Chapter 11: | A Futile Attempt
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[You have slain.]
• S: 1 | T: 2 | Level 6 | Volcanic Sentinel Whark [3★]
• S: 1 | T: 2 | Volcano Hulk Whark [2★] x3
[You have gained.]
[29,000 - EXP.]
[You have gained a level.] x2
[You have reached your maximum level]
[Would you like to ascend?]
[Yes] / [No]
---
[You have devoured.]
• S: 1 | T: 2 | Level 6 | Volcanic Sentinel Whark [3★]
• S: 1 | T: 2 | Volcano Hulk Whark [2★] x3
• S: 1 | T: 2 | Jungle Stalker Whark [2★] x6
[You have gained.]
[+ 29 - Health.]
[+ 27 - Stamina.]
[+ 2 - Mana.]
[+ 0.64 - Physique.]
[+ 0.02 Mystique.]
---
[Skills Devoured.]
• Heat Sink Absorption [Tier 10]
• Magma-Forged Plates [Tier 7]
• Primordial Strength [Tier 8]
• Seismic Stomp [Tier 3]
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[Grotesque Physique would like to devour this skills.]
• Heat Sink Absorption [Tier 10]
• Magma-Forged Plates [Tier 7]
• Primordial Strength [Tier 8]
• Seismic Stomp [Tier 3]
[Yes] / [No]
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Ambush Leap [Active | 10 - Stamina | ▪︎]
The Whark can spring from a crouched position with surprising force, covering significant ground to close the distance to unsuspecting prey.
Chameleon Scales [Passive | ▪︎]
Its scales possess a limited chromo-adaptive ability, allowing minor color and pattern shifts to better blend with its immediate surroundings.
Heat Sink Absorption [Passive | ▪︎]
An intense, visible aura of superheated air shimmers around its body, indicating its incredible capacity to absorb and dissipate thermal energy. This grants it absolute immunity to fire, lava, and even extreme heat-based magical attacks, which are merely consumed by its internal processes.
Magma-Forged Plates [Passive | ▪︎]
Its outer plating, a network of interlocked, magma-forged obsidian, is virtually indestructible. This armor doesn't just deflect attacks; it actively shatters even master-crafted weapons and vaporizes projectiles upon impact, making it an impassable barrier to all but the most potent forces.
Primordial Strength [Passive | ▪︎]
Its musculature, interwoven with solidified lava flows, possesses a raw, untamed strength that defies physical laws. It can effortlessly lift and hurl colossal boulders, rend reinforced steel like paper, and break free from any restraint with a mere flex.
Seismic Stomp [Active | 10 - Stamina | ▪︎]
The Whark can violently stomp a limb, creating a localized tremor that can unbalance foes or crack the ground around it.
Silent Stride [Passive | ▪︎]
The Whark's movements are unnervingly quiet, allowing it to traverse even dense undergrowth with minimal sound.
---
The gains this time were not unlike before, with these skills, perhaps forming a couple of new 'Ascension I' Skills is not just a dream.
I closed my eyes then dragged the skills carefully as a smirk formed on my face.
My gaze was filled with fervor as a smile formed in my lips.
This should do.
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[Would you fuse this skills?]
• Ambush Leap + Seismic Stomp
• Primordial Strength + Stone-Bound Muscles
• Heat Sink Absorption + Magmatic Veins
• Magma-Forged Plates + Chameleon Scales
[Yes] / [No]
---
[You have gained.]
• Magma-Core Might [Ascension I]
• Oblivion Shroud [Ascension I]
• Quaking Pounce [Ascension I]
• Thermal Singularity [Ascension I]
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Magma-Core Might [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]
The Whark's musculature is infused with solidified telluric energy, creating an incredibly dense and unyielding powerhouse. This grants it a raw, untamed strength that defies physical laws, allowing it to effortlessly lift and hurl colossal boulders, rend reinforced steel like paper, and break free from any restraint with a mere flex. Its blows are delivered with immense, earth-shattering force.
Oblivion Shroud [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]
The Whark's outer plating transforms into a formidable Oblivion Shroud, an interwoven network of virtually indestructible, magma-forged obsidian. This armor not only deflects attacks with ease but actively shatters even master-crafted weapons and vaporizes projectiles upon impact, making it an impassable barrier to all but the most potent forces. While its primary function is ultimate defense, the Oblivion Shroud also retains a latent chromo-adaptive ability, allowing for subtle color and pattern shifts to enhance its concealment within its immediate surroundings.
Quaking Pounce [Active | 15 Stamina | Ascension I | ▪︎]
The Whark launches itself with immense, earth-shaking force. This skill allows it to cover significant ground in a single, powerful leap, closing the distance to targets. Upon landing, it delivers a localized seismic shockwave, capable of unbalancing and knocking down multiple foes, cracking the very ground beneath them, and creating an opening for devastating follow-up attacks.
Thermal Singularity [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]
The Whark's internal processes reach a critical mass, creating an intense, visible aura of superheated air that shimmers around its form. This signifies its absolute immunity to all forms of thermal energy: fire, lava, and even extreme heat-based magical attacks are entirely absorbed and consumed by its body, serving only to fuel its formidable resilience.
---
A guttural moan escaped me, the surge of power a vibrating hum beneath my toughening hide, my muscles coiling and shifting, mutating into something more terrifying.
Now, a river of liquid heat pulsed through my veins, a searing current that had once been agonizing but now felt like a second skin, granting me immunity against heat, though I knew a truly overwhelming heat could still consume it.
