Chapter 11—Strange Creatures of the Sewer.

He looked at it first before moving his hand to the silver handle, He lightly grabbed it and twisted silently. The handle rotated and made a click at the end of the twist. Valor feeling the indication sighed relieved, His father didn't locked his cabinet. It's probably because of two reasons: One is that burglars are rare in this era, then two is that no one will mess with him.

He slowly slid the mirror inward, opening the barrier between him and the antiques found inside. The time the glass wall slid to the side, His nose smelt the odor of dust, it sure is not opened for a very long time.

Valor breathed heavily first before extending his right hand, quickly but carefully grabbed two bottles. He fascinated them first before placing them inside his pocket, twisted the handle again before sliding it quickly to seal the cabinet. With everything neatly arranged, He backed down slowly to the door, looking at the room with a glint in his eyes.

Three-step backwards and he reached the hallway again, so he slowly grabbed the gold plated doorknob and closed it silently. The room sat quietly like nothing happened in the past five minutes. Valor getting what he needs ran to the hallway, before arriving at his room with the tingling sensation of hunger again.

He went in silently, locking it along the way. Inside he heaved a deep breath before he walked carefree— not tiptoeing like before, the floor creaked in exchange for that. The difference in age in woods can also be seen here— His father said that his room is the oldest room in the house. It was built before the manor, Slightly creepy but Valor isn't bothered.

He went to the metal box, tidied the potions, and re-bundled his savings, but he didn't include his knife, instead, he hanged it on his waist. 'I think I should be able to handle this knife by now.' Valor thought while placing it to a respectable spot, At the left side of the waist, near the back. Magic weapons also have requirements, it drains the mana of those that aren't ready for it—He bought this hunting knife six months ago, his body wasn't ready at that time. But he should have improved a lot by now.

Valor then sealed the box again and pushed it inward the shadows of his bed, It slid and resided at the very back. With this all done, Valor went in front of the books and seated with his legs crossed. He took out the two-cylinder glass and placed them in front of him, Blue and red. They shone a bit weaker than before, No, the sunlight just cancels their glint.

Valor looked at the first jellyfish, Thinking how to do what he hadn't done before. He looked around it and saw the airholes below— with applied physics so that water doesn't come out, He contemplated for a while before making his decision. He placed his thumb at the bottom and index at the top—Sandwiching the glass apparatus between his fingers. He sighed before started sucking— The power of the root is innate in him, he knows it in an unexplainable way. He learnt that from sucking Rein's vital energy before.

But as expected, he cannot suck anything from the jellyfish, "Figured as much, I need physical contact to use drain." He sighed and was about to remove his thumb at the bottom when the jellyfish moved, This is a very rare sight, His father would even shout if they moved an inch. Yet this small jellyfish is now wiggling, It extended its tentacles to the holes at the bottom, but they are too large for the air holes. So It wiggled and even tapped the glass.

This baffled Valor, Why is such lazy being started reacting weirdly? He asked himself. He kept looking at it before he finally noticed something, glowing dust and are very small, is coming out from the bottom of the bottle— from the air holes. So Valor followed them and found his thumb emitting the glowing dust— It is now glowing white. This shocked him very much, he knows he is using drain, But he didn't expected it to glow and produce lights that will later on vanish to the water.

Not a while later and he can feel slithering limbs, extending from his thumb, small and thin— also glowing white. He knows he is controlling them, But no to the fullest. Like a newborn baby that can move its muscles subconsciously, Innate but not in full control.

They extended to the airhole before swimming in the water, they then connected to the tentacles of the red jellyfish. There he felt it, him being recharged and sucking away vital energy, while the jellyfish gives away freely. They are said to have the ability to create infinite vital energy, As long as they have food to eat and oxygen to breathe. But no human had made them obey to give energy for convenience, They either attack with an electric shock if threatened, or self explodes to escape. Its remaining cell will unite themselves before regrowing again—That's why they are called immortal, Their cells don't age, and when killed, they will regrow again in the water. That's why humans made a question, "did they already existed before time began"— Authors of editorial news made this question a controversial news back in the 2500s, and many scientists of course labeled them stupid.

Alchemists have been working nonstop since their appearance, Fascinated about the phrase, "What if we can harvest lifeforce and Vital energy from them, or solve how they do it?" It kept them thousands of years to figure it out, but no one succeeded till now. Because these dormant beings will turn crazy if a sucking device sucks its vital energy or someone disturbs them. Even with many drugs used, they aren't moved. They only love to sleep and float peacefully.

