This is a method to unseal the key. Feed it an essence of shadow elemental bloodline.
The original owner or we say future villain accidently put this key and corpses of shadow elemental mutants together.
After absorbing the corpses, the key got unsealed and the villain got the skill. Just like how it happens in the novel. Classic cliché.
A slight purple light peeped from the corpse's piles. Slowly the light got stronger and stronger.
After a slight shaking the corpses pile started to reduce in size.
In some seconds the whole pile of corpses is now reduced into a pile of ashes. The shining purple light got weaker but some still stayed in the ashes like a diamond among the dust.
I moved the ashes away and took out the shiny object from the ashes.
Suddenly I felt like stung by a needle. I threw away the thing in my hand and saw a small wound on my palm.
The fresh blood flowed from it. I wiped the wound with some potion. The wound healed in seconds but I am concerned about something else.
I felt something connected to me. It's like having an extra eye or hand attached to the body which does not exist in reality.
I traced the source of this feeling and found the shiny thing that I had thrown on the ground seconds ago.
I make a mental note that before touching any unknown thing use SCAN on it first. A very important note.
============
Name – Shadow Garden Key
Rank – S (Legendary)
Type – Prop
Buff – increase the shadow element mana recovery by 340 %.
Skills – Shadow Absorption ( S ) ( Passive ) – absorb the pure essence of the shadow elemental bloodlines.
Shadow Storage ( S ) ( Passive ) – Store the absorbed bloodline essence and convert it into a special energy. (20/100)
Shadow Tracking ( S ) ( Active ) – when the shadow storage gets full activate this skill to get a special map that shows a very hidden destination.
Status – Normal
============
I looked at the data carefully for fear of missing something important. After making sure I did not miss anything important or dangerous I picked the key from the ground.
I removed the traces of ash on it and looked at it.
The shadow key has undergone some tremendous changes.
The outer appearance of the key has changed. Before it looked like a cracked stone and now the key has turned into a shiny metal plate. It's about the size of half of my palm.
A weird symbol Is engraved in the middle and the whole plate looks like it is made of some sort of metal but also has some different sense compared to normal metal.
It felt soft and hard at the same time after holding it. Like a pulse is beating in it.
The feeling is something new to me. I observed the plate from all sides.
The shape of the symbol Is a circle with some branch-like thing coiled around it. The circle has a seven-pointed star-shaped pattern. Inside the centre of the star pattern infinity symbol is engraved with some extra details.
Some sort of ancient letters are engraved on the bottom of the symbol. Using SCAN I can barely read it.
It says " Shadow is eternal so does the keepers of it. ( Everlasting Shadow School ) "
The symbol on the plate is something I have never read inside the novel and the text is even weird. Is this a cult organization or what?
The name of the organization is never mentioned in the novel. Even after searching my memory, I did not get any clue. There are some special organizations mentioned in the novel but there is nothing about this one.
Back to my topic. I do not care about the origin of the text or symbol. I only care about the skills I get from this key.
After some hesitating I put some mana into the key.
After some seconds I found the feedback from the key. It was very hungry and wanted to devour more shadow bloodlines to recover its former glory and complete the task it was meant to do.
I feed it some tier 3 low-level and mid-level mutants and it hardly fills its need. 1 low level tier 3 mutant can only provide 2 points to the key and a mid-level tier 3 mutant may provide 5 points to it.
I feed it 5 low-level ones and 2 mid-level ones. In total, I have 20 points now. 80 points more till the key gets full.
Forget about the feeding issue just having this Rank S item can make me one step ahead of everyone. It is like having a mobile charger for my mana but pity I cannot use it right now. Its recovery buff is tailor-made for me.
A normal Ranker can use an equipment or skill 1 rank higher than their current rank without any issue. Those talented people can use higher rank items some exceptional rankers can use 2 or 3 rank higher skills or equipment compared to their present rank.
I can use the equipment or skill 2 ranks higher than my current rank after taking David's place but before that, like others, David can only use skills or equipment 1 rank higher than his rank.
The reason behind this setting can be explained as the limit of the stats or mainly mana at the different stages of ranks.
For example, an F ranker has considerably less mana compared to a B ranker or we can say that compared to a B ranker the F ranker's mana core is weaker or less evolved which limits a lot of things like strength of mana core, capacity of mana storage, etc.
Therefore Skill meant to be used by B rankers put much more pressure on the F Ranker due to weaker strength or less amount of mana or weaker mana core.
Forcefully using the skill or equipment way higher than your present rank can cause some serious damage to the body or mana core. In some extreme cases, it may even cause death or lifetime disability.
So, it is advised to use skill and equipment in consideration of your Rank and talent.
I put the key into the space and started to make some dinner.
I put on the artificial light on the top of the cave which brightened the area.
I took out some items from the bag.
I turned on the induction heater and put a pan on it.
After adding some spies, oil and other stuff I put the piece of the meat I cut from the mutant cat. Some mutant meat is good for health and can also give extra gains to the eater if taken in the long term.
