The Begotten Fiend

Chapter 14: Consume

My entire body was warm--extremely warm. It was enough to remind me of the state my body had been in just minutes ago. The horrific mutilation the beast gave me.

My heart banged. My breath grew heavy. I didn’t want to think it, but I did. Even if I were brought back, what good would that do if I bleed out anyway?

But all it took was a flinch of the finger. I looked to my sides, and there they were. My arms, in one piece. Even the blood that had discolored my clothing was gone. freёweɓnovel.com

Everything was normal.

I sighed with relief. I guess the voice inside of me really took care of everything.

That allowed me to notice something else.

Within me was a raging torrent of energy. It flowed through me like violent waves, but it had to it an ebb and flow--like it was calm by its very nature.

The knowledge that moved through me so freely slowed, sifting through my mind. It was only then that I truly felt it--the language of the World.

Each character held meaning, indescribable yet easily understood. I held onto it, feeling its will pour into my own.

"I see. So this is the power called ’magic." I gripped my fist, letting the mana within me rush towards it.

Like tipping over a cup, I let it sit for a while, taking extra care to keep it from escaping into the air, then I fed it to my flesh.

Instantly, my muscles bulged. My skin grew pink with all the blood rushing through me.

Then there was the power. There was no other way to describe it other than exhilarating. My heart rushed. I couldn’t help but smile at the sudden onset of my strength, and to think all this mana was sitting inside me all this time.

But now things have changed. freewёbnoνel.com

I took care to stare deeply into the beast. It didn’t flinch in the slightest. To be frank, its steadfast attitude caught me off guard a little bit, but I wasn’t going to let up now.

I stepped into its direction, reeling my powered up fist behind me. "You. I’m not the same person anymore. The powerless nobody who’d been easily torn apart has long since disappeared. You’ll find that I’m no longer such an easy mark."

Immeasurable happiness filled me as I said those words. Never would I have been able to say those words, let alone back them up. But here I was.

I stepped forward once more, using my weight to empower my fist further. Then, envisioning the rush of mana taking its leave, I slammed my fist into the beast. Instantly, the power within me seethed directly into the dastardly thing.

The air twisted--churning in response to my mana. The surrounding forest swayed, like a mini-earthquake had erupted.

The beast’s back cracked into the ground--unable to resist my strength. The soft soil turned hard as it compacted against the thing. A "boom" sounded from its impact, followed closely by heavy wheezing.

For a few moments, it squirmed on the ground. Writhing in pain, it clattered its teeth and bellowed a guttural scream.

Honestly, I would’ve gone in to end its suffering, but it was no easy task to forget what it’d done to me; ripping off my arms and eating them in front of me.

The blood that’d dripped onto its white fur was still there. A deep, broiling anger rose within me.

No, I’ll make it suffer.

"So, how’s it feel to be on the receiving end?" I moved closer to the thing--so close that I was practically on top of it.

Not even bothering to empower my leg with mana, I stomped my foot directly on the part of their chest that I’d hit.

The beast roared.

To be frank, the sound couldn’t be ascribed to any sound reproducible by a human, but the desperation was still just as present.

And that made me happy. Too happy.

I smothered my leg on its chest further, digging deeper and deeper inside.

It’d gotten to a point that I could feel something soft beneath my heel--squiggly. Wet squelching came from the contact point as blood began to pool in the area.

It screamed again, but I didn’t stop. "There! And there! And there!" I kept rubbing my foot right on its chest cavity, feeling its pulse dig into my sole. It was resoundingly quick and powerful.

Wait... I’m laughing?

I guess this is more fun than I thought. The feeling, the emotion, the atmosphere, it’s all just too perfect.

Though, I have to cut it short. A weird, resistant force began to gather directly where I’d been stomping on it.

It shot out--ejecting my foot several feet in the air, before quickly rolling itself to the side, away from me.

"What was that?" I blurted. That was something I’d never seen before. It’d used an invisible force as an attack?

My curiosity was quickly overridden by a dull sting in my foot. After all, I did take the force unprotected by mana. But at first glance, it doesn’t seem I’ve sustained any damage.

The rabbit stood on its two feet, clenching its two free paws together. I couldn’t see it, but from the way the air surrounding it begun to wave, it seemed that it was extracting all the mana it could.

In all the excitement, I’d used up more energy than I’d liked. I only have about enough gas in the tank for another punch like that. As inexperienced as I am, I can tell.

I stand no chance against this thing.

Not directly, anyway.

The beast pulled its arm back, inching closer towards me. I closed my eyes, thinking back.

The ability I’d gained before. This was all new to me, but I’m able to skip the introductory phase.

After all, the knowledge on this skill and its applications were all immediately provided to me. I could already see it.

All it took was my beckon.

"Consume." My tone was cold. All I’d been doing was constructing the skill in my mind, but it was as if another will had entered me and said the words for me.

But I didn’t care.

Just before the beast attacked me, raging, black flames erupted from my body. It leaped through the air, finding its way to the rabbit’s fur.

It groaned a horrible cry, shaking its head in denial of the magic. But, there was no burning.

For a second, it stopped to look at me coldly. It seemed like it was going to trek forward and ignore the flames, but, without any warning, it changed.

It clawed its own skin. Then punched. Then bit. But the flames continued regardless.

As it went to its knees, it let out one last cry before succumbing to my skill’s effects. And in just seconds, it was lifeless.

[Foreign soul assimilated into yours. Checking status on skills.]

[Skill successfully foraged! Do you accept?

Yes / No]

Without taking a single moment to think about it, I clicked yes.

[Acquired Basic Skill: Push]