Chapter 36: The Aftermath

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After defeating the second Nightmare Beast King, I awakened a new power: my Esper Brain. This granted me an Esper Ability—Matter Restructuration. It sounded incredibly overpowered, and it was, though not without limits.

At Rank 1, both its range and the power I could channel remained restricted. I doubted I could erase someone with a simple touch, for example. My fight against her had already proven that a strong enough opponent could resist it without much difficulty.

Still, I welcomed this new ability. It complemented my recent Soul Ability perfectly, expanding and evolving my arsenal and fighting style. Unfortunately, I have always been reckless, so my combat approach matches that nature. In that sense, a power capable of regenerating my own body might have been the best possible reward, even if it too carried clear limits.

To advance my Esper Brain, much like my Soul Ability, I needed to cultivate and strengthen my brain. Once that was achieved, it would rise to Rank 2, further amplifying my mental powers. Later, I should practice and try to master Telekinesis, and perhaps even Telepathy—common abilities most Espers possessed.

After defeating the giant plant monster, I successfully recruited her as my newest companion. Apparently, when I killed her, she had used some ability to survive in the form of a small seedling. With little choice other than death or capture, I decided to tame her and turn her into my new familiar.

She was clearly unhappy about it—especially when I named her Dryad and expressed my hope that she would one day become a powerful nightmare tree. She stared at me as if I were about to assassinate her, which felt genuinely bizarre. Why such an extreme reaction?

And then Mongrel scared her away…

“Look, I’m not going to enslave you. This is for your own good. I’ll make sure to rehabilitate you into a decent person.”

“I’m a monster born from nightmares! Do you honestly think that will work?!”

“Well, I can try.”

I was stubborn like that. Ignoring her protests, I turned toward the beautiful treasure chest waiting at the center of the room. With anticipation rising, I slowly opened it.

[You have opened the [Nightmare Beast Lord Boss Treasure Chest (A+ Grade)]!]

[You have received the following items:

[System Point Coins (A Grade)] x2000

[Divine Soul Spirit Elixir (A Grade)] x15

[Mind Nourishing Pills (A Grade)] x15

[Random Species Path Skill Book (A Grade)] x1

[Nightmare Affinity Skill Scroll (A Grade)] x1

[Nightmare Plant Sovereign Bracelet (A Grade)] x1

[Abyssal Nightmare Vine Whip (A Grade)] x1]

“More rewards than before…” I murmured. “And more coins… Nice. Let’s claim these first.”

[You have exchanged 2000 System Point Coins.]

[You earned 2,000,000 System Points.]

[Total System Points: 5,593,000]

“I’m even richer now…”

The items that caught my attention most were the Soul Elixirs and the new Mind Nourishing Pills. I had already consumed my previous stock of Soul Elixirs to heal my wounded soul, so these arrived at the perfect time. I quickly drank two and felt immediate relief.

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The pills worked similarly, nourishing and healing my mind rather than my soul. Whenever I overexerted my psychic powers, they would restore my mind and brain, preventing damage or backlash. They also supported the gradual growth of my Esper Brain, leaving me torn between consuming them all now or saving some as emergency healing items.

“Hm.”

After a moment of consideration, I decided to eat five pills and observe the results. They were small and tasteless, so I washed them down easily with some Soul Elixir.

“Gulp.”

Almost instantly, explosive energy surged through my brain. In mere seconds, my psychic power overflowed, and my Esper Brain felt fully awakened.

“Wow!”

Ding!

[You have consumed [Mind Nourishing Pills (A Grade)] x5!]

[Your Mind and Brain have been greatly nourished.]

[Your [Esper Brain]: [Rank 1: Awakened Esper] is reacting to the energies but cannot grow further. Insufficient energy.]

“Wait, I’m almost there?!” I gasped. “Okay—hold on!”

I quickly consumed three more, then two. That was when it happened. A profound shift stirred within me. My brain itself seemed to come alive, wobbling strangely inside my skull. The sensation was surreal.