3 Chapter 3: A Monster is Born

While Lars was recovering, Alfia couldn't help, but test her new body.

So when he got to sleep, she moved. Starting with a jog, she slowly ran towards the stairs to the next floor.

Laughing, she ran with amazing speed. A superhuman that cratered the ground at every step.

It was exhilirating, her body felt light, her mana wasn't chaotic.

"Heh, hahaha!" She ran towards the 40th floor of the dungeon with glee.

She sensed a monster and it was a grand treant. Slow moving monsters, but capable of tanking a lot of damage.

And their branches and roots can move in unexpected ways.

"Gospel." She used her other magic, Satanas Verion.

And the air distorted as a block of sound formed. Vibrations shook the air and it hit the treant right on the middle of its trunk.

The tree monster didn't even had the chance to move. It exploded into millions of splinters. Its body rippling due to the violent vibrations before going boom.

"My magic is so smooth... Is this how magic is supposed to feel?" Alfia couldn't believe it.

It was so much easier without her damned curse.

She then saw a huge bull that was three meters tall. She backhanded its charging head and its head turned into red mist.

Her slender body that was oozing femininity was packing riduculous power.

As her titles conveyed, she is an incarnation of talent. And before she leveled up, all of her stats were raised to the maximum.

That's why she could compete with even her captain, the empress. Who was a level 9 adventurer.

And now, she has no restrictions on her body. "I feel... Good." She had a small grin on her face.

Continuing her descent to the dungeon, Alfia punched and used her magic. Everything in her way were eviscerated like ants.

She then arrived at the 49th floor with blistering speed.

A plain that was a dull gray in color. The floor looked like a post apocalyptic world that lost its color.

And giants roamed around the plain; fomors. Furry monsters that looked like big foot with horns.

They were four meters tall and can overpower level 5 adventurers with their brute strength.

But Alfia just ran towards the nearest one and punched its head off.

Her brain was different from most. She had an eidetic memory. Not only that, once she sees something.

She can copy it with immense accuracy and precision. A nigh perfect copy.

And watching the Zeus and Hera familias fight together. She has a myriad of techniques at her disposal.

Showcasing her martial prowess, she killed the furry tyrants with her bare hands.

Every hit, every punch and blow. Resulted in the death of a monster.

And when she finished her carnage, a fomor that was larger than the rest appeared.

A monster that was 10 meters tall. The monster rex of the 49th floor; a Balor.

With a roar, it stomped on the floor. Its strength, cratering the hard dungeon floor.

"Noisy... Shut up." Alfia got irritated to the highest degree. She really dislikes noise.

So she cranked up her magic. "Gospel." Vibrations travelled towards the Balor.

But with a surprising display of speed, it rolled to the side to dodge.

"Silence, Lugio." She was displeased with it roaring and stomping everywhere.

So she sent another one, showcasing her speed with her magic that has a super short chant.

Almost worthy to be called chantless. Instead of hitting the Balor with a block of sound. It exploded instead.

And the bomb released shockwaves that disintegrated anything in its range.

The Balor's body was wrecked by shockwaves and oscillatory waves. Its organs turning into mush.

The monster's brains leaking from its ears. It was a gruesome death.

It then turned into black mist as it died, leaving a sizeable magic stone on the ground.

"Hmm, I guess this will be a good souvenir for Lars." She picked it up and stopped there for now.

She went too deep, she could still go on. Her body was its prime. But she needed to protect Lars.

Monsters can still go up or down on the floors. Safe points just didn't spawn monsters.

Alfia quickly made her way back to the 39th floor and she saw that Lars was just stretching a bit.

"Are you fine?" She asked him as his injuries weren't exactly light.

"I feel quite nice actually. I can't do strenuous movements, but I can walk around fine." Lars patted his body.

"Here, a little souvenir." Alfia put down a gem that was a meter in length.

"What is that? Looks expensive." Lars looked at the purple stone.

"It's the magic stone of a monster rex, floor bosses." Alfia gave him another piece of knowledge.

"Ohhh, wow... You must be really strong then? This doesn't look like it came from a weak monster." Lars blinked at her.

"You can say that." She shrugged, choosing not to tell him her prowess.

"Hmmm... It looks kinda like rock candy." Lars went up to it and Alfia observed him.

But what she didn't expect, is he took a bite out of it.

"What are you doing!?" Alfia grabbed him and he groaned due to his injuries.

But she didn't care, he was trying to kill himself. "Magic stones have the mana of monsters, Lars! You'll turn berserk and become a mindless beast if you eat that! Spit it out!" Alfia smacked his back.

"Ow! Ow! I already swallowed it!" Lars protested. So she grabbed his face and tried to make him puke by stimulating his gag reflex.

Except, he didn't have one at all. And even if he tried doing so after she informed him of its effects, he couldn't feel it in his stomach anymore.

Suddenly, Alfia could sense it. Mana started to flow in his body.

But it wasn't chaotic like how she saw it happen in the past.

His magic resonated with him. It was his, not the monster's.

"Ohh, I don't feel so good." Lars paled as his body began to hurt.

"You fool!" Alfia shouted at him. Lars then sat down to rest and he started sweating.

'What do I do?' Alfia bit her nails in paranoia. She wasn't able to stop him earlier. And his death will be in her mind forever.

Lars' body started to ripple. His muscles were ballooning in size. His bones were cracking and their matrix reformed.

Alfia broke into a cold sweat, she was horrified.

"Urgh, Alfia... It's painful!" He couldn't think, everything hurt.

"Breathe! Breathe, Lars!" Alfia lied him down on the ground.

He was starting to release steam, his body was having an exothermic reaction.

She quickly ran towards the river and gathered some water. Controlling her magic to form a container made of air pressure.

