[You have devoured mangled remains.]
[You have devoured mangled remains.]
[…]
The miro had to devour quite a few pieces of the worm before finally getting the one with a core. He looked at it; in the gooey mess, a small gem twinkled.
Kai took a deep breath and swallowed it whole.
[You have devoured mangled remains.]
[+5 Skill Points]
[+8 HP]
[+15 Mana]
[Core(s) Plundered: Ground Worm]
[Rank: Red Star]
[Unlock Requirements: 30 Skill Points]
[Analyzing power signatures on the core...]
[Searching database for a match...]
[Match found.]
[Skill(s): Breathless Endurance]
[Do you want to unlock the core?]
'Eh, that's a lot more than the ash devil one. It must be because the previous core was a defective piece. Okay, first, tell me about this skill.'
[Skill Name: Breathless Endurance]
[Description: The body becomes entirely independent of oxygen, allowing survival without air in any environment. For every two minutes spent breathless, one mana is consumed. Immunity to medium-grade gas-based poisons is granted while this skill is active.]
'Oh, interesting skill. It has many applications. Nice. But wait, do I use oxygen in the ash devil form too?'
[Yes, the ash devil has pores that absorb oxygen from the air.]
'...'
A sigh escaped his lips.
'This system is good, but it doesn't give all the information together. The ash form being dependent on oxygen is crucial information, oh, dear system! Next time, assess the information properly and give me the important bits, alright?'
[Affirmative.]
Kai shook his head and looked at his status.
—
[Status]
[Name: Kai Vincenzo]
[Species: Miro]
[Innate Skills: Plunder, Explosion Immunity]
[Innate Core: Flare Monkey (Brown Star)]
—
[Health: 100/100]
[Mana: 100/100]
[Stats:]
- Strength: F-
- Durability: F-
- Mana Affinity: D
—
[Skill Points: 50]
[Acquired Cores:]
- Brown Star: None
- Red Star: Ground Worm
[Skills:]
- Brown Star: Fire Claw, Devouring Mark Movement, Thermal Vision, Fire Punch, Torch Tail
- Red Star: Ash Devil
—
'50, huh? The core won't expire, so I can unlock it whenever I want. Let's collect more points first, and if possible, more cores.'
Having decided that, he was about to move when he noticed someone nearby.
'A green flash? Nah, a green suit.'
He narrowed his eyes and tried to focus on the distant figure, but the bushes and trees between them felt... strange and morphed...? He couldn't figure out why.
What should he do? Move away?
Curiosity about whoever it was clawed at him, yet safety mattered more than that.
Another sigh escaped his lips as he mumbled, "I am still fearful of things, huh… I have a long way to go."
Well, he'd take things step by step.
Just then, his eyes widened, and he almost stumbled back in shock as the distance between him and the green entity seemed to have shortened all of a sudden. Fortunately, he steadied himself quickly and noticed that the weirdness of the bushes had also vanished.
He sucked in a cold breath; the fragrance in the air was much stronger than before. In no time, he concluded that the distance hadn't really changed; it was just that the scent had somehow altered his perception.
Alarmed, Kai immediately decided to unlock the worm skill.
[Unlocking the red star core 'Ground Worm'.]
[-30 Skill Points]
['Ground Worm' Unlocked.]
[Congratulations, you've obtained the skill 'Breathless Endurance'!]
He activated the skill, ducking down for cover.
[Breathless Endurance]
[-1 Mana]
As soon as he used it, he felt like something essential had been cut off—an emptiness inside. Yet, surprisingly, in the absence of oxygen, his head felt lighter... clearer? That was unexpected.
'Is it because of the mana?'
[Yes, the mana is not consumed by the skill, but by your body.]
'Interesting.'
For now, Kai decided not to use the ash devil skill; every bit of mana counted. Instead, he stayed low, focusing on the other creature.
He crept closer, doing his best to move silently, and finally got a clear view.
Kai froze.
It was a woman in a green suit.
Well, two women, actually, both with their backs to him. But he was still fixated on the one in the green suit. Her backside was too... tight, too pronounced.
Her white hair was tied into a high ponytail, the green suit clinging to her body so tightly it looked like a second skin. Kai gulped, swallowing hard, his eyes glued to her back as if he were staring at a naked woman painted green.
She was such a treat to his eyes. Her ass, round and perfect, stood out like it had been sculpted by a master—just enough to catch anyone's attention, not too big, but impossible to ignore. The suit dug so deeply into the crack between her cheeks that it outlined every curve, forming two perfect mounds that seemed to beg to be touched. The way it squeezed her, shaping her in a way that made her look almost naked beneath the fabric, had his pulse racing.
His gaze traveled down to her thighs, thick and smooth, the muscles beneath barely concealed by the tight material. Every inch of her legs radiated sexuality, the fabric hugging every contour as if designed to show off her body. His dick twitched in response, refusing to be controlled.
He couldn't stop staring, imagining how it would feel to grab those thighs, to feel their warmth, their firmness. The way her thighs pressed together just below her ass made the whole scene even more obscene, more irresistible. His hands itched to reach out, to run along the edges of that perfect divide between her cheeks…
Kai shook his head hard, trying to snap himself out of it.
'Focus, Kai!' She was too sexy, and he knew it, but now wasn't the time to let his body win over his thoughts. 'Calm down, this is not the right time to be horny.'
Even though he told himself that, he stole one last glance at her before shifting his gaze to the other woman. She also had white hair tied into a ponytail, but wore pants and a shirt, her height reaching just up to the other woman's ear.
'Good, she isn't as slutty as the other one,' he thought, though the loose pants still hinted at the shape of her butt. 'Fuck, dude, stop.'
He closed his eyes, trying to take deep breaths, only to remember he couldn't because of his active skill. When he opened them again, he saw the second woman looking at the one in the green suit, and as his eyes landed on her face, he noticed her light purple skin.
He almost sighed again. 'Why the hell is she so pretty?'
From the side of her face, Kai could tell she was even more beautiful than the elf he had seen on the ship.
"Amy," Mrs. Skintight suddenly spoke.
"Mmh?"
"Something happened back on the ship."
Kai immediately became alert.
"Yeah, I know," Amy replied.
"…Really?" Mrs. Skintight sounded doubtful.
Amy made another sound of acknowledgment before adding, "I know the miro escaped the ice somehow and even got off the ship."
"Oh."
"Don't worry, I know where he is."
Saying so, she slowly turned around.