CHAPTER 19: | REST
---
Death littered across the currents, a grim tapestry in the cold embrace of the water that seeped into the gaping holes in my body.
Truly, how could one conceive of such a devious plan?
To drag me down to hell with it, knowing of its own impending death as its insides had been invaded by magma.
I was flabbergasted by its intellect, a chilling, calculated move from a creature on the brink.
But its plan to bring me down didn't succeed.
Wriggle!
Flesh wriggled within the gaping holes on my body, then connected, the sensation a strange mix of discomfort and rapid recovery, thanks to my monstrous physique that allowed for such recovery speed.
It was an amusing, yet an ultimately futile, attempt, as I was simply too tenacious for it to claim my life just with that.
My crimson-red irises gleamed with an irresistible light as they gazed at the hologram before me, for I had yet again ascended to the next tier.
---
[You have slain.]
• S: 1 | T: 7 | Level 18 | Granite Colossus Whark [4★]
[You have gained.]
[2,800,000 - EXP.]
[You have gained a level.] x10
[You have ascended to the next tier.]
[You have gained a level.] x8
---
[You have devoured.]
• S: 1 | T: 7 | Level 18 | Granite Colossus Whark [4★]
[You have gained.]
[+ 250 - Health.]
[+ 170 - Stamina.]
[+ 105 - Mana.]
[+ 1.99 - Physique.]
[+ 1.45 Mystique.]
---
[Skills Devoured.]
• Adamantine Stomach [Tier 8]
• Impenetrable Bastion [Tier 10]
• Mithril Bone Structure [Tier 9]
• Rock-Hard Muscles [Tier 9]
• Substance-Absorbing Hide [Tier 10]
---
[Grotesque Physique would like to devour these skills.]
• Adamantine Stomach [Tier 8]
• Impenetrable Bastion [Tier 10]
• Mithril Bone Structure [Tier 9]
• Rock-Hard Muscles [Tier 9]
• Substance-Absorbing Hide [Tier 10]
[Yes] / [No]
---
Adamantine Stomach [Passive | ▪︎]
The Granite Colossus possesses an incredibly powerful digestive system, capable of dissolving even the densest minerals and metals. Its stomach acids are intensely corrosive, allowing it to devour and break down bedrock, ore, and even adamantine with terrifying ease, absorbing raw materials to sustain its immense mass.
Impenetrable Bastion [Passive | ▪︎]
Its multi-layered hide, composed of exotic minerals and ancient geological strata, grants it near-absolute immunity to physical damage. Conventional weaponry shatters, powerful strikes are absorbed without a tremor, and even high-tier magical assaults simply dissipate against its unyielding form.
Mithril Bone Structure [Passive | ▪︎]
Its skeletal framework is composed of crystallized mithril and adamantine, making it incredibly dense and virtually unbreakable. This provides unparalleled structural integrity, rendering it immune to internal crushing, bone-shattering impacts, or skeletal compromise.
Rock-Hard Muscles [Passive | ▪︎]
The Colossus's musculature is incredibly dense and interwoven with compressed rock and mineral deposits, granting it truly phenomenal raw strength. It can effortlessly rip apart colossal boulders, bend reinforced steel, and resist physical restraints that would bind a lesser titan.
Substance-Absorbing Hide [Passive | ▪︎]
Its multi-layered, composite hide is so incredibly dense and light-absorbing that it appears as a shifting void in any environment. This natural property provides exceptional stealth in darkness and significantly reduces its visual profile even in bright light, making it difficult to target despite its size.
---
These skills were quite good, especially now with these defensive abilities joining my arsenal.
Finally, I could gather three 'Ascension I' skills to fuse into an 'Ascension II', a goal I'd been pursuing for days, battling monsters that could truly threaten my life.
The revelation that I could finally achieve this, my very first 'Ascension II' skill, filled me with an almost overwhelming relief.
I couldn't help but feel a tear swelling on my eyes, as I felt a raw, emotional response to this breakthrough, as my mind mentally dragged the skills into the fusion table.
The translucent hologram before me shimmered, and my eyes gleamed with anticipation of the outcome of this fusion.
What the final skill would be, now that it could be fused into an 'Ascension II' skill, my very first to reach that level!
My mind raced, eager to see the result as I confirmed it.
---
[Would you fuse these skills?]
• Impenetrable Bastion - Substance-Absorbing Hide
[Yes] / [No]
---
[You have gained.]
• Void-Core Bastion [Ascension I]
---
Void-Core Bastion [Passive | Ascension I | ▪︎]
The Whark's multi-layered hide transforms into a Void-Core Bastion, composed of exotic minerals and ancient geological strata so incredibly dense and light-absorbing that it appears as a shifting void in any environment. This grants it near-absolute immunity to all forms of physical damage; conventional weaponry shatters, powerful strikes are absorbed without a tremor, and even high-tier magical assaults simply dissipate against its unyielding form. Furthermore, this natural property provides exceptional stealth in darkness and significantly reduces its visual profile even in bright light, making it extraordinarily difficult to target despite its immense size.
---
Just the sheer description of 'Void-Core Bastion', and the intense pleasure felt from the mutation in my body, was overwhelming.
As it forcefully extracted the minerals from inside my body to form the armor, I felt my hunger increasing, a deep, primal growl rumbling in my stomach.
Without any further ado, I dragged the remaining skills into the fusion table, a smile of anticipation spreading across my face.
---
[Would you fuse these skills?]
• Void-Core Bastion + Adamantine Carapace + Oblivion Shroud
[Yes] / [No]
---
[You have gained.]
• Terra-Void Bulwark [Ascension II]
---
Terra-Void Bulwark [Passive | Ascension II | ▪︎]
The Whark's hide transforms into an exceptionally resilient Terra-Void Bulwark. This multi-layered defense provides profound physical damage resistance, causing attacks to shatter or dissipate. Its light-absorbing properties significantly reduce its visual profile for stealth, and it grants complete immunity to all poisons, retaining a subtle adaptive camouflage.
---
Then I felt it, the profound shifting and merging of my three armors as they combined into something greater, something stronger.
My form grew increasingly powerful by the minute, a palpable surge of energy flowing through me.
Whirr!
Then it settled, and the currents trembled from the shockwaves that my new exoskeleton exuded upon its completion.
It was truly broken, it could go into stealth, grant me immunity to poison as 'it wouldn't bypass my exoskeleton', and defend against my opponents' attacks with surprising ease.
I felt invincible, though not entirely, as I could still die from the sheer impact of attacks that my insides couldn't defend against, or if mana-based attacks could easily tear it apart.
But who cares?
Let's celebrate it right now with a few hours of sleep.
My eyes closed, and my form ceased its movements, then settled onto the ground as I drifted into sleep.