Chương 52: Old Skills, New Forms

"Furry, what was that? That monster was going to chew me up like I was a snack," Silex muttered as they ran.

"I don't know; I've never passed through this region," Vesper said seriously, keeping pace.

"It's a sentient plant being, one that has likely lived here for decades, feeding on beasts and participants alike. I could use its core; it must be full of natural energy," Maximus spoke as he ran, his voice calm despite the urgency.

"You can forget it; I'm not going back there!" Silex complained loudly.

"I am not asking you to. If needed, I'll do it alone, but for now, run. A swarm of vicious-looking wasps is closing in fast," Maximus explained as his spirit energy ripple returned sparse but useful information about the surrounding terrain.

"Vesper, can you cast your barrier around others or only yourself?" Maximus asked.

"Only myself at the moment. If I had access to more blood, I could extend it to protect others," Vesper replied.

"Alright, no problem, I'll need you to buy me some time then," Maximus said as he released Spore Cloud toward the incoming swarm. The bigger the insect, the more air it needs to fuel those massive wings… It should buy enough time. The white cloud engulfed the swarm faster than their heavy wings could disperse it, rolling over them in a suffocating wave. Their tracheae worked overtime as they flew at high speeds, making them perfect targets for the microscopic spores.

As the spores forced their way inside, the wasps began dropping from the sky one after another, their limbs twitching uncontrollably as they crashed into the ground.

"They won't stay down for long; they're too strong!" Maximus warned as he opened his Skill Editing Interface, pulling up Cyclone Shell and beginning to disassemble it mid-run with focused precision. Meanwhile, Sprout launched himself forward into the bramble, stretching high above them, sinking his roots into the thorny stems that hung low, and lashing them violently at the spasming wasps.

Vesper joined in with an explosive barrage of blood crystals that detonated into sharp shards on contact, while Silex fired Aqua Jet repeatedly, slicing some of the wasps in half as they tried to rise. Some of the creatures managed to push through the paralysis and lunged at the beastly duo, slashing with their scythe-like limbs that gleamed with a dull, metallic sheen.

Sprout reacted instantly, swatting them out of the air with a tree-sized thorny vine that splattered them into the dirt just inches away from the duo's faces.

"Bloody hell, remind me to never get on the plant's bad side," Silex gasped, eyes wide.

"Again, with that weird accent," Vesper cackled, just as Maximus shouted, "Move!" New Skill Detected: > Cyclone Shell: Wind Prison Cyclone Shell: Wind Prison – A barrier that once served for your protection can now be cast to trap any target within a ten-meter radius. The prison will last for two minutes or until broken. A large shell of cycling winds trapped the remaining wasps as they rose and began slashing at it. The shell immediately started to crack all over, but it held.

"Boss, that is not going to last!" Vesper shouted, just as a towering pillar of light descended, shattering the barrier and torching the wasps into charred remains. Solar Pyre gave them no chance to counterattack. You have defeated: [Mantis Wasp Lv. 25] x 18 Battle Tokens earned: 1000 Maximus stored what remained of their scythe-like limbs, stingers still dripping with venom and cores, and smiled at his group, "Thank you, you all did really well, especially you, Sprout.

This area might be simpler to pass through than expected thanks to you!" He said as Sprout leapt off the bramble and dove into his arms, squeaking happily.

"Let's move. If a stronger swarm comes, it won't be as simple as it is now." They hurried forward, the bramble stretching above them, sunlight barely piercing through the dense thorns and tangled canopy. As they moved, soft rustling and low creaking echoed eerily overhead, pushing them to pick up speed. Maximus wanted to find a place they could use as a temporary hideout.

While running, Maximus received a notification that his Minor Shapeshift had reached level 20 and could evolve, but he pushed it aside for now as he realized the plant itself was starting to move. The thick, thorny vines lashed out at them, forcing Maximus to edit slightly and cast the new iteration of the skill around the group, trapping them inside as they rolled forward like hamsters in a wheel.

