Vergil's dagger plunged into the OverVermin's flesh again and again, each strike drawing a fresh spray of dark, sticky blood. It splattered across his clothes, streaked his face, and even hit his tongue—but he didn't care. His grip only tightened as he carved deeper, cutting through muscle and sinew with ruthless precision.
The beast thrashed violently, letting out an ear-piercing screech. One of its eyes was a ruined socket, blood streaming down its skull, yet its defiance burned strong.
"Damn that passive skill," Vergil muttered, feeling the resistance in its hide—Hardened Hide, no doubt. The creature's survival instincts were flaring, and its body refused to give in.
Then he heard it.
A sharp, resonating cry echoed through the crumbling hall—an unmistakable call for reinforcements.
"Tch. I need to finish this now."
The OverVermin surged forward, its hulking form a blur of ragged fur and exposed sinew. Vergil barely dodged in time, rolling aside as the beast barreled past him with a roar. He rose to counter—but too slow.
CRACK!
Its thick tail whipped around, striking his torso with bone-jarring force. The impact lifted him off his feet and slammed him against the cracked stone wall. Dust exploded around him as he crumpled to the ground, gasping.
Pain bloomed across his ribs. Every breath burned. But his eyes—sharp and unrelenting—remained locked on the beast.
And then he saw it.
Its limbs trembled, movement sluggish. Its hind leg buckled slightly as it shifted weight.
The paralysis is kicking in.
Not immediate… but it's working.
With a burst of resolve, Vergil activated Evasive Sprint. His body blurred into motion, weaving through the monster's desperate swipes like a wraith. Every time it lunged, he slipped past with ghostlike precision—dagger flashing in return. Each strike was quick, calculated, and precise.
He targeted weak spots—joints, exposed flesh, nerve clusters already softened by poison. Blood sprayed with every hit.
But still, the OverVermin fought on.
With a roar of desperation, it unleashed one last frenzied charge. Too fast.
BOOM.
Its massive frame slammed into him, pinning him against a cracked pillar. The stone groaned. The air exploded from Vergil's lungs as sharp pain lanced through his chest. Blood filled his mouth, warm and coppery. His vision swam.
His arm was pinned.
His dagger, useless.
The beast pressed harder, trying to crush him completely.
Vergil snarled.
"Then I'll just use my teeth."
He lunged forward—savage, primal—and activated Vile Bite. His jaw snapped down on exposed flesh just beneath the creature's shoulder. The taste was foul—rotten meat and hot blood—but he bit harder, tearing through hide and muscle with sheer will.
The OverVermin shrieked in agony, convulsing as Vergil ripped flesh free.
The venom surged from his bite into the wound, reinforcing the paralysis already slowing the beast's limbs. Its strength faltered. Its stance wavered. And then—finally—its massive body collapsed with a sickening thud.
Silence.
Vergil staggered back, panting, his entire body slick with sweat, grime, and blood. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and spat out a clump of flesh, smirking.
"You have gained 1 level."
"Not bad," he muttered, eyeing the corpse with both satisfaction and disgust. "You put up a good fight… but that was revolting."
A sharp flicker danced across his vision.
---
[Status Effect: Minor Infection Detected.]
[Infection partially resisted due to passive skill: Weak Toxin Resistance.]
---
"Tch. Great," Vergil muttered, narrowing his eyes at the bloated corpse. Figures. The thing was a walking biohazard.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
He stood tall, cracked his neck, and raised a bloodstained hand toward the carcass.
"Let's see what you're worth."
Authority of Predation.
The moment the words left his lips, the corpse began to twitch. Then—
Crunch.
Crunch.
CRUNCH.
The sound of tearing flesh and splintering bone echoed through the hall as unseen forces stripped the OverVermin's body of its essence. Skin shriveled. Organs withered. Bones crumbled into dust. A pulsing energy, dark and dense, siphoned into Vergil's core.
