As expected, after a time a new passageway opened up. I wondered if they had waited until the other Chimera Cores had finished feeding or were just prepping the next area. But I appreciated the downtime; it gave me a little chance to process the sudden change in my existence and think about the rules of this new world.
As I grabbed the tails of my companions and led them forward, a thought struck me. Could the other Chimera Cores have gained additional Anima, because only two fed on the rats? And the one with a tunnel all to itself, because we came here as a trio…
I tried not to think about it. I hoped they weren’t fattening each of us up in order to turn us against one another. If I had to fight my two new companions…
In the back of my mind, the faintest ripples of unwillingness rose. I didn’t investigate too closely, lest it upset my relaxed mood.
A looming shadow appeared over our tunnel as we proceeded. The gruff voice clicked its tongue. “Indeed, these three remain weird.”
“But that sapphire Chimera Core…” The whiny voice said.
“Yes. Racain will be pleased.”
As it turns out, there is very little I can do, even knowing we are stuck in an experiment.
“Still, there is one problem. Do you see that little fleshy bit inside the eyeball masochist?”
“...hm? Oh, yes, why? Is that what he absorbed from the rat?”
Eyeball masochist?!
“Indeed. It’s just… what the hell did he absorb?”
“What does it matter? It’s some rat organ.”
Ah, the cochlea. Yea, it's probably difficult to figure out its identity from a human’s perspective.
“...I think it’s a rat testicle.”
“Seriously? That little shit…”
“Yeah… definitely a sicko.”
I decided to shut out the ignorant voices as we reached the next chamber. Otherwise, my sanity would shatter. I had no wish to return to the negative spiral of responding to internet commenters. It was fine to wish to be a free-spirited individual who didn’t care about the opinions of others, but it was a process, a process. I wasn’t quite invulnerable to their shitty misjudgments quite yet. My grief and regrets were too fresh.
Mental note, revisit the idea of meditation…
Luckily, the next chamber had an interesting enough occupant that I completely forgot about my frustrations. A spider about double the size of us oozing Chimera Cores twisted its body around and fixed its many eyes on us as we entered. And above its head…
A little bubble that contained a label: Hex Spider Lvl 6
Per usual, that same hunger emerged in us. A hunger I was starting to believe would activate whenever we saw a living being. Our instincts were not picky eaters. Green and Indigo began gliding forward, happy to feast. But unlike the previous foe, this one didn’t have its legs chopped off.
And if our instincts screamed ‘prey’, its instincts warned of danger. As we neared, the Hex Spider raised its body and spat an emerald glob.
I grabbed Indigo’s tail and pulled him back. The projectile splashed against the ground and began to sizzle. Our energy sonar informed us very emphatically that this substance was dangerous.
…unless the ground decided on a whim to melt for unrelated reasons.
Although Green and Indigo weren’t particularly bright in their organ selection, they moved more cautiously forward after the first spit. We split apart, those two charging at angles from the front while I took upon myself the noble role of circling around to its vulnerable back. The Hex Spider hissed at us and reared back again.
I waved my tentacle with some vigor, wishing I could speak and warn them, but it appeared they understood. Both Green and Indigo scrunched up as the spider reared back, and the eventual target Green used a single tentacle and two tails to toss its body to the side to avoid the projectile. Some still splashed on its side and it wiggled in pain.
With that opening, Indigo and I charged forward. I deployed four tentacle legs and marched more quickly than he could ooze, so despite the fact I had circled around we both reached the Hex Spider at the same time.
Immediately, Indigo flowed across one of the spider’s legs and its two suspended rat heads began to gnaw on the appendage. The Hex Spider hissed in pain, but it was too soon for another spit. Instead, it lifted one of its other legs and stabbed it down into Indigo.
Although we were labeled ‘Core’, we didn’t appear to possess any actual physical core. So the leg aimed for one of the two heads and speared it right through the top of the skull. Bits of the dead rat’s brain oozed out of the wound. However, the skull continued to gnaw. After all, it wasn’t alive in the first place, not truly. It had just been integrated into a Chimera.
I had to tear my eye away from the sight. Did I reincarnate into a horror movie?!? Did I really bond with these monsters?
While the Hex Spider was distracted, I reached up with two tentacles and latched onto its main body. It skittered back, shaking off Indigo and trying to make some space, but I already pulled myself up onto its back. I sharpened the end of one of my tentacles, punched through its exoskeleton, and began to drink from its gooey insides.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
A shiver ran through me as my instincts trilled in pleasure. Yea, this is the good shit.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +1.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +2.
Your Skill Absorb Anima has grown to Level 3.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +3.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +1.
Does the Skill Level of Absorb Anima affect how much Anima I can absorb at once? I wondered through the intoxicating haze of drinking life.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +2.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +3.
Underneath my attacks, the Hex Spider weakened and collapsed. I could have kept sucking down its remaining life, but I felt slightly bad for my fellows, who had distracted it during my feast. Despite their weirdness, they were my companions. Besides, all the Anima I had absorbed meant my body had swollen to almost twice its previous size. My current Anima sat at 16.
So I rolled sideways and allowed those two to feed. When the notification came, they each had grown enough that I didn’t feel too bad.
You have assisted in slaying a Lvl 6 Domesticated Hex Spider!
You have Leveled Up! Health +2, Anima +1.
You have Leveled Up! Health +2, Anima +1.
The notifications filled me with warmth and satisfaction. Ah, it shouldn’t be so easy, but Levels are always the best. Nothing compared to fantasy worlds with experience points.
