But...

It's not stopping.

I wasn't in control anymore, yet the swarming chaos continued unabated.

Faster. Faster. Faster still. So I stood, unsure of how to act against the encirclement.

I can barely even perceive its movements now...

Huh? Or... was it still?

The sudden change in perspective was staggering. From a raging torrent to a placid membrane, the startling change came with a newfound curiosity.

I watched as small droplets began forming at random points on the boundary, like condensation on a cool glass, and I watched as these orbs shifted in colour from emerald to blue to a deep purple.

The now numerous drops grew... agitated, and they seemed to conflict with one another, colliding and flying off in numerous directions.

A few calmly combined, drawing nearer to my body as they did so; at the same time, they jittered in place, not dissimilar to the amber egg I had absorbed before.

The process was fast but steady, and I could no longer make out the finer details in the vibrant deluge of energies fighting to reach me.

I felt nothing, but saw a flash of purple light in my periphery. I looked at a scale on my hip that had been seared by the light and saw a deep groove outlining its perimeter. What mesmerised me was the deep purple glow coursing through this crevice. It was like a body of water entangled with the mystic light of twilight.

Another flash caught my attention, then another, and another...

I couldn't keep up, so I squinted and looked at myself as a whole.

The sudden fixtures were simplistic on my legs and arms but appeared to grow more vibrant across my body.

Looking down at the water below me, I saw these indentations grow geometrically intricate around my shoulders as the energy streamed itself in; they were no longer simply outlining the natural form of the scales.

That is strange.

I squinted my eyes and noticed that the water had been rapidly losing its luster.

Looking around, I saw the mist had become a dull grey. It looked lifeless and heavy, and I watched it begin to drift towards the water, sinking into its surface.

Feeling stiff across my body, I rattled my scales with slight vigour while pulling my neck to the side in a vain attempt at stretching.

Well, it felt satisfying regardless.

But what was tha...

Oh.

A purple sparking brilliance wrapped itself around my body, arcing from scale to scale. I clenched my hand and watched numerous tendrils of light run their way up my arm.

This is...

[Ability gained: [Lightning Magic lvl1] +[Aphantic Mana Sense lvl3]]

Incredible...

Even against the murky depths of the water, my wide grin reflected back at me with vigorous glee.

Well, isn't this nifty.

Before I could be immersed in my ever-growing ego, I noticed that the smog had fallen below my eye level.

What faced me were sets of eyes—numerous sets of eyes.

It was quiet, but I could sense a brewing yet hesitant killing intent within their unnaturally focused vision. The glowing rage in their eyes seemingly created a spectral haze around me that practically oozed from their bodies and into the water below.

How dominating...

I wanted to smile calmly, but their vengeful stares were boring into me from all directions, and the instinctive, wrathful arrogance I'd been pushing away had vanished.

If I could sweat, this would certainly be the time, but I felt cold—my mind was cold; now clear—as this water had once been.

Am I afraid?

Or am I excited?

The quiet crescendo didn't cease to rise, but it was reaching a climax.

I would be the first to play.

Stamping down, I sent out a recursive stream of lightning into the water below me. It diverged and scattered across the surface, giving it a purple sheen.

A few of the smaller monsters had taken this action as a signal and launched themselves into the murky depths. Like a swarm of piranhas, the dancing thunder engulfed them all, leaving only charred smoke emerging from a sequence of bubbles.

[Exp +12 +14 +22 +26]

I ignored the window as I slowly moved my gaze around the encirclement of monsters.

They looked hesitant, but did not move.

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Perhaps they knew I would eventually run out of mana with enough sacrifices.

But at this thought, I saw a group disperse to the side.

I turned and narrowed my eyes.

A hulking beast strode through on its muscular arms to the edge, its bright white prickled fur distinctly separating it from the crowd.

I watched closely as it gathered a pale energy beneath its palms, its erroneous face somehow growing more ugly as its permanent grimace deepened. The energy was apparently reaching its climax, and this incredible deduction of mine came to fruition with its shaking arm lifting from the ground.

The beast slammed its fist into the ground, sending a web of cracks streaking across the surface and into the water. A brilliant essence rose from within the earth, and a soul-chilling wind washed over me.

I leapt onto the pillar adjacent to me while rattling my scales with electricity, and watched the additionally electrified water freeze more solid than the surrounding stone...

Of course, I wouldn't be the only one to awaken magic.

This was a real battle.

The ape-like monster rushed forward, crushing stone and ice in its path. I leapt upward and away from the pillar, turning my back to the ground. I watched numerous monstrosities viciously tearing their way towards me, and in response, I released a massive scattershot behind me.

A wailing storm of cries interspersed with the deep reverberation of ice and stone echoing throughout the expanse entered my senses, and after careening through the air, I dug my claws into the stalactite above me, tearing up its surface.

[Scale-Cast lvl2 --> lvl3]

Giving little time to myself, I immediately added 2 points into strength and 3 into agility.

I quickly regained my speed while watching many of the injured monsters dart around below me. Some had even attacked each other in the confusion.

I flittered between the many outcroppings, slashing my claws against each as I passed, shattering the stone and hiding my movements in the ensuing clouds of dust.

Rough, sedimented pillars of stone came crashing down from above, crushing, piercing, and rupturing the bodies of even some of the stronger monsters below me.

Suddenly, a blow landed on my side and threw me against an outcropping. I clawed at the wall, but it was too short, and I slipped from the edge.

Shit, I am fat after all.

The ghoulish-scarred bird dove down from above, and I noticed another, perhaps a partner, shooting in from my side.

A pincer?

