He looked down at Bloodfang's body.
This one deserved to be eaten. A Stage 1 cultivator. A leader. Someone who'd fought with honor and died without begging.
Don crouched beside the corpse and began the familiar, horrible work. The taste was still awful, but his body moved mechanically through the process now—cut, consume, wait for the absorption.
[ANALYZING CONSUMED MATERIAL…]
[GOBLIN CAMP LEADER FLESH DETECTED]
[SPECIES: GOBLIN CHIEFTAIN (LEVEL 11)]
[STAGE 1 - IRON WILL (LEVEL 4/6)]
[EXTRACTING PROPERTIES…]
The heat flooded through him—stronger this time, more intense, almost painful. A Stage 1 cultivator's flesh carried power that common goblins couldn't match. Don's vision swam as something fundamental changed within him.
[ABSORPTION SUCCESSFUL]
[MAJOR ENHANCEMENT DETECTED]
[STRENGTH: 103 → 105 (+2)]
[AGILITY: 105 → 107 (+2)]
[VITALITY: 95 → 97 (+2)]
[DEXTERITY: 95 → 97 (+2)]
[STAMINA: 97 → 99 (+2)]
[WISDOM: 101 → 102 (+1)]
[MAGIC POWER: 98 → 99 (+1)]
[INTELLIGENCE: 98 → 99 (+1)]
[TRAIT ABSORBED: LEADERSHIP AURA (COMMON)]
[TRAIT ABSORBED: BATTLE VETERAN (COMMON)]
[LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION GAINED: GOBLIN LANGUAGE ]
[WARNING: STAGE 1 ENTITY CONSUMED]
[TRACE CORRUPTION DETECTED]
[MADNESS: 17% → 18% (+1%)]
Don gasped as the changes settled, more profound than any goblin before. His body felt fundamentally different—not just stronger but MORE. As if he'd crossed some invisible threshold.
And then knowledge flooded his mind—harsh, guttural sounds suddenly making SENSE. The goblin language. He could understand it now. Not basic comprehension—ADEPT level, as if he'd studied it for years. His Learning and Adaptation skill didn't grant beginner knowledge; it granted MASTERY. He could follow complex conversations, understand nuanced meanings, even speak it fluently if needed.
The words Bloodfang had spoken before his death suddenly had meaning in Don's memory:
"Warrior sees warrior."
And then: "Good death. Clean death. Bloodfang thanks you."
Don stood slowly, the weight of that understanding settling on him. The goblin leader had thanked him. For killing him cleanly. For giving him a warrior's end instead of something cruel.
[Interesting, isn't it?]
Madness's voice was quiet.
[He was grateful. GRATEFUL that you killed him efficiently instead of making him suffer. The goblin didn't see you as evil, little seed. He saw you as INEVITABLE. And he chose to face that inevitability with pride.]
Don said nothing. What was there to say? The Madness increase registered—eighteen percent now, up from seventeen. Still manageable. His soul was strong enough to handle it.
But then—
Something else happened.
The System notifications didn't stop. Instead, new text appeared, glowing brighter than the rest:
[SPECIAL DISCOVERY]
[STAGE 1 ENTITY CONSUMED - CULTIVATION FOUNDATION DETECTED]
Don's eyes widened. What?
[ANALYZING BLOODFANG'S ESSENCE…]
[IRON WILL FOUNDATION DETECTED IN CONSUMED FLESH]
[Your unique physiology and Skills (Learning and Adaptation + Immortality) allow unprecedented absorption capabilities]
[DISCOVERY: You can absorb trace cultivation essence from consumed Stage 1 entities]
[IRON WILL PROGRESS ESSENCE AVAILABLE]
Don's heart hammered. This… this shouldn't be possible. Cultivation was personal, tied to the soul and will of the individual. Foundation couldn't be transferred. It was earned through training, through insight, through pushing past limits.
You couldn't just take it.
Could you?
[Oh, but you CAN, little seed,] Madness whispered, and his voice carried something between awe and hunger. [Your Skills aren't normal. Learning and Adaptation allows you to master ANYTHING—not just techniques, but understanding itself. And Immortality? It rebuilds you constantly, integrating everything you consume into your very ESSENCE.]
[You're not bound by normal cultivation rules. You never were.]
The System continued:
[SYSTEM QUERY: Absorb Iron Will cultivation essence?]
