Corrupting energy assaulted Athelei through the finger he used to touch the Undead Remnant. It attacked him differently than the Nefarious Icon's icy insanity. This one was like a starving glutton, riling up his own instinctual hunger as an infant predator of consciousness-based beings.
But instead of hungering for the sentience of others, it hungered for the energy of life. Using the terms imposed by the Cosmic Interface, it desired [Energy] instead of [Mana]. A loose analogy, but the differences in nature are very similar. After all, Athelei guessed that [Energy] was the resource for Evolvers, and it was likely closely tied to the physical body.
Thus, the traits of this corrupting energy made Athelei frown with his nonexistent brows and made him pull his hand back. He looked within himself and analysed the weird energy that had already begun to proliferate. The corruption was already making attempts to infect him.
'This is knowledge that may just be related to my Unnamed Mutation... My interest has fully been piqued,'
Athelei jotted down his observations in his mental library and promptly executed Inspect on the little infections. He was relishing in the experience of lighting up the unknown with his own torchlight.
"What are you, oh mysterious corrupting energy?"
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Manic Undeath
Lethality: 8
- Side effects of mind necromancy.
- The realisation of a mind's hunger.
- Causes dissolution of physical entities.
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Athelei read the results of Inspect and played around with the Manic Undeath. Whenever he prodded it with other parts of himself, it would stick like black glue, spreading and multiplying throughout his fog-body.
The infected parts gave him an unpleasant itch that Athelei was not fond of. He could also feel his Mystic Energy reserves drain with each infected portion, signifying the fact that he was indeed taking some kind of damage.
Athelei felt an impulse come along as the Nefarious Icon appeared on his chest.
A more terrifying, but at the same time, more subtle energy streamed through Athelei's body like icy, crystalline blood. It intermingled with the Manic Undeath, mixing disgusting black and pure crystalline characteristics together to create something Athelei was surprised to find.
It was a mix of two foul and inauspicious energy-based pathogens, and Athelei had expected something vile.
The resulting composition was calm, churning peacefully inside Athelei's fog-body. It exuded a totally different aura with its dark, crystalline glow. It was like sodium and chlorine.
Alone, they were wild, together they created salt—something even measly human stomachs could partake of.
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Boon of Longevity
- A product of consciousness corruption and Manic Undeath. Created from that which is incurable and that which is irreversible.
- A component of life force.
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"Curious," Athelei thought to himself as he consumed the Boon of Longevity and felt an inexplicable feeling of rejuvenation.
He simply felt better upon his absorption of the energy. It was different from his pangs of hunger being satiated.
The rejuvenation was akin to finally being able to breathe after holding one's breath for as long as one could have. It filled his insides—which he technically doesn't have—with a cool, pleasant feeling.
Athelei then took more of that gluey black Manic Undeath from the Undead Remnant that for some reason, wasn't taking proper notice of him whenever he was 'infected.' He allowed it to eat at his energy reserves before trying to break its effects.
Similar to how he would smother the sentience present in the consciousnesses he devours, he surrounded the Manic Undeath and exerted pressure.
'It cannot be destroyed with my consciousness alone,' Athelei observed how the Manic Undeath simply spread with every attempt he made to crush it into pieces. It was like a non-newtonian fluid whenever it was spreading its sinister black colours.
Athelei inwardly shrugged as he let the Manic Undeath be. He allowed it to creep throughout his fog-body as he set his sights on the chimaera who he had been walking beside as it [Grazed].
Athelei was rather familiar with the Undead Remnants because of Lotus Weizhe's presentations and arguments one night ago.
According to Lotus Weizhe, there were two ways to eliminate an Undead Remnant:
The first would be its annihilation, and that was done by tearing the Undead Remnant apart to destroy the black crystal that served as its core. Simple violence, as it is, is a very effective tool in nature.
The second was something Weizhe had commented on as weird, and it was the extraction of that same black crystal. Once extracted from the red candlelight, the main body of the Undead Remnant would naturally dissipate after an hour or two if it was unable to form a new core.
