When looking at this system screen, he could tell from a quick glance that the Underworld Orc had been a floor boss just by the grade of the skills he had gained.

  Underworld Orc: Level: 3 (F)

  < [Grand Ritual: Reclaim the Fallen (S)] - [Cataclysm (A)] - [Chains of the Damned (A)] - [Earthen Regeneration (B)] - [Earthen Trapmaster (D)] >

  "System, can you tell me about my new S-rank skill?" Xen asked. He had an idea of what it might do, as he had seen the Underworld Orc use it, but he was still curious.

  [Grand Ritual: Reclaim the Fallen (S)]

  Upon skill activation, your mana pool is sacrificed, and in return, all magic-related stats are switched to physical ones. A ritual is then started that absorbs all nearby summons to craft armor around you. The durability and style of the armor depend on the type and number of summons absorbed.

  Xen narrowed his eyes. "So Gor'Zhul was full of shit? He was a mage all along! Just a rather terrible one. If I'm understanding it right, this ritual seems to allow a mage to sacrifice the ability to use their mana pool and, in exchange, become a warrior. Gor'Zhul must have gained that thick clay armor due to the summons he absorbed, being Clay Goblins and Clay Orcs."

  It was all starting to make sense—he now understood why Gor'Zhul fell so fast after using this skill. While in theory, it should have made him more formidable, by sacrificing his mana pool, there was nothing left to stop Xen's corruption from rotting him from within.

  "Even without any summons to turn into armor, this will be a useful skill as a last resort when I'm already out of mana," Xen mused. "Magic is also my most notable stat, due to my Necroplague Slime form granting my human form a nice boost in magic. If all of those stats were converted into physical stats, I should be able to easily punch a hole through a monster a grade above me."

  Xen was delighted with this S-grade skill and was now motivated to hunt down any monsters with a summoning ability.

  "What about the other two new A-grade skills?" he asked, and the system answered.

  [Cataclysm (A)]

  Stomp the ground to unleash a mana-infused sonic boom, tearing through air and matter alike, followed by a shockwave that fractures terrain and sends tremors radiating outward. Enemies within close range suffer severe damage, especially those of lower level, and the skill has a high chance of destabilizing structures and interrupting spellcasting. Particularly effective for battlefield control and environmental devastation.

  Xen blinked. Didn't this sound really strong? If the Underworld Orc had possessed this skill, he wasn't sure he would have won, as it would have prevented him from remaining in range for his corruption skills to take effect.

  "This skill would have been perfect during the fight earlier. I could have jumped onto one of the bridges, and with this single skill, I could have destroyed all three bridges and wiped out all the invading Clay Goblins and Clay Orcs in one go." Xen glanced at his foot and debated trying it out, but he resisted. What if he brought the ceiling down upon him, killing the three badly injured humans above him? That would be inconvenient, as he needed them to smuggle him to the surface.

  With a sigh, his eyes drifted back to the status screen, and he inspected the last of the new skills he had gotten.

  [Chains of the Damned (A)]

  Conjure semi-ethereal cursed chains made from whatever terrain you stand upon, laced with corrupted mana and guided by malevolent will. These chains erupt in a wide radius, seeking out living targets and binding them in place. Once ensnared, the chains constrict over time, sapping stamina and applying stacking corruption. Targets already weakened or tainted by corruption suffer intensified damage and may be dragged underground for burial. Chains regenerate if severed, so long as you still have mana to feed the skill.

  Xen blinked in disbelief for a second time. Another super strong skill, and like Cataclysm, it affected a wide radius around him and could deal with multiple opponents.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  "Maybe I should become a floor boss myself at this rate?" Xen chuckled. If he leveled up his Underworld Orc form, with these skills and a few others in his Free Skill Slots, he didn't see how he could lose to a group of Hunters—especially with his [Solo Hunter] passive on top of all that. He imagined the scene of him destroying the world around him, dragging the hunters down into the fissures he made with ethereal chains while being unkillable and firing off corrupted magic.

  He then burst out laughing. "An Underworld Orc using Threadwalk to run across the ceiling would definitely give the Hunters a fright. Wait, I could also use Ghoststep to teleport and leave afterimages... I'm quite terrifying now, aren't I?"

