Triopals
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Chapter 20
🕑 Added 2024-10-28 18:12:23 +0000 UTCDarkan floated in mid-air, observing his beloved disciple. He hadn't expected Nathan to perform so well on his first day. The boy's immediate ability to cook monster meat for sustenance was beyond his predictions. Despite PsiLink's assistance, Nathan's movements and techniques didn't resemble those of a novice but rather suggested extensive culinary experience. The final aroma wafting from the snake and Ripple Hunter meat was particularly enticing—thanks to his enhanced senses, Darkan could smell it from afar, causing an inexplicable rumbling in his stomach.
Below, Nathan remained unaware of being watched. After finishing his meal and noting that the wounds on his arms and legs had healed, he entered a meditative state. The essence accumulated from killing and consuming prey concentrated near his abdomen. He released it following the Berserker cultivation method. Without mana, Spirit Cultivation was impossible.
The essence infiltrated his blood, traveling through muscles and bones before finally reaching his skin. This process was excruciating. Typically, mana would temper the essence's aggressive nature. Pure absorption was usually avoided to prevent internal damage. Yet this was precisely what Physical Cultivation aimed for. Destruction followed by reconstruction. Like muscles recovering after exercise, Physical Cultivation's purpose was to break down the weak structure of blood vessels, muscles, bones, and skin, then channel essence into the gaps, forcing everything to adapt and improve. Thus creating a stronger, healthier body.
Being his first attempt, Nathan needed considerable time to process all the essence within his body. Fortunately, his chosen spot remained undisturbed by monsters. The fire had nearly died out when he opened his eyes, his body drenched in sweat. The stench surrounding him was worse than the Ripple Hunter's innards from earlier. Toxins were expelled from his body during cultivation. Noting this, he checked the stream, confirming no creatures lurked beneath before jumping in for a quick wash, fearing the smell might attract unwanted visitors.
Afterward, he put his clothes back on and leaped onto a tree to rest. What delighted him most was Physical Cultivation's excellent progress. He didn't experience the energy loss associated with consuming the 'Initial Advancing Pill.' Unlike the mana-essence mixture in the pill, pure essence didn't dissipate. Especially with the Berserker's aggressive method, he absorbed almost everything, losing only a small portion during processing. With just this much, he sensed he almost advanced from Phase 1 to Phase 2.
Nathan jolted awake to some noises. From his elevated position in the tree, he surveyed the surroundings. This morning's air was shrouded in mist. Visibility was severely limited. Nathan's instincts immediately sensed something wrong. According to PsiLink, this area shouldn't normally have fog.
He landed softly on the ground, glancing irritably at the Ripple Hunter and snake skins. His effort using ash to clean the skins of meat and fat was wasted as the mist increased humidity. But the current situation demanded his attention more.
Gripping the sharpened fang in his hand, he slowly moved toward the light piercing through the mist. It was white light, not the sun's natural golden glow. As he approached, he slowed down, finding tall bushes for cover. Before him stood a breathtakingly beautiful monster, majestic and dignified—a Luminous Grazer. At first glance, it might be mistaken for a deer, but its form was more graceful and robust. Its distinguishing features were the small, star-like spots that emitted light. Most brilliant were its antlers. Like lightning bolts mounted above its forehead, the antlers radiated a sacred, beautiful light. These were among the most sought-after ingredients, commanding high prices. But obtaining them was far from easy. Nathan was about to discover why.
The mist was indeed problematic. To humans, the Luminous Grazer was a beautiful creature with valuable antlers. To monsters, it was one of the most delectable prey. And the mist's creator intended to catch it.
A dark shadow darted past Nathan. Now he truly appreciated how useful [Better Vision] was. Even in this visibility-limiting environment, he could make out the gray monster's form. The Mist Eel swam through the fog, its sinuous body charging straight at the Luminous Grazer. The deer-like creature raised its head, moving even faster to slam its antlers down, intercepting the Mist Eel mid-flight. The Mist Eel retaliated with a weak electrical discharge, but it had no effect on the Grazer. It stamped its hoof, and the eel died instantly. This action alerted the entire Mist Eel pack to attack.
The Luminous Grazer raised its head, unflinching, and let out a cry. The light from its antlers seemed to charge, intensifying until it was blinding. When the radiance dimmed, the Mist Eel pack had lost their target. They swam through the mist, zigzagging back and forth, discharging electricity in frustration. Then one of them tilted its head, indicating a backup prey.
