CHAPTER 4: | THE START OF A NEW PLAY
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The sensation of cold water was alien.
It had been a while since I'd been reborn as a demonic beast.
I see, so the fated time was me being reborn as a Whark after billions of years.
Not a bad race to be born since it is one of the races that is attuned to that power.
A power so great that even I feared it.
It was the one that created everything, the force that started all.
But such immense power demanded an indomitable physique to bear its raw output.
But looking back, the progenitor of this very race was one of the Seven Ancient Disaster Incarnates, the bearer of pride, and the great venerable ########.
It seemed that merely mentioning its name wasn't possible.
The Supreme Mother and the Supreme Heavenly Dao had nearly sacrificed the entire multiverse just to stop that one Disaster Incarnate, marking its death in the First Epoch.
His power was too immense, that it even exceeded mine.
I had read his records, gleaned from the clusters of data I was born into during the Fourteenth Epoch of the multiverse.
Since that being nearly ascended to the state of Ascendance, a legend hushed among the supreme existences of the multiverse.
Lets not delve deeper into that history, since it was quite sad that recovering at this state while acting in an orchestra would take a few thousand years.
But still, this is for the better.
It's my plan that led me to this, even if it means abandoning everything.
As long as I achieved that state, I, the harbinger of myth, no, Alister Von Fai, shall rise to the top once more.
But now it's time to start the play of this grand orchestra that will fool them.
Let us begin.
Closing my eyes, I then began to seal the grand plan in my head, only leaving the essential knowledge that I needed for my plan.
Gong!
The sound of a gong reverberated throughout the multiverse as a seal formed on my false soul.
Now that my sister knew that the play had begun.
---
Time passed as I drifted on the currents motionlessly.
Water entered through my body as I jolted awake.
Huh?
What am I doing here, and why am I in this whale-like body that looks like a dumb whale shark?
Fuck this cycle.
Why am I even here when I just wanted to live a quiet life in some remote mountains, have a wife and kids, and die old, then live on my next cycle?
Fuck you, Supreme Heavenly Dao!
How dare you curse me to be a whale shark!
You just wait for me, and I'll freaking rip you apart!
I cursed internally for hours as I looked around the cavern teeming with wonder and fantasy, a perk of being reborn into an awakened world.
The cold sensation of the currents could be felt against my newly formed scales as vibrations echoed from the horizon.
The kelp shimmered beautifully, looking ready to be stewed with some orca meat.
Rays of light from the shimmering mana crystals all around us illuminated their vibrant fronds, catching the dim, ethereal glow.
Then from up above, the ceiling of this expansive cavern that stretched for maybe a few thousand miles, clusters of gigantic mana crystals in their raw form could be seen.
They glowed brightly, lighting up every corner of the expanse except the west, which seemed to be a wasteland of jagged mountains.
The scenery around me was filled with chaos.
My kin, the other Wharks, fought for dominance, their tails clashing as they tore each other apart with primal zeal.
Cracked shells along with unhatched eggs of developing Wharks littered the ground.
The chaos around me was eerily soothing.
Then my gaze flickered towards a disturbance on the horizon, as massive young Wharks, some as large as three meters, locked in a brutal brawl.
Their teeth, like steel bristles, scraped against each other's hides as their underdeveloped scales tore easily.
Howls could be heard as their guttural roars of dominance dominated the very space around me.
The currents were filled with their violence and carnage as crimson blood bloomed on the water like clouds of roses.
Then the sound of eggs cracking could be heard as new life emerged from their cocoon, immediately interlocked in a duel.
Dying was not my worry in this very situation, since my authority, Myth, Voracity, could devour their records and make it falsely mine.
Killing a few of them with my vast experience of living as a beast would be a breeze.
A Whark, as massive as four meters, was drawn by the commotion.
It lunged, its gritty teeth aimed at me.
Then the cold water tore through my flesh.
