Chapter 609: Stuffed Snek

Alex’s arm still stinging, he looks at the snake-claw on his left arm.

“Well, Mustrano... I hope we are done talking about... perceived increases in... uhm... mass. So let’s focus on the issue at hand, okay?” Alex suggests.

Mustrano’s eyes stare back at Alex. “Human needsss to control hissss pet.... In any cassseee... will the human entrusssst hissss valuable treassssure to Mussstrano? Be alarmed... I think I am nearing my potential. Failure or sssuccesssss, I am not ssssure I can ever try again.”

“You succeeded with the Poison Resistance and the Claw Proficiency,” Alex recounts. “I believe you have earned your chance, my friend. But let me look at the skills real quick, okay? You use that time to recover a little... you look a little... roughed up there.”

“...”

Stupid snek!

Alex then inspects the [Skillbook: True Zoldyck-Style Assassin Martial Arts].

Skip the skillbook itself; it’s Gold quality, alright... and of course, I can’t stack similar martial arts skills... wait, this one includes passive movement skills, meaning... it’s a hybrid skill! It’s a movement technique as well! Meaning this one is not compatible with other ones, such as the cookie-cutter Martial Arts Proficiency, or even more advanced ones, as well as passive movement techniques. Let’s see the skill details...

True Zoldyck-Style Assassin Martial Arts (Level 0 Base):

Requirements: 10 STR, 10 SNS, 10 PHY, 10 AGI + 2 per level, Basic Close Combat Prowess lvl 0, Basic Footwork lvl 0, Basic Endurance lvl 0 +1 per level

Leveling Requirements: 1 Soul Crystal (Small), 1000 Fantasy Coins + 500 per level

Effects: Grants the user a wide array of martial arts techniques, including the ability to transform parts of their body. Allows the user to learn any Zoldyck-style related skills and integrate them into this skill.

Effects: +30% accuracy, speed, and damage in unarmed combat, + 15% per level.

Effects: +5% parry chance when unarmed, +5% block chance, when unarmed +1% per level.

Effects: +10% movement speed, 10% evasion, and 10% maneuverability +2% per level.

Note: Most of the effects and techniques granted by this skill can only be used when unarmed; a select few weapon types, such as combat boots, combat gloves, and claws, can be utilized with almost full potency.

Note: A balanced Martial art developed over centuries by the legendary Zoldyck family of assassins. It incorporates many outside influences into a base set of ancient martial arts techniques. Despite being created by assassins, it focuses almost solely on decisive, direct, unarmed physical attacks and has a heavy demand on the user, allowing only the toughest physical fighters to learn it.

Note: To make up for its lack of unpredictability, the Zoldyck family has specialised in unique supplementary skills that can only be learned with this skill.

“These requirements are insane!” Alex yells. “How?! Three basic skills are tough enough, but you can’t even level the skill up to the max without investing heavily in the four physical stats, since they break past 20 in the required attributes. You need to focus on four stats at once, even if they’re not your primary or secondary stats!”

Soulmate! This technique is highly desirable. It will fix Soulmate’s rather slow movement and clumsy footwork!

“Yeah... just from a movement perspective alone, it’s twice as effective as the Basic Footwork skill, which just grants 5% more speed and evasion, without the added maneuverability... and that’s just the movement portion. Also, if I learn it, I can combine it with the other three skills. This technique says I can learn them all by simply integrating them into the main skill.”

Somehow... I don’t want to risk feeding it to Mustrano. If I just survive one more mission, I’ll gain a new skill slot! I could learn this one without any tricks; relying on Mustrano is a huge gamble. What... if this fails?! But... 

This skill... it’s among the best ones I have seen yet! It’s perfect for me...! Not overpowered in any particular aspect, but it will fix my movement issues and also allow me to learn three skills for free, but I don’t have skill points. No... this isn’t it. I already have my style. Would I really use this often? I need to think this through.

Should I drop archery? I have spells, but they’re not really long-range. Also, my Black Magic is so effective on arrows. My Magorian’s Rage Arrow also works wonders with it. If I drop Archery, I lose a bunch of techniques... and it’s so reliable. I can use it on almost every mission.

Most of my techniques, unarmed techniques, huh....

Soulmate... Princess Jewel can’t make any guarantees... but despite not liking this Peasant snek’s arrogant personality... she feels a connection to the snek. While just a peasant snek, it’s also a comrade.

The snek is Soulmate’s first and only ‘living’ conjuration. It contains a spirit. An almost impossible situation, probably only possible through Soulmate’s high LUK. A true anomaly. Thus far, Soulmate has trusted the snek, despite its peasant attitude and behavior, and it has served him well.

“...”

This speech would have been incredibly motivating and emotional if you had properly used the word snake and not called him snek... and a peasant to boot... but...

I get the point anyway, and I agree.

“... Sorry for the hesitation, Mustrano,” Alex says, shrugging. “I was always a coward. In investing, in approaching people, in believing in people... and in myself. Even if it fails, I won’t have any regrets, my friend. I told you I’ll take you with me to the end. To make it there, I need your help; you need to grow even stronger. Let’s do it!”

