Everything around me became shades of gray, and reality itself had paused. Even Ragna stood frozen mid-motion, eyes fixed on something unseen. The only colorful thing in this world was me and the numbers that appeared above each goblin's corpse, shimmering gently.
The ability to pause the entire world… Even though I myself couldn’t move, wasn’t this beyond mortals? How insane.
[Level 17] [Level 16] [Level 19] [Level 18] [Level 20]
I felt a strange pull toward each of the dead goblins, their bodies outlined with a soft glow. The higher their level, the brighter they shone. Since I could only choose one… My gaze instinctively settled on the Level 20 goblin.
Reaching out, I pointed at the floating text. It twinkled, and immediately, another notification filled my vision.
[Level 20 Goblin Selected. Extracting possible Skills.]
My Status screen changed, showing new options:
[Which Trait do you want to borrow?]
- Quick Shot [D]
- Trap Expert [C]
- Shadow Camouflage [D]
The choices hovered in front of me, patiently awaiting my decision.
I pondered over the choices. Quick Shot sounded weird, and I wasn’t quite sure what it’d achieve. I didn’t have any traps on hand either, so that skill would be useless despite it being the highest ranked. In the end… I chose [Shadow Camouflage], my finger brushing lightly against the option.
[Selected: Shadow Camouflage]
[Osmotic Evolution (D) - Shadow Camouflage.]
[Loading the Trait into your physiology…]
The text glowed for a heartbeat before everything snapped back to normal. Color flooded the world again, and sounds resumed—the rustle of leaves, distant animal cries, and Ragna's steady breathing beside me.
She smiled as the world unpaused, clearly oblivious to everything that happened. Her gaze met mine, her eyes bright with the thrill of our battle. “We move now?”
"Sure. But wait," I said, cutting off whatever she was about to say. "Can you help me try something real quick?"
Ragna tilted her head, curiosity evident. "Sure? What thing?"
Without answering immediately, I walked to a nearby tree, stepping deliberately into the dark shadow cast by its thick trunk. My heart thumped in my chest as I activated my newly borrowed ability.
A chill crawled over my skin, and I felt the shadows wrap around me like a cool cloak.
Ragna blinked, her mouth opening in surprise. Her eyes searched the spot where I stood, clearly struggling to keep track of me. “Huh? Thorvyn...? Your body... it vanish?”
I couldn't help but grin widely. Leaning slightly forward from the darkness, I whispered just loud enough for her to hear, "Success!"
****
The forest atmosphere was thick and humid, with a faint sourness wafting through the dense canopy. Although it was dangerous all around, I found it more likable than the city skyscrapers. I-... hmm.
Not good.
Did I just say I found this better?
Not good. I was getting too affected by these barbaric memories.
I felt scared for a moment. What if I seriously started thinking shitting in a forest full of mosquitoes was better than a five star hotel…? Shaking my head rapidly, Ragna and I trudged through the underbrush, our weapons drawn and our senses on edge.
The goblin ambush earlier had taught me to stay sharp—monsters could pop out from anywhere. We were fine this time, but what about the next one? The one after that? Something was different, though. I felt more at ease. More confident in my abilities.
Ahead, a faint glimmer caught my eye. The sunlight filtering through the trees reflected on something slick, glistening unnaturally in the shadows. “What’s that?” I muttered, stepping closer. Ragna followed, her club resting on her shoulder.
“Slimes,” she said, her voice tinged with annoyance. “But not clean ones. It the filthy little blob ones. Eugh.”
Slimes? The weakest creature in fantasy? I felt relaxed. It couldn’t be that bad. Sure enough, a cluster of slimes oozed out from the shadows, their gelatinous bodies squelching as they moved. It was… gross.
They came in varying shades—blue, green, and even one with a faint red glow at its core. “They look disgusting,” I stared at them in disbelief. “Aren’t these supposed to be beginner-level monsters?”
Ragna chuckled, gripping her club tighter. “Not let their looks fool you, Thorvyn. Look weak, but not weak. These ones nasty. Spit acid.”
As if to emphasize her point, the nearest blue slime quivered before launching a glob of sizzling green liquid straight at us. I barely had time to dodge as it splattered against the ground, leaving a smoking patch of scorched dirt.
