CHAPTER 45: | THE MINIATURE WORLD OF THE FIRST SEGMENT | 1

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FWOOOOOSH!

A gale-force wind roared, thrashing the leaves on the trees and sending waves through the verdant grass that danced and rippled across the landscape.

"Quite the shock that this isn't under the water."

My tongue darted out, a dry scrape across my lips, as I gazed at the horizon from atop the mountain.

To my dismay, there weren't any settlements for thousands of miles from this very place.

But even from this height, the signs of unbridled power were clear, the distant, earth-shaking thuds of colossal beasts, the screams of unseen prey, and sometimes, a faint, metallic tang on the wind that spoke of predator and blood.

Wyverns soared across the sky, griffins hunted down the slopes, and tigers shifted from demonic beast forms to humanoids.

Then a gilded dragon, as massive as a thousand meters, let out a shriek in the sky.

KRRRYYAAAAHHH!!!

The wyverns scattered from the cry, making way for its immense shadow.

"Hmmm, it seems that young dragon is an Overseer."

I looked around, my eyes scanning the vast expanse, searching for anything interesting.

Then I saw it.

Titans, their gargantuan forms like moving mountains, traversed through the ancient forest.

THUUM! THUUM! RRRUUMBLE...

Their very steps crushed the massive trees to splinters with a sound like thunder, leaving gaping, muddy craters in their wake.

Even the smallest, a mere 70 meters, cast an immense shadow that swallowed swaths of forest as it lumbered past, its rough, bark-like hide shimmering faintly in the sunlight.

None of their presence was below that of a Lord-Class demonic beast, while the one leading them was a humongous 500-meter titan with the aura of an Overlord demonic beast.

I gulped, a dry click in my throat.

"It seems that this journey would take me some time."

'Haa.'

Truly, this place was a treasure trove for me.

Titans, wyverns, griffins, and a dragon, all within a single mountain range, it seemed just right.

My form, a mere 15 meters, couldn't dare to compete with these beasts whose strength surpassed that of hundreds.

So what should I do to hunt these beings?

My lips curved into a crescent, a slow, feral smile forming.

"Well, hunting them seems to be the right decision."

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Days bled into weeks, each one a testament to my patience as I crouched low, a shadow within shadows, like a predator coiled to strike.

The moon, a cold silver coin, hung high, casting a stark skeletal shadows through the forest.

I moved with excruciating slowness, each footstep as light as a feather upon the damp earth, avoiding every snapping twig or rustling leaf, my breath held tight in my chest so not even a whisper of air would betray my presence.

It's been weeks since I've stalked this group of titans, observing their habits, sleeping patterns, and weaknesses.

I activated 'Crystalline Impactor' and 'Metallic Flesh Augmentation', and my hands took on a crystalline and metallic sheen.

Slowly, I moved inches away from the smallest titan, resting without a care in the world.

Its body, as massive as 70 meters, twitched slightly as I moved carefully, painstakingly.

Vines that took on a crystalline and metallic sheen covered my hands like a gauntlet, as the tips of my fingertips turned into sharp claws.

Then, mana invigorated the tips of my fingers as I placed them on the sleeping titan's neck.

'Haa.'

With precision, I channeled power and waved my hand.

SHHHK! SPLRRRTCH!

A wet, tearing sound ripped through the quiet night, followed by a gushing spray of hot, metallic-smelling blood that splattered across my face and turned the verdant grass a ghastly crimson.

THRRUMP!

A vibration of finality shuddered through the titan's immense body before it stilled.

My smile widened, a feral pull on my lips.

Based on the noise level that I made, these dumb titans wouldn't be able to wake up, since they needed the sound of a griffin screeching to rouse them from their deep sleep.

A hologram shimmered into existence.

BZTT! WHMMM!

A chuckle escaped from my mouth, low and guttural.

"Puhahaha, truly hunting these guys would be easy."

My maw opened impossibly wide, and I tore into its flesh with savage delight.

SNARRRL! CHRRKK! CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

A torrent of warm blood flooded the ground, the coppery scent so thick it coated my tongue.

The sound of bones splintering echoed in the predawn quiet as I gorged it down.

Hours dissolved, marked only by the gnawing satisfaction until the first pale streaks of dawn touched the horizon.

