Chapter 56

'Madly-grinning' Lucifer

The exhausted druegars and dwarves dropped like flies as the adrenaline from the battle wore off.

Soon, the boisterous snoring reverberated so loudly that even the loitering goblins around the tent glanced in their way while scratching their ugly heads.

Even the sleeping 2nd-tier goblins were suddenly awakened by it and angrily searched for the source, but a peek at the deeply meditating 4th-tier Orc expelled any ambitions that sprouted in their savage minds.

Lucifer's nonexistent mouth formed a grin filled with expectation.

He carefully opened the bag thrown in the back of the tent with the [Weak Fluxkinesis] and stealthily levitated behind the tent.

He trained for a bit his spells and techniques.

The [Refined Mana Drain] soared at unprecedented speed. In just two hours, it reached 18th level. He could continuously float around as he had the whole of Stone's mana refinement for himself.

He realized that the [Weak Fluxkinesis] should not be this powerful... Stone already weighed around half a kilogram, so he let the peculiar mechanical voice read the description to him.

[Weak Fluxkinesis technique T1L9

Weakened flux-based aberration of normal manakinesis, similar to telekinesis of psychics. The precursor 'weak' means you do not meet the requirements to learn the standard version, meaning it is 10 times weaker. Still, it's much more efficient than using basic mana manipulation expertises.

It allows you to grab things or beings in a specific range with your own flux and move them at your will or levitate yourself. It is possible to resist with pure strength or other expertises.

Synergy with race Ethereal – as one of the Ethereal races, your Weak Fluxkinesis is much stronger than usual – 3 times stronger and more efficient.

Range: 4.7 meters – +0.3m per level (2 meters base)

Weight: 1300 grams – +150 grams per level (100 grams base)

Speed: 3.7 kph – +0.3 kph per level (1 kph base)

Requirements: 0.333 FP per second]

"Oh, this is incredible!" Lucifer joyously exclaimed. He made a few rounds behind the tent, testing the limits. "Aaah, so this fabled freedom. It's amazing to not be held down by anyone! Can I…"

His thoughts unnoticeably froze for a tiny moment under a certain talent's influence. "No! What am I thinking? Of course, I have to help him. I have to heal him… somehow! Fuck… Maybe some killing? Experience is energy too… It could stimulate his matrix somehow. Let's try!"

Lucifer formed a plan and levitated to the other side of the camp, waiting for some secluded victim.

A drunk 1st-tier goblin popped out from the corner and pissed on the Stone's body… and subsequently on Lucifer.

Lucifer's imaginary eyes flinched in wrath. He evaded from the yellowy stream and formed a single, 4-FP [Flux Missile]. The goblin's eyes bulged with shock, but before he could even react in his drunken stupor, the purple flux missile hit him squarely in the eye. It stunned him and another two missiles quickly finished him off.

[Your spell Flux Missile gained a level]

[You have killed a 1st-tier goblin 12 times]

[9.23% experience is split according to talents Subordinate and Parasite]

[Lucifer gained 9.23% experience]

[Stone gained 0.00% experience]

Lucifer looked at his journal and frowned, "What the... Oh! Level difference! Fuck! I have to kill a 2nd-tier… But I do not have enough output. Hmm… Flux Missile!" He wished and the explanation was read to him.

He blinked at the explanation… That was…

[Spell: Flux Missile T1L4

School of Evocation

A flux-based, more powerful aberration of Mana Missile spell acquired through learning and instinct.

You took the first step towards a wizard class! Too bad you're a Monster…

A bubble of flux conjured as a proper spell. Also, 5.124 {+0.708 per lvl} times stronger than the usual Mana Missile spell.

Output: 20.5 flux points

Range: 20 metres]

Flux and the refined mana was an incredible combination. The sheer power skipped almost two tiers when maxed out. Of course, it was possible only thanks to Stone's insane regeneration. Otherwise, Lucifer would be long dead… or a normal Partner in a dwarf's head, handing out the knowledge and steering him to be heroic.

"This… It's even more insane than Stone's refined mana missile… If I would have that attunement… However, I now have hexes. Even though it is no attunement, they can be extremely powerful. Still, they require an insane amount of resources. Haaah," Lucifer mind was swarmed by plans, random thoughts and exasperated sighing.

So, instead, he turned his attention to killing the trash-gobblers!

The [Tracking] skill, paired with the perception dome, made the scouting comfortable and straightforward. Though, it was quite disconcerting to be utterly blind after the 29 metres radius.

While he stealthily levitated around the outskirts of the goblin camp, marking potential targets and observing the movements of patrols, he discovered many problems he was facing.

As he travelled around the cavern, he noticed that the camp grew with the newly arriving parties of goblins.

A very unusual sight greeted him, the 2nd-tier and 1st-tier goblins were mingling together. The goblins were highly hierarchical.

Occasionally, even 3rd-tier goblins showed up, but they directly walked into the biggest tent, tightly guarded from all sides by fully-armed 2nd-tiers, whose eyes roamed from side to side, observing any kind of disruption. It had to be a reaction to the slaughter of that pair inside the leader's quarters.

☁☁☁☁☁☁

Encyclopaedia Stonia

Tropa Snake

3rd-tier evolution of certain poisonous snakes. They are around four meters tall, with three eyes and two tongues. Their skin has black coloured scales with red spots, and they secrete a poisonous musk through it.

The snake was named after an unlucky human third-rank hunter, the discoverer of the species, Tropa Silver-Snake. He specialized in reptilian hunting, and of course, he could not resist the appearance of the new species. Well, he knew nothing about them, arrogantly grabbed one of them by his bare hand. What to say, only that the poison was too strong even for his resistance. The snake had a delicious dinner that day.

Their only natural habitat is the first and second layers of the Abyss where they are considered one of the strongest beings. On the surface, they are sold as unique pets to gardens of royalty, or wealthy nobles by brave adventurers, or very desperate ones. They are also considered contraband, as their poison is highly potent. Their main weakness is their lack of ranged attacks, so they have to rely on ambush, in which they are incredibly proficient.

Their poison can wholly paralyze (including the heart) even high-levelled third-rankers/tiers. Then the snake eats the prey alive.

With a few adjustments from an experienced alchemist, the diluted version of this poison paralyzes the target's breathing system, which suffocates him or her if the antidote is not administered. There is a delayed version that poisons first and second ranks/tiers for a very long time and suffocates them to death if the antidote is not regularly administered.

The next evolution of this species is still unknown, as it is quite a new species; only two hundred years old, and high-rank researchers have better things to do than care for some snakes…