“I’ll conssssssume everything!” Mustrano hisses loudly, his voice full of malice and determination. Its mouth begins to leave the claw and bite into the Gold-Quality book in Alex’s hand, pulling it into its maw.

Immediately, Alex feels a powerful energy surge inside his body and hand, but at the same time, he can also feel Mustrano’s stress, pain, and struggle as it desperately tries to consume and take in the skill, a large amount of energy violently rampaging in his hand.

[WARNING: Mustrano’s Malice Mauler, evolving, effects unknown]

Feeling a tremendous amount of pain running through him, Alex endures it bravely, trusting in his claw-companion.

After a full thirty minutes, with Alex’s left arm feeling numb and sweat pouring down his body, Mustrano glows in a golden light, and the pain slowly stops, replaced by a feeling of immense power.

Within just seconds, Alex feels a distinct change in his body, his bones, skin, flesh, and muscles all feeling as if they are being compressed and trained. His whole body is spasming, leaving him in heavy pain.

Fuck... gotta endure...

Then, Alex finally sees a new Effect appear under Mustrano, making him smile in satisfaction.

Effects: Grants the user a wide array of martial arts techniques, including the ability to transform and morph parts of their body. Allows the user to learn any Zoldyck-style related skills and integrate them into this skill.

Effects: +30% accuracy, speed, and damage in unarmed combat, +15% per level.

Effects: +5% parry chance when unarmed, +5% block chance when unarmed, +1% per level.

Effects: +10% movement speed, 10% evasion, and 10% maneuverability, +2% per level.

“You did it! Yes!” Alex yells, cheering loudly.

Man, gambling feels good... if you win, at least. If this had used up Mustrano’s potential and left me with nothing or a trash skill, I’d have seriously cried for days.

“...” Mustrano, despite having succeeded, is eerily silent, almost appearing like a normal object.

Something wrong, snek?

“While... I am... pleassssed... I feel I have losssst ssssomething important. I felt it after conssssuming the other ssssskills, but now... I am truly unable to progresssss. I feel... I have reached my limit. It fillssss me with disssappointment... and regret....”

Alex looks absolutely stunned. He takes a deep breath and tries to explain the situation to Mustrano. “Uhm, you essentially ate a Deep Green, a Light Blue, and now a fully Gold skillbook. You know that’s essentially three skill slots, right? You are without a doubt the strongest Conjuration I have ever seen, especially since these effects are passive. Even without conjuring you, as long as your spirit is inside me, I can use them all. You are the biggest cheat imaginable, even more so than my innate skill.”

“I am sssstill not sssssatissssfied,” Mustrano states.

“You know what, someday I’ll find a solution. Trust me, okay? This Realm is limitless. I bet somewhere out there, there is a path for you to move forward,” Alex suggests, trying to cheer him up.

“I trussst you sssssince you have trussssted me,” Mustrano says. “I will ressssst now.”

“No... you won’t!” Alex says, smirking deviously, holding up the three scrolls from earlier. “I hope you’ve got room for dessert! These don’t count towards the limit, since they will merge with the skill you just learned, so there is no excuse.”

Mustrano whines, clear distress in his voice. “For the firsssst time... I am full... maybe I sssshould consssider a diet.”

Shut up, stupid snek. Open the peasant snek’s mouth and get to work!

A good ten minutes later, Mustrano, having the worst time of his life, at least judging from his pained expression, finally shows three new Effects under the skill.

Effects: Allows the user to walk almost completely silently, reducing any sound produced by 80% + 2% per level

Effects: Allows the user to move in a certain rhythm, creating 10 + 2 per level images, which quickly vanish when the user attacks or breaks the rhythm.

Effects: Allows the user to turn his hands and arms into whip-like limbs, removing the body’s rigidity and allowing them to be wielded with immense speed, creating devastating damage. Can’t be used in conjunction with most weapons. Effect increases with each level.

“Nice!” Alex celebrates. “One more passive effect, two combat skills, and both of them without any real cost... except maybe some Stamina. This was so worth it. I don’t even need to level them because they scale with Mustrano!”

Good job, snek. Now, who did the snek call fat? This snek is so chunky, Princess Jewel is truly amused. Fat chunky snek. Round snek. 

Jewel then climbs onto his arm and pokes Mustrano’s bloated body with her legs.

Fat snek. Dumb snek. Silly snek.

“Damn... sssspider...” Mustrano hisses slowly, his eyes full of regret and despair, now appearing strangely bloated. “Damn... toxic... sssssspider... He suddenly burps and then disappears, the Conjuration ending.

Princess Jewel got her revenge and won!

“I guess... he can rest a little, hehe.” Alex snickers.

What now, Soulmate?

“It’s time to finally use [Kurta’s Sacred Artifact],” Alex replies eagerly. “I didn’t discuss it with the rest... I also didn’t even think about selling it. You are the only one I’d have given it to, but since you want to focus on your Evolution... I’ll have to use it!”

Princess Jewel hopes Soulmate’s Hatsu will improve!

“The only way to progress is to confidently trust in myself, fate... and my insane LUK!” Alex declares, taking out the crimson eye-like artifact he received from Chrollo.

“System!” Alex yells. “Activate [Kurta’s Sacred Artifact].”