Neo clenched his fists.
His nails scraped against the cold, hard stones, breaking under the pressure.
The madness burning within him threatened to tear him apart.
[Hydraulic Motion Mastery +50] [Combat Experience against Species: Tarantula +30], [Combat Experience against Species: Arachne +25], [Combat Experience against Species: Venomfang Spider +35], [Combat Experience against Species: Phantom Web Spider +20], [Combat Experience against Species: Abyssal Weaver +40], [Combat Experience against Species: Shadowfang Widow +30], [Combat Experience against Species: Bloodfang Weaver +25], [Combat Experience against Species: Nightmare Silk Spider +35], [Combat Experience against Species: Bonecarver Arachnid +40], [Web Weaving Techniques +50], [Advanced Silk Manipulation +60], [Trap-Laying Strategy +45], [Ambush Tactics from High Ground +40], [Stealth Movement in Webbed Terrain +35], [Detection of Vibrations Through Webs +45], [Vibration-Based Awareness +50], [Venom Knowledge (Paralytic, Corrosive, Neurotoxic, Hallucinogenic, Acidic, Blood-Coagulating) +70], [Predatory Patience +40], [Multi-Limb Coordination +30], [Dark Vision Knowledge +25], [Echolocation through Web Threads +40], [Camouflage in Darkness +20], [Camouflage in Webbing +30], [Spider Monster Social Structures & Hierarchies +15], [Nest Construction & Optimization +35], [Hunting in Enclosed Spaces +30], [Resistance to Fear of Spiders (Mental Adaptation) +50], [Micro-Movement and Breath Detection +35], [Tolerance to Toxins +40], [Understanding of Spider-Based Curses +25], [Knowledge of Silk-Based Rituals +30], [Toxic Resistance Adaptation +50], [Prey Restriction Tactics +45], [Understanding of Spider-Based Evolutionary Traits +35], [Web-Based Territory Control +40], [Parasitic Egg-Laying Detection +30], [Stealth in Confined Spaces +35], [Prey Luring Strategies +50], [Aerial Hunting Techniques +30], [Underground Web Construction +40], [Adaptive Web Weaving (Environmental Shift Response) +50], [Understanding of Silk-Based Barriers +35], [Arachnid-Based Fear Induction +30], [Invisibility in Shadowed Webs +40] [Energy +10000].
Knowledge was being forcefully ingrained into his brain.
True Darkness delivered everything from the tens of thousands of monsters he had devoured.
Their memories, instincts, combat techniques, and experiences surged through his mind like an unstoppable tide.
Fortunately, these monsters were part of a nightmare, not reality.
Otherwise, Neo would have gained physical attributes, perhaps even monstrous mutations, and he wasn’t sure if his body could have withstood such a transformation while his mind was already on the verge of breaking apart.
If he had truly absorbed everything, he might not have even been able to resist for a moment.
Yet, even as his body healed, he barely had a moment to breathe.
Before he could begin gathering energy into the Ouroboros, his senses flared with alarm.
His Intent Senses had unconsciously adapted, optimizing themselves to detect even the slightest vibrations along with ambient energy vibrations, much like the spider monsters he had consumed.
The cave ceiling shattered.
From above, a gigantic maw descended, large enough to swallow the moon in one bite.
“Hahaha! Such pure energy! And from a weak being like this at that! I can take this easily!”
Neo barely had time to register the monster’s presence before it attacked.
It was massive—so much so that he could only see its gaping mouth, not the rest of its body.
There was no way to dodge in time.
Still, he moved.
The knowledge from his absorbed memories ignited within him.
Hydraulic Motion—a movement technique spider monsters naturally mastered.
A method of bursting energy within the muscles to produce explosive and precise movements.
Neo used Hydraulic Motion as if he had used it throughout his life.
He blurred, vanishing from where he stood, reappearing thousands of meters away in a split second.
His body screamed in protest—muscles tore, bones strained under the unnatural acceleration.
He had failed to account the purity of his energy was much higher than the energy the monster’s had, which in result made his Hydralic Motion almost reach the level of instantaneous teleportation.
The gargantuan maw snapped shut where he had been, pulverizing the cave floor.
“Don’t dodge, vermin! Let me eat you peacefully! You should be honored that the Great I am hoping to feast on you!”
A massive claw, larger than a mountain range, shot down from the ceiling.
Neo’s sudden, extreme movements had already caused his muscles to burst.
He couldn’t dodge.
The claw crashed down, and engulfed him entirely.
The earth trembled. Silence reigned for a moment.
Then, a deep rumble came from above.
“Your durability is not half bad, vermin.”
The monster lifted its claw, revealing Neo’s crushed, broken body. Blood pooled around him, and his breath was weak.
Yet, even in this battered state, he never stopped generation energy.
The monster narrowed its eyes.
“What are you trying to do, vermin—”
Neo didn’t answer.
Ouroboros was full.
He activated it.
A powerful force seized him like a great river surging forward, carrying him along at an unstoppable speed.
The River of Time roared.
The currents were furious, raging as if in defiance of his will.
Neo struggled against them, pushing forward, swimming upward, trying to reach his intended destination.
Time eroded everything.
The flow of time itself lashed against him, and threatened to drown him.
Eternal resisted the erosion, shielding him, but there was only so much it could do.
He swam faster, fighting against the currents.
Too much time passed. A year. Ten years. He didn’t know anymore, but he continued, only stopping when his consouness slipped through his fingers, and exhaustion claimed him.
…
Elizabeth searched through the castle.
Neo had won against Tyr, but she had noticed the hollowness in his expression. Something wasn’t right.
She had come to cheer him up.
She hesitated, recalling the ‘advice’ Zera had given her before sending her to search for Neo.
According to Zera, it would definitely cheer up Neo.
Elizabeth shook her head, pushing those thoughts aside.
While she did want to take a step forward in her relationship with him, his well-being was more important at the moment.
Finally, she reached the last room. It was the only place she hadn’t checked.
‘I hope he hasn’t gone inside his ShadowSpace,’ she thought. Searching for him there would be difficult.
She opened the door.
The isolation around the room dissipated, and she immediately sensed his presence.
“Neo—”
Her words were cut off by the sharp sound of glass shattering.