  He had dozens of different skills and passives harvested from monsters and humans. He was a one-man army, possessing so many different skill sets that, when combined, became incredibly unfair. Ghostwire, while extremely mobile, hadn't been threatening due to a lack of combat abilities. Yet now he had those same movement abilities alongside floor boss-level skills that unleashed mass destruction.

  "Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself," Xen said, calming down. However strong he was, he was still at the lowly C-grade. His diverse skill set wouldn't save him if a level 200+ SSS rank Hunter looked in his direction.

  But it was undeniable. Xen was catching up, and fast. It had only been a few days since his awakening as a Shapeshifter, and he was already knocking on the door of B-grade and soloing floor bosses.

  "All this thinking is making me hungry," Xen licked his lips and began to feast on the rest of the Underworld Orc's corpse. It took him a full ten minutes to finish the meal.

  [Devour Complete]

  You gained an immense amount of biomass.

  "Ugh," Xen slumped over like a drunkard. His head felt heavy—he was heavier now. No matter how much his Necroplague Slime body could compress and store biomass, there were still limits. "I'm so full. Can slimes be sick? I fear I'm about to find out."

  Standing up, he tried to walk it off. He had to use both his arms to stabilize his head as he explored the rooms carved into the cavern's wall. It seemed this was where the now-wiped-out colony of Clay monsters had resided. He found a few things that Hunters might consider loot: a chest filled with golden metal here, or a weapon he didn't know how to use there. None of it really looked tasty to him, so he passed on it.

  "Phew, I feel better," Xen muttered, lowering his arms and feeling satisfied that he didn't immediately trip over and face-plant. Glancing from side to side to steady himself, he caught something out of the corner of his eye.

  A sword hilt poking out of a chest.

  Wandering over, he remembered Ghostwire's sad fate and hesitated to grab the exposed hilt.

  "Appraisal," he said, inspecting the sword.

  [Mithril Short Sword: Rare Grade]

  A short sword crafted from Mithril, a lightweight yet incredibly strong metal forged with mana.

  "Doesn't seem cursed," Xen muttered and hesitantly tugged on the hilt, freeing it from the shiny pile it had been stuck in. Inspecting it further, the appraisal skill didn't warn him of anything strange, so he wielded it with confidence. Slicing the air with a satisfying swoosh, he was impressed with how light the sword was. "Is it really as strong as it claims?"

  He had an idea of what he could test it on. Giddy, he walked out the doorway of the room, but paused with one step out. He glanced over his shoulder at the chest again.

  "Appraisal."

  A flood of system messages clouded his vision as each of the little shiny things begged for his attention.

  [A Gold Credit: Common Grade]

  A golden coin created from dungeon mana to tempt invaders. It has since been indoctrinated as the standard currency used by all people on Earth.

  "Is this the thing Randy and the others said they didn't have to give Ghostwire?" Xen pondered, spinning on his heel and reentering the room. He picked up a few and watched how they fell through his fingers and clinked on the ground. Xen frowned. He wasn't a hundred percent sure whether these coins were worth gathering, and he didn't have a good way to hold them.

  So he did the only thing that made sense. He picked up the whole chest. It was heavy; his knees almost buckled under the weight, despite his stats. He then began an awkward, almost penguin-like waddle over to the Earth Mage Throne and set the chest down with a grunt, nearly crushing his toe in the process.

  "Phew, that is heavy. Just how many of these credit things are in here?" Xen grumbled, taking the short sword from the top of the pile and swinging it around again. "Whatever, shiny things aren't important. This new sword is way more interesting. Now, where is that mask—ah, here it is."

  Without hesitation, like a caveman smashing a rock, he swung the sword down, striking the mask with all his might. A thunderous clang rang out, and he was thrown back by the force in a shower of sparks. Now on his back, he sluggishly held up the sword and inspected it against the ceiling.

  A grin appeared on his face. The sword had survived without a scratch. Sitting up, he noticed the mask had flown and landed a ways away. Getting up and walking over, he grinned even wider, seeing it was also without a scratch. Both the mask and the sword seemed indestructible.

  Armed with new skills, gear, and a chest of loot, he was feeling in a good mood. The question was, would that change once he tried on the mask? Ghostwire had ruined his life—unable to take it off, even in death.

  Xen bent down and picked it up. He flipped it over. After a moment of deep contemplation, he resigned to his curiosity.

  Slowly, he raised it up to his face and put it on.

  to read ahead!