---
[You have gained the following stat increases:]
Strength +5
Constitution +4
Intuition +1
[New Passive Skills Acquired:]
• Lesser Pack Leader (F)
• Survival Instincts (F)
• Hardened Hide (E-)
[New Active Skills Acquired:]
• Feral Bite (F)
• Feral Charge (F)
• Tail Smack (F-) [Unusable]
• Adrenaline Surge (E-)
---
Power coursed through his veins—sharp, electric. His muscles clenched involuntarily as his body adjusted to the sudden gains, skin prickling with heat. The rush was intoxicating.
But then…
Something changed.
Something… deeper.
Something that didn't feel like part of the usual leveling process.
Vergil's eyes narrowed.
And deep inside his core, something stirred.
[Detected unusable skill: Tail Smack.]
[Would you like to convert this skill into proficiency points?]
Vergil's brow furrowed.
"That's new."
"What does that mean?"
[Proficiency points allow you to accelerate the growth of existing skills. Currently, 'Evasive Sprint' is at 5% proficiency and 'Endurance' is at 20% before reaching the next rank (E). By using proficiency points, you can hasten their advancement. Be advised—most skills can only grow 1 or 2 ranks before reaching their limit.]
Vergil's smirk returned.
Interesting. This pairs well with 'Combination'—if I can merge skills to raise their rank, then proficiency points will let me max them out faster...
His eyes gleamed with quiet intensity.
[However, the user can only upgrade skills of the same rank. For example, sacrificing 'Tail Smack' (F) will grant F-rank evolution points, which can only be used to enhance F-rank or lower skills. You may convert normal skills into evolution points.]
"Good system," he muttered.
This might be the key to leveling faster than anyone else.
He grabbed the faintly glowing mana crystal off the floor and tucked it into his inventory. Then, from his satchel, he retrieved a half-used healing potion and poured it over his wounds.
The moment the viscous liquid met his skin, fire licked through his veins.
He gritted his teeth as his body was forced to regenerate unnaturally fast.
I should take out the remaining rats with the bow. There should be around twenty-five normals and five guards left… But I can't fight again like this. Not yet.
Vergil exhaled shakily.
His wounds were closing, but the pain still clung to his bones.
"System, convert Tail Smack into proficiency points."
[Conversion complete. You have gained 10 F-rank evolution points.]
"What does Hardened Hide do?"
[Hardened Hide (E-): Your skin has slightly toughened, granting minor resistance to slashing and blunt-force trauma.]
Vergil flexed a hand, feeling the subtle difference in his skin's resistance.
Not bad for a passive.
His mind wandered back to the requirement: twenty F-rank crystals to form a Mana Heart. He had more than enough. Still, a thought nagged at him.
Wouldn't it be better to use a higher-rank crystal instead?
[Not recommended. Higher-ranked crystals contain much denser energy, which could lead to complications since the user does not possess a Mana Heart.]
Vergil frowned.
Right. No container means no control. I remember the librarian telling me.
There were four core types.
1. Pure Core – Stable, efficient, but with low adaptability and mana capacity.
2. Crystallized Core – Exceptional storage, ideal for long-range casting, but inflexible.
3. Pulsing Core – Flexible and self-repairing, perfect for hybrids, but prone to overload.
4. Runic Core – Precision-based and ritual-formed, but slow-growing and anti-magic vulnerable.
The Pulsing Core fits me best. I'm a brawler-caster hybrid. I'll need flexibility more than raw power.
But for now... he needed rest.
Vergil found shelter on a rooftop, hidden behind a crumbling wall. With his back against the stone and stars above, he let sleep claim him.
----
Morning
The first golden light crept across the ruined skyline. Vergil's eyes snapped open.
His body felt... better. The sharp pain had dulled to soreness. His limbs were lighter, quicker to respond.
That potion really pulled its weight. But I'm recovering faster on my own too.
Below, rats scurried in the streets—vermin that had survived the night.
He reached for his bow.
No more stat gains at this rate. But I can still steal their skills.
Licking his lips, he drew an arrow and took aim.
His form was still amateurish—but improving.
Thunk!
The arrow pierced a rat's skull cleanly. It dropped instantly.
