The Evolution of a Goblin to the Peak

Souta returned to his inner consciousness, where he encountered a large ball of energy in the sky. Within this sphere of energy, a small plant with two distinct colors - white and black - was visible. The plant emitted a constant, hazy mist.

Observing closely, Souta noticed a thread extending from his monster orb and connecting to the top of the energy ball. This, he presumed, was the source of his Douion.

"So, this is the source of my Douion? I should call it the Douion Pool," Souta mused.

Surveying his inner consciousness further, he observed that while the magic circles remained intact, cracks marred the sky. He realized that if the damage he endured had been more severe, his inner consciousness might have resembled Saya's - broken and devoid of substance.

"I should give it a try," Souta said to himself.

Raising both hands, he focused on controlling his Douion. Gradually, a white mist began to seep out of the energy ball.

Controlling Douion proved more challenging than expected, but Souta remained determined. He understood that practice was key to mastering this energy.

Then, a realization struck him.

"Wait...?" Souta exclaimed, his eyes widening. He realized that Douion could potentially accelerate the repair process of his damaged inner consciousness.

This wasn't just a simple combination of two powers. It was a brand-new power with abilities that couldn't be found in elemental energy and dream power.

"I wanted to delve further, but I should pause for now," he sighed, exiting his inner consciousness. Stretching his arms, he felt the stiffness dissipate.

Recognizing his current limitations, Souta acknowledged that relying solely on his physical abilities was his only option for the moment. Engaging in combat with beings of his level without access to his powers would be perilous. Even against Sovereigns ranked from 1 to 10, and those at Rank 12, who wouldn't be affected by [Serpent Dominance], he would be at a disadvantage if he couldn't access his full range of abilities.

At the very least, they wouldn't try to fight him today. His feats of eliminating seven sovereigns should be spreading right now. Within a few days, various creatures in Vanko would learn the truth of the battle in the Mare Region.

It's not that he couldn't use his energy; it's just that he couldn't exert himself too much. It's fine to use a little amount of best feram.

"Sigh... I came here to improve my dream power, but something unexpected happened. I wonder how this will affect me in the future."

Souta flew in the air while observing the surroundings. He picked up resources that he found in this region that could help him before going back to the Ming Region. If his condition wasn't bad, then he would have stayed in the Mare Region.

Upon his return to the Ming Region, Souta found Alice and the others exactly where he expected them to be, engrossed in their activities within the region.

"Ah, you're back!" Eilish greeted him with a glance.

Souta nodded in acknowledgment before turning to Alice. "Anything noteworthy happen while I was away?"

Alice pondered for a moment before responding, "Well, three sovereigns appeared. They seemed formidable, one potentially stronger than me. They didn't seem hostile, though. It seemed like they wanted to communicate, but we couldn't understand their language. It's different from ours."

"Sovereigns... If they're not using the monster language, they must be demi, right?" Souta mused.

Alice nodded in agreement with his assessment.

"Since they couldn't communicate with us, they opted to leave. They likely wanted to convey their intentions," Eilish chimed in.

"Indeed. With Vanko being ruled by monsters, they probably didn't want to escalate tensions unnecessarily," Souta remarked, scanning their surroundings. "Anyway, are you all finished here?"

"Not quite. We still need some more time," Eilish replied.

Alice then raised a concern, "And what about the fruits and herbs that could enhance our dream power? We're hesitant to take them, considering you might need them."

Souta waved off her worries. "Oh, those? You can go ahead and take them. I've already had my share, and I've brought some additional resources for myself. So, don't concern yourselves."

He had already gathered a considerable amount of resources, but he required more time to consolidate his strength. Currently, his priority was to repair the damage in his inner consciousness. Fortunately, Douion seemed to be functioning well despite the damage.

A day later, the group returned to Alice's territory. They focused solely on enhancing their strength, utilizing most of the resources to fortify their foundations. With the Mare Region currently in a precarious state, they opted not to venture there, especially given Souta's inner consciousness damage.

The following day, the group departed from the Dream Realm, leaving behind the tumultuous Vanko and returning to reality.

