Violala the Venom Mantis’s expression remained inscrutable, but her exhausted trembling had ceased while we Chimera Cores eviscerated the Armadillo. She bowed her head. “I appreciate the demonstration of your prowess. I believe I will be able to lead you more effectively in the future.”
“Hah?” Sage turned away, bored when her barb didn’t elicit a response. “If that is the case, we continue.”
“Sister, patience,” Nightshade said.
Sage rounded on Nightshade with fire in her eyes, clearly pleased someone had so generously stepped forward as tribute to her fickle whims. But just as quickly, Nightshade gestured his gore-covered squirrel head arm in my direction. “I believe brother Tallum has that look in his eye-- he wishes to utilize this corpse.”
What?! Et tu, Nightshade? Tossing me under the bus- no wait.
I actually… really did want to replace these Crayfish Digging Claws with a body part from the Armadillo…
Has everyone developed jelly telepathy? Or am I really getting this predictable?
“Oh? Oh! Tallum, a scenic picnic here sounds like an excellent idea.” Sage’s entire disposition changed as she beamed at me. “Alright squad! Fifteen-minute respite before we proceed! Oy, you, Nightshade, come with me.”
Nightshade moved to Sage’s side and her Tails snaked around his heads. I could just barely hear their conversation as they moved toward a nearby stream. “Hehe, I can understand that you’ve forsaken all thinking related activities, but to admonish, even lightly, a Lady Skyfire with the word ‘patience’...”
Obviously, I’m benefiting from this partial treatment, but it does make me slightly nervous. Sage’s favoritism could change at any time.
…but I suppose that’s not giving her enough credit. Even though she acts like Nightshade disgusts her, her loyalty hasn’t wavered. And that’s exactly why mine won’t either, even if she begins to tease me in a similar manner.
Sage dragged Nightshade into the reeds. Despite the fact that all the squirrel heads had bits of flesh and muscle hanging out of their mouths, they looked helpless before her. …damn though, the prospect of becoming the target of her bullying is intimidating.
Your Skill (Earned) Monster’s Wisdom has grown to Level 25(+12).
System, I’m really not in the mood. Especially because the situation I wanted to avoid has come to pass; I’m alone with this ambush-junkie mantis…
I released a breath, spared Violala a glance, and then raised my Blood-Soaked Fang. I had a very specific body part in mind this time, so I needed to get to work to finish within the fifteen minute time period.
“Although honestly, the likelihood of Sage returning on time…” I muttered to myself. Then I started carving away flesh.
Your Skill (Earned) Field Butchery has grown to Level 5.
Luckily for me, Nightshade had made my task a lot easier by simply eating his way through the fleshy chest cavity of the armadillo. Some organs needed to be scraped away, but fewer than I expected.
Obviously, even a few small actions caused my whole front to be soaked in blood spatter and torn flesh. A ring of discarded biological matter formed around my workspace. But I had grown somewhat numb to the downside of my specialized butchery Skill. I waded blithely through the gore.
Once the flesh was out of the way, I moved on to the bone connections. After waffling for a bit, I broke off the connection right beneath the skull. My Chimera Core instincts told me that adding the skull would somehow vastly increase the amount of Anima required, but also Sage had already done most of the work here.
I used several sharp strikes to snap the remnants, but she broke the neck with a single movement of her tail…?
I tried not to think too much about those implications.
Your Skill (Earned) Field Butchery has grown to Level 6.
My next hesitation came after I crunched my way through the shoulder joints; I considered the rib cage. I flicked the bloody bones lightly with a finger. Despite Sage slamming into the Armadillo from a few different directions, they remained strong. I had to admit, if they could withstand blunt force trauma from Sage, they would probably be invaluable for defensive purposes.
Your Skill (Earned) Field Butchery has grown to Level 7.
Sage had already snapped off the end by the tail-
Your Skill (Earned) Detection has grown to Level 20.
I stilled as I felt Violala appear at my elbow. But no ambush came as she spoke.; she indicated the corpse in front of me with a foreleg. “What is the purpose of this cutting?”
