Chapter 7: | Lurking in The Shadows
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Days had blurred into the chill, silent confinement of this crevice since I devoured the foolish Jungle Stalker Whark that blundered into my waiting jaws.
The faint, lingering taste of its crushed exoskeleton still offered a grim satisfaction.
A low, guttural chuckle rumbled in my throat, a sound swallowed by the deep.
My gaze was fixed of the 'Obsidian Whark,' a hulking silhouette of jagged plates, patrolling the murky water, its bioluminescent eyes sweeping the gloom for any movement.
I'd clung to their shadows like a wraith, a self-proclaimed coward, my every nerve taut as I waited for them to find a foe they couldn't conquer.
Only then, in the ensuing chaos, could I strike, snatching victory from the jaws of their defeat and escaping this gnawing weakness within me.
A hologram flickered into existence as I summoned it.
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[You have slain.]
• S: 0 | T: 2 | Level 3 | Jungle Stalker whark [3★]
[You have gained.]
[7000 - EXP.]
[You have gained a level.] x2
---
[You have devoured.]
• S: 1 | T: 2 | Level 3 | Jungle Stalker Whark [3★]
[You have gained.]
[+ 9 - Health.]
[+ 14 - Stamina.]
[+ 0.25 - Physique.]
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Skills Devoured.]
• Predator's Gaze [Tier 2]
• Thorn Spittle [Tier 3]
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Grotesque Physique would like to devour these skills.]
• Predator's Gaze [Tier 2]
• Thorn Spittle [Tier 3]
[Yes] / [No]
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Predator's Gaze [Passive | ▪︎]
Heightened visual acuity, particularly for detecting vibrations and subtle movements in obscured or low-light environments.
Thorn Spittle [Active | 15 - Stamina | ▪︎]
A corrosive, acidic saliva can be forcibly expelled in a concentrated stream, causing irritation and minor burns to exposed flesh.
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CRASH!
A thunderous sound reverberated through the water, jolting me from my self-absorption.
A swirling cloud of crimson erupted, staining the currents a sickly red, thick with torn flesh and fractured exoskeleton fragments.
The metallic, sharp scent of fresh blood permeated the water around me.
Their opponent was another batch of Obsidian 'Hulk Whark Groupers,' numbering in the tens, as they cornered the group I'd been tailing for a while.
Their brawl was a brutal, unrefined spectacle of pure instinct.
Maws, lined with dagger-like teeth, tore at hardened exoskeletons with sickening crunches and rips.
I remained a shadow, my patience a weapon.
Their numbers dwindled.
Exhaustion crept in.
Then my hunt would truly begin.
A cold knot tightened in my gut.
My eyes stirred, not with fear, but with something older, deeper, the primal dread of a Classed Monster, a forgotten terror.
Its form was a leviathan, easily twenty meters of churning muscle and shadow, its massive, unblinking eyes was like a twin moons in the abyss as it surveyed the skirmish below.
A flicker of interest, then boredom.
Its gaze, like a predator assessing prey, landed on one of the jagged spikes.
A grotesque, wet sound, a lick of unseen lips, and then its immense bulk distorted, blurring into nothingness, gone.
My heart went cold just from being near it, I couldn't help but clench my jaws.
I was too weak.
Far too weak.
How could I, a glorious being, be scared shitless by a mere Lord Class in my prime?
None I feared, none.
But now...
I felt it...
My gaze locked onto the brawling Obsidian 'Hulk Wharks' as their battle concluded.
Three remained.
And all of them were injured and battered as they began to feast on the defeated.
I licked my lips as my form turned into a blur.
'Let me join in your feast, my dear brothers and sisters.'
A sharp, acrid tang filled the water as my saliva, infused with 'Thorn Spittle,' spread.
The 'Obsidian Hulks' spasmed, their thick hides visibly blistering, their movements seizing up in jarring, agonizing jolts.
Some rammed themselves into the protruding cliffs, while others noticed my form and charged.
But it was too late.
I reeled my body, flickered into a blur, and my maw bit the one at the front, on its tail.
Then I reeled my body, twisted it, and used the Obsidian 'Hulk Whark' in my maw as a club, smashing its armored form into its charging brethren with sickening impact.
Crash!
Blood erupted as its exoskeleton ruptured from the impact, but it was all useless, since only three of them remained, and all were injured.
I charged like a maniac, my maw opened wide as I activated 'Devouring Maw,' and I could feel it, the strength of my bite increased.
Crash!
Before it could regain its balance, the 'Obsidian Hulk' I'd thrown was killed in a swift bite.
