Chapter 109: Nutritious Meal (1)

The dark depths of the Kraken's stomach became awash with radiant green light. The glow didn't emanate from one particular spot; the entire space shimmered brilliantly. Among it all, something dazzlingly bright lay before my eyes—the marquis, one of the Four Swordmasters of the Empire.

The translucent jade light radiating from him was unnervingly intense. It wasn't my first time seeing such a phenomenon.

After I received the Essence Absorption skill from Gith-Za-Rai, this was a common occurrence with fresh corpses. However, the floating mermaids, half-dissolved in the acidic juices, emitted no such light. They remained in utter darkness.

It must be due to the difference in abilities.

If my overall strength far exceeded theirs or their abilities held no value for absorption, then no light would appear.

I stared at the marquis. There was no time to waste.

Sizzle...

[Due to gentle digestive juices, your health will decrease by 0.165% every 3 seconds!]

[The Kraken's stomach acid gradually dissolves its prey to combine nutritional components.]

The remains of the marquis, Elwin, and my own skeleton slowly corroded in the Kraken's stomach, much like the mermaids who had burst under the pressure of the sea.

Sizzle...

My lower half, submerged in the acidic liquid, started dissolving. My bones had no resistance to acid or corrosion.

There's not much time.

In thirty minutes, even my skull would be fully dissolved.

Clatter.

I decisively reached out to the marquis.

[Would you like to absorb? Yes/No]

I will absorb.

Hummm!

I need to take it all. Every bit of it.

The intense green light flowed into me.

It's cold?

Even light seemed to have a temperature. While Gith-Za-Rai's light had been warm and comforting, the marquis' was cold and unfeeling.

I absorbed the essence.

Hummm...

Not all abilities could be absorbed. If that were the case, I would have already become a legendary necromancer or an invincible swordsman after absorbing Gith-Za-Rai and the imperial guards' abilities. Absorbing the marquis' abilities wouldn't instantly place me among the Empire's Four Swordmasters either.

However, the quantity and quality of absorbable abilities were proportional to the strength of the source.

Shhhhh...

The glowing green light, like molten lava, oozed and seeped into every corner of my bones. The surroundings were silent. The Kraken was already dead, no longer diving deeper but floating slowly upward, swaying gently. Everything else alive had perished under the pressure of the sea.

I absorbed the first skill.

[You have absorbed Stealth Lv. 1!

— You can conceal yourself within your surroundings. As the skill level increases, you'll be able to hide more effectively in shadows or mist.]

[You have absorbed Stealth Lv. 2.]

[You have absorbed Stealth Lv. 3.]

[You have absorbed Stealth Lv. 4.]

[You have absorbed Stealth Lv. 5!

— Attacking while in stealth now adds 200% damage. As the skill reaches higher levels, additional benefits can be unlocked.]

I instantly gained skills that would normally take years or even decades to master.

Shhhhh...

The Stealth light spread throughout me. Another light approached.

[You have absorbed Imperial Law Lv. 1!

— A norm enforced among the people of the Empire. As a high lord and walking tribunal, Marquis Leandro was particularly well-versed in criminal law.]

[You have absorbed Imperial Law Lv. 2.]

[You have absorbed Imperial Law Lv. 3.]

[You have absorbed Imperial Law Lv. 4.]

The Empire's legal framework embedded itself in my mind. I believed the marquis was a brute abusing his overwhelming power, but his knowledge turned out to be expensive. Far more information flowed into me than when I had absorbed tactical skills from the commander of the imperial guard.

It must be due to the level difference.

Sizzle...

Even as I absorbed skills, my lower half continued to corrode.

Time is running out.

Messages about my declining health kept flashing. The light radiating from the marquis showed no signs of diminishing.

On the contrary, the next brightest cluster of light seemed ready to rush into me. The light hovered around me but refused to go further.

[Hero Skill: Body of Steel absorption blocked!]

[Epic Skill: Tempest absorption blocked!]

[Hero Skill: Lightning's Clarity absorption blocked!]

