[350] Devour

As August stood before the massive skeletal sword, the four adventurers accompanying him were left speechless.

This was incredible. The magic stones and loot they had gathered along the way were only worth a few hundred thousand at most—nowhere near a million. But this... this item alone was worth at least tens of millions! And just like that, August was giving it to them?

"Oh, by the way, you can sell it to Ottar. I'm sure he'll be more than willing to pay a high price for it," August suggested with a sly grin.

During his previous battle with Ottar, August had destroyed Ottar's weapon. Now, Ottar was likely searching for materials to forge a new weapon, and there was no way he could get his hands on a sword like this one. The skeletal sword was far beyond his reach, especially since the current Udaeus had been forced to respawn through the use of a water candle. Unlike its first resurrection, this one wasn't a natural occurrence. Furthermore, the resurrection process for Udaeus took several months, so there was no chance Ottar could claim it anytime soon.

"Huh? Why would Ottar want to forge a new weapon?" one of the adventurers asked.

August shrugged casually. "Well, during our last fight, I shattered all his weapons. So, I'd imagine he's currently lacking anything useful."

The group was stunned silent for a moment. The way August nonchalantly mentioned breaking someone's weapons, only to then sell the materials for a new one at a high price—it was quite the strategy.

"Well, do whatever you want with it. The sword is yours now," August said, handing over the skeletal sword.

"But August, this is too valuable," one of the adventurers protested.

August waved it off. "Don't worry about it. I'm not short on money these days."

His tone was almost obnoxiously carefree, like a man flaunting newfound wealth. The adventurers exchanged glances, unsure of what to make of his generosity.

"So, does this mean our dungeon exploration is over for the day?" Lefiya asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"We can call it here if you want," August said, then added, "But I've got something to take care of in the deeper levels. You guys go on ahead without me."

"I'll go with you," Lefiya offered immediately.

August shook his head. "I'll move faster on my own. Don't worry, I'll be back by nightfall."

"Alright," Lefiya sighed reluctantly.

The rest of the group could only watch as the two exchanged sweet words, feeling a little overwhelmed by their growing intimacy.

While the adventurers appreciated August's generosity, they could do without the excess of affection on display. After saying their goodbyes to Ais, Tiona, and the others, August began his solo journey, diving deeper into the dungeon.

As the group made their way back to Orario, Ais couldn't help but voice her thoughts.

"Do you have any idea how strong August has become now?"

"I'm not sure," Ais admitted, "But right now, I feel weak compared to him."

"It's not just you—we all feel the same way," Tiona added with a hint of admiration. "His growth is unreal. It's like he's cheating or something. He just keeps getting stronger at an impossible rate."

Ais glanced back toward the direction August had gone, a shadow of doubt flickering in her eyes. She had fallen behind. She couldn't keep up with him anymore, and she was starting to feel like a burden. Though August had never said so, Ais couldn't help but define herself that way now.

Meanwhile, August was moving at an incredible speed, his black wings unfurled as he flew through the dungeon's layers. Flying was so much faster than walking, allowing him to cross an entire level in a fraction of the time. In just under an hour, he descended from the thirty-seventh floor all the way to the fifty-ninth—the deepest known layer of the dungeon, a place his Familia had only just recently conquered.

Upon arriving at the fifty-eighth floor, August noticed that the area, once turned into a wasteland from battle, had now sprouted into a dense tropical jungle due to the presence of the demi spirit. The lush growth covered the scars of war, making the area seem almost peaceful again.

August reached the heart of the dungeon and stretched out his hand. In the void, a crack slowly formed, and from it, a single root extended. As soon as the root touched the ground, it rapidly burrowed into the earth, anchoring itself deep within the dungeon.

The World Tree sapling had begun its work.

The World Tree had the power to consume the essence of entire worlds, and devouring a mere dungeon was no challenge. The dungeon itself was a living miracle, a self-sustaining entity where monsters were endlessly born, killed, and reborn. Each resurrection consumed magic, and upon death, the monsters dropped magic stones.

August had long suspected that the dungeon was absorbing magic from the world around it. But none of that mattered now. His plan was to destroy the dungeon entirely.

Living or dead, everything in the dungeon would be consumed by the World Tree. Its roots would drain the dungeon of its essence and magic until there was nothing left. In time, the dungeon would be reduced to history, just like the rest of this world.

Not only would the dungeon be consumed, but August also had plans for the world itself. By draining its essence, he would cause the mysteries of this world to slowly fade, reducing it to an ordinary realm devoid of gods and magic.

This was August's ultimate goal. In this world, the greatest mystery wasn't humanity or the various races that inhabited it, nor was it the dungeon or monsters. It was the gods themselves.

While the gods had granted humanity divine blessings that unlocked hidden potential, those same blessings also placed limits on them. The highest level one could reach was LV9—no more. But if the world's magic and mysteries were drained, the gods would be the first to disappear. Without them, what kind of world would this become?

August could hardly wait to find out.

'Daddy, can I devour everything?' The sapling's voice rang out sweetly in August's mind.

"Of course, sweetheart. This is all for you," he replied with a smile.

'Yay!'

The sapling's voice was filled with joy, and it wasted no time digging its roots deeper into the dungeon.

What August didn't know was that the moment the World Tree sapling took root, the entire dungeon erupted into chaos. Every layer of the dungeon began spewing out monsters in droves, leading to the deaths of countless adventurers.

The so-called "safe" town on the seventeenth floor was overrun by monsters, its newly rebuilt structures reduced to rubble once again.

Unaware of the destruction unfolding above, August pulled a magic scroll from his treasury. It was a teleportation scroll—something he had drawn long ago. Though it had been useless in other worlds, it was now finally of some value, as it was keyed to his room in his Familia's home.

With a flash of light from the magic circle, August was instantly transported back to the Loki Familia's headquarters in Orario.

___

If you're interested in reading more, feel free to visit my pat reon, 

https , // www .pat reon. com /XElenea