Chapter 20: Get Out of the Forest Now

 

Dragons are arrogant and greedy beings.

 

However, dragons were not always arrogant and greedy from the beginning. When dragons were chosen as the world’s regulators by the two gods, the emotion given to them was rather a sense of duty.

 

A sense of duty to accomplish their goals.

 

With that sense of duty, the two dragons created by the gods regulated the world.

 

But that was only temporary.

 

As the years passed by tens, hundreds, thousands of millions, dragons grew weary of their emotions.

 

They felt skeptical about their inability to harbor any desires.

 

Therefore, the avatars or offspring they created.

 

Possessed a nature completely opposite to the dragons who were the world’s regulators.

 

Extremely hedonistic, selfish, and greedy.

 

Therefore, all creatures instinctively feared dragons. Because they feared the dragons’ evil nature. Because they feared these unpredictable beings whose actions could not be anticipated.

 

But…….

 

[Why are they approaching like this….]

 

Levelis Artrayna.

 

The most ferocious and savage Red Dragon, she thought as she patted the head of a rabbit that had approached her feet.

 

It seemed that the dragon’s dignity

 

had plummeted to the ground.

 

How dare such insignificant creatures rub their heads against my feet?

 

It seemed necessary to give a solid lesson.

 

Levelis lifted the rabbit with her hand.

 

Instantly, the rabbit’s eye level was similar to hers.

 

Grin.

 

The rabbit smiled as soon as their eyes met.

 

Instinctively, Levelis hugged the rabbit tightly. Although it was so small that it was hardly felt, the tiny, beating heart felt even more precious.

 

[Come to think of it.]

 

As she softly stroked the rabbit’s head, feeling the increasing number of animals surrounding her, she thought of a certain snake.

 

A very large one.

 

A snake much stronger than herself, a dragon.

 

[Jörmungandr.]

 

The first impression was very frightening.

 

The black scales that seemed like armor made him look as if not a single drop of blood would flow, and his blue eyes had a cold feeling.

 

Moreover, his overwhelming size compared to hers was amazing.

 

Even though she, as a dragon, was very large.

 

Due to being able to polymorph, it was hard to pinpoint an exact size, but at least her true form easily exceeded several tens of meters.

 

But even that size was nothing compared to Jörmungandr.

 

So huge that measuring size in numbers was meaningless, Jörmungandr was enormous.

 

Honestly, if he wanted to devour her, he looked strong enough to swallow her in one bite.

 

So when she faced his power.

 

Levelis instinctively felt her death.

 

There was no way such a predator would leave her alone. Moreover, she had been the one to appear first and provoke him.

 

If it had been her, even if she let her go safely, she would have given a thorough beating.

 

But he didn’t do that.

 

Instead, he brought her, who had fainted, to his lair and took care of her.

 

Moreover, he even gave her a gift.

 

[Hmm~]

 

Levelis carefully caressed the black scale.

 

Smooth, hard, and cool.

 

Furthermore, it faintly glowed, making it perfect as a collectible.

 

Carefully stroking the scale, she placed it in the deepest part of her lair.

 

The black scale sparkled brightly on the gold, making it look like a rare treasure to anyone.

 

She lay down, curling up in her lair with a satisfied expression. The cold floor surrounded Levelis, but such chill did not affect a dragon at all.

 

Rather, as animals approached and leaned against her body, tiny warmth filled her body.

 

She closed her eyes, intending to sleep.

 

[……?]

 

Animals entered her lair.

 

That much would not have raised any doubts.

 

But the number was different.

 

Numerous different kinds of animals hurriedly ran into the cave where she lived.

 

Panting so heavily that she worried they might die from exhaustion.

 

She hurriedly rose.

 

Something was definitely happening.

 

She heard the voices of the animals.

 

A squirrel that had run ahead hurriedly climbed onto her body and whispered in her ear.

 

There was an intruder.

 

And that intruder was destroying the forest and harassing them.

 

[……How dare they.]

 

It was unbelievable.

