Chapter 311

Chapter 311

I hear my system notifications ringing in my head.

[Soul Bond: Complete]

[New Buff: Red Hydra's Rage]

[Body Double Attribute Transfer: Success]

Everyone is frozen in place.

Everyone but Abby. She concentrates on me with total focus and continues to pulse with green light.

My gaze follows her eyes, and I look down at my own body to see the dark red plumes of energy still swirling all around me. My veins glow bright red, and the thick clouds of residue continue to seep in through my chest. However, the pain is gone.

It's not burning my insides.

In fact, I don't feel different at all...

I was expecting to feel a huge uptick in my natural mana control, but the reminder that this energy was only absorbed and not expelled or refined is most likely why the effects haven't taken place.nôvel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.

I immediately open my status with the All-Seeing Eye activated and peer to the bottom of the screen.

Its text is glowing red, standing out on my light blue status screen.

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Red Hydra's Rage

Info: This buff is a unique attribute gifted by a Divine Beast. It is limited to 7 individuals maximum per resurrection of the Red Hydra. It grants the user a 141% increase in all stats. Capabilities to absorb mana and the efficiency of one's mana control will increase 79% upon use.

This buff grows with the user possessing the soul bond. The percentage increases will rise as the user's level rises. Jumps in buff percentages may also rise with excessive use of this ability.

If the user has abilities that separate their mind from their body, the buff, and corresponding soul energy will be available wherever the bonded user's conscious state of being is the strongest.

Surplus battle instincts and abilities of the Red Hydra will be granted to the user in times of need.

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The crimson glow of the text I read is both exciting and eerie. Its contrast on the light blue text screen stands out significantly from all my other skills, but with a quick use of conceal, I confirm even this can be hidden from sight if necessary.

A few lines of text pique my interest.

The moment I do, my veins begin to glow red just like they did before, and the crimson energy from the Hydra is seemingly summoned from thin air, wrapping its thick mana-dense clouds around my arms and legs.

It seeps out from my chest, but I don't feel the sensation of mana being used up at all.

My vision becomes tinted red, but my senses are significantly heightened. It feels as if my All-Seeing Eye is activated but finely focused on only small movements and abnormalities in the desert around me.

The darkness of night looks as bright and clear as day. I can notice the sand grinding and shifting beneath my teammates' feet over 20 meters away.

My body feels lighter too, and my muscles feel stronger.

I take a lunge forward, and my speed surprises me. It's increased dramatically. The only feeling I can relate it to is the one time I used my skill [Final Breath] against my first-floor boss opponent. The world around me feels like it's slowing down as my feet leave small craters in the sand behind me while running forward.

A cloud of dark red magic residue is left behind in my wake.

My old berserker skill and bloodlust abilities share similar traits but have nothing on the pure power and release of animalistic instincts this skill allows me to wield.

It doesn't affect my mood... Despite "Rage" being in the buff's name, I'm as calm as can be.

I come to a halt after zipping forward tens of meters in the desert in the blink of an eye, then activate my mana manipulation skill to attempt to create my normal shielding effect.

Bright pink mana is summoned from my skill bar, draining my MP like usual, but it's tinted dark red as the buff boosts its overall control. The loud buzz of my shielding can be heard from a distance, and I'm confident it's much denser and more resilient than anything I've ever faced or created myself.

"Nothing is getting through this..."

I air-step upward, leaving trails of red mana-imbued air in long trailing wisps behind me. With every step I take, I fly faster than I ever have before.

It feels so natural. It's clear that I'm much stronger, but the way my body moves and the amount of mana I exert for each action feels exactly the same. It's just being boosted upon expulsion.

Next, I summon fire, and the black flames that erupt from my hands are intertwined with the crimson energy.

Earth magic too, as well as ice; they create blood-red stone and beautiful pink-tinted ice shards.

All of my abilities are boosted by this buff. Not by pure stats, but they gain unique properties being intertwined with red mana.

I feel invigorated, and much more capable. My awareness of the environment is heightened to new heights too. Considering all of this, I won't know for sure how impressive these buffs really are until I fight something to push them to the limits.

Deep in thought with a growing smile across my face, I turn back and air-step into the small valley to meet my teammates and report the good news.

My feet hit the ground, and I deactivate the buff.

The second I do, my body feels fatigued and heavy. My eyelids droop and begin to close.