by Force Stack 1 he possessed. If there was a chance to accumulate more in the future, it was worth exploring the potential of the title.

Indeed, there were titles that could be activated even without utilizing a Metamorphosis by Force Stack.

[The Innocent Novice Sentenced to Innocence]

- Likability increases by 50% to the opposite sex.

- Emit an aura that escalates the heated atmosphere. Success rate of flirting increases by 1%.

It was such a lousy title. However, if even this lousy title yielded some effect, Davey concluded that a title with unlock conditions would possess extraordinary performance.

Thump!!! Crack!

As soon as he lightly tapped the plus sign next to the Starbreaker title, the sound of something shattering began to echo.

And then...

The hidden effectiveness of the title began to manifest. Its impact was rather astonishing.

"Wow... has the goddess finally gone mad?" Davey couldn't help but utter in disbelief.