1 week later
After Alex's tough and rigorous training, Neon acknowledges that he's ready to fight the weakest monster the forest has to offer.
With his bow on his back and the knife he received—very similar in design to his master's greatsword—he steps forward. Though he was weaker compared to his master, he could dodge attacks Neon could not. His eyes had awakened as soon as he recovered from his encounter with the demonic hog.
[Special Ability: The Golden Eyes of the Abyssal Tiger have awakened. The host will naturally gain its optical ability. Senses throughout the body have been increased to a certain extent. You'll naturally unlock the other powers that reside in the eye that was granted to you by your race.]
"M-Master… y-you're not a human!" Alex was shocked after he read the notification from the system.
"Focus on your opponent!!" Neon was kind enough to guard the surroundings while his disciple was preoccupied with his enemies. Even though he already knew Alex had inherited a few of his abilities, what shocked him the most was that he possessed all of them.
Even if they weren't as strong as the ones that dwelled in Neon's body, being able to manifest them so easily was praiseworthy.
'As expected from a growable skill that only a catastrophic-grade material possesses! Naturally, once a skill is passed down or inherited, its power will be weaker than its predecessor. Who would've thought that a single drop of homunculus fluid would blossom into such a peculiar result? I need to record this. Even a triple S-grade material deteriorates when passing down a skill. I can even compare it with a potent powder of juice—the higher the grade, the thicker its potency becomes.'
He pauses for a few minutes and continues to observe his disciple, who displays signs of awakening special abilities. Even though it only appeared in the right eye, he could sense an increase in Alex's power as soon as it activated.
His senses and basic capabilities were enhanced, allowing him to dodge the charging attack of the hog with ease. Like Neon advised, Alex didn't jump to the side. Instead, he carefully followed his master's footwork and leapt high enough to avoid the attack.
"Next thing is to grab ahold of its back,"
It was easier said than done. The force from the hog's feet nearly threw him off. Its speed increased and his grip began to loosen. He used what time he had left before it sped up further to grab his knife. The hog squealed as the blade thrust into its back—it was shaped and reinforced to pierce the beast's thick hide.
After he poured poison into the wound, the hog's strength drastically weakened, even from his pitiful attacks.
"Kieeek!"
Once it lowered its speed, Alex stood atop its back and continued, blinding its eyes. Before the powder wore off, he grabbed its horns and directed it into a crash with a large, durable tree.
When the hog came back to its senses, Alex had already prepared everything to end its life.
He poured the last of the powder into its nostrils, weakening it further. Like he was taught, he struck its abdomen, then its legs. He didn't aim to create a huge gaping wound. Instead, he spread his attacks to make it bleed out—finishing the beast with a final swing of his blade.
'If a triple S-grade could be seen as the most potent powder of juice, then the catastrophic grade is far superior. Not only does it not deteriorate, but it can also evolve and reach higher levels of power. To summarize: a catastrophic grade isn't a powder of juice—it's the whole factory that produces said powder. And this factory has all the materials to make more and more juice a person could desire.'
[System: You've killed a monster. The collected experience will now be given. You've leveled up! Your level has changed from 0 → 2.]
"Why did I get a ton of experience points!?"
"That's because this monster is high-ranking, a class stronger than what you normally see. At this point, you probably unlocked the system after killing your first monster. Now I understand why you were sold to become a slave... Normally, if they see you have the strength and talent to survive, they'd keep you. Unfortunately, you didn't possess that talent—until now."
Neon descended from his post just as his disciple secured his first kill.
"Master's not a human... But that's awesome to hear nonetheless!! So this is why you act so all-knowing when it comes to my body! It's because I got converted to your race. It's a little weird that your race isn't that different from a human's, but I realize now—you possess strange powers and a unique ability to regenerate your wounds. What!! What's happening!?"
Soon after he smelled the blood leaking from the demonic hog, Alex saw the most shocking thing of all—at his palm spawned a miniature version of the devouring leech. His brain began recalling his time inside the cocoon, the time when a larger version of this thing had appeared.
He remembered the memories of those critters—as if they shared one mind. He remembered their first meal, how they moved, and what he needed to do to command them.
[Race's Unique Ability: Memory Transfer. The homunculus race gains access to memories from past activations of their unique ability. Previously, the second homunculus [Alex Hersh] was overly stimulated when he heard the cries of the demonic hog. This allowed him to awaken the memories of the first homunculus's first monster encounter and ability activation.]
'Interesting... He can inherit my memories? Though limited to the moment of activation, it's still a peculiar ability. I wonder how much he'll grow once he inherits more of my activation memories~'
"Bluargh!!? Oh god!!! That's too horrific. I didn't think you got yourself impaled by this thing!! No wonder you know so much about their weaknesses. But master... that memory... Why do you look so calm? I can't even imagine myself being that calm and collected in a fight—ow, why'd you hit me?"
After vomiting from viewing Neon's horrific memories, Alex was flicked on the forehead for losing his composure.
"Don't lose your cool!!! I don't know why you're such a pain to teach... Sigh. Might I remind you that we need to stay quiet when we're away from the cave? That's it. I'm deducting this from your score. Remember, if your score is low, I'll have to lessen your benefits. That means less food, no timely equipment repairs. Worst of all, I might as well forget I even have a disciple. Do I make myself clear?"
No matter the situation—life or death, losing a limb, or hunting a monster—he was told to never raise his voice. He was warned again and again. They were in an area where high-ranking monsters didn't roam, but that didn't mean they were safe. One loud noise was all it took to draw those horrors near.
'After that explosion from the aircraft, I've felt nothing but worry. The ground shaking the next day was a sign of their movement. If they appear... I don't know if I can match even a single one of their kind. Monsters on top of the food chain—mythical-rank. I don't know how much the world has changed in the five years since my death.'
"Apologies... I'll try to be more careful," Alex bowed his head after the scolding. For a boy his age, where rebellion would be expected, Alex was more of a loyal dog than a delinquent.
"It's fine... It's your first time, so I'll let it slide. Just remember the cost of your actions. You're at the age where you're becoming an adult. Be more responsible and learn from your mistakes. If you understand my advice... then you did a very good job—even though this was your first hunt."
"Aren't you forgetting something? You'll have to skin the monster. Take a short break. We'll resume your final lesson once you're done."
Neon sighed and praised him for a job well done. He realized he needed to be more careful with his words. Having no hint of empathy or emotion made communication harder. It only became a hassle when it came time to scold his disciple.