It spilled forth, flooding into the Aridae’s flesh. I was tempted to let it flow further, to release all of the slow-venom that I had stored in an attempt to ensure that the large Aridae could not harm me.

I didn’t, but it was a close decision.

Instead, I cut it off early. Its effects were too unknown. Not only had I only just received [Paralyzing Venom III], I hadn’t even been able to test it when it had still been [Paralyzing Venom I]. That, in combination with [Mana Venom IV], meant that I had absolutely no idea how effective it might be.

Using it all on the largest of the attacking bad-things, while satisfying, might doom me. I could only hope that the amount that I had pushed through my fangs was enough to allow me to keep my distance. In the end, that was mostly what I needed.

The Aridae could not swim with the speed that I could; though they still had the advantage of overwhelming numbers, it wasn’t in the same way that I had been overwhelmed in the network of threads above. There, they could attack me from any angle. There, they could move faster than I. There, they had been at home.

Things were different, now.

If I was surrounded, I could dive down below, coming back to the surface somewhere else. The Aridae’s bodies allowed them to float on the surface, buoyed by the tiny hairs that coated their flesh and created bubbles of air around them. Yet, those same buoyant hairs caused them to be stuck on the surface of the mana-water, only able to travel across it.

I cut through the water, leaving the large Aridae behind me, moving on a path towards the next. Already, the enraged Aridae had begun to throw themselves into the mana-water, pushing away from the safety of the shore. Rather than meet them there, I waited.

Patience had been something that I had learned long ago.

As I waited, I checked the threads above me, searching for signs of the mother Aridae. While I felt more confident than ever, I still wasn’t sure of my ability to take vengeance upon her. Not yet. I needed far more practice.

Fortunately, her children were eager to provide that.

I let out a small hiss of relief when I saw no sign of her, once again grateful for the Festering Rats and the bad-dreams that they caused. As the Aridae’s broodmother, she had likely eaten far more than the others. The idea that she was at her weakest and most vulnerable was tempting, but I doubted that I could handle her even now, given the number of Aridae that were already after me.

The splashing of legs pulled me away from thoughts of my killer. Three Aridae were closing in, having nearly made it to the center of the mana-water pool where I waited. Instead of meeting them, I turned around and cut through the water, moving further away.

Looking for a more vulnerable target.

I found one.

Among the Aridae that had followed me down from above, it was the smallest. Where the others splashed against the waters with powerful legs, it had only just begun to reach the edge of the mana-water pool, slowed by its small stride. As it stepped in, thrashing its legs in my direction across the mana-water, I shot towards it. Just before I reached it, I dove down underneath, coming up again at its backside.

I pierced the bad-thing, cutting through the flesh far easier than that of its older kin. A few drops of slow-venom poured down the hollows of my fangs.

Its legs continued to thrash as it jerked away, propelling itself across the mana-water’s surface.

It wasn’t long before it stopped entirely.

The Aridae was frozen still, helpless under the effects of the empowered slow-venom.

I tore into it, ripping its flesh with a series of dry bites that poured rivers of blood into the mana-water around us.

Experience Gained!

I dove into the mana-water again, taking another big gulp despite the pain that it created. I needed more.

My speed diminished as the fatigue of mana manipulation increased, my stored slow-venom becoming more powerful at the same time.

I breached the surface again, welcoming the sight of another Aridae - bigger, this time, though still young.

Its size did not keep it from suffering the same death as the last; I ripped it apart in a series of bites as it floated, helplessly still in its final moments.

Experience Gained!

I had already moved on, hidden deep within the mana-water’s brilliant blue, by the time the thought-light confirmed its death.

I aimed for the next, flooding it with slow-venom until it was too sluggish to resist. More trusting of the slow-venom’s strength now, I went for a more direct attack, swimming directly to the Aridae’s front and sinking my fangs into each of its eyes. The ebony orbs squelched in my mouth, flooding it with the same disgusting juices as before. Yet, just as before, it was an effective tactic.

The blinded Aridae was left behind to float helplessly in the mana-water, and - eventually - likely drown. I didn’t wait to see it happen, pulling away and looking around.

The mana-water pool was clear of all but corpses. Even the father Aridae had abandoned its attack; it sluggishly pulled itself back into shore, limbs fighting against its every effort. The slow-venom had taken its toll, convincing it to abandon the fight, but it had not been enough to bring it to helplessness. Not in the way that I had been helpless.

I would make sure to use more, next time.

The bad-things postured and threatened from their safe-place away from the mana-water, rearing up on their back legs and rustling their fangs. I didn’t rise to the bait. I had the advantage, floating in the mana-water.

Yet, they were unwilling to come to me. They were unwilling to sacrifice themselves blindly in the same way that I would have willingly sacrificed myself to defeat an invader of the Great Core’s nest.

I was surprised at that.

Yet, even so, I was trapped - unable to leave the protective waters, my form outlined by the brilliant blue. Sneaking away unnoticed was not an option, now.

I let myself simply stay still for a moment, allowing my body to float in my motionless state before reaching a decision. I cut through the water, pulling just shy of my destination. The Aridae reacted, clustering on the pool’s edge closest to myself. It didn’t matter. I wasn’t leaving. Not yet.

Instead, I unhinged my jaw. I swallowed one of their own, still floating on the surface of the mana-water where it had been killed. I liked to think that watching me stuff the corpse down my throat was a terrifying sight to them, a vision of the future that would soon come.

I wasn’t sure if they were intelligent enough for that. It did make me feel better, though, and so I pretended it was true. Maybe it really was.

Finally, the dead Aridae made it all the way down my throat. The thought-light flickered.

Level 2 Juvenile Aridae Consumed.

Transferred to Core.

Blooded Trait Acquisition Progress: Complete.

Blooded Trait Upgrade Progress: 1/10

My tongue forked out, spilling from my lips in a gleeful hiss. With a thought of praise towards the Great Core, I swam to the next, consuming it and welcoming the progress that the thought-light revealed to me.

Blooded Trait Upgrade Progress: 2/10

My head dipped into the mana-water again, guzzling the liquid greedily. Welcoming the pain that it brought. The Great Core was watching over me, I was now sure. The agony of the fire-pain, of the searing heat that spilled from my overloaded and overused mana core, was nothing before that knowledge.

I was beginning to believe again.

Not in the Great Core; that had never been in question. I was beginning to believe that I could become powerful, with the Great Core’s blessing. More importantly, that the Great Core found me worthy of that blessing. And with that, I was invincible.

I filled my remaining slow-venom with mana. I ignored the spike in my head-scales, the burning in my insides, and the weakness in my scale-flesh.

Then, I did it again.

To be worthy of the Great Core’s trust, a little pain was expected. I would gladly endure it.

To be the Great Core’s champion, I would gladly weather anything.

Still, our enemies waited, unwilling to brave the dangerous waters and stop me. I kept going.

Lesser Core Skill: [Mana Manipulation IV] Increased.

[Mana Manipulation V] Acquired.

Finally, I could bear no more. I looked out at the gathered Aridae, outlined by the mana-water’s glow. My slow-venom burned with the energy of the mana that filled it. My head continued to pound. My ears rang. My eyes blurred, wavering unsteadily, the waiting bad-things dancing in my vision.

Despite that, they looked delicious.