20th day. Honestly, it wasn't that long of a time.
It's a short time for a person to grow, and even shorter to internalize anything you might gain. Honestly, I thought there wasn't much difference between me 20 days ago and me now.
Rather, my body is heavier and more tired. However, I wasn't too worried.
From the moment I entered this place, I was certain that I would meet him someday. If anything, meeting him around now could be considered a late encounter. I also thought I had a decent chance of winning.
From the time I met him before and cut off his tail, I confirmed a faint hope. At least, my attacks land on him.
This time, the blade just needs to hit his neck, not his tail. Thus, the battle began.
My strategy remained unchanged.
I dodged attacks that I thought would kill me if they landed, and counterattacked if I thought it was worth the risk.
He already surpasses me in all physical abilities. His size was beyond comparison. The only advantage I had was this superior regenerative Ability, so I intended to make full use of it. Fwook- "Krrr···!!!" Once, my Spear thrust dug deep into his front paw.
I had to dodge dozens of attacks for this one strike. A few times, my reaction wasn't fast enough, and various parts of my body were scratched. It's a good thing my senses have gotten sharper recently.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to dodge for so long. I used the blood I shed, whether for defense or offense, in any way possible.
I didn't rush myself.
Tomorrow was the day Rage Mode would trigger, but I fought with all my might as if today were my last day. No, it's more accurate to say that I didn't have the luxury to think about that.
I could clearly picture myself being split in half if I rushed in carelessly. I repeated the process of running away after inflicting a significant wound and then charging back in.
If it goes to a long fight, I have the advantage. I constantly chipped away at him, giving him no time to rest.
Just like that jaguar did a few days ago. "Krraa!!!" After repeating this several times, he finally showed signs of being pissed off.
He seemed to be cursing me with those fierce eyes, calling me a despicable bastard. I chuckled inwardly at the sight.
So what if I'm despicable, a little pathetic? At least, I've survived this long.
I've struggled and clawed my way here, carrying a life that should have been cut short at age 10.
Perhaps this kind of battle suited me better. Bang! Kwaang!
The battle continued for a long time, until night fell and the Waning Moon appeared.
As time passed, injuries gradually accumulated on his body. I was getting tired too, but not as much as him.
The presence or absence of injuries makes a huge difference.
Especially for someone as old as Old Tiger, his stamina would naturally deplete quickly. "Kruk! Krrr···!" Of course, he still didn't give up and kept attacking.
As if he knew that if we didn't settle this, it would be the end.
Truly the will and tenacity befitting the ruler of this place. The fight dragged on for so long that I could feel other Monsters glancing over at us. Well, it'd be strange if they didn't notice with all this commotion. I wondered if they might jump in during the fight... but thankfully, that didn't happen. Strangely, they just watched, and didn't interfere with the fight. As if they were waiting for the fight to end.
Or, as if they were quietly watching the scene of the Forest's ruler crumbling. The fight finally ended near dawn the next day. "Krrr..." He, finally exhausted, showed an opening.
And I didn't miss the opportunity. I immediately went for his neck and thrust my Spear in with all my might. Fwoosh!
Along with the chilling sound of flesh being pierced, blood literally poured out like a waterfall.
The focus gradually disappeared from his strong eyes. His rough breathing subsided, and his body gradually collapsed. Thump!
Thus, he fell to the ground and met his death. "Hoo···!" A strange sense of exhilaration and euphoria washed over me. I wanted to shout out loud.
But I didn't have the time. 21st day, the Waning Moon would rise tonight. 'Is there a safe place?' I don't know. Honestly, I didn't have the strength to look for such a place. So I just started digging into the ground. As deep as possible. Deep enough to fit my whole body.
I used Old Tiger's corpse as a roof. As I continued digging the hole, I started to feel strange.
The Waning Moon had risen. This time, it was Rage Mode A.
At that moment, I had to offer a brief prayer of thanks to the gods. 'Oh fuck, thank you, Gaia...' Rage Mode after using up all my Abilities is definitely the worst.
But hadn't I gathered plenty of Holy Water for just such a day? If it had been B, the Holy Water wouldn't have worked, but since it was A, I was actually saved. Gulp, gulp, gulp.