[EFFECT: Iron Will Stage Progress +1 Level]
[CURRENT: Stage 1 - Iron Will (Level 2/6)]
[NEW: Stage 1 - Iron Will (Level 3/6)]
[WARNING: Unnatural cultivation advancement detected]
[WARNING: Foundation shortcuts may cause instability]
[WARNING: Normal cultivators spend MONTHS advancing Iron Will levels]
[WARNING: Proceed with caution]
[Accept? YES / NO]
Don stared at the notifications, his mind racing.
This was… this was dangerous. Advancing cultivation through shortcuts instead of proper understanding could create weak foundations, could cause bottlenecks later, could even lead to cultivation deviation.
Every cultivator knew this. Progress had to be earned. Had to be understood. Rushing led to disaster.
But—
[But you're not a normal cultivator, are you?] Madness said softly. [You have Learning and Adaptation. You don't just absorb power—you absorb UNDERSTANDING. The knowledge, the insights, the foundation itself—it all becomes YOURS. Perfectly integrated. No shortcuts. No weak points.]
[This isn't cheating, little seed. This is what you ARE. What you were MEANT to be.]
Don's hand trembled slightly as he reached for the notification.
Was this wrong? Was he crossing some line that shouldn't be crossed?
Or was Madness right—was this simply his nature? His path?
He thought about Bloodfang. About the goblin chieftain's Iron Will—the way his weapon had manifested, crude but SOLID. The way he'd commanded his warriors, his presence making them fight harder. The way he'd faced death with dignity.
If Don absorbed that essence, would he gain that understanding? That foundation?
[Yes,] Madness answered the unspoken question. [You'll understand what he understood. Feel what he felt. His insights will become yours. That's the beauty of Learning and Adaptation combined with consumption—nothing is wasted. Everything is preserved, integrated, PERFECTED.]
Don made his decision.
He reached out mentally and selected:
[YES]
[ABSORPTION INITIATED]
[PROCESSING IRON WILL ESSENCE…]
Pain exploded through Don's body—not physical pain, but something deeper. Something that touched his WILL itself, the fundamental core of what made him HIM.
Images flooded his mind:
Bloodfang as a young goblin, weak and small, fighting to survive in a tribe where weakness meant death.
Bloodfang discovering his will—that core of determination that refused to break, refused to bend, refused to DIE.
Bloodfang manifesting his Iron Will for the first time—crude claws of solidified determination, barely holding form, but REAL.
Years of practice. Years of battle. The claws becoming sharper, more stable, more DEFINED.
Understanding: Will is not just desire. Will is the refusal to accept defeat. Will is standing when everything says you should fall. Will is the line you draw and say "this far, no further."
Bloodfang advancing. Level 1. Level 2. Level 3. Level 4. Each level a deeper understanding, a stronger manifestation, until his Iron Will became as natural as breathing.
Don FELT it all. Not just saw it—EXPERIENCED it. Bloodfang's journey became his journey. The goblin's insights became his insights. The foundation that had taken years to build was compressed, distilled, and integrated into Don's own cultivation.
[ABSORPTION COMPLETE]
[IRON WILL ADVANCEMENT SUCCESSFUL]
[STAGE 1 - IRON WILL: LEVEL 2 → LEVEL 3]
[NEW UNDERSTANDING GAINED: Iron Will Manifestation (Intermediate)]
[Your Iron Will can now maintain form for extended periods with minimal stamina drain]
[Your Iron Will manifestations have increased durability and sharpness]
[You can now manifest your Will in multiple simple forms simultaneously]
Don gasped, the visions fading, leaving him kneeling beside Bloodfang's corpse with tears streaming down his face—not from pain, but from the weight of what he'd just experienced.
He'd lived years of another being's life in seconds. Felt their struggles, their triumphs, their final moments.
And now—
Don raised his right hand. Focused his will.
His Iron Will manifested—black claws extending from his fingertips, each one sharper than before, more stable, holding form without the constant mental effort required at Level 2.
He could FEEL the difference. The improvement. The deeper understanding.
"Thank you, Bloodfang," Don whispered to the corpse. "Your foundation… I won't waste it."
[Beautiful,] Madness breathed. [Absolutely beautiful. This is your path, little seed. Not just killing—CONSUMING. Not just surviving—EVOLVING. Every enemy makes you stronger. Every death adds to your foundation. This is what it means to truly adapt and learn.]
Don dismissed the claws and stood, his body still trembling slightly from the intensity of the absorption.
He looked around the camp. Five hundred goblins had lived here six days ago. Now: zero.
Bodies everywhere. Blood soaking into the ground. Fires burning lower. Structures collapsed. The war drums silent forever.
Complete extinction.
And Don had grown stronger from every single death.
