Vitalis Core
Staring at the bleeding corpse, Mike expected to feel some disgust or revulsion.
After all, it was only natural to have an averse reaction to such a bloody scene, or at most, indifference.
However, the reality was different.
His nose twitched as he stared at the corpse, and instead of aversion, he felt an odd hunger. His stomach growled as a weirdly appealing aroma, and he found himself salivating.
Right now, he didn't feel like he was staring at a mauled corpse, but a large buffet that was only for him.
Despite the 'hunter's high' he was currently feeling, Mike was still aware of and in control of his actions, so he could tell that his reaction was off. At least, by normal human standards.
The thing is Mike is a Lupine, and his preferences vary quite differently from normal human. His absurd appetite was already a clue to this, but this only solidified the fact.
'It's a bit unnerving to think about, though.' Mike thought with slightly furrowed brows. He'd grown up used to cooked meat. Well, whenever he got the chance to eat meat anyway. Klein 4's environment made sure he had little of that.
Anyway, while his rational mind found the notion a bit disturbing, the way his body reacted said something else.
His instincts were urging him to just devour the corpse right then and there, and they let him know that if he did so, he'd be in for a bit of a surprise.
He hesitated for a few more seconds. At least, he thought he did. By the time he realized what was happening, he was already kneeling next to the corpse with his hands that had turned into claws on its hide.
Being so close, the inviting smell was simply too much, and Mike folded.
He leaned down and bit into the corpse.
He had expected the taste to be quite metallic with a hard texture, but surprisingly, his teeth bit through the hide with little issue, and as soon as his tongue registered the taste, his pupils enlarged as he completely gave in.
[Ding. The Host has consumed hunted prey. +4 Vitality.]
[Ding. The Host has consumed prey. +4 Endurance.]
[Ding. The Host has...]
Mike almost completely lost himself as he devoured the corpse in record time, his teeth chewing through skin, muscle, and bone alike as nothing was left.
In less than ten minutes, all that remained of the Atrixa was a concerning amount of blood and some loose flesh here and there, and a fist-sized crystal that glowed green
It was only after Mike had finished his impromptu meal that he snapped out of his frenzy, and he stared at the aftermath of his sudden hunger.
'... Woah.' Mike gulped.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he knew it wasn't a lot, and he had managed to eat such a large corpse so quickly... it was scary to think about.
Worse yet, Mike found himself wanting more...
He shook his head.
'Don't be weird.' He sighed as he decided to check his stats, and when he did, he was shocked.
STATS
[Name]: Mike
[Age]: 17
[Race]: Lupine
[Level]: 11
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STATS
Strength: 51
Agility: 52.8
Endurance: 56.4
Vitality: 80.8
Perception: 51.2
Allocatable Stat Points: 15
Ferocity: 19% (slightly unstable)
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SKILLS
> (Active Skills)
• Primal Rend (Level 1) – When the Predator brandishes its claws, the prey can only cower in fear and hope it passes over them... or the rending ends swiftly. The skill allows the Host to rend a target with his Primal Dominion, dealing devastating damage while suppressing any energy and ability in the way of the attack, increasing the damage significantly while resisting different forms of defenses.
•Primal Dread – A skill born from the instinctive will of the Heart of the Lupine. Allows the Host to project his aura as an oppressive field, suppressing surrounding energy and enforcing instinctive submission on nearby beings. Those caught in its range feel as though they are prey before a true apex predator.
The potency of Primal Dread scales with the Host's Ferocity, aura output, and killing intent
•Crimson Ladder (First Step) – A combat style devised by Masha and adapted by the Host. Built upon compounding momentum, each motion fuels the next in a relentless chain. Though simple in structure, it demands an exceptionally durable and powerful physique. First Step represents the initial master and grants access to its core movements and flow.
•Partial Transformation (Stable Variant) – Lupines are creatures of both control and wildness. This Stable Variant allows the Host to partially assume his true form without surrendering to instinct. Grants heightened strength, agility, natural weapons (claws, fur, tail), and improved balance, while maintaining mental clarity.
•Overclocking (Level 1) – By forcefully accelerating energy pathways, the Host can dramatically boost physical performance. Comes at the cost of rapid energy depletion and severe bodily strain. Prolonged use risks exhaustion and internal damage.
• Primal Awareness (Level 1) – The Host can precisely direct his instincts to warn of danger, incoming attacks, or nefarious intent.
• Predator's Foresight (Level 2) – It's only natural for a predator to excel at hunting, and to excel at hunting, the predator must know how to read their prey. Allows the host to see an outline of their target that alludes to how the target will move after, while also analyzing the flow of their movements and rhythm, allowing the Host to better memorize the way they move, and the Host's mind can unconsciously memorize these patterns to be repeated precisely. Effectiveness of Predator's Foresight scales with energy output and mental energy expended.
