Banished from the herd, I was actually a member of a very rare species. ~With the unique skills that only I can use, I can grow and evolve quickly. I will become an unrivaled monster~ - Episode 74: [Unique Skill]

Episode 74: [Unique Skill]

After the battle with the Gargoyles, I felt something strange and stopped mining to investigate.

“(Yeah, something’s definitely off.)”

I muttered this after fighting several times since arriving in the Grand Beast Region of the mines.  

Even now, having just finished a battle, I stood in front of captured beasts restrained by my forest chains.

“Gogogugu…”

“Gegigi…”

“Gyagya…”

The beasts cried out, struggling and thrashing. They were clearly stronger than they had been when I first captured them.  

I knew the reason. The moment I hit them with lightning, they powered up. There was no doubt about it.

“(It’s the lightning… right? I tried other things, but none of them triggered this reaction.)”

I considered other possible causes, like a [Skill] that boosts stats when taking damage.

So I experimented by inflicting near-fatal injuries without using lightning, but none of those attempts resulted in any enhancement.

“(Besides, it’s hard to believe that all of these different beasts share the same [Skill].)”

During the battles, I realized that Golems and Gargoyles are completely different species.  

While Golems are made entirely of stone, Gargoyles have an organic body structure. Though their outer skin is covered in stone, they have bones, muscles, and even blue bl00d flowing through them.  

In addition to these two types, I also confirmed that ants with steel carapaces were enhanced after being struck by lightning.  

The possibility that such varied species all possess the same [Skill] is low. So, it’s more likely that the cause lies with the lightning itself.

“(But my lightning ability didn’t have this effect before, did it…? Could it be like [Dominion], where the effect has evolved?)”

I turned my attention inward, checking the effects of my [Unique Skill].

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unique Skill Details

[Earth Growth Thunderbolt]

• • • •  Maximizes harvest yield.

• • • •  Allows manipulation of thunder to enhance the earth. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hmm… It doesn’t seem different from when I last checked.

“(Could it be that another [Skill] is interacting strangely with the lightning…? Hmm?)”

Just as I was about to dismiss the [Unique Skill] as the cause, my eyes caught on one particular description: “enhance the earth.”

I’d been using it to nourish the land, but maybe…?

“([Replicant Form])”

I mimicked the long-unused earth-specialized spear.  

With its amber-colored tip, I lightly jabbed the captured Golem. It easily pierced through the Golem’s stone body, creating cracks.  

The earth-specialized attack worked flawlessly. Maybe it’s because the Golem’s body is made of stone, which is part of the earth.

“(Let’s try this one next.)”

I attacked the Gargoyle in the same way, and the result was the same—earth-specialized attacks were just as effective.  

I’m almost certain now.

“(The ‘enhance the earth’ effect works on living creatures too.)”

Back in my forest homeland, I rarely encountered beasts vulnerable to earth-based attacks. 

And since I’d been one-shotting most of the beasts in the mines, I hadn’t noticed this ability’s potential until now.  

But the true power of [Earth Growth Thunderbolt] was hidden within this ability.

“(Ah, the effect just wore off.)”

At that moment, the resistance from the Golem weakened, signaling the end of the strengthening effect.  

Through experimentation, I’d determined that the boost lasts about five minutes.  

I still need to test if the duration is the same for both living and non-living entities or if it varies, but that’s for later.  

For now, I know that when five minutes pass, even the Gargoyles give up resisting. They start by spamming [Skills], then thrash about when their |Mana| runs out. By the time the boost fades, they’re exhausted.  

I’m curious whether Golems don’t get tired, or if they just have more stamina. But that’s a question for another time.  

I need to investigate more about this [Unique Skill].

“([Replicant Form])”

I mimicked an axe made from a yellow gemstone.  

This gem has a slight magical property that causes it to glow when filled with |Mana|, and the axe inherited that ability.  

The axe, filled with |Mana|, shone brightly even in daylight.  

After about ten seconds, the |Mana| ran out, and the light dimmed.

“([Lightning Strike].)”

A brief flash of lightning ran through the axe.  

I filled it with the same amount of |Mana| again, carefully monitoring my |Status| to ensure accurate measurement.  

The axe glowed brighter than before.

I pumped my fist mentally in triumph.

Filled with excitement, I swung the axe at a nearby beast. It cut through with surprising ease.  

Normally, this axe wouldn’t have such high performance as a weapon. But the lightning enhancement must have boosted its sharpness by a whole level.

“(But it’s kind of awkward to keep calling it ‘Lightning Enhancement’ forever… Yeah, I’ll name it ‘Conduction.’)”

This is the second technique derived from my [Unique Skill] after lightning strike.  

If I can enhance weapons made of minerals, my future battles will see even more progression.

“(But the biggest takeaway is──)”

That’s right, the most valuable application of [Conduction] isn’t enhancing weapons.  

I release the |Mana| I’ve gathered within myself back into my own body.  

After a sharp, electrifying sensation, strength surges through me. It’s almost like when I {Evolved}.

“(──It’s the enhancement of my own body!)”

As the overflowing power pushes me forward, I tighten my forest chains, crushing the beasts I had captured all at once.  

Now that I’ve gained yet another method to boost my |Status|, I leaped high into the air, expressing my joy.

―――Non-Notification Information Recording Zone―――――――――――――

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