In the dungeon city Orario of another world, when adventurers entered the dungeon, the most important supplies they prepared were naturally weapons and equipment.
Next came various potions, with even food and water being of secondary importance. Potions that could replenish various states could be lifesaving at critical moments.
So many types of potions existed in Orario, and among the numerous potions, several were prohibited from use and trade by the guild.
Even unlock medicine, which could peek at adventurers' ability values, wasn't listed among them because it could be used to check the identity of unconscious adventurers, then provide aid or return their belongings.
This showed that the guild's management of potions wasn't actually that strict.
But even so, one type of potion was strictly prohibited by the guild. Even making it was a punishable crime - that was update medicine.
This medicine could be used to update ability values when the main god wasn't nearby.
In the original plot, after Freya hypnotized all of Orario and changed Bell into a member of her familia in everyone's perception, she used update medicine to update his ability values.
When encountering danger in the dungeon, updating ability values might provide more chances of survival. But compared to this use, the guild was obviously more afraid of its harm to handle it this way.
The public reason was that update medicine's materials were divine blood, and making such potions was blasphemy against the gods.
But Charles learned the truth from Hephaistos.
The core of Orario's prosperity and even existence was the familia system centered on the gods.
The most important factor maintaining the relationship between adventurers and gods was the existence of Falna.
Adventurers' growth was achieved through repeated ability value updates and level-ups, and this process that only gods could perform ensured the most basic structure of familias.
Of course, some gods developed their familias through their own abilities or charisma, completely not needing such guarantees.
But undeniably, if update medicine spread widely, it could indeed shake the foundation of many familias.
After all, not all gods could win their children's affection, and there was no shortage of unprincipled scum among adventurers.
Although the guild's prohibition of update medicine never stopped, the shadows in Orario never completely disappeared.
Especially after the Great Feud, the remnants of the dark factions who lost their main gods all had demand for update medicine, so underground transactions continued despite repeated bans.
The potion in Charles's hand was even more special - it was a high-grade update medicine personally made by Miach, the god of medicine, at the request of his own main god Hephaistos, and could even complete Falna upgrades.
"Since you're not even in Orario, you don't need to strictly follow Orario's rules!"
That's what Hephaistos had said, and it seemed his own goddess had already sensed something.
But this wasn't strange either. If Miach could vaguely deduce Cassandra's irregular skill situation, it was normal for Hephaistos to perceive the truth about world magic.
Perhaps precisely because she discovered Charles's special circumstances, she prepared upgrade medicine for him. And it came in handy this time!
Thanking his goddess again, Charles felt the new power surging through his body.
Some said the leveling process was breaking the "vessel" that adventurers had reached the limit of and reforming a "vessel" with greater capacity.
But in fact, the leveling process was definitely not that simple, but rather similar to a sublimation of life essence.
After all, the endpoint of Falna was to evolve humans into gods.
That's why Haruhime's Uchide no Kozuchi shocked even the gods - it was an ability that forcibly elevated life levels.
As if carved into his instincts, Charles understood his new abilities.
"Charles Dragneel
LV5
Strength: I(0)
Endurance: I(0)
Dexterity: I(0)
Agility: I(0)
Magic: I(0)
Magic:
[Fire Dragon Slayer Magic]
·Additional magic
·No chant magic
·Immune to and absorbs fire attribute damage
[A#×*nj]
·XN&>%`K,H4#LW_
Skills:
[Dragon Slayer]
·All abilities increase when fighting dragon-type enemies
·Damage to dragon-type enemies enhanced
[Noble Phantasm]
·Condenses indestructible attribute equipment with magic power
·All technique attack power reinforced
[Fairy's Blessing]
·Automatically gains development ability [Mage] when using magic
·Automatically gains development ability [Healing] when using magic
·Immune to partial elemental magic damage
[Nibelungen Ring]
·Activate at will
·Dragonification, all ability values greatly increased
·Accompanied by berserker effect
Development Abilities:
[Forge] D, [Mystery] E, [Fighter] F, [ ]"
Besides having one blank development ability not yet selected, Charles could feel the most intuitive change was naturally the added skill.
