[New Map Acquired: Area 5 — Lower]
Maddy's six eyes gleamed as hundreds of different minerals filled her vision, each one unfamiliar and dazzling.
"Oh wow… This is breathtaking. How the hell—THAT THE HELL? Will be this beautiful?"
She had barely taken it in when the atmosphere suddenly shifted. It was as if every mineral radiated its own aura, clashing against one another.
"This aura… it's like the one I saw on that red demon, but here it's quieter, less aggressive… and it's all blue."
[Response: The aura you're noticing shows the aptitude of an object or creature. Blue indicates magic, red indicates might. With these, you can tell what something is capable of and how powerful it is.]
"OH GOD. That red demon… he had both magic and might that high? Just looking at him makes me feel like I'm going to puke, like my eyeballs are about to pop out. I don't even fully understand magic and might, but I know he's powerful… just by looking at him."
[Due to your extraordinary vibration sense and sensitive skin as a Chimera Worm, you can perceive magic and might more clearly than most.]
"Yeah… that makes sense. Worms do have incredible sensory skin. I almost feel insulted getting lectured about worms when I've studied them my entire life. I just didn't expect it to feel like this. Knowing something on paper is one thing being one is completely different. Guess I'll need time and experience to get used to it."
She tried to calm herself from this new sight and feeling as those auras of magic coming from the mineral is dancing across her eyes.
"…Wait. This could actually be good practice. If I'm going to face other monsters, they'll definitely be surrounded by auras like this too."
Her stomach growled right on cue.
"Perfect timing. Let's start with the strongest magic aura… is that a diamond?"
She inched forward for a closer look.
"It is. In this hell, a diamond carries an insane amount of magic. I should eat this first. Might as well start strong in this world."
She opened her mouth as wide as it could stretch and bit into a piece of the diamond. She chewed slowly, expecting resistance, but to her surprise her teeth crushed it with ease. She braced herself, trying not to gag as the taste spread.
"Ugh—"
A moan slipped from her beastly body.
"That's… so good! It tastes like chocolate rocks. Like those candies in the store."
She took another handful, devouring it until nothing was left.
[System Notice]
[You have ingested an object containing a trait.]
"Oh? So this is what it meant… when I eat something, I actually gain its trait?"
[Trait acquired: Physical Hardness: Diamond like durability against physical attacks.]
"Physical Hardness… diamond level durability? EH!? That's insane!!! With something like this, I'd basically be a walking tank."
Another prompt appeared.
[Apply the trait to yourself, or store it?]
"So I get a choice. Apply it now… or store it. But if I store it, where exactly does it go?"
[System Notice]
[Congratulations! You acquired a unique skill: Trait Storage.]
[Trait Storage: A central hub that stores all ingested traits. Accessible by voice command.]
"A… central hub? So you're telling me I just unlocked some kind of built in vault inside my own body? This species really is born to collect traits… what a monster."
The voice answered calmly.
[Response: Any trait not selected, or any trait you later remove, will be stored in Trait Storage. You may customize, assign, or reapply them at any time.]
"…That's actually terrifying and ridiculously convenient."
She stared at the trait she had gained from her first bite of mineral. After a few seconds, she made her decision.
"Yeah… this will help. After seeing that demon smash a giant worm with a single swing, I need all the durability I can get. If this keeps me from breaking apart or at least dulls the pain. I'll take it."
Her thoughts drifted, uninvited, to old memories. To blows she hadn't been able to dodge.
"…Not that pain is new to me."
She remember her husband and paused for a moment.
"Hey… do you think my husband is here too? Did he get to live again as well?"
[Response: Apologies. I am not designed to answer questions beyond your survival and growth as a Chimera Worm.]
"Yeah… figured as much. Sorry for dragging you into that. You're just here to help me survive… like a monster should."
She shook her head hard, forcing herself back to the present.
"Argh, stop being dramatic and think about yourself first, Maddy. That diamond was just an appetizer."
She steadied her breathing and pushed forward. One by one, she moved from mineral to mineral, biting, chewing, ingesting. She started with those carrying faint magic, then gradually worked her way up, feeding with purpose. Each mouthful made her feel a little steadier, a little stronger, as she adapted to this body and the rules of this world.
Somewhere far from the mineral lit depths, a vast chamber glowed under layers of gold and red. A long carpet stretched forward, flanked by rows of armored figures standing in silence. At the far end, raised above all others, sat a single seat backed by a towering cloth woven with eleven dragon heads.
An old knight stepped forward, his armor was unlike the rest. He knelt heavily, lowering his head until it nearly touched the carpet.
"Your Majesty… It has been one month since the war ended. We feared you would never rise again."
The man on the throne shifted, one pale hand clutching his chest. His skin was ghostly white, and his hair, lashes, and eyes drained of color, the whites of his eyes marked only by a silver slit. Bone like horns jutted from his head, like a crown carved from ivory. The old knight's voice softened.
"The curse the demigod king placed upon you… it stole half of your magic and might. Yet here you are. Truly, you are the greatest Dragonborn to have ever lived."
The king spoke slowly, forcing his voice to remain steady as pain crawled through his chest with every word.
"Greatest Dragonborn to have ever lived… That phrase sounds strangely familiar."
Inside his mind, another voice answered.
"I was the greatest son of my family…And yet, I never had children."