Sorry for the delay! Graduate school has restarted, and I'm finishing my thesis currently.

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The actual link to the chapter at my wordpress is here: LINK

And Enjoy! What will he get?

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— POV Mathias —

Oh my oh my. What do I spy with my little energy eyes? Intruders! Shit, this is too early for me to have any contact with intelligent beings. I just barely am about to hatch my bug army! Go away, shoo! I’ll come find you when I’m ready! Sigh, if only I could speak with them, I could calmly tell them to go and fuck themselves.

Well, might as well setup my observation booth and see what we have here.

In the left-most corner, we have what looks like a fire-breathing scaled wolf-beast! It’s weird but it looks like theirs some black energy floating about it, but it’s not hurting the beast very much. It seems to be stopped by those super-hard scales, and there’s something else, it seems to be taking some of the energy from inside too to reinforce it’s hide. It must be a losing battle, wonder which one of his adversaries put that dark stuff on it? I both wish, and don’t wish, that I could be able to get closer to it and determine how it’s working. It’s a morbid curiosity that I will NOT be engaging in, for now. The bease seems to have a REALLY large mana pool inside of it, centered around a point in its throat, probably some sort of mana stone. That’s probably what those other beings are after. Greedy fucks, I knew I was right not to make any of those stupid mana stones! My isn’t telling me anything about what I’m facing right now, must be the difference in levels and species, oh well, not expecting much out of that ability until later anyways. It’s like how Bosses’ stats are hidden until you are close enough in general strength to battle them.

And in the right corner, I see three, no, four humanoid beings approaching slowly. Almost missed mister distant DPSer. Now let’s analyze these guys by sight again, since for these 4 also didn’t activate. All four are male though - don’t ask me how I know, but let’s just say reveals a little bit more than I would like zzz.

In the front it looks like a typical tank-guy. He’s holding a giant dragon-knight like shield, with a slow, heavy-looking sword. I’m sure depending on the foe he might drop his shield in favor of swinging that lump of steel with all of his might. But for now he’s using both the shield and the sword only for blocking and disturbing the movements of the beast. Stabbing it into the ground if it swings at him, using it to brace his shield, truly exceptional work! And by the bright glowing of those two weapons, they are quite magical and powerful.

Beside the tank-guy there looks like a typical fantasy-like swordsman. Why couldn’t I reincarnate into someone like that? He’s moving so fluidly, ducking, slashing, parrying to a counter thrust. Such an exemplary body, CHANGE! I want a CHANGE! Uggh, I truly am inadequate right now. He definitely looks like a quick fighter, one that wins in skill versus brawn, but he’s got plenty of both. I hope he’s dumb though - that would make me feel better, but I doubt that he’s dumb enough to trigger my happiness. And again, his sword and his earrings both have a large quantity of magic in them. I also hope he has an ugly face, I can’t really tell that well. Fuck you.

And there is another typical fantasy party-member, an archer observing the battlefield and directing his teammates. He shoots arrows at what I guess are perceived weak spots on the beast, and sometimes to distract it. Oh? He just shot an arrow that exploded in the beast’s eyes, temporarily blinding it with a clinging smoke that also has some magic in it. Typical, but still badass. His Bow and shoes also have some magic in them, he/s leaning at a preposterous angle off the side of a tree, must be some sort of stability/sneak shows.

Oooooooh, and there’s a magic guy! Yes, this guy can help me the most! He has a staff-looking thing with a lot of intricate designs on it and some cool-looking symbol on top filled with an array of mana stones. So much detail! Only because everything he’s wearing is outlined with magic. But the three most-impressive pieces he has is his stave, a monocle,and a paper scroll in his belt. He has a robe that’s enchanted as well, but it looks like it’s mostly the material itself, I wonder what it’s made of? Besides all of that, show me your moves! I mean magical moves!

So mister Wizard-senpai is using his staff in a cool way. He’s used it to defend himself a few times, sometimes with a mana barrier, and sometimes just to smack the beast’s claws away. When a teammate gets burned, he touches the staff to them, one of the mana stones activates, and it looks like they start healing, and he also seems to be able to shoot a weak lightning and fireball with the staff as well. That’s cool and all, but it’s not teaching me anything! Except it looks like the mana channels the Wizard sends mana into and the stones affect the type and strength of the magic that is being used. Nothing like Megumin’s explosion though, my ultimate dream!

