13 The Regret
Gobsmacked! Kahn's jaw hit the ground as soon as he heard the information. This wasn't just some higher version of a species, it was a descendant of an ancient Godbeast!
Although Kahn had no idea of what these Godbeasts were but given the fact that the word 'God' was in the name, it was enough to give him a clear idea of how strong that mythical creature might be. Even for a very low leveled and weak descendant, the Somir in front of him was already a very strong creature.
If not for Kahn using a despicable and underhanded method like using the kids to kill the mother, he possibly couldn't have done it unless he had reached the same level as the one lying on the ground.
"Absorb!"
Kahn spoke and the Ability Absorption divine ability started working, but unlike the previous times, it took around 40 minutes to finally absorb the new abilities. And at the end of it, there was still 80% of the flesh and blood from the original body was left as it is. The system probably absorbed only that was enough and left the rest.
Ding!
[The host has acquired the following abilities :
Venom Acid
Paralysis Gaze
Poison Immunity (Grandmaster Rank)
Acute Sense
Somir's Scales
Basilisk Bloodline absorbed : 30% purity
Note : Acute Sense merged under Survival Instinct blessing. The accuracy of Survival Instinct ability increased by 40% and the range increased to 15 meters.
----------------
Synthesis Divine Ability activated!
Host can merge Predator's Eyes and Paralysis Gaze to create a new skill. Would host like to perform the synthesis?]
"Synthesize." Kahn said without a hitch.
[Synthesis complete. The host can now divert his killing intent towards a single target and the entity will be paralyzed on the spot, unable to move its body for the next 20 seconds.
Note : Works only on target weaker than the Host in terms of levels and ranks.
The host must name this first Merged skill.]
Kahn thought for a moment about the most fitting name. With this newly created skill, he could simply make anyone attacking him stop midway through their attack, paralyze them on the spot and simply walk towards them and end their lives under those 20 seconds. This was him simply stunning his enemies.
"Executioner's Gaze."
[Congratulations to the host for creating the first skill. The efficiency of Executioner's Gaze increased by 50% and time has been extended to 30 seconds.]
"Bloody hell!" Kahn shouted and started laughing like the Joker.
This new skill was just too OP for a beginner like him.
Imagine if he could upgrade this ability in the future and use it on multiple targets at the same time. He'd be able to face any ambush with ease.
Even with just a single target, this could save his life if he were to fight someone who's attacking from a long distance like an Archer or attacked him from stealth like an Assassin. Kahn would be able to sense the attacker with his Survival Instinct and then use Executioner's Gaze to root them on the spot. This skill will definitely be one of his trump cards.
After finally stopping his maniacal laughs, Kahn activated and tried out Somir's Scales ability.
Quickly, Black hexagonal skin as hard as an iron shield appeared across his body. And the best part was that it was very lightweight and didn't hinder Kahn's physical movements at all.
This was by far his best defensive skill because even Wilker hide skill put a lot of restrictions on his body parts with all the spikes and bulged-out regions which would become a problem if he was wearing any clothes and had to use this ability to protect himself. If he was forced to use it among a crowd, he'd be labeled as a monster or a mixed race.
Kahn wandered a bit and asked the system…
"Hey system, this wasn't listed in the abilities of the Somir when you scanned it. So how did I get it?"
[Ability Absorption divine ability can extract all forms of physical and magical abilities, bloodlines of rare species, and skills from any targeted being.
Somir's scales are its unique and exclusive physical ability. Extremely rare even amongst other Descendant species of Godbeast Basilisk. The scales can't be broken through even with Alpha Wolf's claws ability the host already has.]
This gave Kahn another revelation.
If they had not used the gigantic boulder's speed and weight while forcing the Somir to instantly use its body to protect the eggs, they possibly would never have managed to kill it if it has used this ability prior to that last moment.
Forget killing it, both Kahn and Omega's most offensive abilities and skills wouldn't have even left a scratch on the scales.
"Is the Goddess of Luck in love with me?" Kahn asked himself.
First, it was the pack of wolves he luckily managed to kill just in time before his Berserk God Mode ended and now this terrifying creature which he couldn't have managed to kill even with all his attacking abilities without dying at least a hundred times before he could even make it bleed.
"Oh my God! Is this the legendary Plot Armor?!" Kahn asked himself, full of awe and disbelief.
Because given how things were going in his favor whether it was keeping his life in the last moment or gaining abilities suitable and to his advantage given his current situation, there was definitely someone akin to a God helping him from behind the shadows.
[[Author : *tips imaginary hat* Yare yare daze.]]
"Whew… This was too close." he spoke to himself and then examined his body again.
