266. It Leveled Up
The [Evolved Centinel]s form changed. Previously, it had been a twisted mix of a Centinel with its slithering and segnted 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 wasnt exactly a significant change quite subtle, to be honest but it was still a change.
And beyond that there was sothing different about the [Evolved Centinel] now. Not in anything physical about it, but in that odd aura it absorbed from the sea creatures body. It wasnt mana I could tell it wasnt mana. It was sothing else. I couldnt see it in the sa 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 sothing 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 shouldve 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 seed to hug itself and shiver.
Then, without warning, it was shrouded over. A ball of black consud it and the center of the Lair in its entirety. It was like I was staring into an abyss a deep darkness that seed 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 dinsional 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 movents 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] erged from the shadows as if it had taken a bath in a pool of dark ink. It seed content. Like it had just tested out a new Skill it obtained and was pleased to see its effects werent suboptimal.
That was interesting. I was pretty sure that sohow, soway, 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 wasnt 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 so 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 flas wreathed my body, creating a matte gray Nebular Armor like a knight. I designed it specifically so that itd resemble the [Evolved Centinel]s own carapace. I waved the Juggernauts Bane at the [Evolved Centinel] as it recoiled and leapt back, readying itself for an attack.
Hi! Im Salvos.
I greeted it happily in a muffled voice. It just eyed , 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 didnt respond, of course. I shrugged.
Look, I just want to know if thats what youd planned to do with . I an, you do rember attacking , right?
The [Evolved Centinel] warily circled around as I mirrored its movents, dragging the Juggernauts Bane behind . 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 wasnt spoken in any language I knew.
It wasnt the sa language Id been talking to others in the Nexeus with, and it wasnt English. It was sothing 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.
Youre different from the other Centinels not just you, but the other [Evolved Centinels]. Youre not actually wild, are you?
It just gave a confused look, and I frowned. Maybe it was wild? I couldnt quite tell just yet.
Why did you attack ?
I lowered my weapons, trying to show that I ant no harm. It didnt ease up even one little bit.
Because kill
Because you just want to kill ?
I raised a brow, and the [Evolved Centinel] shuddered. It seed to ponder for a mont, 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 ant.
Huh. So, youre upset because Im killing Centinels?
It didnt reply, and I nodded.
But you kill your own, dont 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 dont, the other Centinels kill each other without a thought they attack without a thought. Theyre wild!
Doesnt matter!
It faced 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 , and I leapt out of the way. My wings spread wide as [Haste] helped move fast and avoid the magical projectile. I pointed at the [Evolved Centinel] as it created a fireball this ti.
[Warped Ti]!
I trapped it in a bubble of slowed space so that all of its movents would decelerate. I swooped down at it as the Juggernauts Bane grew to the size of a small house and slamd 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 Ti].
Oh, no you dont!
The bubble of slowed space followed it as I gave chase. The [Evolved Centinel] raised its arms, this ti casting a different spell. I swung the giant axe at it once more, but all of a sudden the ground beneath erupted.
I watched as a molten pillar shot up and out of the ground at . It moved so fast, I couldnt move out of the way in ti. I had to use a [Long Range Teleport] to pull far off to the side, away from the blast of lava.
I steadied myself, only to see the [Evolved Centinel] suddenly looming over . 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 flas to dampen the strike, but it sheared straight through both the blue flas and my Nebular Armor. It only stopped at the Breastplate of Alexander which sparked out and knocked the attack back.
That Skill reminded of the kind of attacks Zix that annoying Kobold Zealot would employ. Powerful. Just like Zix, the [Evolved Centinel] sohow drew the strength of sothing else. But that was not a Centinels Skill a stolen Skill from so [Mage] it had no, he had killed.
That was right this [Evolved Centinel] wasnt wild. He could think. He wasnt just fighting wildly. I wanted to take a mont to pause and consider this fact. Was this what the Devil intended for to overco in the Bloodied Gulf?
But the question would remain unanswered as the [Evolved Centinel] grabbed by both my arms, preventing 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 didnt 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 as I pulled away from him. He stumbled back, screeching at , but I was already giving myself distance away from him. His chest glowed a mont 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 didnt co. And a shadow erged from the blast.
The [Evolved Centinel] staggered forward, its carapace cracked and broken to reveal his malford insides to . It didnt look like an ordinary Centinels soft skin instead, it was a mangled ss like it had been scarred from a thousand battles. Many of which had been re-opened from [Demons 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 t 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. Hed still be able to put up a fight even with the combined injuries of both of my strongest Skills. However, the question wasnt whether hed win the question was how long hed survive after?
The [Evolved Centinel] seed 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 a second to realize what had happened. The [Evolved Centinel] had caught in the ball of darkness it had created earlier. My movents slowed it was like I was swimming through very heavy water. My movents were half the speed of what they should be. I couldnt see anything. I couldnt hear anything. I tried to wade my way around my inky surroundings, but I didnt know which way was which. What was up and what was down? I didnt know.
So, I struggled in the darkness for a minute. Then two minutes. Until, finally, I broke free. I erged 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 alone in the cave chamber. The [Evolved Centinel] fled. He ran away.
Huh. Coward.
I shook my head, annoyed that I didnt get to kill him after all his talk about killing . Well, at least I got so 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?
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