101 – New Me(al)
Just like Abby said, re-learning Internal and External Mana Manipulation takes almost no time at all. It feels really weird for the few seconds that I don’t have them, but with the minions around, the System judges I have learned it well enough that it qualifies as them teaching me, and offers both to me. Just a few minutes later, I have both of them at Peak Proficiency, and I evolve them both.
Most of my options for Internal Mana Manipulation revolve around flesh manipulation, of course. I really only learned basic augmentation from Lauren and Chad, so most of my expertise has to do with that. It even offers me Fleshbender again. I already confirmed that Fleshshaped Constructs—which became Fleshshaped Constructs of the Glutton, because Gluttony can’t keep its grubby hands to itself—can mess with my own body, just like Fleshbender and Fleshshaper could, so I don’t need it, and decide to pick a different direction.
Among the non-flesh-related options, I also have the two variations that Lauren and Chad chose available too. Chad chose Fortification, which would let me use mana to strengthen and solidify my body for defense, while Lauren chose one called Twitch, which lets her use her mana to “twitch” her muscles, contracting them rapidly so she can make sudden, extremely fast movements. Of the two, the second fits me better, of course, since I usually try to just dodge instead of block, but I still don’t take it.
The Regeneration option is super tempting, but Abby convinces me not to take it, since Calorie Burner has most of my recovery handled, and Fleshshaped Constructs actually has some fringe healing applications, so I don’t need it. Instead, I choose Channeling. It seemed like a bit of a lame option to me, but not only Abby, but also Chad, Lauren, and the twins said it was very powerful in the long term.
Its effects right now are pretty minor, but it basically lets me move mana in my body faster, and to move more of it. Given my style of burning through my mana pool rapidly and then replenishing it with my Stomach, this is ideal, because it will let me do it faster and more easily. And more importantly, it will let me handle the mana from my sword more easily when I use its charges. That’s definitely a big bonus, because my sword is already glowing a lot, and I definitely plan to use it in the upcoming fight.
As for Emma, my trusty Skill unfortunately loses her name. As much as I would have loved to pick another evolution starting with A, my only option there was Affliction, for some reason. Abby thinks it has something to do with Gluttony. Unfortunately, Affliction is completely useless to me, since all it does is make my mana able to penetrate my targets and cling to them. But not like in a stabbing penetration way, and more like in a water soaking a sponge kind of penetration. It’s best used for debuffers, which I am most certainly not, so, sadly, Emma has to die.
Since External Mana Manipulation is a very basic Skill, and since I’ve had tutoring from the twins and learned a decently wide range of Skills, I have like 20 options for this Evolution, but after some talks with Abby and the twins, I ultimately settle on one called Duality. Once again, it seems lame, but it fits me perfectly. It will basically let me control multiple spells with opposing characteristics more easily. For example, a stable mana construct and a volatile Fireball. Or a stable Spatial Slice and a volatile Fireball. Or a stable Mana Shield and a volatile Fireball.
Once again, since it’s only a Stage 2 Skill, it’s not that strong, but the twins say that Duality has a nice evolution path that helps a lot with multitasking, and with my love of both creepy eldritch flesh constructs and fireballs, that can only be a good thing.
That said, I was tempted by the Space option, since I do want to eventually learn an unstable Space spell, since everyone told me not to, but the twins say that Space magic requires a lot of boring stuff like studying and practice, and I don’t have anything to cheat that like Anatomical Analysis, so reluctantly, I turn it down.
With that settled, I spend an hour or so messing with Fleshshaped Constructs to get a feel for them. Unfortunately, I can’t get too good with them. Making full custom constructs is beyond me, for the moment, but with Flesh Stitching, I can do some other fun things. With the Skill’s name, I expected it to have literal stitches, but it’s actually much better. I can take two pieces of flesh, and have the flesh intertwine, as if one grew from the other. This not only lets me make creepy flesh amalgamations, but it also lets me mix and match meat. The fishdude-boar meat mixture is a very interesting combination. I will have to experiment more with it later.
With my sword rapidly losing charge, though, I don’t have time to fully get used to my new abilities, and settle for just making a few heads that I can use as mobile spell droppers. Sadly, it appears that constructs made of other monsters’ flesh doesn’t work with Stomach of the Glutton, but I can still make my mana constructs, so it’s fine. In fact, not only can I make them, but they’re just as good as they were before. While Emma was lost, the Anatomical Blueprint, Phantom Limb Control, and Anchor Point Skills that had merged into it were transferred over to Fleshshaped Constructs, and despite being in that Skill, they still work for my mana constructs too. They are a little slower to form, and they don’t respond quite as well as they did when I had Emma, but I really only need them to drop explosives from a distance, so they don’t need to be that crazy.
With that settled, we have a brief strategy discussion for the upcoming battle with the Named monster. Though we still have an island between us and it, time will be of the essence as soon as we clear the next island. My sword loses charge by the second after it stops drinking in mana and blood, so we don’t have time to sit around and talk strategy after the next battle. We need to move immediately when we finish.
