Chimaera's Conquest: The Legend Of The Devourer-Chapter 40: Replace And Retry (2)

The prompt was followed by a drop-down list of all the organs inside Adrian’s body. However, as Adrian went through the list, he realised there wasn’t anything he could replace at the moment.

Adrian wondered if there was another way to increase the number of organs he could use. The system didn’t fail to respond, but Adrian did not like the response.

[Upgrade the <Monster Codex> skill to level five to unlock two more organ slots.]

"You got to be kidding me!" Adrian couldn’t hold back and opened his mouth, a mistake he immediately regretted as seawater flooded his mouth, choking him.

He immediately swam to the surface to get rid of the salty water in his mouth and coughed to his heart’s content before diving into the sea once again.

Once back inside, Adrian checked the upgrade requirements for [Monster Codex]. Thankfully, it was simple enough as he only needed to fight and register different kinds of monsters in the codex.

The tricky thing was the number of creatures required for the said upgrade. Merely upgrading the skill to level two required Adrian to register ten unique monsters into the codex, and so far, he was only halfway through it.

’Looks like I have to sacrifice something to gain the Troll’s regeneration.’ Adrian thought and scanned the drop-down list, but deciding was easier said than done.

The combination of patched Ogre skin and Ratling skin cells had helped him avoid countless threatening situations. Similarly, he was using the Mermen lung to breathe underwater, which was quite a handy ability.

Sacrificing Kitsune’s eyes was out of the question. He loved the versatility of [Illusionary Eyes] too much to give it up. That left the partial Blighted skeleton’s skull that was merged with his own.

’If I give it up... will the Troll blood heal the skull anew?’ Adrian wondered.

As much as he wanted to get rid of his deformed face, he wondered what the implication of giving up half of his forehead would be. Since Trolls were known to generate entire body parts, including their heads anew, theoretically, troll blood should heal his skull.

On the other hand, if Adrian sacrificed a part of his skull and the blood failed to generate it, then it would be pretty much over for him. Even with all that considered, his greed for the legendary regeneration ability was too big for him not to take the risk.

[Sacrificial Organ selected. Please proceed with absorption as usual.]

--

Devourable Organs:

1. Troll’s Blood: By replacing the blood of a troll with their own, the User will gain the legendary regeneration ability inherent to trolls. Wounds and injuries heal at an accelerated rate, providing near-immunity to non-fatal damage.

- Grade: Legendary

- Compatibility: Moderate (61~70% integration success rate)

- Remarks: The regenerative properties extend to internal organs, enhancing overall health and longevity. However, the reaction against poison and strong magic attacks is slow.

The User may experience increased sensitivity to mana.

- Status: Available

2. Troll Eyes: By ingesting the eyes of a troll, the User gains superior night vision. The eyes adapt to low-light conditions, allowing the User to see clearly in darkness.

- Grade: Common

- Compatibility: Excellent (91~99% integration success rate)

- Remarks: Users may notice a subtle change in eye colour. Enhanced visual sense may make the User more sensitive to bright light.

- Status: Available

3. Troll’s Heart: Absorbing a troll’s heart enhances the User’s cardiovascular system, providing increased stamina and endurance. The User gains fatigue resistance and can sustain physical exertion for extended periods.

- Grade: Rare

- Compatibility: High (71~80% integration success rate)

- Remarks: Users may experience a slightly slower resting heart rate. Emotional resilience may also improve.

- Status: Available

--

Adrian took a deep breath before selecting Troll’s Blood.

[Please make contact with the target: Troll’s Blood]

[Note: Depending on the User’s compatibility with the targeted organ, the User might or might not feel some discomfort.]

Kneeling beside the fallen beast, Adrian extended his hand toward the troll and then touched its head where he had stabbed him earlier.

[Target acquired.]

[Integration in Progress...]

Adrian knew what came next and braced for the pain. However, no amount of resilience could have prepared him for the pain he was about to receive.

Adrian writhed in agony as his blood was slowly siphoned off the system. It hurt bad, like someone was ripping him apart from the inside. But he gritted his teeth, knowing he had to do this. He needed the troll’s blood to survive, to gain their powers.

As the trolls’ warm blood replaced his own, the pain intensified. It was like a fiery river coursing through his veins. Yet, that wasn’t the worst of it. The real kicker was when he felt the Blighted Skeleton’s skull, merged with his own, crumbling away.

It was brutal, and Adrian could feel the Blighted Skeleton’s skull disintegrate and disappear... slowly and painfully.

The monster’s skull seemed to be settling a score with Adrian, inflicting as much pain as possible in retaliation for his decision to sacrifice it.

Adrian understood it was just his mind playing tricks, but it sure felt like the skull was seeking revenge at that moment. The pain skyrocketed, and Adrian couldn’t help but scream.

Amid his agony, he couldn’t care less about the salty ocean water flooding his mouth. His lungs, adapted for life beneath the waves, were now filled with water, but pain made him forget about any concern for drowning.

His vision went wild, swirling like a whirlpool. Simultaneously, the ocean seemed to come alive, trying to crush him in its grasp. It was all a bit too much for him, and it felt like his life was about to slip away at any moment.

However, as he felt like he was about to get swallowed whole, he spotted a splash in the water. Someone was coming towards him. He tried to get a look at his saviour, but all he caught was a glimpse of red hair before his vision faded to black.

***

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