Chapter 6: | Grotesque Physique
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I felt a surge of strength coursing through my limbs.
With a blur of motion, I easily dodged its whipping tail, the disturbance of its passing rustling against my hide.
Then, with a savage twist, my maw tore into its flesh, a wet, tearing sound echoing in the murky water.
A low chuckle rumbled in my chest as the situation reversed.
Its whale-like body, a grotesque canvas of mottled spots, loomed before me.
Its eyes, now wild with unhinged insanity, gleamed with a chilling light as they fixed on my form.
It waited, a predatory stillness in its massive bulk, like an apex hunter patiently eyeing its prey.
It sought any tremor, any flicker of hesitation, an opening for it to take advantage.
Even with my unique skill, the sheer power emanating from this creature felt overwhelming, an insurmountable force that dwarfed my own.
Its speed was a blurring impossibility, its defense an impenetrable wall, and its strength, a crushing force, truly a class beyond anything I had faced.
And that, I realized, was precisely what made this encounter worthwhile.
Its gaze dilated into sharp, predatory slits, reflecting the faint light of the deep.
Then, with a ripple of displacement, it vanished, only to reappear high above me, a dark silhouette against the surface, ready to unleash its devastating attack.
Crash!
The very ground beneath me quaked violently, a deep tremor resonating through the rock, as its colossal tail missed by a mere inch, the displaced water roiling around me.
My form blurred, a swift, dark streak through the water.
My maw clamped down on its tail, the bone and muscle crunching beneath my fangs.
With a powerful, desperate twist, I reeled my body, and in that agonizing instant...
Crash!
Blood immediately bloomed and swirled into the water, a dark, crimson cloud expanding around us.
Its gills were grotesquely impaled by a sharp, jagged spike that I had cunningly noticed earlier, the metallic tang of fresh blood already filling the water.
I let out a triumphant cackle, a guttural sound that vibrated through the water.
My fangs, now slick with blood, tore and ripped apart its flesh mercilessly, each bite a wet, tearing sound, as I plunged deeper to devour its still-warm insides.
Its flesh, a strange mix of sinew and muscle, was surprisingly refreshing to devour, a cool, revitalizing sensation spreading through my own form.
And its brain sludge, a viscous, gray matter, was as deliciously potent as always, a sweet, earthy taste that hummed on my tongue.
It was a fatal slip-up, a single, decisive error, and in that instant, it met its end, outsmarted and overcome in a matter of seconds by its opponent.
A deep, satisfied chuckle rumbled in my chest at its demise.
Now, it was time to claim the spoils, to see the loot of the victor.
---
[You have slain.]
• S: 0 | T: 1 | Level 2 | Feral Gorefang [3★]
[You have gained.]
[4500 - EXP.]
[You have gained a level.] x2
---
[You have slain a being above you.]
[You've obtained.]
• [Limit Breaker]
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[You have devoured.]
• S: 1 | T: 1 | Level 2 | Feral Gorefang [3★] x1
• S: 1 | T: 1 | Obsidian Hulk Whark [2★] x4
[You have gained.]
[+ 7 - Health.]
[+ 12 - Stamina.]
[+ 0.22 - Physique.]
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[Skills Devoured.]
• Devouring Maw [Tier 2]
• Obsidian Carapace [Tier 3]
• Razor Maw [Tier 2]
• Stone-Bound Muscles [Tier 1]
• Territorial Roar [Tier 1]
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[Grotesque Physique would like to devour these skills.]
• Devouring Maw [Tier 2]
• Obsidian Carapace [Tier 3]
• Razor Maw [Tier 2]
• Stone-Bound Muscles [Tier 1]
• Territorial Roar [Tier 1]
[Yes] / [No]
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So, Grotesque Physique required my explicit permission to devour these skills, to assimilate them and convert their essence into its own nutrition.
Quite the skill to possess, I mused.
Yet, it was clearly affected by my raw essence itself, its very evolution deformed into this grotesque form I now wore.
I nodded, a slow, deliberate movement, then slowly maneuvered my enhanced, now larger form into the narrow, almost impossibly tiny crevice carved into the cliff face, the rough rock scraping against my hide.
A predatory smile curved across my face.
I clicked 'Yes' on the ethereal prompt, my gaze already devouring the detailed descriptions of the skills.
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Devouring Maw [Active | 5 - Stamina | ▪︎]
A powerful, crushing bite attack capable of pulverizing rock, shattering lesser armors, and dismembering prey with ease.
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.
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.
---
I see, so it was truly stripped of their levels and tiers, making them unable to evolve.
Quite the intriguing skill indeed, this process of 'devouring' skills.
This path I envisioned for my future, illuminated by this discovery, was brighter than I had dared to expect, especially given how the skills I'd just devoured had been reduced to nothing but mere false skills.
Perhaps this was better.
False skills, after all, could not gain levels, nor tiers, nor would they ever evolve.
The water, now still around me, was a biting cold, a sharp contrast to the warmth of my recent meal.
I shivered slightly, contemplating what truly lay ahead, for I was too weakened, too drained, for my own good.
If only I were in my prime...
Then, devouring this entire world would be nothing more than a brisk, of invigorating breeze.
But without those skills, stripped from me through the countless passages of reincarnation, only Myth Voracity remained.
The very concept that had forged my being.
But it was sealed, weakened, and teetering on the brink of utter destruction from countless reincarnations.
Yet, even without those lost powers, my intellect alone would make regaining my full strength nothing but a breeze.
Now, finally free from the constricting, almost horrifying concept of love...
Now, I could continue my true journey, unhindered by any woman.
Still, a pang of something akin to longing pierced me.
I missed her...
Not Elara, but Samantha herself.
But now was not the time for such lingering thoughts, I had far more pressing matters at hand.
My gaze fixated on the approaching forms of the 'Obsidian Hulk Wharks,' their bulky bodies slicing through the water.
They moved in a synchronized group, slowly cornering a creature with a rugged, stone-like armor, allowing it to perfectly camouflage itself within the jagged crevices.
Its aura was barely a whisper, a faint ripple in the energy around it, as it hid itself from the approaching horde.
But these 'Obsidian Hulk Wharks' were cunning, their massive forms suddenly flickered out of existence, dissolving into the dim water as they prepared their ambush.
Crash!
A cloud of fine dust and debris erupted, billowing around them, as their powerful tails struck the cliff face.
The very rock shuddered, vibrating with the force, but their efforts were useless, their elusive opponent was a true master of stealth and disguise.
Splash!
Then, the hidden creature moved in a blinding blur, a sudden splash echoing through the water as blood erupted, crimson threads instantly infusing into the dark depths.
Its razor-sharp fangs tore through the thick Obsidian Carapace of one of the 'Obsidian Hulk Wharks' with alarming ease, a sickening crunch audible even underwater.
Crash!
Its head was crushed into a pulpy oblivion in one forceful bite, a grotesque spray of brain matter and bone fragments scattering through the water.
The remaining four 'Obsidian Hulk Wharks' instantly tensed, their collective awareness snapping to attention, alerted by the sudden, violent death of their comrade.
Their gazes frantically scanned the surroundings, their powerful sonar pulses probably useless against the stealthy hunter.
But no form could be seen.
A satisfied smile, cold and knowing, finally appeared on my own face, reflecting in the dim light of the deep.
Their opponent wasn't where they expected it to be.
Instead, it was directly in front of me, about to slip into the very crevice I occupied.
My form blurred, already anticipating its move.
Crack!