When no follow-up attack came, I relaxed. And seeing no reason to hide the truth, I answered her. “You are aware that we Chimera Cores can absorb body parts from other creatures, yes? I’m preparing a body part.”
“Is that why your body parts are different? Much more sophisticated than your siblings? Likely, it’s also why the Kami made you its chosen.” Violala’s wings shuffled, releasing a humming noise. “Sculpting the body part you desire has an effect. Interesting. Your siblings might be better fighters, but you are the superior Chimera Core.”
I looked at Violala for a long moment.
To my great shame, I began to feel bashful.
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Ah, Tallum. Is this the depths to which you’ve fallen? You are so starved for affection that you blush when a praying mantis compliments your ability to disassemble dead bodies?
Although, who can deny that she has a point? The… transformations have been rather unpredictable, but definitely, I’ve benefited from my pre-integration work-
Huh, how strange. No Skill Level for Monster’s Wisdom there…
Ignoring the awkward feeling in my chest, I continued to work. I scraped away a bit more flesh, broke off a few more pieces of bone, and then reached my tentacles out to absorb the relatively massive body part. At the last second I paused. I released the integration of my Digging Claws. And now-
Would you like to integrate the armored spine of Insomniac Wetland Armadillo Bruiser Lvl 15?
Please Note: Body part has been altered from its original form. There is a slight chance of failure. Integration requires 121 Anima. Continue?
This is a new one. I considered the notification. Two things stuck out to me: the absurdly high Anima cost and the chance of failure. In the end I could only force myself to avoid focusing on those things. I still have some extra Anima saved up over the cap, so that shouldn’t be a problem. And also… investing in life comes with the risks. Not all investments pay off. So take a breath and relax.
I initiated the Integration.
Your Skill (Species) Integrate Body Part has grown to Level 27.
Your Skill (Species) Integrate Body Part has grown to Level 28.
You have integrated the Armored Spine of the Insomniac Wetland Armadillo Bruiser Lvl 15! Armored Spine of the Insomniac Wetland Armadillo Bruiser provides Constitution +3, Strength +5, and Defense +7.
Hehe…hahaha…. See!? Investing in life, working hard… And next… we bring… on… the..lei-!
Urghk?!?
Pain, the horrific, all-too-familiar sensation of my life draining away distracted me from my triumphant catchphrase. Because as the massive spine was integrated into my body, it shrunk somewhat to fit my form. Yet the original was almost double my length. I had the mass to support it, but that mass was stretched out from a sphere-ish blob to the length of the spine.
The problem wasn’t the new shape, it was the sudden imperative I be in that shape. The body part became a part of me and some instinctive drive of the Chimera Core flailed to catch up.
So the interstitial flesh up and along my body ruptured and bled as it tried to accommodate the Armored Spine. All of my previous body structure popped like a jacket made of water balloons yanked on by an army of toddlers.
Another halo of gore splashed around me in a gushing spatter. Violala hummed and fluttered further away.
Yet the Venom Mantis wasn’t a concern at all. Instead, I felt a sense of dread as I looked at my Status Screen: In a single moment, I lost 72 Health. Combined with the few bruises from the scuffle with the Armadillo, I dipped down to 9 Health.
My lavender body flushed with shame, even as the wounds began to knit themselves back together. Luckily some Health trickled back into me from the still-active Mana Feed.
Your Skill (Species) Interstitial Body Structure has grown to Level 15.
Fuck me.
Your Skill (Species) Interstitial Body Structure has grown to Level 16.
Did I really almost die from absorbing a body part?
But the notifications weren’t yet done with me.
Your Skill (Temp) Inferior Adrenaline Rush is reacting to [Redacted] of Armored Spine of the Insomniac Wetlands Armadillo Bruiser. Calculating… incorporating the [Redacted] benefits of Wisdom-
Incorporation failed. Please increase your Wisdom to gain early access to [Redacted].
A Notable Achievement: For brushing up against an aspect of the System locked behind the Second Growth Threshold, +10 Max Health, +10 Max Mana, +10 Free Stats. Free Stats distributed to only non-(Temp) Stat: Wisdom.
