The powers and skills inscribed on my body surged with heat throughout my entire being.
“KYAAAAAAH!”
This body of mine has developed quite a bit over time, hasn’t it?
I’ve consumed a fair amount of powers and skills, after all. I’ve grown in the labyrinth too.
But having a 4-star power and skill each, alongside a 3-star power and skill, plus a bonus 2-star power, well, it was a bit difficult to endure.
Of course, it wasn’t as unbearable as when I got the 5-star power, Avatar of Love, but… it was still painful.
Thank goodness the pain was short-lived, and I pulled out a lot of potent powers, at least?
By gritting my teeth and holding on, I quickly got through it. …Though the pain in my heart still lingered.
“GUAAAAAAH!”
My mana forced itself to expand. But the amount was something else. I thought I had significantly increased it by chomping down on Mana Herbs, but really…
It felt like sharp stakes were bursting from inside my heart in all directions. How many times did I clutch my chest and whimper?
In an instant, the pain vanished as if it had never been there.
Rising amidst the Mana Herbs, I shook my head.
“Whew. Thank goodness Meteor didn’t come out.”
I had a rough idea of this from what Benny told me. That rank and circle were separate. Didn’t they say the 2-star magic, Intense Flame, is on par with 3rd circle magic?
Perhaps the 3-star magic, Exploding Flame, is at 4th circle… No, judging by my nearly doubled mana capacity, it could be 5th circle level magic.
But what if the 5-star magic Meteor appeared?
“…I hope I don’t die of shock.”
Unlike the powers inscribed on my soul, skill types are inscribed on the flesh, so it might really be dangerous.
“If a higher-grade skill comes next, I’ll definitely use Sanctuary.”
With the power of Sanctuary, wouldn’t I come back to life even if I temporarily flatlined? After that panic, I sat down on the floor.
The bed was stuffed with Mana Herbs and all sorts of junk anyway.
First, I stuffed some Mana Herbs into my mouth while examining my new powers. But then…
“Huh?”
The moment I casually chewed and swallowed a Mana Herb, I felt something was different.
How should I put it? It was definitely bitter like a medicinal herb, but I could also sense a faint sweetness within, perhaps?
Wondering if this was the original taste, I tried another root, and again, I felt that subtle sweetness.
Come to think of it, Gluttonous Stomach had been picked more than once. Maybe that’s why it became enhanced and got weird or something?
Focusing my mind for a moment, I recalled how to move my limbs instinctively, just like that, the effect of Gluttonous Stomach came to mind.
I could store way more than before, digest food faster, and… everything I put in my mouth tasted delicious.
“Wait. Is this even possible?”
As obvious as it is, Gluttonous Stomach is a power from a dead god.
I didn’t set every single god one by one, but I loosely set some of the more famous ones in my mind.
Of course, I considered the major ones, like the seven deadly sins of humanity.
After all, the reason the Pan Continent turned into a gender-reversed world was because the Goddess of Purity and God of Desire ended up destroying each other, right?
If there’s a god based on lust, there should definitely be one based on hunger as well.
To conclude, the God of Gluttony is a god who exploded from overeating.
He had absorbed the power of weakened gods through wars, or consumed the corpses of dead gods to increase his strength.
The problem was that the war of divine extermination was fiercer than expected, and the God of Gluttony wasn’t a combat-type god.
He needed to bulk up to survive, and with an ability specialized for that, he fared quite well.
But the godly power he rapidly gained exceeded even his divine tier.
Ultimately, the power he had consumed until now exploded within him, resulting in the self-destruction of the god. That is the God of Gluttony.
During the divine extermination war, most dead gods were absorbed by other gods, or forged into tools, but… occasionally, their powers scatter into the world and cause some impact.
For instance, because the body of the God of Life was shredded and melded into the world, children can be born even among other races.
Another case is the aura of the God of Knights and the mana of the God of Magic spreading widely, leading miracles to be demoted to mere techniques.
…However, not all influences are necessarily good.
The power of gluttony scattered all around the Pan Continent, and the unclaimed force morphed into monsters rampaging according to instinct.
The disasters sealed along with the goddess when she created the labyrinth included twisted laws and the nameless monsters born from them.
While I might not encounter them for now, I would occasionally run into them deeper within the labyrinth.
