266. It Leveled Up
The [Evolved Centinel]’s form changed. Previously, it had been a twisted mix of a Centinel with its slithering and segmented lower body with an anthropomorphic upper body. Now, it began to misshapen even further. Its head grew longer into the shape of an arrow just like that of the squid it had dragged down here. It wasn’t exactly a significant change— quite subtle, to be honest— but it was still a change.
And beyond that… there was something different about the [Evolved Centinel] now. Not in anything physical about it, but in that odd aura it absorbed from the sea creature’s body. It wasn’t mana— I could tell it wasn’t mana. It was something else. I couldn’t see it in the same way I saw the strands of mana weaving through the air to create the foundational fabric of the world. I just saw a flickering and sensed something leaving the desiccated squid carcass.
Then the ethereal tendrils protruding from beneath the [Evolved Centinel]’s shell vanished as its armor closed back up. Its body was once again covered and protected, while a shuddering wave washed over it as it let out a screech. I took a step back, confused.
Huh. I really should’ve taken that opportunity to get the drop on the [Evolved Centinel] but I was too curious about what it was doing to interrupt what it was doing. So, I had watched. And I continued to watch. I observed the [Evolved Centinel] as it skittered around the room, trembling and making soft clicking noises at itself with its mandibles. My head cocked to the side as it seemed to hug itself and shiver.
Then, without warning, it was shrouded over. A ball of black consumed it and the center of the Lair in its entirety. It was like I was staring into an abyss— a deep darkness that seemed to echo with my thoughts as I peered into it. It… was not a hole in the world. I didn't sense any disruptive space magic here, contorting the dimensional fabric in the area. But it was magic. And it was a kind of magic that obscured everything within. Even my [Planar Navigation] Skill struggled to properly track the movements of what was within.
I waited, watching as a beat passed, and then another. Finally, after what felt like half an hour, the sphere of darkness vanished. The [Evolved Centinel] emerged from the shadows as if it had taken a bath in a pool of dark ink. It seemed content. Like it had just tested out a new Skill it obtained and was pleased to see its effects weren’t suboptimal.
That was interesting. I was pretty sure that somehow, someway, the [Evolved Centinel] had absorbed the Skill of that squid? Or at least, a Skill.
And that was what had happened to all the corpses in the room.
I wasn’t sure if it was this particular [Evolved Centinel] to have done it to every desiccated corpse in the Lair, but I knew it was responsible for at least some of them. And that made it quite dangerous.
So, I had to deal with it now before it grew stronger. Especially if it really could absorb Skills like I just observed.
I stepped out of the shadows as flames wreathed my body, creating a matte gray Nebular Armor like a knight. I designed it specifically so that it’d resemble the [Evolved Centinel]’s own carapace. I waved the Juggernaut’s Bane at the [Evolved Centinel] as it recoiled and leapt back, readying itself for an attack.
“Hi! I’m Salvos.”
I greeted it happily in a muffled voice. It just eyed me, confused— perplexed at how I was even here. I gestured at the body.
“So, I was just wondering— did you absorb a Skill from that giant monster squid? And can you do that with every corpse you find or…?”
It didn’t respond, of course. I shrugged.
“Look, I just want to know if that’s what you’d planned to do with me. I mean, you do remember attacking me, right?”
The [Evolved Centinel] warily circled around me as I mirrored its movements, dragging the Juggernaut’s Bane behind me. Then the [Evolved Centinel] halted. It suddenly paused, and I tilted my head.
It leaned forward slightly as if it was about to share a secret. I waited, and it spoke in a guttural voice.
“Yes.”
I blinked, surprised to have actually gotten a reply. The words sounded twisted— like crackling of debris falling down a cliff face. It was grating to the ears. And the worst part was that it wasn’t spoken in any language I knew.
It wasn’t the same language I’d been talking to others in the Nexeus with, and it wasn’t English. It was something else. No— it was barely even a language. It could communicate, yes. But in a very basic manner that amounted to just that.
I took a step back as the [Evolved Centinel] tilted its body. I bit my lower lip.
“You’re different from the other Centinels— not just you, but the other [Evolved Centinels]. You’re not actually wild, are you?”
It just gave me a confused look, and I frowned. Maybe it was wild? I couldn’t quite tell just yet.
