Whoa, the speed was almost too fast. He could now at least keep up with the Anemoi thanks to Storm Surge. The horses became easier to absorb because he had lightning resistance, but it still took a few minutes to actually get within range. Each time he closed the distance, he had to endure sharp gusts of wind and occasional bolts of stray lightning.
By the time he had caught them all, he was soaking wet, his clothes clinging to him uncomfortably. The storm had dissipated, leaving only the faint rumble of thunder in the distance. Lancer hovered in the air for a moment, marveling at the newfound power coursing through him. Those Anemoi were chock-full of mana, and his magic points were now scarily close to a million.
With the last drops of rain falling, Lancer flew back to the village and landed in front of the house. He stepped inside, dripping water everywhere, but feeling victorious.
"You look like you wrestled the storm itself," Livia said, raising an eyebrow at his disheveled state.
"In a way, I did," Lancer replied with a grin. "But it was worth it. I can head to the coast easily now."
The next day, as Lancer was preparing to leave, a thought crossed his mind. What if the village was attacked while he was gone? Sure, with the Shades around, the defenses were significantly better, but it never hurt to be overly cautious.
As he mulled over the issue, the system chimed in.
[You have successfully absorbed five souls up to now.]
"Wait, five?" he asked, his brow furrowing. He was certain about the four storm spirits, but where did the fifth come from? Right, he remembered—the one guy who had been fighting Kanto during the village raid. But what did souls have to do with anything?
[The biological information of the creatures absorbed can be used in conjunction with Atomic Reconstruction to create new animals.]
"Wait, I can make animals now?" he muttered, more intrigued than shocked. If the system was suggesting it, it must be important. He decided to give it a try. "Alright," he said hesitantly. "Let's test it out."
[Confirmed.]
His vision was immediately filled with streams of numbers and equations he barely understood. A pulsing blue light emanated from his body, and an orb floated out, hovering in the air. As he watched in stunned silence, the orb began to expand and reshape itself, solidifying into the form of an animal.
When the light finally dimmed, Lancer stepped back, wide-eyed. Standing before him was a beast that seemed like a cross between the manticore and the Anemoi. Its sleek body was covered in dark, stormy fur that shimmered with a faint blue-green tint. Its sharp claws dug into the ground, and a pair of giant leathery wings stretched out from its back, giving it an almost otherworldly aura.
Its glowing eyes locked onto him, and for a brief moment, Lancer felt genuine fear. This creature looked every bit as terrifying as the ones he had fought before—but it was his. Or at least, he hoped it was.
The beast tilted its head, studying him curiously. Then it lowered itself slightly, as if waiting for a command. Lancer let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"Okay," he whispered to himself. "This is... definitely something."
A deep voice echoed in Lancer's mind, calm but clear.
"Master."
Lancer froze, his eyes darting around the room for anyone who might have spoken. But it was just him and the beast.
"Did... did you just talk?" he stammered, almost leaping away from the creature.
The system's familiar monotone voice answered instead.
[Since it was made from a human soul, it can understand language. Additionally, as it shares many of your skills, it can use Data Transfer to communicate telepathically.]
"Would have been nice to know before I had a heart attack," Lancer muttered, clutching his chest.
[Would you like to use the remaining souls to create others?]
He let out a long sigh. "Sure. The more the merrier, I guess," he said, still a bit shaken.
Within moments, four more creatures materialized around him, each forming from the same pulsing blue light as before. They stood tall and proud, their stormy fur and leathery wings nearly identical to the first. However, there was a key difference—they didn't speak. They simply stood in silence, watching him intently.
Lancer tilted his head. "Why aren't these ones talking?"
[The remaining souls were non-human. As a result, these Chiméras lack higher cognitive function, though they retain loyalty and instincts for protection.]
"Chiméras, huh?" he repeated, liking the sound of it. He glanced at the five creatures before him, their glowing eyes fixed on him as though awaiting his next command. Great. Now the village had some serious extra security. He couldn't help but smirk.
"Alright, you guys are in charge while I'm gone," he said, pointing at the Chiméras. The first one—the one that could speak—lowered its head in acknowledgment, while the others let out low growls of understanding.
Lancer nodded to himself. "This should keep things safe while I'm away."