“Great. Acid-spitting Jell-O,” I grumbled, raising my ax. “How do we even kill these things? I not think my ax will be effective against blobs?”
“Heh, easy. Watch,” Ragna said, already charging forward. She swung her club in a wide arc, smashing into one of the green slimes. The impact sent it quivering violently, but it merely reformed a second later, its wobbling mass mocking her effort. Her eyes twitched. “...Okay, not so easy.”
“Brilliant plan, Ragna.” I lowered my ax and clapped my hands, staring at her. She shot me an annoyed look.
“What you waiting for? You afraid, white hair?" Ragna taunted, seeing my hesitation.
"No, I'm waiting for my common sense to leave me. Like yours clearly has," I shot back, raising my ax again.
I was a bit too late and received my punishment when another slime launched acid my way, barely avoiding it.
Dammit, was my [Osmotic Evolution (D) - Shadow Camouflage.] of no help? Maybe because they didn’t even have eyes and were probably using some kind of mana sense, it didn’t matter?
I swung my ax instinctively, slicing clean through the blob’s body. But just as I feared, it split into two smaller slimes, each now twice as eager to kill me. “You didn’t mention they multiply!”
Ragna laughed, sidestepping another acid attack. “What the matter, Thorvyn? Afraid of a little goo?”
“Afraid of being dissolved into a puddle, more like,” I shot back, slamming my ax into the smaller slimes. My [Slam] skill activated and increased the impact. My eyes focused on a barely noticeable glow in their body. It was surrounded by the things they had consumed, so I hadn’t noticed them earlier. A core.
I aimed for the glowing cores this time, hoping it would do more damage. To my relief, the cores shattered, and the blobs dissolved into harmless puddles. “Go for the cores!” I shouted.
“I- I knew that! Already on it!” Ragna roared, swinging her club with renewed focus. She smashed another slime’s core, splattering the rest of its body across the forest floor.
Just knowing their weakness didn’t help. It was hard to strike their cores when they put everything they could to protect it, swirling their consumed materials around it. More slimes emerged from the shadows, their acidic projectiles forcing us to stay on the move. I ducked behind a tree, wiping sweat from my brow as I glanced at Ragna. She was grinning like a lunatic, enjoying herself far too much for my liking.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“Why do you look so happy?” I asked, slicing through another core.
“Because they squishy and feel good to kill,” she replied, easily dodging an acid glob. “They not tough. Stop whining! People think you weak if you whine! Be strong, Thorvyn!”
“...I’m not whining,” I muttered, smashing another slime. “I’m just pointing out how ridiculous it is to fight glorified puddles.”
She laughed again, a deep, hearty sound that somehow lightened the tension. “C’mon, Thorvyn! Let’s clear them out and move on. The wyvern not going to wait for us!”
With a final push, we took down the last of the slimes, their glowing cores shattering under our combined assault. The forest grew quiet again, save for the sound of our heavy breathing and the distant rustle of leaves.
“Not bad,” Ragna said, wiping slime residue off her club.
“Not bad? That was disgusting,” I replied, shaking goo off my ax. “If this is what the weaker monsters are like, I can’t wait to see what’s next.”
She smirked, patting my shoulder as we moved deeper into the forest. “Don’t worry, Thorvyn. The fun just getting start–”
The forest around me fell silent once more, the vibrant greens fading into dull shades of gray. Time slowed to a halt, and the world froze mid-motion, Ragna's triumphant smile stuck on her face. This time, I’d activated the ability myself, intending to test something.
[You've defeated multiple Slimes. You can choose a new Source for Osmotic Evolution (X).]
[Warning: Choosing a new Source will replace your current trait (Shadow Camouflage). Proceed?]
Aw shit. I was wondering if I could stack the traits. Pity. Hm… at least let me check them out. Before me, shimmering labels appeared above the remnants of the defeated slimes, their bodies glowing faintly in monochrome shades.
[Level 15] [Level 16] [Level 17] [Level 22]
Curious, I reached out toward the brightest glow—the Level 22 slime. My Status panel shifted again, presenting new choices clearly outlined before me.
[Level 22 Slime Selected. Extracting possible Skills.]
[Which Trait do you want to borrow?]
