The claw slipped between the black chains that wrapped around my chest, just below my second mouth. Pain erupted through me, but I pushed it away as I felt the vigor and speed runes finally dissipate. My health plummeted as I felt space magic seep into my body from the inserted claw, squeezing the strands of my pathways and staying clear of my core.
Like that mattered.
HUNGER!
I willed a pulse of hunger affinity through my system. As with the giant space orb, my affinity quickly overcame the squeeze and consumed the incoming magic. The giant hamster realized this and, in an instance of frustration and rage, leaned back and drew up its other front paw to slash down at my head.
I closed the mouth on my chest. I felt the core connection of the second mouth and willed it opened on my right hand, feeling how it moved through my system, which I promptly used to tear a chunk off the claw holding me down. It reared even further back, ripping away the embedded claw.
HUNGER!
I felt the energy from the chunk move into my core, added to my overall regeneration as the hole in my chest was already quickly closing. I moved my mouth to my chest again as the beast slammed me with space magic just before its claw swiped down. My dodge was just a bit too slow because of that, and my lower left arm flew away with a spurt of blood that was quickly stifled.
HUNGER!
Getting tired of all of these ridiculous space affinity shenanigans, and with my core screaming at me to get on with it already, I realized what it was trying to do. For whatever reasons, my sense of the connections between my mouths and my core spiked. The energy from the swarm and the currently healing bites on the giant hamster swirled in my core, revitalizing my system.
I felt time seem to slow. The beast before stepped back, giving me a slight reprieve as it fought to restore its own damage.
I pushed my perception to its limits focusing on the openings on my body. Feast Beam connected to my core externally, forcibly pulling what it destroyed within myself, converting my internal energies into external damage and consumption. Using my mouths did something similar, but the cost was nearly negligible as they used energy from the inside much more efficiently than converting to external energy.
But what if I increased the input?
HUNGER!
The connection to the mouth on my chest surged as I willed it so. As it did, my understanding of how the connection worked improved, and I prodded the skill that I’d gotten a while back. My ever-hungry core responded.
HUNGER!
Three more connections sprang into existence upon the palms of my three currently available hands. I felt the notifications as time returned to normal. The giant hamster charged at me as I etched another rune. My muscles bulged as I charged right back. The beast teleported to my right and I felt myself spiralling through the air as another orb struck. I adjusted and landed feet first against a building, just avoiding going through one of the broken windows. A shockwave sent cracks through the building and it began to crumble as I extended my razorclaws and launched myself at the beast.
My rune-increased strength powered my acceleration and I slammed into the side of the giant space hamster. My blades pierced through and I willed the chains to bind it. Because of its size, the chains that formed my armor funneled out through my hands to wrap it up. It tried to teleport, but my chains bound it in place.
Pressing my three hands in a line, keeping the blades from one in to hold me steady, the mouths on my hands ripped into its thick hide. An intense shake nearly knocked me free from my spot, but I held on tight and dug in the claws of my feet for leverage.
The Tyrant’s Due was burning through my energies faster than I could regenerate them, and I knew I didn’t have very much longer before the weakened state kicked in. So, I tore my way through the opening I made and employed the synergy of my various skills.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
The damage I had done before was a bit further along in healing than I’d expected, but that was fine. I tried using Ravenous Cloak, but it didn’t trigger properly while inside a creature. Which was fair enough. The largest size of my mouths-based skill was when it was on my chest, so I moved all of my mouths, this time even the one from my face, there. I opened them wide and triggered my Purging Surge skill. The Tyrant’s Due drained my energy even faster as I bit down hard. A surge of the crimson hunger affinity flooded through the beast around me. Having never been inside of an enemy that I struck with this ability, I watched with interest.
I dropped to my feet as the giant space hamster teleported a final time, shuddering as it struggled. Quickly, I summoned and fired a Feast Beam, hoping that I could take it down with it so I wouldn’t have to spend the next several hours eating.
The beam struck true as the beast collapsed to the ground. And I was just in time, exhaustion washing over me as the Tyrant’s Due ended. All five of my mouths smiled as I fell over, asleep.
When I awoke, I found that I could barely move. Three hours or so had passed and my exhaustion had only waned slightly. My arm had regrown sometime during my sleep, and was achy and itchy at the same time.
“Damnit,” I whispered to myself, barely able to push myself to roll onto my back. “Need to be careful when I trigger the Tyrant’s Due. And how long. Because this sucks.” Even with the regenerative magic coursing through me and my internal energy largely recovered, the exhaustion was soul deep and I groaned as I pulled up my notifications.
I Have Two Mouths and I Must Feast, Uncommon, adapts to I Have Five Mouths and I Must Feast, Rare.
I Have Five Mouths and I Must Feast. Rare. Your hunger is so potent that you need more than one mouth to satisfy it. You gain up to five mouths that you are able to open on any other part of your body. Its size is relative to the location. For example the mouth will be larger if opened from your chest versus opened on the palm of your hand.
You have devoured Level 85 Giant Space Hamster. Their highest stat was Vitality. Your base Vitality has increased by 52 points. Bonus stats from eating a Giant Space Hamster of a higher level than yourself. All stats increased by 26. Bonus experience earned.
DING! Class: Hypocrite Revolutionary has increased from Level 39 to Level 44.
DING! Race: Omnis Vorare has increased from Level 33 to Level 36.
Only five levels from a 52 level disparity. The amount of experience I needed to gain levels was still fairly fast, I thought, but was definitely beginning to slow down. I quickly pulled up my status while I focused on my breathing.
Status
Name: Dan Trench
Humanoid Race: Omnis Vorare 36
Class: Hypocrite Revolutionary 44
Profession: Neophyte Enchanter 28
Max Health: 7440
Max Stamina: 12540
Max Mana: 12210
Agility: 664
Endurance: 611
Intelligence: 611
Perception: 683
Strength: 643
Vitality: 744
Wisdom: 610
Race Skills:
All Stats Must Be Eaten. Unique.
All-Consuming. Unique.
Infinite Tank. Unique.
Sense Power. Inferior.
I Have Five Mouths and I Must Feast. Rare.
Void Step. Uncommon.
Class Skills:
Eat the Rich. Uncommon.
Ravenous Cloak. Uncommon.
Purging Surge. Common.
The Tyrant’s Due. Ancient.
Profession Skills:
Soul Chamber. Epic.
Infuse Object. Inferior.
Etch Rune. Common.
Feast Beam. Uncommon.
Enlightened Feedback. Inferior.
Equipped Gear:
Amulet of Holding. Common.
I had 56 more class levels before I had to worry about picking a new class skill, and I hoped I could pull off something similar with my profession once Tree was feeling up to it.
Something felt off from my list, and sat bolt upright as I realized what it was.
Looking down, I saw the ragged remains of my armor and gloves.
Shit. But, I supposed it was a matter of time before the Inferior gear just wouldn’t cut it, and my own skin had become more durable than the armor was anyway.
My amulet, which merged with my body while I wore it so it wouldn’t just fly off while fighting, thank goodness, was still there and just fine, now able to carry an absurd 64,300 kilograms. I only had a handful of tools within and the amulet was mostly empty.
I tore away the remains of my old armor and gloves and had a little snack. They were too weak to give me any stats even if they had been fully functional, so I just enjoyed the faint regeneration as I fell back asleep.
