Chapter 81 - Return Of The Challenger (Patreon)

Forest and brush-covered hills gave way to grassy plains which turned to dry, arid land. Cracks ran through the ground like parched, dead skin. Small animals were nowhere to be seen as beasts and insects thrived in the harsh environment. For kilometers in every direction, the land was still, as if holding its breath.

Occasional bursts of movement sent dust high into the air as beasts hunted each other without contestation from civilization. A scorpion-shaped monster with three tails launched itself from its hiding place under the dry dirt. The furry beast it caught stood no chance as three stingers injected deadly venom into its body. Before the dust had settled, a vulture several times larger than the scorpion descended from the clouds to devour them both.

A rolling ball of flesh tore its way across the ground, leaving behind a wall of dust that reached thirty meters into the air. It launched massive thorns behind itself with explosive force that propelled its body forward at incredible speeds. The beast moved so quickly that Jiran wasn’t able to get a good look at it until it reached the vulture.

The bird tried to flee but the rolling ball of muscle launched itself into the air like a runaway tire. When the two equally-sized creatures met, the vulture lost. Its body was cut nearly in two before it was torn from the heavens. Feathers and blood flew in every direction when the incredibly heavy rolling beast landed atop it.

Its body was covered in a slimy substance that rapidly adhered to the remains of the bird, absorbing it into itself at a visual pace. Teeth that dripped yellow venom shone in the bright light of day. The most surprising aspect of the beast was its aura that pushed against Jiran’s with a feral anger.

The same spikes on its back that had propelled it across the ground were shot at Jiran and Mayalyn who flew a good distance above. Before he dodged the first spike, another had regrown to replace it. Jiran flew higher into the air to avoid more of the projectiles while considering the situation.

“Are you ready?” Jiran asked Mayalyn who was staring at the deadly beast far below with wide eyes.

“Why are you asking me? I will only be watching from up here,” She responded breathlessly with raised brows that showed off her honey-colored eyes.

“Right, right. I guess I’m just nervous. Red density isn’t something to be taken lightly. There won’t be a lot of time to rest once the timer begins.”

“Stop stalling, or the beast will grow bored and leave.”

“Right,” Jiran released an explosive breath before clenching his fists. “Here goes nothing.”

[Prowling Devourer: (Tier 5) 4432/4432 ???]

That’s new, is that supposed to be a representation of its health?

Jiran’s attention flickered to his and Mayalyn’s boxes at the top of his vision which he had gotten so used to ignoring. Sure enough, he noticed the new sets of numbers next to both their names in a similar fashion to the beast below.

[Jiran of Feylon: (Tier 3) (409/409) (99%) Party leader]

[Mayalyn Aloyhee: (Tier 3) (312/312) (92%) No designation]

Numerical values for Health and Mana. Better than the colored bars I used to have.

Jiran compared his attributes with the new numbers and quickly saw a connection. “What’s your durability and concentration?”

“Seventy-eight and four, why?”

Okay, so health, or HP, is just durability times concentration. At tier five, that beast should have sixteen concentration so it would have to have a durability of around two hundred and seventy-seven. Maximum attributes for a human in the fifth tier is three-hundred and twenty so this Prowling Devourer is on the weaker end since beasts typically have higher attributes than humans.

Wow, this new interface upgrade gives me a ton of insight into a creature's relative power. If I guestimate a beast of tier five has an additional twenty-five percent durability over a human, then the maximum health I should see is around 6400. If I run into anything above that, I’ll know I’m dealing with a peak tier five or a mutant.

I’m still stalling!

Strategy? It seems like it would have a hard time moving and shooting those spikes if all that slime were frozen.

Jiran’s channel cooled as ten percent of his mana was converted to True Origin of Ice and flowed through it with a steady thrum. The circle in his chest glowed a solid blue as the ice spun faster and faster after being compacted with Elemental Compression.

When the mana was moving as fast as he could safely spin it, he freed the energy and it gushed down the thick channel that ran through his shoulder and arm. The frigid energy blasted free from his palm into a solid blue beam that struck the beast a fraction of a second later. The slime across its body was turned solid as a spear of ice six meters tall speared it into the ground. A wave of ice spread from the spear, rapidly freezing its entire body from the inside out, -7725.

Are you freaking kidding me?! One shot? Just like that? I knew my custom channel was powerful but that thing is two freaking tiers above me!

