After returning to the guild from his job, Ben began reading the books he had purchased in town. He first skimmed through the spell books before delving into books about Gods, Demons, and Curses.
"Hmm, 'Gods are the most powerful beings, even more powerful than dragons.' Well, of course they are. What a useless description," Ben grumbled.
Ben read through the book and discovered that the Gods mentioned were not what he had initially thought. These Gods were incredibly powerful magical creatures, distinct from the concept of a singular God. These Gods possessed varying levels of power and strength and could be summoned using specific methods.
"Are they Gods or Pokémon? Hmm, maybe the Gods and Dragons are legendary Pokémon in disguise," Ben thought, musing on a pointless idea.
Ben deduced that these Gods were simply the strongest creatures in Earthland. They were not the creators of the world or even of life and death. Perhaps they played a role in its caretaking, but they were not the same Gods he had envisioned.
"That means the Gods who sent me to this world are most likely the real Gods, not just super strong magical creatures. They rule over many worlds and universes, after all, since they can send people's souls to multiple worlds," Ben concluded.
Similar to the Gods, Demons were also magical creatures. They possessed intelligence akin to humans and lived together in groups. Furthermore, they exhibited both good and bad attributes, just like humans. However, certain types of demons were confirmed to be inherently malevolent.
"Etherious? Demons from the 'Book of Zeref'? Damn, this Zeref guy must be incredibly powerful to have the ability to create demons," Ben remarked.
These Etherious were dangerous demons known for employing 'Curse' instead of magic. Numerous battles had been fought against them, and they varied in terms of power.
Etherious were formed purely from Ethernano, hence the name. No one knew exactly how Zeref accomplished this, but everyone understood the danger they posed.
Ben found the study of these creatures fascinating, but he was particularly intrigued by the power of Curses. Unlike magic, curses drew their energy from negative emotions rather than magic power. They still required Ethernano as fuel, but demons could alter the nature of curses using negative emotions.
"So it's a different way of utilizing Ethernano besides magic, but it harnesses negative emotions, which both strengthens and weakens it," Ben pondered.
Emotions were unstable and could fluctuate in strength, but Etherious were inherently composed of negative emotions themselves. Thus, it wasn't an issue for them, but it posed problems for humans.
"Hmm, although curses have this weakness when used by humans, it is still an intriguing power. I will try to find a way to learn it in the future and perhaps incorporate its concepts to enhance my magic," Ben remarked.
Unfortunately, knowledge about curses was limited. Perhaps only the Etherious knew the methods of harnessing curses. If Ben encountered an Etherious in the future, he planned to extract their knowledge about curses.
Continuing to read the book, Ben stumbled upon another interesting piece of information. He discovered the existence of God Slayer and Devil Slayer magic. These magics possessed a similar trait to his own Dragon Slayer magic, allowing the slayers to consume various elements.
However, each magic type had its own unique attributes. They fell under the category of Lost Spells, indicating that the training methods had been lost. Finding these methods would prove challenging and likely required luck.
"Hmm, could these three slayer magics be combined and utilized by a single person? Even if it is possible, the burden must be immense. Nevertheless, I would like to research it as it may assist me with my situation," Ben pondered.
Ben mulled over his Dragon Seed, which he had learned about from the A.I. Chip. Dragon slayers like him possessed the seed within their bodies. If left unchecked, the seed would eventually transform them into real dragons.
The A.I. Chip informed him that his dragon seed was still in its infancy and had yet to sprout. Each dragon slayer had different conditions for the seed to mature. As a Sun Dragon Slayer, Ben believed it would begin to sprout once he surpassed 100 marks in his stats upon reaching S-Class.
[Name: Ben Cooper
Age: 12
Status: Alive
MP: 40,231/40,231
STR: 77
AGI: 73
STA: 83
INT: 93]
"I won't be far from reaching it. If I gain an additional stat or two even after yesterday's battle, I will surely surpass 100 within a year," Ben predicted.
Ben recognized that his rapid growth would accelerate his dragon seed's development. However, he needed to proceed in this manner in order to find a cure. Only by understanding its nature could he search for a solution.
The A.I. Chip had suggested a method: having a dragon reside within his body. Ben inferred that Wendy, his fellow guild member, had a dragon foster parent within her, Grandeeney.
The predicament lay in the fact that Ben obtained his power from a deceased dragon, leaving him without a dragon residing in his body. Moreover, dragons were now extinct, making it impossible to ask for their presence or to capture one.
Another option was to separate the Dragon Slayer Magic from him through the Separation Enchantment. However, this would only provide temporary relief and Enchantment was not easily mastered.
Ben hoped that by acquiring the other two slayer magics, he could halt the growth of his dragon seed. Nevertheless, he worried that these magics might possess their own dormant seeds. If that were the case, he would only be creating a new problem for himself.
"Sigh, I can only search for anything useful as I explore the world. The A.I. Chip has calculated that with my current growth rate, I won't encounter any problems for the next 6 or 7 years. After that, the transformation will gradually commence. I still have time to find a cure," Ben reassured himself.
Ben contemplated why the Gods who sent him to this world had burdened him with such a challenge. He concluded that this was a trial, a test of his approach to the situation. They wouldn't bestow an easy life without trials, after all.
Would he allow himself to transform into a dragon, or would he fight to remain human? The answer was clear: he wanted to retain his humanity. Dragons may possess immense power, but Ben cherished his life as a human. Moreover, the thought of mating with a female dragon was repulsive to him.
"Ugh, what an unpleasant thought. I prefer human girls, so becoming a dragon is out of the question. The idea of engaging in intimate intercourse and touching those scales...just...ugh," Ben shuddered, his face contorting in disgust.
Shaking off the unsettling image, Ben redirected his focus towards his predicament. His current objective was to locate the Magic Library, although its exact whereabouts eluded him. Even Roubaul, his knowledgeable companion, had no knowledge of its location. Thus, he would have to begin his own search.
The Magic Library was purported to house an extensive collection of magic, encompassing the entirety of known history. Though likely an exaggeration, the library would undoubtedly hold a wealth of magical knowledge. If Ben found it, he might discover a method to halt the growth of his dragon seed.
"I hope the library is in Fiore. It would prove challenging to locate if it were situated in another country," Ben expressed his concern.
Ben resolved to explore the world, starting with the Kingdom they were currently in. He would acquire as much magical knowledge as possible during his journey. God Slayer Magic, Devil Slayer Magic, and Curse all presented potential solutions for his problem. He needed to explore more options that could aid in finding a resolution.
While uncertain if these methods would be effective, Ben was determined to prevent himself from transforming into a dragon. With the aid of the A.I. Chip, he would have an easier time finding answers. The Gods wouldn't burden him with a trial he couldn't overcome, or they wouldn't have bothered bestowing it upon him. However, he acknowledged that solving the trial would not be easy in the slightest.
"Even if it's difficult, I will strive to overcome it. Giving up without trying is not my style at all. If, after giving my all, I fail, so be it. At least I will have tried. Life is not a straight path; anything can happen," Ben affirmed.