The extracted crystal would then be something of a material. Nothing has been invented out of it just yet, so as it was now, it just served as a way to birth another Undead Remnant when shattered.
It was akin to asexual reproduction.
When it came to actually extracting the black crystal, it was said that it took a little bit more effort than simply shattering it outright.
This was because one had to completely disconnect the black crystal from the Undead Remnant. A complete disconnection meant a few things that Athelei had yet to figure out. When Weizhe had made his presentation, he mentioned nothing about the technique or procedure required to safely, reliably, and/or efficiently extract the black crystal.
So now, Athelei had to research things himself... but he did not have the leisure to do so. He was not counting on a deep slumber tonight given the chaos, and there was a Tidal Tome he still had to retrieve, so his time was more or less limited. If someone barged into Lady Karire's well-defended office, then he would have problems.
Thus, with these thoughts in his mind, Athelei turned his wings into tails as he looked at the Undead Remnant. He was going to make two tests tonight and two tests only.
The first test was more or less the typical procedure when dealing with consciousness-based beings. It was to hit it and take a bite.
And so, Athelei wrapped up his tails in Tangible Will and elongated their forms.
Crack!
Breaking the sound barrier through whip mechanics, Athelei slashed a fissure into the Undead Remnant. He struck the monster's grey, smoke-like body, and not the red candlelight core where the black crystal likely burned.
AWOOOWOOOO!
The Undead Remnant cried out as a portion of its essence was torn straight from its body and devoured by a foreign entity.
"...Spicy," Athelei remarked when he felt the Manic Undeath invade him as he crushed the sentience present in the portion he had taken. He then transformed the Manic Undeath into the Boon of Longevity using his Nefarious Icon so that he could absorb the rejuvenating energy instead.
'...It's like cooking,' Athelei had a weird expression on his face as he crystallized his tails with corruption.
This would then be the second test.
Athelei swung his tails again, sending the Undead Remnant into what should have been the pits of insanity.
'Using the Nefarious Icon indeed creates side effects...' Athelei watched as the Undead Remnant squealed in pain before writhing around in frantic panic. The grey of its body was changing, turning into a dark glass-like material that somehow exuded an aura of life. It looked like translucent obsydian that somehow also had a heartbeat.
Even the red candlelight and the black crystal present in the monster's core was assimilated into this glassy material.
Thud!
Athelei witnessed the inanimation of the chimaera that was thrice his size. It fell down like the rock it was for it had turned into a boulder of translucent obsydian.
'So... can I absorb this..?' Athelei took a few steps forward, and was surprised to see sprouts of plantlife beneath the translucent obsydian boulder. He used his bronze Tangible Will as a portable torch and illuminated said sprouting plantlife.
It was shocking to see the plants grow in real-time, inching forward every few seconds. Especially given the environment it was subject to and the previous state of its existence. It was supposed to be dead, but it was living. And it was living in a dead environment.
Athelei documented his findings in his mental library as he thought about the effects the Boon of Longevity would have on his physical body.
'Will my Unnamed Mutation be affected? Will I simply be healthier? Would I grow at an increased rate?' Athelei asked himself these things as he placed his palm on the glassy boulder.
The boulder glowed with a subtle light as it began to shrink. A river of lively energy flowed into Athelei's fog-body, lingering within the particles of the consciousness fog. It wasn't instantly drawn to his wings like Athelei normally experienced when devouring consciousnesses.
If one had to describe the [Taste] of the Boon of Longevity, it would either be fresh and chilled coconut juice, or vanilla ice cream, or perhaps milk and honey.
'... I'm losing track of my humanity,' Athelei chuckled to himself when he realised his fixation on the flavours of things that were not considered food, 'It cannot be helped, I guess...'
He then sighed lightly as he spread his wings and took to the skies once again. He was going to pick up the Tidal Tome and have his physical body take ownership of it.
As he felt the chilly high-altitude air though, he continued his previous thought,
'...Becoming orphaned at an early age indeed affects a human child's development.' A curious light flashed in Athelei's nonexistent eyes.