As soon as we have that settled, we quickly cross the bridge to the next island, and the final island before the boss island. The fight isn’t much different from the fights before, though I do notice that with Channeling, my mana is definitely moving better. My Blinks are faster, and my physical augmentation is smoother. It’s not a massive power boost, but it’s noticeable, and it at least kinda makes up for the lame Skill name.
Similarly, Duality also has a passive positive effect. It’s hard to describe, but it seems to let parts of my brain go on a kind of autopilot. They were already doing that a little bit, but while I never noticed it, controlling both constructs and explosives was not very efficient. I would always have to switch back and forth between them, leaving the constructs still when I made attacks, or stopping my attacks while commanding my constructs. It took a lot of concentration to use both at once, and even then, I could only do simple, pre-planned things.
Now, I can have roughly independent control over both. So I can form a fireball without penalty while also making a hand construct carrying the Terror Blade fly around and mess with the eagles. I’m still limited to simple movements, but it takes a lot less mental efforts to do them.
Unlike the other eagle flocks, I take care of this one mostly on my own. The reasons are pretty obvious. Not only do I have new abilities and stats I need to get used to, but I also need to recharge the Gluttonous Greatsword. The others attack when the eagles get too close, or provide support to keep me from getting too overwhelmed, but the vast majority of the birds fall to my sword.
As soon as they’re dead, we do one final, very brief check to make sure we’re ready, and then we cross the final bridge to the giant island. Now that we’re closer, even with the heavy rain, we can make out some of the details. The island is mostly flat and grassy, but there is a massive, burnt tree trunk standing in the middle, and a hundred meters above at the very top, an enormous eagle watches us with glowing yellow eyes. It doesn’t make a move while we’re on the bridge, restricted by Dungeon rules, but as soon as we set foot on the island, it spreads its wings and lets out a screech so loud that it cuts right through the wind and rain and makes me wince.
[ Algon, the Storm, lvl ?? ]
“It’s level ten,” says A. “Be ready.”
We had discussed before, and hoped that it would be restricted to level one, given the power jump, but sadly, that is not the case. While ten isn’t very high compared to Tier 4’s level 50 cap, those 10 levels alone probably grant just as many stat points as any of us have total. And its total is likely more than the five of us have combined.
“Yona, you’re up,” says B.
With a nod, I summon a hollow hand and Blink out of their dome shield, and we start the first stage of our plan. The enormous bird doesn’t wait for us to move, of course. Since we entered, the storm has intensified tenfold, and it looks like it’s preparing to dive-bomb us. I Blink outside of B’s dome shield into the wind and rain, and in the span of a second, get a quarter of the way around the island, where I summon the remains of the pork. As soon as it’s out, I have a strong urge to finish it off, but I resist and instead Blink upward.
My escape is just in time, as the bird changed its dive-bomb target, veering to the side and scooping the meal right off the ground, getting a big mouthful of dirt at the same time. I raise my sword to attack as it flies by, but it’s too fast, and my Spatial Slice only ends up hitting its tailfeathers, and it doesn’t do much at that. The monster’s Resilience is high enough that I barely cut off a few hairs of a single feather.
We all expected that much, but it sucks to confirm it. Only the big guns are gonna work on this guy, which sadly makes Lauren and Chad somewhat useless. Lauren might be able to do something if she can somehow achieve proper stealth and get some stealth attack bonuses, but with how fast this guy moves, fat chance of that. Unless the poison is stronger than expected.
Chad at least can help keep the twins safe. He’s no mage, but he’s got External Mana Manipulation - Water, so he can help keep some of the strain off B while defending from the rain. To kill Algon, though, only A and I have the necessary firepower.
Algon flies in a circle, ascending back up to its perch as it swallows its meal. Then, it suddenly shudders and lets out a shriek of rage. Unlike me, this bird doesn’t have Poison Immunity, but also unlike me, and while the poison is only a half dose, it’s more than enough to affect it.
With its shriek of rage, it starts gathering a positively ridiculous amount of mana in the air above it, and it makes my fur stand on end. Literally. Even through the wind and rain, I recognize the scent of ozone and the same tingle feeling that permeates the entire Floor magnifies a hundredfold. Then, the lightning strikes go off.
There are literally hundreds of them going off every second, turning my vision white and making my ears bleed from the sound of thunder. It’s not a directed attack, but with so much of it, there’s no chance of avoiding it. I have a hand construct around me, and a strengthened version of one of B’s mesh shields, but I can still feel the shocks, and it hurts. Ignoring the pain, however, I Blink upward.
While its attack is truly devastating, it also has been holding still the whole time, leaving it open for a counter. This specific scenario wasn’t part of our plan, but since it was a Disaster, we knew that its Skills would mostly be area-of-effect, and that it would likely have to hold still for at least one of them. I didn’t expect it to happen so early, but that works out much better for me.