The titans all around me groaned, others stretched, and they began to wake up.

Before they could notice the death of their kin, I had already vanished from my place, leaving only the femur of the titan, picked clean.

Focusing on the hologram, I licked my lips.

I washed my face in the cool, clear river that I'd found days ago.

Squelch! Drip. Drip.

Water dripped from my face as I gazed at my reflection in the water.

"I've truly come this far in this life."

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[You have slain.]

• S: 1 | T: 5 | Level 19 | Forest Titan [4★]

[You have gained.]

[2,700,000 - EXP.]

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[You have devoured.]

• S: 1 | T: 5 | Level 19 | Forest Titan [4★]

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[Skills Devoured.]

• Colossal Might [Tier 8]

• Crushing Stomp [Tier 5]

• Verdant Fortitude [Tier 4]

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[Grotesque Physique would like to devour these skills.]

• Colossal Might [Tier 8]

• Crushing Stomp [Tier 5]

• Verdant Fortitude [Tier 4]

[Yes] / [No]

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Colossal Might [Passive | ▪︎]

The Forest Titan possesses unparalleled raw physical strength, allowing it to effortlessly fell ancient trees, move massive boulders, and exert crushing force. Its attacks carry immense kinetic energy.

Crushing Stomp [Active | 30 - Stamina | ▪︎]

The Forest Titan lifts one of its massive feet and brings it down with devastating force, creating a shockwave that obliterates anything directly beneath it and sends smaller targets flying.

Verdant Fortitude [Passive | ▪︎]

Drawing constant energy from its Verdant Hearth Core and its natural surroundings, the Forest Titan boasts incredible resilience. Its thick, bark-like hide and dense musculature provide high resistance to most forms of physical and elemental damage.

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Haaaaaa.

I sighed because killing a Lord-Class demonic beast couldn't push me for a level.

Truly, reaching Tier 10 was hell itself, but becoming level 50 at Tier 10 was the veritable hell.

Each level increased the EXP cap by a million until it became 49 million at level 49 and 100 million at level 50.

This was the genuine challenge to become an emperor.

You needed to reach perfection, or you could just evolve at Tier 10 and gain a unique race.

But why stop here, when I could gain a unique race, become an emperor, and gain the perk of reaching the perfect foundation?

It was dumb to evolve at this state, so I needed to pursue the insane amount of EXP required to become an emperor.

I needed it because I wanted to become an emperor and enjoy the perks only emperors have.

So I gazed at the fusion table before me as it materialized into reality.

Now it was time to fuse my skills.

My hands moved with precision as I dragged my compatible skills toward the fusion table.

I clicked 'Yes.'

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[Would you fuse these skills?]

• Blade-Claw Strike + Metallic Flesh Augmentation

• Multifaceted Perception + Multi-Core Redundancy

• Amalgamate Physiology + The Confluent Abomination Network

• Sentient Armor + Hidden Reach

[Yes] / [No]

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[You have gained.]

• Abominable Nexus [Ascension I]

• Chimeric Blade-Flesh [Ascension I]

• Living Tendril Armor [Ascension I]

• Omniscient Redundancy [Ascension I]

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Without looking at their descriptions, I then pulled the 'Hellfire Golden Gauntlet,' 'Crystalline Impactor,' and 'Chimeric Blade-Flesh' onto the fusion table.

As I then pulled 'Celestial Void Rings,' 'Abominable Nexus,' and 'Magma Heart Ascension' into the fusion table for the second skill to fuse.

Then I dragged 'Vision of the Fallen,' 'Omniscient Redundancy,' and 'Omniscient Predator's Senses' for the last skill to fuse, pressing 'Yes' without any hesitation.

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[Would you fuse these skills?]

• Hellfire Golden Gauntlet + Crystalline Impactor + Chimeric Blade-Flesh

• Celestial Void Rings + Abominable Nexus + Magma Heart Ascension

• Vision of the Fallen + Omniscient Redundancy + Omniscient Predator's Senses

[Yes] / [No]

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[You have gained.]