After some time, a tasty aroma of the meat filled the cave. Fortunately, the air purifier filtered the air and removed the smell of food. I do not want to see an uninvited member join me at dinner because of the smell.
I quickly ate stuff and cleaned the plates. I made a portable sleeping bag and went to sleep.
***
The next day I woke up early and got ready. I did some light exercise and stretching. I eat a simple breakfast to fill my stomach. The sun has not risen yet so I just spend some time in the cave making some preparations for today's hunt.
Fortunately, no one disturbed my sleep last night but I did hear some noises in the night.
After the sunrise, I put on my gear and got out of the cave. I closed the cave opening with some dry branches and other stuff. I will use this cave as my base until I need to move elsewhere.
I walked in the direction where I killed the last cat mutant. This type of mutants usually live in large groups and considering the number of the mutants I hunted yesterday I think there might be a large pack of cat mutants near this area.
After lots of searching, I found traces of large activity. I followed the traces and soon found the thing I wanted.
In the open area as wide as two basketball courts a group of cat mutants similar to the ones I hunted yesterday wandering around.
I took out the binoculars and observed the pack from a distance.
The small cubs are playing with each other while the adult ones are busy with their things.
I dare not get close to them because I know how sensitive they are towards their surroundings.
Yesterday I tried all sorts of stuff to make a sneak attack on them but they were always able to find me before I approached them.
Just as I was busy observing them a large cat mutant entered the field. It Is much larger than the other mutants and others even make way for it.
I used the SCAN on it.
========
Name – iron tooth cat leader
Rank – tier 3 ( Peak ) { y/n – changed the beginner to low level )
Race – Mutant ( Male )
Talent – Shadow Ball – gather a ball made of shadow element and throw it at the enemy.
Bloodline – shadow leopard ( 30 % )
Skills
Leaders aura – can command weaker ones of the same race. Other same-raced mutants consider the user as their leader depending upon the situation.
Force bite – use the strong bite to break the bones and flesh of the opponent.
Big leap – jump a long distance using the strong leg muscles.
Weakness – skull, core at the abdomen.
=========
A leader level guy. The first Peak Tier 3 Mutant I saw since I came to this forest. Even from a distance, I can feel its overwhelming aura.
I continued to observe the pack. Other members have mixed ranks and only the leader is peak of tier 3 rank. The rest of the members are low, mid and very small numbers of high-level ones.
As the time reached near 10 am some members of the pack left in different directions. Some strong ones went alone while the weak left in groups.
Only the leader, some female and some elderly cat mutants with cubs stayed in the camp.
I think the others went to hunt for the food while the leader was guarding the pack while the others were gone.
I smiled and left the area. This mutant saved me lots of trouble by dividing themselves like this.
Let's start the hunt.
I retreated without disturbing the mutants.
After following the path of the cat mutants, I found two cat mutants in an open area. They might be searching for food or surveying their territory.
I want to sneak up on them but their senses are too sharp. So, I waited for the right opportunity.
Suddenly one of the mutants increased its speed and dashed into the woods while the other continued to walk normally.
I think that one got something while this one just wants to laze around. Finding the opportunity I had been waiting for I jumped onto the remaining cat mutant using the skill of my equipment.
Like receiving some sort of signal the mutant turned its head in my direction. It also jumped onto me with its sharp claws.
While jumping it roared to inform its teammate so I had to end this quickly.
I dodged the claws and mouth of the mutant and attacked its weak spot with my sword. The Scan can save a lot of time and energy by giving away the location of the weakness of the other party.
My sword left a deep wound on it.
The mutant landed roughly on the ground as it failed to balance itself due to the injury. The mutant tries to get up but how can I allow it to happen?
I pursued it and once again attacked its weakness. The Mutant lost its fighting ability and I gave it a quick death.
Suddenly I sensed something. Without even turning around I moved my sword and blocked the attack on my back.
Claws and swords produced the sparks as I diverted the attack and distanced myself from the enemy.
The other cat mutant has returned and attacked me. It looked at its companion's dead body and roared towards the sky.
"oh crap" ( David )
I understood that it was calling or telling others about the situation here. I must kill it as soon as possible before the other cat mutants arrive.
Thankfully I chose the deserted mutants to attack or else a whole group of cat mutants might have reached in here before I could even escape.
I dashed towards the mutant and slashed it with my sword. The mutant dodged my attack and waved its claws at me.
I parried the claws and tried to strike its weakness but the cat mutant dodged the attack. After several attempts in exchange for some light injuries, I managed to kill it.
I quickly put the bodies of the mutants in the bag and prepared to run.
Before I ran some meters away a ball-like thing flew past my side and crashed into a big tree.
The tree breaks into pieces demonstrating the powerful impact. I knew where the thing came from.
Without turning around to look at the attacker I continued to run like crazy. While running can feel that something is approaching me at very high speed.
I jumped onto the tress and continued to jump from branch to branch. The sound behind me never stopped but sounded closer instead.
Suddenly the branch under my legs break due to some powerful impact.