As much as I loathed asking for help from the System, it was my final chance.
What Skills can I get?
You have the option of getting:
* [Analysis]
* [Super-Sensory Perception]
* [Fire Glyph]
* [Lighting Glyph]
I nearly chose [Fire Glyph] the moment it popped up but restricted my immediate desire. The Skill may provide the boost in offense capabilities I needed to change the tide of battle, but I’d come to learn that the Skills weren’t half as effective as I wished they were from the beginning. And it was sure to drain a lot of magic points.
I clumsily dodged another attempt to grab me and another portion of my body was dislodged due to my maneuvering. Grimacing, I didn’t have a second to waste before a monkey stepped towards me. I rolled left, then immediately followed that up by going right. The third monkey pulled aside the second, following me. At the same time, the fourth monkey came in from the side, and the last was climbing the wall.
It was too much. I couldn’t handle them all at once, not without some additional brainpower. Not without better perception.
I selected the [Super-Sensory Perception] and a peculiar sensation overtook me. At first, a subtle feeling, a little vibration that settled inside me. Then it grew in both intensity and reach, until it was everywhere. The world faded into the background and the sole thing that mattered was the rapid jostling of my molecules, rubbing against each other. Something bulged out from my center, stretching my exterior layer as it tried to break free. Several more joined it, forming a gruesome appearance for any who looked at me: a partially melted cube with bulbous bumps along the surfaces, squirming and shifting constantly. The feeling wasn’t painful, per se, but it was uncomfortable; like an itch that wouldn’t go away, no matter how hard I scratched.
Then the itch became too much to bear and they burst through my outer layer: 8 minuscule spheres flew out of my body and began revolving around me, settling into their rotation field. I was their center of gravity and they were trapped in my orbit. It bore a striking resemblance to the acidic blobs that the apex monster wielded, if much more puny and serving a different purpose.
Much more different.
I hadn’t even considered my vision to be hazy before, but it was a totally different level of clarity now. Everything was crisp, like someone had cranked the quality up. The most important thing, though, was the range. My 360 degree vision remained omnidirectional, but I could see further in all directions. It wasn’t half as disorienting as before, as if the System reached in and rewired my brain to accommodate the Skill. I could select targets and make them stand out while letting the rest fade out of focus. And best of all, I could peer into the darkness and make out the details.
Ding!
You have used 10 Skill Points to achieve [Super-Sensory Perception!]
Still 10 more Skill Points. With an almost casual ease, I saw the next attack coming a mile away. Sidling to the side, I decided if I was going to go a partial way, I should just make it through the finish line.
You have the option of getting:
* [Analysis]
* [Fire Glyph]
* [Lighting Glyph]
I chose [Fire Glyph], and the thought just occurred to me it may cost over 10 Skill Points. Wouldn’t that be a laughable end? Slain because I misjudged how many points I had.
Lady Luck smiled down on me because I scraped through with exactly 10 Skill Points.
Ding!
You have used 10 Skill Points to achieve [Fire Glyph!]
Unlike with [Super-Sensory Perception], there weren't any noticeable physical altercations. Perhaps a little warmth blossomed inside me, but nothing that warranted any attention. Hopefully, it would be a different story when I used it in action.
While I’d been gaining my Skills, [Infirm Regeneration] had been active the whole time and the fruits of its labors were clear. Most of the damage I’d received was well on its way to being reversed, and my body was firming up again. It’d probably be a few more minutes before it restored me to my original state, judging by the time it took for my Health Points to increase.
All in all, I was ready for a comeback.
A boulder soared through the air, and a monkey approached me from behind at the same time. I held still while the monkey bent down until its hands enclosed around me. At the last second, I rolled backward through a tiny opening left between the fingers, and came to a stop behind the monkey.
The monkey appeared befuddled for a second before getting smacked in the stomach with the boulder. Like any creature that suffered blunt force trauma, it forwent strategy and instinctively doubled over, clutching its stomach.
You’re open! I activated [Fire Glyph] for the first time and like somebody was writing in midair, a symbol formed. First a circle, then a triangle inside, followed by a series of intersecting lines. Plain in introspect, but it resulted in a flickering flame to come to life on the other side of the glyph. A low rumble emanated from deep inside me, like a dragon about to blow out scorching heat. It prickled, not willing to be contained much longer.
