Despite my emotional roller coaster, I didn’t stop grinding my Lesser Mana Detection. This useful human gaming skill, at least, hadn’t abandoned me, like my good sense.
At Lesser Mana Detection Level 8, the Skill Level increases tapered off. I stared at the Mana around the fence for about fifteen minutes, getting Skill Proficiency increase notifications, but another Skill Level didn’t come.
Well, I can take these things gradually. I thought to myself. Then I patted myself on the back, with a tentacle, for such a low-key and relaxed approach to my new life.
My subconscious chose that moment to moment to remind me of the looming shadow of my sister’s death and the minor, related detail of my own death.
I flinched. I wanted to ignore those thoughts, but I barely managed to acknowledge them for a few seconds. I know. I haven’t forgotten. I’m sad. Sad and hollow in a way that’s not gonna just fix itself. But also…
But also, I have another shot. And half of the way I deal with this regret… is by being here, in the moment, for this life.
My heart still ached, but I focused on analyzing the details of my Lesser Mana Detection Skill. At around Level 5 I now occasionally saw sparks of Mana with my eyeball, not just with energy sonar. So I would passively gain Skill Proficiency, not just when I concentrated. I examined the single point of Mana I could now wield… and could produce no tangible results, no matter how hard I tried. I definitely could expend my Mana pool, essentially poofing energy out from my ooze body like a scentless fart.
I did my best not to lose my temper. Too many unaddressed emotions sloshing around made me feel like a powder keg. At the very least, I could feel my point of Mana regenerating without requiring an extra Stat. So I could experiment in my downtime.
You know, my downtime while being fattened up like a genetically engineered livestock monstrosity.
My companions had been only too happy to play around and not approach the newly opened tunnel during my siesta. Green had become more proficient in jumping, perhaps suggesting that it had obtained a related Skill as well as an Agility boost. A victory for legs-as-tails, I guess. Green could jump right over Indigo, looking with those sharpened ribs pointing outward like a bouncy ball covered in spikes. And Indigo-
Well, Indigo’s three heads rotated. Their mouths opened and closed in robotic imitation of a living being. Nothing else appeared to have changed.
When I moved, both followed me into the new tunnel. I felt nervous about the next chamber, but didn’t want to waste any more time. I had gained a new Skill and a point of Mana, but those didn’t appear to have affected my combat ability at all. So I was slightly weaker than before the fight against the spider. So if the next chamber had a Lvl 8 opponent, we might be in trouble.
Luckily, my worries were unfounded. As we three oozed into the chamber, two Lvl 4 Rats (who had been generously allowed to keep their limbs by our captors) looked up from their cheese. The rodents froze.
Green took the lead here, bounding ahead and physically body-checking the first rat. Green almost immediately kicked off its stunned target, leaving several bleeding gashes on its side. The pain-crazed rat flopped and tried to run away, but the entrance behind us closed before it arrived. It ran toward the dead end and scrabbled its paws against the barrier. Its companion that hadn’t yet been wounded was a bit braver, releasing a hiss.
When Indigo approached without any fear, it brought its rat paw around in a slash. The paw sank into the ooze, not inflicting any noticeable damage. Those rotating heads stilled in a tension-filled moment cut straight from a monster movie. Three pairs of sightless eyes pivoted and settled on the intruder. The spider head mandibles chomped down, severing the paw.
Both rats appeared to have been dealt with in only an instant.
Team… work? I can’t let this happen too often though, or I’ll be under Leveled…
Green had already started happily devouring its prey, so I joined Indigo. Because I felt my point of Mana returning, after about ten minutes since I used it, I went beside the crying rat and released my Mana on it. The rat didn’t appear to notice, but Indigo edged backward away from the energy.
Ah, it might not do anything without a Skill right now to most beings, but we Chimera Cores are creatures of energy. The Mana might wound us. Perhaps only a single Anima, but still… I reached out with a tentacle and patted Indigo. It appeared to understand my apology and gestured with its own tentacle for me to chow down.
Such a gentle-ooze.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +2.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +2.
Your Skill Absorb Anima has grown to Level 4.
Unfortunately, these Lvl 4 Rats couldn’t provide me with much at this point, especially when Indigo and I shared.
