I opened the portal for my father to leave, then retrieved two Fruits of Rebirth. The Rebirth Tree had borne a stunning number of fruits—something only possible because of the special soil.
Even my other vegetation had started to change. Some alien plants were beginning to generate mana.
A sign.
She was growing too.
Gramps raised one eyebrow. He could sense the vitality.
"What surprise is this again?"
I sat down across from him.
"This is for you, Gramps. Your body needs to be in peak condition."
"My boy, you spoil your grandfather too much."
He smiled.
Then, without hesitation, he ate the first fruit whole. It was the largest.
During my tests, I noticed these fruits didn't fall naturally from the tree—not even when ripe. They were either willingly given by the tree… or harvested manually.
"This one was the biggest so far," I said quietly.
He entered a meditative state almost instantly. His body began to float, silently. No pressure. No presence. Just vanishing.
Unreal.
"The people of this world… are truly monsters."
My thoughts drifted.
If humans here are capable of this… have they achieved space travel?
That possibility shocked me.
He flickered in and out of existence. Like he was here and not here at the same time.
Then a thought struck me.
"If one can complete the Odama life cycle… can one obtain complete vanishing?"
Does that mean there are humans capable of removing themselves entirely from reality?
I stood there, stunned. My eyes widened.
A cold realization hit me.
"Gramps… you are unlike anything I've ever seen."
I turned and walked toward my library.
I poured mana into my ring. My vision blurred—and shifted. I was taken into the ring space, where a massive mountain of corpses was piled high.
Without hesitation, I reached out and began to devour the first body.
*LV 40 Shadow Cat devoured.*
+1 Origin
*Shadow Assimilation gained.*
*Shadow Assimilation:* The user gains the ability to merge with shadows.
I gained origin.
I continued to eat, slowly, while more notifications flooded my mind:
+20 Mana
+10 Agility
+12 Strength
+8 Dexterity
+1 Origin
+1 Origin
+1 Origin
*Predator's Grace gained*
*Phantom Pact gained*
*Echo Steps gained*
*Predator's Grace:* Enters a heightened predatory state. All senses are sharpened.
*Phantom Pact:* Summons a spectral version of the user. Duration: 60 seconds.
*Echo Step:* Every movement creates a ghostly copy that mimics the user's delayed actions.
These are impressive skills.
This would take a lot of time.
I began organizing the corpses into stacks. Starting with the goblins we killed earlier, I synthesized their bodies all at once.
From the center, they where wrapped into a cocoon. They thrashed around in it as if they were alive.
*Emerald Hive Abomination*
The name hovered over its head. Its skin darkened into a rich, mossy green—like wet stone overgrown with cursed ivy. The surface of its flesh looked less like skin and more like pulsing bark, veined with faint glimmers of emerald light.
It stood massive—towering, hunched, almost ogre-sized—but broader in the shoulders, like a mountain that had learned how to move.
Across every inch of its body, tattoos writhed.
Not painted. Not inked. Branded.
Living glyphs stitched into its flesh some jagged, some swirling each one glowing faintly, pulsing. Symbols of swarms. Arcane hive markings, etched in a forgotten tongue of genetic manipulation.
I have a greater plan for this specimen, I set it aside.
I fused the remaining corpses. The aura that emerged was unreal—a chaotic mixture of beasts. But one thing stood out:
Those with the strongest genes.
There was a scaled wolf-type with a humanoid frame. Another a small creature shaped like a ferret—stood out for its wings.
Ten beasts in total, each brimming with raw, unnatural power.
I didn't hesitate.
I devoured them.
Then the system responded.
+50 physic.
+30 strength.
+10 Origin
+10 Origin
+10 Origin
+10 Origin
+10 Origin
+10 Origin
+10 Origin
*Black Fang gained*
*Echo Memory Strike gained*
*Moonlit Howl gained*
*Echo Call gained*
*Black Fang:* Bites target and injects a slow-acting venom. Reduces movement speed by 20% for 6 seconds. Single target only.
*Echo Memory Strike:* Mimics the last damage done to the user. Next basic attack copies enemy's last move at 50% power.
*Moonlit Howl:* User howls beneath moonlight or spiritual energy. Increases attack power and movement speed by 10% for 20 seconds. Cooldown: 45 seconds. Bonus effects at night.
*Echo Call:* Emits a sonar-like sound wave that senses all nearby movement.
These skills are insane… but they're starting to get out of hand. Ugh. What a pain.
"Inerous. I have an assignment for you."
"Yes, Master."
"I need you to deduce 60 ways to utilize all my current skills. By nightfall, I want them downloaded into my brain."
"I hope you can handle that."
*Master… you look down on me,* she replied.
Her voice cut off—calm and confident.
Then I checked my origin reserves.
Origin: 97
Only 3 more to reach the next milestone.
I consumed one of the three remaining corpses.
+3 Origin
+30 Mana
*Tempest Spiral gained*
*Tempest Spiral:Creates a spinning upward spiral of wind that lifts enemies into the air.
Element: Wind.*
Then the system echoed in my mind:
*Breakthrough requirements met.*
*Do you wish to proceed?*