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Day 14, the last day of the 2-week period of extreme Growth…
/Somewhere inside the forest near Resko…/
/SHUA!/
In the middle of the forest where the tall trees blocked the golden rays of the sun, a creature dashed around at high speeds…
/Fwoosh!/
(Image)
It was a pale red creature, its skin could only be described as tight, or completely invisible, as if it had been stretched to look thinner.
It had an overall Human shape with a head, chest, two arms, two legs…
But its head was devoid of eyes, with only a massive maw full of sharp teeth and a thick bone plate to protect its forehead.
Its chest and shoulders were protected by a thick bone-like armor that twisted around itself and fused with its red, strong muscles.
Its right hand was different from its left one, however, as it had a massive blade appendage growing from its palm, it was extremely sharp and meant for it to ambush prey during its hunts as it was also somewhat retractable.
Its somewhat simple intellect also allowed it to discern more complex ideas, permitting it to solve simple puzzles quickly while also understanding more complex ideas such as revenge...
It was a monster through and through… And yet, it seemed to be running from something for its life, fear was written on its horrifying face.
/FWOOSH!/
From behind it, another creature even faster than it jumped into a tree, gazing at its prey like a hawk from the sky.
Its eyes glowed faintly blue in the dark, Mana coursing through its veins as its gaze locked up with the beast's head...
/BAM!/
This unknown creature jumped from the massive tree trunk, shaking it due to its own power, using it as a base to canon ball itself forward like a bullet…
/CRASH!/
/FWOOSH!/
The pale beast evaded to the side, allowing the new creature to collide with another thick tree, breaking it in half as it slid far away, using its hands to slow down its momentum…
Those weren't your ordinary trees mind you, as even this beast would have difficulty breaking one in half so "smoothly" like this, a testimony t the power of whatever was currently hunting it…
"Kurk!"
But the pale beast wasn't left completely unscathed, as its left arm was now bleeding severely as if something extremely sharp had cut it.
And this plus the broken tress only meant that it was time to run faster…
/FWOSH!/
But it was too late.
From behind it, something grabbed its shoulder, pinning it o the ground.
"ROARRR!"
The beast roared with everything it had as it felt cornered.
And by using its hunter's momentum, it tried everything it could to shake it as it slid across the ground.
Now, it was clear to see their differences… The beast was at least twice bigger than the unknown creature, but even so, that didn't matter to it.
It was afraid, it simply wanted to run away...
But the beast on its back wouldn't allow it.
"..."
Without uttering a single noise, the unknown creature raised its right arm, and immediately after reddish black steam started to form…
And in one swift motion, the creature grabbed the arm of the beast and pulled!
/RIP!/
With gut-wrenching noises, the arm was detached violently, making blood rain all around the surrounding plants, insects, and the small animals that were hiding, not making a sound.
"GUAAAAA!"
The beast suddenly produced a high-pitched noise, but it wasn't enough to deter this its hunter as it grabbed the back of its head and twisted, breaking something before pulling…
/SPLAT!/
Blood splattered all around, and finally, silence.
/Drip… Drip…/
The unknown creature slowly got up from the ground, but its eyes never went away from the creature beneath it.
It was ready to pounce again, just in case it decided to move suddenly...
/Rustle…/
The leaves from the bushes rustled from behind it, and another creature appeared…
It was…
"You did it, congratulations." Said Tina as she looked at the man in front of her
"... Urg..."
The creature wiped the blood from its face and asked:
"Haa... Can I sleep now?" Dale replied tiredly as he ignored the system notifications
It was Dale! Although he looked like a caveman...
His hair unkempt and with a small beard on his neck, he had leaves, twigs, and other things glued to his skin as his expression was one of distress.
Mud could be seen all around his legs and chest as he was only wearing his underwear, but even that seemed much given how little it actually covered.
But he had a reason for this, as using clothes would only deter his movements... Or so he was told by this lady in front of him.
And in a sense, she was right, had he been using clothes from the start, they wouldn't have lasted long and ended up mostly as distractions.
But he still hated the feeling of having mud in his ass... Cavity...
"Of course dear, we'll be going back immediately."
"After all, you finished the goal I set for you much earlier than I expected, rest is something you deserve." Tina replied with a pleased smile as she clapped her hands once
"Thank the Gods... !"
Dale suddenly stopped, he felt hot and his knees were now wobbly and weak…
"Looks like it's starting, don't worry dear, this is nothing bad." She said as she noticed the change in his expression
"It'll pass soon."
"For now, you may rest, don't worry about the surroundings but be sure to leave soon, no matter what, a forest is still a dangerous place."
"The blood on the ground will deter most beasts, but not all, albeit the chances of meeting those are small in these shallow parts."
"Above all... When you're back, take a bath first, you smell terrible, and you look deplorable." Tina said as she shook her head
"I'll go first." Tina said as she disappeared from Dale's sight like dark smoke
"..."
