Chapter 18: | Rest
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Death littered across the currents, a grim tapestry in the cold embrace of the water that seeped into the gaping holes in my body.
Truly, how could one conceive of such a devious plan?
To drag me down to hell with it, knowing of its own impending death as its insides had been invaded by magma.
I was flabbergasted by its intellect, a chilling, calculated move from a creature on the brink.
But its plan to bring me down didn't succeed.
Wriggle!
Flesh wriggled within the gaping holes on my body, then connected, the sensation a strange mix of discomfort and rapid recovery, thanks to my monstrous physique that allowed for such recovery speed.
It was an amusing, yet an ultimately futile, attempt, as I was simply too tenacious for it to claim my life just with that.
My crimson-red irises gleamed with an irresistible light as they gazed at the hologram before me, for I had yet again ascended to the next tier.
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[You have slain.]
• S: 1 | T: 7 | Level 18 | Granite Colossus Whark [4★]
[You have gained.]
[2,800,000 - EXP.]
[You have gained a level.] x10
[You have ascended to the next tier.]
[You have gained a level.] x8
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[You have devoured.]
• S: 1 | T: 7 | Level 18 | Granite Colossus Whark [4★]
[You have gained.]
[+ 250 - Health.]
[+ 170 - Stamina.]
[+ 105 - Mana.]
[+ 1.99 - Physique.]
[+ 1.45 Mystique.]
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[Skills Devoured.]
• Adamantine Stomach [Tier 8]
• Impenetrable Bastion [Tier 10]
• Mithril Bone Structure [Tier 9]
• Rock-Hard Muscles [Tier 9]
• Substance-Absorbing Hide [Tier 10]
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[Grotesque Physique would like to devour these skills.]
• Adamantine Stomach [Tier 8]
• Impenetrable Bastion [Tier 10]
• Mithril Bone Structure [Tier 9]
• Rock-Hard Muscles [Tier 9]
• Substance-Absorbing Hide [Tier 10]
[Yes] / [No]
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Adamantine Stomach [Passive | ▪︎]
The Granite Colossus possesses an incredibly powerful digestive system, capable of dissolving even the densest minerals and metals. Its stomach acids are intensely corrosive, allowing it to devour and break down bedrock, ore, and even adamantine with terrifying ease, absorbing raw materials to sustain its immense mass.
Impenetrable Bastion [Passive | ▪︎]
Its multi-layered hide, composed of exotic minerals and ancient geological strata, grants it near-absolute immunity to physical damage. Conventional weaponry shatters, powerful strikes are absorbed without a tremor, and even high-tier magical assaults simply dissipate against its unyielding form.
Mithril Bone Structure [Passive | ▪︎]
Its skeletal framework is composed of crystallized mithril and adamantine, making it incredibly dense and virtually unbreakable. This provides unparalleled structural integrity, rendering it immune to internal crushing, bone-shattering impacts, or skeletal compromise.
Rock-Hard Muscles [Passive | ▪︎]
The Colossus's musculature is incredibly dense and interwoven with compressed rock and mineral deposits, granting it truly phenomenal raw strength. It can effortlessly rip apart colossal boulders, bend reinforced steel, and resist physical restraints that would bind a lesser titan.
Substance-Absorbing Hide [Passive | ▪︎]
Its multi-layered, composite hide is so incredibly dense and light-absorbing that it appears as a shifting void in any environment. This natural property provides exceptional stealth in darkness and significantly reduces its visual profile even in bright light, making it difficult to target despite its size.
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These skills were quite good, especially now with these defensive abilities joining my arsenal.
Finally, I could gather three 'Ascension I' skills to fuse into an 'Ascension II', a goal I'd been pursuing for days, battling monsters that could truly threaten my life.
The revelation that I could finally achieve this, my very first 'Ascension II' skill, filled me with an almost overwhelming relief.
I couldn't help but feel a tear swelling on my eyes, as I felt a raw, emotional response to this breakthrough, as my mind mentally dragged the skills into the fusion table.
The translucent hologram before me shimmered, and my eyes gleamed with anticipation of the outcome of this fusion.
What the final skill would be, now that it could be fused into an 'Ascension II' skill, my very first to reach that level!
My mind raced, eager to see the result as I confirmed it.
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[Would you fuse these skills?]
• Impenetrable Bastion - Substance-Absorbing Hide
[Yes] / [No]
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[You have gained.]
