Mina crept through the night air, feeling the grass between her toes. She enjoyed the sensation more now that it had returned. [Astral Sense] made her feel more alive then before.
Making her way through the forest, Mina tried to test this bodies capabilities. Compared to her past life, she was more flexible, yet her strength and speed weren't very good yet. She knew that would change, however.
Coming across a small puddle, Mina decided to try out her new skill. Projecting her desires, Mina could feel something connect her to the water. A moment later, a fist sized portion of the water was floating nearby. She began to mold it and play around with it until...
[Lesser Water Manipulation 2/5]
She blinked then continued to play with the water, elongating or contracting it, as she moved through the trees.
After a bit, she felt a strong tug on her back. She looked back, just barely seeing the clearing through the foliage.
"So I'm at ten meters now? Circle time."
Mina began to walk clockwise, as if she were the minute hand connected to the face of a clock. She was quick, still playing with the water, when a sudden physical body leapt through her. She cringed softly, as she could feel with this body now.
Pain? No. Strange fuzzy beast flying through? Yes.
"Agh. Please don't do that!"
She turned in time to see the bewildered face of a rather large rat. It was roughly as large as Inferna, with near meter long teeth coming from its narrow snout. It's beady eyes scanned Mina as she began to cringe even more.
"Oh so gross. A fat rat..."
"Quiet... human. Die...!"
Mina sighed, then crouched as the rat leapt through the air.
"You can't hurt me, but you feel absolutely disgusting."
Mina continued to dodge the creature, half of her concentration on the water she toyed with.
[Lesser Water Manipulation Level 3/5
Lesser Water Manipulation Level 4/5
Energy insufficient. 5/120]
Mina dropped the water, leaving a silly plop and splash that distracted the rat just long enough for a black streak to toss a stick into its head.
Mina looked up to see Inferna. She had felt the distance between herself and the sword shorten a bit, glad that Inferna wasn't rough.
"Hi there, little one. Couldn't sleep? Fufu."
Mina nodded.
"My energy is low now, so sleep should be easy. My Sword Body is low on durability, pretty much health. I need to eat with it."
"Hmm. Ores, crystals and monster cores. Correct? I have an idea, as well as the Gigas Rodent here. Finish him, if you would."
Mina had an question, but she wanted to finish the rat first. It had been paralyzed by the Sword Body being sent deep inside of it, though it still breathed until Mina shoved the blade deeper. As she pulled it out...
[You killed Gigas Rodent. 100 Exp. Splitting between Sword and Astral Bodies.
Sword Body> 50/100
Astral Body> Level Up 5/10 0/150
Energy restored. 130/130]
"So, do intelligent beasts have monster cores?"
Inferna nodded, almost seeming to smile as Mina asked.
"So... is it in their heads?"
Another nod.
"Fufu. Such a smart girl. This Gigas Rodent should have a weaker core, but it should be enough to help your... durability? I believe that was what you said."
Mina nodded, walking towards the corpse.
"Let me just try this..."
Mina placed her core over the monsters head. Forcing her mind towards the core, she could feel the area around it. This included the much small core within the beast she killed. A slight smile appeared, but faded quickly.
"Devour."
A strange suction noise seemed to rip through the air, quickly tearing the core from the beasts forehead. Nothing else was disturbed.
[You have successfully devoured:
1 Lower Monster Core (Earth)
Earth Blade affinity: .01%
Earned 150 Exp.
Sword Body> Level Up 2/10 100/125
Durability restored. 75/75]
Mina turned towards Inferna, brandishing her blade overhead.
"I'm fixed! And now I'm dizzy. Holy shit."
She dropped to her knees, steadying her Sword Body.
"Never again. I want to puke, but I don't actually have a stomach."
Mina looked up, noticing that Inferna was laughing. Her usual mature laugh was replaced by a fit of adorable giggles that shouldn't be coming from a cat.
"H-hey! It's not that funny!"
Inferna began to calm herself, although it was still a few minutes before she had returned to her reserved self.
"Sorry, Mina. That... it's been a long time since I've lost myself in laughter. You unknowingly swung your own body over your Astral Body's head. I still can't get the image of you turning green out of my mind. Fufu. I have a gift to make it up to you. Do you remember those hunters?"
Inferna led Mina towards the two men. She was disgusted, but not because they were people to her. It was because they were human.
'I guess... my humanity is gone. Whatever.'
Inferna pushed something towards Mina. It looked like a pouch that holds gold but, with a quick slash of her claw, Inferna revealed more than ten monster cores. Five of which were a gleaming red. Mina placed her hand over them, shifting them to the side.
"Take these."
"Mina, we beasts do not hold value over our monster cores. We do not gain power from consuming them, nor do we get the use of equipment made by them. My gift are these five. The rest is a reward for surviving these bastards. I also have a request."
Mina looked up, her eyes clouded with worry.
"When I die, I wish for you to retrieve my core. Do not let those monsters take it."
"May I try something?"
Inferna nodded, so Mina took her sword and placed the core against Inferna's head. Using the same method, she felt a much more powerful core within the Flaming Hellcat Queen. It seemed to outshine her own greatly.
"If you wish for it, I'll take it. But if I can help it, you won't die."
Inferna nodded as Mina put her sword near the cores. Aside from the five red ones, she could see four brown, two green and a much larger blue one.
"Devour."
The twelve cores were absorbed, although the bag seemed to be affected until three more slipped out. They quickly flew within the blade's core.
[You have successfully devoured:
3 Middle Monster Core (Fire)
2 Lower Monster Core (Fire)
4 Lower Monster Core (Earth)
2 Lower Monster Core (Wind)
1 Upper Monster Core (Water)
3 Mutated Monster Core (Dark)
Fire Blade affinity: .32%
Earth Blade affinity: .05%
Wind Blade affinity: .02%
Water Blade affinity: 1%
Dark Blade affinity: 30%
Earned 3600 Exp.
