Vergil plunged his dagger repeatedly into its flesh, again and again. Wet squish, spatter, slosh, blood sprayed across his clothes, even streaking his face yet he didn't care.
His grip only tightening. Yet his arm trembled from the strain. Each stab cost him more breath, yet he knew that stopping meant death.
Only carving deeper, tearing through the oversized thing's muscles and tissue with a savage rhythm.
The beast thrashed violently, as it let out an ear-piercing screeeech. One eye hung. Now ruined with blood streaking down its skull; yet it refused to falter against its foe. Its defiance burning even brighter.
"Damn that passive skill," Vergil muttered, forcing his breathing to become steady. Feeling the stubborn resistance of Hardened Hide. Its body flared with raw instinct as it refused to submit to paralysis creeping in.
A sharp, resonating cry echoed through the crumbling hall, louder than the rest from the OverVermin. Reinforcements were coming.
"Tch. I need to finish this now."
The beast lunged forward, a blur of ragged fur and exposed tissue, Vergil rolled aside. Dust puffing in the air, as the hulking frame barreled past. He leapt to counter but was too slow.
CRACK!
Its thick tail lashed him across the chest with a whap, lifting him off his feet and slamming him into the cracked stone wall. The stone groaned. Dust exploded, choking his lungs, as he collapsed, gasping.
Pain bloomed across his ribs. His lungs screamed with each breath, the edges of his eyes seeing black, yet he gritted his teeth.
And then he saw it.
Its limbs trembled. Movements slowed. The hind leg buckled slightly under its weight with each movement.
'The paralysis is kicking in.
Not immediate… but it's working.'
Vergil's resolve surged, activating Evasive Sprint and blurring past its desperate swipes. Each strike met only air as if he ghosted around it, dagger flashing and slicing at already weakened joints and its exposed nerves. Blood spurted with each precise cut.
He targeted the joints, the already exposed flesh and nerve clusters already softened by poison. More blood sprayed with each strike.
Yet the OverVermin fought with a primal stubbornness. Its pride not allowing it to back down.
In a frenzy, it charged at him. Too fast for him to dodge.
BOOM!
Its massive frame pinned Vergil against a cracked pillar. The stone groaned at the weight. Air burst from his lungs. Pain lanced through his chest. Warm, coppery blood filled his mouth as he spat. Vision swimming, as he struggled against the weight.
His arm trapped. His dagger useless. The beast only pressed harder, intent on crushing him to death.
Vergil bared his teeth, opening wide.
"Then… damn it, fine!" Vergil snarled, half-crazed from pain. Instinct took over as he lunged forward, jaw snapping like a cornered beast as he sunk his teeth into the creature. The taste was vile, bile rising in his throat, but his body moved before his mind caught up.
The OverVermin shrieked, convulsing. The venom from his bite surged into its bloodstream, aiding the paralysis. Its strength began to falter. Its stance wavering. Finally, with a sickening thud, it collapsed.
Silence.
Vergil staggered back, panting. Sweat, grime and blood coated him. He wiped his mouth, spitting pieces of flesh, and smirked.
[You have gained 1 level.]
Vergil staggered, panting. Sweat, grime and blood soaked his clothes, as he wiped his bloody mouth. His body trembled, not from pain but from a strange satisfaction he couldn't name.
Staring at the corpse, noth with truimph but disbelief that it was finally still. "You... really dont know... when to die, do you" He muttered hoarsely.
Then a familiar panel appeared:
[Status Effect: Minor Infection]
[Infection is being partially resisted due to the passive skill: Weak Toxin Resistance.]
"Oh, come on." Vergil muttered. Rats were dirty. But this one was a walking biohazard.
Now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
He straightened, cracking his neck and raised his bloodstained hand to the corpse.
"Let's see what you're worth."
'Authority of Predation'
The corpse twitched. Then—
Crunch. Crack. Rrrip.
Flesh tore and bones splintered. The mouths consumed it. Skin and organs vanished, leaving only the remains of bones.
[User has gained:
Strength +5
Constitution +4
Intuition +1]
[New Passive Skills have been Acquired:]
Lesser Pack Leader (F)
Survival Instincts (F)
Hardened Hide (E-)
[New Active Skills have been Acquired:]
Feral Bite (F)
Feral Charge (F)
Tail Smack (F-) [Unusable]
Adrenaline Surge (E-)
The power of the OverVermin flowed through him, Vergil staggered as he clenched his fists. The feeling was the same as last time. A sense of ecstasy. He knew it wasn't good, yet it urged for more.
[Detected unusable skill: Tail Smack.]
[Would you like to convert this skill into proficiency points?]
Vergil's brow furrowed.
"That's a new function."
"What does it mean?"
[Proficiency points accelerate skill growth. Currently, 'Evasive Sprint' at 5%, 'Endurance' 20% before next rank (E). Most skills can grow only 1–2 ranks before reaching their limit.]
He frowned, still wiping blood from his face.
"So I can merge skills now."
His eyes gleamed with quiet intensity, curious of the many possibilities.
[Only same-rank skills upgradeable. Sacrifice 'Tail Smack' (F) → F-rank evolution points for F-rank or lower skills.]
"Good system," he muttered.
[Hey don't call me that.]
Despite the chaos and brutality, it was a very fruitful day.
Pocketing the glowing Astralyth Crystal, he retrieved the half-used healing potion and poured it all over his wounds.
The viscous liquid met his skin, melting into the wounds. His teeth gritted as the wounds closed.
I'll clear the remaining rats with the bow. There's already over 20 normal and 5 guards. But not in my current condition.
Vergil exhaled, his wounds now closed yet the pain lingered.
"System, convert Tail Smack."