- Acid Spit [C]
- Regeneration [C]
- Amorphous Shell [C]
Huh, definitely much better than the goblins. The choice is a bit difficult though. In the end, my gaze locked onto [Amorphous Shell]. Regeneration was good, but it was better if I didn’t even get hurt. It could be the perfect ability for durability during the wyvern hunt.
[Selected: Amorphous Shell]
[Osmotic Evolution (C) - Amorphous Shell.]
[Loading the Trait into your physiology…]
It felt great.
****
The forest seemed endless, a never-ending sea of green that stretched in every direction. Ragna and I moved deeper into its heart, pushing aside thick tree branches and stomping through dense undergrowth.
After the goblin ambush, we hadn’t slowed down. In fact, we’d come even further in the last two days. The forest seemed to close in around us now. The leaves above blocked out the sun, casting long shadows over their path.
Monsters lurked everywhere—some small, others bigger than the goblins from before. But none of them were strong enough to stop us. Ragna had leveled up again, although I hadn’t encountered that luck again. I felt a little bothered by that.
We faced bigger slimes too, and thankfully, one of them had an even higher ranked copy of Amorphous Shell. Ranked [B] this one. So I switched to it. It should last this day.
[Osmotic Evolution (B) - Amorphous Shell.]
With each fight, each level up, I felt my strength growing, like I was getting used to this body. It was so weird. Every battle, every swing of my ax made me faster, sharper. Stronger.
I also leveled up twice.
[You’ve leveled up!]
[You’ve leveled up!]
[You’ve reached Level 23.]
It was like my body was catching up with the power inside me. Actually, it was more like my mind was getting used to Thorvyn’s incredible strength. He was no short of a superhuman. I could feel my muscles adapting, my instincts sharpening.
Ragna, on the other hand, seemed to be thriving from the get-go. She swung her club with such ease, cracking skulls like it was child’s play. Her grin never faded, no matter how many enemies we faced. Maybe this was her idea of fun. She was a little strange… just like the rest of these barbarians.
Strong, though, I’d give her that.
Leaves rustled around us as we broke through a particularly thick patch of trees, and the landscape changed. “Ah,” the dense forest gave way to a small opening. The sun was lower now, casting a faint orange glow over the clearing. In front of us, the earth rose sharply into the base of a mountain, its rocky face towering above us.
And there, about a hundred feet up, was a dark opening—a cave.
“There it is,” Ragna said, pointing up. “Looks like a nest. If we’re lucky, that’s where we’ll find a wyvern. Maybe a family of it.”
I tilted my head back, looking up at the cave. “Climb… that?” My voice was flat, staring at the sheer rock wall that led to the cave’s entrance. There were no easy paths, no trails leading up. It was basically a straight climb. How was I supposed to scale that?
Ragna shrugged, the same unbothered expression on her face. “Thorvyn~ stop wasting time, we’ve climbed worse.” She started forward, her club slung over her shoulder as if this climb was just another part of the day.
I watched her start to climb, her hands gripping the rocky surface with ease. Her form soon rose higher, her thick thighs seemingly mocking me. “...Maybe I should’ve gone first,” I muttered to myself, looking away from her behind.
This is insane. I wasn’t afraid of heights, but the thought of falling from a hundred feet didn’t exactly scream ‘good idea.’ Regardless, I had no choice.
I sighed and followed her, taking my time with the first few handholds. I reached out my hands and gripped the rough rock, pulling myself upward. My strength at least made the pulling part of this really easy. “Let’s hope this [Valtherian Physique] of mine can handle a fall like that,” I muttered.
Effect: Increases your strength, stamina, and physical durability based on level, mana, emotions, and willpower. You’re more resistant to physical injury, falls, and fatigue.
From what I recall, the effects were insane like that. So I put my faith there.
….
The climb was easier than I’d thought. My muscles burned with each pull, but simultaneously, there was a strange ease to it. I’ve climbed mountains before, and that knowledge told me that this body wasn’t struggling as much as it should have.
I was stronger than I’d realized. The descriptions didn’t lie; Valtherians were basically boulders in human form.