[Hero Skill: Dragon of Lightning absorption blocked!]

Mastering even one of these Epic and Hero-level skills would allow someone to reign supreme over the world. Yet, they were all blocked.

As expected, it's impossible.

It was because of the restrictions on the Essence Absorption skill. Gith-Za-Rai had been a special case.

Hummm...

The light returned to the marquis' corpse, searching for something. Then the lights turned into faint, delicate strands as they seeped back into my bones.

[You have absorbed Tracking Lv. 1!

— Tracking skills allow you to follow your target persistently and interpret traces left behind. When used with Detection, it becomes highly efficient.]

The strands of light continued to penetrate deep into me.

[You have absorbed Tracking Lv. 2.]

...

[You have absorbed Tracking Lv. 10!

— Upon reaching Lv. 10, you can brand a target with an indelible mark as long as you live. The target can be tracked regardless of distance, increasing movement speed by 10%.]

Tracking was the marquis' skill. It wasn't hard to guess who he had branded.

Clatter.

What a grotesque man.

However, the messages didn't stop there.

[You have absorbed Tracking Lv. 15!

— You can detect a target's stealth. Movement speed will increase with higher skill levels.]

Sizzle...

My bones continued to dissolve, yet I almost forgot the pain. The marquis' absorbable skills far exceeded my expectations, leaving me astounded. Although it was just one person, the skills I acquired surpassed those of several dozen imperial guards combined.

Hummm!

Shhhhh...

The next light strand flowed in.

[You have absorbed Swordsmanship Lv. 7.]

[You have absorbed Swordsmanship Lv. 8.]

[You have absorbed Swordsmanship Lv. 9.]

[You have absorbed Swordsmanship Lv. 10!

— Reaching Swordsmanship Lv. 10 grants you access to Sword Energy Lv. 1.]

I got it!

It didn't stop there.

[You have absorbed Sword Energy Lv. 0!]

I flinched.

Clatter!

The rigor mortis of the marquis' hand still prevented me from moving.

Sword Energy?

I recalled the story I had heard from the man at the Erast Arena.

"Have you lost your mind? Once you can channel magic through your blade, you can cut steel like tofu. How can you compare yourself to masters who can envelop themselves in energy?"

Most humans could not reach the sword energy realm, but I had absorbed it all at once from the marquis.

Why is it Lv. 0 though?

I felt puzzled and rechecked the message slowly.

[You have absorbed Sword Energy Lv. 0!]

[Insight Lv. 1 is required.]

[Currently unavailable.]

The message ended there.

Insight?

Sizzle!

There wasn't time to think deeply because my bones were melting. Despite my frustration, I continued absorbing. After that, all I absorbed were stats.

[Wisdom increased by 1.]

[Wisdom increased by 1.]

[Wisdom increased by 1.]

[Digesting absorbed abilities...]

[Time until digestion 23.59.59.]

The glowing green light disappeared into my bones.

Incredible.

However, a worry lingered in my mind.

If I die before fully digesting this... will the skill be preserved?

If I managed to absorb everything and escape, surviving for twenty-four hours wouldn't be ideal. Yet, even if I escaped the Kraken's stomach, I couldn't predict what awaited me in the ocean. The immediate danger wasn't just dissolving into stomach acid, but also the fate of the partially digested skills. Regardless, absorption was urgent.

Sizzle...

[Health has dropped to 61.75%.]

Light still filled the chamber. The intense jade glow, however, had faded into me.

Clang.

I turned to look at Elwin with her fox mask. She was my savior who had come to retrieve me and take me to Embermere.

She seemed to have a special relationship with Gith-Za-Rai...

Originally, she had come for Gith-Za-Rai.

What is she thinking? What lies beneath that mask?

I considered tearing off the fox mask for a moment but decided against it. Absorbing essence was one thing, but stripping a corpse of its mask felt disrespectful.

As my bones continued to melt, I reached out to Elwin without hesitation, hoping I could save her someday too.

Hiss...

