Chapter 64: New Incredible Class Skills: Gene Absorption & Pack Hunter

-----

Riven carefully read his new Talent, Death Lord, with clear awe in his voice. He could not help but smile and even laugh a little at how incredible and completely ridiculous this new Talent turned out to be.

"...Hah."

Riven’s eyebrows twitched as he continued reading. Wasn’t that description way too damn long? Yet it really felt like some end-game level of power that he should not possess at this stage of his growth... But then again, every Skill that had been powered up by the x10,000 multiplier always ended up feeling that way. He had yet to figure out how to properly unleash this Death King power, though. Right now he still felt almost the same as before. He would likely need to practice and train carefully using his new Undead Skills before he could fully understand it. All of them seemed deeply connected together, especially with this new Authority.

One important thing stood out, however. This power was not true Necromancy. He attempted to raise a nearby corpse just to test it, but he could not really do anything useful with it. He either needed to learn proper necromancy from a specialized book or... eat a lich or something similar? Though he did not remember any kind of Dungeon that contained Liches so far. Those creatures were still just pure fantasy in this world.

Thus, traditional Necromancy remained out of his reach for now. Soul Domination, however, was something different entirely. It seemed to be closely related to the ability to dominate another Soul using the strength of his own.

Already existing Undead Monsters could perhaps be "tamed" under this power. That was what he strongly felt the ability might be all about after reading the full description.

[Predator Class Level 60 reached.]

[Class Skill Learned: [Gene Absorption – Level 1]: Whenever you devour a monster through Gluttony for the first time, there’s a 1/3 chance to obtain a Gene from that Monster and store it within your body. Accumulate Genes to modify your body and unlock new Chimeric and Beast-like transformations, Powers, and Abilities innate to your body and that exist beyond Skills.]

[Gluttony Triggered.]

[x10,000 Reward Multiplier Activated!]

[Vitality +40,000 | Mana +100,000 | Strength +90,000 | Endurance +30,000 | Intelligence +30,000 | Agility +20,000.]

"I gained a lot of Mana this time..." Riven analyzed the numbers carefully. "And... Gene Absorption?! That’s... completely new. Gluttony could evolve in such unexpected ways? Or rather, is this the Predator Class itself advancing? Level 60 is pretty high too, huh? Ah, right. My Beast Class should have leveled up as well after everything that happened."

[You have slain several powerful beasts.]

[Your Authority as a beast has grown.]

[Beast Class Level 40 reached.]

[Vitality, Strength, Endurance, and Agility have increased by +15,000.]

[New Class Skill learned: [Pack Hunter – Level 1]: Increase coordination, cooperation, stat growth, stat bonuses, wound regeneration, and mana regeneration whenever you’re fighting in a group of four or more, which becomes a "Pack", increasing all aforementioned stats by 100%, and more with each Skill Level.]

Riven felt a deep sense of satisfaction as the new power settled into his body. The massive jump in Mana alone would solve many of the energy problems he had been facing during longer battles. Gene Absorption opened an entirely new path of growth that went beyond simple Skills or Stats. If he could collect enough Genes, he might eventually create completely unique chimeric forms that no one else in the world could match.

Pack Hunter also looked extremely promising. Even though he usually preferred to fight alone, having Daniela, the Abyssal Pup, and eventually Vladimir as reliable partners meant he could already form a small Pack. The 100% boost to coordination, regeneration, and overall stats would make group battles far safer and more efficient.

"Interesting, and not bad at all. With this, I feel like I should be able to take down the Gate’s final boss."

Riven felt a surge of confidence rising in his chest. He stood up slowly and stretched his arms and legs thoroughly, working out the lingering stiffness. He noticed that every one of his wounds had already healed completely, and his body felt refreshed in a way that made him think he had slept for three whole days, even though he had never fallen unconscious at all.

"You look energetic!" Daniela said with a bright smile. "I guess eating is all you need to keep going, huh?"

"Indeed," Riven nodded in agreement. "Do you need to rest some more, Daniela?"

"I’m actually done!" Daniela quickly cleaned up the remains of what she had left behind and nodded with determination. "We can get going right away! Right, Noir?"

"Woof!" Noir wagged his big, fluffy tail happily. As he moved, he suddenly looked a little taller than before.

Daniela was the first to notice the change in his height. "Wow! Riven, look! He got bigger again?!"

Riven nodded while rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "He truly did. Well done, boy. Keep growing like that. We need you big and strong so you can protect your mother." He said this with a firm nod before gently patting the wolf’s head and ruffling his soft black fur.

"Then let’s not waste more time. I don’t want to take longer than we already have...!" Daniela said, her voice filled with quiet urgency.

"How late is it?" Riven wondered aloud.

"It’s going to be five PM soon," Daniela answered after checking the time.

"Hm," Riven nodded once more. "Let’s get back home before six. Let’s go."

Riven quickly climbed onto Noir’s back with Daniela holding tightly behind him. The large wolf immediately began running through the shadows with powerful strides. Riven carefully guided him through the twisting paths of the labyrinth.

In just three short minutes they were able to bypass every wall, trap, and pitfall that stood in their way. Before long they reached the old castle of the Fallen King. Only one single presence remained inside, resting in deep silence.

Despite being catalogued as a "Roaming Boss," the Fallen King only started roaming the labyrinth at night after midnight. Before that hour he seemed content to remain on his throne in deep slumber.

Riven walked carefully toward the castle with Daniela and Noir at his side. He made certain not to create any unnecessary noise by activating the Domain of Silence from the special item he had obtained from the Whispering Scream.

As they moved closer, he took a moment to check his status and see for himself just how far he had progressed since entering this place.

-----