Your Skill (Temp) Inferior Adrenaline Rush has grown to Level 14.
Your Skill (Temp) Inferior Adrenaline Rush has grown to Level 15.
Your Skill (Temp) Inferior Adrenaline Rush has grown to Level 16.
Your Skill (Temp) Inferior Adrenaline Rush has grown to Level 17.
Your Skill (Temp) Inferior Adrenaline Rush has grown to Level 18.
My expression turned serious. My emotions were in turmoil. But I had learned earlier today how to handle this issue: expelling it via honesty. I pivoted and looked at Violala, who flicked a wing to rid herself of a small bit of my former flesh. “I need to come clean about something.”
Violala executed her typical questioning head tilt and I said. “I believe that I’m in an abusive relationship with the System. In those moments where I am at my happiest… It humbles me. And then, just when I’m sick of the System, it starts acting cute and giving me unpredictable benefits.”
Violala considered me. “...is that not the way of the world? Suffering is rewarded.”
Ah, of course. That’s why everyone’s philosophy here is so twisted.
Do monsters… even understand the benefits of leisure?
To distract myself, I looked again at my Status Screen. I tried to stay positive. At last, I approached 200 Mana requirement for integrating the Emerald Essence into my Mana Core. And my Defense, Strength, and Constitution had experienced qualitative growth.
But… Despite the System’s confusing slew of notifications, I couldn’t help but be nervous. What were those redacted’s hiding? What aspect is hidden behind the Second Growth Threshold?
Name: Tallum Frost (Awakened)
Species: Experimental Chimera Core
Level: 16
Health: 19/141
Anima: 203
Kami Allegiance: (III) To and Fro the River Wanders [(???) Seep Blessed Oils 29/150][(Basic) Spray Mud 8/50]
Mana: 172/184
Integrated Body Parts(10/10):
[Hybrid Monster Core with an Azure Aspect- Mana +15, Wisdom +2]
[Armored Spine of the Insomniac Wetland Armadillo Bruiser- Constitution+3, Strength +5, and Defense +7]
[Fat Stomach of the Sleepy Swirlback Turtle- Strength +2, Recovery +5, and Constitution +1]
[Holy Paw Set of the PIous Squirrel- Mana +10, Wisdom +2, Faith +2]
[Four Legs of the Sleepy Swirlback Turtle- Strength +4, Defense +2, and Agility+1]
[Focused Eyes of the Unlucky Albino Python Baron- +7 Perception]
[Reliable Tail of the Unlucky Albino Python Baron- Constitution +3, Poise +4, and Agility +4]
[Blood-soaked Left Fang of the Unlucky Albino Python Baron- Attack +3 and Oppression +5]
[Heavy Heart of the Sleepy Swirlback Turtle- Recovery +3 and Constitution +3]
[Mysterious Sac of the Bog Monster- +4 Recovery and +4 Wisdom]
Stats: (Temp) Perception: 7 (Temp) Poise: 4 (Temp) Recovery: 12
(Temp) Attack: 2 (Temp) Agility: 5 (Temp) Constitution: 10
(Temp) Strength: 11 (Temp) Defense: 9 Wisdom: 26
(Temp) Faith: 2 (Temp) Oppression: 5
Skills: (Species) Absorb Anima Lvl 35, (Species) Integrate Body Part Lvl 28, (Species) Interstitial Body Structure Lvl 16, (Species) Contemplate Flesh Lvl 6, (Species) Lesser Array Knowledge Lvl 5
(Earned) Mana Sensitivity Lvl 23, (Earned) Detection Lvl 20, (Earned) Body Manipulation Lvl 25(+4), (Earned) Monster’s Wisdom Lvl 25(+11), (Earned) Mutinous Grit Lvl 8, (Earned) Field Butchery Lvl 7
(Temp) Mana Feed Lvl 18, (Temp) Dig Lvl 18, (Temp) Inferior Adrenaline Rush Lvl 18, (Temp) Weak Secretions Lvl 6
(Language) Bestial Comprehension Lvl 5