Chapter 42 - 41

Chapter 42: Chapter 41 The serpent’s tail snapped toward him like a catapult—but Gobo2, bloodied and limping, slammed his shield between them at the last second. Crunch. The impact flung them both aside. Aren crashed into a rock, barely conscious. Gobo2 groaned, his shield arm twisted at an unnatural angle—but he was alive. "Don’t die," Gobo2 muttered through clenched teeth, dragging Aren behind a thick tree trunk. "You still owe me a meal." Lumberling barely registered the exchange. The pain in his arm had gone numb now—not a good sign. He was past his limits. But the serpent was faltering too, twitching erratically. Behind him, Skitz lay collapsed, barely able to move, yet managed a bloodied grin. "My Lord," he rasped. "You still standing? Thought I was going to die... again." Lumberling didn’t respond immediately. He planted his feet, breathed once, and brought the hammer down with a roar. Boom. A shockwave tore through the ground. "You’re the most monstrous bastard I’ve fought," Lumberling muttered as he approached. "Let’s see if you were worth the trouble." He raised the hammer one final time, ignoring the fire in his muscles, and brought it down with everything he had. Crack. The Serpent Vine’s skull caved inward, and its massive body finally stilled. A faint purple tendril unfurled from Lumberling’s chest, snaking through the air until it latched onto the Serpent Vine’s corpse. His Devour skill stirred to life. The connection pulsed once—then began to draw. Slowly, the monster’s essence flowed toward him, thick and heavy, like molten shadow. As it neared his core, a second energy flared from within—his Knight essence. The two forces met. And they clashed. Lumberling staggered slightly as the monster’s primal energy surged, wild and unrefined, trying to force its way into him. His Knight essence reeled at first, faltering under the weight of the Serpent Vine’s raw power. It was more than he’d ever absorbed before—savage, untamed, ancient. ’No...’ He gritted his teeth and dug deeper, channeling more of his own energy into the battle. Like a tide rising against a storm, his Knight essence surged, wrapping around the invading energy, compressing it, purifying it. The chaotic essence screamed in resistance—but it had no voice. No will. Only instinct. And instinct was no match for purpose. A final pulse, and the corrupted monster energy was expelled, shredded like mist in sunlight. The purified essence entered him fully—clean, potent, heavy with memory. (You have devoured the Serpent Vine’s essence, 700 essence absorbed. Absorbing a portion of the Serpent Vine’s memories and experiences.) (Beginner Poison Resistance Lv0 has been learned) Lumberling blinked. "Poison Resistance? Huh. Didn’t expect that." Then he remembered—the captains. He rushed back to the clearing. The captains were still alive. Gobo2 was nursing his shield arm. Aren looked dazed but grunted an acknowledgment. Dozens of bloodthorn monsters still remained—but now, there was no hesitation in Lumberling’s steps. "Time to finish this." A short, brutal clash followed. The monsters fell like wheat before the scythe. Their roars faded into silence. When the dust settled, they sat together in the clearing—wounded, silent, watching the first light of dawn filter through the trees. Skitz slumped beside Lumberling, blood streaking his jaw. "I thought we were goners," he said quietly. "That snake... that thing wasn’t even supposed to exist, right?" Lumberling chuckled—dry, low. "It didn’t get the memo." Gobo2 sat nearby, grimacing as he adjusted a splint tied around his arm. "Still owe me a meal, Aren," he muttered, to which Aren gave a soft laugh and a nod. No one spoke of what they had nearly lost. They didn’t need to. The forest had grown quiet again, too quiet. But for once, it wasn’t oppressive. It was like the forest itself had paused to acknowledge their survival. Lumberling leaned back against a tree, chest rising and falling with slow, exhausted breaths. "We lived," he said finally. "This time," Skitz added. A small silence followed. Then Gorrak broke it with a grin. "Bet the Vine Serpent didn’t see that coming." A few chuckles echoed. It wasn’t much. But it was enough. They had fought together. Bled together. Survived together. ..... Five Months Later "You ready, Skitz?" "Yes, my Lord." "Alright. The moment you can’t handle it, you tell me—no holding back. Understood?" "I will, my Lord." Whssh. Lumberling buried his blade into the restrained monster. A moment later, a familiar purple string extended from his body, latching onto the creature. He watched as the essence flowed—translucent and formless—drawn not by color, but by the devouring thread itself. This time, however, there was more. Focusing his mind, Lumberling called forth a second string—thinner, wavering—emanating from his chest. He guided it carefully until it touched the original tether, then diverted the stream of essence toward Skitz. The connection locked in. Skitz’s body jerked slightly as the foreign energy surged into him. His eyes flickered with strain, his breath hitched, and for a moment, his knees