It’s undeniable that powers obtained from draws are likely because of the gods buried in the labyrinth.
Considering I also collected powers during the sealing process, I suspect this system refines and embeds them in me.
In any case, I’m surprised by one simple thing.
Since the powers of a dead god literally consist of that dead god’s strength, it was common knowledge that one could only enhance their proficiency or might but could never develop their true essence.
To put it simply, you’re bound to the “original use” of such power.
Yet here we are. Thanks to the duplication draw, Gluttonous Stomach didn’t just expand my storage and absorption but also added the ability to make eating a delightful experience.
Though it’s a minimal change, what was once confined to digestion has expanded into something more.
“Did I underestimate this breakthrough too much?”
It’s easy to understand that items get stronger. They become tougher, their might increases, and various bonuses get tacked on.
Thus, the Wrist Crossbow can now fire stronger arrows in rapid succession.
The Goddess Statue, instead of merely being charming, has become a vessel capable of containing the Goddess of Love itself.
So what awaits after pushing through these powers?
I still don’t know. But I’d wager a few guesses.
Perhaps the power will transform into divine authority itself or temporarily recreate a myth.
Of course, it could be completely different, but one thing is certain: through all this, my body is steadily moving closer to transcendence.
If the Goddess of Love still seeks rest, as per my setup, and wishes to appoint me as her representative, then this breakthrough system might just be her preparing me to be a true god, having built my status through the labyrinth.
Though lately, I’ve been wondering if she’s really seeking that rest based on her recent actions.
“Phew. Well, this is one of those unresolvable questions, so I should move on.”
In the end, it’s all about confronting the Goddess of Love at the bottom of the labyrinth and resolving things there.
What I need to do now is quickly grow stronger and break through the labyrinth.
“Alright. Shall we move on to the next?”
As I continued to greedily consume the sweet Mana Herb, I began inspecting the other powers and skills.
First off was my newly gained 2-star power, Radiant Eyes.
The effect is simple: my gaze becomes beautiful, I can adjust the aura I emit, and if I inject divine power, I can genuinely shine light from my eyes.
…Not in a beam-like way. Just a suitably bright illumination.
The brightness is about equal to that of a lantern. With that, I should be fine even if I suddenly find myself in the dark.
Next is the 4-star skill, Stealthy Steps, which had also been picked up multiple times.
This has become my favorite tool, as it not only muffles my footsteps but also dims my very presence.
While breaking through enhanced the basic stealth ability, there was something even more significant.
While hiding, my speed has drastically increased.
I’m not quite sure of the detailed mechanics. I just cast it like usual, and it felt like my body was being swept along the current.
I can’t just go my whole life ignorant, so I need to figure it out, but… it’s already a guarantee that the speed boost while hiding is pure treasure.
While I don’t know the principle, dozens of practical applications are already swirling in my mind.
“Indeed, 4-star is worth the work, isn’t it?”
Nodding in satisfaction, I turned my attention to the cause of my heart’s pain—Exploding Flame.
The effects of skills aren’t as intuitively apparent as that of powers; I need to try them out to get a sense.
Unlike the stealth ability, which silently consumed sound, Exploding Flame is clearly a powerful area attack magic.
I absolutely cannot use it indoors. I’ll save it for a quiet field later, or in the labyrinth with Benny.
However, according to the inscribed information, unlike the other spells I cast quickly, this one requires a solid amount of casting time.
Its might will surely be impressive, but… using it might come with some limitations.
Finally, the power I had to look at is the recently picked power, Call of the Dead.
From a 4-star perspective, it’s confirmed to be effective, although there are side effects—it’s a power from the God of Death.
Upon inspection, I couldn’t help but smile broadly.
“Oh?”
As one could guess from the name, it’s a power used to temporarily summon and command the undead.
Without needing any special preparation, it’s clearly a 4-star capability to raise the dead on the spot, but…
As a side effect, when using the power, I won’t be able to speak.
That’s hardly a serious drawback. After all, it’s a power, not a curse.
Anyway, having examined all the skills and powers, all that’s left are the items.
I picked up the Wrist Crossbow that came out this time, a smirk creeping onto my lips.
“What kind of upgrades could be in store next?”
With good arrows already on hand, I’m feeling hopeful.