• Demonic Armaments [Ascension II]

• Heart of the Fallen [Ascension II]

• Gaze of the Fallen Omniscient [Ascension II]

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[ALISTER VON FAI]

Race: Whark [1★]

Stage: 0

Tier: 10

Level: 7/50

EXP: 5,366,200/7,000,000

Class: (Locked)

Subclass: (Locked)

Inventory: [Golden Maiden Scripture]

Equipment: (Locked)

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Stats

Health: 1,000/1,000 (+1 per level)

Stamina: 1,000/1,000 (+1 per level)

Mana: 1,000/1,000

Physique: 10.00 (+0.1 per level)

Mystique: 10.00

Charm: 1

Luck: -100

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Bloodlines:

Harbinger Of Myth

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Bloodline skills:

Myth Voracity | Sealed[9/10]

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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Monster Core:

Heart of the Fallen [Passive | Ascension II | ▪︎]

Alister's core has transformed into the Heart of the Fallen, a volatile nexus of divine light, chaotic shadow, and primal hellfire. This heart fuels his extreme evasion, speed, and raw power. Integrating parasitic biologies, it grants him unparalleled adaptive resilience and immense redundancy; if compromised, its energies instantly reroute, maintaining his full capabilities. Should this catastrophic heart rupture, it implodes into a localized singularity, unleashing a devastating burst of purifying energy, superheated fire, and unstable shadow.

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Skills:

Colossal Might [Passive | ▪︎]

Crushing Stomp [Active | 30 - Stamina | ▪︎]

The Forest Titan lifts one of its massive feet and brings it down with devastating force, creating a shockwave that obliterates anything directly beneath it and sends smaller targets flying.

Divine Self-Restoration [Passive | ▪︎]

Gabriel's divine essence allows for rapid, near-instantaneous regeneration from all but the most catastrophic injuries. Minor wounds close within moments, and even severe damage can be mended swiftly, drawing directly from the energy of his Celestial Core.

Hellfire Incineration [Active | 100 - Mana | ▪︎]

Steven gathers intensely hot, crackling purple flames at his palm, capable of incinerating water into steam upon contact. This is his signature, highly polished skill, honed over decades to inflict extreme, searing burn damage. It can be unleashed as a focused blast or a wide wave of destruction, capable of turning flesh to ash and melting lesser materials.

Infernal Maw [Passive | ▪︎]

The Magma Tyrant's teeth and entire maw are perpetually infused with extreme heat. Every bite inflicts not only immense crushing damage but also causes searing, deep-tissue burns that continue to smolder and inflict pain after the initial attack.

Whirlpool Maw [Passive | 15 - Mana | ▪︎]

The Wharkin can open its immense maw and rapidly inhale, creating a powerful, localized whirlpool effect. This draws in and disorients smaller creatures, debris, and even larger objects, allowing the Wharkin to then close its jaws with devastating, crushing power.

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Unique skills:

Grotesque Physique [Unique]

A Grotesque Physique, warped by an unknown force from the Whark's biology, lets you absorb external abilities (skills not native to your race). These skills permanently lose their growth path, becoming fixed internal components. They're categorized by Ascension, reflecting their integration as adaptable physical components. Compatible skills fuse into layered bodily alterations. This living physique constantly redefines your body with each absorption and fusion.

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Ascension Skills:

Demonic Armaments [Passive | Ascension II | ▪︎]

Alister's very essence manifests as Demonic Armaments, a terrifying, latent power that imbues his form with an integrated, destructive capability. His strikes, regardless of limb, inherently carry the explosive, bone-shattering force of molten hellfire, the extreme piercing and tearing power of razor-sharp crystal, and the unyielding resilience of hardened metallic flesh. This omnipresent armament allows him to effortlessly shatter defenses and ensnare foes, binding them with immense, demonic strength while constantly enhancing his physical durability.

Gaze of the Fallen Omniscient [Passive | Ascension II | ▪︎]

Alister attains Gaze of the Fallen Omniscient, a state of absolute, omnipresent awareness that transcends conventional senses. He perceives all movement, energy, and intent across vast distances, making him impossible to ambush or evade. This profound omnipresence instills paralyzing dread in adversaries and unwavering arrogance in himself. Any attempts to disrupt his internal systems or awareness are instantly nullified by his inherent, distributed resilience.