Angling the glyph upward, I let loose with the Skill. A steady stream of coursing, red-orange fire shot from the glyph and bathed the back of the monkey. The flammable fur caught on fire quickly, and the monkey unleashed a shrill screech, falling to its knees. It patted the flames with its hands, but all that did was add fuel to the fire, spreading even further. The smell of burning flesh permeated in the cave, filling every square inch.
The monkey’s brethren came to its aid, completely disregarding me. I remained still as one of them marched over and began pressing its palms against the back, extinguishing the flames before moving on to the other sections. I prepared another batch of [Fire Glyph], generating the symbols again.
This time, I held in the warmth that burned inside, allowing it to fester and grow. How far could I build up the charge before it was too much? I stood my ground for as long as possible until the heat became scorching and fired off a blast.
The monkey had just completed putting out the flames, revealing a cooked back with huge handfuls of fur burnt away. What little flesh I saw was painted black with soot and the monkey let out a long-suffering groan.
The new bolt of fire arced through the air and landed on the neck of the monster. It roared, backing away from the already injured monkey. I’d hoped the flames would catch on and spread to the second monkey, killing two birds with one stone, but my hopes were dashed along with the fire, when the monkey simply reached up and slapped its hand over its neck. A puff of smoke bloomed from between its fingers and when it pulled its hand away, there was barely any damage done.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Fuck, that’s not good. To my left, I saw two other monkeys pick up a pair of boulders in each hand and hurl them at me. I checked my Magic Points and was dismayed to find it already at 20. I probably had four or five charges remaining at maximum, and I needed to kill all five of the monkeys with them.
I charged at the two monkeys hurtling rocks, watching as the boulders broke into a dozen pieces on the ground behind me. As I drew near them, one of the monkeys crouched and rolled its boulder instead of throwing it. Cursing, I flung myself to the right while employing [Fire Glyph].
Aiming the glyph for the arm that was holding a pile of rocks, I intended to rob them of their weapons and hopefully have the rocks hit them on the face on their way down. Barely charging the Skill to a minimum, I fired a volley.
The red-hot flames streaked towards the target, looking primed to hit it dead-center. Moments before it made contact, however, the fire spluttered and died out. A smattering of sparks hit the arm and fell to the floor immediately afterwards.
Shit, shit, shit, I guess there’s a limit to how far it can shoot. I have 3 or 4 tries left. How the hell do I pull this off with how weak this Skill is!? I ranted, trying desperately to formulate a plan.
One of the orbs orbiting around me observed the first monkey I’d crippled crawl towards me. It dragged its legs across rough terrain, not stopping even as its legs got torn and ripped apart. Getting close, it unhinged its jaws and roared, spittle flying everywhere.
The shock at seeing it on all fours and crawling towards me like a demented demon made me unleash another blast of [Fire Glyph]. The Skill hit it right in its chest, knocking him off course. The monster reared back, standing up for a second before remembering its ravaged tendons and falling to the ground.
Its head hit the dungeon floor a couple of meters away from me and I quickly prepared another batch of [Fire Glyph]. Fully aware that I had a couple more uses, I couldn’t give up this golden opportunity. The fireball soared straight into the monkey’s mouth, burning a hole through a fang during its path. The Skill disappeared from sight as it made its way down the gullet.
A look of befuddlement crossed the monkey’s face as it glanced down. It felt like we were all staring at the golden-orange glow traveling through the monster’s belly, the air thick with tension. Gradually, the glow faded until the monkey looked no worse for the wear.
The monkey, along with its kin, let out a triumphant roar. They pounded their chests and hollered in glee while I desperately tried to gather my thoughts.
Then the monkey’s stomach exploded. Huge fireballs ballooned from inside the monster, setting fire to not only the monkey but the cavern itself. The other monkeys rushed to aid their comrade as the monkey in question wailed, trying and failing to douse the flames.
Ding!
Offensive Skill [Fire Glyph] Level 1 —> [Fire Glyph] Level 2
You have gained 5 Magic Points!
I didn’t question the stick the System was offering and saw salvation. The monkey was well on its way to dying; it was difficult to make out through the flickering flames but there was a hole in its stomach, with its torched innards sprawling out. Even if the fire didn’t do it in, the critical injuries it sustained would. However, its pleas for help nicely attracted all the other monsters to the same location, bundled and wrapped up like a gift.
