Takaviel leaned against the cold stone of the cave wall, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. The stench of blood and poison clung to the air, and the dead body of Skraal, the Rat King, lay at his feet, its lifeless eyes staring up at the ceiling. His muscles ached from the intense fight, and his stamina was nearly spent, but he couldn't afford to rest too long.
"I need to make sure none of the rat horde remain," Takaviel muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. His eyes narrowed as he activated his *Vermex Weaver* skill. He called to his underlings in the forest outside the cave, commanding them to scout the area and ensure there were no more monsters lurking nearby.
The moment he issued the command, a swarm of tiny, insect-like creatures, his loyal Vermex Weavers, scurried from the shadows, their legs clicking against the stone as they scattered to do his bidding.
Satisfied that the perimeter was being scouted, Takaviel turned his gaze back to Skraal's corpse. His monstrous right arm, twisted and grotesque, began to twitch with anticipation. It was a sight he had grown used to, but even now, the sight of his own flesh horrified him. The arm was covered in dozens of eyes, some with a single pupil, others with multiple. Each pupil was a strange white circle, unnatural and eerie, and beneath the eyes were mouths of various sizes, each filled with mismatched teeth, sharp and hungry.
Takaviel's eyes darkened. He could feel the hunger in his arm, the desire to feed.
"Time to devour," he whispered coldly.
His right arm pulsed and grew, stretching unnaturally as the mouths opened wide, saliva dripping from their jagged teeth. The eyes blinked in unison, tracking the corpse of the Rat King. Then, with a sickening crunch, Takaviel's arm plunged into Skraal's body, tearing flesh apart as it consumed the fallen beast.
The sight was grotesque. Blood spattered across the stone floor as the mouths on his arm devoured the Rat King, bit by bit. The sound of bones snapping echoed in the cave, and the eyes blinked furiously, as though savoring every moment of the feast. Skraal's body was slowly torn apart, piece by piece, until there was nothing left but a pool of blood where the king once lay.
Suddenly, a familiar light-blue screen appeared in front of Takaviel, the system's mechanical voice ringing in his head.
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"Congratulations. Fragment of skill gained: *Roar of Terror* 1/10."
"Type: Mental Attack Skills."
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Takaviel stared at the message, his excitement quickly fading into disappointment.
"A fragment? That's it?" he muttered, his brow furrowing in frustration. "I killed Skraal, the Rat King, and all I get is one fragment? And only 1 out of 10?"
His mind raced with questions. He had slaughtered an entire horde of rats, killed the Rat King himself, and devoured many of them, but he hadn't gained a single complete skill. Was there something wrong with the system? Or had the Horde of rats simply not possessed any skills worth taking?
"It doesn't make sense," he whispered, shaking his head. "So many of them… not even one full skill."
Takaviel clenched his fists, feeling the frustration welling up inside him. But after a moment, he sighed and let the anger drain away. There was no use in dwelling on it now. He would just have to accept it.
Just as he was about to push the thought aside, another light-blue screen appeared before him, the system's voice returning.
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"Congratulations. You have been granted the following rewards:
- 1 Active Skill
- 1 Passive Skill
- 1 Item Box."
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Takaviel's eyes widened in surprise.
"What... is this?" he whispered, a mix of shock and excitement filling his voice. "I've never received rewards like this before."
His heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the message. This was something entirely new—something far more valuable than just a skill fragment. He could hardly believe it.
"I didn't get much from the rats, but this…" he muttered, a smile slowly creeping across his face. "This might make up for it."
Without wasting any more time, Takaviel eagerly opened the first reward: the *Active Skill* selection.
A list of options appeared before him, each one offering a different type of skill.
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#Active Skills:
1. Offense Skills – Increase damage output, specializing in attacking enemies.
2. Defense Skills – Enhance physical and magical defenses.
3. Healing Skills – Restore health to yourself or others.
4. Buffing Skills – Increase various attributes temporarily.
5. Debuffing Skills – Weaken enemies by reducing their stats.
6. Movement Speed Skills – Improve agility and movement speed in battle.
7. Summoning Skills – Call forth creatures to aid in battle.
8. Crowd Control Skills – Skills that immobilize or hinder multiple enemies.
9. AoE Skills – Skills that deal damage over a wide area.
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Takaviel's eyes scanned the list quickly, his mind working through the possibilities.
"Summoning Skills," he said aloud after a moment. "That's the one."
He chose *Summoning Skills* because he knew the value of having reinforcements in battle. His Vermex Weavers had proven useful in scouting and minor combat, but what he needed now was something stronger, something that could fight alongside him and take down enemies head-on. His current strength alone wasn't enough, and summoning powerful creatures would help him overwhelm his foes.
Once he made his choice, another light-blue screen popped up.
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"Summoning Skill granted: Nekrox Striker."
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Takaviel's eyes widened as he read the description.
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Unit Name:Nekrox Striker
Level:1
Type: Summoning Skill (Active Skill)
Job: Melee Assault Unit
Description:
The Nekrox Striker is a muscular, four-legged insectoid with sharp, powerful teeth used as its primary weapon. Compact and fast, it excels in close combat, tearing through enemies with vicious bites. Its strong legs allow it to leap into battle quickly and strike with precision.
Time to Hatch: 2 hour
Mana Consumption: 40 MP
# Core Stats:
- Strength:13
- Agility:11
- Intelligence:5
- HP Bar: 90/90
- Stamina Bar: 40/40
- Mana Bar: 10/10
Skill:
- Savage Bite – The Nekrox Striker delivers a fast, deadly bite to its target, dealing moderate damage and weakening the enemy's defenses.
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A wide grin spread across Takaviel's face. "Perfect," he said, nodding in satisfaction. "This will be a powerful ally." The Nekrox Striker was exactly what he needed, a fast, lethal creature that could assist him in battle.
He was tempted to summon it right away, but there was one more reward left. He moved on to the *Passive Skill* selection, his excitement growing.
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# Passive Skills:
1. Health – Increase overall health and durability.
2. Mana – Enhance mana regeneration.
3. Offense – Boost physical attack strength.
4. Mental Offense – Increase damage for mental attacks.
5. Stamina – Improve stamina reserves.
6. Movement Speed – Increase speed permanently.
7. Mental Defense – Strengthen resistance to mental attacks.
8. Evasion – Improve chances of dodging attacks.
9. Defense – Increase physical and magical defenses.
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Takaviel's gaze lingered on *Mana*. The ability to regenerate mana faster would be crucial in summoning more underlings and using his abilities without running out of energy.
"Mana," he decided.
The system responded quickly.
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"Passive Skill granted: Mana Flow."
"Type: Mana (Passive Skill)."
"Level: 1."
Description:
Mana Flow increases mana regeneration by 1 point per 5 seconds. This skill allows the user to recover mana more efficiently, enabling them to cast spells or summon creatures more frequently in battle.
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Takaviel smiled. "This will make summoning much easier," he thought. The faster mana recovery would give him the ability to summon his Nekrox Striker and any future summons more often, which would be a significant advantage in extended battles.
"This is turning out better than I expected," Takaviel said, feeling a surge of satisfaction. He had gained something valuable, even if the horde of rats hadn't given him many skills.
Finally, Takaviel opened the last reward,the Item Box. His heart pounded with anticipation.
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