I sink my teeth into the still-warm carcass of the Mowajitz, without difficulty. After all, with all my enhancements, it's no surprise I'm not struggling.
And honestly? I find it disgusting. But seriously, why is almost everything in this labyrinth so vile? I'd kill for a decent pizza... or maybe a burger, something that would actually fill me up.
Like, really. If hell had a taste, it would be this — I'd describe it as a mix between rotting meat, burnt rubber, and existential regret. But I don't have the luxury of being picky, since the nearest buffet is several kilometers above me… and probably on fire, considering how messed up the world is right now.
And yet… it ends up tasting good.
Like, weirdly good, which is totally suspicious from what I know.
Not the taste, I mean. I'm talking about everything else. The after. Like each bite is lighting a mini fireworks display in my cells. Like my body is whispering: "Thanks for the fuel, bitch, now watch me do miracles."
And then, like a moldy cherry on this gut-filled cake:
[Skill acquired: Taste Enhancement LV1]
"…Excuse me?"
I blink. A taste skill?! That kind of thing exists? Now I wanna get more of them!
Am I turning into some kind of demonic food critic? Am I gonna start rating organ flavors and tendon crunchiness now?
"THANK YOU, SENPAI! I'm so glad you exist in such a world!"
[ Oh? You finally find me useful? I'm happy. ]
I sigh and let myself fall against the corpse, which splashes me with blood in a wet squelch. Oh, how comfy — feels like a soft bed!
Then I slowly sit up again, still half-laughing.
"Well… now that I think about it… I've eaten quite a lot of things. And I do have a nice little collection of skills."
I mean, it's true. I've faced a lot of crazy shit here. Okay, sure, no dragons or Queen Taratects… but I'm getting there, right? I suppose…
[ Incorrect. Dragons and Queen Taratects in this world far surpass you. You will likely never reach their level, like 99% of the population. ]
"Senpai… why are you so mean to me…?"
Let's pretend I didn't hear that. The System is clearly demoting me to side character status? Well, not that I wasn't already a side character.
"Alright. SENPAI! Show me everything I've got. Like, all my skills."
And here, I expect the usual passive-aggressive refusal he always gives me:
[Access denied. Evaluation insufficient.]
But nope — surprise!
[Displaying current skills…]
…WHAT?!
For the first time — or the second? I forget — the System cooperates. It happens so rarely that I forget when it does.
And he even responds casually, like it's normal.
[Detailed access generally requires an Evaluation skill of LV7 or higher.]
[However, the individual is now considered an entity with significant potential.]
[Automatic override applied.]
Oh right! I'd forgotten that detail. It dates back to my fight with the Baladorado, right? With the whole dying thing, I kinda lost track... not surprising.
[Correct.]
"You mean I'm scary enough that even you were like 'yeah, let her see her inventory, it's safer'?"
No response. Of course.
But I smile — not because I'm happy. But because, in a way, it's terrifying.
I've crossed a line. I've reached a point where I'm starting to become a bit powerful.
I take a deep breath.
And I read.
[Current skill list:
[Natural Reinforcement: Claws LV1] - [Physical Resistance LV3] - [Endurance LV2] - [Night Vision LV1] - [Danger Perception LV2] - [Poison Resistance LV2] - [Acid Resistance LV1] - [Fire Resistance LV3] - [Mental Resistance LV1] - [Analysis LV3] - [Mana Perception LV2] - [Taste Enhancement LV1] - [Mana Manipulation LV2] - [Max MP Increase LV1] - [MP Recovery LV1] - [Fire Mastery LV1] - [Fire Magic LV2] - [Co-Spirit LV1] ]
I blink.
Wait, I had that many? Even if most of them are only up to level 3, having this many skills is still a huge asset!
"Okay… I've literally become a toolbox."
There's everything in there. Stuff to cut, resist, burn, analyze… and now taste. I'm becoming a damn psychopathic Swiss army knife.
I stare at the list for a moment, not sure whether I should be proud or terrified.
"See that, Senpai? I've got tons of skills!"
[Having many skills does not mean having the ability to master them.]
[Moreover, a creature will generally prioritize improving skills rather than acquiring more — except when a specific skill is necessary.]
"So you're telling me that, right now, having too many skills could actually be a disadvantage in combat?"
[Not having any skills above a certain level can reduce combat power, since the damage dealt will be weaker.]
Umh... he's right. Makes sense, actually — but it stings a little, never having support to tell me I'm strong.
Too many skills = not enough mastery. I'm spreading my XP too thin and staying mediocre at everything. A generalist of failure.
So I need to find a way to improve my core skills. To strengthen them. Push them. Otherwise, I'll end up getting wrecked by some guy with just Kick LV8 — but who uses it well.
