chapter 13

Over the course of the next two days, Alex found himself confined to his home, yet undeterred from his rigorous training regimen. Determined to refine his skills, he incorporated sword practice into his daily routine, fashioning a makeshift blade from the wood available to him.

When the two days had passed, Alex made his way to the local smithy. There, he was greeted by the sight of a perfectly cleaned and sun-dried snake skin, its inner surface polished smooth to a sheen.

Engaging in conversation with the smith, Alex eventually broached the subject of enhancing his armor further. He persuaded Brook's uncle to infuse additional enchantments into the armor, specifically aimed at fortifying its resilience. Satisfied with the arrangement, Alex bid farewell to the smith and departed, accompanied by his companion, Brook.

Following a series of lectures later that day, Alex sought refuge in the quiet solitude of the library. It was not a grand repository of knowledge, merely consisting of three modest shelves stocked with various tomes and manuscripts. Intent on researching the green mamba, Alex delved into the Monster Encyclopedia categorized under the humble E Rank.

According to the entries, green mambas were rumored to ascend in rank, potentially evolving towards dragonhood if they reached a certain pinnacle of power. Known for their cunning nature, these serpents adeptly concealed themselves amidst foliage, their verdant hue blending seamlessly with the surrounding vegetation. Moreover, consuming their flesh purportedly bestowed vigor and stamina, particularly beneficial for those seeking fertility.

However, despite perusing the detailed page dedicated to the creatures, Alex found no mention of their purported ability for perfect regeneration or any reference to the mystical stone within their heads. Undeterred, he extended his search to the D Rank section of the encyclopedia, discovering updated information regarding their newly acquired abilities, yet still failing to uncover any clue about the mysterious stone.

Turning his attention to other creatures bearing a semblance to the green mamba, Alex tirelessly scoured through texts and manuscripts for over an hour. Finally, amidst the dusty shelves, he stumbled upon a tome dedicated to the esoteric topic of special abilities.

According to the ancient text, every monster possessed innate special abilities, albeit exceedingly rare and difficult for them to harness. Only one in a thousand monsters could master these abilities, allowing them to manifest and control them at will. The culmination of this mastery manifested as a stone forming within their head. Upon the creature's demise, this stone would contain the essence of its unique ability, fetching exorbitant prices in auctions among collectors and researchers alike.

To integrate a monster's ability into oneself, the ritual involved dripping one's blood onto the stone and then piercing it into any part of one's body—regardless of the body part, the transfer of ability remained unaffected. Initiation of this process required the blood's presence to commence the merging, with high-density mana or specialized manastones serving to alleviate the excruciating pain associated with the transformation.

With a calm demeanor masking his inner turmoil, Alex meticulously arranged the books before feigning annoyance and departing from the library. Returning to the solitude of his chamber, he secured the door behind him, retrieving the stone from his possession. Steeling himself for what lay ahead, he drew his bones blade across his finger, commencing the intricate ritual as prescribed in the ancient tome.

As the ritual unfolded, waves of searing pain engulfed his entire being, intensifying with each passing second. The sensation akin to ripping nails across his entire finger threatened to overwhelm him. Gritting his teeth in defiance, fleeting thoughts of severing the tortured digit flitted through his mind, yet Alex remained resolute in enduring the torment.

Minutes stretched into an eternity of anguish until finally, the searing pain relented. Alex's visage betrayed the toll exacted upon him—his once neatly arranged hair now disheveled, tears mingling with traces of mucus streaking across his cheeks.

Turning his gaze upon the now crumbling stone, disintegrating into fine grains of sand, Alex briefly entertained the notion of exploring the newly acquired ability. However, the harrowing ordeal endured dissuaded him from delving deeper, opting to postpone the discovery for a more opportune moment.

Fortuitously, Alex found himself alone within the confines of his home, sheltered from prying eyes as Lucy and Beth had departed with Ana and Sia to the bustling marketplace