(A.N. 150x8 Lower Core. 200x3 Middle Core. 300x1 Upper Core. 500x3 Mutated Core.)
Sword Body> Level Up. 10/10 2000/--
Evolution available. Return to Sword Body to start.]
Mina looked up at Inferna again. Her face was contorted in a strange mixture of fear and shock.
"Inferna... did you keep those last three hidden on purpose?"
"Last three?"
"The mutated dark cores!"
Inferna sniffed at the bag, recoiling.
"Eugh. Dark cores are safe and all, but a Mutated Core? I've never smelt ones like this. Maybe they aren't natural cores found in monsters? I don't know..."
Inferna seemed to be lost in thought, but a strange one came to Mina's mind.
"Maybe they were used as identification? There were four men, but they may have left the cores with their I.D. for whatever reason? Unlikely, but best theory I have. I'd rather not deal with a mutated dark monster that could give me so much affinity with dark stuff."
Inferna stopped in her tracks.
"Affinity? You gained affinity towards the elements? How much?"
Mina stared at the screen.
"Barely any. Not even a full percent, or well a hundredth of the full affinity to an element. I reached... a hundredth in water, while a third in dark?"
Inferna sat on her haunches. She cleared her throat and almost seemed to fear, yet respect Mina.
"You've achieved something thought impossible. We saw affinity as something gained from evolving oneself. I have, as you say, about three hundredths of fire affinity myself. That is, if we calculate similarly. Now, you stand here gaining ten times what I hold just by eating cores. Heh. You're a down right God amongst beasts. I'd like to invite you to join my pack of Hellcats."
[You've been invited to join the Hellcats. Do you wish to accept?
There is no penalty for joining, but leaving may incur negative feelings. Being forced to leave or being kicked from the Hellcats will not incur a penalty.
Joining the Hellcats will not grant a boon to you or your underlings.]
Mina blinked, then accepted. She could feel a warmth shroud her Astral and Sword Bodies.
"I'll be happy to join you, at least until I have reason to leave. For now, you need to sleep some more. Your eyes are tired."
Mina wasn't being totally courteous, but the eyes of the Flaming Hellcat Queen were definitely showing signs of fatigue.
"Hmm. Very well. I shall lead you back to our den when morning arises. Until then, I shall rest. Do try to keep yourself from being attacked again, young one. Fufufu."
Mina and Inferna went back to the clearing, Mina placing her Sword Body about three meters from the pool of water. To her surprise, Inferna curled up around the sword once more. This gave Mina a certain warmth where her heart should have been but, out of cautiousness, she turned the tip of the blade away from any part of Inferna. Angling it towards the water.
She then faded from view, remerging into her blade.
"Status."
[Sword Body-
Name: None
Race: Wooden Sword (Enhanced)
Level: 10/10 Exp: 2000/--
Durability: 275/275
Sharpness: 100/100
Attack Power: 11
-
Passive Skills:
Sword Sense-Unlocks the 5 senses on your true body.
-
Active Skills:
Astral Projection-Casts an Astral Projection. Main method of moving your body. Cannot be harmed by physical attacks, but can touch ores, crystals, monster cores and yourself. Distance allowed, 10 meters. Your true appearance within your body. Capable of changing to distance to a shorter one on a whim, then return it to max range.
Devour-Allows you to devour ore, crystals, beast cores and even other weapons to gain power. Also gives exp as well as stat bonuses. Limit is 30 per common, 15 per rare, 5 per legend, 1 per divine.
Monster/beast cores will grant elemental affinity. There is no limitation such as there is with ores and crystals.
-
Affinity:
Fire Blade affinity: .32%
Earth Blade affinity: .05%
Wind Blade affinity: .02%
Water Blade affinity: 1%
Dark Blade affinity: 30%
-
Astral Body-
Name: Mina
Race: Lower Sword Spirit
Level: 5/10 Exp: 0/150
Energy: 130/130
Strength: 9
Magic: 9
Speed: 9
Charm: 5 -error-
Luck: 10
Evolution Points: 1 (Grants an extra 5 points to chosen stat. Earned through evolution.)
-
Passive Skills:
Sword Proficiency- Allows better handling of swords.
Spirit Grip- Allows you to grab yourself, as well as what is deemed food for you.
Astral Sense- Unlocks the five senses when traveling in Astral Body.
-
Active Skills:
Absorb- Allows your Astral Body to gain power through the elements. Must be near high concentrations of elemental energy to activate. May unlock skills, magic or a myriad of bonuses based on elemental purity. Can gain exp through this for Astral Body.
Lesser Water Manipulation Level 4/5- While near water, can control it. This is a weak skill. Do not rely on it.
-
Blessings-
Blessing of the Goddess of Swords- Sword evolutions will become easier, as well as reduced pain levels from Sword Body. New evolutions available.
Blessing of the God of Spirits- Spirit evolutions will become easier, as well as senses being released on Astral Body. New evolutions available.
Blessing of the God of Forging- Rotting, Chipped, Dented and Rusted status becomes unavailable. New status (Enhanced) active. Allows Sword Body to be reforged by trusted individuals to increase stats with special ore.
Blessing of the Great God of Creation, Dyn- Dyn has chosen you to affect this world. Whatever you set out to accomplish won't be easy, but the world shall favor you. Enhances rate of learning, increasing exp gains as well as replenishment of energy, durability and sharpness. (Hidden From All)]
"I'll need to find a way to simplify this. Dang... so I guess I'll be evolving my Sword Body now. I wonder if it'll look prettier?"
[Evolution of Sword Body will begin now.]