He checked his final status:
Level: 10
Experience: 847/4000
Stage: 1 - Iron Will (Level 3/6)
Strength: 105
Agility: 107
Vitality: 97
Dexterity: 97
Stamina: 99
Wisdom: 102
Magic Power: 99
Intelligence: 99
Mana: 3960/3960
Stamina: 99/99
Sense: 5
Luck: 50
Free Status Points: 10 (saved from Level 9 and 10)
Kills this camp: 500/500
Quest Status: COMPLETED (333% over minimum requirement)
The numbers were staggering. Level 10. Stage 1 Iron Will Level 3. Stats that shouldn't be possible for someone who'd entered the Abyss barely a week ago.
Don allocated his free points carefully:
5 points → Strength (105 → 110)
5 points → Agility (107 → 112)
His body shifted subtly as the points took effect—muscles becoming denser, reflexes sharpening further. Not a transformation, just refinement. He was already strong; this made him STRONGER. Already fast; this made him FASTER.
Perfect for the combat-heavy approach he'd committed to.
The Abyss itself seemed to respond to the slaughter and advancement. The crimson twilight darkened slightly, and for just a moment, Don felt something WATCHING him—something vast and ancient and hungry, something that recognized what he'd done and APPROVED.
Then it passed, leaving only silence and the smell of blood.
[Beautiful work, little seed,] Madness said quietly, almost gently. [Five hundred lives ended. An entire tribe erased from existence. A cultivation foundation absorbed and integrated. You've truly become something MAGNIFICENT.]
Don walked toward the camp leader's tent, ready to claim whatever supplies remained. His armor was completely soaked in goblin blood, dried and crusted in layers. He'd need to clean it eventually, but not yet.
The tent was larger inside than it appeared from outside—sturdy construction, proper support beams, even some crude furniture. A warrior's dwelling, not a chieftain's palace, but functional and organized.
Don found several useful items:
- A water skin (full, clean water—the first he'd had in days)
- Dried meat (not goblin, thankfully—some kind of forest animal)
- A small pouch of coins (useless in the Abyss, but valuable outside)
- A crude map of the Shadowfen showing three camps marked with symbols
- Several weapons (low quality, but serviceable)
- Leather straps and repair materials
The map was the most valuable find. It showed his current location—one camp completely marked out. And two other camps deeper in the forest, both roughly the same size as this one had been.
A thousand more goblins.
Don studied the map carefully. The second camp was perhaps two kilometers northeast. The third camp was three kilometers due east. Both were deeper into the Shadowfen, closer to whatever center this region had.
[Two more camps, little seed. Another thousand goblins waiting to die. Another thousand meals. Another thousand experience points. And who knows—maybe another Stage 1 leader to consume. Another foundation to absorb. Another level of Iron Will to STEAL.]
Don folded the map and tucked it into his armor. He drank deeply from the water skin—the clean water was almost shocking after days of nothing. Then he ate some of the dried meat, his body desperately needing fuel beyond goblin flesh.
As he ate, he considered his options.
Option 1:Attack the second camp immediately. He was at full Mana and Stamina, his stats were higher than ever, and his Iron Will had just advanced. Strike while at peak performance.
Option 2: Rest and recover properly. Find a secure location, clean his equipment, maybe sleep for a few hours. Attack the second camp when fully refreshed.
Don checked his internal sense of time. Difficult to judge.
but approximately six and a half days had passed since entering the Abyss.
[Time works differently in the Abyss, little seed. Didn't you notice?]
Madness chuckled.
[You could spend WEEKS in here, and only minutes would pass outside. The Abyss is a POCKET realm—it has its own rules, its own flow. That's why trials here are so effective. Compressed time for maximum growth.]
Which meant he had time. More time than he'd thought.
Don stood, decision made.
He would attack the second camp. Not immediately—he'd take an hour to clean his equipment and do basic maintenance. But today. While his momentum was high, while the fear was still fresh, while he was riding the high of complete victory and newfound cultivation insight.
The goblins in the second camp didn't know what was coming.
But they would learn.
Don walked out of the tent, stepping over Bloodfang's corpse without a second glance, and moved to a clear area to begin equipment maintenance. His sword needed cleaning—goblin blood was corrosive if left too long. His armor needed checking for damage. And he needed to prepare mentally for round two.
Five hundred down.
A thousand to go.
And now, with each Stage 1 enemy he killed and consumed, he would grow not just in stats and traits—but in cultivation itself.
The hunter was evolving into something more.
Something the Abyss itself had never seen before.