When Nathan lowered his hand from shielding his eyes, he found a pack of Mist Eels circling him. A quick count revealed more than ten. Understanding their capabilities, Nathan remained undaunted.
"Hello, my breakfast," he taunted.
As if comprehending his words, the Mist Eels attacked, their bodies emanating blue electrical currents.
The first one to lunge was the most unfortunate, as Nathan's quick reflexes allowed him to plunge his knife into its body. The unlucky Mist Eel writhed in mid-air, trying to twist free of the blade. The others either bit at Nathan or whipped their tails toward him.
Despite his swift observation and movement, the Mist Eels had another trick—creating electrical nets. Their electrical currents connected when close enough. Thinking he'd found a gap, Nathan ended up trapped between two Mist Eels. The result was his entire body convulsing from the shock. When it stopped, the smell of singed skin and steam rose around him. The shock subsided as the Mist Eels recharged. Enraged, he grabbed the head of the Mist Eel gnawing his arm and, enduring the electrical current, smashed its head against the rocks below.
Standing up, he moved his body to regain sensation. [Titan's Descendant] seemed to be working at full capacity to heal him. Letting out a roar, he drew his knife and attacked the Mist Eel pack.
The bloody battle only ended when half the Mist Eels were killed. They realized this wasn't easy prey and fled. Nathan lacked the strength to pursue them. He felt more irritated with these creatures than he had during dozens of outer sect tournament matches. At least there he wasn't constantly electrocuted—now his hair stood like a mushroom on his head, curled and disheveled. His face was blackened and his clothes were crumpled.
As the Mist Eels departed, the fog dissipated. Sunlight finally returned, bathing Nathan in warmth and freshness. Returning to his spot from last night, he enjoyed a morning bath. The cold water seemed to temper his muscles and skin. With his spirit refreshed, he dragged out the Eels to process them, cleaning and removing their electrical and mist-producing glands. Their firm, crispy meat was better than yesterday's food, somewhat alleviating his irritation.
After distributing the essence, Nathan stood to begin his day. Yesterday, he'd been too cautious as a newcomer and had acted passively. Today, he would become the hunter.
His first target was that damned Strangler Vine that had nearly made him fall flat on his face.
Returning to the old path, he immediately spotted it hiding among the surrounding trees as if nothing had happened. He approached directly, neither hesitant nor tiptoeing, but boldly and straightforwardly. This seemed to frighten the monster, as it remained motionless, as if telling Nathan it wasn't there, please move along.
"Come out and fight, unless you won't resist—that would be even better."
Rotating the fang in his hand, Nathan exuded confidence. [Martial Art Mastery] had helped him familiarize himself with this weapon in a short time. He could now smoothly transition between stabbing, hooking, and cutting as needed.
Seeing Nathan approach, the Strangler Vine emerged, swinging its vines toward him. Having a purpose, Nathan focused only on dodging, minimizing impact on the vines. He moved swiftly, finding it easier than facing Qingfeng or Gideon. Not every monster was as large and frightening as that Crystal Mauler.
When close enough, the Strangler Vine made its final defensive move, its body rising up to reveal a massive jaw. Along the edges were sharp, venomous teeth. It tilted its head down to bite Nathan. He jumped aside, driving his fang into the back of its jaw. The surface wasn't hard but rather soft and easily pierced. The Strangler Vine shook in pain, its vines flailing wildly. Listening carefully, one could hear its breathing become chaotic and panicked.
When the human charged again, the monster raised its head and sprayed transparent toxic liquid.
Nathan's body was instantly covered in that slimy substance. It had a sickeningly sweet smell. This toxin wasn't corrosive but could irritate skin. However, that was normal skin—Titan skin remained unaffected. He finished the monster by using both knives to slash its mouth to pieces. The Strangler Vine's body immediately went limp, collapsing to the ground.
Wiping the liquid from his face with his shirt, Nathan sat beside the monster. He used his knife to cut away the vines attached to its body, planning to repurpose them as binding materials for future use.
Absorbed in his work, Nathan failed to realize that the Strangler Vine's liquid was indeed toxic, but its true purpose lay in that sweet smell and taste.
He had underestimated the forest's power. Only when he looked up did he notice several wasp and butterfly-like monsters surrounding him.