“Why did you attack me?”
I lowered my weapons, trying to show that I meant no harm. It didn’t ease up even one little bit.
“Because… kill…”
“Because you just want to kill me?”
I raised a brow, and the [Evolved Centinel] shuddered. It seemed to ponder for a moment, thinking of what to say next. Then it took a step forward, letting out a soft hissing noise.
“Kill… us… you…”
And I finally understood what it meant.
“Huh. So, you’re upset because I’m killing Centinels?”
It didn’t reply, and I nodded.
“But you kill your own, don’t you?”
“No!”
It yelled, angry— upset that I even accused it of such a thing. I gestured at the other Centinels.
“They do, though. Even if you don’t, the other Centinels kill each other without a thought— they attack me without a thought. They’re wild!”
“Doesn’t… matter!”
It faced me angrily as it held its arms out, pouring magic into a yellow, liquid sphere. I tensed as it shouted.
“Kill… us… so… I… kill… you!”
The [Evolved Centinel] tossed the acidic orb at me, and I leapt out of the way. My wings spread wide as [Haste] helped me move fast and avoid the magical projectile. I pointed at the [Evolved Centinel] as it created a fireball this time.
“[Warped Time]!”
I trapped it in a bubble of slowed space so that all of its movements would decelerate. I swooped down at it as the Juggernaut’s Bane grew to the size of a small house and slammed the axe into the back of the [Evolved Centinel] from afar.
It reeled back from the strike, letting its magic dissipate as it skittered away from the [Warped Time].
“Oh, no you don’t!”
The bubble of slowed space followed it as I gave chase. The [Evolved Centinel] raised its arms, this time casting a different spell. I swung the giant axe at it once more, but all of a sudden the ground beneath me erupted.
I watched as a molten pillar shot up and out of the ground at me. It moved so fast, I couldn’t move out of the way in time. I had to use a [Long Range Teleport] to pull me far off to the side, away from the blast of lava.
I steadied myself, only to see the [Evolved Centinel] suddenly looming over me. It raised its arm as the image of an ice knight appeared behind it. My eyes grew wide, and it sliced down. I wreathed myself in flames to dampen the strike, but it sheared straight through both the blue flames and my Nebular Armor. It only stopped at the Breastplate of Alexander which sparked out and knocked the attack back.
That Skill reminded me of the kind of attacks Zix— that annoying Kobold Zealot— would employ. Powerful. Just like Zix, the [Evolved Centinel] somehow drew the strength of something else. But that was not a Centinel’s Skill— a stolen Skill from some [Mage] it had… no, he had killed.
That was right— this [Evolved Centinel] wasn’t wild. He could think. He wasn’t just fighting wildly. I wanted to take a moment to pause and consider this fact. Was this what the Devil intended for me to overcome in the Bloodied Gulf?
But the question would remain unanswered as the [Evolved Centinel] grabbed me by both my arms, preventing me from pulling away. He followed up with a headbutt, and I recoiled.
“Kill you! I kill you!”
He repeated himself as the lava rained down all around us. It didn’t scorch him for whatever reason, but I could see the sizzling of my Breastplate of Alexander. I grimaced and flipped around, kicking the [Evolved Centinel] in the head.
It let go of me as I pulled away from him. He stumbled back, screeching at me, but I was already giving myself distance away from him. His chest glowed a moment later, and he was engulfed in a crimson blast.
I escaped from the Lair as the explosion blew it apart in its entirety. I panted, watching and waiting for the notification in my head. It didn’t come. And a shadow emerged from the blast.
The [Evolved Centinel] staggered forward, its carapace cracked and broken to reveal his malformed insides to me. It didn’t look like an ordinary Centinel’s soft skin— instead, it was a mangled mess like it had been scarred from a thousand battles. Many of which had been re-opened from [Demon’s Mark].
I narrowed my eyes.
“Are you still going to insist on fighting? Because I will kill you, you know? Otherwise, we can talk.”
He stumbled forward as he met my gaze.
“No.”
He replied simply. I shrugged.
“Very well, then.”
I raised my claws, readying a [Radiant Slash]. This would not kill him, but it would hurt him quite a bit. He’d still be able to put up a fight even with the combined injuries of both of my strongest Skills. However, the question wasn’t whether he’d win— the question was how long he’d survive after?