New Skill Detected: > Cyclone Shell: Swirling Orb Cyclone Shell: Swirling Orb – A simple barrier that can envelop multiple targets at once within a three-meter radius around the caster. The barrier is weaker and easier to break. Since the skill had no cooldown, he recast it the moment it began to crack under the impact of tree-trunk-sized vines slamming into it.

"Boss, there, jump there!" Vesper shouted, nodding toward a steep drop-off to the left just a few dozen meters ahead.

"Good catch! I'll raise two walls behind us once we're there, and then we'll jump! I don't have much spirit left!" Maximus shouted. They sprinted forward just as the last Swirling Orb shattered. Maximus raised two earthen walls behind them, and they lunged down the slope.

"Aaaah, we're going to die! This is it! The day has come; all that meat is going to go to waste!" Silex cried out as they slid down like they were on ice. The smaller thorny thickets tore at them as they passed, slicing at skin and fur.

"Boss, are you fine? Your skin is too thin!" Vesper asked, worried, as clumps of his fur snagged and tore against the thorns.

"I'll be fine; just watch yourselves!" Maximus shouted as he gripped his staff to boost his spirit regeneration, and as his energy slowly returned, he sent ripples forward to scan the terrain ahead.

"There's a swamp! That river we found earlier, it must fork somewhere here! Silex, can you control the swamp water to cushion our fall?!" Maximus shouted.

"Who do you think I am? Of course I can!" Silex yelled back as they hurtled toward the moss-covered swamp beneath the bramble. Silex glowed light blue as the swamp water rose into a surging wave, rushing up to meet them. The wave lifted the water halfway to them before collapsing into a thick, rippling cushion that softened their descent. As they plunged into the swamp, the water receded again, pulling them deeper like a retreating tide.

They struggled against weeds and moss as they forced their way back to the surface. Maximus lashed out with Thorn Whip, wrapping it around a nearby tree and yanking himself onto solid ground, while Vesper leapt clear and Silex floated up, relieved to be alive, with Sprout clinging to his back.

"Thank you, Silex; that was well done! We could've slammed straight into those trees at that speed… It would've been ugly," Maximus said, taking a deep breath.

"Vesper, send your wolves to scout along the shoreline," he said as he sat down to meditate, focusing on recovery. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Max, I'll go scout the swamp," Silex suddenly spoke, unable to stay still any longer. Maximus opened his right eye and nodded.

"Alright, but be careful; we don't know what could be hiding here…"

"Like always!" Silex growled and dove into the two-meter-deep swamp waters.

A short while later, Vesper spoke, "Boss, there is no way through left or right; we're surrounded by impenetrable bramble on all sides."

"I see… Let's hope Silex can find something," Maximus sighed. Half an hour later, Silex returned.

"The river passes through the bramble, and on the other side, there's a large waterfall. There's no way out of here unless we plan to jump to our deaths. There are no signs of life either… At least none that I noticed," Silex said bluntly.

"So, jumping down here wasn't the best idea?" Vesper muttered.

"Calm down, everyone. We can slowly climb back up, but the main problem, if we do, will be the living bramble monster and then the wasps. We'll camp here for now; there's enough space for a small camp." Maximus spoke calmly.

"And don't worry, I have a plan!" he added.

"Once night falls, Sprout and I will go and deal with that creature. Sprout will be invaluable in this plan. Once it's handled, I'll help you climb back up. See? Nothing to worry about," Maximus reassured them.

"That is… if you two can actually defeat that teeth-filled monstrosity," Silex growled.

"We can. You just need to trust me for once," Maximus replied, steady and confident.

"Boss, I don't like it. Can't we all go?" Vesper objected.

"It would take too long for all of us to climb while being attacked, especially with Silex, and I don't want to leave him alone down here. So please, stay and keep him company," Maximus said, his tone warm but firm.

"I'm not a child! And what is that supposed to mean, 'especially with Silex'?" Silex snapped.

"Nothing, just that you're the heaviest, so it would slow things down," Maximus explained evenly.

"I have some skills to evolve; let me finish that, and then we'll eat together."