buckled. "Skitz!" Lumberling called out, stepping forward instinctively. But Skitz raised a hand. "I’m... I’m okay. It’s just—" he clenched his jaw, riding through the burning sensation under his skin. "The energy is wild, but... I can feel it strengthening me. And there’s something else. Flashes—memories. Like echoes in my mind." Lumberling narrowed his eyes. "You’re sure?" "Yes, my Lord." Then, a prompt rang in Lumberling’s mind. (Active Skill: Beginner Essence Weave Lv0 has been learned) Lumberling blinked—then threw his head back in laughter. "BWHAHAHAHA!" He spun to face Skitz, eyes gleaming. "Success! It actually worked!" "Congratulations, my Lord," Skitz said, sharing his joy. "You’ve done something incredible." Skitz clenched his fists behind his back. This wasn’t just his Lord’s triumph—it was his too. He had endured the chaos of essence, stood through the pain, and proved himself worthy. Lumberling’s smile slowly faded as he watched Skitz steady himself, still catching his breath. He had succeeded... but only just. A single mistake in this process could kill someone—he knew that now. If he tried this with anyone less resilient than Skitz... the results could be catastrophic. Essence wasn’t just energy—it was life, condensed and volatile. What if the essence rejected the host? What if a weaker mind collapsed under the weight of foreign memories? Skitz had handled it well, but there were moments—flickers of pain in his eyes, the tightening of his fists—that Lumberling hadn’t missed. It was bearable for him. That didn’t mean it would be the same for others. He clenched his hands. If this power truly worked... then it wasn’t just a gift. It was a burden. A weapon. One that could build his army—or break it. That meant this new skill would need rules. Strict ones. And testing—lots of testing. Lumberling slapped his shoulder with a grin. "No—we did it. You handled it perfectly. I couldn’t have done this alone." They stood amidst the fading glow of essence, two battle-worn comrades who had just rewritten the rules of power. It had taken months—five long, grueling months filled with experimentation, failures, and endless headaches. A hundred trials, hundreds of wasted essences, and nights of mind-numbing pain from overexerting his Devour skill. But at last, it bore fruit. He opened his status window with trembling anticipation. Name: Lumberling Race: Human Age: 19 Level: 8 Essence Point: (1,209 / 17,800) Power: 1,888 (Skills: 1,121, Lvl: 767) Knight Stage: Knight Page Active Skills Beginner Sprint Lv0 (828/1000) Beginner Hammer Shock Lv0 (171/1000) Beginner Essence Weave Lv0 (1/1000) (Derived from Essence Devour. Allows the user to bind the essence of a fallen enemy and channel it into another chosen vessel.) Passive Skills Essence Devour Beginner Pikeman’s Art Lv4 (944/1000) Beginner Swordsmanship Lv2 (0/1000) Beginner Bowmanship Lv0 (688/1000) Beginner Shieldmanship Lv0 (259/1000) Beginner Cudgel Fighting Lv0 (305/1000) Beginner Concealment Lv3 (150/1000) Beginner Dual Wielding Axe Lv0 (1/1000) Resistances Beginner Poison Resistance Lv0 (1/1000) A slow breath left his chest. After months of reflection and trial, Lumberling had finally begun to unravel the truth behind his core skill, Essence Devour. Unlike his Knight skills, it had no level. No progress bar. No indication of growth. And for the longest time, that had unsettled him. But now, with deeper understanding, he realized—it wasn’t meant to be measured like the others. This wasn’t a skill he had learned; it was something that had become a part of him. Something ancient. Primal. A legacy of a power that likely originated from a being far beyond his comprehension. It wasn’t a Knight technique. It was something else entirely. An innate gift—or perhaps a curse—etched into the very fabric of his essence. A power that couldn’t be upgraded through normal means... because it already existed on a tier above them. Something that transcended human systems and logic. Something that belonged to a different order. And now, by tapping into it, he had drawn forth a new skill—Essence Weave. Essence Weave. A cheat code in a world of swords and monsters. If Devour was the blade, then this was the forge—he wouldn’t just grow stronger alone. He could amplify others. But there was a catch: for the process to work, he still had to deliver the killing blow. His gaze sharpened as he considered the implications. Power that could be shared, shaped, cultivated. But it came with risk. The Empire could never learn of this. But fear didn’t outweigh the fire in his chest. Let them try. He’d just grow strong enough to stand above them all. And he wouldn’t be alone. He glanced at Skitz, who still stood steady, essence thrumming faintly within him. Soon, he’d pass that gift to more of his people. They would rise together. His Concealment skill had reached Level 3, thanks to countless battles with giant spiders and giant bats. His Pikeman’s Art was also on the verge of advancing, sharpened by endless combat and training. On top of that, he had unlocked a new passive skill—Poison Resistance—though its effectiveness, and how to train it, remained a mystery.