Terra-Void Bulwark [Passive | Ascension II | ▪︎]

The Whark's hide transforms into an exceptionally resilient Terra-Void Bulwark. This multi-layered defense provides profound physical damage resistance, causing attacks to shatter or dissipate. Its light-absorbing properties significantly reduce its visual profile for stealth, and it grants complete immunity to all poisons, retaining a subtle adaptive camouflage.

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Abyssal Demonic Carapace [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]

Alister's skin transforms into an Abyssal Demonic Carapace, a thick, incredibly resilient hide interwoven with demonic energies and covered in barnacle-like growths of reinforced chitin and dense muscle. This provides phenomenal natural armor, granting him formidable resistance to all forms of physical damage and elemental attacks. Blades glance off, impacts are significantly dulled, and he can deflect or absorb even significant damage, making him extraordinarily durable in combat.

Abyssal Maw Assimilation [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]

Alister's internal digestive system becomes an Abyssal Maw, capable of dissolving virtually any substance. His stomach acids are intensely corrosive, allowing him to devour and break down bedrock, ore, and even adamantine with terrifying ease, absorbing raw materials to sustain his immense mass. This potent ability means his bites inflict severe, lingering corrosive damage, dissolving foes from the inside out.

Adamantine Skeleton [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]

The Whark's skeletal framework is composed of crystallized mithril and adamantine, making it incredibly dense and virtually unbreakable. This provides unparalleled structural integrity, rendering it immune to internal crushing, bone-shattering impacts, or any skeletal compromise, allowing it to withstand immense, earth-shaking forces with ease.

Cataclysmic Inferno Breath [Active | 75 - Mana | Ascension I | ▪︎]

From its abyssal maw, the Whark unleashes a truly cataclysmic torrent of superheated, corrosive liquid magma and highly toxic volcanic gases. This devastating, concentrated stream incinerates everything in its path, instantly melting even the most resilient metals, charring stone to ash, and vaporizing flesh. It leaves behind an expansive wake of searing, bubbling slag and noxious fumes that continues to inflict extreme damage and severely hinder all movement for an extended duration.

Draconic Form [Active | 200 Mana | Ascension I | ▪︎]

The Whark effortlessly shifts between its colossal crocodilian-whale form and a towering, grotesque Draconic Form, gaining powerful combat adaptations like razor-sharp claws, hardened plates, and formidable horns. This seamless transformation grants it optimized capabilities and terrifying versatility in any fight.

Gaze of the Fallen [Active | 80 Mana | Ascension I | ▪︎]

Alister fixes his transformed eyes upon a target, unleashing a pervasive torrent of purifying light intertwined with chaotic energy. The very act of his gaze inflicts searing pain, profoundly disrupting the target's internal mana flow and physical coordination. This debilitating effect is particularly potent against 'abominations' or dark-aligned entities, debilitating and cleansing them with its overwhelming, destructive force.

Golden Sanguine [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]

Alister's blood is a unique golden sanguine, pulsating with absorbed thermal energy. This grants him absolute immunity to all forms of heat, fire, and lava, which are not only harmless but are consumed by his internal processes, bolstering his own energy reserves with a warm thrum. Furthermore, this potent, superheated blood possesses remarkable regenerative properties, causing wounds to slowly stitch themselves closed and internal damage to mend, significantly accelerating recovery from even severe trauma.

Living Tendril Armor [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]

Alister's body is covered in a dense, ever-shifting layer of sentient vines and tendrils that act as a living armor. This Living Tendril Armor deflects lesser blows and subtly interferes with enemy movements, occasionally lashing out. These internal tendrils also grant him an unnerving, extended reach in close quarters, subtly extending and retracting to add power to his physical strikes or manipulate objects just beyond his visible grasp.

Magma-Core Might [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]

The Whark's musculature is infused with solidified telluric energy, creating an incredibly dense and unyielding powerhouse. This grants it a raw, untamed strength that defies physical laws, allowing it to effortlessly lift and hurl colossal boulders, rend reinforced steel like paper, and break free from any restraint with a mere flex. Its blows are delivered with immense, earth-shattering force.

Monolithic Might [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]

Alister's musculature is transformed, becoming incredibly dense and interwoven with compressed rock and mineral deposits, granting him truly phenomenal, monolithic raw strength. He can effortlessly rip apart colossal boulders, bend reinforced steel, and resist physical restraints that would bind a lesser titan. His blows deliver immense crushing power, and he can withstand powerful impacts, making him an unstoppable force in close quarters.