• Void-Core Bastion [Ascension I]
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Void-Core Bastion [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]
The Whark's multi-layered hide transforms into a Void-Core Bastion, composed of exotic minerals and ancient geological strata so incredibly dense and light-absorbing that it appears as a shifting void in any environment. This grants it near-absolute immunity to all forms of physical damage; conventional weaponry shatters, powerful strikes are absorbed without a tremor, and even high-tier magical assaults simply dissipate against its unyielding form. Furthermore, this natural property provides exceptional stealth in darkness and significantly reduces its visual profile even in bright light, making it extraordinarily difficult to target despite its immense size.
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Just the sheer description of 'Void-Core Bastion', and the intense pleasure felt from the mutation in my body, was overwhelming.
As it forcefully extracted the minerals from inside my body to form the armor, I felt my hunger increasing, a deep, primal growl rumbling in my stomach.
Without any further ado, I dragged the remaining skills into the fusion table, a smile of anticipation spreading across my face.
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[Would you fuse these skills?]
• Void-Core Bastion + Adamantine Carapace + Oblivion Shroud
[Yes] / [No]
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[You have gained.]
• Terra-Void Bulwark [Ascension II]
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Terra-Void Bulwark [Passive | Ascension II | ▪︎]
The Whark's hide transforms into an exceptionally resilient Terra-Void Bulwark. This multi-layered defense provides profound physical damage resistance, causing attacks to shatter or dissipate. Its light-absorbing properties significantly reduce its visual profile for stealth, and it grants complete immunity to all poisons, retaining a subtle adaptive camouflage.
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Then I felt it, the profound shifting and merging of my three armors as they combined into something greater, something stronger.
My form grew increasingly powerful by the minute, a palpable surge of energy flowing through me.
Whirr!
Then it settled, and the currents trembled from the shockwaves that my new exoskeleton exuded upon its completion.
It was truly broken, it could go into stealth, grant me immunity to poison as 'it wouldn't bypass my exoskeleton', and defend against my opponents' attacks with surprising ease.
I felt invincible, though not entirely, as I could still die from the sheer impact of attacks that my insides couldn't defend against, or if mana-based attacks could easily tear it apart.
But who cares?
Let's celebrate it right now with a few hours of sleep.
My eyes closed, and my form ceased its movements, then settled onto the ground as I drifted into sleep.
A hologram shimmered into existence above me, showing my progress.
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[ALISTER VON FAI]
Titles: The Accursed One | The False One | Limit Breaker | A Mortal With Mana?! | Lord Slayer
Race: Whark [1★]
Stage: 0
Tier: 6
Level: 8/30
EXP: 83,000/208,000
Class: (Locked)
Subclass: (Locked)
Inventory: (Locked)
Equipment: (Locked)
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Stats
Health: 658/658 (+1 per level)
Stamina: 611/611 (+1 per level)
Mana: 448/448
Physique: 10.0 (+0.1 per level)
Mystique: 5.69
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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Monster Core:
Magma Heart Ascension [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]
A pulsating Magma Heart, forged from superheated rock and pure elemental fire, beats deep within the Whark's chest. This nexus constantly draws and supercharges geothermal energy, not only amplifying the Whark's overall durability to an extreme degree but also fueling its devastating, cataclysmic attacks. Should this core ever be ruptured, it will violently implode in a blinding, superheated flash, disintegrating the Whark and devastating the surrounding area.
Void-Shifting Nexus [Passive | ▪︎]
A swirling vortex of pure shadow energy deep within the Phantom, this core fuels its reality-bending evasion and speed by refining ambient darkness and dimensional resonance. If ruptured, it implodes into a localized singularity, annihilating the Whark and distorting the immediate area with unstable shadow.
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Skills:
Adamantine Stomach [Passive | ▪︎]
The Granite Colossus possesses an incredibly powerful digestive system, capable of dissolving even the densest minerals and metals. Its stomach acids are intensely corrosive, allowing it to devour and break down bedrock, ore, and even adamantine with terrifying ease, absorbing raw materials to sustain its immense mass.
Infernal Maw [Passive | ▪︎]
The Magma Tyrant's teeth and entire maw are perpetually infused with extreme heat. Every bite inflicts not only immense crushing damage but also causes searing, deep-tissue burns that continue to smolder and inflict pain after the initial attack.
Internal Magma Furnace [Passive | ▪︎]
An intense, radiating heat emanates from its core, visible as shimmering heat hazes and faint smoke from its vents. This grants it absolute immunity to all forms of heat, fire, and lava, which are not only harmless but are absorbed and processed by its internal, superheated furnace, bolstering its own energy reserves.
Mithril Bone Structure [Passive | ▪︎]
Its skeletal framework is composed of crystallized mithril and adamantine, making it incredibly dense and virtually unbreakable. This provides unparalleled structural integrity, rendering it immune to internal crushing, bone-shattering impacts, or skeletal compromise.