Charles hadn't expected to gain such a skill.
Beast transformation abilities weren't rare. Most beastmen in Orario had such abilities, like the werewolf Bete's Howl Under the Moon and the boar-man Ottar's Boar Fighter.
Beast transformation skills had always been considered exclusive to beastmen. But Charles was purely human, so awakening such an ability should be related to Dragon Slayer Magic.
As Dragon Slayers grew stronger, there would be the danger of dragonification, but in fact that wasn't any side effect.
How could the human body fully unleash all the energy of dragon power? So dragonification was actually one of the achievements gained from cultivating Dragon Slayer Magic to its peak.
But this transformation had drawbacks. Dragonified Dragon Slayers would lose color in their vision, unable to taste flavors, and even their senses would be weakened to a faint degree.
But Charles possessed world magic. His body wouldn't be transformed by dragon power while still being able to unleash dragon power's full strength, naturally not fearing those side effects.
The giant dragon form Charles had displayed in previous full battles was actually formed by magic power mimicry. He had originally thought transforming into a giant dragon was impossible, but unexpectedly this level-up gave him such a skill.
Charles moved his shoulders and said, "Stella, step back. I might get a bit excessive later!"
Stella hugged Charles from behind, "I believe in you. No matter what kind of battle, you'll definitely return victorious!"
After saying this, Stella released Charles and moved to the distance, taking the severely injured captains who couldn't fight to safety.
Charles smiled, "Isn't that obvious!"
Saying this, Charles looked up, his gaze meeting Lucifero's.
"Perfect, let me try out my new ability!"
Nibelungen Ring... activate!
In legend, dwarves stole gold from the Rhine River to court fairies and forged it into a ring. Legend said possessing this ring would grant supreme power.
Later, the god-king Wotan didn't want to pay the giant brothers their reward for building his palace - the most beautiful goddess in heaven - so he went to Nibelheim and stole this ring to give to the giant brothers.
But the ring was cursed by the dwarf, and its possessors would meet tragic fates.
This curse was soon fulfilled. Fafner of the giant brothers killed his own brother to monopolize the ring, then used the transformation helmet made by the dwarf to become an evil dragon.
As for the evil dragon being slain by the hero Siegfried, that was a later story.
Charles didn't understand why his skill had this name, but the surging power now left him no time to think carefully.
A roar that humans could absolutely never make came from Charles's throat as his canine teeth protruded directly.
Sharp dragon horns pierced through skin and emerged, and dense red dragon scales arranged on his face near his now vertical pupils.
His ears became elongated and his hair grew much longer.
With a crack, the Noble Phantasms on Charles's arms actually decomposed, revealing palms that had become dragon claws. The Noble Phantasms reassembled to cover his arms, the unique armor appearing more ferocious.
His shoes were pierced by sharp foot claws, and dragon wings spread behind him.
Magic power surged out with flames, actually pushing away Lucifero's magic power and gravity covering the entire space.
"Is that really... Charles?" Noelle swallowed and said with a trembling voice.
Yuno said hesitantly, "It seems like his power is too strong and he's lost control!"
Asta clenched his fist, "I believe in Charles. He can control it!"
And Charles himself understood what the berserker effect of this skill meant. His reason was now like a small boat on a stormy sea, liable to sink at any moment.
The manifestation in reality was Charles crouching down and charging toward Lucifero like a hunting beast.
Lucifero looked at Charles disdainfully, "Foolish human, thinking that becoming an ugly beast will...!"
Before he could finish speaking, he took a punch to the face and was sent flying for the first time since manifesting in the present world.
Spitting out broken teeth, Lucifero saw Charles had already followed up, bringing down interlocked fists.
Only then did Lucifero realize that although he had lost his reason, Charles's power had now caught up to his own.
______
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