Kill Me and Take This Body
The fog is thick. I thought I would die if I inhaled it... but in truth, I felt nothing. Thanks to the Black Serpent's Bracelet, I am almost completely immune to the attacks of my own summons. I stepped into the mist as if I were strolling through a peaceful forest. The dragons, realizing that this fog is absurdly dangerous, are all avoiding it. Now, it’s just me, Apophis, and that disobedient Golden Dragon. The rest are all corpses that have already died.
Corpses are quiet. They don't speak. For some reason, my own heart feels like it’s sinking into a peaceful slumber. Perhaps because of the fog, my mind keeps loosening, becoming tranquil... 'Hmm... the Dragon King’s child is over there... even inside the fog, it’s flashing so brightly...'
As I drew closer to where Apophis was, the screams of the Golden Dragon, wailing while scattering lightning, grew louder.
"Kuaaaa!! Let go!!! I said let go!!!! This is my body!! Is there no one here!! Help me!! Kiaaaa!!!"
Whether Apophis had possessed it halfway, the beast was fighting its own right hand. The sight of it battling itself, like someone suffering from Alien Hand Syndrome, was incredibly ridiculous, but there was so much blood splattered everywhere that I couldn't bring myself to laugh.
'Even the dragons aren't coming here... Have they decided not to make any more sacrifices? A wise choice...'
In the beginning, it seemed like the dragons flew in quite a bit to save the Dragon King’s child... but now, not a single one was flying near this area. The fog-covered spot felt like it had been separated from the battlefield entirely.
'If I get any closer, I feel like I’ll die for nothing...'
I decided to stick to my original plan and just loot the corpses. It would be rude to interfere while they’re busy playing with each other. I’m a man who knows his manners.
'Oh! Here’s a core... and oh, the heart hasn't melted yet. This place is a real gold mine... Nice...'
The ground was soaked with the melted corpses and bodily fluids of the dragons, making it feel like I was on a tidal flat experience. As I pulled out the cores and vital organs from the melted dragon carcasses, I felt like a village resident at a fishing port catching live octopuses.
'Since they’re mostly melted... it doesn't take long to dismantle them... nice...'
Because they were half-melted corpses, it only took 30 seconds to a minute to dismantle them. It was much faster than processing an intact one. Of course, it was harder to obtain useful parts, but if the core or heart remained intact, it was half a success. I prioritized picking up the cores and hearts, then swept up the relatively lightweight dragon scales, followed by the dragon skin, claws, and especially the femurs, which are said to be the hardest of the bones. Even so, my bag was filling up fast. It was a shame to leave the meat behind, but I had no choice, right?
'I can reduce the volume with Idea Projection... and then store it in my Stomach Pouch... Wow... am I a genius?'
To come up with such a genius idea. I praised myself and wore a slightly relaxed smile. This fog... it doesn't melt me, but it makes my heart too comfortable. Perhaps the dragons that died here also died this peacefully.
First, I compressed the scattered dragon meat using Idea Projection and then put it into my Stomach Pouch. The weight would remain the same, but since the size would decrease, it would be better to carry.
'The Stomach Pouch didn't have a weight limit... it just needs to be a size that can fit into my mouth...'
The form wouldn't matter. It’s dragon meat, after all; if I can just take it with me, I could boil it, give it to Hellas to make an elixir, or use it in any number of ways. I carefully spat out the screw I had swallowed to soothe my empty stomach at the abandoned hospital. Then, I gathered the unmelted dragon meat with my tentacles and activated Idea Projection to shrink the volume.
-Crackle!!!!
'Still too big... a little more... smaller...'
I had to shrink it to the limit. But because there was so much meat, it didn't compress easily.
"Ugh...!!"
If it doesn't work, I have to make it work. I poured in more mana, and it started to compress further. As I compressed the meat lump to its limit... the color of the meat changed. A sparkling, shining luster... the dragon meat lump had turned into an ore, not meat.
◈ A lunatic gathered flesh from different types of dragons and lumped them together. Consuming it increases two random stats by 100.
◈ Grants resistance to elemental attacks. Taste buds are severely damaged.
◈ Warning: Consuming more than twice will cause internal organs to melt, resulting in death.
"Jackpot."
