Alypos sat quietly, his eyes fixed on the core.
The rain tapped lightly against the windows, a rhythmic reminder of the calm before the next storm. He held the core delicately, its dark sheen almost hypnotic. The system interface materialized before him in response, lines of text scrolling with mechanical precision.
{System detected core, does host want to analyze it?}
"Yes," he muttered, almost absentmindedly.
{Rank: E- rank, belonged to an infant Shadow Wolf. It contains the wolf's strength.}
{Species: Shadow Wolf, detected. Analyzing…}
{Shadow Wolf rank: E-/D-.}
{Skills: Shadow Sense, Stealth, Night Vision, Shadow Infusion.}
Alypos frowned as he processed the information. 'So it used its Shadow Sense to track me even after being blinded. But why was an infant Shadow Wolf alone?'
The thought lingered as he pieced together a theory. 'The parents wouldn't leave their child unless they knew the surroundings were safe.' A sudden realization struck him. The Shadow Wolves must be the apex predators of this territory, their dominance so absolute that nothing else dared to challenge them. A shiver ran down his spine. He had killed one of their own. 'The others will come... eventually.'
His gaze shifted out the window, watching the rain. 'At least the storm might hide me for now,' he thought. But deep down, he knew he couldn't rely on that for long. He needed to stay hidden—at least until he grew stronger. The core in his hand pulsed faintly, its energy a reminder of its untapped power. His gaze wandered to the Evolution category within his system.
{Human -> High Human (E+)/(D+) [0/100 E-rank cores]}
He paused for a moment, eyes narrowing. 'Do I… eat it?' The idea sounded strange, but survival had pushed him to worse extremes in his previous life. Centipedes, insects, even poison—he had endured them all. A single core, though strange, felt like nothing in comparison. Without further hesitation, he tossed the core into his mouth, swallowing it whole. A flood of mana surged through him, dark and sticky, like the shadows themselves. It felt as if the wolf's essence was trying to merge with his very being, its predatory instincts now fused into his strength.
"Status," Alypos whispered, more out of curiosity than anything else.
{Current name: Alypos Ilias (????th reincarnation)}
{Age: 12}
{Rank: G-/F+}
{Affinities: Water (100%), Life (100%), Death (70%), Ice (100%), Lightning (85%), Pain (100%), Soul (80%)}
{Aspect: Evolution, ???, ???}
{Race: Human (Max: E-)}
{Strength: 1.5 -> 2.5/10 (G)}
{Agility: 1.8/10 (G-)}
{Constitution: 1/10 (G-)}
{Dexterity: 1.3/10 (G-)}
{Charm: 2.5/10 (G)}
{Mana: 2/10 (G)}
{Luck: 0.1/10 (G-)}
{Skills: Water Manipulation Stage 1 (D+), Healing Palm (F)}
The system's information blinked before him, confirming his suspicions. 'So, consuming cores increases my stats'. The Shadow Wolf's essence had raised his strength. But by how much? 'One core gave me this boost... How many would I need to reach the next level?'
Thoughts swirled in his mind as he analyzed the possibilities. The skills, 'Water Manipulation and Healing Palm,' also tugged at his curiosity. When they appeared, knowledge of them had seamlessly embedded itself in his mind. Water Manipulation intrigued him the most. The power to control the very essence of life—fluid, flexible, yet destructive. He could feel it now, faint ripples of water particles in the air responding to his will.
But his control was limited, almost crude. The only technique he had was to pour his mana in and force the water to burst—just like with the Shadow Wolf. 'This is far from mastery', he thought. And as for Healing Palm, it was a simple skill—useful but unremarkable.
"I need practice," he muttered.
With his mana restored after a brief rest, Alypos stepped outside, feeling the chill of the rain-slicked stones underfoot. He approached an area within the protective barrier of the cottage, a small clearing littered with jagged rocks. Sitting cross-legged, he focused inward, breathing steadily, letting the sounds of the forest fade into silence. A calmness settled over him. In the stillness, tiny blue particles appeared, floating in the air like whispers from an unseen ocean.
***
I opened my eyes, watching as the water particles hovered around me. They were waiting, waiting for me to command them. I willed them to move, trying to form a shape, a weapon—something. But control is not about force. I learned that the hard way. My mana drained slowly at first, then faster as the particles responded, wavering, and trembling. I could feel them gather into a crude shape, like a spear made of liquid. But before I could stabilize it, the structure collapsed, falling apart in a splash of droplets. 'Not good enough.'
Sigh. My body sagged slightly in frustration. "There's something I'm missing—something about control that eludes me."
Alypos stood, brushing the water from his hands. He knew this training was going to be essential—far more important than he originally thought. 'I need precision.' The water inside the wolf had been a test of brute force, but brute force wouldn't always work. His goal had to be different—more refined. He imagined shaping water into a spear, one with such high pressure and speed that it could pierce any creature, no matter how thick its hide or how powerful its defense was.
That was his end goal for this training: to weaponize water, not just as a force of nature, but as a precise and lethal tool.
The spear I had envisioned in my mind… had to be more than just a blunt attack. It had to pierce. To cut through flesh, bone, and armor. High pressure—and precision—those would be the keys. If I could master this, the next time I faced a Shadow Wolf or anything more dangerous, I wouldn't need to rely on brute mana force. I'd need something lethal. Controlled.
For now, though, my control was weak and sloppy. I wasn't ready.
Alypos knew this would take time. He would need to add this to his daily training regimen, perfecting his Water Manipulation to meet the standard he had set for himself. Every day, he would form the spear, break it, and reform it, pushing himself to improve. The process would be tedious, and repetitive—but it would get him to the level he needed to be.
He couldn't afford to be anything less than perfect.
Looking up at the stormy sky, Alypos nodded to himself. His training would begin now, and by the time he met the next challenge, he would be ready. Every step forward brought him closer to his true power, closer to his eventual goal—revenge.