Chapter 67: Battle with the Owl Beasts: Awakening New Powers

“Seris…!”

“Ugh…!”

The faint sound of someone calling my name pulled me out of my hazy consciousness.

As my vision cleared, I saw Selion’s face looking down at me, her expression filled with concern.

“Se… Selion? Did I fall asleep?”

“You slept like a rock! Leaving the watch duty to Nightmare—don’t you think that’s a bit much?”

I quickly sat up, glancing down at my hands.

However, the sharp claws I remembered were gone.

Instead, my fingertips had rounded, blunt nails as if last night’s scene had been nothing but a dream.

“What…?”

“Had a nightmare?”

Was it really just a dream? Frowning, I focused on the mana within me.

Soon, I identified two thick mana circles tightly coiled around a glowing orb of starlight.

This confirmed one thing—what I saw last night wasn’t a dream.

Fortunately, the pain in my chest was gone.

Rubbing my cheek, I asked Selion, “Selion, do you notice anything strange about me?”

“Strange? Like what?”

“Like… parts of my body changing in odd ways…”

“Hmm… no, not really? I don’t notice anything.”

Selion tilted her head and examined me closely, but after some time, she added, “Nope, nothing unusual.”

“Did you dream of turning into some weird monster?”

“No, it’s nothing like that…”

“Well, let’s eat breakfast.”

“Ah, okay.”

Unable to find any obvious changes, I reluctantly let it go and ate the breakfast Selion prepared—a warm bowl of stew.

After finishing our meal, we prepared to set out. Just as I leaped onto Nightmare’s back, I froze in shock.

“Huh…?”

My body felt lighter than usual.

Despite applying the same amount of force as always, I soared higher than expected.

Perplexed, I turned to Selion.

“Selion, are you sure nothing about me has changed?”

“Like I said, nothing’s different.”

Right, nothing seemed different—at least, externally.

But as I moved my hands around, I could feel it.

The change wasn’t on the surface; it was happening inside me.

As time passed, I became increasingly aware of the alterations.

First, my physical abilities had significantly improved.

Second, I gained the ability to see as clearly at night as if it were day.

The third change, however, was the most troubling.

That night, when it was my turn to stand watch again, Selion was fast asleep.

Confirming that she was deeply resting, I began to manipulate my mana.

As the mana circles spun rapidly and unleashed energy, noticeable changes occurred.

First, my canines sharpened, growing into fangs.

Then, as I watched, my once-blunt fingernails elongated into sharp claws, exuding a menacing aura.

It was just like what I had witnessed last night.

To test their strength, I scratched a nearby tree.

The claws left deep, distinct marks in the wood, rivaling the durability of a steel blade.

“Ugh…”

I let out a long sigh and stopped channeling mana.

The sharp claws and expanded vision gradually reverted to normal.

While the enhancements meant improved combat abilities, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

I touched my fangs with my tongue, releasing another deep sigh.

The next morning, as we prepared to move out, I cautiously asked Selion, “Hey, Selion?”

“Yeah?”

“Is it possible for a human’s body to transform like a monster’s?”

“What? Humans?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“I see…”

“Why do you ask all of a sudden?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just wondering if the mana here, which changes monsters, could also affect humans.”

“That’s an interesting thought, but you don’t need to worry. Ordinary humans aren’t as closely connected to mana as monsters are.”

“What if… someone is closely connected to mana?”

“Even then, it should be fine. People with a strong affinity for mana usually become mages, and I’ve never heard of a mage turning into a monster.”

Her words didn’t provide much comfort, and I swallowed nervously.

It seemed I would need to refrain from using mana until I fully understood the changes within me.

“Shall we get going?”

“Yes!”

Although I resolved to avoid using mana, that was easier said than done.

This was Monster Island, a place constantly under threat from monster attacks.

As its name suggested, monsters dominated this land, not humans.

As Selion and I made our way toward the base camp, we were frequently ambushed by monsters.

While I could handle smaller, weaker ones without mana, things were different with the larger, stronger creatures.

“Seris!”

Selion’s sharp warning rang out just as a massive monster burst through the densely packed trees, smashing them apart.

[Kuoooh!]

I urgently tugged on Nightmare’s reins and examined the monster that appeared.

Its face resembled an owl, and its body was as massive as the ogre I’d encountered before.

However, unlike the ogre, its body was covered with stiff feathers, and it swung its wings around like arms.