But this boy inside his room, in the eastern town of New Monarchs, can harvest energy from them without a sweat. He, of course, know the gravity of this ability, many alchemists out there would do anything for a lead, he will surely be hunted eternally if words comes out. Luckily he can hide it as a drain spell, one of the middle-class spells.

Valor smiled and kept it in his hand, he then looked at the books in front. He can finally have a lead to his path, They for sure include breathings, Techniques, and exercises. He walked there and reached the very first book of the first row, He sighed and read the title. "Steam foundation— By Gilbert Lustrave"

He then started reading merrily, he can gain soul later and put this jellyfish at rest. Valor turned the pages before finally arriving at the introduction, "Magic Body is the very foundation of Magic Knights, that's why it is important to weave a good and powerful one. Here in these late years of mine, I decided to create a magic body that is based on my experience. The steam foundation offers a lot of benefits when practiced, From efficient circulation and a balanced body. It also does well with burst base exercises and explosive breathing, It lessens the strain when performing those kinds of risky exercises and breathings."

Exercises, circulation, and breathing tones one's body. They strengthens it with a certain strand: Accuracy, acrobatics, high mana, quick mana regen, etc. And like all other things, they are graded by their strains, From 1 to 5. 5 is the one that has a riskier strain, Of course, it is the one that has more benefit.

The government grants full access to the exercises and breathings that are classified as foundations, Almost all of the foundations of famous people are free—May it be exercise, breathing, and circulation. They believe opportunity brings out the prodigy inside youngsters, So it's now up to the youngsters if they want to work harder for power. Some would of course choose not to in this peaceful time, filled with prosperity and dream— Humanity had now conquered many planets beyond the rifts and living isn't hard anymore— As long as they complete their missions that is. Enjoy life is what they call it.

He kept on reading before arriving at the circulation, it stated the requirements and spells, then the structure of the circulation. He memorized them while thinking about the possibilities in practical situations. He stayed there sitting quietly, didn't even remove his armor to relieve his body.

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Twenty meters below the streets, the sewer lies regulating their waste. Here live many organisms that humans would label disgusting, Bulky Rats, Springed cockroaches, smelly snails, and waste crocodiles.

But on this day, the inhabitants will welcome another species.

Near the flow of water is a rat pondering if it shall drink the contaminated water, it smelt the water first, worried about the predator that might rush out the water. It waited for a while before finally drinking the water, Its thirst couldn't take it any longer. It neared its lips and sipped the water. But as it drinks peacefully, something jumped out of the murky water, It is as big as a roach, But with tin tentacles all over its body.

It came out fast and latched on the body tightly, they galloped the rat's body. Punctured the skin while the insect-like body—With hundred of little limbs at its belly—Stayed on the head. Directly biting the tissues of the rat's head, before puncturing it with another strand of tentacle that came from the mouth. Going directly to the brain.

The Rat of course retaliated, It screeched and tried to shook it off with its body. But the strands of limbs are just so tight they started digging to the skin, This made the rat screech even more. Jumped and banged, but the being above remains unbothered. Three minutes later and the rat started to lose control, It weakened while some parts of its body palpitated uncontrollably.

It screeched again in pain, that is its last screech as the owner of the body. The other inhabitants of the sewage just looked at it curiously, Witnessing another normal death in their everyday life. They don't have the compassion to help, and all only use instinct in this cruel realm— they don't want to be near a dying rat if possible. Ten more minutes and the rat is now lying down, with its limbs a bit shaking—Eyes reddened with a bubbling mouth.

The strange being then pushed it self inside the head, it went in by biting the flesh, also eating along the way. Three minutes later and it hed bitten off enough flesh, and by using its hundred feet below, it went inside the skull and settled as the new brain. The strands of limbs outside then followed the main body, before it closed the wound with the strands of limbs. The being now has full control over the body, but it doesn't like the composition of the original anatomy. So using its power, the being rebuilt the interior of the rat while it lied on the dirty ground.

When looking at the whole sewer, many rats, cockroaches, and snails experienced the same. Their body is now evolving for better fighting style and prowess.

With the still undefined problem at the kuruuk, the appearance of these diabolical creatures adds up to their problem.