Chapter 68: Fame or Danger?

DING!

DING!

DING!

[Congratulations! The host has reached the 3rd sky of the human realm]

[+10HP]

[+10MP]

[+5% Raizen God beast assimilation points]

[Host: Lucien]

[Race: Beast-man]

[Realm: 3RD sky of the human realm]

[Charisma: 20]

[HP: 65/65]

[MP: 85/85]

[Condition: Healthy]

[Exp: 1670]

[Beast Assimilated…]

[Raizen God beast]

[Phase: Infant]

[Beast Name: Wind creek]

[Assimilation progress: 10%]

[Abilities Unlocked…]

[The Shift: At the beginner level, Host can choose to borrow a few physical properties from either the Raizen God beast or the Wind creek]

[Wind Creek Dive: The wind creek has always been known as a cowardly creature at its infant phase which preys on smaller aquatic beasts. It flies to a high point before diving at a terrifying speed. The wind creek gathers enough momentum to kill even larger creatures with a hit but from severe recoil damage after collision]

Gazing at the notifications, Lucien felt thrilled since he realized two things from the current upgrades. The first was the strength gap between people in the same realm. Each time he increased in the realm, he could feel himself get stronger but the increase may be considered insignificant but when complied as he rises through the five levels of the human realm, it can be considered reasonable. In his opinion, only when upgrading from one realm to another does a person undergo qualitative changes.

The second interesting update was the increase in his Raizen god beast assimilation rate. Based on a mere hypothesis he guessed that his assimilation rate with the Raizen god beast will keep rising as he grows because this is an inherited bloodline. If he wishes to speed things up he can go ahead and look for Raizen clan members to kill or just magic beasts from the Raizen bloodline.

"We will deal with that once I am done with you…" Lucien said coldly as the Raizen god beast figure appeared behind him with that of the hell hound giving him a mixed ferocious aura.

A pair of eagle silver wings sprouted on his back while claws appeared on his hands and his skin darkened slightly. Everyone watched him levitate off the ground as he slowly moved towards the wind dome.

"Thanks to this spell… You no longer have the advantage since I can get close to you now" Lucien said as he plunged his hand into the wind dome causing it to disperse, revealing the nightmare demon.

The magic beast was covered in bruises, cuts, and bleeding wounds caused by the razor-sharp deep wounds littered all over its body. The general-level magic beast was suspended in mid-air as it grabbed Lucien's hand, trying to break free from his firm grip on its neck. While the nightmare demon may be of a higher bloodline due to its magic and all that, it was obvious that the hell hound had more physical endowment. 

Seeing Lucien hold on to a general level beast like that caused something to stir in the hearts of all those watching. Even though the instructors are far stronger but judging purely based on Lucien's age and his achievements, they felt like they were looking up to a superior being.

Instructor Han was annoyed that Lucien revealed the beast's assimilation ability to so many people but considering his situation, he knew the kid had no choice but to go all out when going against beasts like this. But this didn't mean that he was excited by the fact that he was able to see the full extent of Lucien's capabilities and just like the emperor said, he was not disappointed.

Crack!

DING!

[Nightmare slain!]

[+1000exp for first time kill]

[Beast assimilation successful]

[+15% Beast assimilation point]

[New ability unlocked]

[Beast assimilation Successful]

[Beast assimilated…]

[Shadow death God beast]

[Phase: Adolescent]

[Beast name: Nightmare Demon]

[Assimilation progress: 65%]

[Abilities unlocked]

[Shadow cloak: User shrouds himself with darkness, allowing him to blend with the darkness and move around undetected]

[Shadow paw: User strikes the enemy with a shadow-infused attack, leaving the enemy with a weakening effect. Effect of this ability can be stacked]

[Shadow hop: While using the shadow cloak skill, the user can utilize the shadow hop to move from shadow to shadow without getting detected]

[Shadow mark: User can mark an ally or foes shadow, allowing him to track them… The effect lasts for only an hour]

[Shadow steal: The user is able to steal the shadow of those he enters using shadow hop. This boosts the strength of the caster's shadow skills while weakening the enemy… For each shadow the user steals, he gains 1% beats assimilation point as well]

[Force wall:  The user releases powerful force energy all around himself, defending him from attacks while knocking away enemies]

[Shadow storm: The user releases a chaotic storm of darkness around him. This spell is mostly used for defensive purposes]

DING!