No, they were practically arms. Over countless evolutions, its wings had transformed to function like arms.

[Kuoooh!]

The enormous monster flapped its feathers and lunged at Selion with its clawed wing-arms, tearing into the ground.

Selion had mentioned that avoiding battles on Monster Island was the wisest course of action.

But it seemed she had deemed this encounter unavoidable, as she drew her sword.

The moment the blade was unsheathed, Selion was already swinging it toward the colossal monster.

Her swiftly slashing sword flared like a flame, leaving a deep cut on the monster’s arm.

[Kuwaaaah!]

Injured, the monster roared louder and began thrashing violently.

Gripping StormBringer at Nightmare’s side, I pulled the reins.

Understanding my intention, Nightmare charged fearlessly toward the monster, which was much larger than itself.

At that moment, another shadow emerged from the forest.

This new creature was slightly smaller than the first one, but it looked identical.

[Kwakaaah!]

With a thunderous roar, it announced its arrival, its owl-like face grotesquely twisted as it fixed its gaze on me.

“Damn…!”

The situation naturally split into a one-on-one confrontation.

I led the newcomer away, trying to position myself as far from Selion as possible.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The enraged monster began charging at full speed.

Its outstretched wings scattered feathers in all directions, and its massive beak opened wide, revealing its grotesque interior.

Normally, I might have felt intimidated by such an attack from a giant monster. But not this time.

Leaping off Nightmare, I began channeling mana.

As the mana circle rotated, starlight-infused energy surged through my body.

With the activation of the Mark of the Great Warrior, my body began to transform.

My vision widened, and sharp claws and fangs emerged.

As threads of mana flowed out of me and wove into a thin veil, the owl-like creature leapt toward me.

Boom!

It launched a diving attack, using its own weight to try and crush me.

Its intent to flatten me was obvious, but I didn’t dodge.

Somehow, I felt I could handle it.

It wasn’t baseless confidence.

I trusted in the defensive power of the mana veil I’d created and the enhanced physical abilities it granted me.

Watching the descending mass, I steadied my stance.

Storm Bringer’s massive blade touched the ground as I drew it back, my left leg stepping forward while my right leg braced firmly.

When my stance felt perfect, I swung the blade with all my might.

Whoosh!

With a heavy sound, the enormous blade struck the massive owl-like creature’s body.

Crash!

It wasn’t the sensation of cutting through flesh and hide.

It felt like smashing a thick club into its bones.

“Hyaaaah!”

A moment later, a battle cry erupted from me as the enormous owl-like creature’s body flew sideways and crashed to the ground.

The monster, seemingly stunned by the impact, struggled to rise.

Frowning, I glanced at my wrist.

A sharp pain throbbed, and my skin was swelling red.

It seemed I had injured my bones while striking down the massive creature.

Just as I was about to move to finish off the monster writhing on the ground, a red shadow fluttered down from above.

With a decisive strike, Selion drove her blade into the head of the giant owl-like creature.

Squawk!

Selion had delivered the finishing blow.

It seemed she had already dealt with her own opponent and rushed over to assist.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I deactivated my mana flow.

Selion twisted and wrenched her blade, ensuring the monster was completely subdued.

“Are you hurt?”

“Ah, just my wrist feels a bit sore, but I’m fine.”

As I rubbed my wrist awkwardly and smiled, Selion gave me a strange look.

“That sword… Is that your weapon?”

“This? Oh, yeah.”

Selion’s gaze was fixed on StormBringer in my hand.

For a moment, I thought she might’ve noticed my claws, but that wasn’t the case.

Smiling lightly, I reattached Storm Bringer to Nightmare’s side.

“Did you think it was just decorative?”

“It looked too big for you to use…”

“Well, it is a bit large.”

I gave a wry smile and patted Storm Bringer.

At that moment, I realized I hadn’t told Selion the story behind this sword.

I had been sharing my adventures with her over a meal before Balder interrupted.

“Did I ever tell you about this sword?”

“The sword? No, what about it?”

So, my memory wasn’t wrong.

Pulling Nightmare’s reins, I opened my mouth to explain.

“It’s a long story. To explain it properly, I’d need to start with the time I went to the Holy Kingdom of Obrein…”

“Oh…”

That evening, perhaps because of the excessive mana usage, my body underwent another transformation.

Touching my head with a distressed expression, I discovered small horn-like protrusions growing beneath my hair.