So I drank the Holy Water and quietly endured. I slept like I was passing out from the battle fatigue, and when the effects of the Holy Water wore off, the pain woke me up.
I hurriedly drank more Holy Water and then fell back into a deep sleep.
.
.
.
. Thus, the 22nd day, late afternoon arrived. "Uh, uhm..." The reason it was late afternoon was because I had just woken up from the accumulated fatigue. "Gasp...!" I jumped up and hurriedly checked my body.
I wondered if another Monster had come in and attacked me while I was sleeping. It seemed like a far-fetched thought, but I had slept so deeply. I couldn't dismiss the possibility. But contrary to my expectations, my body was perfectly fine.
Rather, I felt refreshed, perhaps because I had slept deeply. Although I was a little stiff from the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements. '...What is this?' It was certainly something to be relieved about, but my first thought was one of confusion. Honestly, even I thought the hole I dug was shallow.
I dug it in a hurry while exhausted.
It wouldn't have been strange if a Monster had smelled the blood and come running. Feeling puzzled, I dug through the ground again and climbed to the surface.
And my question was immediately resolved. 'Aha...' It wasn't that the Monsters hadn't come.
They just chose a different prey instead of me.
Right above the hole where I had endured, the large corpse of Old Tiger remained. There was no need to hunt for food, so they were sharing it amicably.
I chuckled as I watched them ravenously tearing at the Tiger Meat. "Right, you guys are the ultimate profit maximizers." Thanks to them, I survived. "Kyiik?"
"Kuiiiik?" They seemed to have finally noticed my presence, raising their guard and looking at me.
But they only watched me warily, none of them rushed at me.
I could even sense a faint fear in their eyes.
I soon realized why they were acting like this. I killed the ruler of this Forest.
So now, I could be considered the ruler of this Forest.
Since they had probably seen me take down the Mountain Lord yesterday, there was no way they would easily attack me. I had clearly become a predator. "Whew..." Thinking about that, I finally felt like I could breathe.
At the same time, I felt confident. From now on, there wouldn't be any more creatures recklessly attacking me, right? "Hey, get out of here." Thus, with a confident stride, I chased them away.
This was my spoils of war. I couldn't just let them continue their meal as they pleased. "Quiik..."
"Whimper..." Those jackal-like creatures licked their lips as if they were disappointed, but thankfully, they backed down without a fight.
They probably figured there was no need to risk their lives since they had already tasted the meat. Once the Monsters retreated, I started collecting my spoils.
I couldn't take it all anyway, since he was so huge. I had to take as much as I could carry. So I gathered the teeth, claws, and a few pieces of meat before moving on again. ...After walking for a day,
On the 23rd day since entering the Deep Layer, I finally arrived at the Deepest Part of the Deep Layer. How did I know it was the deepest part? It's very simple.
There was a Cave leading underground in front of me, and an incredibly strong Demonic Power emanated from it.
As if that was the source. Gulp...
I felt a moment of tension, but I soon stepped into the Cave.
It would be ridiculous to turn back after coming this far. The passage leading down wasn't very deep.
However, the space that appeared after descending the passage was quite wide. It was a circular, dome-shaped space about the size of a futsal court.
The floor and walls were surprisingly flat. Flat enough to be called a structure rather than a cave. I thought it would be dark, but it wasn't that dark.
Strangely, Luminous Stone were embedded in the walls.
I gaped for a moment at the eerie yet dreamy sight. However, there was something else that truly surprised me. “I’ve felt the forest has been noisy lately, and it was your fault, wasn't it?” A voice came from the center of the chamber.
A clear and deep voice, like the forest itself. Judging by the tone, it sounded like a woman's voice. “Well, you are a guest, so I should introduce myself.” Filled with curiosity, I looked towards the center.
In the middle of what looked like an Altar on the floor, I saw a woman's face.
A woman with long green hair and a gentle-looking face. However, there was something peculiar... “Nice to meet you. I am the 8th, the Demon of Woodland, Barbatos.” She only had a head and neck. As if that was all of her body that was manifested. Soon, the face that introduced itself as Barbatos asked me. “So, who are you? What brings you here?”
“...Hmm.”
“...Why are you staring at me like that?” I silently stared at the creature with only a head.

Neck