Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Chapter 33 Father
The authority of gods and Demon Kings was something that became more profound and interesting the more I dealt with it.
The mechanism of power itself was on a different dimension from ordinary abilities, and just the attempt to handle it felt like my understanding of energy was endlessly deepening.
I was definitely training like crazy to get used to the new ability called Transcendence Limitless Path, but oddly enough, the part that showed results was somewhere else entirely.
[Dawn Divine Art's level increases.]
[Dawn Divine Art's proficiency has reached maximum.]
[Dawn Divine Art's new effect is unlocked.]
As Dawn Divine Art reached great accomplishment, following Demon Core, Demon Body, Demon Veins, Divine Demon Qi, Hellfire, and Immortality, the final ability was unlocked.
⑦ Predation:
The source that allowed Demon God Baal to become the strongest Demon King. Can devour what you directly kill and steal some of the potential they possessed in life. The more potential absorbed, the greater the possibility of manifesting new abilities.
'Baal-seonsaengnim... just how far will you go in giving...?'
It didn't end there.
[Dawn Divine Art merges with the methods by which beings beyond specification handle energy, melding into a single mental cultivation technique.]
[Please name the new mental cultivation technique.]
Even the gifts from other masters melted into Dawn Divine Art, opening new horizons even in mental cultivation techniques.
I could only be truly grateful to the masters who generously shared everything for their disciple's growth.
The new mental cultivation technique handled the mana of domination the same way, but now it contained too many possibilities and too much power to remain as simple Dawn.
"Infinite Heavenly Light Divine Art"
A mental cultivation technique containing light that advances endlessly, surpassing dawn. This was the new name for Dawn Divine Art.
I immediately checked the information.
[Infinite Heavenly Light Divine Art (Lv1): A martial art created when new concepts were added to the mental cultivation technique that a heaven-sent fool created through countless experiments and corrections, partially imitating Demon God Baal.
The flow of energy is the most heterogeneous, fastest, and most dangerous among all existing mental cultivation techniques, making it absolutely unusable without expert-level internal energy control.
A martial art crafted to fit only Han Yeong-min's body, which others cannot learn.
① Inheritance:
Inherits all abilities that Dawn Divine Art previously possessed and further enhances their performance.
② Infinite Transformation:
Can change into any form of energy other than mana. The energy transforms into the most optimized form according to the ability being handled.
③ Limitless:
The more new forms of energy are imitated and learned, the more the mana itself evolves endlessly in quality. The more evolution is repeated, the more powerful the converted energy becomes.]
Unfortunately, unlike Dawn Divine Art, new abilities weren't unlocked each time the level rose, but honestly, hoping for that much would have been unconscionable.
'I should be grateful just for the abilities being inherited.'
Since Dawn Divine Art had a total of 7 abilities, it was practically no different from a mental cultivation technique with 9 abilities.
Especially the two newly acquired abilities were exactly what I needed most right now.
They would boast perfect compatibility with Transcendence Limitless Path, which would become my main technique going forward. It was an effect that scratched exactly where I itched.
Transcendence Limitless Path was definitely a cheat-like ability, but by itself it had one slightly ambiguous point.
Being able to mimic the authority of gods and Demon Kings was very attractive, but since what I implemented was my mana rather than their power, some defects were inevitable.
Whether abilities would be downgraded, or perfect implementation would be impossible.
But when Infinite Heavenly Light Divine Art's Infinite Transformation was added here, implementation close to the original form became truly possible.
"Since they were made through similar processes, the synergy is excellent."
Both Infinite Heavenly Light Divine Art and Transcendence Limitless Path weren't products of mere coincidence, created by accident.
The paths I had walked thus far directly created the paths I needed to advance on going forward.
So abilities were born in a form where they complemented each other without any conflicting parts, each filling what the other lacked.
'Something feels empty though...'
Even in the moment of rejoicing over obtaining a new ability following Transcendence Limitless Path and the fact that I could become stronger in the future, I was thinking of someone.
"...I miss Estelle. At times like this, there should be someone next to me making a fuss."
If this had been the 1st round tutorial, the moment I created such amazing abilities, Estelle would have appeared beside me and made every possible fuss.
-Player Han Yeong-min, just how did you do it? An ability that can mimic the authority of gods and Demon Kings?
-You can even imitate the form of energy? A human like you can mimic their divinity or demonic nature?
-Really, you as a person... just how far will you surprise me? As expected of my disciple. Even after you succeed later, never forget. Who your master is.
"PUHUP..."
Just imagining that scene made laughter burst out, and I even had the illusion that her voice was actually playing.
'You're watching, right?'
I know that even though we can't meet, she's watching me in the tutorial.
She said we could meet again when I reach the 11th floor of the Tower, so when that time comes, she'll make all the fuss I couldn't hear now all at once.
I was already planning to enter right away, but now I had one more reason to hurry into the Tower.
