[Skill-Eater 2] Chapter 76: Penetrate Mist (Patreon)

You have extracted an unidentified skill (Rare, Rank 1).

It will take two days to digest it.

The instant that digestion began, Edge reached out and activated Extraction again.

He sent his intentions into the chains but didn’t come along for the ride. He had already pushed himself to the limit and had no desire to succumb to the corruption swirling inside the monster’s core. He trusted the living links to handle their business without him and paid the Mortium when the prompt from his Guide appeared.

Unlike the first aura, this power was offensive in nature. It fought back hard enough to give the animate loops a run for their money, even with the boost that spending two lifecoins provided. He cheered them on as a vicious battle between skill and chains raged inside the monkey’s core.

After what had happened with Intimidating Roar, Edge was relieved that these Rare powers were relatively low rank, and that the black chains didn’t seem to be in any danger. If the auras had been further advanced, he might not have been able to claim them.

Since time passed faster within a core, the conflict was over in just a few seconds. He braced himself so that he didn’t fall over when the chains pulled the power free from the elite’s central chamber.

As the dying monster let out an agonized whimper, he caught a flash of something emitting a cherry-red glow trapped between the coils. Then the chains flung the skill into his mouth and retracted into his wrists.

This one made his mouth buzz like he had bitten into a live wire. The aura was fierce and aggressive—full of vim and vigor. The flavor was bold and spicy. It conveyed an impression of pushing past his limits. Of charging straight ahead and never looking back.

It fit with what he had witnessed inside the monster’s core and while watching its army attack. Now that he had gotten a taste, he could tell that this was a combat aura that boosted Power and Speed, along with a component that sharpened battlefield awareness.

Given how vehemently it resisted his efforts, Edge would have had trouble eating this one earlier on. But this wasn’t his first rodeo. He used the tricks he’d learned to subdue the skill, then ground it to paste between his teeth and swallowed.

The instant that it reached his core, another message appeared.

You have extracted an unidentified skill (Rare, Rank 2).

It will take two days to digest it.

He was pleased to see that this one was rank two, which meant that it would be easier to advance, since his stolen skills came with a portion of their experience intact.

While he waited for digestion to begin, Edge took a moment to bask in the satisfaction of claiming two fantastic Rare skills—the first ones he’d stolen since Extracting Shadow Step from the reaver. These powers seem like a good match for a Skill-Merger Token. But there’s no point worrying about it until they finish digesting.

By now, the six-limbed gorilla was completely unresponsive, lying limp on the forest floor. Before the monster breathed its last, he used the final charge of Extraction. He had saved this skill for last because he knew that it wouldn’t be able to put up a fight. It was a good thing—the living links felt sluggish after their last engagement, and he was almost out of time.

The third skill that Edge stole wasn’t the highest rank or rarity that the monkey had to offer. But it would be invaluable while hunting the horrors that called the Savage Garden home. A power that would teach the jailbirds who had attacked his friends a valuable lesson—if you walk a path filled with murder and mayhem, you’d best be prepared to reap what you sow.

It was the skill that let the monkeys navigate the magical mist. A power that would turn a treacherous environmental hazard into a valuable asset, serving as both weapon and shield. Hunting within the cover of the fog would let Edge battle stage-two opponents and have a decent chance of coming out on top.

He had expected it to look like some sort of eye, which was common for perceptual skills. Instead, this one looked like a patch of fog that was both dense and translucent at the same time. It tasted like a breath of misty morning air. Of roiling clouds parting to reveal a hidden path.

He was surprised when the avatar didn’t fight back. If anything, it seemed eager to leave the monkey’s core and join the skills in his collection.

You have extracted the skill: Penetrate Mist <passive> (Uncommon, Rank 3).

Digestion is complete.

Would you like to slot Penetrate Mist now?

“Yes, please.” When acknowledged the prompt, he was drawn inside his core. Since he wasn’t willing to give up any of his other skills for Penetrate Mist, Edge decided to place it in his Auxiliary Skill Slot instead.