The scales covered many vital organs on Kahn's body such as his heart, abdomen, neck region and private parts. His shoulders and arms looked like Batman's batsuit from The Dark Knight only with hexagonal patterns in his case. His entire body had become a walking and breathing armor.
Apart from his face, he could cover his entire body in these ink-black yet shiny and lustrous scales which even reflected the sun rays to some degree.
Kahn finally got a hold of his emotions and tore through the abdomen region of Somir which wasn't covered by these scales. And took the core out of the Somir's heart.
But unlike all his previous encounters with the monster, this core wasn't red but Violet in color while radiating a faint glow as well.
"System, what rank would the Somir be at compared to all the monster species in your knowledge?" Kahn asked. He wanted to grasp exactly what level of monster did they luckily killed.
[According to System's database, the Somir would be ranked at Legendary level. Just below the Mythical and Godbeast Level.]
At this point, Kahn grew numb and forgot to even breathe.
"What the fuck? Legendary Level? Did I just pick a fight with a Legendary monster and even managed to kill it without dying?" Kahn sat on the ground, completely out of his wits.
"What kind of plot hole is this?!" he yelled in bewilderment.
[For what it's worth. The Somir in front of the host is only 50 years old and very low-level. A fully matured Somir would be at least Level 200 and around 500 years old. The host has lucked out.] The system replied trying to console Kahn.
"Yes, extreme luck. Otherwise, even that boulder wouldn't have managed to kill it, rather the boulder would've cracked instead if it was a matured Somir." Kahn finally came to terms with his luck.
"Hey system, will there be any side effects if I eat it in one go? This core looks extremely high-grade and powerful. I won't explode right after eating it, right?" Kahn asked, he wasn't stupid to eat out something that looked so powerful and full of magical energy.
[No. Ability Absorption divine ability will control the flow of the mana absorbed and distribute it inside the host without causing any side effects to the host's physical body.] the system informed Kahn.
"Truly a Cheat code." Kahn sighed, then cleaned and ate Somir's violet core.
A sudden surge of energy emanated from the core as soon as it reached Kahn's stomach.
Kahn quickly signaled Omega to be on guard and sat on the bare ground with his legs crossed, in a Buddha Lotus position just like those Cultivation Manhuas and Novels as he understood how crucial this moment was.
His entire body felt like it was breaking through its limits every second and Kahn went into a meditating state, focusing on the flow of mana inside his body while trying to comprehend how mana itself functioned in this world.
From what God of Darkness told Kahn back then, the magical and world energy in Vantrea was so abundant that creatures here absorbed it inside their cores and souls which eventually allowed their bodies to adapt to it and become fortified with time.
And otherworlders like Kahn who were summoned here had souls far stronger than the creatures living here so their souls could absorb both Magical and World energy in this world far many times faster and process it in a short time.
----------------
During his meditative state, Kahn felt that something inside him was becoming larger and denser as the core was being absorbed at a fast pace.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The notification sound in his head kept ringing more than two dozen times and the aura Kahn was radiating was becoming denser and the area covered under it was expanding gradually. Kahn was leveling up at an unimaginable rate.
After 2 hours of being in this state, Kahn finally opened his eyes. With mental clarity so many times higher than before, the reach of his eyesight became so sharp that he could even see every single hair on his arm and even count them without losing track.
Kahn's entire thought process became 3 times faster than before and his demeanor changed from a warrior-like man to a warlord who controlled everything around him.
This wasn't just physical or mental change, rather a complete transformation for Kahn. As if he was born anew and lived through decades of life-fighting battles and reigning as a King.
Kahn was no longer an uninformed man. He understood one thing after his body and mind underwent this massive change.
He had somehow managed to inherit the will of the Somir.
"System, give me all the details on my Attributes and Skills. A detailed report." Kahn ordered. Even the way he interacted with the system had changed.
Earlier, whenever he asked any questions or commanded the system, it was more like him relying on some external being who he needed. But now, the way he commanded the system was more like a Tyrant giving an order to one of his subjects.
[Host Attributes and Skills are as follows :
Name : Kahn (Host)
Species : Human
Rank : Master
Level : 30
Strength : 60
Agility : 60
Dexterity : 90
Defense : 50
Mana : 150
----------------
Divine Abilities : Ability Absorption, Dimensional Law, Synthesis
Blessings :
War Dominance (Stage 1)
Weapon Mastery (Master Rank)
Combat Mastery (Master Rank)
Survival Intent (Stage 1)
Berserk God Mode (5 times the physical strength)
War Deity Body (Stage 2)
Gifts : All Languages Knowledge known to the War Deity.