"Should I try using Predation properly for once?"
Baal's source - devouring directly killed opponents and stealing their potential. Since I had also obtained that power, there was no reason not to use it.
I summoned the weakest monsters, Goblins, one by one, methodically killing them and trying to use Predation.
Fortunately, it wasn't an ability where I had to eat with my own mouth, and the energy of Infinite Heavenly Light Divine Art took care of the devouring.
‘If it had been an ability where I had to eat directly, things like cannibalism would have been absolutely impossible.’
'So this is how it works?'
After devouring Goblins, I could gain many potentials like their methods of hiding, setting traps, and ways of handling females that I didn't particularly want to know about.
Of course, this didn't mean I could handle them at an expert level or anything - I had literally just gained the potential, so developing it was my role.
Just gaining the potential raised my ceiling higher, so there was no reason not to use Predation.
Wondering if I could use Predation on the same target multiple times, I summoned another Goblin, but even after killing it and using Predation, no new potential was generated.
'That wouldn't make sense anyway.'
If that were the case, it would mean I could develop specific abilities to expert level through Predation alone. It was right that it didn't work.
Having confirmed it didn't work, I immediately began devouring all the monsters that could be summoned in the tutorial - Orcs, Ratmen, Lizardmen, Ogres, and so on.
My potential gradually expanded, and in the process, I sometimes obtained new abilities.
[Trait: Monstrous Strength (B) acquired.]
Surprised, I immediately checked the information.
[Monstrous Strength (B): A trait born to monsters with naturally strong power.
① Monster's Strength:
Receives high-level correction to Strength stat.]
It seemed to have happened because I had stolen the potential of many strong monsters like Orcs, Ogres, and Trolls.
I had become a being who could even obtain traits that were only permitted to monsters.
Excited, I absorbed the potential of even more monsters.
After absorbing the potential of all monsters in the tutorial except for the avatars, the traits obtained from monsters merged into one within me.
[The potential held by all types of monsters melts into a single trait.]
[Trait: Myriad Fierce Beast (S) acquired.]
'Something feels strange...?'
Myriad Fierce Beast. The name itself wasn't a modifier that should be attached to humans.
With an uneasy feeling, I checked the information.
[Myriad Fierce Beast (S): A terrible monster born from the mixture of potential possessed by all types of monsters. Characterized by the ability to accept anything.
① Demon Mixed Body:
A monster's body containing the characteristics of all monsters. Receives the highest level correction to all stats and body recovery speed.
② Demon King:
One who is feared even by monsters. Heterogeneous races of lower rank than the owner feel fear the moment they face them, and in severe cases, they may even submit voluntarily.
③ Retainer Transformation:
Can make those who completely submit to the owner into retainers. Retainers become stronger by sharing some of the owner's abilities and can be placed in subspace. The size of the subspace is proportional to the number of retainers.
④ Super Adaptation Body:
A body that can accept anything. Absorbs beneficial things with the maximum efficiency the body allows, and immediately creates resistance to harmful things, turning them into nutrients.]
'...I'm not a Demon King, really. Seriously.'
Now I even had abilities to make monsters submit and command retainers.
These were abilities that didn't suit a good citizen like me.
Still, I couldn't let the ability I'd finally obtained rot, so I summoned a Goblin, but the creature that should have been hostile to me gave up even attacking and bowed its head to the ground with a THUD.
'I'd rather you attack...'
I didn't want to receive this kind of worship. I tried to make it a retainer, but whether it was impossible with tutorial monsters, the retainer transformation didn't proceed.
It was probably a system restriction.
Though disappointing, creating an army of retainers in the tutorial wouldn't make sense anyway, so I accepted it.
I left that one to be reverse-summoned on its own, and now it was time to taste the main dish - the avatars.
'Masters... thank you again today for giving your disciple daily bread.'
Before summoning, I first offered a prayer of gratitude toward them.
Masters who were like light and salt, who after creating abilities and mental cultivation techniques for me, still had burdens on their hearts and now willingly offered even their potential.
Today too, I worship you, GOAT.
Unlike usual, I summoned them one by one calmly and tasted them with a reverent heart.
Though they might be lacking compared to the main bodies, the potential each avatar possessed was tremendous.
[Infinite Heavenly Light Divine Art's level increases.]
[Transcendence Limitless Path's level increases.]
Perhaps because my body had become close to a Demon King due to Infinite Heavenly Light Divine Art, with the Demon Kings I only gained proficiency in authority, but the gods were different.
After devouring all the avatars of the highest-grade gods, I could feel a new trait sprouting within me.
[Noble potential settles in your blood.]
[Trait: Divine Blood (S) acquired.]
As if those beings had accepted me as their child, noble blood began flowing through me.
"Should I call them father now...?"
It would have been words that would make the gods truly go crazy and jump around if they heard, but fortunately no one heard.