Day 13

I returned from the purchasing counter early in the morning, before challengers would arrive. Rubbing my temples, I looked around in the half light that permeated this environment constantly. Honestly, I could use some sun. My skin was getting a bit pale.

Summoning 3 zombies and 3 skeletons basically depleted my mana pool, but led to another skill level.

Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to “Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 3”: Mana costs have decreased slightly. You may now raise “Zombie Archers.”

I was pleased at this development, for zombie archers would benefit greatly from the cover of the mist, and the height of the castle walls. Unfortunately, that would have to wait until later. I absently patted the bound and gagged hammer man, whose eyes had rolled back into his head and was constantly sobbing, even though he seemed locked in nightmares. Should I resume practicing Air Affinity, or save up mana for skeleton archers…?

Hopefully soon...

Jerry bowed. “Then I’ll take my leave and join Dead Snake in guarding the gates.”

“Wait.” I held up a hand. I had been exposing hammer man to my aura for quite a while, and hopefully…

Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to “Aura of Dread Lvl 4”. Aura 10% more effective. This bonus is doubled against creatures of a significantly lower level. Prolonged exposure now leads to death.

With a smile of satisfaction on my face, I slit his throat and spent several minutes eating the flesh from his body. Jerry avoided his gaze. After wiping my mouth, I was at an impressive 801 Biomass. All those larva lunches were paying off.

“No, today you stay here and guard the portal upwards. I was a little annoyed yesterday, and I want to relieve some stress by hunting challengers. Oh, and keep these bones. I want to see what that Ancient Drudge can do.”

*****

It was almost too easy. I pinpointed the screamers and killed them first. Then I swept broadly among the marsh, combing through the dry spots for stragglers. A little before lunch, I smashed a challenger that was just a metallic ball to pieces, finally earning the level I had been waiting for.

Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 13. All Biomass has been consumed.Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of “Radioactive Sewer Hog” or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N

I clicked no.

Due to your special circumstances, you will receive the racial growth rates of a random race based on the amount of biomass consumed.

-823 Biomass gone, just like that, huh..

-Hopefully it’s worth it.

Congratulations! You have received the racial growth rates of a “Carnivorous Dusk-Wing Owl.”Vit +2End +3Str +3Agi +12Dex +16Memory +6Processing Power +4Wis +22Timeless Perception +9Mana +76

I couldn’t restrain my smile. I wasted my last level on a shitty growth rate, so I deserved getting a good one now. Who knows, maybe I would even keep it for another level. An involuntary shiver wracked my body. The pain of a failed mutation was like a spectre, hanging above me, even though I was slowly forgetting its sharp agony.

-I wonder if summon lesser dead will allow us to control spectres one day, and make it go away.

-Shut up, other me.

I opened up my status screen.

Name:PredatorLevel:13Race:Biomass:0Health Regen:x2Mana:62/536Vit:37 (+2)End:25 (+2)Str:18 (+2)Agi:24 (+2)Dex:26 (+2)Memory:231 (+2)Processing Power:262 (+2)Parallel Computations:2Wis:85 (+2)Luck:33 (+2)Timeless Perception:25 (+2)TitlesA Creature Which Named Itself PredatorRacelessSkillsLesser Air Affinity Lvl 3Endless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 2Knife Throw Lvl 9Path of the DragonAura of Dread Lvl 4Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 3Bile Emission Lvl 1

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The biggest impact would likely be the increase in Agi, which almost doubled. Springing lightly from one foot to another, I dared the whipman to show his face again. I raced back to the castle for lunch, savoring my increased speed.

***POV Change***

Dekker paced the room. He had lost too much money in that gamble a few days ago, and now Gillette was making a move on his position… Damnit, how did he end up in this position?!?

He stalked out of his office into the adjacent room, glancing at Kettle’s desk. It was covered in transfer paperwork, employee records, and lists of up and coming challengers. Dekker had her combing through for anything useful, but unfortunately anyone with connections could skip straight to the 10th floor. All that they would receive here was dregs…

But Dekker noticed that Kettle had pulled a file, and he picked it up, skimming through it.

His eyes widened, and his mouth curled into a sneer.

“Perhaps I won’t kill you just yet, pretty little human…”

*****

***POV Change***

I returned to the castle that night, frowning and carrying another armful of bones.. While the morning had been especially productive for hunting down and killing the challengers, the evening was much less so. Perhaps Dead Snake had been quite a bit more useful.

But when I walked into the main room, I was surprised to find Dead Snake bleeding in front of the portal upwards, the yellow skeleton standing next to him in a concerned manner. I dropped the bones on the floor and hurried over. “What happened?”

“Someone is apparently gathering all of the challengers, hiding in the forest.” Jerry stepped forward and reported. I thanked my lucky stars he volunteered this information, because everything that came out of Dead Snake’s mouth just sounded like hissing to me. I gestured for him to continue.

“Dead Snake discovered them with the Ancient Skeleton Drudge, and they were ambushed. All other skeletons and zombies were killed. The Ancient one healed the damage by absorbing the bones you left, but Dead Snake…”

Shaking my head, I focused on getting rid of the annoyances. Dead Snake would heal. “Can they just stay there like that? On the path?”

Jerry nodded. “Yes, and as you rise, they rise. They likely are surviving on plants and water from the river. They will continue to gather challengers until they have enough to swarm us.”

I briefly considered waiting them out, trying to level and out race them with skeletons, but it didn’t seem likely that if we were even close to equal, that the lesser dead could rival the challengers. Only Dead Snake, Jerry, and I were worth anything.

Well, I amended, watching as the yellow skeleton absorbed the bones, growing to a bit over 2 meters in height, his body thick and heavy with powerful seeming bones. Perhaps him too. If only there were some way to flush them out, cut off their supply to food or water....

-No need to thank me.

-What?

-Kukuku. You haven’t realized yet? You know what you have to do.

*****

I looked around me, embarrassed. Then I walked into the mouth of the river, which fed into the marsh that surrounded the castle. When I was in the middle, the flowing water was up to my thighs, I turned and looked downstream. I sighed. This was mortifying. To think I would end up relying on such a useless creature’s skill…

Bile erupted out of my mouth, spraying the 120 Biomass I had absorbed through lunch and hunting afterwards into the river. I continued to produce bile, pumping the river full of it. The Bile itself was full of strange pulsating lumps, and glowing a rather ominous green. After a full 5 seconds of spewing, the speed slowed to a spray, and then to a dribble. I wiped my mouth, hoping this was worth it.

Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to “Bile Emission Lvl 2”. You will produce 5% more Bile for the same amount of Biomass. Bile has become increasingly dangerous to biological creatures.

...not exactly what I had in mind, but…

It was then that I noticed that the grass along the riverbank was withering, turning black and emitting a vile stench. I waded out of the river, walking along, watching as trees, shrubs, and grass all withered and died after exposure to my bile.

Damnit, I had honestly hoped it wouldn’t work…

Then I turned and headed back to the castle. This likely wouldn’t defeat them, but it would force them to attack. So they would come tomorrow. I needed to be ready.