Using 30% of one's power against a monster like the destroyer was regressing to below tier one and putting her stats below the 500s. It was therefore insane how she was able to defeat it. Killing it wasn't a shock since she'd already killed a destroyer while weaker. But here she'd done it so fast and swiftly that the thing barely realized. She even doubted if the thing was the same strength as the one that welcomed her to Mistrelon back then.
Forgetting it she focused on refreshing her thoughts with what she had done exactly. As a clone, Golden Hilde while a skill was still basically living and with a mind. As such while spreading out her divinity she was able to energize and empower all the cells in her body to increase her capabilities. Just like back when it aided her during her milestone battle it also boosted her clone here.
Then was the Sword she used. Coating it with the spark, something her clone could use regardless of its lower power, mostly because of the Arm of Culdre. Another thing was the rune of sharpening, filling the sword construct with a sharp intent which made cutting the destroyer's neck smooth.
Finally was movement. With her clone's cells boosted beyond the 30% debuff it had its movement was fast. As a goddess, she was already fast when it came to the eyes of her mortals, basically invincible, but to other entities on the same rank as her in strength or power, she was slow. Which made it a great feat that she had managed to move this fast.
With the Destroyer's hearing it was impossible to sneak up.on it. Of course, Hilde realized a mistake as she could have used a rune of silence. Still, she had moved so fast in her clone that she had broken past the sound barrier and arrived before the destroyer. Even better was the fact that she used her original self as a distraction to catch its attention.
In case of difficulty, Hilde was certain that between her and her clone, it would be easier to take down the Destroyer. Yet the results had gone above her expectations with the destroyer losing its head without even realizing it. Her eyes glinted with pure excitement as she looked at her clone. Two perspectives entered her mind as she saw herself standing over the corpse of the destroyer while her clone stood by the head.
The sight was both beautiful and macabre as the clone suddenly turned to sparkles of colored light, floated up into the air, and then as she watched drifted back into her.
It had taken a long time to find a destroyer and extra time to meticulously plan each skill and ability to use. The duration for the skill was up. Hilde quickly stored the corpse. While she wanted to take the shard she refrained instead wanting to watch how a corruption effect from Anoma would look like.
Her attention went to the dying creature left there by the dead destroyer and for a minute she debated ending it.
"Maybe I should train that. " She thought. Willing up her template she called for just the skills and insight section to see her current levels.
[SKILL]
Eyes of the Unseen (INNATE)++
Meddler of Fate(INNATE)+
Soul Dao (PASSIVE)
Swordsmanship Lv9 +
Archery Lv8 +
Evade Lv 24+
Dagger Lv10+
Aura Lv15+
Daemon Fist Lv3+
Golem Armor(ACTIVE) Lv5+
Kill Slot(PASSIVE) Lv5+
Silver Reflection (ACTIVE)
Aum (PASSIVE)
(Prosthetic - Arm of Culdre)
[INSIGHTS]
Divine Purity - (+ 75%)+(+25%)+(27%sp)
Earthen Grace - (+ 21%) + (+ 6% sp)
Earthen Forge - (+22%)(+ 8% sp)
DOME RUNE - Embers of the Flame (+10%) - (Divine [Gold]fire +15% +15%) (Ira [Red] fire +10%) (Pious [Blue] fire +5%) (Pernicious[Green] fire +25%) (Chaos[Purple] fire +5%) (Baleful[Black] fire +5%) (Lacuna[Violet] fire +5%) (∆•¶°• fire +5%) (Frost fire +10%) (Order [White] fire +10%]
Titan's Step
DOME RUNE - Source Eternal (+10%)- (Mellifleunce +10% +5%) (Eternal Frost +5%) ( Unbound Mists +5%)
She noted the increase in both pernicious fire and frost fire. Even earthen forge and divine purity had gotten a bit of increase. Titan's step remained blank as always and the source eternal was where it was. She hadn't used it much anyway and it made her think of the reasons she had chosen that particular insight. Many things had happened since then and plans had been postponed or forgotten. Still, Hilde smiled at the thought of how it would still help in the coming days.
"First, to test out cosmic imbue, that should earn me some points in divine purity".