And now with my new armor fusing with my previous one, I could say that the flame breath of the 'Volcanic Sentinel' would be rendered useless.
But being too confident right now would only make my head bigger, and I didn't want that since I don't want to perish early.
Like my other lifetime...
A powerful presence descended, a palpable weight that flattened me, pressing the very air from my lungs.
I could feel the titanic pressure, like an invisible hand, radiating from its gargantuan body, a wave of oppressive heat already making my scales prickle.
It was a 'Volcanic Sentinel,' but not quite.
From its head, a horn protruded, constantly weeping thick, glowing rivulets of molten magma that hissed as they dripped onto the stone.
Its body radiated an inferno so intense that the water around it warped and shimmered, screaming of a heat that could burn me to a charred corpse upon contact.
Truly...
This was the strength of lord-class monsters that I had forgotten, that I couldn't remember from the billions of years that I cycled.
My mind was no longer that of a divine being, it was reduced to a mortal stripped of its dignity.
But so what?
I could recall knowledge of the past even if they were too fragmented to understand.
A deep, guttural howl tore from its throat, vibrating through the very ground beneath me!
A blistering, agonizing pain struck my nerves as the intense pressure of its breath began to liquefy my exoskeleton, the scent of burning chitin filling the currents.
Its form flickered out of existence with its mouth wide agape, though I could see its movement thanks to my 'Predator's Gaze'.
But it was useless as my body couldn't keep up with its speed.
Crash!
A bone-jarring tremor echoed as its titanic form slammed into me, a wave of force sending tremors through my very core!
Pain seared through my being as its magma-infused maw clamped down, a burning, tearing sensation ripping through my flesh.
Yet, it was futile.
My form turned into a blur as 'Quaking Pounce' was activated, this was the moment that I was waiting for.
Crunch!
Its gargantuan body was slammed into the cliff face with a deafening sound of splintering rock, forming a massive crater.
From its fresh wounds, thick, bubbling magma erupted, hissing as it met the air.
But it was useless as my form turned into a streak of light, reappearing inches away from its gills thanks to 'Quaking Pounce'.
Splash!
A wet, searing sound echoed as magma erupted from its throat as 'Sunder Maw' ripped apart its flesh with ease, thanks to 'Shatter-Rip Maw' making its nape bleed profusely.
A smirk appeared on my body as I saw its throat bulging slightly as it was getting ready to unleash upon me.
My smile deepened into a devilish smirk.
Splash!
A sickening squelch of molten blood erupted from its exposed nape as 'Sunder Maw' and 'Shatter-Rip Maw' ripped its flesh with ease.
Boom!
With a final, Howl, raw magma exploded from its exposed throat, a geyser of liquid fire.
In its dying eyes, thick, dark blood welled like molten tears, mixing instantly with the surrounding water.
The fight was perhaps too one-sided since this guy was too self-reliant on its breath skill.
And that was what I exploited to barrage it with a combo of attacks that its massive body wouldn't be able to respond to.
And the result was?
Its death, its utterly pitiful death, wasn't even deserving of a lord-class monster.
The fight was surprisingly easy, my maw feeling a searing heat upon contact with its terribly hot flesh, a faint sizzle echoing as my new form devoured it.
As I ripped it apart, gulped it down, and devoured its core, I could feel my mana increasing.
Then a hologram appeared.
---
[You have slain.]
• S: 1 | T: 4 | Level 9 | Magma Tyrant Whark [3★]
[You have gained.]
[600,000 - EXP.]
[You have gained a level.] x15
[You have reached your maximum level]
[Would you like to ascend?]
[Yes] / [No]
---
[You have slain a Lord.]
[You've obtained.]
• [Lord Slayer]
---
[You have devoured.]
• S: 1 | T: 4 | Level 9 | Magma Tyrant Whark [4★]
[You have gained.]
[+ 89 - Health.]
[+ 70 - Stamina.]
[+ 59 - Mana.]
[+ 0.44 - Physique.]
[+ 0.99 Mystique.]
---
[Skills Devoured.]
• Geothermal Overload Core [Tier 10]
• Infernal Breath [Tier 10]
• Infernal Magma Furnace [Tier 10]
[Grotesque Physique would like to devour this skills.]
• Geothermal Overload Core [Tier 10]
• Infernal Breath [Tier 10]
• Infernal Magma Furnace [Tier 10]
[Yes] / [No]
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Geothermal Overload Core [Passive | ▪︎]
A pulsating core of superheated rock and elemental fire deep within the Tyrant's chest. This nexus constantly draws geothermal energy, amplifying the Whark's durability and fueling its devastating attacks. If ruptured, it violently implodes, disintegrating the Whark in a blinding, superheated flash.
Inferno Breath [Active | 50 - Mana | ▪︎]
From its abyssal maw, the Whark unleashes a directed torrent of superheated, liquid magma and volcanic gases. This devastating stream incinerates everything in its path, melting metal, charring stone, and leaving behind a wake of searing, bubbling slag that continues to inflict damage and hinder movement.
Internal Magma Furnace [Passive | ▪︎]
An intense, radiating heat emanates from its core, visible as shimmering heat hazes and faint smoke from its vents. This grants it absolute immunity to all forms of heat, fire, and lava, which are not only harmless but are absorbed and processed by its internal, superheated furnace, bolstering its own energy reserves.
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