Green had taken another tail as well as several ‘prongs’ from the target’s ribcage (which, I realized, were just rigid chest tails), putting the number of tails sticking out of its ass at three (five depending on who you asked) and a dozen sharpened ribs sticking out of its body. In addition, it still remained the largest of us. After all, it had consumed an entire rat’s Anima.
However, I watched with an expression between confusion and concern as our third departed from his usual behavior. Indigo didn’t seem interested in another rat head; in fact, the two rat heads had sunk down in its body, leaving the comparatively more powerful spider head to float on its own.
He oozed to the side and used the sightless eyes on his heads to stare at nothing. I couldn’t help but observe him. Is this… monster angst? Even decapitating heads leaves one unfulfilled after a while?
Uwah, Indigo, please don’t conclude you need to escalate your butchery in order to feel alive…
Meanwhile, I hesitated and then approached the rat. My experiment with poof-ing out my Mana had given me an idea.
Would you like to integrate the tattered skin of Scared Rat Lvl 4?
Integration requires 1 Anima. Continue?
You have integrated the tattered skin of the Scared Rat Lvl 4! You have unlocked Stat (Temp) Defense. Tattered Skin of the Scared Rat provides Defense +1.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Your Skill Integrate Body Part has grown to Level 4.
My lavender ooze body remained, but it was now covered with the remnant skin from the dead Rat. I said a small prayer for the rats in this place, who appeared to have thoroughly offended the god in charge of naming under the System. But I suppose if I was stuck in an experimental institution where my fate was to be fed to another experiment, I would be scared too.
…I hope I’m not being fattened up just to be fed to a bigger monster. But isn’t that exactly the sort of ending these stories have…?
Both Indigo and Green came over and prodded my new skin, trying to decide if it was me. Neither seemed satisfied. They both reached down and I could only make a fake-tail with a tentacle. They squeezed until they found the identifying factor. Overjoyed it was indeed me, they began wiggling around like the bass had just kicked in at a jello rave.
Naturally, I joined them. The dance of our people is very compelling.
Hum, now that I investigate, my energy sonar… the two of them have color in that awareness. Does proximity eventually familiarize me with energy signatures? And the skin masks-
Mana detected! Skill Proficiency increased!
Your Skill (Temp) Lesser Mana Detection has grown to Level 9.
Ah, my useless son… no no, I am not mocking you… yes yes, I agree, you will definitely repay me for raising you someday…
As had always happened, after we had settled ourselves, we looked toward the new opening. Green and Indigo happily moved forward, wanting more food to devour for Anima, but I followed with a bit more care. Because compared to the other tunnels, this one had clearly been designed to contain a much more dangerous creature. Even the metal looked heavier.
My little rat eye rolled around, waiting for our movements to trigger the next development. And sure enough, as we moved through into the new space, the shadows stretched across our cage.
“Oh? Three groups survived to the second portion?” The gruff voice seemed surprised.
The whiny voice giggled. “Heh, well, does it matter if it's one or three? That solo bastard-”
“Yea, we are definitely going to be rewarded for creating him.”
With those ominous words in my mind, we examined the next chamber. It was as large as the first meeting place, and as my eyeball peered around, I could see that three open tunnels led here. Out of one came a group of two other Chimera Cores, Orange and Red. Both appeared to have fought avian creatures because they had feathers and Orange possessed a beak. Opposite them came a Sapphire Chimera Core.
Fuck, was there a steroid route?
This guy was probably the ‘bastard’ the humans talked about. He had a few rat hairs sticking out of his body, which was double my size. The body seemed less jello and more a quivering glute. Dyed blue.
That would have been ominous enough, but at least explainable because that antagonistic Chimera Core would have consumed all of the Anima Indigo, Green, and I had split along the path. But what dominated his frame was a massive crab claw that stretched up from his right side. The sapphire blob observed us and clicked its claw. It was long and thick, sizable enough to completely squish any of the other Chimera Cores in a single blow.
My eye swiveled to the left, following my instinct’s ping. A black mongoose curled up in the middle of the area, watching us all with narrowed eyes.
Static Mongoose Lvl 10
Of course, I say mongoose, but that misses the reality of our current situation; the monster was as tall as us with about six times our length. Its sinuous body included four muscular legs with sharp claws. And it didn’t take a genius to figure out the extra dangers associated with this foe if you looked at its name.