But then I notice it - that bastard is ambidextrous! While he’s swinging around his staff in his left hand like a battle priest, he also is casting magic with his right hand. Okay, thought-processes, besides you pain and remorse, join together! … Huh, it’s not working very well. Oh, there we go! I’ve got control over most of my thoughts again, damn, I have a lot going on. It seems I’ve been leading my Slaughter Guards away from the fight and absorbing that amazing sun, all the while trying to plot to kill them and take their powers for myself. Damn, I’m scary. Might not let that one go all alone again, I’ll probably reabsorb it.

Ok, 4x thought speed let’s go! Perfect, he’s about to cast another spell. First, mana seems to flow from his core to his fingers, and when his fingers are full, he starts to release the mana into the air in certain shapes and configurations. It looks like he’s drawing a circular shape first, then uses the inside of that shape to start drawing lines and other symbols inside, when finally he stops releasing his mana, and injects a large amount into the center. This whole time the symbol has been staying in front of him as he’s moving about too. INTERESTING! As he does that, his mana starts drawing in mana from the surroundings, quicker and quicker it starts to change the mana into the form of an ice ball. The ice ball is fully formed when a part of the symbol he drew impregnates itself inside of the ball, and it flies forward, seeking the beast!! I should follow that ball and see what it does. Ha, the beast can’t get away from it, and finally it impacts the side of the draco-dog. It looks like the magic symbols inside are activating, and frost is slowly covering the beast, slowing it down and reducing its fire-breath’s damage.

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING! Actual magic! I don’t understand how the symbols all work, or the logic behind them, or have near as much mana as I need to just draw a stupid circle, but that’s so cool! Actual Fucking MAGIC! I never thought as my moving dirt around as magic before, the scale of it is too small and it felt more just like an extension of myself moving the grains.

Huh, while I was observing, it seems I’ve been experiencing an inordinate amount of pain as well!? My precious roots are being torn apart in your stupid battle ya know, and my leaves have been burnt multiple times ya know? Shit, I want to learn more, but this pain! My body is AGAIN being ravaged, but this time I can’t do anything about it! Why does this keep fucking happening to me!?

— POV Archer —

This has been our toughest battle yet, I have yet to miss but the damage I inflict, even with my enhanced arrows barely scratch the beast. I’ve been using my most powerful, explosion and damaging arrows that I have, but the most damage I’ve been able to do is to the terrain.

— POV Beast —

This fire burns!! It won’t go away! I came to you before to try to get some help! Help me please, why are you attacking me!? Leave me alone!

STOP HURTING ME!

— POV Archer —

The beast was defensive for awhile, but suddenly it entered an enraged status!

“Be careful, it has become enraged! I still don’t know why it isn’t using it’s black fire, but watch out, this could trigger it using its ultimate attack! Don’t let the flames hit you anymore, they could turn black!”

— POV Mathias —

I need to separate my mind again and quick! Go back to your duties, and pleasure, support your brethren pain, fear, and remorse! Fuuuu, I have my senses back just in time. It looks like the battle is reaching its climax, the beast is finally going on the offensive. Its spewing fucking fire everywhere, fucking bitch. All this pain is making me really FUCKING cranky.

Come on Wizard-san, Archer-san, Paladin-san, and Ugly-san! Kill that dumb beast and get it over with! And no more explosions or AOE! That shit obviously ain’t working! Oh shit no! The draco-dog tore the shield away form the Paladin, and the rest of the party is looking fearful, but the Paladin ain’t having none of that! It looks like he’s using that to distract the beast and go on the offensive! He’s doing a huge, two-handed swing at the beast’s head, and it hits! It carved a huge chunk of flesh from the beast’s head, slightly dazing it. The rest of the party instantly takes advantage of the opportunity as a spinning arrow surrounded in mana drives deep into the wound, while the Wizard swings his staff at the swordsman’s sword while he’s jumping into the air. His sword is now cackling with electricity as he drives it deep into the beast’s head. The draco-dog starts to spasm with the jolts of electricity, then slowly stops moving.

— POV Beast —

Finally, the pain is going away. I just hope those two are alright, live on without me young ones. May your luck be better than mine…

— POV Archer —

Did we do it? It was a surprise when Alex’s shield was torn from him, but he expertly used that to his advantage, as did we all. Thankfully we’ve been a team since way before the Phoenix quest, and our teamwork shows how long we’ve been together, seamlessly flowing and streaming our moves together to maximize both damage and survival.

