Chapter 4 – Master of None

「Master of none.」

I couldn't help but describe myself this way right now. The longer I spend in this temple, the more I realize how much I'm spreading myself too thin. Between learning water magic and hunting these monstrous creatures, it feels like I'm dabbling in everything and mastering nothing. Still, I'd say I'm getting pretty damn good at both, judging by the growing trail of corpses behind me.

I sprinted down the stone hallway, my footsteps echoing off the ancient walls. The air was thick with dampness, condensation clinging to my skin. My makeshift spear—a black rock knife tied to a wooden pole I'd cobbled together from the remains of a collapsed bookshelf—felt solid in my grip. I had to make do with what I had.

Right now, I was chasing down one of the giant spiders that had tried to escape.

The creature was massive, about the size of a bookshelf, darting across the walls, ceiling, and floor like it was mocking me. Its back was riddled with scars from my earlier strikes, and it was pissed—its amber eyes gleamed with malice each time it glanced back at me.

"Damn," I muttered under my breath, trying to keep pace. "I know this one's smaller than the one in the courtyard, but still..."

The spider's movements were becoming frantic, its legs skittering in erratic patterns. It was running out of energy, but it wasn't going down without a fight.

That's when it stopped.

My heart skipped a beat as it whipped around, using what strength it had left for a final attack. Its mouthparts twitched, and before I could react, it launched a ball of highly condensed acid straight at me.

"No way I'm dying like this!" I shouted, adrenaline surging through my veins. "Not when my isekai journey's barely begun!"

Time seemed to slow as the acid hurtled toward me. Instinctively, I dropped into a slide, ducking under the projectile just in time. The acid slammed into the stone wall behind me with a sharp hiss, the sound of stone dissolving filling the air. I didn't look back as chunks of the wall crumbled, melting under the caustic spit.

"The hell..." I groaned, pushing myself back up to keep running. The putrid smell of the spider's breath lingered in the air, making me gag as I fought to breathe through my nose.

The spider was preparing another attack. Its mandibles clicked together as it gathered more venom, saliva dripping from its fangs. I had to end this before it could spit again.

Raising my free hand, I focused on the moisture in the air. Beads of sweat clung to my skin, but I reached for the humidity around me. I visualized droplets forming, condensing into a ball of water the size of a basketball.

"Alright, you eight-legged bastard..." I muttered, narrowing my eyes as I imagined the water shooting toward it like a cannon. "Let's see how you like this!"

The water shot forward, striking the spider directly in the mouth. A sharp sizzle followed as the water mixed with the acid, diluting it in a chemical reaction that backfired brilliantly. The spider shrieked, its body convulsing as the acid ate away at its insides.

"Didn't see that coming, did you, four eyes?" I grinned, hurling my spear straight at its head.

The black rock knife pierced its head with a sickening crunch. The spider twitched once before collapsing, its body convulsing in a final death throe before going completely still.

Panting, I stood over the spider's corpse, staring down at it. The rancid stench filled the hallway, making me gag. I stepped closer and yanked my spear from its head, wincing at the wet, squelching sound as I pulled it free.

Then... something strange happened.

My stomach growled.

"Wait... what?" I whispered shakily. "Was that me? Or... the spider?"

I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the creeping unease slithering down my spine. There was no way—no fucking way—this thing was making me hungry.

But the more I stared at the spider's body, the more my mouth started to water. Saliva pooled at the corners of my lips, and I quickly wiped it away with the back of my hand.

"No. No, no, no. I need to get away from here..." I muttered, backing away from the corpse, heart pounding.

But my body didn't listen.

My hands trembled, my vision blurred as my eyes glowed red. The spear clattered to the floor as I found myself inching closer to the spider. My mouth watered even more, and the smell—the smell wasn't revolting anymore.

It was... delicious.

"Spider?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. "No, this is... crab. Look at all that juicy white meat... the butter..."

I lost control.

With a sickening crunch, I broke through the spider's shell, my ghoul instincts fully taking over. My hands tore into its body, ripping chunks of meat free. I slurped the spider's flesh like it was crab legs, devouring it hungrily.

"Delicious! Amazing! This is the best meal I've ever had!" I shouted, my voice a crazed mix of disbelief and madness. "Truly... peak delicacy!"

I kept eating, even as my mind screamed at me to stop. My body—my new, monstrous body—was too eager. It had been months since I'd had a proper meal. And as I gorged on the spider's corpse, a horrifying realization struck me.

I had lost my humanity.

Twenty minutes later, I was curled up in a dark corner of the bookshelf room, retching violently. Spiders skittered away, their tiny legs clicking in the darkness as they recoiled from the foul stench on my breath.

"What the hell was that..." I muttered between dry heaves, trembling as I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. "Was I really that hungry? Or... or is it because I'm not human anymore?"

I looked down at my hands. They were pale—much paler than usual. The usual gray had faded into a sickly white. My body felt... different. Stronger. More energized. But the most startling change was in my mana.

Whatever I had consumed in that spider, it had increased my capacity to store mana.

I clenched my fists, feeling raw power coursing through me.

"I can feel it," I muttered, my voice low and determined.

The next day, I found myself standing in the mid-point chamber once again. The ancient stone bath lay in front of me, its cracked surface illuminated by the dim light filtering through the broken ceiling. The magic book I'd been studying was open on the floor, showing a section on earth magic—specifically, how to use it for figure sculpting.

"I can definitely create enough water to fill the bath now," I muttered, staring at the worn-out stone. "But what's the point if the bath itself is broken?"

Closing my eyes, I focused on the earth beneath me. Normally, with water magic, I'd picture moisture gathering from the air, condensing into something tangible. But this time, I imagined the stone itself, visualizing the cracks mending like a reverse time-lapse of erosion.

When I opened my eyes, the bath was fully repaired.

"Yes!" I shouted, grinning with excitement. "I did it!"

Without wasting time, I switched to water magic. I pictured moisture gathering into a steady stream, flowing from my hand like water from a faucet. The stream poured into the newly restored bath, filling it up quickly.

"This is the start of something new..." I whispered, a wide smile spreading across my face.

As soon as the bath was full, I de-robed and slipped into the cool water, letting out a long, satisfied sigh.

Finally... a bath.