3 Chapter 2 Out of the Cave

'Use Greed on Level 100%'

Magicules from the barrier began to gather around Shiva's palm. His hand began to suck them in and adding them to Shiva's own stockpile of magicules. Then Shiva felt a sharp pain in his right arm and decided to put top left one also on the barrier. Now two hands were absorbing the magicules preventing more damage from happening. Veldora watched as Shiva sucked in all of the magicules slowly, Shiva's palms and horn were glowing red as he did that. Shiva's eyes were closed as he focused on the using his special ability.

Finally after a minute or two barrier broke and Veldora smiled but before he could say anything he could feel that something was wrong. All of his strength disappeared and he fell down to the ground. In front of him stood Shiva who was struggling to keep of all the magicules inside him. Veldora was to weak to move or speak so he watched Shiva until he closed his eyes, the last things that he saw was Shiva and black stripes appearing on his body.

Shiva suddenly woke up and looked around, cave was now much darker and quiet. As he grew confused and...lost, like he forgot something. Shiva stood up and looked further around the cave, his night vision and Magic Sense came really helpful to see in this darkness. But what he saw made his all memories come back to him...

He fell back to the ground and his breath became ragged and quick. In front of him laid giant skeleton of The Storm Dragon Veldora Rajin. Shiva got vision of first the barrier breaking but then Veldora feel to the ground and his skin and flesh were changed into magicules and were absorbed by Shiva's ability Greed, that is what he felt with his Magic Sense.

Shiva also looked around and it would seem that all the magical ores that light up the cave also disappeared and now much more calm Shiva asked the Great Sage.

'Great Sage, Greed absorbed every magicule from the environment, right? Then why are Veldora's bones here? Wouldn't they change into magicules and be absorbed by me?'

Answer. All questions are correct. Bones were left due to the magicule absorption limit.

'Limit?'

Answer. After your rank up from Ogre into a Kijin your magicule limit that can be stored into your body was increased and thanks to the Red Horn it was even higher. Those magicules that you absorbed became your own and you can use them at any time while they will regenerate. But Veldora was a True Dragon, being of pure magicules. That is why, those magicules that you weren't able to absorb were changed into a from of tattoos around your body.

'Huh? Tattoos?'

Shiva looked down at his body and thanks to the Magic Sense he saw red tattoos around his body that were made out of magicules. There were symmetrical and placed all around his body. He also saw that his top pair of hands changed. His nails on that pair became sharper and blacker then the other ones. Hands of that pair are also red in color reaching halfway to the elbow. As if he dipped them in blood.

'What are those...?'

Those tattoos were created to store in them the magicules gathered with the help of Greed. Most of Veldora's and Barriers magicules were absorbed by you but the rest from the environment were stored in the tattoos. This allows you to release powerful magical attacks using those magicules. But that is one-time thing as those stored magicules don't regenerate so user need to absorb more magicules. Note: Don't absorb too much or you will explode.

Even though he heard everything the Great Sage said, Shiva was sitting now in front of the Veldora's skull and was looking at it. He slowly placed one of his hand on it and closed his eyes.

"I...I am sorry for what I did, mine friend. But...I didn't want you to leave me! I don't know if you would do it but....You know the stories I told you...So please, forgive me. You were like brother to me past this month or even longer, and you still are so..."

Few tears slowly trailed down his cheeks as he thought about the monstrous thing he did. He killed Veldora and took his magic, while now apologizing. He wiped his tears and stood up, ready to leave but he got another notification.

Veldora's bones are a very valuable artifact called, The Bone of True Dragon. It's said to have special abilities and can be molded using magicule control into any shape.

Shiva stopped and frowned. He turned around and walked up to the bones. He squat down and looked closer at the bones. He took one of the claws and looked closer at it.

'Maybe I can make a weapons out of it....But I have no experience in fighting with a weapon, only some hand to hand combat.'

Shiva then looked down at his own claws on the upper hands that became black and sharper.

'I guess I can use them as weapons but....'

He smiled as he had an idea. He sat down and went to work. He took one of the ribs, some snake leather and with help of 'Sticky Thread' he went to work.

As he worked he became more calm about the whole situation. Yes, he did something that most would call evil or selfish. But in reality it was due to the abilities that he got. Greed, ability that allows him to steal other's magicules and use them against them. The Devourer, ability that allowed him to steal others abilities if he ate enough of their flesh. Both of those abilities and some others smaller ones made him more selfish and greedy. He learned from his previous life and will not help anyone if there is nothing in it for him. He was reborn, so he needs to take all from it....