The [Evolved Centinel] seemed to realize that as well because instead of taking on a fighting stance, he spun around and began to skitter away.
“Get back here!”
I called out at him, and he froze. I lashed out with my [Radiant Slash], speeding his way in that second he was unable to react. But before I could make contact with him, he twitched and suddenly everything was dark.
It took me a second to realize what had happened. The [Evolved Centinel] had caught me in the ball of darkness it had created earlier. My movements slowed— it was like I was swimming through very heavy water. My movements were half the speed of what they should be. I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t hear anything. I tried to wade my way around my inky surroundings, but I didn’t know which way was which. What was up and what was down? I didn’t know.
So, I struggled in the darkness for a minute. Then two minutes. Until, finally, I broke free. I emerged from the shadows and rolled onto the ground, on guard— prepared for a surprise attack. But when I looked around, I saw nothing.
The darkness disappeared, leaving me alone in the cave chamber. The [Evolved Centinel] fled. He ran away.
“Huh. Coward.”
I shook my head, annoyed that I didn’t get to kill him after all his talk about killing me. Well, at least I got some experience from destroying the Lair— maybe I even leveled up?
Cleared [Lair: Centinels Cornucopia]!
Experience is awarded for clearing a Lair!
General Skill [Racial Skill: Universal Language Comprehension] has leveled up!
[Racial Skill: Universal Language Comprehension - Lvl. 1] -> [Racial Skill: Universal Language Comprehension - Lvl. 2]!
Experience is awarded for the leveling of a General Skill!
Subspecies [Daeva Cambion] Level Up!
[Daeva Cambion – Lvl. 118] -> [Daeva Cambion – Lvl. 119]
Gained 5 Stat Points and 3 Skill Points!
Class [Grand Mystic of the Nexeus] Level Up!
[Grand Mystic of the Nexeus - Lvl. 72] -> [Grand Mystic of the Nexeus - Lvl. 73]
Gained 2 Secondary Skill Points!
I blinked as I took in the second notification again.
“Wait— what leveled up, now?”
MelasD
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266. It Leveled Up
The [Evolved Centinel]’s form changed. Previously, it had been a twisted mix of a Centinel with its slithering and segmented lower body with an anthropomorphic upper body. Now, it began to misshapen even further. Its head grew longer into the shape of an arrow just like that of the squid it had dragged down here. It wasn’t exactly a significant change— quite subtle, to be honest— but it was still a change.
And beyond that… there was something different about the [Evolved Centinel] now. Not in anything physical about it, but in that odd aura it absorbed from the sea creature’s body. It wasn’t mana— I could tell it wasn’t mana. It was something else. I couldn’t see it in the same way I saw the strands of mana weaving through the air to create the foundational fabric of the world. I just saw a flickering and sensed something leaving the desiccated squid carcass.
Then the ethereal tendrils protruding from beneath the [Evolved Centinel]’s shell vanished as its armor closed back up. Its body was once again covered and protected, while a shuddering wave washed over it as it let out a screech. I took a step back, confused.
Huh. I really should’ve taken that opportunity to get the drop on the [Evolved Centinel] but I was too curious about what it was doing to interrupt what it was doing. So, I had watched. And I continued to watch. I observed the [Evolved Centinel] as it skittered around the room, trembling and making soft clicking noises at itself with its mandibles. My head cocked to the side as it seemed to hug itself and shiver.
Then, without warning, it was shrouded over. A ball of black consumed it and the center of the Lair in its entirety. It was like I was staring into an abyss— a deep darkness that seemed to echo with my thoughts as I peered into it. It… was not a hole in the world. I didn't sense any disruptive space magic here, contorting the dimensional fabric in the area. But it was magic. And it was a kind of magic that obscured everything within. Even my [Planar Navigation] Skill struggled to properly track the movements of what was within.
I waited, watching as a beat passed, and then another. Finally, after what felt like half an hour, the sphere of darkness vanished. The [Evolved Centinel] emerged from the shadows as if it had taken a bath in a pool of dark ink. It seemed content. Like it had just tested out a new Skill it obtained and was pleased to see its effects weren’t suboptimal.
That was interesting. I was pretty sure that somehow, someway, the [Evolved Centinel] had absorbed the Skill of that squid? Or at least, a Skill.