His face shifted from red to pale in an instant. Hidden among the Venom Hornets and Hunger Moths, behind a tall grass mound, stood a two-meter-tall Blood Thirster. Its red eye on its mantis-like body regarded him as a tasty morsel, its serrated pincers gleaming in the sunlight.
Without hesitation, Nathan abandoned the vines and ran. His action immediately excited the monster swarm. The Venom Hornets buzzed loudly in pursuit, accompanied by the silent flight of butterfly wings behind them. The Blood Thirster moved expertly, jumping from ground to tree branches, using its pincers to swing from vines, its eyes fixed on its prey.
Nathan ran quickly toward yesterday's Crystal Mauler location, intending to use the massive monster to block his pursuers. [Improved Balance] prevented him from falling several times when he stumbled over rocks, protruding tree roots, or rough terrain.
When he reached the Crystal Mauler's previous position, his intended ally was nowhere in sight. Only fragments from Burrower Herds' shells remained. Some were still present, mining minerals their unfortunate companions had left behind yesterday.
Hearing Nathan's thunderous footsteps, the Burrower Herds raised their heads alertly. Recognizing the approaching danger, they quickly retreated into their tunnels.
A Venom Hornet overtook the others. Its body, as large as an arm, explained why its stinger was causing Nathan such panic. He ducked as it flew past. This action disrupted his balance, causing him to roll on the ground. Rocks and wood splinters hit his chest, forcing out his breath as he coughed violently. When he stood, the hornet and butterfly swarm had arrived. The Venom Hornets' stingers curved upward, ready to strike, while the Hunger Moths' proboscises twitched excitedly.
With no other choice, Nathan drew his knives to stab and slash at his enemies. His actions proved successful as several were cut in half, falling to the ground. However, this only made them more frenzied. The sweet smell on him intensified their desire to the point of disregarding their own lives.
The inevitable happened—Nathan was stung in several places. Two Hunger Moth proboscises attached to his skin like leeches at the back of his neck. They had only begun to feed when he threw them off. Yet even that brief contact left circular teeth marks on his neck.
Both sides fought tirelessly. Only when the Blood Thirster slowly approached did goosebumps rise all over Nathan's body. This monster was the real threat. His mind working at full capacity, Nathan recalled yesterday's embarrassing scene. While swinging his knife, he used one hand to strip off all his clothes. Then he threw them aside. This action caused the wasps and butterflies to shift their target, advancing to devour the high-quality inner sect fabric.
Pants now off his body, Nathan spun around and ran. A Burrower had just descended into an earth vein when Nathan dashed over, hoping to utilize their tunnel network. Due to his small frame, he barely fit inside. But the tunnel turned sharply after a short distance, preventing him from going deeper. Taking advantage of this brief respite, he turned his body beneath the earth, covering himself with as much damp soil as possible.
The buzzing of the monster wasps remained outside, presumably having shredded his clothes to pieces by now.
While lying still and praying for them to leave, the ground was pierced, making him jump. Right beside his ear was the Blood Thirster's blade. He trembled, then used his legs in a rhythmic pushing motion to pull himself out of the hole.
The mantis's triangular head tilted to one side, curious about the dirt-covered human who had just emerged before it.
Nathan spat out the soil stuck in his mouth and nose. He took a deep breath, regaining his composure. It seemed no other monsters were approaching anymore. This meant he could fight this damned Blood Thirster.
As if to invisibly punch him in the face, the Blood Thirster's mandibles clicked together, producing a high-frequency sound. Then, from behind a large tree, another one jumped out. This one was female. Blood Thirsters always hunted in pairs, one to attack, one to cut off retreat, preventing prey from escaping. Nathan hadn't had time to process PsiLink's information. Now, he had to fight two monsters simultaneously. While nearly naked, wearing only underwear.
"Mind if I deal with your husband first?" Nathan called out to the mantis behind him.
An angry hiss answered him.
"No? Well then, all of you, come on!"
The Venom Hornets and Hunger Moths remained fixated on Nathan's clothes, desperately trying to suck up every drop of the Strangler Vine's sweet secretion. Moreover, they didn't want to approach two clearly superior monsters with their sharp blades.
Nathan drew his only weapons, two knives for both hands. One of the styles he'd practiced most with [Martial Art Mastery] was mantis style. This gave him some advantage against his current opponents.
