Chapter 37

"FU─────u!"

The hydra roared.

Its eyes didn't even register Narusena's presence.

It directed its hostility solely at me, and the murderous intent that prickled my skin made me involuntarily smile wryly.

"But this is convenient."

However, that murderous intent was nothing but advantageous for both me and Narusena.

Our fighting style was for me to defend and hold it back while Narusena attacked.

In other words, if the hydra focused only on me, it would create an ideal situation for Narusena to attack.

"This way..."

So, I felt a slight sense of relief.

Honestly, the only attacks I could make while focusing on defense were mere feints.

Even before the mutation, those feints weren't enough to draw the hydra's full attention, and after the mutation, if it had targeted Narusena, the one responsible for attacks, there would have been nothing I could do.

Therefore, the current situation could be considered the best possible scenario.

"FU──────u!"

Because I understood this, I remained calm even when the hydra turned one of its heads toward me.

I activated mana detection and thought acceleration, and as the hydra's head loomed before me, I couldn't help but smile.

Through mana detection, I understood that the hydra's movements, aside from its speed, were exactly the same as before the mutation.

This meant that the same methods used before the mutation would still be sufficient to handle the hydra's attacks.

"......Huh?"

But the next moment, I found myself floating in mid-air.

"Big brother!"

I finally realized I had been blown away by the hydra when I heard Narusena's cry from a distance and felt the sensation of floating.

"!"

I managed to land in a defensive position, but the distance between me and the hydra increased.

Thanks to the short-range mana detection, I could handle anything within 10 meters, but I couldn't perceive anything beyond that.

So, I stopped the mana detection and tried to return to the hydra.

"Wha...!"

Before I could, I was startled by the presence of a spell aimed at me.

I rolled exaggeratedly on the ground, barely dodging the spell, and only then did I fully grasp the hydra's threat.

Indeed, the hydra's movements hadn't changed much from before the mutation.

However, its basic performance had drastically improved.

I had managed to deflect the hydra's attack.

...Yet I was blown away so easily.

The strength difference between me and the hydra was so vast that even deflecting its attack couldn't prevent me from being blown away.

Moreover, the spell.

How long had it taken for the hydra to cast and release the spell while I was being blown away and taking a defensive position?

It wasn't a long time at all.

Yet, the hydra had managed to construct and release a spell in that short interval.

...The only person I knew who could do that was my master.

The hydra's unbelievable enhancement and its highly advanced magical skills.

Only then did I fully understand what the mutated hydra truly was.

...If things continued like this, it was an existence I could never defeat.

"So what?"

Yet, even knowing this fact, I was strangely calm.

"Stop! Look at me!"

I could see Narusena desperately trying to hold the hydra back with her skills.

Her punches, though powerful, didn't reach the hydra's vital organs due to its massive body, and the hydra didn't stop moving.

Still, Narusena swung her fists desperately to help me.

"Haha,"

I couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

The hydra ignored Narusena and came toward me, and I understood that we would lose if things continued like this.

But I felt a burning passion that overwhelmed even that realization.

I was deeply moved by the existence of a companion I had finally gained.

– We won't lose as long as I and big brother are together!

Narusena's words echoed in my mind.

"Yes, I really believe that."

We couldn't defeat the hydra as we were.

"Then, we need to bring out even more power."

But for that reason, I had no intention of stopping now.

Bringing out even more power wouldn't be easy.

I understood that much.

No, I, who had always pushed my limits and struggled to gain strength, understood it better than anyone.

Yet, I firmly believed that I could easily surpass my limits now.

"FU───────u!"

The hydra, completely ignoring Narusena's desperate attempts to hold it back, was closing in on me.

How many seconds until it reached me?

"That's enough time."

I smiled, clearly aware of the countdown.

In the next moment, I activated mana detection, but I didn't activate thought acceleration afterward.

The amount of information entering my brain through mana detection was enormous, and an ordinary person would lose consciousness instantly.

So, I had always used thought acceleration to process the information and make it useful in battle.

"Ugh,"

...But even I, who was somewhat accustomed to it, felt a severe strain trying to process the information from mana detection without thought acceleration.

A splitting headache shot through my head, and blood flowed from my nose.

I instinctively sensed that if I let my guard down even a little, I wouldn't be able to process the information, and my thoughts and consciousness would stop.

"But, I can still think,"

I was still smiling.

I could think, which meant I could still fight.

With that belief, I reinforced my body with qi in the next moment.

I understood the hydra's movements perfectly, so I believed that even without thought acceleration, I could handle it with body reinforcement.

"Ugh,"

...But the next moment, the headache worsened, and I almost collapsed.

By then, my self-awareness was already fading.

I began to wonder who I was.

"Big brother!"

"FU──────u!"

Narusena's cry echoed, and before I knew it, the hydra was right in front of me.

I needed to move, but my body wouldn't respond.

While feeling a sense of danger, I also understood.

After all, handling mana and qi was extremely difficult.

Using both simultaneously was already incredibly challenging.

It was impossible to switch their usage in an instant.

But I smiled.

"Still, I decided to do it."

"FU─u!"

Clearly at my limit, I laughed, and the hydra showed a moment of confusion.

"Roarrrrrr!"

In that moment, I let out a roar and tried to stand, forcing strength into my body.

Even a slight movement caused excruciating pain and nearly made me lose consciousness.

But I ignored it and tried to stand.

"FU──────u!"

"Ugh,"

In the next moment, I felt something release, and I stood up, perfectly deflecting the hydra's attack.

It was a close call.

If I had stood up a few seconds later, I would have been impaled by the hydra's fangs and surely died.

"This is just the beginning."

Despite understanding this, I said it to the hydra without any hesitation.

"FU────u!"

"......Eh?"

...But the next moment, the hydra turned its back on me and ran toward Narusena.

After a moment of confusion, the blood drained from my face.

I couldn't stop the hydra, which was heading toward Narusena to attack me.

"Narusena!"

In the next moment, I let out a scream...