Man, at one point I had thought it was easy to get lost in the fantastic sensation of penning the underlying laws of a universe. Writing felt intoxicating.
But that shit’s got nothing on the high of the first gulp of potent Anima.
Ahhh… sweet, sweet heaven… wait, no, I know this ends badly. Must… okay, just one more little suck…
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +26.
Mmm, exactly. Okay, focus. Life-or-death battle, and all that. But who knew I would become such a foodie after becoming a monster? I thought as my overloaded nervous system left the heady sensation of Absorbing Anima and actually examined my surroundings.
Your Skill (Earned) Detection has grown to Level 11.
Eh?
I came back to myself, glad I hadn’t been killed during that brief loss of control. The first detail I noticed was that the wound I had inflicted had closed. A strange Mana circulated through the Fae Squirrel Champion’s body, likely hastening its recovery. Had I continued to lose myself in the feeding, I probably would have wasted several seconds trying to suck down blood, but unable in my fuzzy state to find anything.
The second detail was that Nightshade had been brutalized by physical blows while I lost myself. Most of my companion’s flesh I could see, peering over the fae squirrel’s veiny shoulders, was bruised and torn.
The third detail was the heaving torso of the Fae Squirrel Champion; definitely, we had inflicted plenty of damage. And now that my Health jumped back to over half, I could switch to being the tank to execute him.
Fourth and finally, we had company. Several fae squirrels sat on top of the mud mound, two rearing back to spit their glitter bolts.
Typical nut obsessed pea brains. Aren’t you worried about friendly fire?
Your Skill (Earned) Body Manipulation has grown to Level 11.
My tentacles remained wrapped around the champion’s neck, so I heaved sideways as the peabrain gallery fired. It wasn’t much, but the muscle squirrel did stagger a little, putting it directly in the path of the two glitter bolts. They slammed into its pecks, earning a grunt from it and giving Nightshade a moment to wrap his last three heads up around the monster’s legs and bite into the flesh for more Anima.
Also with the opening, I swung my serrated foreleg again and carved open its back. However, the Champion didn’t even react. Instead, he concentrated Mana into two of his fingers; I could feel the horrible resolve pulse through the muscular body as it pushed those fingers down through our restrictions. The glowing attack homed directly down at Nightshade, who thrashed, but couldn’t avoid the searing fingers unless he broke our strained tableau.
The Mana of those fingers sparkled with the promise of death.
I need to do something, My eye rolled as panic seized me. I ripped the serrated foreleg out as violently as possible. Then, when that didn’t work, I straightened the limb and rammed it directly through the squirrel champion’s ribs, aiming for where I believed the heart to be.
The squirrel trembled for a second as my leg sank into him, but continued to force its fingers down into Nightshade’s flesh. The indigo skin burned and flaked away under that concentrated Mana.
If those fingers reach his jelly core, Nightshade is going to die. The realization kickstarted the grim clockwork machinery. Another surge of adrenaline filled my strained body.
Your Skill (Temp) Inferior Adrenaline Rush has grown to Level 6.
I heaved on the foreleg— but the limb didn’t move, the serrations had caught on the ribs. I tried feeding, Absorbing Anima, but the amount of Anima I gulped down remained high; at this rate, I wouldn't drain the Fae Squirrel Champion of life in time.
Your Skill (Species) Absorb Anima has grown to Level 30.
A Mundane Achievement: For increasing a (Species) Skill to Lvl 30 before reaching Lvl 25, +3 Max Health and Max Mana!
A Mundane Achievement: For increasing a (Species) Skill to Level 30 before reaching Lvl 15, +10 Max Health and Max Mana!
You have completed a Notable Quest! Reach a maximum Mana of 100 before Level 25 100/100
A Notable Achievement: You have received a Mundane Blessing Enhancement (Can only be used once, on a single Blessing. May be used on a Blessing that has already been Enhanced).
I forced away the notifications, panic rising as Nightshade loosed a low groan of pain. Whatever I had just received, none of it was as important as the life of my brother. My mental gears twisted and bit into one another as they churned.
My serrated foreleg remained stuck. Tentacles reached out to force their way into the Champion’s eyes, nose, and mouth, but it whipped its head back and forth to slow my efforts. I pecked at the back of its head with my chirper beak, but barely broke the skin. Those searing fingers continued to drill into Nightshade’s flesh-
My gears hummed, almost contemplative. Without any intelligent acts that could provide the results I wanted, I was left with only flailing.
