GodHogu (Endurance Grind 1/2)
Crunch.
The moment I shoved the heart into my mouth, the tough muscle fibers resisted my teeth. I took a big bite and tore into it. Crunch. Then I chewed like a savage. Squelch, squelch. As chunks of the heart ripped apart, thick, dark red slime filled my mouth.
Ugh... this is the worst.
The first taste was pure iron. It zapped my tongue like an electric shock. Right after, a bitter herbal tang stabbed the back of my throat, like I'd chewed medicine. Really, the worst...
The inside of the heart was slick and soft, but the muscle fibers writhed like they were alive. Squelch, squelch. Finally, after grinding it all down and swallowing, my palate went numb and the tip of my tongue started to tingle.
That's when the pain hit, right after I'd eaten about half the heart. And with it came the hallucinations. My vision twisted, the air reeked of blood. The funny thing was, my mind stayed sharp amid it all. Even with my eyes closed, it felt like hundreds of eyeballs had sprouted on my head. Crackle. Blisters bubbled up across my skin. My whole body itched and throbbed. I welcomed the pain gladly. The worse it hurt, the better the ability I'd get—that's what I believed.
'More... hurt more...!'
When I'd eaten the rag golem fragments, it started with stomach cramps and drowsiness. This time, no sleep came. Too agonizing to sleep—that's more accurate. Fuck. Ing. Hell.
"...Shit. Fuck."
I felt like I was dying.
"Ugh... uh... mm."
I groaned like I had a brutal flu. My mind was a mess. I'd doze off, wake up, repeat. Crunch. Crackle. I kept hearing my skin splitting. It echoed from inside before it reached my ears. Hallucination? Auditory illusion? Or real? Along my flesh, the outer layer of skin slowly cracked open. I heard it peeling. The blisters swelled worse, but didn't burst. They grew to their limit, then dried and crusted. Like tiny turtle shells forming on my skin. My eyes were still shut, but I knew. I could feel it.
'...Aaaah.'
Soon my whole body itched madly. The more I scratched, the worse it got. After clawing for ages, it went from itch to outright pain. Scales flaked across every inch of skin. They hardened into protrusions. My flesh didn't feel like mine anymore. I'd never sensed my body hardening so vividly. A tough, gray film spread like scales, etching patterns into my skin one by one.
"Uh, uh, uh."
A groan slipped out unbidden. Then I must've blacked out briefly.
───.
When I came to, the pain had ebbed.
...Is it over?
"...Hoo."
I chugged water, swallowed bread, and checked my body. No visible changes. I used Insight on myself. Next to my heart, a red mass: Fragment of Immortality. Nothing else special. No status window updates.
'The status window only shows abilities after they've activated once...'
An ability had formed, no doubt. But what kind? No clue.
'Guess I gotta spend money after all.'
To fight Orkan, I needed to know my tools. Can't strategize without knowing my arsenal.
'...There's a way.'
After the black orb fiasco, gallery searches revealed Identification Paper. Proper name: Rune Crystal Scroll. Gallery folks called it Rune Scroll for short. Some said Grid Paper, Pattern Sheet, Ability Recognition Paper... whatever.
'Not the point right now.'
Rune Crystal Scrolls sold at auction: 500 gold for a pack of three. Usually for checking black orb powers. But use on yourself? Reveals all your abilities in detail.
I scraped together pocket change and bought a pack.
Rune Crystal Scroll x3
Vrrring. A hologram appeared in midair, delivering the scrolls. Thin rolls wrapped in cloth. I recalled gallery usage tips. Overlaid one on my body and tore it.
Riiip.
Light particles spilled out, dusting over me like glittering motes, sinking into my skin. Then, glowing text floated up.
Digestion Ability
Poison Immunity: Zombie
Fragment of Immortality
Basilion Shell
Insight
I checked them one by one.
───────
Enhanced digestion improves absorption rate of all ingested matter.
The first line matched my expectations. But it listed limits I didn't know.
Upon ingesting a special entity, absorbs and digests the single most superior ability from that entity.
Duplicate absorption from the same species impossible; activates once per species.
Digestion process involves extreme pain; failure causes total bodily tissue collapse and death.