"By the way, now that I think about it… the best place to do that would be… the aberrant layer, right?"
[…]
Ah, that awkward silence. Even you, Senpai, know this is a crap idea!
But come on. There has to be unique stuff down there, hidden secrets. Last time, I saw creepy ritual-looking circles and mutant arms growing from the ground. Very zen vibes.
[I advise against it. It would be dangerous for your health and survival.]
Oh, you've found your parental robot tone again? How cute.
But here's the good news for me: now that you're disconnected from the central system, you have no real authority anymore.
You can give me advice, Senpai. But restrict me? That's over.
"Let's go, then! Senpai, you'll handle my protection the whole way! That's your job anyway."
[Umh… Accepted.]
I smile.
"See? Even you know you don't really have a choice."
I step into one of the side tunnels, the one I spotted earlier with that smell of rotting monster and a faint draft reeking of death. Definitely a promising direction.
The ground grows damper. The walls are covered in glowing mold. The kind of decor that screams "WELCOME TO HELL," discount edition.
I take a deep breath.
"By the way, Senpai… existential question. What happens if I die? Do you die too, or do you go find another baby to attach to?"
[According to my knowledge, when a System carrier dies, it is redirected to a rank 2 system responsible for collecting memory data, erasing it from my memory, and then reassigning the System to another creature.]
I freeze for a second.
"You mean I die, and you get a new body? Like, full reset?"
[Correct.]
"And if it's a spider?"
[Then I will become a spider.]
I laugh. A bit too much.
Then I start walking again. The walls change. More and more cracks in the rock, and the temperature drops slightly.
"Interesting. But since you've fused with my [Co-Spirit] skill… what now? Do you die with me?"
[Such a case has never been recorded. No confirmed hypothesis.]
I snort.
"Great. I'm literally an experimental anomaly, and you're the test subject who doesn't know if he'll explode at the end."
[That is an acceptable formulation.]
I round a bend in the corridor. Ahead of me, it slopes downward.
But I keep going.
Because I need to get stronger.
Because I need to understand what I'm becoming.
Because… I've got nothing else.
And if I die, at least it won't have been for nothing. At least I tried to go all the way, even if the end is a corridor that reeks of black magic and corpses.
I already feel the pressure.
The aberrant layer sees me coming.
And me?
I smile.
The ground trembles slightly beneath my steps.
First a low sound, like breathing. Then a gust… hot. Burning. A draft heavy with mana.
I stop dead.
"…Isn't this getting a bit too dramatic all of a sudden?"
The earth starts shaking harder. The last time it shook like this was with the Taratect Queen… don't tell me she's back…
"TOO LATE."
I turn slowly, and then…
A silhouette slowly emerges from the shadow of a fractured tunnel. Immense in size. Ultramarine in color with scales like red mirrors and, above all, two eyes like end-of-the-world beacons, locked onto mine.
It's a dragon.
Not a cheap copy. Not a steroidal reptile.
No, this is the real deal. The Deluxe version of nightmares.
"I… I'm not edible, okay. I'm actually toxic! See, that's a Poison Resistance skill, level two! Also acid! And fire!"
The dragon steps forward heavily. Not aggressive. Curious, almost.
[This creature does not consider you a threat. It is observing you.]
"Ouch, that hurts the ego…"
I step back. Once. Twice. Then—
The dragon stops and turns because at that moment, a massive serpent arrives.
It's clearly a Baladorado. My body starts trembling all over because even though I managed to defeat one, I know its power.
But before I can even process what's happening… something slices through the serpent.
At terrifying speed.
Like lightning. Like a sentence.
An explosion of flesh bursts into the air. The tunnel is painted blood red. A warm, sticky rain splashes the walls… and me with it.
I stay frozen.
It's… over? Already?
What shredded that monster so easily… was the dragon.
The serpent didn't even have time to react before being turned into mince.
"Senpai… analyze that."
[Earth Dragon Araba – Level 31]
A. Freaking. Dragon.
So there are different types. Great. Just what I needed — a new phobia.
And if he… could take down a Baladorado that easily… then what about me?
I don't stand a chance.
My heart starts pounding. My breath catches.
I feel it, deeply, viscerally. It's not fear. It's truth carved into my guts.
I could train for ten years. A hundred. Reincarnate ten times.
And I'd still never surpass him.
So that's what the System meant…
When it said 99% of the population will never reach that level.
I'm the majority. The bottom of the ladder. Dust beneath its claws.
The dragon steps toward the shredded corpse and begins eating it. Without even looking at me.
Like I'm… too insignificant to be worth noticing.
And somehow, that hurts more than an actual attack.
Then, calmly, majestically, it turns away.
And disappears into a side cave.
Without a word. Without a roar. Without a sound.
Like a storm that's finished passing.