32 Chapter 32: The Demon Returns

[Status]

Host = Lake Egoven

Age = 18

Primary Role = Master of Fate

[Stats]

Strength = 2.11 -> 6.75

Agility = 1.75 -> 3.90

Stamina = 2.01 -> 5.50

Mana Strength = 0

Mana Capacity = 0

[Skills]

Observer of Fate lv2, Writer of Fate lv1, Steel Body Martial Arts lv2 (1000 RP to upgrade), Master of Stealth lv1 , Parkour Master lv1, Assassinate lv1, Weapon Master lv1, Sixth Sense lv1.

[RP Points = 0.006]

Looking at his current status screen, Lake was slightly surprised. He didn't expect the increase in his stats to be so drastic, especially after he had conducted research on the difference between each point of Fitness Index and its relation to the martial realms.

There exist seven different martial realms known to the world right now. From lowest to highest, they are the Martial Apprentices, Martial Warriors, Martial Masters, Martial Grandmasters, Martial Lords, Martial Kings and Martial Emperors. These were the realms that the first martial artists of the original catastrophe had come up with after exploring the energy known as mana and how it affects their bodies. Each realm is meant to represent a qualitative change in the strength that an individual can achieve.

These realms are further divided into three minor ranks. Since the martial realms are divided by a qualitative change in the users strength, and not a measure of their actual strength, this can often result in a situation where the strength of two different martial artists in the same realm have a large gap between them. To help accurately judge the strength of a martial artist, these minor realms were created. From lowest to highest, they are Low-rank, Mid-rank and High-rank.

For each martial realm, these ranks represent a different level of fitness index. For the martial apprentice realm, the Low-rank represents a fitness index between two to three. Mid-rank represents a fitness index between four to seven and the High-rank represents a fitness index between eight to ten.

In Lake's case, with his current stats, his strength stands near the peak of Mid-rank of the martial apprentice realm. His stamina is around the middle of the Mid-rank while his agility is the only stat below the Mid-rank, standing at the peak of Low-Rank. His overall fitness index would be around five.

At this point, Lake is on the same level as a Mid-rank Martial Apprentice, using his fitness index alone. However, if one were to account for the various skills Lake has in his possession, he could easily defeat anyone in the Mid-rank and even defeat some of the martial artists at the High-rank!

Lake had also learned how the various stat indices were calculated through his research which also gave him a deeper understanding of his current strength. Previously, using the strength index as an example, Lake had known that a strength index of one represents the maximum physical strength that the average human body can achieve. Anything higher than that would enter the realm of superhuman. When one's strength index reaches three, most people would assume that it means that they are three times as strong as a peak human. However, that isn't the case, as the increase in strength isn't as simple as one plus one. Instead, the strength increases exponentially!

In Lake's case, using his strength index of 6.75, he isn't six times as strong as a peak human, but around 22 times as strong! Stretching his hand to a piece of concrete that had fallen off the building's wall, Lake picked it up with one hand before applying a small amount of pressure,easily crushing it into tiny fragments.

After testing his strength, Lake was eager to start spider hunting again. However, after going through the upgrade, both Lake's body and mind were slightly exhausted and he needed to rest for a bit.

After resting for an hour, Lake had recovered most of his strength as he exited his temporary shelter before climbing up to a vantagepoint. Looking at the ravine, Lake could already see a few groups of spiders exiting and entering the nest, each of them having a Soldier Class Spider accompanying them.

Previously, if Lake were to see a group of spiders accompanied by a Soldier Class Spider, he would have avoided them. However, now that Lake's strength had reached the equivalent of the Mid-rank, those Soldier Class Spiders with a Fitness Index around two to three have suddenly changed from a threat to a large lump of RP. Looking at a group of spiders that was heading out of the nest, Lake grinned, almost looking like a wolf baring its teeth.

If anyone who had watched Lake's exam highlights were to see that smile, they would immediately know that the demon had come out to play.

…

A group of twelve spiders were currently crawling through the inside of a ruined building that was infested with a large colony of rats. Using their webs, they would catch the rats before injecting them with their venom, sending the rats into a comatose state, effectively stopping them from moving around.

Among these spiders was a slightly bigger spider. This spider's exoskeleton had a slight silver pattern on it. The spider was currently standing guard as it watched its clansmen and brothers do their daily gathering. This spider was a member of the fifth Queen's colony and he would normally stay inside the nest, patrolling and protecting his queen and the nest. However, recently a lot of its brethren have gone missing, causing the queen spider to go on high alert as her children have been greatly reduced. She started sending the stronger children of the colony like this one to protect the weaker children.

Looking at his brethren collecting the rats, this spider didn't dare to let down his guard. Suddenly, one of the younger spiders of the group came up to him.

"Zhizhi!(Big bro, we have finished gathering the quota for today!)"

Hearing the little spider's report, the big spider slightly nodded its head in response as it took a glance at the other spiders.

However, it quickly noticed that something was amiss. Originally, there were twelve spiders among them including itself. However, counting the current number of spiders, there were only eight other spiders beside itself, meaning that three spiders had suddenly disappeared.

When the spider noticed this, he immediately went on high alert as he warned his remaining brethren to gather around him. Remembering the rumors that have been floating around the nest about the disappearing spiders, the Soldier was on even higher alert.

The spider quickly observed its surroundings as its smaller brethren gathered around it. The building they were currently in was previously a large supermarket that had been converted into a rats nest a long time ago. The colony would usually come here in order to gather food. The building was fairly wide and the roof was covered except for one large hole where the ceiling had collapsed allowing for light to pass through. No current was flowing through the building, so besides the spot that had sunlight passing through in the ceiling, everywhere else was extremely dark.

Thankfully however, the spiders had some level of dark vision which allowed them to see and maneuver fairly well in the darkness; which had previously allowed them to hunt the rats inside.

As the big spider looked around, he spotted something poking out behind the corner of one of the isles. Looking closely, he could see that the object was a spider leg. Noticing that the spider leg was moving slightly, he went closer to investigate as his remaining brethren followed closely behind him, however, he didn't notice that something was moving closely behind them in the darkness.

When he finally turned the corner, the spider felt his hair stand on end as he saw the gruesome body of one of its spider brethren. The spider's body was split into two, with its lower abdomen missing as its own blue blood painted everything behind it, looking as if a water balloon had burst open. What shocked the spider even more was that its brethren were still alive as it twitched ever so slightly. Listening closely, the spider could even hear its brethren slightly whispering. Leaning closer, the big spider tried to hear what the dying spider was trying to say.

"Zhi…Zhi…(behind…you)"

When the big spider heard those words it immediately turned around with haste, however, there was nothing there which only confused the spider for a moment before it realized something.

"ZhiZhi(Where did everyone go?)"

While the spider was getting more and more terrified, it wanted to turn around to look at the injured spider when it suddenly noticed something.

Behind the spider was the spot where the light shined down from the collapsed ceiling so its shadow had always been shown in front of it. However something was rather strange this time. Was its shadow always so big?

As the spider went to turn around, it suddenly felt a large force crash into the top of its head.

*SPLAT*

Blue blood and brain matter flew everywhere as Lake casually removed his fist from the spider's head he had just crushed. Stretching out his hand, he grabbed the thread of Fate that had disconnected from the spider's head… or what remained of it.

[Detected that the Host has come in contact with a Soldier's Fate. Beginning the absorption process…]

[Absorption complete.]

[+10 RP Points]