I just wanted to take the meat, but to think it would become such a hidden item. I really am lucky. 'Ah, it's a jackpot, but... it's still too big...' It still wasn't small enough to fit in my mouth. It was almost the size of a 34-inch monitor. It even weighed over a ton, so I couldn't put it in my bag. But I didn't have time to lick a meat dough of that size here. I had to run away soon. The internal temperature of the central plaza had become too high, making it difficult to breathe.
"Ah... right... that would work..."
A new idea suddenly popped into my head. 'Right... if the meat is too big to fit in my mouth... I just need to make my mouth bigger.'
I used the Seal of Lagal I was wearing. It would be easier to get caught because of the size, but... since I was in the hazy fog Apophis had spread, it wouldn't be easily visible from the outside, so I just needed to eat that quickly and leave.
-Fwoosh!!!!
"Kueeeek..!!!!"
The moment I used the Seal of Lagal, my skin burst open and my size gradually increased. Soon, I grew to the size of a van. Also, wings sprouted on my back, and I could feel the sensation of a tail growing. The sensation of the wings wasn't as awkward as I thought, since I had used the Incomplete Membrane a few times, but the tail was really strange. It felt like an uncontrollable body part had been attached to me. Dogs wag their tails when they feel good... but this one moved on its own, so I couldn't control it. Anyway, having transformed into a brilliant black dragon, I buried my head into the massive dragon dough and took a bite, licking it.
I had turned into a dragon, but my stats didn't increase. They were the same. I had just changed my appearance into a dragon.
'Hmm. It melts when saliva touches it.'
I originally intended to swallow it into my Stomach Pouch, but as I held it half in my mouth and sucked on it, it melted and was absorbed. 'This is still awkward to swallow... I should just eat it quickly here and go.'
I ate it all in less than a minute. If I had tried to eat it with a human mouth, it would have taken over 10 minutes, but maybe because my mouth was big, I could eat it quickly. It even melted and was absorbed into my body, so the weight didn't go straight into my stomach. A feeling of it sublimating and disappearing? After eating all the meat dough, I canceled the transformation. The mana consumption was too high to maintain it any longer.
"Burp... Hmmm..."
Honestly, the taste was a bit mysterious. Should I say it tasted like all sorts of delicacies thrown into a large basin and ground up with a mixer? Like rotten dumpling filling? Pasta? Kimchi? The more I ate, the stranger the taste became.
Agility increases by 100.
Strength increases by 100.
The effect appeared immediately. My body felt incredibly light, and the power behind my punches had increased absurdly. Honestly, at this rate, I might be able to arm-wrestle Ziegfried.
'Calling a person a bizarre predator...'
It seems I even achieved the 'Nightmare of Dragons' achievement, perhaps because I ate over ten types of dragons. Even though I haven't killed a single dragon myself. Then, a new notification appeared.
Agility has reached the human limit.
Strength has reached the human limit.
To grow Agility stat beyond 200, you must change your race.
To grow Strength stat beyond 200, you must change your race.
"Crazy... the human limit is... only 200...?"
Humans are indeed a weak race. However, I am a Half-Human Half-Demon. I have already half-escaped humanity.
Race Confirmed!
Half-Human Half-Demon!
Condition Met!
As the condition was met, my stats broke through 200.
The achievements given the moment my Strength and Agility stats broke through 200. Rolling around on a truly mythical battlefield, I realized that even just eating what falls off makes you stronger. It was worth rolling around hard and licking the ground.
"Ha... Hahaha... Amazing..."
I laughed at the absurd stats. I can't believe a Cultist has broken through 200 in Agility and Strength. Now, I don't need to lift dragon corpses with tentacles anymore. I can burst a person's head with just a punch.
-Crackle...
"Kueeeek....!!"
As my stats increased, my body changed. As Strength and Agility increased by 100 units at once, the change was turbulent. The muscles in my body amplified and compressed further, and small muscles were etched all over my body. A body made by eating cores without exercising... a perfect aesthetic that would make naturals faint. At this point, I could make women swoon with just my body. My appearance must have become even more incredible.
"Insane."
Power is overflowing. I feel like I can do anything now.
'I should head somewhere else soon...'