As my tail shifted into a sweeping arc.
Crack!
One of the 'Obsidian Hulks' rammed its exoskeleton at me to block my attack, but it was of no use.
As I had already anticipated this attack, my maw opened.
Crash!
'Devouring Maw' easily tore apart its head as its blood gushed into my maw and into the currents, forming a cloud of blood.
The remaining one was shocked at this revelation, but it was far too late for it to move or dodge, as my maw had already lodged in its gills.
Crash!
'Devouring Maw' finished it cleanly.
I licked my lips and gazed at the gains before me as I smiled.
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[You have slain.]
• S: 1 | T: 1 | Obsidian Hulk Whark [2★] x3
[You have gained.]
[12,000 - EXP.]
[You have gained a level.] x2
---
[You have devoured.]
• S: 1 | T: 1 | Obsidian Hulk Whark [2★] x3
[You have gained.]
[+ 4 - Health.]
[+ 7 - Stamina.]
[+ 0.24 - Physique.]
---
[Skills Devoured.]
• Adamantine Framework [Tier 4]
• Stone-Bound Muscles [Tier 2]
• Unyielding Stance [Tier 1]
---
[Grotesque Physique would like to devour these skills.]
• Adamantine Framework [Tier 4]
• Magnetic Veins [Tier 2]
• Unyielding Stance [Tier 1]
[Yes] / [No]
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[ALISTER VON FAI]
Titles: The Accursed One | The False One | Limit Breaker
Race: Whark [1★]
Stage: 0
Tier: 2
Level: 6/10
EXP: 1530/5000
Class: (Locked)
Subclass: (Locked)
Inventory: (Locked)
Equipment: (Locked)
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Stats
Health: 49/49 (+1 per level)
Stamina: 62/62 (+1 per level)
Mana: (Locked)
Physique: 1.29 (+0.1 per level)
Mystique: (Locked)
Charm: 1
Luck: -100
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Bloodlines:
Harbinger Of Myth
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Bloodline skills:
Myth Voracity | Sealed[9/10]
The core ability of the Harbinger of Myth, allowing them to devour the myth—skills and stats—of others. However, a powerful curse has severely weakened it. Now, rather than guaranteed absorption, it only grants a chance to consume these traits. Despite this, it still feeds on the myth of those the Harbinger consumes.
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Affinity:
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Skills:
Adamantine Framework [Passive | ▪︎]
Its skeletal structure is incredibly dense and virtually unbreakable, forming a natural internal fortress that supports its massive weight.
Devouring Maw [Active | 5 - Stamina | ▪︎]
A powerful, crushing bite attack capable of pulverizing rock, shattering lesser armors, and dismembering prey with ease.
Magmatic Veins [Passive | ▪︎]
A faint heat radiates from its body, indicating superheated internal processes that slightly enhance its resilience to fire and blunt force.
Obsidian Carapace[Passive | ▪︎]
The Whark's outer hide is composed of incredibly dense, interlocking obsidian-like plates, providing exceptional resistance to piercing and slashing attacks.
Predator's Gaze [Passive | ▪︎]
Heightened visual acuity, particularly for detecting vibrations and subtle movements in obscured or low-light environments.
Razor Maw[Passive | ▪︎]
The Whark's teeth are sharper and more numerous, capable of delivering devastating shearing and ripping attacks that strip flesh from bone.
Stone-Bound Muscles [Passive | ▪︎]
The Whark's musculature is incredibly dense and unyielding, granting it remarkable raw strength for its size, enabling it to deliver powerful blows and resist physical restraints.
Territorial Roar [Active | 10 - Stamina | ▪︎]
The Whark lets out a deep, guttural roar that vibrates through the earth, intimidating lesser creatures and warning off potential threats within its immediate vicinity.
Thorn Spittle [Active | 15 - Stamina | ▪︎]
A corrosive, acidic saliva can be forcibly expelled in a concentrated stream, causing irritation and minor burns to exposed flesh.
Unyielding Stance [Passive | ▪︎]
The Whark can brace itself to resist powerful pushes, pulls, and impacts, making it incredibly difficult to displace or knockdown.
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Unique skills:
Grotesque Physique [Unique]
A Grotesque Physique, warped by an unknown force from the Whark's biology, lets you absorb external abilities (skills not native to your race). These skills permanently lose their growth path, becoming fixed internal components. They're categorized by Ascension, reflecting their integration as adaptable physical components. Compatible skills fuse into layered bodily alterations. This living physique constantly redefines your body with each absorption and fusion.
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