The weird amalgamation of an animal grunted in panic as Hilde neared it. The closer she got the more it grunted until her palm lay on its head.
" Shh. Shh. Shh." she patted its head while silencing it. "It's gonna be okay". She made sure her intent went with her words to broker understanding.
" That big bad wolf hurt you eh. " she started. The creature understanding due to intent made a grunt. Unlike the Destroyer and other creatures able to express via intent, it was incapable so Hilde was unable to understand its grunts.
"Let me help. You will not need to run or hide, be prey or weak." she cooed at it and smiled as she noted it calm down. "But remember, all things depend on will. Your will to survive and will to become more."
Hilde had not forgotten the description of her skill Cosmic Imbue. The term evolve and degrade was something that still bothered her. So she thought, what if the creature's will was a boost to the final result? After all, Creator Online worked with intent and will.
"Now be calm but strong. No matter what remember to survive". Hilde smiled at it letting the three heads of the creature look at her before she began.
" Cosmic Imbue"
Gold flooded out of her palms and grasped at the animal. Without resistance, it broke through its skin and flooded into its bloodstream, muscle, bones, and organs. Just like with herself Hilde guided the divinity to every cell within reach. As she moved she saw lots of things. Things she would never have noticed before. Now it was clear mostly due to her success in entering, seeing, and imprinting runes within the soul and body.
She flooded these runes within the animal with divinity. The "Runic cells" as she called them now, we're very adaptable to the energy. The fact she could see them now made her ponder if she could change the runic cells within a body and soul in such a situation. While it sounded impossible Hilde knew that in this game anything was possible. All she had to do was find out the how. If creating Anoma, the green sun, and the other false life were not enough evidence to prove it to her then she didn't know what would be.
Runic cells according to Hilde were the tiny inconspicuous cells within the body. To creators, they are runes with intents that guide the basic body physicality, behavior, needs, and others. To mortals on advanced worlds, they are seen as simple cell walls.
A screech brought Hilde out of her thoughts and back to the animal. Its eyes were ablaze with light and its body was aglow with rainbow colors.
"It's working."
The light grew and she watched with interest and expectation while halting her imbuement as the divinity washed through the animal. As she pulled at hers to move to her eyes the light from the animal intensified and then dimmed. Hilde gaped gobsmacked as she saw nothing but a scorched creature lying there. She stared at it for a long moment before sighing.
"I could totally recreate a new body and maybe..." she stopped shaking her head. It was bound to fail because there was no point if she didn't have the creature's soul, as it would be a body without a soul.
"Sorry friend."
She moved on deeper into the forest after storing the corpse, her eyes peeled for any more creatures. Hilde was certain that it couldn't just be Destroyers that roamed the plains.
"Where there is an apex predator, there is prey." her eyes flashed as she thought of what possible beings could inhabit a world like this. Thinking of it the certainty that gravity was less here was high, yet it had little to no effect on gods and higher lifeforms. The air in any new plain was either breathable for them gods or their physiology just didn't need something as meaningless as air.
Which made her wonder if it was the same for other entities or not. Maybe the worlds were adaptable to each of its denizens but Gods didn't need such. Whatever the case her curiosity was growing.
"I'll complete my training first then see what's so special about this place, maybe there's treasures. Or some powerful.artifact." with a shrug she was gone leaving nothing but dust where she had.
*
A few seconds after Hilde vanished a new entity approached the spot where she had slain the destroyer. It's two feet height and the tiny body was able to let it navigate through the tree roots and past thick branches that hooked everywhere.
Attached to its head was a blood-red crown and on its back hung a quiver, in one hand it held a tiny bow. It was clad in dark leather and a bone blade hung from its hips. The mushroom searched around on the ground at the spot where the animal had been burnt. Then it turned to the spot where the destroyer had dropped. It dipped its finger in the sticky black blood before rubbing it against its other finger. Finally, it looked up to the spot where the tree branch grew over the destroyer.
It stood still for a moment as its crown lit up in a dim red glow before it shook. It almost jumped as a sort of joy rose in it making its crown turn a deep shade of yellow. As fast as its tiny legs could the mushroom sped into the dark forest.