/Thud/
Breathing deeply, he sat on the ground...
"Sigh, finally, a break." Dale said with difficulty as his body heated up
'Just show me my damned notifications first… I need something to distract myself with.'
/Scratch.../
Scratching his back, Dale opened his in-game Menu
[DING]
[You slew the Elite Monster, Armor-Clad Iju-Ivi Devil]
[+ 9.2% xp]
[You Leveled Up to 39!]
[All Stats +2]
[You killed 10 different Lesser Devils while under the influence of the Mark of the Witch]
[Basic requirement has been achieved]
[The Tripodial Mark has etched itself on your body, altering your physique…]
"Tche!... So that was why it hurts… What the fuck is this?..." Dale asked himself with a frown as he touched his eyebrows
[DING]
[Your body has perfectly fused with the Mark, achieving increased effects!]
"What?..."
[Fused Tripodial Mark (Minor)
Effects: Gives you the Passive Effect, Strengthening of the Fallen (Minor)
Requirements: Strength 20, Constitution 60, Dexterity 15, Mental Power 45, Reflexes 10, Mana 100
Description: In old times, thought to be one of the Marks of the Devil, and thought of as a Curse due to its connection to Witches, the Tripodial Mark was only later deemed to be a blessing when Humankind descended into the Southern Wilds…
But when they realized its true nature, its Ancient Origins, all Witches had already been hunted and their legacy was lost.
Befitting its cursed status, the Tripodial Mark grows through cursed Vitality, transforming it into a power befitting its host.
The Mark, however, contains a secret as malevolent as those it was made to devour...
It will actively try to consume its user as it contains the resentment of the Devils sacrificed for its host's growth...
This, however, is a perfect Mark, birthed only in the strongest warriors, bearing no risks as it has instead, been devoured by its prey, completing the cycle it was meant for.
]
[Ding]
[Unique Quest, Introduction to Dancing Shadows has been completed]
[You received the Shard of a Greater Devil x1
You understood the Skill, Prime Source 1-Star
+88% Level xp
Especial Stat -> Prime Origin has been created
]
[Ding]
[Unique Quest, The Unknown Devil has activated]
[Requirements: Pass the Shard of a Greater Devil to Tina]
The more he read, the clearer his mind became...
"Looks like my suffering this past week wasn't in vain…"
'My hands, chest, legs… Everything hurts… But I can't stop smiling.'
Dale raised his right hand and pulled it closer to his face.
Now, there was a triangular mark filled with smaller rune-like markings on the back of his hand…
It was bloody red, and it shone on the edges.
It looked pretty cool… If it was a tattoo, unfortunately, it was more of a scar, and it was gross and painful to look at...
As if someone had cut his flesh on purpose...
"The mark changed… But that's it."
'I don't feel much either...'
"All of it for this, to be honest, I could live without it…" Dale said disappointed
'Still, it wouldn't be good to assume things without taking a look at them first.'
'Open Status.'
[Player: DareDevil (Dale Houston)
Attainments: Body Reformation; Eclipsed; Massacre of 100; Culling Blade; Forged Heart amidst desperation; Minor Enlightenment; Heart Gate Open
Level:39 (92.8%)
Class: Alma Conqueror 1.7%
Character Status:
Strength: 128(156); Constitution: 128(156); Dexterity: 128(156); Mental Power: 103(128); Reflexes: 103(128); Mana: 128(153 -> 306)
Soul Power: 10(35)
Prime Origin: 38(63)
Skills:
Slot 1-> Spear Technique 5-Star (Neutral)/ Mana Conduction 4.5-Star (Neutral)
Slot 2-> Close quarters Combat 3.5-Star (Neutral)
Slot 3-> Stable Emotions 3-Star (Passive)
Slot 4-> Spatial Awareness 1.5-Star (Passive)
Slot 5-> Fighting Spirit 4-Star (Active)
Slot 6-> Miasma Immunity 2.5-Star (Passive)
Slot 7-> Vital Heart 1-Star (Active)
Slot 8-> Confluence 0.5-Star (Neutral)
Slot 9-> Prime Source 1-Star (Neutral)
Temporary Skills: None
Current Effects:
Aspect of Might -> All Stats +15
Physical Training -> Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity +3
Molded Heart -> Mana Ratio = 2
Heart Gate -> Mana +50
Fused Tripodial Mark -> Strengthening of the Fallen (Minor) All Stats +5*2=10
Body Reformation -> Natural Healing and Stamina recovery speed has been greatly increased
Blessed by Ju-Arkesios -> Constitution +10 while within a 5Km radius of any of his Temples (Not in effect)
Vegetarian Soup -> Mana Sensitivity has greatly increased (12 min…)
Concentrated Flesh Viper Concoction -> Unknown Effects (10 sec...)
