[Daily Quest Completed]
[Level Up]
[+1 Corrupted Soul]
[214 Corrupted Souls]
"Almost there."
Ever since Kaito got his first kill, he's been relying on the bone fragment that did a tremendous job. That's what he thought but in reality he was being irresponsible. The shop tab offer cheaper weaponry than the item he dearly wants.
Getting used to his new Core-trait is undeniably hard, control is easy, but energy flow isn't child's play. He noticed damage inflicted by energy blasts doesn't require statistical points to upgrade. Training and hunting offer the perfect opportunity to perfect his skills.
Name: Kaito Sakurama
Race:Human
Level:17
Rank: Zero Grader
Core-trait: Blue Energy
Title: None
HP:59/100
Core Enery:65/100
Fatigue:06
Levelling became child's play, he doesn't put enough effort when it comes to eliminating Corrupted Core Spirits. But the memory of talking the creature haunts him, talking Corrupted Core Spirits were supposed to be myths. Or worse, misinterpretations written by survivors trying to rationalize fear. It might be his first time meeting one, but he unmistakably remembers being taught about corrupted spirits that defy limitations of nature, the fact that this creatures are capable of speech synchronization can mean they are smart enough to act with purpose.
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
"Here they come." he whispered.
Heavy, massive footsteps pounded against the ground. Kaito stood on the edge of a cliff, eyes locked down on the passing herd of Corrupted Core Spirits. Unlike the ones he haunted ever since he got here, this ones are far dangerous.
Of course eliminating them might help him level up and obtain Corrupted souls quickly, but the consequences are dire.
[Flashback]
"You should all memorize The Seven Habits of a Herd of Corrupted Core Spirits by "Professor Anderson Likingburn", mentioned on page one thousand three hundred and eight six, chapter nine, section two." said a funny looking man with the appearence of a clown.
Kaito sat behind the classroom paging his textbook, drawings of the creatures came to view, notes followed them revealing what the professor is about to say.
"There are different types of Corrupted Core Spirits, Singular and Plural. Though the names had gave you an obvious explanation, I won't delve much on it. Plural core spirits move in groups of course, but that alone puts them at a severe disadvantage, they are strong as one but weak when separated."
Now this makes sense, all the spirits he eliminated settled alone. Thankfully they weren't as tough as he had imagined. However something kept bothering him. Why do this creatures move in herds. There is no mistaking it, their Core energy is massive, not as a group but each one he focuses at. There must be something Professor Anderson Likingburn failed to uncover, Kaito had been here for a while and his been reading the rhythm of this creatures.
Without rhythm the herd would collapse into chaos, atleast that's he thinks. He sat at the cliff edge, giving himself a moment to track the movement below. The Corrupted Core Spirits didn't charge blindly, their steps landed in a pattern, like machines programed to package food.
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
Each step came after another, exactly like a herd of buffalos.
"It can't be,"
The textbook illustrations resurfaced in his mind revealing the movement of this creatures. Of course they moved in herds but why, the huge amount of energy radiating from each one of them is extraordinary. Even if he jumps in one blast will barely eliminate a single spirit, might work if he overextended. By the moment he breaks the rhythm, the rest will eliminate him without fail.
Most Corrupted Core Spirits overflowed with unstable energy. That's why they mutated, rampaged, burning themselves out. But this one's.
They are different in two ways.
First, they are intelligent enough to suppress themselves.
Second, they have a common goal to achieve.
"Not sure if the second guess fits in."
He watched as the herd dissappeared though the endless black mist. Letting them go felt like a gamble, jumping in without knowing what the enemy is capable of isn't like him.
"This place is dangerous, I better get out of here before I die."
The mist thickened as Kaito descended from the cliff, swallowing the path behind until his footprints ceased to exist. Down here, distance learned how to lie. What looked close could take hours to reach, and what seemed far sometimes appear behind him.
The herd was gone now, so haunting is available. Everyday, week, or whatever time was he had to hide like this avoiding contact with the herd. Ever since he got here they are the only creatures he avoided, even though they might be considered weak when separated, charging in blindy without knowing what they are truly capable of, might be the wrong idea since they individually possess energy far dangerous than his own.
He slipped between crystal outcrops, the dark-purple formations jutting from the ground like broken spears, light reflecting against his skin.
If he was back at Earth he would collect them to earn a living, but with a situation like this, trapped in the endless domain of evil spirits, he sees them as normal glowing stones.
The fog was thick blocking his sense of direction, moving all day haunting spirits exhausted him.
GRRRRRGGH!
"Haven't had a bite for a while."
Although it's foggy he could tell something was moving, he approached slowly and thankfully it didn't notice him. The creature tilted it's head three times as if it wasn't sure where it was. It's form was unpleasant, lacked a chest revealing it's insides. One wing that resembled that of a bat, the head of a pig but had four eyes.
"I still don't get why the creatures look like this."
It moved slowly, it's back facing Kaito without noticing him at all. He placed his hands together focusing his energy in his positioned hands, blue light shone catching the creatures attention.
But the energy blast was ready for impact, Blue energy surged from his hands, pierced through the creatures head.
"SHRRRRRRRRRREIK!"
BOOM!
Corrupted Core Spirit eliminated
[+1 Corrupted Soul]
"Two hundred fifteen,"
As expected, it took one hit to completely eliminate it. That alone was satisfying since he can tell he got stronger, with what the system had offered his now stronger that he ever was.
He approached the fallen creature and crouched besided it, grabbing its oversized arm. He scanned the creature with aware, his right hand raised upwards holding the piece of bone his been using as a weapon.
SLASH!
Purple blood splashed across him and the ground. Tearing it's arm with the fragment in order to separate it from the body, unfortunately the bone fragment isn't as sharp as a knife, so he decided to rip it with his own hands. As soon as the arm disconnected he decided to burn it with his Core-trait, atleast this time it might taste less sour. At least that's what he thought, the taste was still foul, still wrong, but his body had adapted, with the system neutralizing the toxins, he should worry about other things like how to get back to the cave in this thick fog.
"I really hope Mira never finds out about this," he said quietly, wiping his mouth.
Kaito could help but think what he would do after the ring is in his possession, it's pretty obvious he will take a few Core Crystals first. With just one purple crystal, that would be enough money to support he and his sister for a life time. Even if he manages to escape, the government will like an explanation on how he survived.
That didn't bother him much, he can just tell them everything including the system's existence. Paradise is all he can think of, after twenty one years of a miserable life as a traitless Zero-grader, he might finally be noticed. If he even gets lucky by any chance being recruited by "The Global Core Weilders Society" sounded possible.
For a moment he spaced out thinking all about it. The moment reality called upon him, the cost of the ring surfaced in his mind. Honestly, it felt more like a fantasy that would never come true. However, now that the system had given him hope, that fantasy is reality in disguise.