The female Blood Thirster maintained the perimeter, not approaching, keeping her eyes locked on her prey. Seeing this, Nathan could only target the male. He charged forward. Meeting him was a downward slash. His knife slid along the serrated blade. After gaining some distance, he swung his other knife upward. A clang rang out on impact. His hand was knocked back. The stab hadn't penetrated the Blood Thirster's chest armor.
He wanted to continue, but the mantis raised its other pincer to strike down, forcing him to retreat. He silently cursed how unfair it was—not only did it have powerful weapons, but it also had full armor.
Narrowing his eyes in observation, he knew he couldn't keep targeting the center like this. He needed to aim for the monster's joints. The bright red front pincers were off-limits, protected by both blade and shell. This left him targeting the leg joints and the long abdomen behind.
After completing his analysis, Nathan slashed and stabbed the air in sets of four and twelve, readying his techniques. Well-prepared, he attacked again. The mantis shifted and moved toward him. Like before, he ducked under a slash. His right knife blocked the remaining pincer. Just when he thought he would succeed in sliding between the monster's legs, a stab from behind made him stop.
Nathan watched the ground drift beneath him as he crashed into a fallen log. The stab in his lower back wasn't deep but stung fiercely. Looking up, he saw the Blood Thirster's blade had retracted back through its armor's internal mechanism. A weapon that could extend or retract, surprising enemies with unexpected attacks.
Wrinkling his nose in frustration at his overconfidence, Nathan leaned against the wood to rest briefly before standing. At least he still firmly gripped the fangs in his hands.
PsiLink immediately warned that the other Blood Thirster was out of sight. Instantly, he lunged forward. A cutting sound rang out. When he stabilized, he saw his hair falling slowly.
A chill spread from his neck to his feet as Nathan reminded himself not to be careless. In the outer sect tournament, he could fight recklessly as a tank, largely thanks to emergency aid and disciples limiting their killing moves. Here, that wouldn't happen. Darkan might be watching, might intervene. But only might. His master's reputation for letting disciples die wasn't unknown. He had to survive on his own.
Shaking his head to clear it, he watched the Blood Thirster move from behind the large tree. The male, seeing his back turned, advanced. But it didn't know this was part of Nathan's plan. The two pincers came like scissors. He had gathered enough strength and jumped high, his left hand striking the body quickly three times. Spinning in mid-air, he drove his right fang toward the monster's eye.
Triggered [Amplifying Strike]. One credit given.
Triggered [Flowing Strikes]. One credit given.
Triggered [Internal Trauma]. One credit given.
Triggered [Rebound]. One credit given.
What followed was a bizarre sight. The monster's green blood sprayed like a small fountain. Just when it seemed to end, an invisible force struck again, twisting its head sideways, making the wound more severe, causing green fluid to spray even more violently.
Nathan landed, half his body covered in slimy fluid. Taking advantage of the monster's stagger, he ducked between its legs, swinging his knife at the front leg joints. Each strike carried the effects of his passive skills.
The monster let out a pain-filled shriek, its legs buckling, blood pouring endlessly.
Seeing this, the female also cried out, deciding not to stay passive anymore, and jumped forward, swinging her pincers at Nathan. He slid under the male's belly, thinking this would make the female halt, but she didn't. She didn't care if her cuts hit her companion, her curved blade still flying toward him. He kicked up the male's abdomen, causing its shell to collide with the female, making her lose her attack momentum and retreat.
The uninjured Blood Thirster grew more agitated, swinging her blades repeatedly at the one who was now nearly immobile.
Nathan moved behind a tree, catching his breath and recharging his attack moves. He considered one opponent effectively eliminated, leaving only one more. If he could defeat one, he could defeat the second. When he was ready, he peered around. The sight before him made him horrified.
The female Blood Thirster was devouring the male's head.
Her small but sharp, jagged teeth were sucking the blood of her companion, savoring his remaining eye. The horrifying part was that the male was still alive, writhing but not daring to use his pincers against the female.
Nathan sensed something was wrong, and PsiLink's bright red exclamation marks were indicating the same.
Upon seeing Nathan, the female mantis released the male, her eyes even redder than before. Her green body seemed to be taking on a red tinge. Before he could think further, the mantis vanished before his eyes. Thanks to [Better Vision], he could see traces of leaves and dirt flying up from the Blood Thirster's movement. With this data, he rolled to the right.