Lancer looked at the first Chiméra, its stormy fur rippling as if responding to an unseen wind. "You need a name, huh?" he mused, tapping his chin. After a moment, he pointed decisively. "I'll call you Typhon."
The creature lowered its head, its voice echoing in Lancer's mind, steady and eager.
"Thank you, Master. I am honored."
Satisfied, Lancer turned to the remaining four. "Alright, let's see... You'll be Boreas," he said, pointing to one of the creatures with an icy-blue sheen. "Zephyr," he said to the next, whose movements were quick and sharp like a breeze. "Notus," he added to the one with a darker, almost fiery tint. "And Eurus," he concluded, naming the last one, whose eyes glowed faintly golden.
He stood back, arms crossed, feeling rather proud of himself. "Not bad, if I do say so myself," he muttered, allowing a smug grin to creep across his face.
Typhon stepped closer, his tail wagging slightly as he tilted his head. "Master has excellent naming skills."
"Of course I do," Lancer said, chuckling. "Now, let's introduce you guys to the village."
As he led the Chiméras outside, there was immediate chaos. Villagers screamed and scrambled, clearly unprepared for the sight of five towering, otherworldly creatures emerging from Lancer's house. It took some time to calm everyone down, but once he explained the Chiméras were protectors, the atmosphere shifted.
Remus approached Typhon, studying him intently, his crimson eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "You've done it again, Lancer," he said, his tone carrying both admiration and teasing. "Every time I think I've seen the limits of your magic, you pull out something new."
Lancer shrugged. "What can I say? I'm full of surprises."
Remus smirked, crossing his arms. "That you are."
With introductions complete, Lancer prepared to leave for the coast. As he looked at the Chiméras, he realized he could use a little more security for the journey. "Typhon, you're coming with me," he said.
The Chiméra's tail wagged more vigorously. "As you command, Master! Shall I carry you? It would be my pleasure."
Lancer raised a hand. "Appreciate the offer, but I'll fly myself this time."
"Understood," Typhon replied, his voice brimming with excitement. With a slight shimmer, he suddenly vanished.
Lancer blinked in surprise. "Uh, where'd he go?"
[Typhon has entered your pocket dimension,] the system explained.
"Oh. Neat," Lancer muttered. He stretched his shoulders, focusing on the wings he had absorbed earlier. They sprouted from his back, crackling with electric energy, thanks to Storm Surge.
"Alright, time to fly," he said, crouching slightly before kicking off the ground. A deafening sonic boom echoed as he tore through the air, heading east toward the coast.
Flying felt great! The wind in his hair and the stunning view it provided. The Atherian forest stretched on endlessly to the west, and the east looked like a barren land the closer he got to the coast. He still confirmed there were no humans on the coastline as he headed there. Creating the Chimera and now using Storm Surge was taking a toll on his mana reserves, but thanks to Mana Regeneration, it was inconsequential.
Soon the sea came into view. Back on Earth, he had only seen the ocean once, but the view had been nothing compared to this. The sparkling blue-green water was mesmerizing. He touched down next to the water and enjoyed the salty scent before getting to work. He scanned the beach for any quartz-like mineral and was happily surprised to find the sand looked like it had a similar structure. He absorbed a lot of it.
However, the system interjected, saying it had found some metallic elements nearby. He soon found a large rock and, according to the system, it had a variety of metals within. He figured it couldn't hurt to bring it back with him. He had thought it would take him a while to do what he came to do, but it seemed he was done.
He was ready to head back, but first, he turned to the sea, mouth watering. He had to get some fish. No offense to the villagers, but he was sick of eating mystery meat every day. Sure, there was a wide variety, but you just couldn't get that fish flavor on land. He asked the system to scan for any edible fish within the water. He figured that even if they were poisonous, he had poison resistance, not to mention Atomic Reconstruction to detoxify the meat.
Catching the fish was pretty easy considering all he had to do was put his hand in the water and let Venomous Touch do the rest. He had now gotten a good haul that he could distribute in the village after a while. He decided to roast a couple before heading back. Luckily, it seemed this world had some common elements with the Earth he was familiar with. It just happened the rock he had absorbed earlier had some potassium. Perfect for creating matches.
He soon had a fire roaring and fish roasting. He let Typhon out for a bit and gave him some of the fish he was eating. They were enjoying the meal when Typhon turned around and started growling.