I bet the first Chimera Core to underestimate the mongoose is in for a shocking surprise…
Buzzing with confidence and prepared to be the martyrs, the Orange and Red Chimera Cores slithered in a beeline for the mongoose. Meanwhile, I pulled one of Green’s rat tails in order to grab its attention. I then went through some complicated miming… that likely got lost in translation.
With a tentacle, I quickly moved forward and patted Green’s side with quick, light touches. I pointed at the mongoose with my tentacle, repeated the quick touch, and then released pleasing, jubilant vibrations. At least, that was my intention.
Don’t touch it long enough that it can shock you.
Then I did exaggeratedly slow touches, pressing my body up against Green. After a few seconds of touching, I released a low, antagonistic growl. For good measure, I held up two tentacles and crossed them into an X. Green just examined me, clearly nonplussed. Sighing, I did a slow touch and then mimed Green’s tail being caught off.
Finally, I felt genuine horror from my companion. Then I did the quick touches, and mimed the tail moving away from the cut to remove it just in time.
…any more than this, I cannot help you. Go with god.
Whether Green got the hint or not, it kicked off and bounced forward. I turned to try and communicate with Indigo, but Sapphire had oozed over toward our position. It jabbed emphatically toward the mongoose with a tentacle. With all the imperious authority of a king. When we just looked at it, it raised its crab claw and clicked in a very persuasive argument for the consequences of refusing.
This bastard. I bet you always got picked first for team charades…
Wait a second, where does this intelligence come from? Why did I get stuck with head or tail-obsessed weirdos?!? I can't make heads or ta-
Well, no need to pun about it.
Anyway, to avoid a pointless confrontation with Sapphire, Indigo and I followed more slowly behind Green. The mongoose’s eyes swept left and right, categorizing the threats moving against it. Just from how quickly its attention shifted, I judged its speed to be our biggest problem. Ahem, aside from this smash-happy bastard waiting in the wings…
Actually, my eyeball spun around and took another glance at Sapphire. Now I understand the mistake of those humans watching us! I had assumed it was just a withered testicle, but… Definitely, that organ floating there…
I could just barely see it; at 3 Perception, my vision definitely fell off only a short distance away from me and could only discern massive shapes. But floating in Sapphire’s ooze was a small hunk of flesh. This bastard had absorbed a brain and knew to send us to weaken the mongoose before he moved personally.
It is a brain, but it's a rat brain… Fufufu, do you think that one such as I, who dedicated himself to realism in fiction, could be overcome by a rodent’s cunning— ah, well, obviously this life is one focused on living in the moment, but still.
All at once, Green increased its speed. Bounding back and forth, it caught up to Orange and Red and moved amongst them. Those two Chimera Cores waved their tentacles threateningly, as if to say ‘don’t you dare steal our prey!’ or some minor character line like that. More importantly, the mongoose hissed with its eyes fixed on Green.
Its instincts seemed to have a pretty good read on the real threat to its Health.
That was good. It proved that despite the mongoose’s speed, it didn’t take Green lightly. If it had too much of a speed advantage, I could only think of gruesome outcomes for us.
The mongoose struck first. It pounced forward. By the time I felt my jello tighten in fear, Green bounced sideways to avoid the blow. But the attack on Green had been a feint. Instead, the Mongoose twisted and brought one of its razor-sharp paws ripping around and shredding right through Orange’s body.
However, again I could see the innate advantages of being a Chimera Core. The physical blow might have ripped through some of Orange’s hairs, but it didn’t inflict much damage on it. Orange’s beak repositioned itself through the ooze and the jello squeezed together and leapt at the mongoose’s exposed side, beak first. Orange pecked, drawing blood from the mongoose.
On impact, Orange’s body began to visibly swell; a Lvl 10 Mongoose must have quite a bit of Anima.
However, I saw a familiar flash of energy across the Mongoose’s paw. It scythed back, a horrible, static-wreathed pendulum. I tensed.
Mana detected! Skill Proficiency increased!
Your Skill (Temp) Lesser Mana Detection has grown to Level 10.
The paw passed through the ooze a second time, with a very different outcome in the first.
Orange’s body popped. All it took was the activation of the Skill that had earned it the moniker ‘Static’. Just like that, one of the six Chimera Cores died.
Oh shit. My body trembled. That is not a leisurely way to go.