Chapter 40 – Splurging a Bit

“So, you feel that I haven’t been treating you right?” Maximus asked, clearly amused.

“Hmph, taking me to swim more often wouldn’t kill you, and when was the last time we hunted something truly tasty? Those wolves of his were disgusting.” Silex complained, flicking his tail irritably.

“What did you just say?! I dare you to repeat it!” Vesper rose, still holding a half-eaten troll arm between his fangs, eyes blazing.

“Come at me, pup; I’ll show you what I dare and do not dare to do!” Silex growled back, baring his teeth.

“Enough, both of you! You are grown beasts, not cubs. You will work together from now on, and I expect you to behave. Understood, Silex?!” Maximus raised his voice as his head abruptly shapeshifted into that of a crocodile.

“Yes, mother!” Silex stiffened instantly, his entire body going tense.

“Mother?!” Maximus gasped, while Vesper broke into loud laughter before coughing up bloody phlegm mid-chuckle.

“Dying beast acts all high and mighty, even eating my prey,” Silex muttered, glaring at the troll’s arm in Vesper’s mouth.

“Silex… did your mother look like me when I shapeshift?” Maximus asked, his left eye twitching uncontrollably.

“You are the spitting image. She was fierce, firm, and beautiful, just like me.” Silex nodded proudly.

No wonder he obeyed me when I shapeshifted before… Well, that is an unpleasant realization. Maximus shook his head, half amused, half disturbed.

“Here, don’t say that I treat you poorly, but I need the rest for the blood,” Maximus sighed as he summoned the troll’s corpse again, cutting off another arm and tossing it toward Silex.

“Thank you, mother,” Silex said solemnly as he began snapping the limb into pieces with audible crunches.

Maximus shook his head and quickly shapeshifted back into his human form. He had no intention of listening to Silex call him ‘mother’ any longer.

“Vesper, how dangerous are the Wildlands? And why did you leave, anyway? Shouldn’t you have been the strongest one there?” Maximus asked, shifting back to business as he gathered information.

“All the beasts there are of similar strength, well, at least the leaders are. The entire region is divided between powerful beasts. My territory was invaded by damned ants, and we lost; I had to flee with what remained of my pack,” Vesper explained, his tone steady but heavy.

Hmmm… So, the leaders should be around level 30, and their subordinates at least 25… I should gain a few more levels before entering, just to be safe. Maximus concluded inwardly.

“Hah, mighty beast you are, running from ants,” Silex mocked through a mouthful of meat.

“Do not test me, you oversized gecko! These ants are as large as you, and some are twice your size, and there are hundreds of them. I did my best, but I could not allow them to devour my pack one by one,” Vesper replied sharply, sorrow threading through his voice.

“I meant to ask. Despite the hunger, you seemed to retain some control. How is that possible? I thought the curse drove all beasts there into complete madness,” Maximus questioned.

“I am not certain. From the moment I evolved into this form, I have been locked in constant battle with hunger. Most days, I was not in control, but sometimes brief clarity would return and allow me to decide… Just like when you saved me,” Vesper said, gratitude clear in his tone.

“Interesting… very interesting. Do you know how long it would take to cross the Wildlands heading straight east?” Maximus asked his final question.

“It will not be easy. Dozens of days, I would guess, especially if the ants have expanded further. They are truly suicidal monsters,” Vesper sighed.

“Thank you. That gives me much to consider,” Maximus said with a reassuring smile before turning inward. So, roughly twenty to thirty days, depending on what we encounter… That leaves me with just over thirty days to spare. It should be enough… I hope. Maximus already began forming a plan, one that likely involved stealing someone else’s prey.

Then he opened the notifications. He had reached level 26 thanks to the quest rewards and was now rich with points. Time to see what I can get.

Level: 26

Talent Points: 31

[Sanctuary (C) 8TP], [Cyclone Shell (E) 3TP], [Tank Form (D) 5TP], [Feral Roar (F) 2TP], [Solar Pyre (C) 6TP], [Stoneguard (E) 3TP]

[Sanctuary (C) 8TP] – Create a sanctified 4-meter radius area around you where spirit energy is abundant. The designated area will move with you, heal you and your allies for 3% of your maximum health every 30 seconds for 10 minutes, and increase Spirit regeneration by 3%.

Enemies within the area will be assaulted by sprouting thorn whips, and seeds will detonate beneath their feet, dealing moderate damage. Spirit Cost: 500 Spirit. Cooldown: 6 Hours.

[Cyclone Shell (E) 3TP] – Powerful winds wrap around your body, forming a dense shell of swirling air. Physical damage received is reduced by 15%, while ranged physical damage is reduced by 30%. Spirit Cost: 150 Spirit.

[Tank Form (D) 5TP] – Channel the power of the ancient beast Ankylosaurus and transform into a walking fortress. A quadrupedal armored beast with a horned head, a spiked back, and a devastating hammer-like tail. Reduces physical damage taken by 50% and overall speed by 25%. Ideal for close combat and defensive scenarios. Spirit Cost: 200 Spirit.

[Solar Pyre (C) 6TP] – Channel the power of a solar star to strike a designated target. A beam of radiant light descends instantly, dealing heavy purifying and burning damage. Dark-attuned beings receive double damage.

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If Nature’s Wrath is cast on the same target within 30 seconds, it deals 20% increased damage. Cooldown: 15 Minutes. Spirit Cost: 450 Spirit.

[Feral Roar (F) 2TP] – While in feral form, unleash a roar imbued with spirit energy and your willpower, causing enemies to flee in fear and empowering allies, increasing their overall speed by 10%.

[Stoneguard (E) 3TP] – Command the earth beneath you, raising a two-meter-tall and wide wall for protection. Costs 150 Spirit to cast.

These C-ranked skills are starting to cost a lot. I’ll have to start saving my points going forward, though I can afford to splurge a little for now. I’ll take all of them. He smiled.

The Feral Roar will be useful in the Wildlands and the Tank Form as well. The rest… There isn’t even a question. Sigh… I hope Astrae gives me more quests.

Maximus chuckled to himself as he purchased every skill, leaving him with just 4 points remaining.

Excellent. I’ll test them later. Now then… let’s see what those Skill Stones the two despicable humans carried contain, along with the one that dropped from the assassin.

Maximus felt his expression darken. He despised Skill Hunters more than anything else he had encountered in this new realm, humans hunting other humans who were already struggling to survive, all for the slim chance of gaining a Skill Stone. It wasn’t even guaranteed… and yet they still killed.

For a brief moment, a flicker of the old Aurelius surfaced within Maximus’s gaze, ancient, cold, and filled with something far heavier than anger, as he slowly took out the stones.

[Skill Stone: Ethereal Daggers (C)]

[Skill Stone: Thorn Whip (F)]

[Skill Stone: Lightning Arrow (C)]

[Skill Stone: Critical (C)]

[Skill Stone: Bind (E)]

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