Plundering in the Apocalypse

As the dinner ended. Everyone went to their respective rooms. Alice was still fuming in anger. But she didn't show on the outside. She looked very calm and collected.

But inside her mind was in chaos. She just had one thought in mind.

'I need to find out this bitch Elena and skin her alive. How dare she come in between me and Shin. What is her relation with Shin though? I'll need to look into it.'

Alice went to her room making different plans inside her mind. (The guest room is now her room officially.)

Shin went to his room while lost in thoughts. He was worried about Simon and Elena as he can't contact them. He was getting somewhat anxious.

"I don't think I'll have any problem facing the current monsters. If by tomorrow I don't get any news about them, I'll go and check for myself."

He got on his bed and thought of many things.

'My normal life is turning chaotic, but I guess. I'll have to get used to it.' He sighed.

'I'll have to get used to my current strength now. Although I did win. Maybe if I had fought properly I wouldn't have wasted all that time and energy.'

Shin frowned and he uttered.

"Status board with my titles too."

The familiar blue screen appeared in his sight.

*Klink!*

***

__________________________________

Shin's status:-

[ Name- Shin Wolner ]

[Age - 20]

[ Title - 1st awakened, Maniac ]

[ Level - 13 ]

[-Stats-]

[STR - 72]

[AGI - 90]

[DEX - 60 ]

[Stamina - 55]

[Mana - 50]

[ Bonus stats - 66]

[Special ability - Plunder[Advanced 1]]

[Special Skill - Devourer's Touch]

[Skills - Predator's eyes (D), Extreme speed (E), Appraisal, Pain tolerance(E), Gravity Manipulation(E), Clairvoyance(Locked)]

[Skills Collected - Mana Web(D)]

[Skill Points - 134]

Items:-]

-['??? key'.]

-[Monster core(Grade D)]

-[Tarantula's Blood]

__________________________________

[ Titles ]

[ 1st awakened - Privileges for the first person to awaken in their dimension.

-Unlocked privilege(1)- 10 Bonus stats in leveling up.

Further information is locked.]

[ Maniac - The title is given to a psychopath who enjoys torturing enemies and playing with their emotions. Further Information is locked.

***

"That explains why I get 10 stat points while Alice gets 5. I guess 5 is the standard." Shin muttered in understanding.

"Now for the skills."

***

[Skills:-]

***

[Devourer's touch:- I will take your everything. Even your blood.

Effects:- Upon activating user can recover health by absorbing the opponent's life force. Alive or dead. The portion of recovered health may depend on the state of the enemy.]

***

***

[Predator's Eyes (D) - Vision of a predator searching for its prey. This skill helps users to gain special vision helping to see red outlines of their enemies nearby without obstruction. Range may depend on the user's focus and skill rank.

-Strong enemies or some skills may cancel the skill effect.

-Extra effect - Can apply for fear status on the prey.

-For more detailed information higher level is required.]

***

[Extreme speed (E) - Upon use, The user can increase his speed up to 1.75x times the normal speed. Skill usage time is dependent on stamina. The more stamina user has the longer the skill lasts.]

***

[Appraisal - Helps in appearing items, skills, or living beings. Higher the user level more information can be obtained.]

***

[Pain Tolerance(E) - Helps the users to negate some amount of pain. During the battle, endurance is increased.]

***

[Gravity Manipulation(E):- You can bend the laws of gravity to your will.]

Usage requirement - 'Mana stat'

***

[Clairvoyance(Locked) - This Skill is locked.]

***

[Mana Web(D) - Users' mana can be converted into webs. These Webs can get as hard as steel with great flexibility. The User can control the length, strength, and usage of these webs.]

***

***

"All my stats and skills are a mess."

Shin looked at his unbalanced stats and sighed. All this time he had been raising his stats without much consideration. But he can't go on like that.

His other problem is his lack of offensive skills. Well, he will get some eventually. So currently he needs to rely on Gravity Manipulation and perfect it.

He still remembers how Undead Tormentor fought with this skill. It's still a long way for Shin to reach that level.

'I better learn Mana Web too. This skill will be very useful.' If that Tarantula had fought in an environment that favored it. Shin would have had some trouble dealing with it.

"But there's a problem," Shin said as he gulped.

"It's a D rank skill. It's going to be painful. Will my pain tolerance even help? It's only E-rank." Shin talked to himself as he looked at his skills ranks.

'Ahh, whatever. I'll just have to bear with it.' Shin was still fearful of the pain.

