[Igneous Terrapin Lv. 299] [HP: 90,101 / 90,101] [MP: 3,150/3,150]

  [Igneous Terrapin Lv. 287] [HP: 83,069 / 83,069] [MP: 3,000/3,000]

  [Igneous Terrapin Lv. 305] [HP: 93,725 / 93,725] [MP: 3,325/3,325]

  As the three turtles attacked, snapping at Corvin, he jumped high into the air, activated Sprint, and landed squarely on one of the turtles’ backs.

  The turtle activated a skill, its shell glowing red and emitting massive heat waves. Luckily for Corvin, his fire resistance was maxed out, and combined with his armor, he took no damage from the flames, at least for now.

  As the other two turtles prepared a fire-breath attack, Corvin used Dash, leaping to the other side of the lake and sprinting toward the exit.

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He cursed as he ran, while behind him, the strongest turtle had already unleashed its flame attack.

  Corvin spun around and screamed, “Firebend!” His ring shone crimson as he seized control of the attack, redirecting it toward the turtle he had just abandoned.

  The blast struck the turtle square in the face, carving a massive trench through the magma and across the coast before slamming into a nearby wall.

  BOOM! The turtle crashed into the chamber’s wall, digging a gaping hole and lying motionless.

  Meanwhile, the other turtle had already released its attack as well.

  “Infernal Hide!” Corvin shouted as he lunged toward the exit. The flames caught him, dealing little damage, but the impact hurled him into the tunnel wall like a rag doll, leaving a bloody smear behind.

  The entrance collapsed under the explosive force, sealing the three turtles inside, while the third rose and turned on the strongest in a rage after being attacked by its flame.

  Corvin, on the other hand, lay in a pool of his own blood, conscious enough to fumble for potions. Half of it he spilled all over himself with his broken fingers. But he managed to keep his body from growing cold.

  Realizing he didn’t have enough potions, he instantly bought a Greater Healing Potion for 10,000 points and swallowed it, restoring 1,000 HP and 200 each minute for five minutes.

  [HP: 1,289 / 3,446] [MP: 312 / 900]

  He stared at his health and his shattered body, heart aching at the spent points, and bought two more potions. He stored them in case of emergencies, seeing how his bones and skin knitted back together under its effects, then staggered to his feet and rushed out of the tunnel and cave.

  He turned once, seeing the entrance caved in, and felt relief. He felt that it was for the best now, in case any of the turtles wanted to come after him.

  I’ll find a way to burrow through one day. I am still a mole man, after all. He chuckled darkly and sighed.

  That wasn’t so bad, actually. I gained a lot. At this point, fire barely hurts me. I just need to keep this armor in one piece. He comforted himself even though he almost died twice.

  He checked his shirt, torn at the left elbow, and his pants, ripped at both knees.

  Eh, it’s fine. As long as the effect is still there.

  He exhaled and kept running.

  ***

  Corvin returned to the camp a few hours later, fully restored. He had stayed behind to heal, making sure Nera didn’t see him beaten up again.

  She slithered toward him, staring suspiciously, though relief flickered in her eyes, glad he was back safe.

  “Hey, Nera, daddy’s back. I managed to grow stronger. Though I couldn’t finish the quest this time,” he said, as if she understood every word.

  Corvin headed to his tent to collect his thoughts and rest. Let me see this new skill. What was it again? He reread the description of Fire God’s Vortex, smiling.

  Damn… so pretty much, as long as I level up and raise my mana regen, I’ll have enough mana at all times. My body will absorb mana faster… and what’s this about fire mana?

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  He frowned. He didn’t know anything about fire mana, only good old regular mana.

  Hmm… let’s test it.

  He stood and whispered, “Ember.”

  A small flame flickered into existence in his palm. As it began feeding on Corvin’s mana, it exploded in size, almost covering his entire hand as the air warped from the heat.

  Holy shit. Is that weak spell from before now this strong? Damn. This is crazy.

  Corvin chuckled, staring at the flame as it devoured his mana, then suddenly, the whole room went dark. The flame turned black, flickering with purple embers.

  What the hell? Why is it black?

  Before he could investigate, the flame shifted back to its normal color.

  This cannot be good. Why black, though? Is it my demonic blood? But I’ve got some divine too… is that keeping it at bay?

  He still hadn’t received any system info about his bloodlines. He’d put it aside for a long time; there wasn’t much he could do, but now it seemed his demonic bloodline was influencing his growth. First with Abyssal Dominion, and now with his fire skills.

  I need to leave this place and figure out what I am.

  That thought kept him going. Well… that, and the fact that he needed to kill a few people. His eyes deepened to a cold crimson glow before the burning flame.

  Corvin extinguished the skill and stepped outside. He had heard some noises; something was going on.

  ***

  Outside, two hunting parties had returned, dragging several beasts behind them.