I poured my thunderous energy into my shoulder scales and quickly fired to the side. An arc of light flew forth, but I didn't look to see if it had landed. Instead, I used the momentum to spin around and lock eyes with the beast, now moving too fast for its own sake. I slashed up with my arms, and its body fell through my claws like a meat grinder, splattering a large arc of globules of flesh against the cold, white ground beneath.

I landed on my feet and stood upright.

I was not overbearing in stature, but I stood alone in this field of roses in the winter.

They would not sting, however 'my' thorns extend far, I thought while electrifying my scales across my body.

One, however, pushed through the remains of this now tarnished sanctuary to face me, the Demon Queen.

What a hero this hulking ape is.

Its movements clearly inspired the still many remaining creatures hiding in the now many outcroppings across the ground. They began to encircle me once more, with the stoic ape nearer to the centre.

I lowered myself close to the ground and dug my claws into the earth beneath, ready to launch forward with great speed.

But before that... I quickly added five points into both enyin and exyin.

Hehe, now I'm ready.

As if taunted by my thoughts alone, the ape picked up speed. It launched its enormous fists towards me, and I jumped to the side. I immediately reversed my direction when its fist crashed against the ground, throwing thousands of shards of ice into the air once more. I latched onto its hand and curled my body around its arm, slashing up towards its shoulder.

I wanted to gouge its neck, but a thick coat of ice grew out of its body. I lost my grip, and my momentum threw me to the ground. Narrowly avoiding its stomping arm, I scuttled between its legs and gauged my surroundings.

I could see the more confident monsters rushing inward now, so I attempted to expand my attention to both parties.

Using my size to my advantage, I ducked and weaved between the furious stomps of the ape. Each window I found gave me a chance to launch my thunderous scales. Numerous vicious flashes of violet light, followed by the splattering of dark blood, did well to terrify the weaker monsters into submission.

I didn't have much mana left, so I had to defend myself with only my claws for now.

Briefly spotting the last beast rushing in my direction, I jumped onto the back of the ape, using it as a platform to gain speed.

To my dismay, the monster before me had a metallic exoskeleton. I was not confident I could have such a direct exchange with it right now. However, even before we collided, a firm grip grasped my leg and threw me to the ground.

I let out a harsh breath and winced at the feeling of shattered scales pushing against my chest.

I could see the metallic monster throw itself forward, and I didn't have time to think.

Using the last of my mana, I exploded all of the scales surrounding my foot and twisted to the side at the freeing feeling of air against it.

I saw the ape thrashing its arm around in pain, unable to keep its balance, but my vision was disrupted by an agonising pain in my shoulder. I clearly hadn't rolled far enough.

I grasped ahold of the knifed leg and swung my legs up to the weaker joint of the arm.

"This little move is called the tentacle twist," I growled.

Twisting my legs, I tore the arm from its body and quickly backed away.

[Health: 10/92]

I need to kill one of these two.

Looking down, a crazed look graced my face as I grasped the leg in my shoulder and tore it from my body.

"Ughhhh."

I couldn't help but let out an exasperated groan of pain.

The ape had frozen its stump, but instead of attacking, I took a deep breath and rushed towards the weaker monsters circling the many stratified stones laying around.

I whirled my way around the stones, slicing the creatures apart as I went. The ape was already rushing forward in the lead, as it had recovered first. It had clearly used most of its mana on that first attack, and it seemed it couldn't control the area of its magic too well...

I circled a huge stone and thrust the blade through its other palm, and it screeched in a way unbecoming of its size. I did not continue my assault and instead slid beneath its legs.

It spun around, striking low in its ferocious mindlessness. Instead, its daggered hand found the legs of the dubbed 'Metal Mantis', instantly eviscerating several limbs.

The screeching metal mantis thrust forth, puncturing the ape's chest multiple times, while I discreetly slithered my way up to the ape's neck from behind.

I gracefully slid my claws around its neck and slit through its throat. Its cries were cut short, but another noise ran through my ears.

[[exp +1320]

[lvl7 --> lvl8]]

Immediately, I electro-charged the shattered scales on my chest and launched them forward. The fragmented burst passed through the back of the dead ape as if it were nothing but air and penetrated deep into the metal mantis' head, cutting all noise short.

[[exp +940]

[lvl8 --> lvl9]

[Max Health: 98]

[Class Options Acquired]

[Stat Points: 10]

[Abilities: [Scratch lvl2 --> lvl3] [Scale-cast lvl3 --> lvl4] [Ambidextrous Manoeuvring lvl2 --> lvl3]

[Lightning Magic lvl1 --> lvl2] ++[Spatial Awareness lvl2]]

[Titles: +[One Against Many] +[Monster Slaughterer]]]

My breaths were short and shallow, but they could be clearly heard in the now quite corpse-ridden cave. The system messages washed over me, but I struggled to resolve the conflict between joy and the sheer, overwhelming tiredness enveloping my body.

Come to think of it, I haven't even slept yet...

[Remnant of the One: System Interface

[Name: Syrin] [Level: 9/10 (340/2560 exp)]

[Health: 15/98] [Mana: 1/38]

[Bloodline: Imp]

[Soul-type: Inner-world (Grade I: Garden)]

[Class: None]

[Special Class: Contractor]

[Stat Points: 10

[Strength: 7]

[Agility: 13]

[Mind: 5]

[Enyin: 13]

[Exyin: 13]]

[Abilities:

[Scratch lvl3] [Scale-cast lvl4] [Aphantic Mana Sense lvl3] [Stealth lvl2] [Ambidextrous Manoeuvring lvl3] [Spatial Awareness lvl2]

[Lightning Magic lvl2]]

[Titles:

[Synesthesic] [One Against Many] [Monster Slaughterer]]]

Lightning, huh... I love it.