I activated my Blessing, Seep Blessed Oils. A puff of mist exploded from my body, perhaps due to the violence of the activation or my desperation. The strange, glittering liquid drifted down. At the very least, having another monster pee on you might-
Eh? My eye fixed on the burning fingers of the Champion. As the mist drifted down, the light wavered. Then the liquid arrived, completely extinguishing the blue Mana. Its fingers stopped carving through Nightshade’s flesh. I could see a bit of Nightshade's jelly, wiggling right beyond those two fingers.
Due to unique actions, your Seep Blessed Oils has earned +15 Proficiency!
Seriously? I could barely believe what I was seeing, but my Mana Sensitivity wouldn’t lie. This damn liquid I produce… dissipates the Mana of others? Ah, great Kami, I apologize for my previous sacrilege, yes, yes, all abilities have a purpose… this foolish one was just too much of a worm to understand its majesty…
Stolen story; please report.
Your Skill (Earned) Monster’s Wisdom has grown to Level 12.
Tch, as always…
The Champion shifted beneath me, looking surprised at its fingers as its Mana completely vanished. A few drops of lavender liquid dribbled down off the digits and left them normal and non-deadly. Weak and listless, Nightshade just barely managed to open and close a mouth on the Champion’s thigh, rapidly draining Anima to recover its strength.
Recalling our purpose, I began to twist and saw with my serrated foreleg. Blood spurted out of the wound. The Champion staggered forward. Two more glitter bolts flew from the watching squirrels and slammed into my body, but I had enough Health to absorb a few hits. I sharpened a tentacle and stabbed it into the Fae Squirrel Champion’s ear.
Your Skill (Earned) Body Manipulation has grown to Lvl 12.
I couldn’t quite get my tentacle small enough to drill through and try and damage the brain, but I did definitely shred the eardrum. For good measure, I scratched and ripped the flesh of his head and neck as best I could, hoping to affect the monster’s balance.
I almost didn’t notice its muscular arm reaching back for me until it was too late. As it was, I managed to shift sideways, so instead of grabbing my core body, it gripped onto one of my wings-
-and simply ripped the limb off me in a bulging display of force.
Warning! Your Wings of the Scowling Bluebird Chirper has been severely damaged! Access to Skill (Temp) Flutter Wings has been lost. Access to (Temp) Poise (+2) and Agility (+4) lost. Integrated body part has been destroyed.
For the violent destruction of a body part, -17 Health.
There must have been some connecting tissue in the back that kept the two wings functional, because after tearing off the one the other drooped and began to disintegrate. The loss of the Skill didn’t mean much, but 2 Poise and 4 Agility made me feel sluggish. Doubly so because of the hangover effects of Inferior Adrenaline Rush.
But I can’t stop now. I continued to saw with my serrated foreleg. When blood pumped out of the wound, I drank.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +43.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +40.
Your Skill (Temp) Mana Feed has triggered! Restoring 15 Health and 7 Mana over the next 30 seconds.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +29.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +20.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +24.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +12.
Rapidly, all the life in the Bloodthirsty Fae Squirrel Champion’s body finally ran dry. Below, Nightshade gnawed at its legs. Above, I clung to the neck and sucked away. I could even detect that it only possessed a few minuscule points of Mana left.
I felt confident in our victory-
Uh oh, why the hell did I need to think that…? Planting flags is a contagious behavior--
Your Skill (Earned) Monster’s Wisdom has grown to Level 13.
The Champion shifted. Its thick neck twisted around to look at me. Those eyes were gaunt, but also vaguely fond. The sort of, we-fought-to-the-death-but-through-that-we-understand-each-other-and-I-don’t-resent-you sort of development typical in shounen media.
The look felt curiously intimate and I felt very out of place, as just a former webserial writer.
Then the muscle squirrel smiled. Its eyes were dewey with unshed tears. Kindred-spirit-we-are, but-you-will-not-escape-without-wounds.
Really, we aren’t kindred spirits. You should be having this intimate moment with Nightshade, not me. Please just die.
The Fae Squirrel Champion’s last dregs of Mana vanished, expended for the last time. The wound in its back closed up, not all the way, but enough. Then the muscle squirrel flexed its back, muscles rippling. I felt and heard the crack simultaneously.