Penetrate Foliage wasn’t quite as useful now that he was operating outside the maze. That being said, he intended to pick it up again the moment that he evolved and had more skill slots to work with. But Penetrate Mist was vital for what he was planning, and he needed to acquire it now.

He Absorbed Penetrate Foliage and added the experience to Double Slash, then watched as the patch of mist flowed into the glass box representing his Auxiliary Slot.

When Edge snapped back into his own skin, he was surprised to learn that the monster was still breathing. The stage-three elite was the first opponent that had survived having three skills Extracted, although it was barely hanging on.

He raised his naginata, took aim, and drove the point into the gorilla’s throat. Then he stabbed it through both eyes to make sure it was dead.

Edge used the last dregs of his mana to activate Penetrate Mist, grinning as the fog faded away. Then he scanned his surroundings to make sure nothing had arrived while he was busy. Half of the monkey’s minions were dead from Roar paralyzing their lungs, and the rest were in shock from having their bond of subservience severed. He wasn’t sure if any of them would recover, and he had no desire to find out.

He didn’t have time to finish off the rest. He had to get out of here before another monster arrived or the convicts realized what had happened and came looking for him.

There was just one last thing that he wanted to do first.

Now that the elite’s rare skills were digesting within his core, Edge turned his attention to the corpse cooling beside his boots. He needed to return to his shelter and recover from the grueling ordeal, but he wasn’t leaving without salvaging what he could from the gorilla’s remains.

He didn’t have the knowledge or energy to skin it, but he wanted the spikey plates of bone running across its fists. The substance was incredibly durable—the telltale sign of a high-grade crafting material. Since every second was precious, he expedited the process by cutting the hands off at the wrists and tossed them into his backpack, planning to remove the flesh when he had a few minutes to spare.

As Edge slipped his backpack onto his shoulders, he heard voices in the distance. Apparently, the convicts had sensed the battle after all and had decided to brave the mists to investigate. Or maybe they noticed the quest updating. I’ll have to check it out later to see what is says.

With his new perceptual skill, he could see the Claws’ warband in the distance, moving slowly as they navigated the rough terrain in the fog. There were a few monsters lurking in the area too. With any luck, they would wind up fighting each other and give him time to widen his lead.

Thanks to Penetrate Mist, he could move faster and soon left the prisoners behind. Edge was exhausted and running on fumes. Even with the advantage of being able to see in the murk, there was no way that he could survive an encounter with a crew of stage-two convicts. Even if he was in peak condition, taking them on was a bad idea until he evolved and had some more cycles under his belt.

He used Conceal every time that he absorbed enough magicytes, minimizing the trail he left as he traveled across the borderlands running between the jungle and swamp. It was critical that he didn’t give the jailbirds anything to work with. He had no doubts that after stealing the kill on the elite and claiming the reward for his own, the convicts would begin hunting him in earnest.

From this moment on, it wouldn’t just be One-Eye stalking him—every Claw in the dungeon would be hounding for his head. Tomorrow, he would have to relocate deeper within the Savage Garden. Head to the island he’d discovered and start planning his next move.

But none of that mattered now. Right now, he needed to make it back to the hollow before the mist dissipated, then rest to recover his strength.

His new skill turned what would have been a nightmarish journey into something far more palatable. Now he could see the ground beneath his feet and detect predators lurking in the fog ahead. So far, he had only spotted a handful of monsters moving through the cloying vapor, thanks to the environmental hazard that had become his new best friend.

Half an hour later, he made it back to the lightning-blasted hollow. It was too close to the jungle to use going forward, but it would do until the sun rose. He pulled a tarp out of his pack, spread it below him, then set his weight against the bark with his naginata propped up beside him.

Trusting Conceal to keep him safe while he slept, Edge yawned and closed his eyes. He was out cold less than a minute later.