I got everything I could get here. It would be perfect to go to another battlefield. Should I go to Kyseria's side next? Or maybe Einax's side would be fine too. Since I've gathered quite a few bones and skins, I'll just take the cores from now on.
Just as I was about to run away, a half-dead dragon called out to me.
"Ugh!! You there!! Help me!!!"
The Dragon King's child... I had been caught by the beast. It must have sensed my presence while desperately looking for someone to help it. As expected, the curse of Existence Erasure couldn't avoid that beast's eyes either.
[Hmm... I caught it all... should I give it to you...?]
Then came Apophis's languid voice. She was toying with the Dragon King's child. Judging by the energy, that Dragon King's child was at least as strong as Henry, but perhaps not a monster on Ziegfried's level, which is why it was being toyed with by Apophis. She seemed to have chosen her opponent well. Maybe she chose that beast on purpose to avoid troublesome situations as much as possible? She could take the excuse of catching the Dragon King's child while not having to put in much effort. In a way, she might be the most practical and smartest among the summons I've called out... Kyseria was busy running wild in the fight, and Einax only thought about eating me. As expected, Indikron always called Botamilli a cunning viper... even my summons are cunning.
As I was having such languid thoughts, the Dragon King's child, who had seen through my identity, shrieked.
"Ugh..? Come to think of it, you!!! This!!! If I catch only you, I can go back home!! Come here!!!"
Soon, the beast opened its mouth and fired a breath without any particular process. It seemed Apophis had loosened her grip on the beast slightly.
'Ah...'
I didn't even have time to dodge. I immediately activated the Eye of Mana Decomposition.
"Kueeeup!!!"
The sensation of my eyes burning. I felt the pain of gouging out my pupils with a spoon and pouring molten iron into the gaping holes. My whole body trembled, and my eyes lost their light in the intense flash. Soon, blood tears flowed down, and I heard the sound of my pupils being crushed.
-Chididididk!
"Kueeeuaaaaa....!!!"
-Thud!!!!
My left eye burst.
'Sh, shit... this... my brain feels like it's going to burn..! This crazy..! Only now am I coming to my senses...! What is this fog!! It makes me too comfortable!!!'
Due to the pain beyond imagination, I ended up kneeling on one knee. This is supposed to block the breath, but absurd damage is piling up in my eyes. If my right eye bursts here too, I will melt and die from the breath. I grabbed my temples with both hands and used Rising Flesh. The pain quadrupled. My eyes repeated the cycle of recovering and being destroyed.
"Kueeeek!! Shi-baaaal!!!!!"
"Ugh!! Why won't you die!!!"
Fortunately, the beast's breath stopped just before both eyes burst. I fell onto the floor soaked with dragon blood, feeling pain as if my whole body had been electrocuted.
'Damn... why...'
[You looked a bit dazed... so I did it to wake you up...]
'U, useless kindness...'
I need to get up quickly, but my body won't listen. I thought my resistance to elemental attacks had increased quite a bit after eating the dragon meat dough, but my body was still trembling and complaining of pain. As expected, the Dragon King's child is different...
[Still, thank you... thanks to you, I found an opening...?]
Meanwhile, Apophis had stably entered the body while I was blocking the beast's breath to survive. Seeing her, who could have absorbed it from the beginning but tormented me for no reason, I realized that all my summons have twisted personalities.
"Kueek.... Damn... I.. hate it.. get out..."
[Sleep. Everything will be over while you sleep...]
"Ah.. no.. Father...."
Soon, the consciousness of the Golden Dragon, whose body had been taken, sank. Apophis, who had completely taken over the body.
"Hahaha... this... the sensation of a physical body... it's been a while..."
"Kueeek... Ah, Apophis..."
"Hmm? Ah. Right.. um.. run away now. You've eaten enough. If you get greedy here, it won't end with just a stomachache."
"I can... I can still take more."
I shook off the dust and stood up.
"Really? Then... would you like to take this too?"
"Yes?"
"Come, stab me. Take this body. Instead, my summoning will be canceled, though."
Apophis spread her arms wide. She laughed. She told me to kill her while she was occupying the body. She probably thinks she'll go back and rest after scoring big like this.
'This is... an opportunity that will never come again...'
My bag isn't completely full yet. I am still hungry.