  Corvin stepped out of his tent, his face lighting up at the sight. “Good job, guys! I’m proud of you. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

  He walked toward them as the seven lizardmen, and Voltaria bowed, presenting their prey.

  “Stop with the formalities, let me take a look.”

  He appraised the beasts and grinned:

  [Twintail River Lizard Lv. 48]

  [Stoneshell River Crab Lv. 39]

  [Silverhoof Doe Lv. 53]

  And the last one, charred by lightning, was the massive body of a cougar.

  [Rocky Cougar Lv. 60]

  “Haha! Not hard to guess who killed this one. A level 60? Damn, great job, Voltaria, and everyone else. This is an amazing haul. I’m proud of you all.”

  He smiled again. There was something about these once-weak lizardmen that he liked, maybe because he saw a part of himself in them.

  “Thank you, Chief!” the lizardmen growled, their words translated into Corvin’s mind by his skill.

  “Alright, who wants to grow stronger?” Corvin asked.

  None of the females stepped forward. Only one child approached, gaze firm.

  “Are you crazy? I’m not sure what happens to a child who eats a strong monster core.” Corvin frowned. “Where are your parents?”

  “Dead,” the small lizardman growled coldly.

  “Oh… what happened?” Corvin asked, though dread gnawed at his heart.

  “Went hunting. Big alligator,” the boy replied.

  Corvin paled. “I see… I guess I owe you then.” He murmured and turned to the hunters.

  “Give him the crab’s core, it’s the lowest level.”

  Hobscale nodded, carved out a small green core, and handed it to the boy, growling something that made the child nod.

  The boy crushed the core with sharp teeth and swallowed it.

  Moments later, he collapsed, rolling on the ground as his body glowed deep green and began to grow.

  He shot up to the size of an adult lizardman. His scales hardened into shield-like plates, deep green and gleaming. His tail lengthened, its tip sharpening like a blade, while his eyes shifted from yellow to a piercing blue.

  The boy rose, flexing clawed hands, and growled in satisfaction.

  [Enhanced Lizardman Hunter Lv. 22] [HP: 559 / 559] [MP: 60 / 60]

  Oh… so not everyone gains beast traits from cores. Interesting. Let’s see what happens with the others.

  “Alright, eat as we discussed. Whoever killed the beast gets its core,” Corvin said simply.

  The rest swallowed their cores, gaining an average of five levels, but no physical changes appeared.

  Interesting.

  Corvin smiled and called out, “Okay, I’ll butcher them now and share the meat. Anyone who wants to learn, come watch.”

  The hunters went to rest, leaving only Voltaria and the newly transformed lizardman behind.

  “I’ll name you Crabby. Do you like it?” Corvin asked.

  “No,” the boy replied flatly.

  Corvin chuckled as Nera descended from her watchtower, shaking her head.

  “How about Stone, then?”

  “Yes,” the boy said shortly.

  “Alright, Stone it is. Come, I’ll teach you.”

  Corvin rolled up his sleeves and began butchering the prey, explaining each step to Stone and Voltaria while Nera lounged nearby, lazily stealing pieces of meat now and then.

  ***

  Over the next few days, Corvin stayed in the camp, resting his mind and body while adjusting to the way his body absorbed mana, and to the strange new perspective granted by his Mana Eyes.

  He spent time with Nera and trained young Stone in the art of wielding a greatsword. Corvin saw himself in the orphaned lizardman and couldn’t shake the guilt over the boy’s parents’ death.

  Meanwhile, Voltaria had become the unofficial leader of the hunters. She was growing faster than the males, and her mastery of lightning improved with every hunt.

  Finally, on the fifth day, Corvin decided it was time to resume leveling. He didn’t want to linger in the tutorial forever, no matter how attached he was becoming to the tribe.

  “Nera, let’s go. Time to hunt something big. I’m thinking of something close to level 200. Monsters around level 100 barely give us a level anymore.” His tone was casual, but the way he said it felt almost like asking for advice.

  Nera hissed and nodded, nudging his head gently.

  “What else did I expect from my murderous daughter?” Corvin chuckled. “Fine, let’s head east. We haven’t explored the riverbank properly anyway.”

  He walked over to Stone to let him know they’d be gone. “Protect the tribe while we’re away, okay? Use that blade well. If anything happens, hold the fort until I return.”

  Corvin smiled. He had spent 5,000 points to buy Stone a regular steel greatsword, just a Common one, nothing special, but the gesture had earned the boy’s respect. The blade had become his best friend in a matter of days.

  Not like I feel bad about him or anything. He’s just a good kid, that’s all, Corvin argued with himself as he and Nera left the camp, heading toward the crossroads and following the path to the ravine.

  Behind them, deep in the woods, something moved silently. Within the darkness, a pair of deep red eyes stared unblinking. The figure followed the duo, keeping its distance, as if it knew the range of Corvin’s echolocation.

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