Filled with pleasure at my growth, I turned to regard my companions— their states filled me with ennui.
Green had taken two of the long spider's legs… but had absorbed them and situated them so they were upside down and poking out of its back, like tails. Green hopped back and forth, clearly pleased with this development. Some part of me wanted to be mad, but I noticed that the ease of Green’s movement was much more than what I could accomplish. Probably, it had received a speed or agility-related Stat for the legs. They might not be used as legs, but at least… they were somewhat beneficial…
My previous humanity is an advantage that will pay dividends for my entire monsterly life…
Unsurprising, Indigo had absorbed the head of the Hex Spider. It now joined the two rat skulls, one of which had been broken in half, in orbit around Indigo’s body. Could the skulls… be providing intelligence to Indigo?
The spider clacked its mandibles at me. I shook myself to dispel groundless hope. No, it’s impossible. No evidence of intelligence exists within this fellow…
I oozed forward, my larger body covering almost the entirety of the Hex Spider and examining its innards. Even though I had 18 Anima, I didn’t want to absorb body parts casually. I used a tentacle to poke and prod all of its various organs and appendages, identifying two that interested me.
Would you like to integrate the venom sac of Domesticated Hex Spider Lvl 6?
Would you like to integrate the lesser monster core of Domesticated Hex Spider Lvl 6?
Venom sac… monster core… now we are talking! My body quivered. But still, I didn’t act rashly. I selected the venom sac. Still… will I be able to utilize the Venom Sac on its own?
Integration requires 5 Anima. Continue?
I canceled out of that integration after checking the price. Now, how about the monster core?
Integration requires 15 Anima. Continue?
If I had a face, mine would have crumpled to see this little sparkly bit of rock requiring 15 Anima. If I integrated this, I would only have 3 Anima remaining. All the gains from the Hex Spider and Levels would vanish. Yet at the same time, I couldn’t dismiss the prompt. Because the concept of a monster core didn’t exist in my world. And because, so far, it seemed that the benefits I received corresponded to how much Anima I spent.
My untrustworthy monster instinct told me to trust my gut.
Isn’t that you? Do you have a perspective?
My instinct tried again: Devour life until you’ve devoured the entire world!
…yea, that does not sound like a life of leisure…
Okay, so-
You have attempted to Integrate the lesser monster core of the Domesticated Hex Spider Lvl 6! You have failed. Integration target has degraded.
Your Skill Integrate Body Part has grown to Level 2.
You have attempted to Integrate the inferior monster core of the Domesticated Hex Spider Lvl 6! You have failed. Integration target has degraded.
Your Skill Integrate Body Part has grown to Level 3.
You have integrated the flawed monster core of the Domesticated Hex Spider Lvl 6! You have unlocked Attribute (Temp) Mana. You have unlocked Skill (Temp) Lesser Mana Detection. Flawed Monster Core of the Domesticated Hex Spider provides Mana +1.
…this bullshit System…! All my Anima, for a single point of Mana?! My jello quivered with fury. As the sparkling crystal entered my body, all of my bulk vanished to support it. I had once more become a hacky-sac. But I tried to stay positive; after all, I had also earned a Skill. So I opened up my Status Screen.
Name: Tallum Frost (Awakened)
Species: (Nascent) Chimera Core
Level: 5
Health: 13/18
Anima: 3
(Temp) Mana: 1/1
Integrated Body Parts: [Left Eye of the Chubby Rat- Perception+2]
[Slightly Damaged Cochlea of the Chubby Rat- Perception +1]
[Left Lung of the Lazy Rat- Recovery +2]
[Flawed Monster Core of the Domesticated Hex Spider- Mana +1]
Stats: (Temp) Perception: 3 (Temp) Recovery: 2
Skills: (Species) Absorb Anima Lvl 3, (Species) Integrate Body Part Lvl 3, (Temp) Lesser Mana Detection Lvl 1
To keep up my spirits, I looked at the description of my new Skill.
(Temp) Lesser Mana Detection: Transition Skill. User has a certain additional probability of noticing Mana in the environment when concentrating. Chance is extremely small. Effect increases in Mana-rich environments. Chance increases with Skill Level.
The shaking of my body grew worse. A small chance?!? After all that? Like it's only luck-
I swiveled my eyeball around and glared at the mana-charged cage. I saw electricity crackling back and forth, but otherwise, nothing happened. I tried to concentrate for several seconds. Still, nothing happened.
I will literally murder- Right when I was about to toss my body against the cage, to experience mana ‘the old fashioned way’, I instinctively switched to my energy sonar. The crackling energy began to burn in my awareness.
Mana detected! Skill Proficiency increased!
Your Skill (Temp) Lesser Mana Detection has grown to Level 2.
Mana detected! Skill Proficiency increased!
Your Skill (Temp) Lesser Mana Detection has grown to Level 3.
Mana detected! Skill Proficiency increased!
Mana detected! Skill Proficiency increased!
Mana detected! Skill Proficiency increased!
Your Skill (Temp) Lesser Mana Detection has grown to Level 4.
I settled down and undulated my tentacles in a victory dance. Ahem, ahem. So it was like this! Chimera Cores are cheat monsters after all! How relaxing.
…it was only when I noticed Green and Indigo imitating my wacky-arm-waving joy, like three mindless zealots heralding the descent of their eldritch deity, that horror blossomed in my chest. Wait, no! When did this behavior become normal?! I was human once! I picked apart plot holes in time travel movies! I'm not just a culty jello cup!