Alfia then hosed him down with water as he released steam like a hot coal.

Waiting anxiously, she was going to lose her mind.

She couldn't do anything but bite her nails and wait.

Groaning from time to time, Lars' body continued to change.

His muscles that ballooned began to compress, getting as hard as steel.

After a few hours, he finally stopped groaning and his scrunched up face relaxed.

"What happened?" Alfia sighed in relief as she patted all around his body.

She might not realize it, but Alfia looked at him favorably.

Alfia might still be conflicted about having a chance at life and not her sister.

But getting rid of her curse that plagued her since she was born made her incredibly happy.

She would give her strength and talent in exchange for a normal life.

In a way, being cured is like spitting on the face of their curse. Though she wanted Meteria to enjoy this instead of her.

After all, she has a son. And Zeus is taking care of him in gods knows where.

"Urgh, I feel terrible... I need some milk." Lars groaned and she frowned at him.

"Are you an idiot? Why would you take a bite out of that thing? It screams inedible." Alfia chided him.

"Ahhh, you see. I have a special skill, I can get strength from eating things." Lars shrugged.

"Why didn't you open up with that?" Alfia raised a brow and he started sweating.

"It just called out to me, it looked really tasty..." Lars scratched his head sheepishly.

"Tch, do whatever you want." Alfia huffed at him.

"Hmm, I feel really different." He cracked his neck and he grabbed a stick.

It splintered under his grip. His strength took a qualitative leap.

'So it's like Zald's Deus Ambrosia? But he doesn't have a falna...' Alfia observed him.

Based on her estimates, he gained the strength of a level 1 adventurer that has stats in the hundreds.

She then looked at the magic stone and he just took a bite out of it.

'But Zald can't eat magic stones... It was universally known that even those that came from goblins would drive adventurers crazy.' Alfia furrowed her brows.

It was taking in the essence of a monster. Even if strong adventurers like Zald who has a skill to help him get stronger by eating monster flesh will experience debilitating effects.

Magic stones affect your mana and soul, unlike drop items or monster parts. And even the flesh of the behemoth that Zald ate poisoned him to death.

'Lars just chomped on a monster rex's magic stone...' Alfia didn't know what to think of it.

"It really looks tasty, Alfia." Lars drooled. And to him, it tasted amazing as well.

He couldn't describe it, the magic stone was like the essence of deliciousness.

'He's drooling...' Alfia rolled her eyes at him. "Go on, take a bite again. See if I'll hose you down with water again." Alfia snorted.

"O-ohh, thanks for that. I felt like I was in a fever dream earlier." Lars smiled at her.

He then took another bite off of it. "Fortune favors the bold."

Alfia couldn't get used to it, she winced as the stone crunched under his maws.

Lars squinted his eyes, waiting for debilitating pain. But nothing came, nothing too painful that is.

He was still in agony. Like he just sprained his whole body.

But at least it wasn't like earlier. Where it felt like all of his bones were shattering.

"Phew... I feel horrible." Lars kept on biting on the magic stone like it was a large piece of candy.

"You're crazy." Alfia looked at him in disbelief. She could see it, his muscles were still rippling and getting torn apart.

"Heh, it tastes good though." He shrugged as he sat down for a breather.

"Damn, thisbis going to be unpleasantly good." Lars looked at the magic stone. And he only ate 10% of it.

"Are you perhaps a masochist?" Alfia raised a brow at him.

"N-no! Why would you think that?" Lars blinked at her.

"Well, that hurts right? Why would you keep doing it." Alfia snorted.

"You're one to talk, to become that strong at such a young age. You must have sweated blood." Lars huffed at her.

And Alfia thought that was true. Being the incarnation of talent means nothing. If you don't do anything. Inaction equals stagnation.

"Touche." Alfia sighed and Lars continued munching on his magic stone.

"Hey... I have an idea." Lars' eyes shone and he had this crazy look on him.

"What is it?" Alfia raised a brow and she could feel that what he's going to request is going to be troublesome.

"Can you bring me with you and power level me? I'll store all the drops and magic stones, It's genius!" Lars grinned.

Alfia wasn't a car, nor a bus, she was a goddamned plane that will carry him to the skies.

"That is actually a good idea..." Alfia thought about it and wasting magic stones isn't really efficient.

She could treat him as a waste disposal system. Monsters won't be able to grow by eating the magic stones that she don't care about as well.

And when they return to the surface, he could sell the magic stones and drops that they'll farm due to his inventory.

Alfia suddenly realized. That a monster was just born in the dungeon. And she'll be the one to protect it, mould it, raise it to perfection.

'Why didn't he appear sooner?' Alfia furrowed her brows. Lars didn't know it yet. But Alfia's intuition was tingling.

He'll be a true monster that would overshadow her and the empress of the Hera familia by a large margin.

She saw it, his eyes when he ate the magic stone of the Balor. There was a hint of insanity in it.

'He still continued eating it even if it hurts him. What an insane boy...' Alfia got scared a bit.

A natural enemy of the dungeon and monsters. Someone just like them, a human, no. A being that will devour them in order to grow ever stronger.

Alfia gulped at the possibilities. 'Can he get the skills of monsters? Their traits? What is the limits of his skill?' Alfia wondered.

"I'm not sharing." Lars hugged the magic stone and she almost chortled at his antics.

"That's mine in the first place you brat." She flicked him on the forehead.

"Ow! That hurt! Be careful of your strength woman! I feel like you can take off my head with a finger." He suffered backlash from that little hit.

"Noisy, shut up." She pinched his cheeks and stretched them.

They then quarreled a bit before they decided to start their carnage in the deeper floors.

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Thanks for reading everyone, ciao.