"You're the heaviest!" Silex shot back, making Vesper chuckle. Skill Leveled Up: [Minor Shapeshift (F) Lv. 20] Skill Minor Shapeshift (F) is evolving. Alert: One of Us skill is influencing the skill's evolution path deeper into the Shapeshifter path. Skill Minor Shapeshift (F) has evolved into the skill Shapeshift (D) Shapeshift (D) Level 1 – Shapeshift fully into a werebeast or transform any part of your body. Possible full transformations: Werewolf, Werebear, Werecroc.

Partial transformations available: Eagle Eyes, Centipede Shel l, and any body part from the Were lineage. While in a full transformation, partial transformations cannot be used, but you gain the complete physical attributes of the beast you are fully shifting into. You may cast skills while fully transformed, but your energy regeneration is reduced by half. Full transformations last for 20 minutes; partial transformations last for 30 minutes.

No spirit cost, but there is a high chance of a temporary behavior change. After each full transformation, the skill enters a 1-Hour cooldown. This is… something else. A full Beastkin form, huh? That will be an interesting experience, and it should give me plenty of space to experiment. Also, by the looks of it, the Centipede Blessing influenced the evolution as well. Maybe I should try to obtain more of these blessings… He thought as he opened the notification for Thorn Whip, which had finally reached max level.

Skill Leveled Up: [Thorn Whip (F) Lv. 20] Skill Thorn Whip (F) is ready to evolve. Alert: Please choose the evolution path for the skill. Briar Storm (E), Vine Tendril (E) Briar Storm (E) – Unleash a storm of thorn whips in a 120-degree cone before you. The length of the whips cannot exceed 10 meters. The whips remain active for a short duration, lashing at any designated targets. Costs 120 Spirit. Vine Tendril (E) – Summon a dark bark-covered whip as thick as a man's arm and up to 10 meters long.

It carries the weight of a falling tree, crushing everything in its path. Armored enemies struck will receive a slow debuff, reducing movement speed by 30% for 15 seconds. Costs 200 Spirit Briar Storm would be great for editing and making it deadlier, but Vine Tendril is something that we could use now, and having something heavy to crush barricades in our path is much more useful in the Wildlands. I can always find a way to create my own Briar Storm! He decided on and chose the second skill.

Skill Thorn Whip (F) has evolved into the skill Vine Tendril (E) I'll prepare a small upgrade as well… Let's see the formula. He opened his editing interface, which he was quickly growing fond of, and split the new skill into its base components. Oh… the limits are much wider this time. It needs to remain heavy, and the length must stay the same, but what if I change the bark composition… Say, to Violet Dusk Aspen?

He adjusted the properties, and the spell shimmered briefly within the testing space before a massive violet tendril descended like the judgment of a forest, leaving behind a faint, glowing haze in its wake. Hahaha… It worked. There we go, a little bit of what the kids call CC, right? He smiled faintly as the system stored the modified version of the skill.

New Skill Detected: > Vine Tendril: Violet Dusk Vine Tendril: Violet Dusk – On each slam, it leaves behind a violet haze that induces hallucinations in nearby enemies, freezing them shortly in place with fear. Now this has given me another idea. I never actually tampered with Barkskin! He tried to edit Barkskin, to give it stronger bark or bark with different properties, but every combination failed, the skill being too weak to shift into real bark.

The only thing I can do here is give it plantlike properties to regrow. He sighed, for the first time, his ideas all failed spectacularly like that. New Skill Detected: > Barkskin: Regrowth Barkskin: Regrowth – Cover your skin with a bark-like barrier of viscous spirit energy, raising your physical defense by 17% for 33 seconds. Once shattered, the bark will surge with a wave of spirit energy, regrowing and restarting the duration timer.

The spirit cost of the regrown barrier will triple and place the skill on a 2 Minute cooldown. It'll do… He sighed.

"Alright, I'm done. Let's eat; once night falls, we strike!" Maximus said as he pulled out half of a large roasted centipede. As Silex and Vesper began devouring their portions, he gathered a small pile of dry bramble and scattered branches and summoned Embi to ignite it. With the campfire crackling to life and everyone eating, he finally dug in as well. He was already growing tired of the centipede meat, but with the sheer amount stored and the benefits it provided, he had little choice.

Summoning a small fork, he sighed. I miss honey apple pie… ‎