And that was what had happened to all the corpses in the room.
I wasn’t sure if it was this particular [Evolved Centinel] to have done it to every desiccated corpse in the Lair, but I knew it was responsible for at least some of them. And that made it quite dangerous.
So, I had to deal with it now before it grew stronger. Especially if it really could absorb Skills like I just observed.
I stepped out of the shadows as flames wreathed my body, creating a matte gray Nebular Armor like a knight. I designed it specifically so that it’d resemble the [Evolved Centinel]’s own carapace. I waved the Juggernaut’s Bane at the [Evolved Centinel] as it recoiled and leapt back, readying itself for an attack.
“Hi! I’m Salvos.”
I greeted it happily in a muffled voice. It just eyed me, confused— perplexed at how I was even here. I gestured at the body.
“So, I was just wondering— did you absorb a Skill from that giant monster squid? And can you do that with every corpse you find or…?”
It didn’t respond, of course. I shrugged.
“Look, I just want to know if that’s what you’d planned to do with me. I mean, you do remember attacking me, right?”
The [Evolved Centinel] warily circled around me as I mirrored its movements, dragging the Juggernaut’s Bane behind me. Then the [Evolved Centinel] halted. It suddenly paused, and I tilted my head.
It leaned forward slightly as if it was about to share a secret. I waited, and it spoke in a guttural voice.
“Yes.”
I blinked, surprised to have actually gotten a reply. The words sounded twisted— like crackling of debris falling down a cliff face. It was grating to the ears. And the worst part was that it wasn’t spoken in any language I knew.
It wasn’t the same language I’d been talking to others in the Nexeus with, and it wasn’t English. It was something else. No— it was barely even a language. It could communicate, yes. But in a very basic manner that amounted to just that.
I took a step back as the [Evolved Centinel] tilted its body. I bit my lower lip.
“You’re different from the other Centinels— not just you, but the other [Evolved Centinels]. You’re not actually wild, are you?”
It just gave me a confused look, and I frowned. Maybe it was wild? I couldn’t quite tell just yet.
“Why did you attack me?”
I lowered my weapons, trying to show that I meant no harm. It didn’t ease up even one little bit.
“Because… kill…”
“Because you just want to kill me?”
I raised a brow, and the [Evolved Centinel] shuddered. It seemed to ponder for a moment, thinking of what to say next. Then it took a step forward, letting out a soft hissing noise.
“Kill… us… you…”
And I finally understood what it meant.
“Huh. So, you’re upset because I’m killing Centinels?”
It didn’t reply, and I nodded.
“But you kill your own, don’t you?”
“No!”
It yelled, angry— upset that I even accused it of such a thing. I gestured at the other Centinels.
“They do, though. Even if you don’t, the other Centinels kill each other without a thought— they attack me without a thought. They’re wild!”
“Doesn’t… matter!”
It faced me angrily as it held its arms out, pouring magic into a yellow, liquid sphere. I tensed as it shouted.
“Kill… us… so… I… kill… you!”
The [Evolved Centinel] tossed the acidic orb at me, and I leapt out of the way. My wings spread wide as [Haste] helped me move fast and avoid the magical projectile. I pointed at the [Evolved Centinel] as it created a fireball this time.
“[Warped Time]!”
I trapped it in a bubble of slowed space so that all of its movements would decelerate. I swooped down at it as the Juggernaut’s Bane grew to the size of a small house and slammed the axe into the back of the [Evolved Centinel] from afar.
It reeled back from the strike, letting its magic dissipate as it skittered away from the [Warped Time].
“Oh, no you don’t!”
The bubble of slowed space followed it as I gave chase. The [Evolved Centinel] raised its arms, this time casting a different spell. I swung the giant axe at it once more, but all of a sudden the ground beneath me erupted.
I watched as a molten pillar shot up and out of the ground at me. It moved so fast, I couldn’t move out of the way in time. I had to use a [Long Range Teleport] to pull me far off to the side, away from the blast of lava.
I steadied myself, only to see the [Evolved Centinel] suddenly looming over me. It raised its arm as the image of an ice knight appeared behind it. My eyes grew wide, and it sliced down. I wreathed myself in flames to dampen the strike, but it sheared straight through both the blue flames and my Nebular Armor. It only stopped at the Breastplate of Alexander which sparked out and knocked the attack back.