[Conversion complete: 10 F-rank evolution points have been added.]
"Explain Hardened Hide's effects."
[Slightly toughens your skin and gives minor resistance to blunt and slash attacks.]
Vergil flexed a hand, feeling the subtle difference in his skin's resistance.
'Not bad for a passive.'
His mind wandered back to the system's advice. He had gained twenty F-rank crystals, which was more than enough. And one F+ rank crystal.
Wouldn't it be better to use a higher-rank crystal instead?
[I do not recommend it. Without a mana heart, it would damage your body.]
Vergil frowned.
Right. The librarian did mention that.
He recalled the librarian's explanation of the 4 types of mana hearts.
1. Pure Core – stable, efficient but low mana capacity.
2. Crystallized Core – exceptional storage, however inflexible during mana use.
3. Pulsing Core – flexible, self-repairing, hybrid-friendly, prone to overload when using too much mana.
4. Runic Core – precise, ritual-formed, slow-growing, but vulnerable to anti-magic.
'The Pulsing Core fits me best. I'm more of a fighter. I'll need flexibility more than raw power.'
'But for now, I need to rest.'
Vergil found shelter on a broken rooftop, hidden behind a crumbling wall. With his back against the stone and stars above, he drifted to sleep.
The first golden light crept across the ruined skyline as his eyes snapped open.
His body now in a better condition, the pain now dulled thanks to the potion.
That potion really pulled its weight. But I'm recovering faster on my own too.
Below, rats scurried in the streets. Without their leader, they were nothing but prey.
He reached for his bow.
'I won't be able to gain more stats, but I can still steal their skills.'
Licking his lips, he drew an arrow and took aim. His form still that of an amateur but was improving.
Thunk!
It pierced the rat's skull. Each dropping with each shot.
From the shadows, five Guard Rats emerged, drawn by the commotion.
Vergil narrowed his eyes.
He loosed an arrow at the nearest, straight into its eye. It dropped, still twitching before drawing its last breath.
The others shrieked and charged at him.
He shot again. Another fell—arrow lodged in its throat.
[User has leveled up.]
Vergil ignored.
The remaining three were closing fast.
He dropped the bow, unsheathing his dagger in a flash. As the first rat lunged, Vergil sidestepped and slashed its throat clean, blood misting the air.
The last two flanked him.
He activated Feral Charge—his body surged forward in a blur.
The second rat leapt—too slow. Vergil ducked under, drove his dagger upward, and shattered its spine mid-air.
The last rat halted in its track, trembling.
Vergil lunged. One hand caught its head—
—and with a brutal twist, snapped its neck like a twig.
Then they were Predated.
'Authority of Predation' Activated.
[Skills Acquired
Night Prowl (F)
Venomous Fang (F)
Blood Scent (F)]
Vergil licked his lips. A satisfied chuckle escaped his mouth.
As expected—no stats, but their skills are mine now.
Twenty rats yielded eight skills. Five were unusable and were converted into F-rank and F-rank evolution points. The usable ones were Lesser Physical Resistance and Hunger Resistance both at (F-).
He made his way to the abandoned building where the OverVermin's remains were held, dropping the crystals to the ground. Clink. Each one made a satisfying noise.
"This will do."
He took a breath.
"System—what's the method you were going on about?"
[Use your Authority of Predation to consume the crystals.]
Vergil blinked. "You want me to eat them with my mouth?"
[Not physically. Predation consumes everything that contains 'power' including these crystals.]
He didn't hesitate and activated Predation. Ethereal, fanged mouths shimmered into existence from his palm, descending upon the crystals, devouring them.
One by one, the crystals were devoured, their energy rushing into Vergil like a tidal wave.
Pain exploded in his chest. His body began convulsing. For a moment, he couldn't tell if he was breathing or burning. He clawed at the ground, half-blind, forcing the rhythm the book described through sheer instinct. If he lost focus for even a second, he would die.
The power rampaged within him, tearing through his veins, scorching muscle, ripping balance from his limbs.
He fell to one knee, gasping.
No. I won't break here.
Through the chaos, he focused—falling into the breathing rhythm taught by the book.
Inhale – draw the energy toward his forming core.
Exhale – compress.
Inhale – focus.
Exhale – refine.
The energy lashed out like a wild beast. But instead of resisting, Vergil moved with it and redirected, guiding, breathing it into order.
Slowly, painfully, the tide obeyed him.
Then a pulse echoed through his body.
A beat. Then a rhythm. Then finally a core. A heart.
[System Notification: Growth-Type Mana Heart Formed – Pulsing Core Achieved.]
Vergil collapsed, gasping. His core felt alive inside of him. The mana flowed through his veins with each beat of his heart.
Another notification then appeared.
[Pulsing Core Traits have been unlocked]
[Self-Regenerating Mana Flow, Reduces the depletion of mana through passive cycling in the body.]
[Pulse Regulation, Enhances mana efficiency when in use.]
Vergil clenched his fists. His mana responded instantly, humming beneath his skin.
This core doesn't just contain power. It consumes it. And it grows...
A small shaking smile formed on his lips.
"This is what Predation... truly is." And it frightened him how natural it felt.
.
[You have gained: Basic Mana Sensitivity (F), Mana Manipulation (F). These will evolve alongside your heart.]
"System," Vergil said gasping, voice raw. "Show me my new mana heart."
[Pusling core. Current rank- F
Growth potential- EX
Beneath the users actual heart. A living mana organ created by the Authority of Predation. Unlike other cores which are static and need the user to manually activate. The Pulsing core has become dynamic. A living entity, that has evolved to actively refine ambient mana in the space around the user and circulate it with each beat and accelerates the natural recovery when resting.