I kept climbing, my arms and legs moving like clockwork. The higher we went, the colder the air became. I could feel the wind tugging at me, trying to pull me off the rock face, but I pressed on. Ragna was just above me, climbing with surprising agility for someone who wielded a club bigger than most of the monsters we’d killed.
The climb felt like it would never end, each foot we gained bringing us closer to the cave but making my muscles ache just a bit more. But I wasn’t about to stop. This was just another part of the journey.
Halfway up, I glanced down. The ground below seemed so far away now, the trees like tiny dots beneath us. One wrong step and it’d be a long way down.
“Don’t look down,” I muttered to myself, pushing forward. My fingers dug into the rock, my body following in a steady rhythm. There was something calming about it. The pain in my muscles felt like progress. Like I was earning something with every inch I gained.
Eventually, the edge of the cave’s mouth came into view. The dark entrance loomed over us, waiting. We pulled ourselves up, one after another, until we finally stood at the edge.
Ragna dusted off her hands, the satisfaction of the climb clear on her face. “Thorvyn, we’re here,” she said, her voice low as she withdrew her club, holding it ready in case anything jumped out at us.
I did the same, lifting my ax in one hand, my body tensing. The air inside the cave was cold, the kind of cold that prickled at your skin and made the hairs on your arms stand up. Whatever was in there, it wasn’t going to be friendly.
We stood at either side of the cave’s entrance, our backs against the rock as we glanced inside. It was dark, too dark to see much of anything. But the heavy silence that lingered there—it felt like we weren’t alone.
I exchanged a glance with Ragna. She nodded, her expression steely.
I closed my eyes. This was it.
The hunt was about to begin.
****
Inside the cave, the atmosphere was odd. It felt heavy, suffocating like the air itself was pressing down on me. The scent of something burning hung in the air, faint but unmistakable. That wasn’t right. This wasn’t just the musty smell of an old cave.
I frowned. “Can wyverns breathe fire?” I asked, glancing at Ragna. I needed to be sure.
She shook her head. “No. Drakes can, though.” Her voice was steady, but I could see the tension in her eyes. “Drakes live near volcano. Not in forest. You mean heat? You talking about the weird heat, right? I not think there’s a drake here, it have rushed us by now if not. Drakes angry, not smart. Dragons... they wait. They smart. But Dragons sometimes aggressive too if feel threatened. And Wyverns too.”
“Then what about the heat I feel from inside?”
She shrugged, “Heat... maybe hurt drake came here. Heat is leftover. Drake probably gone now.”
I nodded. That made sense. But something about this place still felt off. “So, is anyone inside? You said your eyesight’s good.”
Ragna’s eyes narrowed as she peered into the cave. “Me... see something big and blue in there,” she muttered, squinting. I watched as her expression slowly changed. Her face grew pale, and she swallowed hard. “There’s… glinting blue eyes. Staring back at me.”
I felt my stomach drop.
Well, shit. The wyvern had noticed us.
There was no point in wasting time now. We exchanged a look, and then we rushed in. The narrow cave forced us to move single-file, our footsteps echoing off the stone walls. The deeper we went, the darker it got, until the only light came from a faint blue glow ahead.
Then, I saw it.
The wyvern—four limbs and two wide wings, one seemingly broken. It was far bigger than I expected, a hulking mass of scales and muscle. And its mouth was open, glowing blue from the inside. I blinked. Then my eyes widened as the retaliation hit me.
It was about to release a fire breath at us.
And as Ragna said, wyverns couldn’t breathe fire.
“Shit!” I cursed, pulling up short. “That’s not a wyvern!”
Ragna looked just as shocked, her face going pale. “It’s not a drake either! Those flames are blue!”
A realization slammed into us like a punch to the gut. This wasn’t some subspecies of dragon. This was the real deal. A dragon. A fucking dragon.
That's it for Chapter 6! Next Chapter comes out at Friday.
Posting the chapter early again because somehow we're not in Main Rising Star yet despite having more follows than the ones that are entering, no idea how that works.
If you're enjoying the story, you can help out by RATING the story! Doesn't have to be a REVIEW, just a Rating will do the trick.
The number of ratings work to help the climb a lot, from what I've gathered. Thank you in advance! Our growth is pretty great right now, and people seem to be enjoying the chapters as well. The reality will be more clear once we reach the top of RS