Chapter 613: Toxic Pair—Forest Devils—A New Degree of Force!

Back home, the Realm left behind, Alex feels lonely, a nostalgic feeling he had seemingly forgotten, emerging that he now suddenly recalls as clearly as day.

Looking around while sitting on the couch, he sees no one else.

Tereza is preparing for her upcoming mission, while Benezia and Menchi are working hard, earning much-needed FC.

However, not having Jewel close to him is causing him genuine distress.

I’ve complained a lot about Jewel constantly annoying me and clinging to me… but as soon as she leaves, I feel really lonely.

It’s like… something’s missing. I always had someone to talk to and never even felt a hint of loneliness or boredom with her around.

What should I do?

Ah!

Remembering another companion of his, Alex conjures Mustrano’s Malice Mauler.

Immediately, his left hand is enveloped by the familiar yet terrifying black claw.

“Human… what issss it?!” Mustrano hisses, the eyes on the claw looking around in confusion.

“… Do I always have to have a reason to conjure you?” Alex asks him.

“Yessssss… do not wasssste my time with usssselesssss banter!” Mustrano continues, glaring at him.

Alex sighs loudly.

Man, I really miss Jewel… I should spoil her a little when she returns.

However, as soon as Alex finishes the thought, Benezia’s angry glare comes to mind.

Or maybe not….

“Sssspeak, human!” Mustrano hisses angrily.

“Well… you know, since we got that Martial Arts skill, the True Zoldyck-Style Assassin Martial Arts, I figured we need to test it out and get some exercise with it,” Alex says, making up an excuse on the spot.

I pulled that out of my ass… but it kinda makes sense. Sometimes I surprise even myself. I’m a fucking genius.

“Why do you need me for that, human?!” Mustrano asks.

“Because, obviously, I need you to do your part. While I can use the skill on my own, you can certainly help,” Alex says. “Come to think of it…”

Alex raises his right hand and holds it next to Mustrano. He then concentrates, and within just a second, his previously normal hand transforms into a dangerous-looking claw with sharp nails and unnatural muscles, veins popping out.

“Damn, that’s scary as fuck,” Alex says, staring at his own hand, then looking at Mustrano. “Though not as ugly as it could be.”

“Your sssssilly banter isss a ssssenssseeelesssss wasssste of time!” Mustrano hisses back.

What a buzzkill.

“But…” Mustrano continues. “We have to hone our clawsssssss… that much issss true. I’ll teach you… persssssonally.”

“I’ll gladly speak to the hand,” Alex says, smiling.

“You sssshall lissssten human, not ssssspeak!” Mustrano instantly disagrees.

“…”

Keeping Mustrano conjured, simply using In to hide him, Alex leaves his apartment and drives out of the city in his compact, yet reliable car.

“Human… you move ssssso ssssslowly. You ssssshould run instead! Train your body!”

“… Do I really have to listen to my driving style getting critiqued by a damn snake claw? I don’t want to get in an accident or maybe get pulled over,” Alex complains, growing annoyed.

“It’sssss the truth! Human isss ssso ssssslow,” Mustrano complains, only for Alex to open the window and hold out his left hand, making him shut up.

“Too sssslow to affect me!” Mustrano yells from the outside.

Fucking snake.

Arriving near Alex’s and Tereza’s favorite training spot, a good hour away from Alex’s city, he parks the car and walks into the forest.

“What are we gonna do here?” Mustrano asks, clearly not understanding.

“Punch trees!” Alex says, smiling.

“Why? Has the human losssst hissss mind? Why would you punch a tree?”

“To get wood, of course,” Alex replies with a grin.

“Thissss sssstupid human doesssssss not make any sssssenssse.”

“Jewel would have appreciated the joke….” Alex mutters, looking slightly dejected.

I have to remember that one and tell her.

Anyway, time to start… time to test this one out.

Once again, Alex transforms his right hand into a claw.

