Chương 64: Hidden Intentions

The hunger grows quickly. I slam the doors open, barrelling down the hallway and into the throne room. The mage's corpse is the first one I see. I pounce like a beast and rip off the robes, along with the clothes underneath them. My teeth close, ripping thick chunks of meat off. Instead of filling my stomach, the pain only tightens it further. Red wisps of energy fluctuate over my stump every time I swallow. The flesh steadily turns from red to normal.

I try to watch and understand, but every instinct in my body clears my mind and pulls me back into eating. Panic flares as the pain becomes worse. My movements become frantic. With every bite, I spend less time chewing and more time swallowing. It's so good. The crimson liquid flows like water over my tongue and down my throat. Everything turns into a blur. Not a single thought forms in my mind until everything fades to black. The world returns blindingly bright.

I wince and cover my eye with my hand, pushing off the ground with the other.

"Ughhhh." Pain spreads through every corner of my body. My stomach cramps, filled to the brim, making every movement uncomfortable.

"Kevin, don't feel pain." Red covers the bottom of my vision. The sight at my feet shocks me. The mage lies with the top of its robe torn apart. Its left arm is just gone, bones and all, with bite marks and snapped bones tearing into its shoulder and chest. Dried blood coats the stone under it and the surrounding robe. It's getting worse. A foreboding sense of dread digs into my heart. What am I- My gaze flickers to my arm. I lift it up, spreading my fingers and turning it around. I can't believe it. It's back.

It's pale as a vampire, with all my veins clear as day. But it's back.

"Hah. HAHAH!" I yell with a smile. I stretch my arm around and start shadowboxing. What the hell was in that bottle? I close and open my hand repeatedly. I feel amazing. No, better than amazing. Not only that, the cuts on my other hand, along with the lethal wound in my stomach, are gone. Reaching down, I poke through the hole in the leather armor and touch my abs. Though scarred, the tissue has repaired itself. One Mind/Two Bodies All the healing and changes become crystal clear in my mind.

Did I go through optimization again? The inner exoskeleton has grown thicker, becoming complete in my neck and abs. Bone plates in my arms, hands, and other parts of my body also stretched, widened, and grew thicker. With a barely contained smile, I whisper the magic word.

"Status." [You have slain (III) Royal Hobgoblin Guardsman lv. 5] [You have slain (III) Royal Hobgoblin Assassin lv. 5] [You have slain (III) Royal Hobgoblin Mage lv. 5] [You have slain (III) Hobgoblin King lv. 20] [You have slain (III) Royal Hobgoblin Longbowman lv. 5] [Partial experience granted x10] [Companionship Pact Leader(lv. 27) > (lv. 30)] [(II) High Human(lv. 12) > (lv. 15)] [High Human's Musculature(lv. 3) > (lv. 5)] [Empower Suggest Companion(lv. 9) > (lv. 10)] [One Mind/Two Bodies(lv. 4) > (lv. 5)] [Bleed Immunity(lv. 11) > (lv. 13)] [Reinforced Skeleton(lv. 2) > (lv. 4)] [Danger Sense(lv. 9) > (lv. MAX)] [Danger Sense > Danger Detection] [Danger Detection] [Utilizing instinct, this skill allows the user to predict incoming threats. Allows for the detection of bloodlust. Precision and delay scale with perception and skill level.] [Optimized Anatomy(lv. 3) > (lv. 4)] [Stasis(lv. 0) > (lv. 1)] Stroking my beard, I read the changes to danger sense. It's good. I like it.

Everything except Brax has tried to kill me on sight so far, so it wouldn't have been too useful. But for the future? I can see humans in specific, who may approach with hidden intentions. Danger sense wasn't foolproof. If I found myself lured into a room full of traps, I would have no option. Nodding to myself, I read the last message. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

[Tamed Being Skill Gained: Stamina Stomach] [Stamina Stomach] [Excess satiety is converted to stamina. Improves digestion speed and diversity. Digestion robustness, diversity, and speed scale with skill level.] A new skill already? It feels like just yesterday I got musculature. Even more recently, I got stasis. Having two sources of skills is putting a lot on my plate. My arm swings around in circles as I jog on both feet. Is this skill why I feel so energetic? I swear I was almost dead a little while ago.

It must have seen some use after I healed from that strong-ass potion and was still eating as much as I could stuff into my mouth. Hold on. I stop and think. Doesn't this mean I don't have to sleep anymore? Hmm. Likely not. The mind still needs time to rest, even if my stamina is full. Still, this reminds me of the stories of old.

'And for three days and nights they fought.' Can I do that now? It might be silly to be stuffing my face while in the middle of a fight, but the utility of it is undeniable. To add to that, I even went through another round of Optimized Anatomy while I was unconscious. Perhaps one of the better benefits on the list. The screen scrolls down according to my intent. [Health: 1485(1423)] [Mana: 905] [Stamina: 1560(1498)] My eye bulges.

"What the hell!?" That potion packed a punch! It's like I didn't fight for my life for… However long I was asleep. After throwing a few more punches, I jump a few feet across the room.

