His gaze fell upon the crystal, now a dull gray, its energy almost fully assimilated. Only a tenth was left.
The pooling blood around him had vanished, all burned away to refine the Essence energy and make it his own. The body parts had shriveled as the circle had drawn out every drop of blood present in the room.
Ignoring the grim scene, Zain stood still for a moment, reveling in the newfound clarity that enveloped him. The sensation went beyond mere physical rejuvenation; it was a profound sharpening of his very soul. His arcane strength surged, a palpable force that now felt more robust, more attuned to his essence.
The charged feeling left Zain like electricity through his fingertips, leaving behind a version of himself that was suddenly more. He whistled as the notifications flickered by.
Seven stat points? Not bad, not bad at all.
Zain couldn't help but smile. The conversion had gone much better than he expected, especially considering how short his battle had been.
The part where his soul influenced the refinement method was a surprise—a pleasant one. However, when he tried to envision the new path the Essence energy had traveled, his mind suddenly went blank.
He narrowed his eyes; any memory of the refinement was absent. He couldn't tell if it was due to the method or his lack of focus. However, being unfocused during refinement was ill-advised, and he had to seize every advantage during the initial phase of Integration.
A wave of worry washed over him. What if his soul was being controlled? The idea gnawed at the edges of his mind, raising the terrifying possibility that he might not be the master of his own power. But he dismissed the idea. Controlling the soul is not easy, and the feeling was not one of a foreign presence.
If there wasn't an external force meddling with his soul, then what was causing the lapses in his memory? His mind raced through the possibilities, none of them comforting. Zain couldn't shake the fear that something fundamental had changed within him, something beyond his control. The uncertainty was unnerving. Was his soul evolving in ways he couldn't comprehend, or was there a hidden cost to his newfound strength?
There were no answer coming so he shoved the idea at the back of the mind and focused his mind on the Essence crystal.
It became exponentially harder to level up and gain stats with each higher level, and after being stuck at a dead end for so long, he had forgotten how satisfying it felt to increase his stats. Especially in the beginning, even the smallest improvements felt like steroids for his work-crippled body.
But that’s exactly what they were—steroids. You couldn’t just expect immediate and lasting results; you had to train your stats to maximize the benefits of the upgrade. Sure, his stats would still increase if he leveled up right now, but it would feel like a waste. Post-battle meditation had its limits as a training method. His soul, body, and mind were exhausted, and they needed time to recover. The hollow feeling made the refinement more potent as he subconsciously tried to fully assimilate the energy.
This fight hadn’t been more than a mild challenge for him, given his rich battle experience. In the Hell difficulty tutorial, having your health drop below twenty percent was a daily occurrence, and fighting for your life with only five percent health was the norm.
Moreover, he couldn’t fully guide his essence when in a charged state. He had to rely on his imagination to direct the essence toward the desired stat, but imagination had its limits. Right now, he needed mana more than levels.
At the highest levels, the number itself became less important. It was common in the multiverse for scions and the talented to fight against higher-level threats. You could throw a stone and hit someone capable of such feats.
Not that he was complaining. With the same knowledge as them and having the same talent he would be one of those this time. More than one of those.
Perhaps it could have been more efficient with a proper cycling technique rather than his current refinement method, but this would do. There wasn’t much incentive to choose a specific method until he reached Level 25 and gained his Class.
However, with his Class consumed by his Trait, he had already abandoned that idea. The thought had sparked again with the boost he got during integration, though not remembering the details put a damper on his mood. He opened his Interface to see how it all reflected on his stat spread.
Identity: Zain Valerius ( Level 1 )
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Race: Human ( F Grade )
Trait: Soul Devour
Character Stats:
* Arcane: 7
* Soul: 0.569
Skills (1/10)
* Devour (Level 1)
Arcane at 7. It was a amount not worth mentioning at his peak, but for now he should be a monster with his mana control and capacity.
He had forcibly stopped his soul not only from increasing levels but also to left some Essence energy in the crystal.
[ MP: 1% ]
Although his stats had increased, it wasn’t as if mana suddenly filled his body. All the Essence energy he absorbed was used to boost his stats. While Essence is pure energy capable of many incredible things, those were not what he needed at the moment.