*Absorbed abilities are fully internalized.
"...Failure means death?"
First time hearing that. No wonder the agony... My neck prickled suddenly.
'...Fuck. Every bite was a life-or-death gamble.'
I swallowed hard and checked the sub-abilities.
Complete immunity to toxins from zombie-line infectees.
Zombie poison immunity, as expected. But more details.
Infection pathogens do not propagate, mutate, or decay tissues, nor impair bodily functions.
Limited to zombie-line toxins via specialized antibody response; weakens general immune system.
*No resistance to other toxin types.
The weakened general immunity part.
"No wonder I've felt off lately."
Zombie immunity's fault? "...Hoo." I turned to the next.
A 'core' forms deep in the body. As long as the core persists, the body repeats near-infinite self-repair, recovering from dismemberment or destruction.
Repair consumes internal energy; depletion halts repair and spikes death risk.
*Core nearly undetectable externally; destruction causes instant death.
Fragment of Immortality, as expected. Core intact: self-repair monster. Core gone: dead.
"......"
I rubbed where the core was, then looked away. Now, the basilisk heart ability.
For a duration, portions of the body's outer layer petrify, absorbing or nullifying external impacts.
Triggered by basilisk-derived genetic fragments; petrified areas temporarily numb.
Auto-activates as passive shield against strong physical/magical hits.
*Prolonged use may halt sensory feedback or cause extreme fatigue.
The itching and flaking? This ability's doing.
'...A defense power, huh.'
Knowing the info helped. Focusing on my right hand activated it—gray stone spread.
Crackle.
Visibly tougher, gray sheen.
'Deactivating's easy too.'
Like using Insight. Not thrilled with a defense ability, but practical and user-friendly.
'Wanted something offensive...'
A one-shot killer. Defense is useful, sure. Still disappointing. Finally, Insight.
Reads target's internals, flows, muscle tension, micro-movements.
Works on nearby lifeforms; aids combat analysis—attack prediction, evasion timing, vital exposure.
Prolonged use increases fatigue.
*Accuracy depends on user's focus and line of sight.
'Insight's the most versatile.'
Minimal risk too. Earned through action, maybe why. Now I knew my full kit—plus Digestion Ability's risks. No goblin sub-abilities? Goblins aren't "special" entities. Makes sense.
* * * * *
I reviewed my hand.
Digestion Ability, Insight, Fragment of Immortality, Basilion Shell, Zombie Poison Immunity.
'Can this bridge the gap?'
Combat Index 923 vs 20,000... Obvious.
'Not enough.'
This was all-in on a full house against a straight flush. Unless the opponent was a total moron, no win.
*****
Next day. Layer reset still pending—no monsters. I observed the boss room from afar. Insight showed Orkan hunkered in his sanctuary.
"...Hopeless bastard."
As expected. Dodging his eyes? Tough.
'Gotta plan for a fight.'
Worst case. But too early to quit.
'At least leave a scar.'
I wandered the 100th floor, memorizing terrain. Orkan's sweep made it easier.
'Burn advantageous spots into my brain.'
Key areas, repeated mentally. This trivia could save my life later.
Then reality hit—power gap. What's the point...? His massive axe was a blur; even his discarded ones were heavy to swing.
Needed a fundamental fix. Something to close our core gap.
'Way to power up short-term?'
No monsters. Hunting capped out.
"......"
Frustrated, I rechecked my cards.
[Digestion Ability]
[Insight]
[Fragment of Immortality]
[Poison Immunity: Zombie]
[Basilion Shell]
And—Gallery.
"Gallery, gallery..."
Begging only option? Recalled plastering pleas after 102nd—bad reactions.
'Not that...'
Tried whispering Goinmul. "Impossible in this region."
Geomseong too—still blocking whispers.
'What now...'
Pondered long. Only one way: Beg. But smartly. Package as sponsorship, not pity. Noble struggle for survival. Twist to live. Somehow...
'Layer Record... what would he do?'
Gallery still buzzed about me. Incoming whispers disrupted—enabled block.
That's when it hit.
"Oh."
A spark. Could it work? Must work. It will. Even partial success? Jackpot.
*****