Another followed. Then another.
From the shadows, five Guard Rats emerged, drawn by the commotion.
Vergil narrowed his eyes.
He loosed an arrow at the nearest—straight into its eye. It dropped twitching.
The others shrieked and charged.
He shot again. Another fell—arrow lodged in its throat.
[User has leveled up.]
Vergil ignored the ping.
The remaining three were closing fast.
He dropped the bow, unsheathing his dagger in a flash. As the first rat lunged, Vergil sidestepped and slashed its throat clean, blood misting the air.
The last two flanked him.
He activated Feral Charge—his body surged forward in a blur.
The second rat leapt—too slow. Vergil ducked under, drove his dagger upward, and shattered its spine mid-air.
The last rat skidded to a halt, trembling.
Vergil lunged. One hand caught its head—
—and with a brutal twist, snapped its neck like a twig.
Silence.
'Authority of Predation' Activated.
[Skills Acquired:]
• Night Prowl (F)
• Venomous Fang (F)
• Blood Scent (F)
Vergil licked his lips. A low, satisfied chuckle escaped him.
As expected—no stats, but their talents are mine now.
---
Out of twenty rats, he gained eight skills. Five were unusable, so he converted them into F-rank and F- rank evolution points. The usable ones were:
• Lesser Physical Resistance (F-)
• Lesser Hunger Resistance (F-)
---
Back at the abandoned building, Vergil dropped the pile of mana crystals he'd collected onto the ground with a satisfying clink.
"This should be enough."
He took a breath.
"System—what's the method you mentioned?"
[Use your Authority of Predation to consume the crystals.]
Vergil blinked. "You want me to eat them?"
[Not physically. Predation consumes power, not flesh. These crystals are dense with mana. Take them.]
He didn't hesitate.
He summoned Predation. Ethereal, fanged mouths shimmered into existence, circling him like wraiths. They descended upon the crystals—devouring them.
One by one, the crystals shattered, their energy rushing into Vergil like a tidal wave.
Pain exploded in his chest.
Too much.
Without a Mana Heart, the power rampaged within him—tearing through his veins, scorching muscle, ripping balance from his limbs.
He fell to one knee, gasping.
No. I won't break here.
Through the chaos, he focused—falling into the breathing rhythm taught by the system:
Inhale – draw the energy toward his forming core.
Exhale – compress.
Inhale – focus.
Exhale – refine.
The energy lashed out like a wild beast. But instead of resisting, Vergil moved with it—redirecting, guiding, breathing it into order.
Slowly, painfully, the tide obeyed.
A pulse echoed through his body.
A beat.
A rhythm.
A core.
[System Notification: Growth-Type Mana Heart Formed – Pulsing Core Achieved.]
Vergil collapsed backward, gasping. He could feel it—alive, not just inside him, but part of him.
His mana no longer sat idle. It flowed, circulated, refined.
Another notification:
[Pulsing Core Traits Unlocked:]
• Self-Regenerating Mana Flow – Reduces depletion through passive cycling.
• Pulse Regulation – Enhances mana efficiency.
• Evolutionary Potential – Core grows stronger with every devoured power source.
Vergil clenched his fists. His mana responded instantly, humming beneath his skin.
This core doesn't just contain power. It consumes it. And it grows...
A dark smirk curled his lips.
This is true predation.
[You have gained: Basic Mana Sensitivity (F), Mana Manipulation (F). These will evolve alongside your heart.]
"System," Vergil said, rising to his feet. "Show me my mana heart."
---
[Mana Organ: Pulsing Core]
Rank: F (Growth-Type) | Potential: EX
Location: Slightly behind and below the physical heart
Description:
A living, breathing mana organ formed via Authority of Predation. Unlike traditional cores, which act as static reservoirs, the Pulsing Core actively refines and circulates mana with every breath. It mirrors the user's life rhythm—synchronizing power and body in constant evolution.
Formed via 100% Energy Assimilation, the core wastes nothing. It consumes, transforms, and integrates all power into itself.
It has no growth ceiling.