It was hard to describe how I currently felt.

But I didn't need to describe it.

Lvl. 1 [Joy] EXP + 4%

I could see what I was feeling.

".....I-I did it."

Lvl 1. [Hands of Malady] --> Lvl 2. [Grip of Pestilence]

I had finally upgraded my spell to the next level.

'Grip of Pestilence'

It was as I predicted.

The name changed alongside the level increase. It was as if it had become a completely new spell. No, it had become an entirely new spell.

One that shared similar principles to the old one.

".....It looks like you've succeeded."

Aurelia's voice reached me from behind.

"H-ha."

Taking a deep breath, I pursed my lips before nodding.

"I did."

I truly had succeeded.

"Hahahaha."

A familiar laugh echoed in the distance as four figures showed up.

"Have you succeeded?"

It was Gork.

"Idiot, didn't you literally hear him?"

"Uh, yeah, but I just wanted to hear it from him."

As usual, Gork and Daphne bantered together.

I stared at them for a moment before taking a deep breath and standing up. My body still ached, but I could handle this much.

"So...?"

Liam alternated his gaze between the four of us, eventually settling his gaze over me and Aurelia.

"What's the plan now?"

"....."

Silence took hold of the surroundings after the question.

The answer was obvious, and I turned my body to stare at the enormous Rock Dragon. Even now, the pressure coming from it was terrifying.

There was a reason why I hadn't moved closer to it throughout my entire time here.

The pressure was simply too overwhelming for me to bear.

"Are you ready?"

I felt Aurelia's gaze. With a glance, I could tell she was encouraging me in her own way.

Meeting it, I nodded.

"...Yes."

Although I had just come out of an intense session, the adrenaline was still coursing through my mind. My mind felt clear, and all the details about the spell and what led to its creation were still fresh in my mind.

If I were to take a break then I wasn't sure I would be able to perform it as well.

There was no better time than now.

"Okay."

Aurelia nodded her head and walked up to the Dragon.

"....."

I followed her after a moment of silence. Looking at the enormous creature before me, I felt a little nervous.

This next step was going to be important.

'I'll be able to go back after this.'

To Ellnor, and where the others were. I was starting to miss the Academy and the town. This place felt a little too suffocating for me.

With such thoughts, I took my first step towards the Dragon.

Tak.

I didn't feel much on my first step.

Tak.

I felt something on my second step.

Tak.

In the third step, my brows twitched. There was a certain pressure lingering in the air that felt uncomfortable.

Tak.

The fourth step...

"....."

Tak.

The fifth step...

"....."

Tak.

The sixth step...

".....Hm."

The seventh step...

"Ukh."

I momentarily stopped.

"Huuu."

My entire body felt heavy. It was as if the gravity surrounding the space had doubled.

"Haaa."

I could feel my breath become heavier as a result. Still, I was merely a few steps away from the Dragon.

I could do it.

Drip...! Drip.

Ignoring the sweat that had accumulated on my forehead, I took the next step forward. Yet again, the weight over me intensified. It felt as though a massive boulder was hanging over my shoulders.

Pausing, I took one last breath and pushed forward.

"....Ukh!"

Groaning loudly, my leg felt like lead.

It took every part of me to lift it from the ground and push myself forward.

"Kh!"

The world turned hazy for a moment.

And then...

Tak.

I took the final step.

"Huff... Huff..."

Breathing heavily, I rested my hands over my knees. If before it felt as though a boulder was resting over my shoulder, it was now two to three boulders.

'Not sure that's even possible.'

It just felt like that.

".....Tell me when you're ready."

Aurelia spoke as she placed her hand over the Rock Dragon.

I looked at her with bafflement.

How could she even withstand such pressure...? Every second felt like hell to me, and yet, it didn't seem to bother her one bit.

'.....I guess she's used to it.'

"I-I'm... haa... ready."

Catching my breath, I took a short moment to stare at the Dragon.

I was currently by its head.

With a jaw lined with sharp teeth, its head was massive. Its eyes were shut tight, and its scales resembled hardened plates of rock. Occasionally, a wisp of steam would escape its nostrils as it breathed deeply in sleep.

'Fucking creepy.'

Extending my hand forward, a magic circle floated and my hand turned purple.

It was the same as in the past, however, compared to before, my hand was a deeper shade of purple.

Strange runes appeared all over my hand.

They were a further deeper shade of purple, and they pulsed as though they were alive.

It was a strange sight.

One that I couldn't observe for long as I closed my eyes and placed my hand against the surface of the Rock Dragon.

Right close to its eye.

Tzzzz

Accompanying a sizzling sound, a sharp pain coursed through my hand making me flinch. It felt as though I had touched fire.

"I'll take care of most of the burden. Try your best to keep up with me."

I nodded through the pain.

".....I-I will."

I poured all the mana that I had into the Dragon.

The process wasn't very difficult. It wasn't as though I was doing anything hard. I just needed to use my new skill on the Dragon.

While it was true that the skill had gotten stronger, the main point was that I was inside of a [Curse] rich zone.

