(Sam's POV)
The moment I got close to the poisonous pond, my Devour skill activated on its own. It wasn't the first time it had happened—last time, it was with that broken piece of a Mana Core, but this time... this felt different.
The Devour was pulling in the essence of the pond, slowly absorbing it into me. I could feel the thick, toxic energy of the water seeping into my body. It wasn't painful, just... warm. A strange, almost comforting heat spreading through me, coiling around my core like a warm blanket.
'Okay, this is new. Whatever this is, it better not kill me.'
I stayed still, allowing the process to happen. I had no idea what would happen next, but Devour had never let me down before. The warmth continued to spread, filling me with a strange energy that reminded me of the time I absorbed that Mana Core shard. Back then, I'd briefly gained a skill called Mana Strike, but it had disappeared soon after.
'I remember that... The Mana Core gave me something temporary. Is this going to be the same? Or...'
Before I could finish my thought, I felt something shift inside me. A surge of power rushed through my body, more intense than before. Then came the familiar ping of system notifications.
[Devour has absorbed the essence of the Poisonous Pond.]
[Your trait: Poison Affinity (Basic) is evolving.]
'Wait... what?!'
I stood frozen, completely stunned by what I was reading. I had just gained Poison Affinity, and now it was evolving? That was fast. Too fast. My mind raced as I remembered how traits worked—evolving traits usually happened after intense battles or special circumstances, not just... randomly.
I mean, the only time something like this had happened was during my first evolution when my Enhanced Sensory had jumped from Basic to Advanced directly.
'Okay, this is insane. First time it happened was during my evolution... but now? I didn't even think traits could evolve so easily without, you know, evolving myself!'
The notifications kept coming, and the warmth in my body became stronger, centering around my core. The toxic essence of the pond wasn't just merging with me—it was becoming a part of me.
[Poison Affinity has evolved to Poison Affinity (Intermediate).]
[Status Inspection Lv 3 activated.]
[Poison Affinity (Intermediate)]: Offers a more refined control over poison-based elements, enhancing poison-related skills significantly.
– Grants 20% resistance to poison attacks powered by Intermediate Poison Affinity.
– Grants 50% resistance to poison attacks powered by Basic Poison Affinity.
– Allows intermediate-level manipulation of poison elements and advanced use of poison-related skills, boosting potency and damage.
I blinked, my brain taking a moment to process what had just happened. I now had Poison Affinity (Intermediate). Just like that. One moment I was wondering what to do about the pond, and the next, I had a fully evolved trait.
'Well, that was... fast. Not complaining, but this feels like cheating.'
I flexed, testing my body for any changes. I didn't feel all that different, but I knew something had changed. The poisonous energy inside me felt more controlled, more refined, like I could manipulate it better. My Poison Resistance was gone, but the Poison Affinity was much stronger now.
I took a deep breath—or, well, a snake's equivalent of a deep breath—and looked around. The pond had changed, too. The once bubbling, toxic water was now still. The green hue had faded, and the toxic fumes had disappeared, leaving the water almost clear.
'Well, great. I just cleaned up a deadly pond. Can I do anything normal for once?'
I was about to turn and leave when something caught my eye. A faint glimmer at the bottom of the now-clear pond. It was small, barely visible through the still water, but there was definitely something down there.
'What now? Shiny things are never good. But... might as well check it out.'
I hesitated for a second before slithering closer to the pond's edge. The water was clear now, thanks to the essence being devoured, so I could see a little better. But I still had no idea what the glowing thing was at the bottom.
I cautiously dipped into the water, letting my body slide in. It was surprisingly cool, and as I submerged deeper, I noticed that the water no longer burned or felt toxic. It was just... water.
As I moved further down, something stirred inside me again, and I got a new notification.
[You have learned the skill: Dive Lv 1.]
[You have learned the skill: Breath Holding Lv 1.]
'Okay, that's... weirdly useful?'
Dive was a new one. It allowed me to move more easily underwater, and Breath Holding... well, it wasn't glamorous, but I'd take it. Holding my breath longer would definitely come in handy if I ever needed to stay submerged for a while.
'I guess I'm a snake-shaped submarine now. Lovely.'
As I swam deeper, the glow became stronger. It wasn't long before I reached the bottom of the pond and saw what was causing the light.
A small shard, barely the size of a pebble, lay nestled in the mud. It gleamed with an otherworldly light, and I felt its power radiating off it. My Devour skill activated again, almost instinctively.
[Devour Lv1 activated.]
'Another Mana Core? This day just keeps getting weirder.'
The shard was quickly absorbed, and I felt a familiar surge of energy as my magic power increased. It wasn't as dramatic as the first time I had absorbed a Mana Core, but the effect was definitely there.
[You have absorbed a Shard of Mana Core.]
[Your Magic Power has increased.]
I could feel the increase in my Magic Power instantly. The magical energy flowing through me had become stronger, more potent. It would let me use my magic-based skills—Fire Breath, Wind Slash, Water Jet—for longer periods of time without tiring as quickly.
'Well, isn't this my lucky day? Poison affinity upgraded, new swimming skills, and a magic boost all in one. Should start hunting ponds more often.'
Satisfied with my newfound abilities, I slithered back to the surface. I wasn't sure what to make of all this, but one thing was clear—I was getting stronger. And that meant I was getting closer to my goal of becoming a predator no one could ignore.
But deep down, I knew that this forest was hiding something bigger. There were more secrets, more power to uncover, and I was determined to find them.
Whatever lay deeper in the forest, I would face it head-on. But for now, it was time to rest and plan my next move.
'This place is full of surprises. Good thing I like surprises... most of the time.'