Until three seconds ago, Edge’s body had always been solid. But that was no longer the case.

Turning into shadows was incredibly bizarre, not to mention the most magical event of his life. But now wasn’t the right time to explore the strange experience.

With no time to waste, he flowed behind the closest beast. The one with the wounded arm and rank-two entangle. The instant that he was in position, Edge deactivated shadow step and sent mana surging into his hand.

The nymphs were still staring at the writhing mass of vines that had held him, unable to figure out what had gone wrong. He wasn’t about to give them the chance. Edge had to take control over the momentum of the battle, before the opportunity he’d been granted slipped through his fingers like water through a clenched fist.

Elemental blade. His magic sword emerged from the palm of his hand, gleaming glacial blue. His brief captivity had given him a chance to come up with a counter to the beasts’ disruption. He just hadn’t expected to be able to use it.

Now it was time to find out if the idea would work out the way that he’d hoped. While his iceblade couldn’t land a killing blow alone, there was still a way for it to dish out real damage. The time had finally come for Edge to unleash his first skill combo.

Skill combinations, where multiple skills were active at the same time, cost far more mana than using them separately. But they offered incredible potential in exchange, a process known as skill synergy.

In this case, using slash could get his elemental blade through the beast’s disruption field so fast that it would maintain its integrity. It should be enough to take the creature out, if everything worked out the way that he’d planned.

With no time to hesitate or second guess his decision, Edge sent a second wave of mana rushing into his arm and slashed, draining a huge chunk of his reserves to set up a killing blow. His iceblade abruptly accelerated, reduced to a frosty blue blur before his gaze.

The wintery weapon went soaring straight for the wounded nymph, striking it square in the back of its head before it could turn around. He was pleased to learn that his theory was solid. The sub-zero sword bit deep and the nymph began to scream, transfixed upon the end of his skill.

The beast didn’t die right away, like the other creatures he’d impaled. Wood and sap didn’t freeze as easily as blood and brain. But it was still a grievous wound.

By now, the nymph’s disruption had kicked in. He didn’t have enough mana to finish the job with his iceblade. But that wasn’t a problem, since Edge wasn’t trying to kill his prey to begin with. Shadow step wasn’t the only thing he’d gained when its digestion was complete. Skill-Eater was ready to claim new skills too.

He felt his core’s gluttony spring to life. Hunger that had been suppressed while its ultimate was out of play. He turned off his iceblade to preserve the last of his mana, then raised both arms before him.

Extraction. Edge urged his core to dine before the other nymph recovered from its shock and pressed the attack.

It was happy to oblige.

The creature was barely alive. It was helpless to resist, scarcely able to keep its eyes open.

By now, the other beast was coming to its aid, more vines emerging from the ground in a spray of scattered soil. Its entangle was fast, but Edge’s chains were faster. They erupted from his wrists and went plunging into the nymph’s body, sliding in through its wounds and sinking into its core.

He found himself standing in a land where an endless jungle grew in eternal sunshine. Where a river provided all the water you could drink, and fat fish that were easy to catch swam along the shore.

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The nymph must have been further developed than Edge had thought. There was another skill in here after all. Some manner of perceptual power that would enhance his sense of smell. But there was no question which one he wanted to claim for his own. Go for the vines, he urged Skill-Eater. We can use them to bind our prey and make it easy to feed.

Either his core understood what Edge was trying to say, or it didn’t prefer one skill over the other. His chains obeyed his command and went flying for the mass of vines slithering in one corner. The living links converged upon the animate tendrils, and they started to fight. Chains and vines began weaving back and darting forth, like two armies of snakes facing off on the battlefield.

Even when studded with jagged thorns, metal beats wood any day of the week. Before long, the vines were trapped, wrapped up in glossy black bonds that they couldn’t hope to break.

His consciousness reentered his body half a heartbeat later, creating a moment of disorientation as he adjusted to the rapid change. By now, the uninjured nymph’s vines were wrapping around Edge’s arms. Before they could tighten, he willed his core to claim its prize.

His chains retracted in a clinking flash. They came shooting back out of the mortally wounded beast, tossing something past his lips that felt like a mouthful of grass before sliding back into his core.

Edge was starting to wonder just what the chains were. Where the living links resided and what was on the other end. It doesn’t matter right now. Not with a fight for his life still underway.

The skill squirmed across his tongue as he bit down hard. Tiny thorns pricked his gums, and the vines were remarkably tough to chew. But without soil to move through, they couldn’t get away. Edge kept right on chomping until the skill broke apart and then he swallowed as fast as he could.

The fibrous wad scratched his flesh as it slid down his throat, until it passed into his core and was ready to be digested.

At least it tasted great. Kind of like a spinach salad with a splash of citrus and vinegar. But Edge didn’t have time to appreciate the unique culinary experience this time around. The moment that Skill-Eater claimed its prey, a message materialized in front of his eyes.

You have extracted the skill: Entangle (common, rank 2).

When extracting a skill rank 2 or above, a portion of its experience will be retained if you choose to keep it.

Would you like to slot entangle now?

Warning: the skill will be lost if this option is declined.

The wording was different from the other notifications he’d seen. But it didn’t change what happened next.

“Yes. Hurry.” Edge voiced his decision to his Guide, and the subdued skill began heading for an empty socket, roots growing down into the conduits once it crawled into place. The moment it was finished, his awareness leapt back into his body, where only a fraction of a second had passed.

One arm was trapped, but he could still move. He took a quick look around and then leapt out of the way, letting the nymph’s spike pass through the space where his stomach had been half a heartbeat before. He hit the ground running while reaching out with his free hand.

His fingers brushed against the hilt of his claw-sword, and Edge sprang to his feet with the blade in hand. He pulled the vine restraining his arm taut. Then he brought the sword down and slashed, shearing through the creeper and then darting out of the way.

The beast followed hot on his heels. It was far too close, inside his reach before he could swing again. Instead, he gathered his strength and lashed out with one boot, kicking the nymph in the chest with the weight of his body behind it.

He nearly got his toes bitten off for his trouble. But the momentum pushed the creature back, just before its jaws snapped shut with a resounding clack.

His foot ached like he was kicking a tree, but he didn’t let up. Edge stabbed and he punched. He thrust and he kicked. He kept on pummeling the nymph to keep it off balance. He was down to the last drops of fuel in his tank, and he couldn’t afford to waste a single skill.

But the nymph couldn’t have much left in reserve either. Not after using burrow for so long. If he could convince the creature to use it all, he could close in for the kill. Recalling his battle with the weasel, Edge fell down on one knee like his leg had given out. He leapt to one side when the earth began to move, escaping the vines in the nick of time. One down.

He dodged another two entangles, and got in a few unassisted hits with his sword along the way, leaving scratches along the surface of the beast’s wooden body. It must be close to empty by now, just a little longer.

But Edge wasn’t the only one who was capable of misdirection. Deception was a way of life for the beasts that dwell on Ord. It saved the next skill for when his attention was elsewhere, launching an attack with another goal in mind.

The next entangle caught him by surprise, used in time with the nymph’s charge.