Utilizing [Fire Glyph] again, I lobbed another fireball at the flailing monkey. The second attack landed perfectly and contributed to the preexisting bonfire, causing the wall of fire to increase in mass and height. The monkey shrieked and tried crawling away, but the flames clung to it like an overzealous ex-lover.
Channeling another [Fire Glyph], I took my time to ensure this was going to be a truly awe-inspiring attack. The heat circulated in me faster than before, and I noticed the glyph used to materialize the flames were also more complex than Level 1. Adding on to the original design, there were three small triangles scattered on the outskirts of the large one.
When the heat became stifling, I let it go. With this newest attack, the bonfire fully encompassed the monkey. I could barely discern any sign of fur or flesh. The fire was too intense for any of the other monkeys to come near, and in fact, it was spreading to them. Too late, they were realizing this and attempting to flee.
Ding!
Offensive Skill [Fire Glyph] Level 2 —> [Fire Glyph] Level 3
You have gained 10 Magic Points!
What?
I increased my level much quicker than before, even though I thought it would be harder to level up as the levels increased. I paused as the first stirrings of a theory awoke. The Evolution message made it abundantly clear that it viewed combat as beneficial, and a source of energy. The doppelgänger also proved that the System had a degree of sentience that was on par with mine, most likely surpassing me. If you combined these traits together, it wasn’t far off to conclude that the System rewarded people who contributed more to this cycle by wreaking more havoc.
More death and damage equals more rewards? I mulled over it. What a chilling concept. It was a great incentive to result in more energy, but at what cost? Promoting violence and murder in such a fashion was heavily frowned upon back home. But we’re not home, right?
I generated another [Fire Glyph] and aimed for the writhing mass of limbs and fire. At this point, the monster was no longer screaming. Rather, its brethren were taking up its steed by roaring in agony as the flames continued to race up their arms and legs. My latest attack served as fuel to speed up their impending demise.
The sound of flames and death probably stretched for meters, with the stench being smelled even further away. The sight of this brought back faint memories, but of what….I knew it was important, but no matter what, I couldn’t quite put a finger on it.
“Eh, if I can’t remember it, it can’t be that important.” Through the blazing fire, the monkey wearily lifted its arm into the air. Frankly, I was impressed that it was still alive. It required determination of a particular brand to continue going after being razed to your bones.
Summoning [Fire Glyph], I took aim and fired. The bolt perfectly sheared through the arm, severing it from the rest of the body. It flopped to the ground before being pounced upon by the hungry flames.
Ding!
Offensive Skill [Fire Glyph] Level 3—> [Fire Glyph] Level 4
You have gained 15 Magic Points!
“Nice,” I murmured. What happened next was a daze. I faintly remember shooting [Fire Glyph] after [Fire Glyph] into the ever-growing blazing hellscape, to the point I had to remove myself from there in case the flames cooked me instead. I remember hearing the final cries of the monkey monsters as they fell to the ground one by one, flames coating every inch of their body. I remember continuing to throw fireballs at their corpses long after they’d been reduced to bones. I remember relishing in hearing the ding of the System and seeing my level go up. I remember striving for higher, better, stronger every single time, replenishing my Magic Points constantly, pushing myself to the limits to become more adept with [Fire Glyph].
Ding!
You have participated in the evisceration of the Thrower Apes!
Species: Gelatinous Cube (Level 4)
Subspecies: Trans-Phase Cubic Beast
Stats:
Magic Point (MP) : 5/55
Health Point (HP) : 30/40
Strength Point (SP) :19/30
Endurance Point (EP) :5/30
Agility Point (AP) :7/25
Species Skills:
* [Subsumption] Level 1
* [Infirm Regeneration] Level 4
* [Adaption] Level 1
* [High-Tier Intelligence] Level 1
* [Innate Connection] Level 1
Skills:
* [Body Manipulation] Level 6
* [Weapon Generation] Level 4
* [All-Tongue] Level 1
* [Venom Resistance] Level 1
* [Fire Glyph] Level 6
* [Super-Sensory Perception] Level 2
* [10 Skill Points]
* [Available Skill Slots:3]
I let out a shuddering gasp as it all hit me at once. “What have I done?”