 

How dare someone intrude into the lair of a dragon and destroy it?

 

Unacceptable.

 

More than anything, what angered her was the occasional sight of the animals’ wounds.

 

Not very deep, but definitely painful wounds.

 

Her eyes burned red.

 

Closing her eyes and focusing, she instantly encompassed several kilometers in her range.

 

And then.

 

She found a human wielding a giant black sword, destroying the forest recklessly.

 

Levelis’s eyes burned quietly.

 

[…….]

 

As she drew a magic circle, Levelis’s form disappeared instantly.

 

* * *

 

Heroes.

 

Noble beings chosen by the Goddess to gain power.

 

They were overwhelmingly strong, fighting to defeat the enemies that came from the Demon Realm.

 

But.

 

Were all heroes noble?

 

Would they save people without any reward?

 

The answer to that question was simple.

 

No.

 

Humans were composed of people with many different natures, and the same applied to the heroes who were humans.

 

In fact, it was very rare for a hero to save someone without expecting any reward. Most heroes were only interested in becoming stronger, not caring if others suffered in the process.

 

And that was.

 

Deltian, the Hero of Greed.

 

He was no different.

 

“This forest is full of energy….”

 

He was exploring a newly discovered forest.

 

A clean and pure forest, untouched by humans’ dirty footsteps.

 

Looking around, he saw small animals roaming peacefully, and the sunlight filtering through the trees created a warm scene.

 

It was like a dreamlike place.

 

A place infinitely pure and clean, untainted by human greed.

 

Therefore.

 

“I don’t like it.”

 

It irked Deltian.

 

He didn’t like anything pure and clean.

 

To be more precise.

 

He enjoyed breaking everything with his own hands and seeing it become chaotic.

 

He was the Hero of Greed.

 

As befitting his name, the more he pursued his desires, the stronger he became.

 

And to him, this pure forest stimulated his desire for destruction.

 

“Why hesitate?”

 

In his grasp, a black sword shone.

 

A sword reborn as a cursed weapon, soaked in the blood of countless people.

 

It trembled and cried out.

 

The cursed sword consumed the wielder’s lifespan, making it a terrible weapon.

 

But Deltian didn’t care.

 

His cursed sword wasn’t one that consumed the wielder’s lifespan.

 

“Alright, you’re thirsty for blood too.”

 

Since the sword was reborn through blood, it also demanded blood.

 

An enormous amount of blood that would drench it completely.

 

For that, Deltian swung his sword.

 

As crimson slashes spread in all directions.

 

Crash!!

 

The forest began to shatter.

 

The once tall and green trees were smashed, and the peacefully roaming animals were torn apart by the slashes.

 

“Hahaha!! This is it!”

 

Deltian laughed as he swung his sword.

 

Every time the crimson slashes swept through the forest, the once vibrant energy of the forest turned sticky like blood, and the forest began to fill with the aura of death.

 

The smell of death.

 

Breathing it in, Deltian grinned, baring his teeth.

 

Now.

 

At times like this, Deltian felt most alive.

 

Destroying the forest and slaughtering every animal he saw. He began to delve deeper into the forest. He was convinced that the powerful being he longed for was hidden deep within.

 

A stronger opponent.

 

More slaughter.

 

For him alone, Deltian rushed deeper into the forest.

 

Then, at his feet, he saw an animal.

 

A squirrel trapped under a tree.

 

Its body was stuck, staring at him with fearful eyes, unable to move.

 

“Do you want to live?”

 

Deltian grinned, baring his teeth.

 

The fear emanating from the squirrel.

 

He savored the sticky fear.

 

“No.”

 

He swung his sword.

 

As the large sword was about to slaughter the squirrel.

 

[Stop.]

 

A spell shot from somewhere swept his body.

 

Crash!

 

His body flew away instantly, crashing through several trees before stopping.

 

Deltian lifted his body, stuck in the trees, and looked up.

 

And there.

 

[Get out of the forest now.]

 

“Haha.”

 

There was the large, formidable target he had been longing for.