His gaze settled on the filters now available to him. He quickly eliminated red dots—those signifying creatures far too powerful for him right now. He wasn’t ready for them, not yet. Green and yellow markers remained, including a faint yellow one nearby, hidden close to where the Serpent had emerged. It was weaker, but not to be underestimated.
Arthur smirked. “A mental ability... perfect.”
After his brush with the Titan of Light in his mindscape, Arthur knew he needed protection. No more surprises. No more vulnerable moments where his thoughts were invaded. This yellow dot was his next target.
He turned toward the Serpent’s lifeless body, still stretched across the seabed. His [Inventory], now capable of holding a hundred tons, couldn’t store the entire carcass, but he wasn’t about to leave it all behind. With a snarl, he sliced off a chunk of its flesh, storing it for later use. The Void Core inside him hummed in anticipation, already feeding off the essence of the world around him, though the absorption rate was minimal.
Satisfied, Arthur started swimming toward the yellow dot on his [Map]. The faint pull of his Void Core stirred deeper inside him, like a well of untapped power. His second-stage evolution had begun, and the path forward was clear.
Arthur grinned, his massive, new form cutting through the water with ease.
*
Arthur’s molten claws flexed as he hovered above the lifeless body of the Manta-Ray. Its once brilliant lightning-infused wings were now still, charred by the destruction he had wrought. The battle hadn’t been easy. The monster had thrown both lightning and mental attacks at him, stunning him into moments of frozen vulnerability.
But in the end, Arthur had triumphed.
His breath was ragged, his massive form trembling as the battle's adrenaline began to fade. The lake’s waters rippled with the fading energy of their clash, and in the eerie silence that followed, a sound Arthur had come to anticipate rang out—an all too familiar chime echoed within his mind, signaling his well-earned reward.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Congratulations, Arthur! You have absorbed the Soul Core of a direct descendant of the Mental Demon King.
New Evolutionary Traits Available:
* Thunder Mind: Strengthen your mental defenses, reducing the duration and impact of mental-based attacks.
* Electric Surge: Generate electricity within your body, allowing you to infuse your physical attacks with lightning.
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* Psionic Barrier: Create a shield of pure mental energy, capable of deflecting physical and elemental attacks.
Arthur's eyes narrowed as he analyzed his options. The Manta-Ray had been no ordinary opponent. Its mastery over lightning and mind-based attacks had tested him like few other creatures had before. And now, those very traits were laid before him. But the one that pulled at him most—the one he had sought from the moment the Serpent had nearly crushed him—was mental.
“Thunder Mind...” Arthur muttered, the weight of the choice heavy in his mind. He had been caught off-guard by mental attacks before, but never again. He needed to protect himself from such vulnerability. His horns, already gleaming with subtle power, seemed to pulse in agreement.
"I'll take it," Arthur growled, the decision made.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
You have chosen the Thunder Mind evolution.
A pulse of energy coursed through Arthur's body, his vision blurring for a moment as the power of the Manta-Ray’s core seeped into him. His horns began to elongate, their once dull ridges sharpening as they grew longer. Veins of crimson light etched themselves into the base of his horns, spiraling upward, forming intricate runes that throbbed with mental power. They were no longer just for show. These horns were a conduit now, a reservoir for his growing mental abilities.
Arthur felt a chill pass through him. The horns weren’t just a new weapon—they were a warning to others. The more mental power he gained, the stronger they would become. His instincts told him that with time, they would become a symbol of fear among those who crossed his path.
But that was for later. For now, he had a new skill to test. His attention shifted to his map. With a flick of his claw, he filtered out all unnecessary information, focusing solely on monsters with mental abilities.
A few scattered green and yellow dots remained—some close, some further into the Badlands, but one faint yellow beep lingered nearby, nestled near where the Serpent had once dwelled. Arthur’s lips curled into a grin.
“That one’s mine,” he hissed, and with a powerful stroke of his wings, he propelled himself toward his next target.
The lake teemed with life, creatures darting through the dark waters, oblivious to the predator that swam above them. Arthur moved like a shadow, his enormous form slipping through the currents with the grace of a far smaller creature. The Manta-Ray’s evolution had amplified his aquatic speed, and now, the water was his domain.
But it wasn’t long before he encountered the first of his targets. A sleek, eel-like creature, its scales shimmering with a strange psychic energy, rose from the depths to challenge him. Its eyes gleamed with malevolent intelligence, and without hesitation, it shot a pulse of mental force at Arthur.
Arthur winced, the force striking him like a hammer to the skull, but his newly evolved Thunder Mind absorbed most of the blow. Snarling, he lashed out, his claws finding the creature’s soft underbelly and tearing through it with ease. The fight was over in seconds, the eel’s psychic power no match for the sheer physical might of the newly enhanced Abyssal Drake.
“Not bad,” Arthur grunted, watching the eel’s lifeless form sink to the bottom of the lake. But he wasn’t done.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
You have absorbed the Soul Core of a distant descendant of the Mind Weaver.
New Evolutionary Traits Available:
* Psionic Wave: Release a wave of psychic energy that disrupts the concentration of enemies, disorienting them for a short time.
Arthur didn’t hesitate. He absorbed the Psionic Wave into his growing arsenal, feeling the subtle power settle into his horns. The hunt continued, and with each battle, he grew stronger. His map guided him to one creature after another, each more challenging than the last.