----------------
Abilities and Skills :
Alpha Wolf's Claws
Alpha Wolf's Howl
Long stride
Sprinter
Hunt Perception
Predator's eyes
Panorama vision
Wilker Hide
Acute Sense
Poison Acid
Poison Immunity (Grandmaster Rank)
Somir Scale body
Executioner's Gaze.] reported the system, presenting a full catalog.
Finally, after going through everything he possessed till this point, Kahn stopped thinking about his current state and calmed his mind.
Without wasting any more time, he jumped inside the nest and came closer to the golden-shelled eggs that the mother Somir died protecting.
Kahn had no regrets for what he did until now, but after inheriting the Somir's Will… He felt an innate form of connection towards these eggs as if they were his own kin, like they were his own children.
He touched 2 of the 3 eggs with his hands and commanded the system again.
"Check their situation. Can they survive?" Kahn spoke.
[Scanning complete. Both eggs are in midway through maturity. However, they have already formed the traces of their bloodline and their cores.]
At this moment, the system voice stopped as if hesitating to reveal more. But then after a long pause, it continued again.
[But without Mother Somir managing heat temperature to help their maturity, the embryos will die in 2 days. Only the heat received from the mother Somir can ensure their survival.]
As soon as the system told him this, he put his hand on the 3rd egg only to receive the same response from the system.
Kahn clenched his fists and a look of regret was on his face.
Previously, he felt no regret or any emotional burden when he killed a pack of wilkers. But now, he was suddenly having a surge of overwhelming guilt and shame for what he did.
He knew it was the Will of mother Somir making him think this way because Kahn's action in pursuit of strength and survival led to this moment.
So what if this was a Kill or be Killed world?
Did he really have to attack the Somir in the first place?
He could've gone somewhere else and left the Somir who was only guarding its eggs alone. And these rare eggs would one day breed life of their own.
At the end of the day, these were Sentient beings just same as Kahn was. He didn't just kill their mother, he also gave these little ones a death sentence.
There were two conflicting sides in his head, one was justifying his actions rationally while the other one was berating him for being emotionally heartless.
Tears trickled down Kahn's eyes as he looked towards the eggs and then the dead body of the Somir lying outside the nest.
Unlike his own family who were never there for him... This legendary creature which was a mother itself gave its life for the children without even flinching twice.
This motherly love was something Kahn never felt in his previous life.
"I'm sorry!" Kahn said and wiped off the tears.
The Somir was indeed a Legendary creature to have its core form a will and impact Kahn's mind to this degree.
So naturally, this will was making Kahn feel guilty for his actions. He understood this as well but couldn't find a way to justify his doing either.
"System, tell me. Is there a way I can save these eggs?" Kahn asked with a concerned gaze.
[With our current situation and abilities at the host's disposal, it's impossible.]
"Dammit!" Kahn cursed, feeling even more regret than before.
[System detects that the Host's mind is being influenced by the Will of the deceased Somir.
Taking precautionary measures. Would host like to terminate this external consciousness?] system asked.
There was indeed a way for Kahn to not feel guilty any longer. And he'd be back to being himself before he absorbed the core.
"Wait!" Kahn said. He did not want to run away from his doing.
"Can I merge them and create a subordinate?" Kahn asked the system.
[Yes. Since the embryos haven't formed a full consciousness, they can be considered lifeless beings. But host will need a dead body to merge them with. Or the resultant subordinate will not possess any physical abilities of this species since the embryos haven't developed any of them at this stage.
With multiple cores and bloodlines that are yet to be awakened, the embryos will not yield a proper form of their species either.]The system gave all the possible outcomes to Kahn should he choose to use them for creating a new subordinate.
Kahn understood what this would mean. A being that won't be useful to him or won't even have a proper consciousness even after going through his Synthesis divine ability. he had no options available.
But then he suddenly saw the dead body of the mother Somir and had an idea.
"System. Completely terminate the external consciousness." Kahn commanded the system.
The next second, Kahn felt all the guilt he felt vanish as if nothing happened at all. His innate connection to the eggs was severed as well.
And now he was back to his clear and focused mind he gained after he absorbed the core of mother Somir. But this didn't mean that he had forgotten what he felt just a few seconds ago.
Kahn wrapped his arms around one egg and lifted it, taking it closer to the dead body of mother Somir. He repeated the same action for the remaining eggs and came close to the head of the Somir. He gently patted on the lifeless head of the Somir and said with eyes full of regret and determination at the same time.
Kahn gave a compassionate look contrary to his previous lifeless one.
"I'm sorry. This is the only I can make sure that your children didn't die in vain. And whatever comes out of this procedure, I promise you that I'll make it so strong one day, that even the Ancient Godbeast like the Basilisk will not be able to stand on even grounds with it. That will be my penance…" he spoke with a resolute voice.
"For condemning your children to the fate of death."