EXP: + 1

Jiran’s adrenaline spiked and his heart skipped a beat as a huge blob of familiar red energy lifted from the beast and blurred through the air toward him. By the time he considered if he should try to evade it, the challenger density was already sinking into his skin. His eyes rolled back and he moaned as his growth and attributes jumped by nearly two full points over a few short seconds.

He nearly lost control of his aura as his body stiffened from the pleasure. His muscles grew more powerful as his weight increased. He could feel his skin and other organs growing tight as they became more durable. Every centimeter of him yearned to run and leap as his tissues hummed with a desire to test their new speed. His perception grew sharper, his connection with his mana more fluid, and the clarity of his thoughts surpassed their previous peak.

The euphoria was rapidly replaced by the desire for more. His thoughts grew murky as he scanned the horizon for another beast to rip apart with his bare hands and devour. Having prepared for this moment, Jiran fell into a state of Oneness. He let the desire sweep over his consciousness without allowing it to find purchase with any particular thought; it eventually faded and vanished, leaving him breathing deeply of the dry, arid air.

Growth: 15.84% > 18.84%

Strength: + 1.8

Agility: + 1.8

Endurance: + 1.8

Durability: + 1.8

Wisdom: + 1.8

Intelligence: + 1.8

Challenger density detected

Authorizing challenger protocols

Authorization granted

Timer 71:56:18

A heavy weight dropped onto his shoulders as he watched the timer tick down slowly. Even if it was set at three days instead of two, the extra twenty-four hours felt insignificant next to the overwhelming desire to immediately return to a state of not having it at all.

It took me nearly four minutes to recover. It's a good thing the red density won't absorb if there are other threats nearby. Now that I know density is sentient, it makes a lot more sense how it’s able to do that.

With the too-pleasant experience behind him, Jiran took stock of his surroundings only to find Mayalyn panting behind him with a strange look on her face. He curled an eyebrow at her and she explained between heavy breaths, “That was much more intense than I anticipated.”

“Likewise, that was at least twice as strong as last tier.”

“Ahem. Right, the density,” she collected herself with a cough into her fist. “That is going to take some getting used to. It may be for the best if I am not so near you until I grow accustomed to the… your emotions. It must be incredibly challenging to pull yourself back from that.”

“Yeah, it's awful. I let myself get swept away by the pleasure last tier. People were dying to the shrelks and I was only worried about what tier they were so I could gain more density. It’s going to get harder the more I absorb too. After passing one hundred percent, it gets really intense. I’m glad I don’t have to do this alone. I think for now, I'll limit myself to five a day and spread them out so I have breaks between each one. Any suggestions?"

“You seem the same so far. I feel nothing from your aura that has me concerned but remaining cautious is prudent. Should we find a place to camp before your next hunt?”

Jiran nodded his agreement and they flew back the way they came, leaving the Outlands behind.

. . .

They found a gently flowing river and Jiran cleared the lower-tier beasts out of the area while Mayalyn used river rocks to create a small fire pit. Several large sticks were bound together to create a cooking spit and within minutes fresh beast meat roasted over a gently crackling fire while the nearby stream gurgled pleasantly. They sat close together on a log, enjoying the peaceful moment.

“Why don’t you tell me about your skills and techniques?”

Light shone from her eyes as her tail vibrated excitedly. “Yes, gladly! The maker abhorred combat and refused to pass on anything he knew that may be used to harm. After seeing your power, I very much wish to know how your knowledge can be applied to the People’s skills. My first skill is called Circulating; it allows me to control the rate that mana moves through my core and body.”

“What level is that skill and can you use it manually?”

“It is level nine. What do you mean by using it manually?”

Jiran launched into an in-depth explanation of how he learned to control his own mana. He made sure to highlight that understanding density and mana were foreign to the body was the foundation of his method. He also covered the benefits of instantly claiming density and rapid growth in skill and technique levels.

“How can you say it is foreign? That makes very little sense to me. I would die without mana. My core would cease to function and my blood would no longer circulate. Density and mana are as natural to me as the air and ground.”

“You’re only seeing things from the perspective of a native to Madra. While it’s true that your body needs mana to live, that doesn’t mean that a normal planet requires it to function. My memories are very clear on the point that density and mana are not required, they are different, separate from the foundations of the universe at large.”

“Would this stream still be a stream without density? What about that rock, that tree? Think about it while you eat. Try to picture it as reality and see if you gain any skill levels. When I taught my cousin, I was able to drain her mana completely so she could feel the energy entering her lungs more keenly. That method would kill you, so you’ll just have to muddle through on your own.”