Light emanated from the wound on Elwin's neck. The bright green glow, wriggling like worms, spread throughout me.

[You have absorbed Engineering Lv. 1!

— This skill allows you to perform basic analysis and maintenance of mechanical systems. As your skill level increases, you will gain the ability to design and manufacture independently. Combining Engineering with Metallurgy will enhance effectiveness.]

Where can I use this?

I struggled to envision a practical use for this skill. It wasn't like I could build something like the beetle Elwin rode.

The Engineering skill stopped at Lv. 3.

A light hesitated near Elwin's fox mask before seeping into my hand.

[You have absorbed Masquerade Lv. 1!]

[— You can overlay a human appearance on your face for a short time. Duration varies by situation.

— Those with high intuition or analytical skills may not be deceived.

— Higher levels allow for more diverse disguises. Weaker individuals will accept your masks more naturally. ]

Interesting.

The lack of detail was a little concerning, but this alone would allow me to infiltrate human society.

Erast or Yublam...

I could enter such places without hesitation. Face-to-face interaction with humans would become a viable option, significantly expanding my opportunities.

[You have absorbed Martial Arts Lv. 1!

— Martial Arts are effective in hand-to-hand combat and when using weapons. As your skill level increases, you can attack with unimaginable speed and angles.]

[You have absorbed Martial Arts Lv. 2!]

[...]

[You have absorbed Martial Arts Lv. 7!]

That was the last of the light from Elwin. Both the marquis and Elwin no longer emitted light, but the chamber still glowed green.

Sizzle!

[Health has dropped to 32.5%.]

The entire chamber glowed.

Clang!

I reached into the air. Everything around me was green, including the stomach acid and chlorine air.

The Kraken.

I reached toward the distant stomach wall again.

Absorb.

Hiss...

The light filling the space flowed into me. By the time my lower half completely dissolved and the floating mermaids had turned into a mushy pulp, a message popped up.

[You have absorbed Acid Lv. 1!

— Not just stomach acid, but the black blood flowing through the Kraken's body possesses acidic properties.

— Your attacks now carry acidic properties. This can be deactivated and reactivated during combat.]

[You have absorbed Acid Lv. 2.]

[...]

[You have absorbed Acid Lv. 5!]

The acid could dissolve substances. While its effectiveness in combat remained untested, it would certainly be useful in specific situations. I once witnessed hundreds of centaurs dissolve instantly in a battlefield swamp cast by a demon. Some claimed it was acid magic, but I wasn't sure how many levels I'd need to reach that kind of power.

Woooo!

[You have absorbed Suction Lv. 1!

— The Kraken's suction cups have enough force to crush ordinary humans. You can now infuse suction into your attacks as needed.]

[You have absorbed Suction Lv. 5!]

The Suction skill leveled up to match the Acid skill.

This is highly versatile.

At higher levels, it wouldn't just stop at pulling enemies in, attaching their weapons, and rendering them immobile. It might even crush them entirely.

Like the Kraken's suction cups.

Woooo!

The light faded gradually.

[You have absorbed Fear Lv. 1!

— The Kraken is the terror of the seas. Its appearance alone isn't the cause. It emanates an aura of fear, driving its prey into madness.

— This passive skill can be activated or deactivated at will. When activated as an active skill, it consumes health but greatly enhances its power. The effectiveness depends on the stat difference between you and your prey.]

[Digesting absorbed abilities...]

[Time until digestion: 23:59:59.]

With Fear as the final skill, the light filling the space faded. Darkness returned to the Kraken's giant stomach.

Sizzle...

[Health has dropped to 1.5%.]

Hah.

Clang! Clang!

I tried to shake off the marquis' arm. Most of my bones had already dissolved, but I couldn't bear the thought of dying in the marquis' grasp.

Clang!

Yet, even in death, even as his corpse decayed, the marquis' grip on me remained unyielding.

What a stubborn corpse.

Like when I first entered the Kraken, pitch-black darkness surrounded my vision.

Sizzle...

[Health has dropped to 0.5%.]

Soon, I could think of nothing at all.