Chapter 10: | The Wonder of Mystique
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[Stamina: 23/100]
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Hours passed.
My stamina plummeted.
The Wharks surrounding us howled.
All of them were bored.
They scattered like bees ready to harvest pollen, erupting into another chaotic brawl.
I couldn't help but laugh at their attitude.
My gaze remained fixed on the tyrant, struggling, broken.
Now that it could no longer wield its mana, its body was torn and shredded.
There were no more spikes to halt my relentless attacks.
I had nothing to fear.
Its blood seeped and fused with the currents.
Yet it still let out a low growl.
Grrrr.
I couldn't help but admire its will, to survive, to win.
But it was futile.
Its chance of killing me was close to zero.
Even without its spikes… without its core… it fought valiantly, like a true tyrant.
As for me?
Mana had already enhanced my rows of teeth.
I had stolen its core, its mana.
My gaze shifted to the hologram.
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[You've Successfully Devoured a Core.]
[You have gained a skill.]
• Crystal Core
[You have successfully devoured a mana-infused object.]
• Mana +3
• Mystique +0.02
[You have gained the title.]
• A Mortal with Mana?!!
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Pweheeheheheheh…
A mortal with mana?
Bwahahahahahaha!
How could I not laugh?
A mere Stage 0 being.
A mortal, with mana?
It was unheard of.
Yet here I am!
With mana.
With a monster's core.
Something inside my body condensed, forming a crystalline core embedded deep within.
I felt no pain.
Only ecstasy.
I turned back to the dying tyrant.
A grin stretched across my face.
Your core has helped me unlock new possibilities.
New variations of attacks.
Now die and become my stepping stone.
Accel Dash.
Phantom Shift.
My body blurred.
I channeled all of my remaining mana into my frame, just like I once did with aura.
The result?
My body flickered, and in an instant, I closed the distance to its head.
My maw clamped down.
CRASH!
My fangs tore through its skull.
It barely had time to react before I repeatedly chomped into its brains.
Life seeped from its form as it turned limp.
I howled.
A declaration.
The brawling Wharks froze.
Then all of them howled in return.
And then, just like that they resumed fighting.
Fools.
They had no idea what had just been born among them.
I sank my fangs into the carcass, tearing through its contents.
Minutes passed.
Bite.
Chew.
Swallow.
And then.
With a satisfied burp, I let out a laugh.
A hologram hovered before me.
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[You have slain:]
• Stage 1 Tier 3 Level 10 [★★★ Crystalized Tyrant Whark]
[You have gained 20,010 EXP.]
[You've Successfully Devoured.]
• Stage 0 Tier 1 Level 1 [★★★ Crystalized Tyrant Whark]
[You have successfully devoured some of their stats:]
• Health +32
• Stamina +24
• Mana +5
• Physique +0.28
• Mystique +0.03
[Some of your stats have been maxed out.]
[Finding solutions…]
[Loading…]
[Your stats have been refined.]
[You may now ascend.]
[Yes] / [No]
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It was kind of lackluster.
No new skills.
Nothing flashy.
But still, my gains this time were impressive.
With a core, my strength had increased by a large margin.
But ascending now?
That would halve my chances of stacking up more skills.
And even if I ascended…
There was no guarantee my stat limits would increase.
No.
Ascending now would be a waste.
The Dimensional Record urged me forward.
I could feel it.
It had remained silent, until now.
And suddenly, it wanted me to ascend?
How suspicious.
Why should I listen?
I was still growing.
Still devouring.
To ascend now…
To throw away this golden opportunity to gather skills?
That would be beyond foolish.
There was no time to waste.
I needed to attune myself to mana.
I closed my eyes.
And began to meditate.
Hours?
No…
Days passed.
Time flowed rapidly, and my understanding of how mana worked deepened with every second.
I had no idea how long it had been.
But I knew one thing.
I was growing stronger.
Why waste countless days just to get used to mana?
Simple.
Because I had to.
If I wanted to survive, I had to master this power.
The core I devoured from the Tyrant was astonishing.
The mana within me was unlike the mana in the atmosphere.
Out there, mana was unrefined.
Weak.
But my mana?
It was pure.
Potent.
Stronger than anything I had sensed before.
Fascinating.
How could a core be so wonderful?
Then there was Mystique, it guided me smoothly.
It enhanced my thought processes, the speed of comprehension, the clarity of my mind.
I couldn't help but wonder.
What if…
What if I had a hundred cores inside me?
Saliva dripped from my mouth.
Just imagining how pure my mana would become was mouthwatering.