This meant that my spell was going to be further enhanced.

Coupled with Aurelia's help...

"Ugh...!"

I groaned and my head flicked back.

"Keep it steady."

".....Kh!"

The rate at which my mana drained increased all of a sudden. It funneled out of my body at a rate that I couldn't control and for a moment it felt as though I was going to get sucked completely dry.

"Resist."

Voom

A humming sound reverberated in the air.

"A little longer."

Aurelia's voice continued to echo in the background.

Rumble! Rumble!

A trembling of the ground startled and I almost lost my footing.

"S-shit."

Thankfully, I was just able to keep myself from falling as I gripped onto one of the plates on the Dragon's head.

I was just about to sigh in relief when...

"....!"

All of a sudden, I felt my heart freeze.

So did my blood.

My expression froze shortly after.

"Ah."

Blinking once, I looked at my reflection.

Right...

My reflection.

Gulp.

I thought I had heard the sound of my own swallow. But I wasn't sure. I had no time to think about that.

"....."

My mind grew blank.

As if time had stopped, I stood still while staring right into the slit of the eye. It was looking right back at me.

A towering pressure concentrated over me as my legs started to wobble.

Lvl. 1 [Fear] EXP + 0.5%

Lvl. 1 [Fear] EXP + 0.7%

Notifications kept flashing over my vision.

I didn't need to be reminded to know what I was currently feeling. The paralysis that I was currently experiencing was the best proof of that.

"....."

The more I stared into the eye, the more it felt as though it was sucking me in.

It was a familiar sensation. One that I recalled feeling in the past before. It took a moment for me to recall.

'Ah, that's right...'

The only one to have ever made me feel this way was Delilah.

Her eyes...

They too felt like this.

Rumble! Rumble!

As my surroundings shook, and the air hummed, I continued to keep my eye fixed on the eye.

"....."

My heart had long stopped beating and my back was drenched in sweat.

Every hair on my body stood on end, and my breath slowly started to quicken.

Time continued to stand at a standstill.

I thought it'd last forever, but eventually, the eyelid came to a close and silence returned over the surroundings.

"..."

Despite it closing, I didn't for once a second feel like it had.

My mind still refused to listen to me.

"We're done."

".....!"

It was a sudden tug at my shoulder that snapped me out of it.

When I turned my head, I realized it was Aurelia.

"D-did we...?"

"Yes."

She nodded.

"We're done. We... can go back."

"Ah..."

I took a deep breath.

So it was finally over...

"It's not over yet."

"Hm?"

Coming to a stop, I looked at Aurelia. What did she mean by that...?

I was just about to question her when I looked up.

"Ah."

Realization finally dawned on me.

"My power has weakened. My presence can no longer deter the Hellhounds from attacking you. I also won't be able to defend you."

".....I see."

I could see that.

Especially when we were currently surrounded from all sides.

Standing in the middle of it all was a certain familiar Hellhound. The leader of the pack, and the one that had fought Professor Hollowe.

It was staring right at me.

The most terrifying part of all this was the fact that it wasn't the only one that was staring at me. All of them were.

"Hahaha."

A distant laugh echoed.

It was none other than Gork who stretched his body.

"What's this? It's just a bunch of dogs. There's nothing to be worried about!"

"Yeah, I agree."

".....We've been through much worse. Let's just deal with them first."

"Hahaha."

I could feel the excitement in their voices as they stretched.

Clearly, the prospect of returning back home excited them to no end.

I almost smiled then.

Having spent enough time with them over the past few days, I started to grow attached to them. They were quirky, but they were the reason I was able to remain sane despite all the pain I had experienced.

They were the best people I could've asked for.

"Can you hold out?"

I asked, turning to look at Aurelia. She seemed a little weak at that moment, and I could understand why.

It wasn't easy to put the Rock Dragon under such a powerful spell. It must've taken a lot of her energy.

The fact that the pressure coming out of her body wasn't anything I felt uncomfortable with was a testament to that.

"....I can hold out."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

I somehow didn't believe her. However, thinking about how stubborn she was, I knew that I had no choice but to take her word for it.

And thus...

Shifting my attention toward the Hellhounds in the distance, I locked eyes with a particular one.

It was standing further back from the leader.

The already almost depleted mana depleted further as my hand turned a deep shade of purple.

Then,

"....."

As I extended my hand, the air in front of the wolf shimmered, distorting into a purple appendage that reached out and seized the wolf by the neck.

Awoooo

Unlike [Hands of Malady] the hand didn't shatter at the simplest of touches.

With a tight grip against the wolf's neck, the hand clamped down as the Hellhound howled into the air. In mere seconds, the Hellhound's body began to convulse, foam forming at its mouth.

The process took no longer than a couple of seconds, and before anyone could react...

Thump!

The wolf had collapsed to the ground, convulsing violently as foam bubbled from its mouth.

"..."

A strange silence took over the place as I stared at my hand.

'So this is the upgraded version of [Hands of Malady].'

"...Not bad."

I looked up again, taking a moment to stare at the others beside me.

Finally...

It was time to return back.