Neuro-Corrosive Barrage [Active | 50 - Stamina | Ascension I | ▪︎]

From its maw, the Whark expels a highly concentrated volley of viscous, neuro-corrosive saliva. This projectile barrage delivers rapid tissue necrosis, intense burning, and potent paralytic effects upon contact. It swiftly corrodes armor and causes agonizing, debilitating damage to exposed flesh, leaving targets reeling and vulnerable.

Quaking Pounce [Active | 15 - Stamina | Ascension I | ▪︎]

The Whark launches itself with immense, earth-shaking force. This skill allows it to cover significant ground in a single, powerful leap, closing the distance to targets. Upon landing, it delivers a localized seismic shockwave, capable of unbalancing and knocking down multiple foes, cracking the very ground beneath them, and creating an opening for devastating follow-up attacks.

Quantum Displacement [Active | 30 Stamina | Ascension I | ▪︎]

The Whark's movements transcend physical space, allowing it to vanish and reappear as a mere streak of violet light. This Quantum Displacement grants unparalleled mobility in combat, enabling it to instantaneously flank enemies, escape seemingly impossible situations, close distances with bewildering rapidity, or reposition for a devastating ambush.

Seraphic Extensions [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]

Alister manifests six magnificent, feathered Seraphic Extensions of brilliant light. These grant him absolute mastery of flight through any medium, generating powerful gusts of wind or light, and enabling rapid, untrackable movements that inherently enhance his speed and defense.

Shatter-Maw Mandibles [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]

Alister's maw transforms, becoming heavily reinforced with incredibly tough chitin and powerful mandibles. His bite delivers both concussive and piercing damage with immense force, capable of pulverizing bone and tearing through even the toughest armor with terrifying ease. This provides an exceptionally potent close-range attack.

Shatter-Rip Maw [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]

The Whark's jaws are transformed, now possessing a devastating combination of crushing power and shearing sharpness. Its teeth are exceptionally numerous and rock-hard, allowing it to effortlessly splinter stone and shatter steel while simultaneously ripping flesh from bone. Any creature grappling with or constricted by the Whark suffers continuous bludgeoning and grievous tearing damage.

Sunder Maw [Active | 8 - Stamina | Ascension I | ▪︎]

This Ascension skill manifests as a devastating bite that simultaneously delivers immense crushing force and vicious tearing power. It effortlessly pulverizes tough defenses and inflicts severe, deep wounds, causing significant internal trauma and considerable blood loss, making it exceptionally effective at debilitating any target.

Terra-Anchored Colossus [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]

The Whark gains the ability to deep-root itself instantly into the very bedrock, becoming an immovable, unyielding colossus. Once anchored, it is utterly immune to any form of displacement, including powerful magical pushes, cataclysmic seismic shifts, or the full force of a charging titan. Its connection to the earth becomes absolute, making it an unbreachable bastion against any external force.

Terra-Core Skeleton [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]

The Whark's skeletal structure ascends into a truly formidable internal fortress, composed of an incredibly dense, virtually unbreakable framework imbued with solidified telluric energy. This grants it unparalleled structural integrity, making it completely invulnerable to internal trauma and any crushing forces. Its immense weight is effortlessly supported by this internal bedrock.

Thermal Singularity [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]

The Whark's internal processes reach a critical mass, creating an intense, visible aura of superheated air that shimmers around its form. This signifies its absolute immunity to all forms of thermal energy: fire, lava, and even extreme heat-based magical attacks are entirely absorbed and consumed by its body, serving only to fuel its formidable resilience.

World-Rending Scream [Active | 35 Stamina | Ascension I | ▪︎]

The Whark unleashes a terrifying, focused scream that doesn't just vibrate through the earth but tears at the very fabric of reality. This high-frequency assault causes extreme spatial disorientation, overwhelming mental dread, and vivid, terrifying illusions in targets. Victims are often paralyzed with primal fear, lose all balance, and become utterly vulnerable to follow-up attacks. Lesser creatures within a wide radius are intimidated into fleeing or submission.

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Chapter 48 - CHAPTER 45: | THE MINIATURE WORLD OF THE FIRST SEGMENT | 1