Chapter 6: Chapter 6 – Growth and Hunger [1]

I had fallen asleep soon after my thoughts of the danger that would most definitely fall upon me when I would hopefully return to the Realm of Mortals. It had not just been because of my exhaustion but because I had begun feeling excessively sore. 

 

I was able to see a noticeable change in my body as the aura surrounding my body had grown thicker. I felt more connected with my body, almost feeling as though before eating the fruit I had been a mere parasite inhabiting a lump of flesh to now feeling as though I was fully immersed in it.

 

I lifted my hand in front of my eyes as I felt no delay in the movement of my arms.

 

That was when I noticed it, the once dog-sized Quiladen had grown larger, now the size of a Great Dane, if he grew any bigger I would have been able to ride him.

 

That was when I knew it, the fruit did not just improve one’s connection with magic, but improved every compatible thing about the individual. I had felt more compatible with my body, my mind felt stronger, like I was processing everything at a much faster rate, not to mention my eyes now felt energized taking in everything around me at a moment's notice.

 

I felt… invincible.

 

However, I could not help but notice something.

 

My stomach had been growling ever since I had woken up, I likely had used a large amount of energy to improve my body, causing my energy to be drained immensely. I found the hunger rampaging throughout my body as I began a frantic rush towards the door of the tree I now called home.

 

Throwing it aside I burst out into the canopy of the forest as my eyes flashed in all ways and directions as they took in everything around me. I could see an Assassin Snake a few kilometers from me, at most being at Tier 8. As I took out the jagged blade-like feather I found myself rushing toward the Beast, bounding from tree branch to tree branch.

 

Everything felt so vivid and vibrant, the crimson leaves fluttering behind me as I moved at speeds comparable to the Olympian Sprinters of my continent.

 

As I found myself nearing the snake at an unbelievable speed my hand held the feather like I did a knife from the combat training provided from the school and began combat with the Beast.

 

It had already taken note of my presence since when I was within a kilometer of it, I had been able to tell because of it sticking its tongue out, seeming to taste the air.

 

Thus with this small amount of information I had already set up a plan of attack within the seconds it took for me to draw closer to the Beast.

 

It struck out at me at what should have been an insane speed, but to me it looked like it was moving in slow motion. I continued the sprint at the snake until I could see its mouth open wide attempting to swallow me whole. That was when I dove forward, grabbing a branch on the way down, and then proceeding to ricochet directly into its underside where I could almost hear the beating heart which was just a few meters below its head.

 

As I drove the steel-like feather into the underside I could feel my hand breaching its innards as it shot through the scales of the Assassin Snake like a bullet through glass.

 

The Beast died in an instant, not even feeling the pain of its horrible demise.

 

I felt disgust as I found myself removing my hand from its underside covered in the black life-blood of the snake, still clutching the lengthy feather which held the snake’s now ruptured heart in its barbs.

 

I then began dragging the snake’s corpse, straining with its weight as I pulled it to the nearest clearing. I then snatched a stone off the ground and struck the feather against it, creating a spark that stuck to the red leaves beside me.

 

I didn’t even know why but I then found myself now dissecting the snake, locating its poison glands, muscle, and even had descaled the snake, avoiding the gaping hole from which my hand had been withdrawn.

 

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I began to cook the snake's muscle as I found myself nearly drooling at the smell of the Beast, not even caring if some other Beast were to happen upon me still riding the high of the feeling of invincibility the fruit had given me.

 

Minutes later I found myself digging into the large muscles of the snake, not even caring if the snake was fully cooked or not. But that was when it finally happened, I finally regained control over my body, ending the senseless, beast-like act I had performed in the last two hours.

 

I vomited up the raw meat of the snake as the ravenous hunger faded from my body, leaving a foul taste in my mouth.

 

I felt shaken from the loss of control I just felt. I felt like I had lost something… something that drew the fine line between what a human I was and the Beast I felt I could be.

 

Although I felt like I couldn’t grasp what I had lost, I knew that it was something I had held dear.

 

Unfortunately, I was unable to keep that train of thought as I heard a cracking of a branch echo from the forest behind me as I saw a lion-like Beast prowl out of the darkness of the forest behind me.

 

Terror filled my body as I recognized the Beast, in fact, it was one of the most well known Beasts of all Beasts thanks to what people believed it be because of one of the trials of Heracules, to kill the Nemean Lion.

 

Thus the reason for my fear was spilled, the Nemean Lion’s traits allowed for it to be almost invincible as I had felt mere minutes before, with its hide preventing damage from all weapons or attacks.

 

However, with the higher processing speed of my brain and eyes combined a plan began to take shape in my head as I now thanked the Beast that inhabited my body for being the reason for my likely survival.

 

Before the Nemean Lion could pounce on me I ripped the ragged sleeve of my uniform and wrapped it around my hand as a makeshift sort of glove, now covering the black blood that had encompassed it.

 

The Lion was the one who struck first, leaping outward with a roar.

 

“SHIT!”

 

Despite feeling as though I was watching in slow motion the Beast’s movements were hardly slowed as I found myself diving into a role towards the corpse of the snake.

 

As I shoved my wrapped hand into the snake's mouth I yanked out its fang and stabbed it into the poison sack of the snake. The fang now covered in deadly poison seemed to radiate its intent into the air around it, leaving a black aura around it.

 

However with these few seconds of preparation the lion had already drawn upon me once more as in terror I tossed the feather blade at it.

 

The lion, dodging the blade, opened its mouth, ready to maul the fuck out of me as I jabbed my hand outward, trying to stick it in the lion’s mouth. Dropping the fang inside of the Lion’s mouth it began to seize as the poison took effect until it finally drew still.

 

I found myself collapsing onto the ground as I finally felt I could take a full breath.

—

 

Author’s Note: Thanks for reading all ten thousand words of The Thirteenth Realm!

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