Would I become a monster?
Would devouring a dragon, the very master of mana, become easy?
Would ruling this world be within my grasp?
The thought made me shudder.
How could I, a once lowly, powerless human, restrain myself before such possibilities?
Even if I had been chosen by the heavens, even if anyone else had been in my position.
Could they resist this temptation?
I flicked my fins, infusing them with mana.
Instantly.
I felt my speed increasing by fifty percent.
And if I stacked that with Accel Dash and Phantom Shift?
My speed multiplied nearly fivefold.
So what if…
What if my mana became even denser?
Would my speed exceed the very limits of my body?
The thought sent a thrill down my spine.
I had truly inherited an incredible bloodline.
But.
It was unruly.
Even now, hunger gnawed at me.
It urged me to devour.
To consume.
But I refused to let it control me.
I focused.
I infused mana into my fins.
I flickered meters away.
Then.
I meditated, letting my mana regenerate.
And then…
I did it again.
Again.
Again.
Days passed without notice.
I pushed myself, testing the limits of my speed, skills, and strength.
And with every repetition.
I learned more.
Accel Dash and Phantom Shift were both impressive skills.
But…
They weren't flawless.
My analysis?
Accel Dash had a glaring weakness.
It only allowed a single burst of speed, impressive when leaping, but terrain limited its usage.
However, when paired with Phantom Shift, I could bypass those limitations.
There was a usage limit, perhaps 12 to 20 times.
But I could probably push beyond that.
I gazed at the hologram.
Just as I expected.
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[Your skills have gained a level.]
• Accel Dash +2
• Phantom Shift +2
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Two levels.
Understandable.
How could my skills not level up?
For three days straight, I had used them relentlessly.
Barely slept.
Just meditated, gathered mana, refined it, and activated my skills, again and again.
My muscles slowly adapted to the strain.
But one thing bugged me.
Was my Apex Predator Physique…
Not enough?
I was beyond curious.
Did my skill need to reach Tier 10?
Or the next tier entirely, to withstand my abilities?
Or maybe…
Could Apex Predator Physique be the key?
To push my physique beyond the 1.00 mark?
Would I need to devour countless kin just to satisfy my curiosity?
…Well.
Regardless.
I would have to devour them anyway.
If I wanted to ascend safely to the next stage…
Then my siblings had to fall.
I couldn't help but chuckle, how fickle life is.
I sighed.
Then.
I glided past the eastern peaks.
A familiar sight appeared before me.
Kelp.
A towering forest of swaying kelp stretched endlessly ahead.
It obstructed my vision.
But not my senses.
I could feel it.
Something was different.
The ripples in the water, they weren't the same as before.
Was it because I had become stronger?
I pushed forward, weaving through the dense vegetation.
Navigating this terrain was tricky, but nothing I couldn't handle.
I began calculating.
If my next opponent was a physical type, then victory would be certain.
If it wielded Mystique impressively, then the battle would be drawn out but still winnable.
If it was incredibly fast, then the fight might be longer.
All possibilities were difficult.
But my victory?
Still certain.
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Hours passed.
And I still couldn't find a Stage 1 Whark.
Damn it.
Where was the bastard hiding?
I had nearly scoured the entire kelp forest.
All I found were Wharks brawling.
But…
Something was wrong.
I could feel it.
The brawling whark presence here was shrinking.
One by one, vanishing.
Then.
A realization hit me.
What if my opponent was…
A stealth and speed variant?
With mana?
Perhaps…
A three-star evolution?
If so.
Winning this fight would be far more difficult.
Damn.
Where was it?
I howled.
No response.
I scanned the surroundings.
Nothing.
Then.
A smile crept onto my face.
A shadowy figure darted through the kelp.
Its tail and fins made no sound.
Nonsensical.
Its speed surpassed mine.
And then.
I saw it.
Countless mirages appeared.
It joined a brawl.
And in less than a second…
Tens of Wharks were dead.
Silent.
Not a single sound.
Shock gripped me.
This opponent… was beyond difficult.
Fighting it head-on would be suicide.
I took a deep breath.
Stealthily, I followed it.
Gliding through the water without a sound.
Then.
I saw an opening.
It let its guard down.
My body blurred.
I pounced.
My maw snapped shut.
But.
Nothing...
It was only a mirage.
The silence grew louder.
The sound the kelp swaying was deafening.
I had been baited.
Haaaap!
A deep howl erupted from my throat.
WHARGHG!
And then.
The Wharks of the kelp forest surrounded us.
They howled in unison.
GRAGGHRR!
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