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[Skill-Eater] Chapter 103: Spark
🕑 Added 2024-09-16 17:01:01 +0000 UTCWhen he returned to his room, Edge threw himself into an intensive strength training session. After almost being eaten by the giant padamas, he was highly motivated to improve his stats as fast as he possibly could. He also wanted to be strong enough to get the most out of his new weapon.
An hour into putting his body through its paces, a message from his Guide appeared before his eyes.
By conditioning your body, your power has increased by 1.
Awesome. That’s just what I was hoping to see.
Encouraged by his progress, he walked over to the public green and started doing laps, focusing on endurance training this time around. Two hours later, just as he was about to give up for the night, he received another update from the System.
By conditioning your body, your endurance has increased by 1.
Fantastic. Gaining two points of conditioning made him feel better about missing out on the chance to cycle-up earlier in the day.
As he took one last lap to cool off, he wondered how Sasha was holding up, relieved that they had both come out of the dangerous encounter alive and whole.
Edge decided to call it an early night and passed out not long after.
***
He was woken an hour later by a knock on his door. Half dazed from being dragged out of dreams, he crossed the room and cracked it open, expecting to see Rita or maybe Sam.
Thus, Edge was rather surprised to discover that Sasha was standing in front of him. Instead of her usual hunting attire, she was wearing a sheer, low-cut black dress. It showed off every inch of her athletic curves, leaving nothing to the imagination.
“It’s going to be hard to come in if you keep blocking the doorway.”
Still trying to pull himself together, he stepped aside so she that could enter his room. “Sasha.” He tried not to stare, failing miserably before fixing his gaze squarely upon the center of her forehead. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you, of course. There aren’t a lot of other reasons for me to show up at your room.” Edge might have been able to come up with a witty reply under other circumstances. But since he had been caught by surprise in more ways than one, he just nodded like that answered everything.
That was when he realized that he was shirtless and only wearing a pair of briefs. He flushed and turned away before he really managed to embarrass himself. “Just give me a second to throw something on.”
Sasha stopped Edge dead in his tracks with her next words.
“That probably won’t be necessary.”
“What?” At this point, his heart began to race, as his subconscious started putting two and two together.
“You’ve saved my life twice now, and like I said, I wanted to thank you properly this time. I don’t own anything of value and transferring a few credits didn’t feel like the right way to show my appreciation.”
Edge was still having trouble following the conversation. But it all became clear when Sasha unfastened her dress, and it fell to the floor. She blushed, but met his gaze boldly, waiting to see how he would react.
“I’ve felt a spark between us since the first time we met. I’m pretty sure that you feel it too. Even still, I want to be clear. This is just a one time thing, not an open invitation. But if you’re not interested, I’ll see myself out and let you get back to sleep.” She was every bit as beautiful as he had imagined, and he drank in the sight of her.
“No.” Edge stopped her before she got the wrong idea and started to get dressed. “Stay. Please. I want you to. I really, really want you to.”
Sasha turned to him with a shy smile and then crossed the distance between them. Her first hesitant touch sent a thrill coursing throughout his body like electricity, burning away the last bit of fog clouding his mind. But even that was nothing compared to their first kiss.
Edge gave himself fully to the moment and wrapped his arms around her, beginning what would prove to be the best night of his life thus far.
***
Sasha was gone by the time he woke up, having slipped out of bed sometime during the night. She must have used her skill so that she didn’t wake me.
As the memories came flooding back, Edge got out of bed with a grin that just wouldn’t go away. He took a shower and ate breakfast, more relaxed and in a better mood than he could remember being... hell, maybe ever for that matter.
When he decided to check out his profile in full to see how far he’d come, his smile only grew wider.
Personal statistics: Edge Vasher
Physical attributes (Values in parentheses are provided by your traits)
Power: 6 (7) Reflex: 4 Endurance: 4 (5) Perception: 6
Speed: 4 (5) Control: 3 (4) Durability: 5 (6)
Energetic attributes
Generation: 6 Amplification: 8 Disruption: 1 (2)
Core Information Name: [Skill-Eater].
Stage: 1.
Cycle: 3/21.
Rarity: Unique.
Category: Unique.
Attribute points per cycle: 3.
Ultimate abilities
[Extraction] (active). Uses per day: 3. Cooldown period: 24 hours.
Steal the skills of monsters, men, and beasts, and claim them for your own.
[Overdrive] (active).
Uses: 1. Cooldown period: 1 week.
[Overdrive] increases your amplification by (10 x stage) for thirty seconds. Activating skills will not cost mana during this period. You will be severely exhausted for thirty seconds after [Overdrive] is complete.
Core traits
Collector (unique) [Alternate advancement].
You can no longer acquire or rank-up skills through normal means. You may slot twice as many skills as before. Additionally, you will gain an extra skill slot with every new stage.
Devourer (unique).
You may absorb an unwanted skill, freeing its slot and granting a fraction of its experience to the skill of your choice. Be advised, the return on this exchange is significantly less efficient than [Extracting] a duplicate of an existing skill.
Skills
Skill slots 11. Unused slots 3.
Known skills:
Slash (basic): rank 1.
Empower an attack with a bladed weapon.
Conceal (common): rank 2. Path: erasure.
Erase your scent and heat signature while you remain still. Visually, you will appear to blend into your environment. The last twenty-five feet of your trail will be removed on activation.
Entangle (common): rank 2. Path: durability.
Create tough burrowing vines to bind your foes.
Leap (common): rank 2. Path: assault.
Jump with explosive force. Increased durability for ten seconds after activation.
Double strike (uncommon): rank 1.
Create an offset double of any melee attack.
Elemental blade [ice] (uncommon): rank 1.
Create a subzero blade of ice.
Regeneration [limited] (uncommon): rank 1.
Rapidly heal wounds. Limited regeneration cannot restore organs that are completely destroyed.
Shadow step (rare): rank 2. Path: Armored shadow.
Transform into shadows. The cost of transforming your gear is greatly reduced.
Traits (2 of 3 trait slots are filled)
Triple tap (equipped)
You are either a genius, blessed by the heavens, or are the luckiest motherfucker on the planet. You managed to win a fight against three opponents at least one stage higher than yourself and (more or less) landed the killing blow on each.
Effects: + 10% to power, speed, and control (minimum gain of 1).
Trait: Wanted.
You have found one of the 21 unique cores in existence, which has painted a target on your back. In fact, checking out the bounty board is probably something you should do sooner rather than later.
There’s a good chance that this is going to end spectacularly badly for you, and I can’t wait to watch it all play out. This trait might help you live a little bit longer, but I’m not holding my breath.
Effects: + 10% to endurance, durability, and disruption (minimum gain of 1).
Implants (none)
System currency
Credits: 1060
Mortium: 1
After saying good morning to Rita and Sam, Edge made his way out of the Pioneer and walked over to the hunters’ district. When he arrived at Trapper’s, he learned that due to his encounter with the padamas, there had been a change of plans.