“This conversation is not as fun as I had hoped it would be. I would very much like to skip to the part where I can shoot lightning from my hands as you do.”

“Right?! Finally, someone who gets it!” Jiran leaned in and kissed her with a big smile, leaving her momentarily stunned. “What about your other skills? Just tell me their names and descriptions for now and we can work on them once you learn to use circulating manually.”

“Very well. My second skill is called enhancing. It allows me to absorb an element to empower my body. Last is obfuscating, which adapts my skin to mimic my surroundings.”

“What about your techniques? None of the Maker’s books that I read mentioned them.”

“I do not have anything called techniques, but I do have traits which come from my lineage.”

“Traits? Can you give me an example?”

“According to my status, my ears are twenty-three percent more effective than someone of my tier without them. My tail can detect changes in ambient density far more efficiently than skin. My claws become harder when mana is circulated through them… Why are you looking at me like that?” Mayalyn scooted away from Jiran when she saw the massive smile that nearly split his face in two.

“We have so many experiments to perform,” He hummed while dancing to his feet.

A spike of Coating slid into the ground at an angle before Metal Manipulation formed a narrow, steep tunnel. Within minutes, Jiran had a burrow dug for them. He lined it with fifty centimeters of the hardest metal he could make and a matching slab that could slide over the entrance.

“There shouldn’t be anything above the fourth tier this far from the Outlands and I doubt even a tier six could break in here easily. In you go,” She sighed but complied after grabbing a huge flank of sizzling lunch from the spit. “Pretty soon, you’ll be strong enough not to need it. I’ll be quick, promise.”

Jiran found the next tier five in only a few minutes, the mixture of hydrogen and oxygen beneath his feet loud enough to draw attention across the flat Outlands from kilometers away. He was back in their camp shortly after, still shaking off the aftereffects of the red density tingling through his body.

“How am I doing, doc?” His question was met with a frown, but after taking a sniff of his aura, she suddenly turned toward him while licking her lips.

“You are frustrated and confused. Beneath that, equal parts fear and comfort.” Jiran’s jaw dropped as feelings he hadn’t even realized were present, were suddenly made painfully obvious.

A part of me is still afraid she will change her mind and blame me for everything. And I’m confused why she hasn’t already. The longer I spend with her, the more comfortable I’m becoming. Wow, she really can read my emotions.

Jiran’s head was still spinning when her next words made his heart skip a beat before it began hammering madly in his chest, “Most of all, you feel desire every time you look at me, which makes it very hard to hold a normal conversation with you,” Suddenly she was right next to him and her finger trailed down his chest, leaving behind a line of fire on his skin.

Jiran became acutely aware of the incredibly beautiful girl inching closer to him and the inviting gaze she was giving him was every bit a match for his desire. Her voice turned husky as she leaned in to whisper in his ear, “The People have a saying, do you want to hear it?”

Jiran nodded, unable to blink or breathe. “Never lock a girl in a room with a boy."

"That's a weirdly worded saying, why not?" He heard himself ask as his hands wrapped around her lower back.

"Because a boy could never stop a girl from taking what she wants."

"Oh, I guess that makes sen—"

. . .

An hour later, they lay in each other's arms and Jiran was the first to speak.

“I suddenly see the wisdom in bringing you with me. How foolish of me to think I could go weeks, or even months, without your company,” Her bark of laughter further fueled the perma-grin he hadn’t been able to wipe from his face.

“It is good you see the way of things.” Before he could respond, her finger covered his mouth.

“Do not overthink things, we will work out the details later. For now, we should sleep and enjoy this moment, do you not agree?” Her smile filled him with wonder and he sighed, lulled by the soft, feminine body wrapped possessively around him.

“I don’t know about sleep, but you just reminded me of a song from Earth, do you want to hear it?”

“Certainly! Please, sing it to me,” Her excitement was a palpable thing that filled the air and it was all he could do not to burst into laughter. Before he lost control, he belted out the words far too loudly in the confined space.

“I just had sex! And it felt so good. A woman let me put my p—”

“Shut up, you perverted biffloon! What kind of fool could even think of a horrible song like that? Do not ever sing that again!”

“Ouch-ouch-ouch stop pinching me!” Jiran howled with equal parts mirth and pain as they rolled across the soft dirt.