The monster attacked from the left, both pincers cutting downward. Dirt exploded where the pincers struck. Once again, a chill swept over Nathan despite his body operating at full capacity and energy.
The Blood Thirster moved again, still with that illogically fast speed. Nathan jumped backward as the two pincers cut parallel to the ground, sending a gust of wind toward him. The monster retracted its blades, pointing them outward. Its four legs moved frantically, becoming a whirlwind of blade strikes toward Nathan.
Straining his eyes to see, he finally deflected one slash, using the impact to jump back. Along with this, the fang in his hand shattered.
"Damn it, that hard?"
The Blood Thirster stopped its dance, once again moving quickly.
Still not done? Nathan cursed inwardly.
He was met head-on with a ram from the pincer's shell covering. The monster had chosen to move behind the tree trunk so he couldn't see its traces to predict anymore.
The push sent Nathan flying backward. When he realized where he was flying, it was too late. He crashed into the dying male Blood Thirster. Despite losing so much blood, it wasn't dead yet. One of its pincers extended to clamp around his stomach, preventing movement. It lacked the strength to cut him, but it could still hold him firmly.
Panicked, but Nathan didn't struggle. That would only make things worse. The female Blood Thirster moved leisurely toward him, as if certain of victory. If Nathan's opponents were here, they would flee—this was when he became truly dangerous.
Using his remaining knife, Nathan stabbed at the male mantis's joint. It took two or three strikes to sever the joint since the pincer joint was much stronger than the monster's leg joints. As the female arrived, he grabbed the male's severed pincer like a greatsword, blocking her two downward cuts. The male's pincer was harder and cut into the female's pincers, causing them to lock together. Nathan gripped his knife in his teeth, pointing the sharp end forward. He jumped over the male's pincer, closing in on the female. His hands grabbed her pincers, preventing escape.
His eyes turned wild. He bit down hard on the Ripple Hunter fang, using all his strength to drive it into the Blood Thirster's chest armor. He didn't even realize he was activating part of the Berserker's function. He just wanted to survive. He was backed into a corner. So he had to fight back.
Darkan, observing, was pleased that his disciple could already harness some power without completely losing his mind.
Nathan's head was knocked back several times as the shell resisted. Though his heart raced and his mind was exhausted, he remained clear enough to continuously attack one point. The monster thrashed constantly, but the human's strength was too great. [Titan's Descendant] combined with Berserker drew out all potential—Nathan's strength now was formidable. If he returned to punch the testing pillar, even without the system’s skill effects, he could reach levels 7 or 8.
Therefore, when passive skills stacked upon each other, the damage dealt was beyond imagination.
Though movement was restricted, Nathan managed to utilize the loop. Moving his inner cheek between jaw, he quickly bit himself three times. In his haste, he bit until he bled, but he ignored it.
With another head butt, he heard three distinct cracks. His teeth flew out. The Ripple Hunter fang shattered. And what needed to break finally broke—the Blood Thirster's shell collapsed inward. Green blood sprayed out with the monster’s agonized screech. Nathan released his grip, using his remaining strength to punch forward. He didn't know what he hit, but it was soft and pulsing.
When the monster collapsed, he knew he'd struck a vital point.
Behind him, the male Blood Thirster let out a heartbreaking cry. Then, having lost too much blood and with its head mangled, it died too. Nathan could feel two abundant streams of essence flowing toward him. Too much for him to store at his current level. But he had no mind to care about cultivation now.
He didn't know his body was automatically cultivating. When storage was full, the additional essence was transported throughout his body, serving physical cultivation.
Darkan, who had been observing everything while praising Nathan, had to blink several times. In his spirit vision, the essence from both Blood Thirsters was being processed for advancement by his disciple. Gradually, he became more shocked as he sensed deeper.
Nathan had advanced, from Tier 1 Phase 1 to Tier 1 Phase 2. Just in one day and unconsciously.
Darkan didn't know, and Nathan didn't fully understand himself.
[Titan's Descendant]
Description: The blood of Titans flows through your veins, awakening latent power within. Your physique undergoes a subtle transformation, granting enhanced strength, accelerated healing, and heightened physical cultivation potential. As you grow stronger, the legacy of the Titans becomes more pronounced, unlocking greater feats of power and endurance.
