Chapter 18: Time Deceleration
The gains weren't limited to just personal strength.
Over three months, using the Scales of Obedience, Aura had taken control of the key humans in the entire town of Follich, bestowed nobility upon herself, and become the de facto ruler of the town.
Unfortunately, perhaps due to the emotional detachment of Demons, despite Fingal's persistent efforts to gain her attention through various ridiculous methods, he only managed to increase her favorability by a few dozen points—dealing with Aura had left him exhausted, while she kept avoiding taxes, causing his attempts to claim rewards to fail.
Damn it!
But fortunately, he eventually received his 'reward,' exchanging it for control over all the humans in the town.
Well, Fingal admitted it wasn't that simple... Actually, there were also some rather perverted requirements like 'legs,' 'holding horns,' and 'collecting Aura-sama's stockings.'
To be honest, it was somewhat despicable, shameless, and lewd. Even though Aura was cruel and beastly, he still had a strong interest in her body.
Country destruction be damned!
Sorry to the righteous protagonist who decisively kills across the world!
I'm just this kind of degenerate man who can't control his urges!
It's all the system's fault!
So evil (sadly)
Anyway, understanding long live! Those who don't understand, country destruction be damned!
...
Back to present perspective.
"Haha... ha... I can see it!"
"Get out of my way! Don't disturb me!"
Fingal dodged the bear's swiping paw and shouted excitedly—he had truly become stronger!
He yelled at the demon wolves controlled by Aura to get away, facing the giant bear alone. Surprisingly, the gray wolves seemed to understand human speech and obediently ran off, amazing the hunter squad members who dared not approach within ten meters.
"ROAR!!!!"
The giant bear let out a terrifying roar at him, breathing foul air reeking of rotting flesh and blood. When it stood on its hind legs, its shadow completely engulfed Fingal, its sharp claws glinting coldly in the moonlight. Had this been several months ago, Fingal would have run as far away as possible from such a creature.
"ROAR!!!!"
[Loading Combat Assistance Mod... Entries will temporarily favor combat-oriented entries.]
[The black bear is mildly puzzled by your actions.]
[Entry generated: Black bears become more prone to arousal toward you.]
[Entry generated... Level 1 entry "Stiff Limbs": The long-starved black bear discovers its muscles are less agile than before (agility reduced by 5%)]
[Entry implantation... Successful!]
"...?"
Fingal's face darkened tactically. "Arousal? Say it clearly! I'll %＆*%...＆ you if you don't!"
"And how is this kind of entry considered a combat entry, you bastard!"
More terrifyingly, due to conditioned reflex from facing Aura, he subconsciously implanted the entry.
[Implantation successful... Male bears become more prone to arousal toward you.]
Huff huff...
The black bear's breathing grew heavier, and so did Fingal's expression. It seemed as if countless black lines were about to cover his face, looking as uncomfortable as if he'd eaten shit.
"Damn it, it couldn't be a male bear, could it?"
"I beg you, please be female! A male bear developing desires for me... I absolutely don't want that!"
Once this thought emerged, it became unstoppable. Fingal felt all his body hairs standing on end... Anyway, time to fight! No one else must ever know about this—I'll have to silence it!
Kill!
"Come on... don't underestimate me... Damn, I'll change my opening line next time."
"Anyway... bring it!"
His pupils ignited like kerosene lamps, suddenly burning with golden halos as his eyes transformed into eerie vertical slits.
The current sensation was profoundly strange.
The air congealed like gelatin. Fingal could see the black bear's sharp claws tracing deathly afterimages through the air, could hear breathing sounds stretched into roaring echoes, sweat droplets suspended refracting cold light, even the fluttering sound of a panicked butterfly leaving its tree to flee chaotically—Fingal could perceive all this with crystal clarity.
Time... had slowed down!
Twofold... fourfold...
The current limit was... eightfold!
He could unleash eightfold temporal deceleration within moments—the fifty-meter radius around him became his Time Stop Domain, where those without resistance would be bound and toyed with by time itself!
In other words, his speed increased eightfold!
Fingal's gaze was as cold as the snows of Greenland, his hand gripping his new weapon—a folding knife—with deathlike intensity. It was a short blade forged from Mithril, purchased by the Orden family from the dwarves, engraved with swirling patterns resembling tree rings.
Then, in the next instant—his folding knife struck the black bear's right eye with precision, tearing out a mass of tissue mixed with white and red in a sickening rip.
It all happened too fast... The bear hadn't even processed what occurred before agony surged over it like a tidal wave.
"ROAR!!!!!"
The black bear roared in terror, its face searing with excruciating pain. That clawless monkey had actually pierced its eye!
What followed was the loss of its entire right-eye vision and depth perception—it could only clumsily swing its paws, desperate to kill that damned, deceptively handsome monkey.
Yet, Fingal consistently stayed in the bear's blind spots, leveraging his agility to deliver repeated strikes.
Fingal circled the black bear at high speed, his folding knife grazing its body and retreating—a skill he'd learned from some wilderness survival show champion. Using the knife, he attempted to "bleed" the bear. Since it was early spring, the bear was still lean.
Fat mingled with flesh and blood splattered messily on the ground. The blood loss enraged the bear further; its once-stiff muscles grew fluid and more powerful!
Eightfold... fourfold...
Now twofold.
Time seemed to accelerate—dangerous, perhaps? But Fingal felt no fear, only heightened excitement... He felt his entire body heating up.