That Skill reminded me of the kind of attacks Zix— that annoying Kobold Zealot— would employ. Powerful. Just like Zix, the [Evolved Centinel] somehow drew the strength of something else. But that was not a Centinel’s Skill— a stolen Skill from some [Mage] it had… no, he had killed.
That was right— this [Evolved Centinel] wasn’t wild. He could think. He wasn’t just fighting wildly. I wanted to take a moment to pause and consider this fact. Was this what the Devil intended for me to overcome in the Bloodied Gulf?
But the question would remain unanswered as the [Evolved Centinel] grabbed me by both my arms, preventing me from pulling away. He followed up with a headbutt, and I recoiled.
“Kill you! I kill you!”
He repeated himself as the lava rained down all around us. It didn’t scorch him for whatever reason, but I could see the sizzling of my Breastplate of Alexander. I grimaced and flipped around, kicking the [Evolved Centinel] in the head.
It let go of me as I pulled away from him. He stumbled back, screeching at me, but I was already giving myself distance away from him. His chest glowed a moment later, and he was engulfed in a crimson blast.
I escaped from the Lair as the explosion blew it apart in its entirety. I panted, watching and waiting for the notification in my head. It didn’t come. And a shadow emerged from the blast.
The [Evolved Centinel] staggered forward, its carapace cracked and broken to reveal his malformed insides to me. It didn’t look like an ordinary Centinel’s soft skin— instead, it was a mangled mess like it had been scarred from a thousand battles. Many of which had been re-opened from [Demon’s Mark].
I narrowed my eyes.
“Are you still going to insist on fighting? Because I will kill you, you know? Otherwise, we can talk.”
He stumbled forward as he met my gaze.
“No.”
He replied simply. I shrugged.
“Very well, then.”
I raised my claws, readying a [Radiant Slash]. This would not kill him, but it would hurt him quite a bit. He’d still be able to put up a fight even with the combined injuries of both of my strongest Skills. However, the question wasn’t whether he’d win— the question was how long he’d survive after?
The [Evolved Centinel] seemed to realize that as well because instead of taking on a fighting stance, he spun around and began to skitter away.
“Get back here!”
I called out at him, and he froze. I lashed out with my [Radiant Slash], speeding his way in that second he was unable to react. But before I could make contact with him, he twitched and suddenly everything was dark.
It took me a second to realize what had happened. The [Evolved Centinel] had caught me in the ball of darkness it had created earlier. My movements slowed— it was like I was swimming through very heavy water. My movements were half the speed of what they should be. I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t hear anything. I tried to wade my way around my inky surroundings, but I didn’t know which way was which. What was up and what was down? I didn’t know.
So, I struggled in the darkness for a minute. Then two minutes. Until, finally, I broke free. I emerged from the shadows and rolled onto the ground, on guard— prepared for a surprise attack. But when I looked around, I saw nothing.
The darkness disappeared, leaving me alone in the cave chamber. The [Evolved Centinel] fled. He ran away.
“Huh. Coward.”
I shook my head, annoyed that I didn’t get to kill him after all his talk about killing me. Well, at least I got some experience from destroying the Lair— maybe I even leveled up?
Cleared [Lair: Centinels Cornucopia]!
Experience is awarded for clearing a Lair!
General Skill [Racial Skill: Universal Language Comprehension] has leveled up!
[Racial Skill: Universal Language Comprehension - Lvl. 1] -> [Racial Skill: Universal Language Comprehension - Lvl. 2]!
Experience is awarded for the leveling of a General Skill!
Subspecies [Daeva Cambion] Level Up!
[Daeva Cambion – Lvl. 118] -> [Daeva Cambion – Lvl. 119]
Gained 5 Stat Points and 3 Skill Points!
Class [Grand Mystic of the Nexeus] Level Up!
[Grand Mystic of the Nexeus - Lvl. 72] -> [Grand Mystic of the Nexeus - Lvl. 73]
Gained 2 Secondary Skill Points!
I blinked as I took in the second notification again.
“Wait— what leveled up, now?”
MelasD
Read up to 20 Salvos chapters ahead on my patreon.
Join my discord or subreddit.
Follow me on twitter or instagram.
