Qi-Body Fusion
Qi-Body Fusion. Practitioners start to fuse the Qi stored in their bodies with their bodies, thereby strengthening their bodies and infusing them with some of their understanding of natural law. At this stage, practitioners can start slightly modifying their bodies, often making themselves look quite beautiful, handsome, etc.
Approximate Strength: 132 (D) ~ 231 (D)
Equivalent System Levels: 37-45
Layers: 12
Realm: Mortal ('Martial Warrior' Stages)
— Excerpt from Sextilus' personal notes on CMS.
Location: Along one of many trails found throughout the upper stratums of the netherworld.
Clanck. Clanck. Clanck.
Amidst the hush of the stratum's floor, a symphony of clattering claws resonated along the winding trails, an onomatopoeic cadence of ceaseless motion against the cold stone.
Navigating the stone spires and meandering around the molten streams, the humanoid figures of ten demons marked onwards.
Peering through its tangled veil of long, dark purple hair, a demon larva caught sight of one of its captors leading the procession of weary demons.
This creature, with intellect rivaling that of a canine, observed a formidable figure ahead—the towering two-meter-tall adult demon. This demon boasted a single, straight red horn adorning the center of his forehead, curving ever so slightly upward. Clad in garments crafted from demon larva leather, he bore an enchanted short sword at his side.
Meanwhile, walking at the rear of the group, the demon larva knew was its other captor—a two-meter-tall adult gray demon. This creature possessed a pair of long, thin, and straight horns that added to the intimidating aura. Draped in clothes fashioned from demon larva leather, he brandished a set of enchanted throwing knives, ensuring no larva could slip away unnoticed.
Clank. Clank. Clank.
The rhythmic percussion of demonic procession echoed through the netherworld, each step resonating like a sinister drumbeat on the unforgiving red stones.
Amidst the relentless march, the purple-haired demon larva exhibited its awareness. Despite being only as savvy as a clever canine, it understood the peril its distinctive amethyst hair posed. In a world where conformity often meant survival, being different could be a death sentence, and all its living spawn mates had ebony hair typical for demon larvae.
Yet, this creature cherished its unique hair. When it had first spawned, the rich hue of its hair had most definitely saved its life.
Clank. Clank. Clank.
As the cadence of claw against stone continued, the amethyst-haired demon larve could still remember the advents of its spawning like they had been just yesterday. Which was in reality actually the case.
The damp, shadowy cave where it first drew breath played vividly in the demon's mind. Surviving those initial moments had been nothing short of a miracle. In the natural order of the netherworld, later-spawned demon larvae were easy prey for their more seasoned counterparts lying in ambush.
Yet, against the odds, the amethyst-haired demon had emerged from the spawning pool, a testament to its resilience. Subjugating itself to the dominion of the strongest among its spawn mates, the amethyst hue became a symbol of survival in those crucial first hours.
Clank. Clank. Clank.
Once more memories flashed before the amethyst-haired demon larva as it walked. In those early hours, in the dim recesses of that spawning cave, the amethyst-haired demon had leveraged its uniqueness for time alive.
It had tried to appeal in all the ways its undeveloped mind could think to the strongest among them, a demon larva with dark brown hair. Through a desperate plea, the amethyst-haired demon managed to secure an unusual pact from the dark brown-haired demon larva.
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In exchange for safeguarding the amethyst-haired demon from their spawn mates, the amethyst-haired demon would cut open the deceased spawn mates and extract their cores.
Holding up its side of the pact, the dark brown-haired demon, with its strength and experience, shielded the amethyst-haired demon from the usual fate of the later-spawned. Moreover, the alliance had extended even further.
The dark brown-maned demon had not only safeguarded the amethyst-haired demon but allowed it to claim a share of the extracted cores. The collaboration had not only temporarily ensured the survival of the amethyst-haired demon but also provided it with a source of sustenance and strength.
Clank. Clank. Clank.
With each step, the amethyst-haired demon trod upon the unforgiving terrain, the march pressing on with relentless determination.
Casting a furtive glance at the captor leading the way, the demon larva felt a shiver of fear coursing through its diminutive form. Regret quickly settled in as unbidden scenes flashed before its eyes, a haunting reel of memories it wished it could unsee.