[Due to Update a few abilities have been upgraded]

[Beast assimilation Successful]

[Beast assimilated…]

[Shadow death God beast]

[Phase: Adolescent]

[Beast name: Nightmare Demon]

[Assimilation progress: 65%]

[Abilities unlocked]

[Shadow cloak: User shrouds himself with darkness, allowing him to blend with the darkness and move around undetected]

[Shadow Claw: User strikes the enemy with a shadow-infused attack, leaving the enemy with a weakening effect. Effect of this ability can be stacked]

[Shadow hop: While using the shadow cloak skill, the user can utilize the shadow hop to move from shadow to shadow without getting detected]

[Shadow mark: User can mark an ally or foes shadow, allowing him to track them… The effect lasts for only an hour]

[Shadow steal: The user is able to steal the shadow of those he enters using shadow hop. This boosts the strength of the caster's shadow skills while weakening the enemy… For each shadow the user steals, he gains 1% beats assimilation point as well]

[Force wall:  The user releases powerful force energy all around himself, defending him from attacks while knocking away enemies]

[Shadow storm: The user releases a chaotic storm of darkness around him. This spell is mostly used for defensive purposes]

[Shadow Zone: A domain ability for the shadow element that grants user, greater control over the shadow element and a temporary stat buff]

[Nightmare eater: When facing an opponent riddled with doubts and uncertainty, the user can directly consume their soul using the nightmare eater… This helps strengthen the user permanently!]

Looking at the last ability Lucien couldn't help but reveal a sinister smile. Right before everyone's eyes, the tattoo on his back changed form and took the shape of the ugly nightmare demon.

"I almost died twice… You all have a lot of explaining to do…" Lucien said as he finally turned his attention towards the Dean and the various instructors present. 

His eyes turned pitch-black as the terrifying image of the nightmare demon appeared behind him.

----------------------------------------------------

Upon return, every student was sent to the academies healers for a quick check-up before they were fed with all the delicacies that can be found in the empire but even then many ate too little since most of the students were scared by the event that just took place. More than half of the freshers were killed with a handful of them coming from notable families and quite famous clans in the empire. According to the Dean, the presence of so many more solid level and general level magic beasts was a result of someone with evil intentions for the empire. They stated that as soon as the students were sent to the beginner zone which is located outside the empire and can only be accessed quickly through the teleportation runes and platforms set up there, they lost communication with the students and couldn't even watch their progress.

The interference made it impossible for them to reach the beginner area on time to save the students and with the help of the emperor, many poor families who lost their kids were compensated. Many believed that this could have been done by one of the two other empires. Meanwhile, the news of the beast's assimilation ability was quickly leaked and it soon spread across the continent leaving many terrified and a few amazed. The ability to replicate the abilities of any magic beast killed cannot be underestimated and many knew that. Lucien suspected the information was leaked by the Lightborn family but with no proof, the emperor couldn't do anything to them.

With the new fame, Lucien almost became a household name for many beast-men and human families. While the beast-men saw him as their savior and the next candidate to become the new beast emperor, the humans saw him as a danger that needs to be exterminated. Without his knowledge, Lucien's existence worsened the relationship between humans and beast-men. Their fear of the unknown clouded their judgment, making Lucien wonder if his fame is a blessing or a cause.

-------------------------------------------

A week had passed since the event and since the freshers were given a two-week break, Lucien decided to stay back in the academy since he had nowhere to go. While many may think he was lonely, he actually enjoyed the solitude since it gave him more time to work on himself and improve.

Knock!

Knock!

Knock!

For the first time in a week, someone knocked on his door…