— — — — — —
"…This level of power…"
The new trait he gained had boosted his Ki far beyond what he used to generate just by converting his spiritual energy—and honestly, he had seen that coming.
But this much of a leap?
Feeling the Ki coursing through every inch of his body, Veyron took a deep breath and opened his Trait System panel.
[Divine Ki (Lv. 49): Maybe it's the Source Energy of everything.]
Lv.10: Divine Ki Power +2
Lv.20: Divine Ki Power +4
Lv.30: Divine Ki Power +6
Lv.40: Divine Ki Power +8
---
…Case Closed.
Every other trait he had—whether it was spiritual Power or even the three types of Haki he'd already integrated—followed a steady growth pattern: +1, +2, +3 for every 10 levels.
But this? +2, +4, +6, +8?
Those four bonus tiers together added up to a whopping +20—a full 10 points stronger than any normal growth pattern.
And according to what he'd already tested with his Telekinesis Trait, just 1 point basically doubled the original base. So this "extra" 10 points? It wasn't just a multiplier. It was a multiplier on top of a multiplier.
He thought his new trait at Level 49 was already insanely strong, with this… it was like taking the base, multiplying it by 1024, and then multiplying that result by another 1024.
Not to mention, Divine Ki was already fundamentally more powerful than the Ki he used to make from converting spiritual energy. And now it was at Lv.49, while his old Spiritual Power Trait had only reached Lv.36 at best.
No wonder his body felt like it was about to burst from the overwhelming energy.
"…What even are you right now?"
Yuuka Kazami—who'd been standing off to the side—looked at him with a mix of awe and suspicion.
"Honestly?" Veyron grinned. "I feel like I might've gotten too powerful. So OP for real."
"..."
Yuuka went quiet for a second, then nodded seriously. "You know what? You've earned the right to say that."
Veyron hadn't meant to do anything to her, and yet that one tiny wave of Ki that leaked out from him had made every hair on her body stand on end.
Back when she and Yakumo Yukari were still together—before either of them had reached the rank of Great Yokai—they'd once been hunted by a terrifying beast that was after their very essence. Even then, Yuuka had never felt this Kind of soul-deep helplessness.
"And I'm not even done yet," Veyron said thoughtfully. "If I'm right… I've still got two more power-ups left."
His eyes flicked back to the four bonus effects under [Divine Ki], already planning ahead.
— — —
In the Treeborn World
A shadow continent born from the roots of the World Tree's sapling.
Ever since the great world migration, this shadow realm—lying on the "back side" of reality—had become the territory of the Dark Elves.
All things tied to darkness, decay, or concepts that oppose light and nature would flow down the World Tree's branches into this world.
Because of that, the shadow continent was essentially a cursed deathtrap to most races—humans, high elves, halflings, and the like. Without protection, staying here too long would cause your very soul to rot.
But for the Dark Elves? It was a paradise.
Thanks to the help of the goddess, Larentia, the Dark Elves had successfully relocated their capital—Black City—from the northern Eos Plains to this place.
...
And right now, in the palace atop the tallest spire of Black City…
Queen Olga Discordia, ruler of the Dark Elves, was deep in discussion with her attendant Chloe and a senior elf administrator who managed civil affairs. She was laying out her vision for the next phase of development for their people.
Suddenly, a figure appeared out of thin air right in front of her.
"…Veyron-sama?" Olga rose from her throne, while Chloe and the other elf bowed respectfully.
"I need a favor," Veyron said without preamble.
"You two, leave us." Olga waved Chloe and the official away.
The heavy palace doors shut behind them.
Once they were alone, Olga's tongue traced her lips. Her long, graceful legs shifted with subtle intent.
The way she looked at Veyron was almost hazy with heat. "Here or…"
"…Let's stick to business first." Veyron sighed.
This was Treeborn World, still Hentai at its damned core.
If he were still someone pure and innocent, maybe things would be easier.
But someone like Olga? Someone who had already slept with him? Even if she'd been discussing serious politics just seconds ago, the moment she saw him, it was like a switch flipped—her whole vibe shifted into "we could do something fun right here, right now."
Honestly, anyone else witnessing that transformation would be shocked at first, sure. But considering how deeply this world's laws had been corrupted by lust and indulgence, odds were they'd join in without question.
Truth be told, if he didn't enjoy it himself, Veyron might have dragged Larentia into writing a million-word reform plan just to fix this world.
"How may I serve you?"
As Queen of the Dark Elves, Olga at least had decent self-control.
Tempted as she clearly was, when Veyron made it clear he was here for serious matters, she reined herself in—at least for the moment.
"I want you to show me your black magic… or, as you dark elves like to call it—'witchcraft,' right?"
Veyron laid out his request plainly.
"Witchcraft?"
"That's right."
He nodded. "If I remember correctly, not just in this world, but counting the previous one too, you're probably the greatest witchcraft user in all of history, aren't you?"
"You flatter me," Olga replied with a smile that couldn't quite hide the pride in her eyes.
So how strong was her witchcraft?
To put it simply—
Back in the original world, long before the invasion of the evil gods, she had built the Black City using her witchcraft—an entire sanctuary for her people.
And due to a strange twist of fate, the city also ended up benefiting the northern demon clans, turning it into their de facto stronghold.
And despite being basically surrounded by enemies at that time—humans, elves, halflings, and various other minor races—Olga had stood her ground alone, surviving countless plots and ambushes for over a hundred years.
Even when the evil gods finally invaded, the alliance of the Seven Shields had no choice but to take a defensive stance against her Black City.
That's how terrifying her witchcraft was.
"Which aspect of witchcraft would you like me to demonstrate?"
After allowing herself a quiet moment of smug satisfaction, Olga asked calmly, having maintained her composure in front of him.
"Let's start with the basics," Veyron replied. "What I really want to understand is the Kind of magic power you need to actually cast your witchcraft."
"Very well."
She lifted her right hand and made a subtle gesture. The long staff leaning beside the throne—part royal scepter, part witch's focus—flew into her hand.
With a tap on the ground, a glow of magic began to radiate from her body.
---
—One day later
A new trait appeared on Veyron's Trait System panel:
[Witchcraft]
And he immediately fed it to his [Divine Ki] trait.
[Lv.10: Divine Ki Power +3]
[Lv.20: Divine Ki Power +6]
[Lv.30: Divine Ki Power +9]
[Lv.40: Divine Ki Power +12]
Looking at these four new enhancement tiers under the [Divine Ki] trait, Veyron frowned slightly.
"Would you like me to perform the demonstration again?"
Olga, who had been quietly watching his expression, immediately asked with concern when she noticed the change in his face.
"No need. You did perfectly."
Veyron shook his head. "Actually, thanks to you, I was able to finally confirm something I've been suspecting for a while now…"
.
.
.