For now, he needed to increase his mana. Being depleted was the last thing he wanted, and with his arcane stat at nine, it was time to fill it up.
He grunted as he absorbed the energy, and the crystal dissipated at last.
[ MP: 121% ]
He felt bloated with the extra mana coursing through his body. Many would have scolded him for wasting such pure energy. It was a colossal waste, but there were necessities involved.
A satisfied smile stretched across his lips. Now it was time to increase his regeneration by circulating mana. The soul had not fully dissipated, so he might still have a chance to absorb it, possibly due to his higher soul strength. His first corpse soul, that of Anlin, was also dissipating slowly.
[ HP: 15% ]
[ MP: 116% ]
A few minutes later his body returned to normal, but he still moved the mana inside travelling through the area where his wounds were severe, overcharging his regeneration abilities. After a few minutes he was at the required level as he checked it a last time.
[ HP: 34% ]
[ MP: 89% ]
After feeling secure about his health, it was time to increase his soul stats. The ethereal figure had almost depleted, but there was still some left for him to devour.
Devour.
Inside him, a different pattern of mana began to swirl and twist, forming ever-changing pathways. For every devour he activated, the pattern was always different, as if there was no single way to activate the skill, but rather it adapted according to the soul present.
As the ethereal figure above the corpse began to stabilize, a draining sensation overwhelmed Zain. This time, the mana pattern that erupted within him was also aggressive, though not as severe as with Jeremy's soul, twisting through his system like barbed wire.
His brow furrowed in deep concentration, the strain lessening as he tried to impose some semblance of order. The extra mana in his system reduced the load considerably, but he could still feel his vitality depleting.
As the ethereal figure above the corpse began to stabilize, the draining sensation increased. This time, however, he was able to maintain much more control. Under his influence, the ethereal figure's shimmering light dimmed as the process continued and finally the sphere entered his body.
[ Soul Increased by 0.107 ]
Instead of dissolving into a stream of light that seamlessly integrated into his being, the sphere sparked a battle within him. Though much weaker than before, he still felt himself being sucked into the void as the wild, bestial mantis raged.
Unlike last time, when Jeremy's silhouette fought against unseen enemies, he could feel the mantis locking onto him in the void.
With a screech, it rushed toward him, but the abyss shattered before it could reach him. With a final, silent shudder of release, the sphere dissolved into a stream of light that penetrated his chest, seeping into his very core.
The abrupt return to his senses was disorienting, leaving Zain momentarily dazed as he tried to process the vision he had just experienced. The new changes hinted to different reaction and Zain mind raced to research the reason for it.
[ HP: 27% ]
[ MP: 68% ]
Shaking off the disorientation, Zain quickly regained his composure, his mind racing to make sense of what had just happened. Was it due to him killing the mantis? That was the only change he could relate to. But Zain was thinking about the future. If the mantis had reached him, did he have to fight? Would the mantis hurt him in that weird void abyss?
There were more questions than answers as he continued to use this Trait Skill of his.
After taking notes of his observation, Zain's gaze lifted, sweeping across the classroom.
The dim light from the window cast long shadows as he carefully examined each body part, his hands methodical and precise. He rifled through their belongings with an unsettling detachment, his mind cataloging each item's potential usefulness.
There was a noticeable lack of armor among the items scattered throughout the classroom, but an unsurprising abundance of rusted and crumbling weapons. These weapons, while not of high quality, were undeniably crafted for combat. Zain considered their utility; given their mediocre craftsmanship, they would best serve as disposable items in a fight—used once effectively and then discarded.
In addition to the more common weapons, Zain managed to scrounge a hooked sword, several knives, and a variety of bracers and shin guards from the chaos. He cast the sword aside with indifference—it didn't suit his style or needs—but the knives captured his attention. Small and straight, each blade was sharpened on both sides, their design offering a superb balance that suggested they were meant for throwing and close combat rather than mundane tasks like skinning.
The knives, perfect for quick, ranged attacks, were exactly what his arsenal lacked. With a satisfied nod, he secured them within easy reach, pleased with the newfound versatility they offered.
Packing all the medical supplies from the room, he swiftly appropriated two complete sets of gear for people, adjusting the straps of the backpack as he slung it over his shoulders. After a final look he moved to his final goal. The serrated blade of the half evolved mantis that he would use as his main weapon.