Gray’s world narrowed to a single point of pulsing light in the darkness.
The Wraithfin’s electrical signature hovered above him, still and confident, certain that its prey was still drowning in the nightmare. The hallucination raged on, the bone serpent coiled around invisible pillars, the frozen sea split open, phantom jaws gaping wide but Gray no longer saw them.
’I’ll burn you alive.’
Flow State flared with his first movement, letting the true current wrap around him while the false waters of the illusion fell away like smoke. The bone serpent threw itself at him, but its form dissolved through his body like cold mist the moment he stopped believing in it.
’A ghost can’t scare a dead man.’
The Wraithfin’s signal shifted, uncertainty flickering through its electrical field. Its fins snapped, and the water pressure changed, a real attack this time, but Gray’s instincts read it before it landed. He twisted, feeling the blade-like fin whistle past his bell by inches.
’Even your aim is an illusion.’
He shot forward, Abyssal Lance activated at point-blank range as his body compressed into a spear of dark crystal, and this time the Wraithfin couldn’t slip away. Its lace-like fins tangled in his barbs as he struck, and the impact was real.
[ABYSSAL LANCE — 98 DAMAGE]
[VEILED WRAITHFIN — HP: 164 / 330]
[CRITICAL HIT]
The Wraithfin screamed, a sound like tearing flesh and snapping threads. Its red eyes blazed, but Gray was already pressing the attack. He wrapped four tentacles around its body, Grip Jaw locking on with crushing force, barbs sinking deep into its too-soft flesh.
[GRIP JAW — 34 DAMAGE]
[GRIP JAW — 32 DAMAGE]
[VEILED WRAITHFIN — HP: 98 / 330]
The fish thrashed, its fins lashing against Gray’s bell and flooding him with that cold psychic poison, but his mind no longer clouded. The fear was gone, and the illusions had become nothing more than noise.
’You showed me your true self,’ he said coldly, ’Now there’s nowhere left to run.’
He fired Cavitation Pulse point-blank. The blast hit the Wraithfin’s body before it could twist away, the superheated jet boring through its frail form. Steam bloomed in the frozen water, and the creature’s shrieks became thin, desperate wheezes.
[CAVITATION PULSE — 68 DAMAGE]
[VEILED WRAITHFIN — HP: 30 / 330]
As the Wraithfin’s four red eyes dimmed, Gray felt the illusion collapse, the twisted dream giving way to the quiet truth. Ice pillars, a frozen skeleton, and frost-moss suspended in the stillness.
Gray coiled his tentacles around the Wraithfin’s head.
’Time to end this.’
He detonated Overcharge directly into its skull.
[OVERCHARGE — 94 DAMAGE]
[VEILED WRAITHFIN DEFEATED — 1180 EXP]
The creature went still. Its lace-like fins drifted weightlessly, no longer silk but dead tissue. The red glow in its eyes died out like embers in water.
Then, at last, a familiar voice returned.
"Gray?!" Cindy’s voice cracked with relief and panic. "Can you hear me?! What happened? I couldn’t reach you at all!"
Gray released the Wraithfin’s corpse and floated for a moment, catching his breath.
’...You’re back.’
"I never left! You just... you went somewhere I couldn’t follow." Her voice trembled. "I felt you fading. Gray, I thought you were dying."
’I thought so too, for a moment.’ He turned to the Wraithfin’s body and began to absorb it. ’But I got better.’
Cindy let out a shaky breath. "That’s not funny."
’It’s a little funny.’
He finished feeding, the cold, faintly sweet flesh sliding down his feeding surface. The system flickered.
[TRAIT FRAGMENT ACQUIRED: "Fear Eater" (1/5)]
[New Trait Discovered!]
[FEAR EATER — Preview]
« Analysis »
A rare psychic trait derived from creatures that feed on the fear of their prey. Allows the user to perceive the emotional states of nearby creatures and draw power from their fear.
Effect at Completion:
· Grants a new active skill — [Terror Aura]. Surround yourself with a psychic pressure field that amplifies fear in nearby enemies. The stronger the target’s fear, the greater the debuff to its attack and defense.
· Passive: Gain 2% increased damage to enemies suffering from fear or confusion.
· Passive: 10% chance to ignore mental debuffs entirely.
Gray stared at the trait description.
’Now I understand how it fought. It could see my fear, feed on it, and turn it against me.’ He paused. ’And now I can do the same to others.’
"You sound far too happy about that."
’I’m not happy. I’m just... impressed. The abyss keeps teaching me new lessons.’
Gray felt fatigue pressing into his limbs, and he extended his senses, searching for the quickest and safest path.
’Let’s go back to the grotto. I need to rest after that fight.’
Cindy’s voice was soft, still shaky.
"...Please. I don’t want to stay in this frozen place any longer."
Gray turned and began the slow swim back toward the Verdant Hollow. The ice pillars passed in silence, and the frozen skeleton watched them go with empty eyes.
As they swam through the frozen cave mouth, Cindy said softly.
"In the end, we didn’t find a suitable body for me."
Gray passed through the cave entrance, the ice walls glowing faintly around them.
’Hmm? Do you want that fish from earlier?’
Cindy’s response came immediately, sharp with disgust.
"No! Absolutely not! That thing was terrifying! Its eyes glowed red and it fed on fear! why would I ever want a body like that?!"
Gray let out a soft, amused pulse.
’It was strong. And you said you wanted magic.’
"That’s not magic! That’s a nightmare with fins! I’d rather stay in the locket than become something so creepy!"
’Just making sure.’
The cave narrowed around them, the path winding through frozen stone. Cindy let out a huff.
"Next time, find me something cute and beautiful oh! And not terrifying."
’...You’re very picky for a soul in a locket.’
"I have standards, Gray."
’Yeah, yeah,’ Gray said. ’But that’s almost impossible. Where am I supposed to find something that fits all your criteria?’
Cindy made a soft, indignant sound.
"Don’t you know that human phrase, Gray? You’ll never know until you try."
’You say that like it’s wisdom.’
"It is wisdom. Human wisdom."
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter