CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

NO ORDINARY SNAKE

Shai's channels seethed in a fiery intensity as if she was set on fire. She had to channel excessive primal essence, far surpassing her limits to escape from the spiders. Even though Serenity didn't give chase, Shai didn't stop until she was miles away, hidden in some small crack that led nowhere.

It would take hours for her channels to calm down from the burning anguish. Nevertheless, she could not afford to rest just yet.

Despite being weakened, Shai exerted her body to dig through the rugged stone, painstakingly burrowing a hole several metres deep. Hopefully, all this pain would help her master [Pain Resistance] sooner. She closed the way into the hole with multiple layers of black Python scales, just trying to be a little thorough.

Curling herself comfortably within the hole, Shai settled down when she heard System Grandpa's voice in her mind.

[You have achieved a small breakthrough. Your path has grown to Favoured Hatchling Lvl 11. +1 to all Primary Attributes, +1 Unallocated Point.]

While her recent experience had been hectic, she hadn't killed any creature to gain this level. This could only mean one thing... the mushrooms and copper-ranked corpse she devoured. Well, she had once levelled up eating peaches and mushrooms, but it had taken her a lot of time to digest and synthesise the essence from those magical treasures.

The [Spark of Hunger], or rather the ability [Essence Eater] that derived from the concept, aided a lot in the digestion process. changing the whole game for her. Maybe I can just avoid fights and reach supremacy just by eating?

Shai added that to her rough guide to supremacy.

Next, she accessed her System page to track her growth. It has been a few days since she last looked into it. The only reason she avoided looking into it was because it was disheartening at times to not see her attributes grow fast enough.

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[Shai]

Rank: Foundation (F)

Path: Favoured Hatchling Lvl 11

Laws: Concept of Hunger (Early)

Mark: Fatemarked. Blessed by Kismet (Lesser). Predator.

Attributes:

Primary Attribute:

- Physique: 21

- Mind: 25 (+20%)

- Soul: 33

- Recovery: 26 (+10%)

Special Attributes:

- Insight: 2

- Evolution: 0

- Fortune: 9

Unallocated points: 2

Aspect:

Golden Eyes (A) | Poison Affinity (D) | Essence Eater (B)

Skills[8/8]:

Advanced Meditation (E) - 17% | Predatory Instinct (D) - 30% | Arcane Shot (D) - 19% | Essence Weaving (E) - 19% | Pain Resistance (E) - 78% | Force Shield (E) - 17% | Empower (E) - 39% | Mental Corrosion Resistance (D) - 72%

Boon:

Inventory | Lingual Comprehension

Remark:

I was only a Level 1 Hatchling, but now I'm hungry...

[System Log] [Active Quest]

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Shai was stunned at how fast her skills grew when she had to put them to the limits. Seriously, confrontation against foes beyond her capabilities seemed to be the fastest way to grow one's skills.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

One thing to note, how her need for sleep had dropped a lot as her attributes grew. Before it had been over half a day, but now with her improved attributes, especially in Mind and Recovery, she needed a few hours less. Then again, sleeping seemed to boost the digestion process of whatever she ate.

Well, Shai had alternated between meditation and sleep for most of the time when she wasn't painstakingly fatigued like today. While meditation did alleviate her body, mind, and perhaps even soul, it certainly wasn't a substitution for sleep.

Perhaps she wouldn't need to rest at all when her attributes reached three digits. But that was another story. For now, what Shai needed above all was rest.

She surrendered herself to sleep, embracing the relief it offered. She deserved it after all the crazy stuff she had to deal with.

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"Don't ever run like that," Serenity scolded Marvel, who remained trapped inside the cocoon. Only her head was out of it, as Serenity dragged her throughout the way. "What were you thinking?"

"That snake, it was getting away," Marvel transmitted in a resigned manner, still steaming with indignation at how she was treated. "Why did you let it go?"

"She's dangerous." Serenity's thoughts paused for a moment, moving at the rear of the marathon. "Especially for our kind."

Her final words were directed not only at Marvel but also at herself. A part of her mind was still locked with the emotion the little snake let her feed upon. Little it might have been, that snake was one complicated creature. Serenity had no way of explaining why such a young creature could have such intensity of emotions. It was inconceivable for a spirit beast that young and weak, as far as she was concerned.

From the instant Serenity caught wind of Shai's presence, she sensed that this was no ordinary snake. However, the recent events left her even more uncertain and muddled. The exhilarating emotions she fed upon were enough to make her soar through the clouds, not that she had ever seen clouds. Real Clouds.

It was a mere trick, but that didn't mean it was easy, to use their own weakness as an attack. The way Shai did it to elude her grasp left her utterly perplexed. If time permitted, Serenity would have eagerly studied this enigmatic being, those intense, negative emotions were undeniably fascinating.

But time was exactly what she didn't have. Serenity regained her composure, through a stern exercise of emptying her mind. Her home was under siege, overrun by a swarm of agitated spirit creatures. Then there was the dwindling food supply, aggravating the volatile nature of the male spiders. On top of that, a few unwelcome guests came knocking into their home, probably to invade the Gate.

Yet here she was, daydreaming about savouring the emotions of that reptilian creature. That cursed snake. In her folly, Shai had not only rattled Marvel but also herself. Thankfully, Elegy was not here to witness her lapse in judgement.

"But why did you have to let it go?" Marvel pressed, a hint of urgency in her mental wave. She wasn't entirely sure what had compelled her to transmit such thoughts to Serenity. Much of it was likely the impact of the overwhelming surge of emotions she absorbed while running after the snake. "If it is as dangerous as you claim, then we must capture it and--"

"That's enough out of you," Serenity interrupted Marvel. "Your actions were driven by whims, without any consideration for the consequences. I understand that the influx of emotions you absorbed affected you, but that only emphasises the need for more training. You will not ask any more questions about the snake, nor will you disclose anything about this matter to your siblings."

"But..." Marvel began to protest. However, Serenity didn't let her voice her objections.

"No 'buts.' You will remain silent on this matter," Serenity mimicked the mind wave technique Midnight used to employ on her during her willful and unruly moments when she was younger. The tactic worked like a charm, as Marvel fell silent just as Serenity anticipated. "Not only that, you will hide your rattled emotions from your siblings. Emotions weigh more on us than mere words, so try your best not to divulge more of your emotions to your siblings that would be detrimental to their growth."

That was another pressing issue. Emotions affected empathetic creatures like them in more ways than corruption could. A single instance of negative emotions could affect the fledgeling enough to twist their mind. That was probably why the Great Mother asked me to leave the snake behind.

"You can be rest assured," Marvel said with solemn confidence. "I'm not sloppy enough to let something out to my siblings."

Serenity expressed a wave of encouragement through their link. Now, she needed to end it with a little reward, lest Marvel began to grumble again. "I hope you're not. We have more pressing matters to attend to."

"You mean the humans?" Marvel couldn't resist asking, curiosity and concern flooding through her tone.

"Yes," Serenity said, suppressing any mind waves that showed vulnerability. Instead, she projected an air of unwavering determination. "Midnight is making the necessary preparations. You children need not worry."

"I've told you, I'm not a fledgeling anymore!"

Serenity gave a dismissive wave at the strength of Marvel's brainwave. "Aha, you only reached the copper rank last month, Little Kin. While it is impressive that you're the only one so far in your generation, that doesn't mean you have nothing to learn," she said, her attention partially focused on fledgelings participating in the race. "Copper Ranker is what we call a Novice. It is merely the beginning of your journey. Now, Marvel, you seem to idolise Solace a lot. Do you like to have some personal lessons from her? I think you're ready to learn a couple of complicated spirit arts."

"Really?" Marvel's red eyes burned in intensity. "You mean that?"

"Obviously," Serenity said with stark confidence, even though she hadn't asked Solace yet. Well, what she said wasn't false. Marvel was ready to learn more spirit arts, and who'd be best to teach her other than Solace, who was second to none in their clan in teaching? Except for the Great Mother, probably. Hopefully, Solace can manage some time to teach Marvel. "I'll talk to Solace about it. But in the meantime, don't start that conversation again. You're not ready yet."

"But Serenity," Marvel transmitted in a wave of both pitiful resignations and hopeful enthusiasm. "I can truly be of help. I know I can. Just give me a chance."

Serenity clattered her mandibles in response, very similar to how Elegy would react in frustration. "We'll talk about it after you complete all your lessons."

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