[Ding! Fusing X2 human + X3 beetle + X1 silver skinned ape + Mosquito blood sucker]
Zich's heart beat wildly against his chest as he watched the fusion process unfold before him.
One of the reasons he had confidently decided to go with the create option was not only because he needed an ally while facing the silver coat ape, but also because he already had 10 stat points!
Although he would have gotten more free stats if he had absorbed the spirits of the monsters, he chose otherwise.
Like before, the ground trembled as the fifteen tombs began to shake. The weather inside this strange space turned unstable. Wind howled from nowhere, causing his hair and clothes to whip violently in the air. Dust rose, swirling faster and faster until it blurred his vision.
Rumble! Rumble!
The shaking only intensified. Zich took a step back, his eyes locked on the tombs.
Something was different this time. Before, the process had felt controlled. But now… it felt violent. Like the space itself was rejecting what he was trying to do.
Realizing this, Zich only grew more excited.
"Come on!" he urged, struggling to contain his anticipation.
Suddenly, cracks began to spread across the ground. One after another, the fifteen tombs started to descend, as if something beneath them was pulling them down.
Soon, silence settled again. The wind subsided and the dust slowly fell. The only sound left was the familiar soft pelting of rain.
Everything happened so fast that it felt as if the storm from before had never happened.
In silence, Zich waited for what would happen next.
Several seconds passed. His eyebrows arched. Just as he was beginning to feel uneasy, another tomb finally rose from the ground.
He stepped forward to take a closer look at the tombstone.
[Here lies Level 1 Blood Leech]
"Blood Leech?" he frowned slightly before calling out in a commanding tone, "Come out!"
At his words, a figure rose from the tomb.
At first glance, it looked human. But the longer he stared, the more he understood that this creature was something else entirely.
Its body was lean, covered in dark yellow hardened plates that formed natural armor. It was slightly hunched, like it wasn't used to standing straight.
Its fingers were long, ending in uneven claws that flexed slowly at its sides.
Then there was its face. It resembled that of a mosquito, with round eyes and a distorted mouth structure.
From its mouth, a needle like proboscis extended outward, twitching faintly as if it could sense something in the air.
..
[Blood Leech LV 1]
Level: 1
Rank: Elite
Description:
A humanoid hybrid born from corrupted fusion.
Skills:
Blood Drain: Pierces and drains blood to heal itself and enhance its combat ability over time.
Chitin Guard: Hardens body plates to reduce damage briefly.
Silent Step: Suppresses presence and movement noise.
Summoning Cost: 15 Mana
Maintenance Cost: 2 Mana per minute
"Heh… now that's more like it." Zich exclaimed, seeing the ranking and additional skills.
Although the summoning and maintenance cost was on the high side for a humanoid summon like this, it was totally worth it.
Even though he didn't know the exact ranking system for his summons, he could tell that Elite was higher than Normal.
Which was exactly what he needed if he wanted to venture into the silver skinned ape territory.
It was safe to say he was pleased with his new summon. As for naming it…
'You will be called...'
At that moment, his mind went blank. Since he couldn't come up with anything on the spot, he decided to leave it for later.
"For now, your name will be Blood Leech until I find something suitable."
The creature nodded its head obediently. It didn't say a word, which made Zich assume it was mute like Slimy.
On another note, Slimy wasn't exactly mute. It did make some strange sounds that were incomprehensible to others.
Without wasting time, he exited the graveyard and appeared back in the real world. Fortunately, no player or monster was trying to devour him.
The time he spent in the graveyard was barely five minutes, but it felt much longer.
Standing up, he picked up his backpack, which contained all the monster parts he had collected so far, and began to follow the map.
Not far away, two players were hidden, watching him.
"He's heading deeper into the forest. There are stronger monsters there. Are you sure we should follow him?" one of them whispered.
"We have to," the other replied in a low tone. "If not, Rael won't be happy. Besides, by going deeper into isolated areas, he's making things easier for us."
Zich didn't encounter any more monsters along the way, which left him with mixed feelings. A part of him wanted to see the Blood Leech in action, while another part wanted to conserve as much mana as possible so his summons wouldn't disappear mid battle.
...
On another stretch of the plains, two figures moved side by side. Around them lay several monsters, either burnt to a crisp or riddled with sword marks.
The air carried the stench of burning flesh and iron.
Helen walked ahead, her posture relaxed, her eyes scanning the surroundings. The wristband on her arm flickered faintly.
[Points: 109]
Behind her, Jayden followed at a steady pace. His expression was calm, but his grip on his weapon was tight. His own band showed a lower number.
[Points: 100]
"Still holding back?" Helen asked, tilting her head slightly.
"I'm not in a rush," Jayden replied.
Even though it was an individual competition, the two had decided to hunt close together.
Under normal circumstances, due to his superior strength, he would have easily accumulated more points than Helen. But he had deliberately allowed her to take the lead.
She had noticed this but didn't comment on it, as it wasn't the first time he had done something like this.
She studied him for a moment, then looked forward again.
"Have you seen Zich?"
Hearing that name, Jayden's jaw tightened slightly.
"No."
"How many points do you think he has now?" she asked. "He started with that slime. It looked weak, but… I don't know."
"You're asking me? How would I know?" he replied, letting out a quiet breath through his nose, his frustration evident.
"Hmph. You're no use."
Helen clicked her tongue and spun on her heel, launching a fireball at a monster charging at her.
Boom!
Flames flared up, reflecting in Jayden's eyes as he tightened his grip, a sharp killing intent leaking from his body.
...
Meanwhile, after trudging through the eastern plains for several minutes, Zich eventually arrived at the foot of a mountain.
'If the map is accurate, then this is silver skinned ape territory,' he muttered as he carefully put the map away.
Looking into the opening of the mountain, he saw a pair of red eyes staring back at him, erasing any remaining doubt.
"Blood Leech," he called out with a small smile. "It's time to prove your worth."