A raw, guttural pain struck my nerves like a bitch.
My nascent scales offered no resistance to its bite as its fangs cleanly cleaved a section of my tail.
But it was futile.
I let out a guttural roar and thrashed my tail with intensity that even the water shook violently to distract it.
Then I twisted my form like lightning.
My countless teeth struck through its skull, scraping its flesh with ease.
It reeled in agony, as blood blossomed into red clouds around us.
Then, bubbles rose from its gurgling maw as it thrashed.
But all of this was predetermined the moment it launched its ambush.
I clenched my teeth until my gums bled.
I felt its skull give way, and with a forceful jerk, its skull exploded from the immense pressure.
The water around me grew warmer, thick with the scent of ichor and the metallic tang of fresh blood.
---
[You have slain.]
• S: 0 | T: 1 | Level 3 | Whark [1★]
[You have gained.]
[30 - EXP.]
---
Quite the pitiful EXP it dropped, but it would do for now.
I glanced at the other Wharks still locked in a brawl, as a predatory smile tugged at the corners of my maw.
My scales and muscles had yet to harden due to my age, but killing these things would be easy.
Then I opened my maw wide, as I tore the Whark that I'd killed with brutality.
I ripped it apart, its sinews tearing with a wet snap, as I 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, more Wharks were drawn by the scent of blood, as they began to gather before me.
---
[You have devoured.]
• S: 0 | T: 1 | Level 3 | Whark [1★]
[You have gained.]
[+ 0.02 - Physique.]
---
Without looking at the figures surrounding me, I could tell how many there were.
I was once the greatest martial arts practitioner in the world of lavia, after all.
I see.
Three have encircled me, huh?
The currents stirred, as a rippling distortion erupted around me.
Then my form vanished and reappeared behind of a green-colored Whark.
Like a feral wolf starved for days, my maw ripped its face apart.
A sickening tear erupted, and I devoured one of its eyeballs, as the taste of its sweet, squishy flesh filled my mouth.
Pain flared through my body as the other two seized the opportunity, their maws now latched deep onto my flesh.
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 in a blood cloud.
Before they could react, my tail slammed into the black-skinned Whark, sending it spiraling on the currents with its grip torn away.
Like a shadow, my form appeared inches away from the black-skinned Whark.
My maw ripped one of its fins clean off, and before it could react, I'd already gulped it down.
I glanced at the uninjured one, still glaring at me, with its maw scraping against my hide.
It moved around crazily, latching onto my body like lightning.
But it was at that very moment, the instant its carelessness revealed its underbelly, that my form turned into a blur.
My maw latched onto its stomach.
And 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 gushed like a flood, painting the currents red.
My maw became a blur, tearing into the finless Whark's gills, digging deeper until it ceased its thrashing and went still.
Then the rest was history.
Minutes passed, filled with the raw, brutal symphony of survival.
I let out a slight chuckle, then glanced at the shimmering hologram before me with delight.
---
[You have slain.]
• S: 0 | T: 1 | Whark [1★] x3
[You have gained.]
[130 - EXP.]
[You have gained a level.] x1
---
[You have devoured.]
• S: 0 | T: 1 | Whark [1★] x3
[You have gained.]
[+ 0.08 - Physique.]
---
[Skills Devoured.]
• Bronze Stomach
• Enhanced Teeth
• Scaled Hide
---
[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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Authority:
Myth Voracity | Sealed [9/10]
A cursed Authority of the Harbinger of Myth, Myth Voracity grants the right to consume the records, the foundational truths and mythic imprints that define a being's existence. Once an absolute force of assimilation, a divine curse has fractured its certainty, reducing guaranteed devouring to mere chance. Yet even in its weakened state, it remains dreadfully potent; every act of consumption allows it to siphon fragments of records, skills, stats, and traits woven into a foe's legend, feeding the Authority and expanding its dominion over myth.
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Bloodlines:
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Bloodline skills:
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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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