The pain received at the time of learning a new skill is very different from any physical pain. It is like pain and efforts of many years are installed in his brain. It directly affects his psychology.

But this was his first time trying to directly learn a skill that's D rank. That's the reason he was hesitating.

His need and wish for power helped him decide quickly.

"Whatever let's get this over with." Shin got comfortable on his bed.

"Mana Web." He gritted his teeth waiting for the pain to assault him.

...

5 seconds passed.

"..?"

"Nothing happened." Shin felt relieved.

"Hehe, yes. I am safe." He was happy.

His throat got sore and his muscles went stiff.

But in his glee, he didn't notice it. He also ignored his quaking body. But then he couldn't ignore it anymore. His head was already impaled with piercing pain.

'Ughh, what is this pain? It's way too severe.'

He jerked his arms, covering his head, as his body shook. All the stray thoughts were emptying his mind, and the pain consumed him.

All this while he couldn't even scream nor cry as his throat was sore not letting him make a single sound.

'I should have told them beforehand.'

He felt like dying, and perhaps he was, within the pain, he saw a light coming straight at him.

It was a blue light surrounding his consciousness. His body turned stiff as he was sweating profusely.

The light soothed the pain, but his mind already could not endure it as he fell unconscious.

His body started releasing mana unconsciously. Soon it turned into webs and covered Shin's body like a cocoon. He didn't know. His body was deforming and forming continuously.

His mana was purifying itself. Soon in front of him, a message appeared that he couldn't read as he was already unconscious.

[Upgrade in progress]

[Plunder Activated]

[Items ready for use]

-[Monster core(Grade D)]

-[Tarantula's Blood]

[If the host wants to stop the upgrade. Reject within 5 seconds.]

[Reject]

[5, 4, 3, 2, 1]

...

[Upgrade in Progress. The host will be unconscious while the upgrade is in progress.]

[Monster core(Grade D) and Tarantula's Blood are being fused.]

[Fusion successful.]

[Absorbtion in progress.]

[Time before the upgrade completion.]

...

***

Inside Alice's room aka the previous guest room. Alice was standing near the window. It was completely dark outside. But there was still some light from the moonlight entering her room and falling on her body expressing her charms.

She wore a loose nightgown while her purple blue hair was in a braid. The cold wind from the window swayed the organized strands of her hair, as she stood there as if the cold had no effect on her. Unconditionally, she looked strikingly elegant.

Her charms and this beautiful scene will make anyone hesitate to think of her as a teenage girl. She was more like an elegant princess or a mature lady.

It was a slow winter night. Just as the day before. It was another sleepless night for her. But the concerns she was having were a little different.

The frown on her face made it apparent. She was pissed.

After separating from Shin. Alice got to know about Elena from her sweet mother-in-law as she asked her indirectly. After a bit of teasing from Reina, she explained that Elena is Shin's, best friend's sister.

Alice thought as her eyes glinted red for a second.

'How dare she use this best friend's sister's excuse. I know very well. That Shin is irresistible. Even I am having trouble controlling myself. But I swear if she had done anything with him beforehand I'll kill her.'

'Hmm, just hope that she doesn't have any thoughts about Shin, or I'll make her regret it if she does.' Alice calmed down and sighed.

Suddenly she noticed something weird as she looked in the direction of Shin's room.

'What is this feeling? Is Shin okay? I need to check on him.'

Alice came out of her room and started walking toward Shin's room.

'I swear I don't have any ulterior motive. I am just checking up on him. Right. Nothing will happen between us.'

Alice suddenly stopped in her thoughts as she looked down and blushed.

'Well, even if something happens I don't have a problem.'

She shook her head.

'No no. I first need to check up on him.'

Alice went forward and knocked on the door.

"Shin are you awake?"

"..."

After getting no reply she got impatient. She tried to open the door by it was locked from the inside.

Alice summoned her <Soul Grimoire> as it floated above her hands.

Alice summoned Mia's Soul on the other side of the room and asked her to open the door from inside.

Mia opened the open and Alice dashed inside hurriedly.

She was shocked to see a large cocoon on the bed in place of Shin.

"SHIN"

From her shout. Alfred and Reina got alerted and made their way to Shin's room. Both of them were anxious looking at the cocoon and Alice's expression.

"Alice, what is going on? What happened to Shin?"

They were worried that a monster attacked him or something. But how could they miss out on any monster? Even they were unable to detect it.

Alice was worried about what to do. But soon she saw a message in front of her.

[The Awakened(Shin Wolner) is going through an upgrade.]

[Time before the upgrade completion.]

[3 days]