1414 Preparations
Grim understood the assignnt now and how severe and manageable it was.
His role was the most vital, so he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
The opponent was a Chronocle Fiend, a beast made from strands of fragnted Consternals – ti, essentially.
Grim's purpose was to help subjugate it and then copy its properties, which would be a hefty task.
Grim's Hidden Class was called Esurient Hoarder. It gave him access to three beast forms, all with unique abilities.
There was Avhanar the Voracious, a giant wolven head that could consu anything and break it down into energy.
There was Paradon Parody, a beast form that allowed Grim to copy the properties of other beasts and attach them to his body.
And then there was Esurient, the ultimate expression of the Class.
For this excursion, it was the properties of Paradon Parody that were required. Grim would have to copy a large portion of the Chronocle Fiend and attach it to himself.
Whatever Suzate required couldn't be done with the body of the Chronocle Fiend itself because, apparently, it was extrely aggressive and when engaged in combat, it rapidly used itself up. All its attacks were ti-based, and thus it practically used its own being as fuel.
The Chronocle Fiend wasn't a genuine Divine being. It didn't have a Broader Existence or even a soul for that matter. It only had Divine-level abilities. Because of this, it was plausible for Grim to copy its properties, but admittedly, it was going to take a lot of effort on his part.
Thankfully, Suzate was going to help with this.
she had said to Yuyui and Grim.
Suzate had bolstered the strength of Yuyui's Eye of the Visitor and Grim's Esurient Hoarder Hidden Class.
She had admitted though, that the two already had the capabilities of Supre Skill holders, so she didn't have to extend the scope of their power by much.
Yuyui's eye already had a vast range. Suzate extended it by a small margin, allowing it to reach the position of the Chronocle Fiend she had sighted.
Apparently, they were actually common, and often attacked worlds to steal their ti in order to extend their power and life.
Grim took a deep breath. He could feel the boost to his Class.
'If the Chronocle Fiend is as powerful as Suzate says, if I copy its traits, that will be one free power gained for . It's a win-win. Now, I just need to calm down,' he thought to himself and looked behind him.
Yuyui was sitting so distance away in the domain in a lotus position. She was getting herself familiar with the full paraters with the Eye of the Visitor and its augnt. Bubbles was sitting behind her, curiously wondering what she was doing.
The beast had indeed been obliterated within Franceesta's Majestic Territory, but one death was scarcely fatal to it.
Unlike the Stark Troops, Bubbles didn't have a Granted Armant. Yuyui had requested for Skullius to create for him a spatial storage that applied the Granted Restoration Starmation. Every ti Bubbles died, he would be restored within the spatial storage.
After the creature had died during the battle against the Order of the Trodden Rose, Yuyui had forbidden him from coming out of her storage against since the situation had been dire.
'Lucky bastard,' thought Grim before he turned to his own company.
Azila, the frost goblin that had been questioning his and Yuyui's worth, and several other powerful guardian beasts were close by, preparing for the fight ahead. Jiggorrhax and Asthon were closer to the incomprehensible figure of Suzate, conversing with her, it looked like.
"I don't think I can ever forgive myself for being so pathetic. Being put to sleep like that…" Azila said, his face a mask of embarrassnt.
"I sll self-pity. Do you think you're the only one who was made to look like an idiot?" said the goblin with a scowl at the ape. "All of us were humiliated in front of the humans. Though, I will say, to see soone of your stature and important to all beast kind be put down like that was a blow to us."
Azila gave the goblin a sharp look.
"That's comforting to hear," he said and then he turned to Grim. "Have you figured out how we will move or have you left that responsibility to… him?"
The him in question was undoubtedly Jiggorrhax. It was fair to see him as the leader of the excursion, to be sure.
Grim glanced at the dragon.
"Maybe…" he said. He wasn't sure this should even be an argunt. Of course, Jiggorrhax should take the lead!
The prestige around the colossal Herald was legendary. Even with his current strength, Grim was in awe at the might radiating from the dragon.
He was older, wiser, and probably stronger.
"Now, now, why do I sense such low self-esteem?" a voice of doubt spoke from Grim's shoulder.
He turned to look, startled and found a small bird there.
"Uhh…" He was stumped on what to say. He could tell that this beast was no ordinary creature. Suzate had even welcod it with sothing akin to cheer and Grim's own bestial senses told him that the bird was, to so degree, equally as impressive as Jiggorrhax.
"Don't be intimidated now. I'm just a bird," said Asthon, "and you are a lot more like Jiggorrhax than you know."
"What?" Grim couldn't believe that he had heard that right. "What do you an?"
"Don't be fooled. Jiggorrhax is not so supre beast. He only looks like one. And believe , he is not as haughty as you may think. This is your stage, is it not? I can sense the excitent within you, buried behind all the anxiety. You have deep-set animalistic fervour. Tempered fervour. Why don't you let it loose? You've been wanting an opportunity like this, I'm sure." Asthon bounced on Grim's shoulder. "Listen, there are benefits to being a beast, just as there are benefits to be a man. As far as I understand your prowess, you might just be the only human who can be a perfect fusion of the two."
Ashton seed especially excited, much to Grim's confusion.
Unbeknownst to the Unlimited Star, Asthon was having a mont of profound insight, one he had failed to obtain for 4,000 years. He had heard all about Grim's powers from Suzate's explanation, and that had been a catalyst for a new line of thinking.
The bird gave a little kick to Grim's cheek, forcing him to turn his head to Jiggorrhax.
"You see that? I considered that to be the very best of what any being could hope to be once. A beast with the traits of a man, down to the progression of strength. That is a near-perfect version of what you should be. Towing the line between man and beast, but being perfect in both expressions. Ha! I'm glad I barged here uninvited!"
Grim understood none of what the ancient bird said. He could only stare at the bird, his eyes exposing his confusion.
Perfection in both beast and man traits?
What did that an?
Grim had only ever considered using thepowers from the Hidden Class as they were.
I can turn into different kinds of beasts, was the extent of how he interpreted it. Nothing more. He was sure the one who created the Class had a similar interpretation too.
Ashton could see that none of his wisdom was being conveyed. A pity. He sighed.
"It's quite alright. I will show you all of what I an on our little adventure outside of Aigas," the bird said. "By the way, who are you?"
"What? Don't you already know my na?" Grim said.
"Of course, I do, but what would I glean simply by analyzing your na? I want to know who you are?"
"What would you like to know?"
"Everything!" said Asthon. "But I am a lot more interested in why there is so much doubt in you right now. I am especially good at reading human emotions, you see. Well, I better be after spending 4,000 years raising so. I sense a strong cord of confidence from you. You're often firm against challenges. But that cord of confidence is suddenly drowned in uncertainty. Why? Why now? I don't sense a fear of death from you. You can't really be losing confidence against an enemy when you have all this help, can you?"
Grim was startled to be seen through so thoroughly. He didn't try to deny it though. He hung his head, thinking of the best way to express what he felt.
"Honestly, I feel a little inadequate. Not necessarily because I feel my strength is limited," he said. "I never thought Yuyui would make feel such a strong sense of… hollowness. I was never the kind of person who was interested in the kind of person I was. I was comfortable being part of a group. Obscure. But when I was recruited by my master, that changed. I adopted the traits of the Hidden Class he allowed to have. That's what I beca. It beca my identity, and for a while, I was satisfied, fulfilled even. But now…" He looked at Yuyui, her eyes closed in focus.
"The lack of a profound past has finally caught up to ."
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