Putting back on his usual gear, but equipping his new [Skin: Ebony Armor (Modified)], Alex is elated that his gauntlet adjusts itself to his new claw.

“I’m glad that works!” Alex says, grinning as he rushes toward a nearby tree.

Focusing his Aura into his right claw, Alex stabs into the tree, his claw managing to penetrate deeply into it, feeling almost no resistance at all.

“Really?” Alex wonders, using Ko and then performing a vertical slice with his hand, managing to cut away half of the tree, causing it to slowly crack before finally falling over.

“Damn, I’m actually fucking strong right now; this feels so wrong… but I like it,” Alex comments.

“All wrong,” Mustrano yells. “Human… your attackssss are a farccce.”

“I’m using Claw Proficiency properly…” Alex says. “It works with my transformed hand! What a cheat. I can transform my right hand into a claw, so my skill works. I guess I haven’t figured out the details of the new skill yet, but I know the forms. I just have to get used to them. Anyway, that was just a test, but if you want, feel free to teach me.”

Concentrating hard, Alex separates his control from Mustrano. “Go ahead,” Alex says.

Mustrano, now taking over and controlling his left arm, demonstrates a set of techniques, urging Alex to move along with him.

Set after set, Mustrano shows the attacks, while Alex copies them with his right hand afterward.

Hour after hour passes. From punches to specialized claw techniques, Alex masters technique after technique, his former weakness now more than fixed. He also does his best to try a few kicks and other techniques, which Mustrano can’t really help him with. Taking a bit longer, he still manages to perform the techniques cleanly.

Overall, the combination of Alex’s high physical stats, Claw Proficiency, True Zoldyck-Style Assassin Martial Arts, and, of course, Mustrano himself, makes his left claw-hand almost invincible, granting it a lethality that no longer lags behind him when using his swords.

Alex then runs through the forest, his movement speed far faster than before, and his movements much more refined and agile. Despite the tremendous increase in speed, his steps are eerily silent, using Shadow Steps. As Alex rushes through the forest, he spots a wolf in the distance that hasn’t noticed him at all.

Sneaking up on it, Alex manages to grab it and dangles it in front of him, holding onto its tail with his right hand.

The surprised wolf struggles for a few seconds, not even realizing what just happened to it.

“Hehe, I’m the bane of all wolves! I’ve killed multiple strong ones over my time in the Realm; these normal ones don’t stand a chance,” Alex jokes.

“Niccce catch… human!” Mustrano says, greedily staring at it.

Without thinking, Alex, guided by Mustrano, stabs his left claw-hand into the wolf, killing it instantly and then drilling deeper into the body, drawing its blood.

“What the fuck?!” Alex yells, his body now covered in blood.

“Bad tasssste…” Mustrano complains, apparently not appreciating the wolf’s taste.

“Help!”

“Monster!”

Suddenly, Alex turns around and sees two elderly trekkers staring at him.

“…”

“I’m just a normal crazy guy… killing things and stuff,” Alex explains. “Have a good one.”

Alex then drops the wolf and moves away, running deeper and deeper into the forest, leaving behind the shocked trekkers.

Thankfully, the system is not notifying me. Guess, since this was an accident and I wasn’t recognized, nothing happens.

“Let’s ignore that,” he comments. “Stop killing defenseless animals, idiot!”

“You caught it, human. It’ssssss our sssspoil… our prey! Honor it with death, then feed on it!” Mustrano counters.

While running through the forest, Alex also tries out Rhythm Echo, successfully creating numerous copies of himself.

Mustrano seems to be satisfied, as he congratulates him. “Human… sssskilled! Human, you will be hard to detect… allowing usss to drink the blood of many enemiesssss to come!”

“We still need to try out our strongest technique; you’ll like it, I’m sure of it,” Alex says.

“What technique?” Mustrano asks.

Snek awakens… Is what Jewel would say.

“Snake Awakens!” Alex says, walking to another tree, the biggest and tallest one he can find.