My last Blink takes me right above it, and even as I continue to get struck by lightning, I absorb the mana stored in the Gluttonous Greatsword and channel it into a Charged Spatial Slice. I only have a moment to marvel at how much better my body handles the influx before the mana runs its course, and my Skill begins to destabilize from being overcharged.
Algon didn’t miss my appearance, glaring at me with an eye as tall as I am as I bring the sword down. It cancels its lightning Skill and activates another as it begins to move, but it doesn’t get far before the curtain of pitch darkness comes down from above.
I grimace as it does, because while the attack still hits, the Skill it activated right before I swung was one that conjured a kind of wind shield around it. It’s a worthless defense against the actual Spatial Slice, but not against my physical body, blowing my sword slightly off course. The attack hits its shoulder, cutting clean through bone and muscle, but ultimately being stopped by the monster’s Resilience before it can fully sever the wing.
With the failure of stage 1, which we hoped would be able to end the battle instantly, stage 2 begins. The much riskier stage. I have some more Charged Spatial Slices saved up, but none nearly as strong as the one I just unleashed, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they couldn’t kill this monster. Fortunately, we do have one more attack that can deal the finishing blow. It just needs some time to charge.
I Blink higher up before the wind can blow me any further, surveying the situation from above. While my attack wasn’t as effective as we had hoped, it was still effective. The eagle was about to hop off its perch again and fly downward, but with one wing disabled, it loses its balance, tumbling to the ground with a screech of pain and anger.
It lands on the ground near where Chad and the twins are holding their position, and its wind shield is so strong that the ground is torn up before its body hits, sending chunks of dirt and stone flying in every direction. The sound of its body hitting the ground can be heard even from as high as I am, and for a second or two, it struggles to get up.
I Blink down after it, arriving just before it gets up and unloading another Charged Spatial Slice at its head. It manages to dodge this one too, but not quite in the way I expected. When it stands up, it sways, as though drunk, making my attack only cut into the side of its head, and while it goes deep, its skull is more durable than the rest of its body, and I clearly don’t hit anything important. Even worse, the pain seems to snap it out of its stupor somewhat.
I try to drop a second one on its head, but my eyes widen with shock as the spell refuses to come out. I ran out of mana. Hastily, I summon a construct to absorb to replenish my reserves, but it’s not fast enough. I can only watch helplessly as the bird raises its head, and, far too fast for a creature its size, brings its beak down directly on the others.
As much as I trust B’s defensive Skills, I have just experienced firsthand just how ridiculously high the bird’s stats are. To be able to tank my supercharged Spatial Slice and not even lose a wing means its Resilience is probably well over 50,000, and if its Power is anywhere close…
More than twenty layers of shields appear between the bird’s beak, and my heart feels like it stops as in an instant, all are shattered. The bird’s head slows, but not by enough as its beak continues forward, shattering the dome before reaching Chad. Chad pours what looks like his entire mana pool into his shield, reinforcing it, but the beak continues through and into his armor. And only once it reaches halfway through Chad’s body does it finally stop.
Chad slides back, his feet carving deep grooves into the ground as he screams with effort, but he stops just in front of A, barely holding the eagle back. As soon as the eagle retracts its beak, he collapses to the ground, blood pouring from his chest, and though he successfully blocked the attack, the eagle is unharmed, and winds up for a second peck.
B erects a new dome to protect the three from the elements, and starts conjuring smaller shields by the dozen, but even I know it’s futile. I just barely manage to recover my mana and summon two more Charged Spatial Slices, but as the black arcs fly toward it, I know they won’t be enough to stop it. Then, something surprising happens: Lauren appears.
Leaping from the eagle’s own shadow like a dolphin out of water, she brings a white-hot knife across its unprotected leg, cutting clean through with a single, swift motion.
The eagle lurches to the left, its cauterized stump digging into the dirt below. It tries to continue its pecking attack, but it’s so large that falling to the side brought it far enough off-target it doesn’t even clip the dome shield. At the same time, my Charged Spatial Slices dig into its back, cutting long bloody lines. It struggles back to an upright position, but it’s slow and unsteady, and Food Sense detects a small waterfall of blood falling from its beak, likely the effect of the poison. It’s heavily wounded, and its wounds aren’t healing like they should be, probably also thanks to the poison.
Still, it’s plenty dangerous, and though its eyes are unfocused, it winds up for another peck. At that moment, A finally makes her own move. Throughout the entire battle thus far, from the moment we stepped onto the island, she has been preparing, and now, her entire mana pool is concentrated into a single point directly in front of her, glowing like a miniature sun.
She grins wildly as she looks up at the eagle, now risen to the apex of its wind-up, and faster than I can blink, her attack goes off. The mana concentrated in front of her fires outward so quickly that I can’t even sense it before it’s already reached from her hand into the sky, boring a hole straight through the eagle’s chin and out the back of its head.
I have another pair of Charged Spatial Slices already on the way into its back, but before they even hit, the notification arrives.
[ You have slain Algon, the Storm, Tier 4, lvl 10 ]