Chapter 3: | The Beginning of a New Journey
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The cold water bit, an alien sensation.
Then, the realization, I was reborn.
As a whark, huh?
Beings that I've heard to be disasters, beings so sinful that the universe enacted heavenly punishment on their progenitor.
But it wasn't the time to reminisce about the dead.
Now, I was in this cavern, a world teeming with wonder.
The ocean's currents hummed against my newly formed scales, a constant, deep vibration.
Oh, how beautiful the shimmering kelps, swaying gently by the current's command, their fronds catching the dim, ethereal light.
Beacons of bioluminescence pulsed from the cavern walls, casting a soft, shifting glow that illuminated the chaotic scene before me.
The ground was littered with cracked shells and the unhatched eggs of young wharks, a graveyard and a nursery all at once.
My gaze flickered to the writhing mass of bodies in the distance, the hatchlings, locked in a brutal, instinctual brawl.
They bit and thradhed, like a miniature beasts tearing at each other, devouring their kin.
The currents trembled with the violence, blood blooming like crimson clouds in the water.
The guttural sound of cracking eggs echoed, a grim symphony, as new life emerged directly into this brutal existence.
But perhaps I didn't need to worry about any of this.
With my bloodline skill, Myth Voracity, now beyond weakened, regaining my prime strength would be easier, having been born as a whark.
The water was cold, a biting ache that struck my raw nerves like a bitch.
A larger whark, drawn by the commotion, lunged.
My nascent scales offered no resistance to its bite as its fangs cleanly cleaved a section of my tail.
But it was of no use.
I no longer cared for consequences.
I was full, too full with wrath from how the world had treated me.
I'd wanted to live a virtuous and happy life with my beloved, but the world had taken her away.
It was too sad, too much to bear.
My maw stretched, a primal roar that only I could hear vibrating through the water.
I struck, sinking my fangs into its skull.
It reeled in agony, blood blossoming into murky red clouds around us, bubbles rising from its gurgling maw as it thrashed.
But it was futile.
I clenched my teeth, feeling bone give way, and crushed its skull with all my might.
The water around me grew warmer, thick with the scent of ichor and the metallic tang of fresh blood.
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[You have slain.]
• S: 0 | T: 1 | Level 3 | Whark [1★]
[You have gained.]
[30 - EXP.]
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Quite the pitiful EXP it dropped, but it would do for now.
I glanced at the other wharks still brawling, a grim smile tugging at the corners of my maw.
My scales and muscles had yet to harden due to my age, but killing these things would be nothing but a breeze.
I opened my maw wide, clamping down on a new target's flesh.
I ripped it apart, the sinews tearing with a wet snap, and devoured it whole.
Its blood infused the waters around me, painting streaks of red through the glowing kelp.
As I tore the carcass to pieces, as more wharks, were drawn by the scent of blood, began to gather before me.
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[You have devoured.]
• S: 0 | T: 1 | Level 3 | Whark [1★]
[You have gained.]
[+ 0.02 - Physique.]
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I see.
Three have encircled me, huh?
The currents stirred, a rippling distortion around me, as my form vanished and reappeared behind one of them.
My maw ripped its flesh apart, a sickening tear, and I devoured one of its eyeballs, the taste of briny gore filling my mouth.
Pain flared through my body as the other two seized the opportunity, their maws latching onto my flesh, sinking dangerously deep.
But it's not like I couldn't get rid of them.
I reeled, twisting my body like a living chakram.
Blood gushed out, staining the water a violent red hue, but my counter-attack sent one whark spiraling, its grip torn away.
My maw ripped one of the whark's fins clean off and I gulped it down.
I glanced at the uninjured one, still glaring, its maw ripping at my hide.
And it was at that very moment, the moment its underbelly was revealed, that my form turned into a blur.
My maw clamped into its stomach.
With a savage twist, I ripped its underbelly open, its contents gushing out into the water.
I swept my tail, slamming the one-eyed whark against the ground, its wound gushing blood, painting the seabed.
My maw became a blur, tearing into the finless whark's gills, digging deeper and deeper until it ceased its thrashing and went still.
The rest was history.
Minutes passed, filled with the raw, brutal symphony of survival.
I let out a slight chuckle, a sound like grinding stone, then glanced at the shimmering hologram before me with delight.
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[You have slain.]
• S: 0 | T: 1 | Whark [1★] x3
[You have gained.]
[130 - EXP.]
[You have gained a level.] x1
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[You have devoured.]
• S: 0 | T: 1 | Whark [1★] x3
[You have gained.]
[+ 0.08 - Physique.]
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[Skills Devoured.]
• Bronze Stomach
• Enhanced Teeth
• Scaled Hide
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[Your existing skills have been strengthened.]
[They have gained a level]
• Bronze Stomach +1
• Enhanced Teeth +1
• Scaled Hide +1
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Skills:
Bronze Stomach [Passive | Level 2]
The Whark's stomach lining is more resilient, digesting denser materials and offering improved resistance to toxins and corrosives. Its thorough digestion now works with slightly better efficiency, an internal furnace that extracts every ounce of sustenance.
Enhanced Teeth [Passive | Level 2]
The Whark's teeth are sharper and more robust, tearing through stronger flesh, thicker bone, and light armoring. Consistently sharp, they deliver superior cutting power, making escape increasingly difficult. Each bite feels like a vice, crushing and rending.
Scaled Hide [Passive | Level 2]
The Whark's skin features tougher, tighter scales, offering better protection against blunt and slashing attacks. These flexible scales absorb force with enhanced efficiency, making cutting its flesh appreciably more challenging. The surface feels like interlocking plates of natural armor, deflecting blows with ease.
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Hmm, the enhancement of the skills is quite satisfactory, but let's be real.
These skills are nothing but fodder in this world.
Stronger monsters would appear from time to time on my journey, and while I'm not dissatisfied with my growth so far, still I am far too weak right now.
I needed more strength to become stronger, to ascend to the next tier.
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[ALISTER VON FAI]
Titles: The Accursed One | The False One
Race: Whark [1★]
Stage: 0
Tier: 1
Level: 2/5
EXP: 60/200
Class: (Locked)
Subclass: (Locked)
Inventory: (Locked)
Equipment: (Locked)
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Stats
Health: 11/11 (+1 per level)
Stamina: 11/11 (+1 per level)
Mana: (Locked)
Physique: 0.14 (+0.1 per level)
Mystique: (Locked)
Charm: 1
Luck: -100
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Bloodlines:
Harbinger Of Myth | Sealed [9/10]
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Bloodline skills:
Myth Voracity
The core ability of the Harbinger of Myth, allowing them to devour the myth—skills and stats—of others. However, a powerful curse has severely weakened it. Now, rather than guaranteed absorption, it only grants a chance to consume these traits. Despite this, it still feeds on the myth of those the Harbinger consumes.
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Affinity:
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Skills:
Bronze Stomach [Passive | Level 2]
The Whark's stomach lining is more resilient, digesting denser materials and offering improved resistance to toxins and corrosives. Its thorough digestion now works with slightly better efficiency.
Enhanced Teeth [Passive | Level 2]
The Whark's teeth are sharper and more robust, tearing through stronger flesh, thicker bone, and light armoring. Consistently sharp, they deliver superior cutting power, making escape increasingly difficult.
Scaled Hide [Passive | Level 2]
The Whark's skin features tougher, tighter scales, offering better protection against blunt and slashing attacks. These flexible scales absorb force with enhanced efficiency, making cutting its flesh appreciably more challenging.
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Unique skills:
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