> (Passive Skills)
• Bestial Adaptation – Physical stats (strength, reflexes, stamina, and senses) are heightened even in human form.
• High-Speed Regeneration – Natural regeneration is enhanced to incredible speeds, allowing the Host to recover from injuries, both big and small, at record speeds, as well as recover from physical and mental fatigue significantly faster as well as recover lost energy quicker.
• Aura Modulation – Through disciplined control, Host can regulate the intensity and spread of his aura at will, reducing waste and maintaining longer active periods without strain.
• Hunter's Banquet – The Host gains permanent stat points from consuming defeated prey. Stats gained depend on the strength and inclination of the prey.
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ABILITIES
• Primal Dominion [A]
A combat-type aura ability that embodies the will of the Heart of the Lupine. Enhances physical performance beyond natural limits, reinforces every strike, and can be shaped into devastating bursts or protective barriers.
Due to the Heart of the Lupine refusing to accept such defiance, this ability now exerts an instinctive authority over energy and lifeforms within range, suppressing rebellious or hostile flows and foes and forcing them into obedience. When activated in full, it projects the intent of a true predator, demanding respect from all who sense it.
• Vitalis Core [B+]
A recovery-type ability that drastically increases the Vitality of the user. Through this ability, the user can heal from small injuries, to recovering from serious injuries as well as being able to regenerate lost limbs. Speed of regeneration as well as the seriousness of the wound determines how much energy is consumed to recover.
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EVOLUTION
Locked
> Requirement: Unknown
Mike's status was starting to become pretty long...
He stared at it for a while, not even trying to pick up his loose jaw as he stared at what was probably his biggest strength leap to date since he became a Lupine.
For starters, he gained a level, which was fair, the Atrixa had been a pretty tough opponent, and Mike would say defeating it had been a pretty significant achievement, as it had been his first prey that he had truly hunted and consumed on his own.
And speaking of consumption, Mike noticed how his stats had risen more than the three points he was meant to get, and he vaguely remembered hearing how a certain stat increased as he ate, and from the looks of it, Endurance and Vitality had enjoyed it the most.
However, there was a pretty glaring inconsistency.
'How did my Vitality hit 80?!?' Mike practically shouted inwardly as he stared at the inflated stat. It had already been pretty high, but now, it was easily his highest stat by quite the margin.
Despite the question, Mike already knew the answer as he stared at his new ability and passive skill.
'Cellular Recovery has been replaced by High-Speed Regeneration... and the new ability explicitly says it drastically increases my Vitality...' Mike blew out an exasperated, yet amazed breath.
This... this was far better than he could have ever imagined.
'System, what was the compatibility rate between Vitalis Core and me?' He asked excitedly. His biggest fear was ensuring that the ability he went after had a suitable compatibility rate. Otherwise, he couldn't take the ability. However, he had chosen to listen to his instincts, and it seems like they had been right again.
[83%] The system answered promptly, and Mike was surprised, that was a lot higher than he had originally anticipated.
However, when he thought about it, it made sense.
From what he could tell from his own body, Lupines were very physical creatures that probably got into fights a lot, and seeing as how one of his first passive skills was centered around healing, a healing-type ability would probably mesh well with him, which it did.
Still, knowing the logic behind it didn't make it any less incredible, and Mike was feeling thoroughly satisfied with his choice of ability.
His gaze shifted to his arms, and after hesitating briefly, he used Partial Transformation on his right hand which caused his claws to manifest.
He then brought it to his left arm and gritted his teeth before dragging the claws across.
He immediately winced as a sharp pain shot through his arm, but to his surprise, it hadn't hurt that much.
He focused on the arm, and he watched as the 4 deep claw marks started to mend themselves before his eyes, and in just a few seconds, the skin and flesh had completely covered up, returning it to its healthy complexion, with the blood from the injury being the only indication that there had been a wound.
"... Awesome." Mike was grinning now.
His durability and vitality were already very potent before, but now, Mike was certain that killing him would be a tall task, which is exactly what he wanted.
He was definitely very satisfied.
He wanted to experiment more, but he suddenly remembered that he didn't actually have forever to spend in this place, and after a while, he would be made to leave.
'I can experiment more in my room.' He thought as he stared at the crystal on the floor and grabbed it.
[Energy source detected. Would Host like to absorb it? +7 Vitality, +5 Endurance.]
'So energized beast cores truly are different from dead ones. Heh, I should come to this place way more often.' Mike laughed to himself as he absorbed the core, and a warm feeling entered him as his stats increased further.
He looked at his new passive skill, Hunter's Banquet, and he rubbed his bloodied hands like a gremlin.
'Just wait for me to acquire more funds, I'm gonna make good use of you.' He thought and finally stood to leave.