The beast stopped moving after our combo hit him. That mighty swing from Alex really won us the day. And that final high jump stab from Barth really was amazing, he leaped from over 20 feet away to take advantage of the beast being stunned. And of course Cal could have struck out immediately with fire or lightening into the wound, but he recognized the way to deal more damage was instead to through his spell onto Barth’s sword as he was jumping from beside him as he held his sword towards Cal. I did what I could, instantly picking my best penetration wind mana arrow to shhot as fast as I could into the gash. Truly amazing.

“Cal, is it truly dead?”

“It appears so. I’m amazed it didn’t use the black flame it obviously had, it must’ve been more hurt than we thought from Rose’s attack a week ago. Stay alert though, I’m going to use my Monocle to the area in case there are more.”

“You heard him, group up, don’t lower your guard.” I truly hope there isn’t another one, while we might survive, the damage done to us might be extremely dangerous for us.

“Hmmm. Odd, all I can detect is just some various grasses and an owl in a tree. There aren’t any slimes or anything else really, which is weird because of the spring over there being infused with mana. Curiouser and curiouser, while the mana beast still has a large amount of mana in it that I can see, there is also a small, small amount located over there in the ground. isn’t revealing anything about it either, it could be a mana stone or something else entirely. Follow me, we need to check this out before we dispose of the beast’s body.”

— POV Mathias —

The beast’s body is resting close to me. I want to it, but the party is all around looking at it. I’m slowly digging a small hole with my roots below it to try to at least get a store of its blood for my own analysis. There’s not a whole ton of uses I can think offor it, but I might as well. Oh, that’s a good idea! I should create a sterile cavity! To do that, I should grow a big, fat root underneath, and slowly expand it even more from the inside like how bug bites can do to fruits, and then pop a tiny hole in the top…… Success! I have a semi-sterile environment to keep the blood ——

Uh-oh, they’re looking at me. Oh no, the Wizard is telling them something while staring RIGHT AT ME! Shit shit shit! They’re all walking towards me, Fuck fuck fuck! Ok, go spike of doom! Pierce their shoes and poison them!

FUCK, it did nothing, as I thought, I truly am insignificant in the eyes of well-armored humans. Shit. They’re standing right above me, but they aren’t looking directly at me, rather right next to me. Now what in the world… No, nononononono, not my experiments! No, stop! Those eggs are important!

‘Squish’ ‘Crunch’

I really want to kill you 4 right now. So much! My experiments, my babies! I’ll have to remake my precious subjects! There’s almost no data I can gather at this point! But at least I’m alive, I guess. It’s a good thing I dispersed my mana throughout my roots before they showed up.

They’re talking with each other now as the Wizard nods his heads and they go back to the beast and start picking up the black energy somehow and storing it into a brightly shining clay jar. After they thought they finished they began to disassemble the draco-dog into usable materials. Stupid, greedy, destructive motherfuckers. I’ll show you one day, I’ll be above all of you! I’ve got a small amount of this black fire hidden from your sight muahahahaha! I didn’t consciously do it, but some part of me did it, go FTW!

— POV Archer —

After I stomp on some weirdly colored bugs’ nest Cal nods at me, telling me that was actually the source of mana he saw.

“That’s weird Cal, you ever see anything like that before?”

“No, but this forest is huge, I’m sure it was something trivial that is all around us but we didn’t notice it. It was just a small mana signature, they might be taking the roles of the slime in this ecosystem. Either way it’s been taken care of. Nothing else is showing up on my besides the beast. It’s still troublesome that the demon fire doesn’t register, usually anything magical will show up, but all that is showing up is the grass, the spring, and the dead beast.”

“Let’s get on with it then. Alex and Barth, will you skin it and then I’ll take out the more delicate parts? I can’t get through that tough hide at all with my knife.”

— POV Mathias —

Sigh, come back my slaughter guards, the bad men are gone. They’ve buried some tasty meat over here that I will be feeding you. Yum-yum. Also, it looks like I can what’s left. I wonder if I’ll get an ability? If anything, I want more mana without a mana stone. Maybe I’ll get lucky?

First! Also, I've changed my chapter length goals to ~2500 words per chapter versus the ~1500 from before. I'm also planning on 2-3 chapters a week, hopefully it doesn't kill my grades!