Inventory (+)
]
"... I take back what I said, this Mark is pretty sick…"
'Plus 10 to all stats? Sorry, I misjudged you… A foolish complaint due to my frustration…'
'My Mana Stat grows bigger.'
"The best thing about this is that it's an All Stat boost and not an All base Stat boost..."
'The most important thing about these All Stats is how they can affect both the Soul Power and… Whatever this New Stat is.'
'Hum... Its value is a bit odd.'
'It's 38, which is exactly double my age...'
'Am I thinking too damn much this time?'
"This Mark... It seems it can grow…"
"It's safe to assume it's connected to this questline."
'As for how this cursed thing appeared in my hand...'
'One week ago, I started training with Tina, and one of the first few things she did was give me this nonsensical task of killing monsters…'
'At first, it looked okay, I was strong, very strong, and more than eager to test the things I learned in the forest… Especially if I had a protector on my back.'
'But it wouldn't be so easy, because she forced me to hunt with my bare hands... And naked.'
'Well, half naked as I still have my underwear, but still very bad as there was an event where a beast cut my waist, causing my mythical blade to dingle around.'
'Witch isn't rather pleasant when you're fighting a beast with 10 different sets of razor blades...'
'If that wasn't enough, the monsters she paired me with were harder and harder, their Level increasing by about 5 every day.'
'The first beast she had my fight was Level 50, and this creature I just killed was around Level 85, it seemed as if I overpowered it, but it's just a Normal grade mob.'
'It also didn't possess many unique characteristics, it had sharp blades and strong muscles but mine were bigger.'
'Had it been something like the Devouring Menace, things wouldn't have been as simple... Or safe.'
'There was also this strange concoction she fed me everytime before we went to the jungle.'
'It burns my stomach and causes me to oftentimes burp green clouds...'
'My breath also smells terrible, she never told me what it did but I'm on the expectation it does good things.'
'If all of those weren't enough, I had to hunt with a strange mark Tina carved on the back of my hand...'
'And it hurts constantly.'
'I'm not joking here, but she grabbed a sharp bone knife and carved my hand brutally before applying some strange solution that burned like hellfire…'
'Can it get any worse? Of course, it can.'
'Due to my body's high rate of regeneration, she had to re-apply it every day when we went to the forest, even though it was supposed to last weeks if not longer due to it being... A fucking scar.'
'It hurts… A lot, especially the substance she applied after, it made me feel sick and my hand felt like falling off from the pain.'
'But I guess that was necessary for the gains… Yeah, I need to think of the gains... Else I'm going to lose my mind.'
"It would've been better if she actually explained to me what was going on, but she simply gave me a few sets of instructions to follow before stabbing my hand and throwing me in the forest to hunt a monster I never saw before…"
'And I'll be honest, being in here with scary-looking monsters without a weapon, alone, and naked, isn't the most pleasant of experiences, especially during the night, since we also came here to hunt during those times.'
'Usually, there was one day when we hunted a creature in the morning, today can also be counted.'
'Otherwise, I wouldn't have managed to finish this damn Quest in a week, since I had to hunt more than two monsters a day, but hunting even one was hard.'
'Because I needed to tread carefully, since in here, I'm not at the top of the food chain.'
"This Mark can also seemingly grow as given by the 'Minor' Pre-fix, that is the most important thing..."
'If that really is the case, then I'm in for some great times… And pain...'
'If I have to go through a similar process every time I wish to improve it...'
"I shudder merely at the thought of that."
"For now, enough of this damn forest." Dale said as he turned around
'I need a bath... To brush my teeth... Change my clothes...'
'Perhaps I'll log out and rest too.'
/Touch.../
He touched his chin, feeling his chubby beard.
"I'll also have to cut this out..."
'Despite the connections between my two bodies, I'm still forced to cut my beard twice, since I'm the most handsome when my chin is shiny...'
'Testros, Misgurd, Barme, Jyter, and a few others said I should try and grow one, they said it would look cooler, but Tina, Yumi, Illia, and a few others said it would make me look terrible... Well, not like that, they each said their own things.'
'Tina said I was too young to try and play old... While Yumi and Illia were a bit more... Friendly.'
"It's a bother to have to do this twice a week though, perhaps there's a Mana technique to help me control the growth of hair?"
'I would beg the Gods for that... Not literally.'
'Especially since in Resko, there aren't that many razor blades, I'm almost having to cut my beard with a knife.'
'At least, the toughness of my neck skin is much higher than that of my hair, so I can easily press a knife against it and cut it all at once...'
'But that doesn't make me feel any happier, since my beard isn't the only hair I need to cut...'
'And between you and me, I wouldn't want to put a blade all the way over there...'
With some useless thoughts flowing in his head, Dale got up from the ground, making his way across the dense woods as blood dripped on the ground.
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Notes
The time skip has ended, what do you all think?
About 4 chapters, I think things went well.
See you all later!
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