Rock-Hard Muscles [Passive | ▪︎]
The Colossus's musculature is incredibly dense and interwoven with compressed rock and mineral deposits, granting it truly phenomenal raw strength. It can effortlessly rip apart colossal boulders, bend reinforced steel, and resist physical restraints that would bind a lesser titan.
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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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Ascension Skills:
Terra-Void Bulwark [Passive | Ascension II | ▪︎]
The Whark's hide transforms into an exceptionally resilient Terra-Void Bulwark. This multi-layered defense provides profound physical damage resistance, causing attacks to shatter or dissipate. Its light-absorbing properties significantly reduce its visual profile for stealth, and it grants complete immunity to all poisons, retaining a subtle adaptive camouflage.
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Cataclysmic Inferno Breath [Active | 75 - Mana | Ascension I | ▪︎]
From its abyssal maw, the Whark unleashes a truly cataclysmic torrent of superheated, corrosive liquid magma and highly toxic volcanic gases. This devastating, concentrated stream incinerates everything in its path, instantly melting even the most resilient metals, charring stone to ash, and vaporizing flesh. It leaves behind an expansive wake of searing, bubbling slag and noxious fumes that continues to inflict extreme damage and severely hinder all movement for an extended duration.
Magma-Core Might [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]
The Whark's musculature is infused with solidified telluric energy, creating an incredibly dense and unyielding powerhouse. This grants it a raw, untamed strength that defies physical laws, allowing it to effortlessly lift and hurl colossal boulders, rend reinforced steel like paper, and break free from any restraint with a mere flex. Its blows are delivered with immense, earth-shattering force.
Neuro-Corrosive Barrage [Active | 50 - Stamina | Ascension I | ▪︎]
From its maw, the Whark expels a highly concentrated volley of viscous, neuro-corrosive saliva. This projectile barrage delivers rapid tissue necrosis, intense burning, and potent paralytic effects upon contact. It swiftly corrodes armor and causes agonizing, debilitating damage to exposed flesh, leaving targets reeling and vulnerable.
Omniscient Predator's Senses [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]
The Whark's sensory organs transcend normal limits, granting it unparalleled, all-encompassing perception. It can detect the faintest vibrations through the earth, minute shifts in air currents, and the subtle heat signatures of living beings with absolute precision. This allows it to effortlessly track prey even through solid obstacles, in complete darkness, or across vast distances, making evasion virtually impossible.
Quaking Pounce [Active | 15 - Stamina | Ascension I | ▪︎]
The Whark launches itself with immense, earth-shaking force. This skill allows it to cover significant ground in a single, powerful leap, closing the distance to targets. Upon landing, it delivers a localized seismic shockwave, capable of unbalancing and knocking down multiple foes, cracking the very ground beneath them, and creating an opening for devastating follow-up attacks.
Shatter-Rip Maw [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]
The Whark's jaws are transformed, now possessing a devastating combination of crushing power and shearing sharpness. Its teeth are exceptionally numerous and rock-hard, allowing it to effortlessly splinter stone and shatter steel while simultaneously ripping flesh from bone. Any creature grappling with or constricted by the Whark suffers continuous bludgeoning and grievous tearing damage.
Sunder Maw [Active | 8 - Stamina | Ascension I | ▪︎]
This Ascension skill manifests as a devastating bite that simultaneously delivers immense crushing force and vicious tearing power. It effortlessly pulverizes tough defenses and inflicts severe, deep wounds, causing significant internal trauma and considerable blood loss, making it exceptionally effective at debilitating any target.
Terra-Anchored Colossus [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]
The Whark gains the ability to deep-root itself instantly into the very bedrock, becoming an immovable, unyielding colossus. Once anchored, it is utterly immune to any form of displacement, including powerful magical pushes, cataclysmic seismic shifts, or the full force of a charging titan. Its connection to the earth becomes absolute, making it an unbreachable bastion against any external force.
Terra-Core Skeleton [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]
The Whark's skeletal structure ascends into a truly formidable internal fortress, composed of an incredibly dense, virtually unbreakable framework imbued with solidified telluric energy. This grants it unparalleled structural integrity, making it completely invulnerable to internal trauma and any crushing forces. Its immense weight is effortlessly supported by this internal bedrock.
Thermal Singularity [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]
The Whark's internal processes reach a critical mass, creating an intense, visible aura of superheated air that shimmers around its form. This signifies its absolute immunity to all forms of thermal energy: fire, lava, and even extreme heat-based magical attacks are entirely absorbed and consumed by its body, serving only to fuel its formidable resilience.
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