Abyssal Sovereignty

Splish, splish.

"This is for my use, not for you to eat."

The strange creature extended its tentacles, hopping eagerly to reach the suspended giant python essence in mid-air.

Meanwhile, Yverantheia deftly manipulated the blood spheres to evade its tentacles.

Throughout the journey, she continually controlled her magic to levitate the blood, significantly enhancing her mastery over magical manipulation.

With practice, perhaps she could use her magic to condense into a new hand, replacing the one she had lost.

However, such thoughts were for another time. Her immediate task was to utilize the blood she had extracted from the python, lest a careless moment result in her being ensnared by those tentacles.

"Alchemy? No, I'm not skilled in that. Crafting magical tools? Even less so..."

As materials for crafting tools, this blood currently held no utility for Yverantheia. Thus, there was only one answer.

She would use her own body as a 'tool'.

Previously, Yverantheia had once stumbled upon a method from a distant land. It involved integrating the purest blood of other races into one's own body, allowing physical growth or acquiring special abilities.

It was perfect for what Yverantheia urgently needed—strengthening herself.

Coincidentally, her wounds from some time ago had not completely healed, providing an ideal entry point for absorption.

Yverantheia leapt into the blood sphere, letting it envelop her entire body.

And then...!

In an instant, excruciating pain surged through Yverantheia, even causing her thoughts to scatter.

Puh...

The pain forced her to gasp involuntarily. She was submerged in blood; even her head was immersed, breathing not air but blood. It intensified her discomfort.

...So these people... endure this kind of pain?...

Unlike the pain from plummeting into this abyss and being pursued by monsters, this sensation felt as if Yverantheia's entire body were being torn apart.

So painful... so unbearable... I'm losing... consciousness...

At that moment, she recalled the images before her fall into the abyss.

No... what is this pain compared to that?

It was merely physical pain; what she had endured was spiritual agony, incomparably greater!

Yverantheia opened her eyes, blood-red filling her vision.

Pain only fuels my rage further... hardship only inflames my hatred...!

This pain, I will repay tenfold, a thousandfold!!

The surface of the blood sphere shattered, a hand emerging, followed by a young girl clad in clothes stained red, riddled with holes.

Her once radiant golden hair now tinged with strands of red, her eyes burning with icy coldness yet boundless fury.

She clenched her fist, feeling the surge of her current strength.

Compared to before, her physical capabilities had significantly improved, even her magical and mental powers had ascended.

...Puh...

The small tentacle sensed Yverantheia's presence and emitted a tiny sound as if it were afraid.

Yverantheia glanced at the small tentacle, then at the remaining blood on the ground.

"I don't need these anymore. Here, take them."

"Puh!"

As if it had merely been acting moments ago, the tentacle extended eagerly to absorb the giant python essence on the ground, feasting heartily.

Exiting the cave, Yverantheia spotted a massive rock and touched it lightly with her fingertip.

Bam!

The rock shattered instantly upon Yverantheia's touch, even more than the last time she had attempted such before heading off to battle the python.

She pinched a fragment of the scattered debris between her two fingers, and with a gentle squeeze, it crumbled into dust, dispersing in the wind.

"I didn't expect such a significant enhancement just from merging with the essence of a creature possessing dragon lineage."

Though the factor of becoming stronger due to battles was present, Yverantheia hadn't anticipated reaching this level.

Despite the python's claim of having dragon lineage, it was incredibly faint, akin to a drop of blood in a vast lake.

Yet even so, both the python and Yverantheia had become significantly stronger, illustrating the true power of dragonkind, worthy of their title as the "world's naturally strongest race."

As for why the title included "naturally," it was because there were entities in the world that appeared later and could single-handedly devastate entire dragon clans.

"Yeah, I'm almost ready to advance."

Yverantheia, before falling into the abyss, had roughly been at the level of a high-tier third level. Now, after training, battling, and merging with essence, she had reached the peak of the third level. Breaking through this bottleneck would propel her into the fourth level.

"First, I need to get used to my current strength... and continue practicing controlling my magic..."

Having set short-term goals, Yverantheia began her actions.

Since she hadn't yet identified her next target, she started by hunting in the vicinity, gathering intelligence along the way.

Of course, during her hunts, she imposed limits on herself, such as using magic solely to control bodily movements.

And so, she spent the next few days.

"No, I haven't encountered any powerful monsters lately..."

This situation typically arose when the vicinity was ruled by python clans, deterring other monsters from approaching.

Yet not long ago, Yverantheia had been chased here by a certain creature, yet she hadn't spotted it since, suggesting it might not belong to this area.

However, if that were the case, it would have intruded directly into the territories of other monsters, contradicting the assumption of a lord.

"In that case, I'll have to ask directly."

Yverantheia stood up and headed towards where she had last seen the python.

Thanks to her increased physical abilities, she effortlessly and quickly reached her destination.

Yet what she encountered was an eerie sight.

Previously, nearly half the trees in the area had fallen due to Yverantheia's battle with the python, but it hadn't looked burnt like it did now.

"The tracks lead... this way."

After a brief search, Yverantheia quickly found clues and headed in a specific direction.

After running for a while, she caught a strong scent—the smell of roasted flesh.

Could it be...

Yverantheia parted the bushes blocking her view and saw a nest—a burnt nest, filled with charred python bodies and broken eggs.

And at its center, a heavily scarred giant python was protecting a dozen small snakes.

"Let them go, or even at the cost of my life, I'll take you down with me!"

It was the voice of the python, but Yverantheia could tell it was already speaking with all its might.

Has its colony encountered a formidable enemy? Or is it an existence even it, with its faint dragon lineage, cannot oppose...

Yverantheia adjusted her position slightly and looked across at the python, then froze in place.

She saw the figure that had haunted her mind relentlessly.