Good old German oak!

Readying himself, Alex moves both of his arms with insane speed, his shoulders and all the joints in his arms morphing and moving unnaturally, surpassing human limits, creating two deadly whip-like limbs.

As they tear through the air and make contact with the sturdy oak in front of him, the wood is torn asunder. With just a few hits, the tree is completely annihilated and falls, and Alex is immediately astounded by the force and lethality of his attack.

Though… my right hand did significantly less damage, it’s still deadly. But the triple combination of Mustrano, Claw Proficiency, and the new Zoldyck Martial Arts style is simply insane. I didn’t think this was possible, but all three skills synergize perfectly. With my new item… Mustrano will become a Divine weapon and be even deadlier… this is just insane!

I have to admit, I didn’t plan for this… but perhaps that is also my LUK. This combination is so deadly. I believe this could destroy anything… and I didn’t even use Ko! If I focus all my Aura onto Mustrano… what would happen then?! I could even use my Sword Magic with Mustrano, which has worked in the past. That would be a tetra combination… if I add Toxic Breakthrough, that would be even more sick. For the first time, I feel invincible.

My movement issue? Solved!

My ability to fight without weapons? Solved!

I can even sneak up on people with Shadow Step and use Rhythm Echo to confuse them. These kinds of strategies will add even more possibilities to my fighting style. I’m becoming a total powerhouse with an incredibly diverse skillset.

Alex briefly puts on [Hlökk’s Divine Gloves (Remnant)] and his new [Han Solo’s Action Boots].

The boots give me 5% more movement speed and 2 more AGI. I need to test out if that’s even noticeable… since I need to decide which item to upgrade.

“Mustrano,” Alex begins to speak. “Do you feel a difference?”

“Yesssss,” Mustrano states, appearing a little confused. “Thisssss issss sssssomething new… it’sssss not like your Aura… it’ssss different. Deeper. More profound. I feel… ssssstronger. I feel I can ssssslowly… but sssssurely take apart anything. It’ssss not brute force… but sssssimply… might. Pure Power!”

“Force… might… power that makes no sense. However, if you feel like it helps, that’s all I need to hear.” Alex mutters.

Alex grabs a small branch from the ground with his right hand and then, without using Shu, stabs it into a tree, the small and brittle branch somehow managing to pierce into it without breaking, like it was made out of metal.

Daaaamn!

He tries to do the same thing with his left hand, and it yields the same result.

“Good… that works as well,” he says, smiling. Rushing through the forest, feeling a small yet clearly noticeable increase in overall speed, he looks for a new target.

Finally, he spots a large rock in front of him.

Alex then uses Ko on Mustrano before activating Fira Claw. Feeling an immense amount of force in his left hand, his entire body is filled with the desire to explode. Using his new movements, Alex initiates a charge towards the stone.

With his trusty [Nimbus Cloak] granting him an additional increase in speed, Alex rushes forward, stabbing Mustrano ahead, aiming straight for the stone.

Let’s blow up this rock!

However, much to Alex’s surprise and initial disappointment, Mustrano pierces into it as if it were made out of butter, Alex’s left arm no longer visible, as the arm has fully penetrated into it.

Alex pulls it back out, revealing an extremely clean hole.

“Meh, maybe if I put a grenade inside, it will blow up?” Alex wonders.

“Do you even know what thisssss meanssss… human?!” Mustrano asks, astounded by the effect.

“Yeah, it’s fairly effective,” Alex says, nodding. “We can probably punch through a lot of different types of armor. It’s a strong attack.”

“No! Any normal attack would have caussssed the ssstone to crack and would have torn it apart. Our attack… wassss ssssso potent that it crushed the inssssides of the sssstone ssssso hard, they were ground into dussst… insssstantly pulverizzzed. Thisss attack… it wassss on a level I have never sssseen before. Nobody can withssssstand that attack! At leassssst nobody we have met!” Mustrano states.

Really?