After a hour of hard work he created few things that will help him remember Veldora, his brother. He made four bracelets and a necklace using smaller teeth from Veldora's skeleton. And from that bigger bone he made, shamisen. An instrument that helped him though many hard times. It was completely white with it's back made out from Black Serpents skin. Strings were made out of 'Steel Thread'.

"I will call you...Storm Breaker."

After creation of those accessories and shamisen, Shiva buried the bones under the ground using his strength and hid all of those bones so no one finds them. Then he headed towards the exit that he found thanks to the 'Echolocation' that he got after eating a bat.

On his way to the exit he ate many other creatures and he got surprised when he got a pop up about new abilities.

Second Blood Art was acquired. Crimson Armor, enough meat of Armosaurs was consumed making the 'Body Armor' evolve. After activation of his ability, body of the user will be covered in mix of blood and 'Body Armor' making it hard as steel or even more.

Third Blood Art was acquired. Blood Threads, enough meat of Black Spider was consumed making the 'Sticky Thread' and 'Steel Thread' mixed with users blood. User will loos the ability of 'Steel Thread' and it will be replaced with Blood Threads that has the same properties but is stronger.

And so Shiva arrived to the exit from this cave, he looked up at the big doors and smiled. But before he could try to open them, they began to move. Out of reflex Shiva hid behind a big boulder next to the exit and watched.

To the cave entered three humans, one woman and two men, by their equipment Shiva could take that they are adventurers. but after few second of observation Shiva took three things. First, he is much more taller then them. He is about one and half times or even maybe two time bigger in both height and mass. Second they are young and pretty inexperienced. And third thing was....

That smell....

His all senses were enhanced due to Devourer. And now first time for few months of his arrival in this world, Shiva sees humans but instead of talking with them. He began to salivate, first real meat in this world...

Meanwhile adventurers were talking about the situation they are now in and they plan. But before they can move, girl feels a presence behind her.

"I am sorry...I can't contain it...I am so hungry..."

It was a whisper, pained whisper which adventurers could hear. All of them turn around in fear just to see a giant looking down at them with tears in his glowing, red eyes and saliva dripping from his mouth. All three were both shocked and scared.

"I am sorry..."

Warrior was first to jump into actions shouting few orders that Shiva ignored. Shiva's eyes began to glow as he charged at the warrior who raised his sword as a defence. But it was futile as Shiva's sharp claws not only cut through the warrior's sword but also through his head, leaving it hang only by a thread of muscles, sliced like bread.

"KAVAL!"

Female mage cried in fear and shock at what happen to her friend. She was too inexperienced in situations like this and was unable to cast any spells due to shock. It was the thief who jumped in front of her and blocked Shiva's way.

"EREN! RUN! I WILL TRY TO STOP THIS THING! GO!"

Girl listened to her friends advice as she was too scared to otherwise. As she run deeper into the caves she heard her friend, Gido, screaming in pain as Shiva dismembered him. She run with all strength she had in her feet, just to get away from that monster. She knew that Veldora was sealed here but she hoped that she can hid somewhere in the caves, but Shiva already knew those caves as they were his home for past few months.

As she run further suddenly she felt her feet being taken away from her. She fell face first into the ground, cutting her head on the rocks. She cringed in sudden pain and looked down just for her eyes to widen. He feet were competently cut off by a trap set up by Shiva who was now standing in front of her, he used his new 'Blood Treads' that cut through fabric and armor like butter.

As she cried in pain and fear, Shiva walked up to her and lift her up. She looked at his face covered in blood and dried tears. Shiva then said completely calm.

"I am sorry. Hunger got better of me and I need to calm it down..."

She didn't respond as she wet her undergarments from the fear of unknown to her monster. Blood trickled down from her forehead that she cut on the rock before. Shiva looked at it and licked it off, making her cry.

"It's...sweet."

Then in one quick movement he bit into her shoulder tearing off a chunk of meat. She shouted in pure pain and terror as she felt all of it. He then began take more bites now not even bothering to kill her before eating her, the hunger was too great. After he ate her, he ate remains of the the adventurers and took care of their equipment.

The hunger that he talked about was a side effect of The Devourer. Shiva will try to eat every race the moment he first meets it and other stronger opponents. He can suppress it so he won't change into a wild animal by eating big amounts of meat and drinking blood. But the meat of a unintelligent creature won't work the same as a meat of intelligent creature that has more abilities and more magicules.

Even though he cried when he found out what he has to do. Great Sage took care of it and deleted those emotions. Yes, Great Sage made Shiva not feel any grief or disgust when eating other intelligent creatures to allow further growth of Shiva.

After hiding the remains, Shiva left the cave of Veldora....