Even though I read the notification several times, all I felt was disbelief.
Warning! Your Serrated Foreleg of the Patient Venom Mantis has been severely damaged! Access to (Temp) Poise (+4) and Attack (+3) lost. Integrated body part has been destroyed.
“Fuck you,” I screeched, unwilling to accept the loss of my best body part. The Bloodthirsty Fae Squirrel Champion swayed and then collapsed.
The bastard smirked up at me as he expired.
You have assisted in slaying a Lvl 16 Bloodthirsty Fae Squirrel Champion!
You have Leveled Up! Health +5, Mana +3.
You have Leveled Up! Health +5, Mana +3.
After the body had fallen, I crawled off, still somewhat in shock. Nightshade untangled himself from the limbs and sprang to his feet. “Indeed. For our slain foes, we possessed naught but disdain. Since you struck the decisive blow, I will leave this body to you. In addition… I wish to rampage through the remnants of these fell squirrels. Do not attempt to stop me.”
I waved a tentacle, barely hearing. Instead, I could only feel all I had lost in the fight, both my Poise and my Agility falling back down to almost nothing. I definitely felt bloated and uncoordinated without those extra Stats.
Ah, no use being negative. Remember, leisurely life. I can always absorb more body parts, before stress gives me another aneurysm. I quickly intervened in my mental state before it could deteriorate further. I deactivated the clockwork machine and buried it as deeply as I could manage within my psyche. I reached up and slapped my ‘cheeks’ with tentacles. I tried to remain positive.
In the background, Nightshade roared and slammed into the first fae squirrel that had rushed forward when we defeated their champion. Of the massive force we faced before, some had fled and others had been stopped by the spiderwebs, so he only needed to handle a dozen.
I looked at the body in front of me. I remained positive. “Besides… isn’t this guy a treasure? Those kung foo moves, the usage of Mana… If I absorb body parts from this, I’ll be even more powerful than I was previously!”
I tried to imagine it.
I imagined a version of myself with these muscular squirrel arms, standing above my reflection in the water and flexing.
I collapsed in embarrassment. No, this wouldn’t work at all.
Then another idea occurred to me. I looked to a Skill I hadn’t activated yet: Contemplate Flesh. My eye glittered with possibilities as I considered my Status.
Name: Tallum Frost (Awakened)
Species: Experimental Chimera Core
Level: 14
Health: 41/108
Anima: 250
Kami Allegiance: (III) To and Fro the River Wanders [Seep Blessed Oils 20/150]
Mana: 6/106
Integrated Body Parts(8/10):
[Hybrid Monster Core- Mana +5]
[Fat Stomach of the Sleepy Swirlback Turtle- Strength +2, Recovery +5, and Constitution +1]
[Four Legs of the Sleepy Swirlback Turtle- Strength +4, Defense +2, and Agility+1]
[Slightly Mushed Left Eye of the Vindictive Static Mongoose- Perception +5]
[Heavy Heart of the Sleepy Swirlback Tortoise- Recovery +3 and Constitution +3]
[Beak of Cheerful Bluebird Chirper- Attack +1, Perception +1, Poise +1, and Agility +1]
[Slimy Yet Generous Tongue of the Three-Horned Swamp Frog- Accuracy +2 and Attack +2]
[Digging Claws of the Buff Crayfish Mucker- Defense +1 and Strength +2]
Stats: (Temp) Perception: 7 (Temp) Poise: 1 (Temp) Recovery: 8
(Temp) Attack: 3 (Temp) Agility: 2 (Temp) Constitution: 4
(Temp) Accuracy: 2 (Temp) Strength: 8 (Temp) Defense: 3
Skills: (Species) Absorb Anima Lvl 30, (Species) Integrate Body Part Lvl 21, (Species) Interstitial Body Structure Lvl 4, (Species) Contemplate Flesh Lvl 1, (Species) Basic Array Knowledge Lvl 6
(Earned) Mana Sensitivity Lvl 13, (Earned) Detection Lvl 11, (Earned) Body Manipulation Lvl 12, (Earned) Monster’s Wisdom Lvl 13, (Earned) Mutinous Grit Lvl 4
(Temp) Mana Feed Lvl 15, (Temp) Healing Tongue Lvl 5, (Temp) Dig Lvl 10, (Temp) Inferior Adrenaline Rush Lvl 6
(Language) Bestial Comprehension Lvl 3