"Hahaha!" I feel amazing! Turning to the golden doors, I debate going back to see Brax and deal with that weirdo in the cell. But curiosity takes over, and I decide to move to the next area. Just to take a peek. I pass through the throne room and walk through the doorway at the end. At the end of the hallway with all of the different emblems, there is one more unassuming door. Like any other in the castle. My expression becomes stern as I place my hand on the handle.

"Kevin, fight perfectly, and don't feel pain." With a deep breath, I push it open. A small room, twelve feet on all sides. In the center, a grand chest stands up to my ribs. Plated in gold. Every. Single. Inch. Suspicion digs into my mind. In a normal RPG, this would be the perfect place to put a mimic. I scrutinize every nail and shine. Identify Living Being [Golden Reward Chest] Yeah, but a mimic would be able to fool that, right?

At the end of the free roam area, there was a collapsing cave trap directly after the fight. Which caused the loss of my precious gauntlet. And almost my life. The system has proven that it would do something evil like that. Nervously, I take off my leather cap and toss it at the chest. It doesn't react. The leather cap plops against the side and falls to the ground. It wouldn't be that easy, would it? I sprint back to the throne room and grab the axe off the ground before returning.

My eye lingers on the hand in the center of the room, but I ignore it. I stand before the chest, raising the axe with both arms and swinging down forcefully. The blow leaves a small dent in the top, metal ringing through the room. If it were alive, it would have awakened by now, right? I chew on my cheek for a few seconds. Shrugging, I give up and anxiously step forward. With the tip of the axe, I flip the latch open and lift the lid open. I pull back and hold the axe behind me, ready to swing.

The lid unceremoniously falls backward and clunks against the hinges. Chime No teeth inside. To my surprise, it's not empty. Gold coins, gems of all colors, and pearl necklaces. It's all there. Generic treasure. If I were still on earth without the awesomeness of mana running through my body, dollar signs would be appearing in my eyes. Well… eye. Annoyed, I realize that the potion didn't heal my eye. Does the duration of injuries matter when healing? If so, I'd better find a way to heal it quickly.

I turn to my newest message. [You have discovered a reward] [Accept(186) / Bank / Consolidate] It only added one unit, but I've long since known that the true value is hidden. Instead of consolidating it, I simply close the window. After a deep breath, I walk over and lay my hand on the door. Wait. What if I'm closed off from the rest of the dungeon? Considering what happened when I first made it out of the dark area, it's entirely possible. I should go back and grab Brax before I continue.

My hand leaves the door, and I make my way back. Soon, I find myself at the golden double doors leading from the throne room back to the castle proper. Holding my new favorite weapon, the guardsman's axe, I push the door open. My free hand jumps to the axe, ready to fight, but the room is empty. The pillars I created to block the door are broken. The door is open, with the stairwell right behind it. With an eyebrow raised, I carefully check the corners while stepping into the room. Silence. What the heck?

Where are all the guards? The door to the throne room wasn't locked, so what's up? I walk down the stairs, senses on high alert. A couple of minutes pass, but there's no sign of an ambush. The cells come into view. Dust is kicked up, with papers scattered all around the room. But no one's present. Except for two, technically. Staggard stands with his hands wrapped around the bars of his cell. On the far side of the room lies the first guard I killed when I came here. Likely the warden.

Strange to have only one with all these cells, but I guess there's only one prisoner.

"Hey! Fucker! What happened?" My mood sours instantly.

"My name's Kevin," I say, walking up to his cell.

"Yeah, yeah." He rolls his eyes.

"I'm starving. Let me out of here already." I tap my chin thoughtfully.

"Can you say please?" His eyes narrow. A deep, pulsing sense of danger showers down my skin. I jerk away from the bars, holding the axe up in defense. I look around the room for the source, slowly centering on Staggard. Is this the new effect of danger sense? Didn't think it would come into effect so soon. Based on the word 'bloodlust', it probably means he's not simply annoyed. He genuinely wants to hurt me. My movement causes him to adopt a bit of confusion, the bloodlust fading into the background.

I relax the axe and walk close, but not too close.

"Alright, I'll let you out," I say, casualness removed. He doesn't speak, just stepping back and nodding. There's something about his eyes. I don't like it. We stare at each other for a few seconds. He sighs, bloodlust disappearing.

"No need to get your underpants in a twist. I'm your guide, remember?" His smile seems like nothing more than an obvious facade. I think about grabbing the keys that are probably on the guard, but decide to go for a show of force. This guy's eyes look more like the calculating gaze of a hobgoblin than that of a human. A gaze that constantly searches for weakness or an opportunity.

"Let me out, and we can get some food in us. I can teach you about all the questions you have. I'm sure you have a few, right?" His expression is kind, but I don't forget the threat I felt earlier. Nodding, I walk forward and grip the front bar of his cell door. If I rip it open, I bet he'll- Chime [Hidden objective discovered: War-torn criminal] [Slay the criminal inside to receive a 1. 5x multiplier on all consolidated rewards]