Chapter 146: Advancing in Rank!
[Aspect: Strong Body]
[Rank: Transcendent]
[Type: Passive]
[Details: Permanently increases the user’s physical durability and defensive capabilities by 25%. This enhancement affects skin resilience, bone density, muscle toughness, and internal organ protection. The aspect draws upon the Stone-Hide Bear’s natural armor properties, granting similar defensive characteristics without the mobility penalties that plagued the original creature. Unlike active aspects, this ability remains constantly active without mana expenditure or cooldown restrictions.]
A smile formed on my face as I processed the implications. This was exactly the kind of passive enhancement I needed - constant defensive improvement that would stack with my Stone Armor Echo for even greater protection.
The 25% increase meant attacks that would have caused serious injury would now only deal moderate damage, and blows that might have been fatal could potentially be survived.
The aspect’s origin from the Stone-Hide Bear was fitting. By studying and exploiting the creature’s weaknesses, I’d absorbed not just its soul power but also adapted its greatest strength into a form that suited my combat style perfectly.
With the new Strong Body aspect providing constant defensive enhancement and the accumulated soul power from two Transcendent kills, I felt significantly more confident about eventually tackling the Thornback nest by myself.
The passive 25% durability increase would be crucial when facing swarm tactics from dozens of Elite-rank and transcendent rank spiders.
However, I could sense something else - a familiar sensation that indicated I was extremely close to advancing from mid-Elite rank to high-Elite rank. The soul power accumulation was nearly complete, just requiring one or two more substantial kills to trigger the breakthrough.
To maximize my chances of survival during the nest assault, I decided to eliminate another beast or two at Transcendent rank before attempting that dangerous operation. Every advantage mattered when facing overwhelming numbers, and entering at high-Elite rank with additional combat experience would be significantly better than rushing in prematurely.
Before continuing the hunt, I turned my attention to the Stone-Hide Bear’s corpse. Wasting valuable materials would be foolish when I had the time and storage capacity to harvest them properly.
I quickly dissected the massive creature with efficiency, my enhanced strength and sharp blade making the work manageable despite the tough hide. The bones were incredibly dense and strong - perfect base materials for crafting durable weapons or reinforced equipment. I extracted several large bone sections and stored them in my spatial ring.
The tendons and ligaments possessed unusual elasticity despite their thickness, suggesting applications in bowstrings or flexible armor components. I carefully removed the most intact specimens and preserved them properly.
Various organs showed promise for alchemical applications - the heart with its earth-affinity properties, certain glands that produced defensive secretions, even the creature’s blood had unique characteristics worth preserving beyond simple consumption.
The hide itself would fetch excellent prices or could be crafted into superior armor, though processing it properly would require specialized equipment I didn’t have in the field but as the son of a duke, that wasn’t an issur.
After approximately ten minutes of harvesting, I had collected everything valuable and portable. The remaining carcass would feed scavengers and return nutrients to the forest ecosystem.
Time to continue hunting... more prey needed...
I left the clearing and resumed my search for additional Transcendent-rank opponents, my enhanced senses scanning the surrounding territories while my newly acquired Strong Body aspect provided reassuring passive protection.
The night was still young, and I had more beasts to eliminate before dawn arrived.
I continued through the hunting grounds with stealth, my enhanced senses leading me to a Transcendent-rank Flame Wolf that had been stalking prey near a volcanic spring.
A volcanic spring was a natural occurrence due to mana. The creature’s fire-based abilities made it dangerous to others, but it wasn’t for me.
The fight was brief but intense, the wolf’s flames scorched the surrounding vegetation, but I used Blood Control to create internal disruptions that weakened its coordination. A well-timed Null Strike negated its most powerful fire blast, and my sword found its throat before it could recover.
Soul power absorption...
The Transcendent essence flowed into me, and I felt something slowly change within my core. The accumulated soul power from three Transcendent beasts was about to trigger the breakthrough I’d been sensing.
[You have advanced to High Elite Rank]
The transformation was immediate and profound. My body felt stronger, my mana reserves deepened, and my bloodline traits operated with noticeably greater efficiency. The rank advancement represented a meaningful leap in overall capability.
After advancing it was time to return to the nest, I had spiders to eliminate.
On my way back, I encountered peak Elite-rank beasts, as I fought I realized something significant. I was now strong enough to directly target and rupture their hearts without worrying about mana.
A peak Elite-rank deer with distinctive red antlers appeared in my path. Instead of drawing my sword, I simply focused my Blood Control trait on the creature’s heart.
Burst!
The stag collapsed instantly as I commanded its heart to explode from within. The technique required a decent amount of mana and precise control, but against peak Elite opponents it was now feasible.
Thud
That was immediate death...without touching it.
I moved on to the next target - a Sapphire Serpent coiled around a tree.
Same technique, same result. The creature died before it even registered the threat.
Against Transcendent-rank beasts, this instant-kill method remained somewhat difficult. Their stronger constitutions, enhanced mana resistance, and more robust circulatory systems made direct heart manipulation extremely difficult and mana-intensive.
I could still create disruptions and clots as I’d done with the yellow boar at a larger scale, but outright bursting a Transcendent heart would drain my reserves dangerously.
But for peak Elite specimens? The technique was devastatingly efficient.
Another target... Stone Badger...
I encountered a heavily armored peak Elite badger that would normally required me to fight it and to penetrate its defenses using my sword. Instead, I simply reached through its body with invisible blood manipulation and crushed its heart.
Within thirty minutes, I had eliminated eight peak Elite-rank beasts through this method, accumulating their blood and soul power without wasting time on extended fights.
The mana expenditure was manageable. My enhanced mana regeneration at high-Elite rank meant I could sustain this hunting pace for a really long time.