They benefited immensely from their expedition. The group successfully consolidated their strength. While Franklin, Ezgtein, and Vashno hadn't grown stronger, they managed to regain their former prowess. Alice sensed the approach of her fourth shackle, preparing herself to break it soon. Eilish had recently shattered her third shackle, so it would take some time before she reached the limit of her strength and sensed her fourth shackle. Yuko, too, was making strides, reaching the intermediate fourth stage and nearing the next rank.

Their dream power also saw significant improvement. Having consumed numerous resources to enhance their dream power, coupled with the nourishment from the core, their dream power experienced the most substantial growth during the expedition.

This bolstered dream power would prove invaluable in their future battles, a rarity within the Imperium. They owed this power surge to the [Nightmare Mask].

In his room, Souta immersed himself in reading the report detailing the events that unfolded during his time in the Dream Realm.

He sighed as he set down the paper on the table. With Saya in slumber and his inner consciousness damaged, too much had transpired in the Dream Realm.

"There's still some time before we go to Walpurgis. I need to find a way to fix my inner consciousness," Souta muttered to himself, glancing down at the paper. "The Dragon Council discovered ancient ruins in the Darkstone Ranges. According to the archaeologists, the ruins date back to a civilization predating the Hall of Power's reign."

The Dragon Council had opted to explore the ruins, even sending a report to him. Unfortunately, he was in the Dream Realm at the time. Elder Hanmi had decided to lead the expedition, bringing along some companions.

"I can relax for a while since nothing major is happening," Souta sighed in relief. Well, even if something did happen, with his current condition, he could only escape and let Kessa handle any major battles.

He planned to continue his strategy once he had recovered. When Amanda returned, he would gradually set his plan in motion. He suspected that the Astros were prepared for it.

Ohm!

Suddenly, an energy fluctuation erupted.

Souta turned his head with a surprised expression. This energy signature... There was no doubt, it was Isabella.

"She... She broke through the second shackle!" Souta exclaimed in surprise. It was astonishing how fast her progress was. She had caught up with Franklin and even surpassed Torkez. At this rate, she would soon catch up with the rest of them.

"I thought her growth rate would slow down after reaching the Shackled Realm, but it seems I was wrong. She managed to break the second shackle even while researching potions and pills," Souta muttered to himself. Determined, he stood up and swiftly disappeared from his current location.

Moments later, Souta arrived in Isabella's lab. He found her there, a young woman with long green hair, wearing a lab coat, sitting on the ground with her eyes closed.

As Isabella opened her eyes, the energy fluctuations around her began to calm down.

"I've broken the second shackle," Isabella murmured, sensing the transformative shift within her body. With the barrier now shattered, she felt a newfound sense of potential, unbound by the previous limitations on her strength.

"Congratulations," Souta offered with a warm smile as he approached.

"Oh, Souta, you're here," Isabella acknowledged, rising from her seat and adjusting her attire.

"Undoubtedly, your breakthrough has been felt by everyone," Souta remarked, taking a seat nearby. He regarded her thoughtfully before inquiring, "It's fortunate that you've surpassed this hurdle. How is your research progressing?"

"Um... Can I ask where you acquired that pill?" Isabella queried, her tone laced with a hint of uncertainty.

"Well, Saya is the one who gave it to me," Souta replied, his tone tinged with uncertainty. Recollecting the battle against the Red Matter Association, he remembered losing consciousness, allowing Saya to assume control of his body. The specifics of how she obtained the pill remained unclear to him.

"Why do you ask?" Souta inquired, regarding Isabella with curiosity.

"I believe it may be linked to the parasitic essence eater within our bodies," Isabella explained, her expression thoughtful. After collaborating with Torkez on their research, they had made significant strides. "I'm optimistic that we're on the brink of a breakthrough."

"It's connected to our parasites?!" Souta exclaimed, his surprise evident.

"Yes, the pill possesses characteristics that could benefit the parasites. Although we haven't conducted a test yet, I'm confident it will enhance our parasites to a certain degree. Torkez noticed the similarities when he analyzed the data from my research," Isabella elaborated.

"When will you begin the testing?" Souta inquired.

"We're finalizing our preparations, so I anticipate we'll commence live testing next month," Isabella responded.