It had all unfolded shortly after the emergence of the final spawn mate.
The surviving spawn mates, now infused with newfound strength, succumbed to the sinister pull of their primal instincts, turning on each other in a macabre dance of survival.
In a matter of moments, what was once a thriving cluster of demon larvae, numbering more than a dozen, dwindled to a mere ten.
Witnessing the chillingly quick change, one among the weaker of the remaining larvae made a desperate bid for freedom. Racing from the demons who sought to consume its core, the desperate creature met a harrowing end after it passed out of sight through the cave's exit.
Its agonized cries had soon been muffled by the cruel anonymity of the dark abyss. The amethyst-haired demon heard witness to this tragic demise, as a bone-chilling scream punctuated the air before fading into the desolate silence that enveloped the scene.
In the aftermath, the looming figures of two towering adult demons appeared from where that demon larva had fled, more than twice the height of the beleaguered larvae, they cast ominous shadows over the dwindling survivors.
Clank. Clash. Slash.
For the weary demon larva, the rhythmic echo of claws against stone morphed into a dreaded symphony, reminiscent of the merciless slash unleashed by the red demon.
In a single, swift motion, the red demon had severed the head of the brown-haired demon larva from its body, leaving a spray of blood in its wake. Witnessing the sudden demise of its companion and guardian, the amethyst-haired demon found itself paralyzed in fear, ensnared by the haunting reality unfolding before it.
The thud of the lifeless larva hitting the stone ground had acted as a jolting catalyst, snapping the amethyst-haired demon out of its frozen state.
With a practiced precision, it had stooped down and deftly extracted the core from the fallen body, a vital life essence now within its grasp. Suppressing the instinct to consume the precious core, the amethyst-haired demon turned towards the red demon, offering the pulsating orb as a silent tribute.
Clank. Clank. Clank.
The unyielding percussion of demon claws against stone reverberated, an ominous rhythm that broadcasted their presence across the narrow expanse of the netherworld, serving as an unwitting alarm for the lurking monsters.
Amidst the relentless march, the amethyst-maned demon larva couldn't escape the lingering pain, both physical and psychological, stemming from the aftermath of its offering.
Walking with a burdened gait, the amethyst demon recalled the red demon's scornful sneer in response to its submissive gesture. Mockery dripped from the red demon's words, dismissing the perceived value of a demon larva's core with a disdainful laugh.
Clank. Clank. Claque. Clank.
The collective sound of the demon group had not only reached the ears of their fellow demons but also stirred the curiosity of the lurking monsters. The once more sequestered echoes of claws on the stone now merged with the unnerving symphony of monster claws, creating an ominous harmony that echoed through these recesses of the netherworld.
As the amethyst-haired larva walked it gripped the core tightly in its hands. Despite the benefits it would bring the larva, for some reason, maybe pride the it couldn't bring itself to eat the core after the red demon had so viciously laughed at it.
Clank. Claque. Clank. Claque. Clank. Claque.
The increasing throng of encircling monsters intensified the pressure on the weary demons. The adult demons, sensing the encroaching danger, urged the already-fatigued demon larvae to quicken their pace through the ominous netherworld.
With the entrance to 'Uggrock's Den' not far ahead, the red demon spurred its companions onward. Just as the den's threshold came into view, a monstrous roar shattered the air.
ROAR! -OAR! -oar! -oar. -ar. -r. -.
The echoes of the formidable roar reverberated, creating an eerie cadence that sent shivers down the spines of both demons and monsters alike. As the last echoes lingered in the air, the red demon, now mere strides from the den's entrance, felt an unsettling chill that penetrated even its own heart with a tinge of fear.
Core Consolidation
Core Consolidation. Using their foundation as a base, practitioners condense the remaining Qi stored in their body into a solid into a spherical film of Qi. Every layer of the stage they layer on multiple of these films thereby creating their core. For those creatures that already have cores, they use a similar process to reinforce their existing core.
Approximate Strength: 231 (D) ~ 317 (D+)
Equivalent System Levels: 45-50
Layers: 7
Realm: Mortal ('Martial Warrior' Stages)
— Excerpt from Sextilus' personal notes on CMS.