Chapter 68: Assimilation and Ascent

#68

As Agon began gently stroking the back of his head, which he had previously gripped so painfully, Dokyeom quietly activated a skill.

‘‘

So that Agon might accept it.

And, more importantly, hoping he *would* accept it.

‘‘

Dokyeom felt an invisible wall, one whose height he could never discern, begin to crumble. Beyond it, Agon stood with his usual impassive expression, just as he always did. As Dokyeom reached out a hand towards him, the commenced.

“H-Haaah…!”

The initiation of the process brought forth a sudden, suffocating agony. It felt as though someone were relentlessly squeezing his lungs, leaving him no space to even gasp for air. His entire body convulsed, slick with cold sweat, as every organ within him writhed in unbearable pain.

As if anticipating this very reaction, Agon firmly embraced Dokyeom’s thrashing body, holding him still. He then whispered something in a voice like grating metal, almost as if attempting to soothe him.

‘What is this… Why does it hurt so much…’

His vision swam, violently blurring before his eyes. This was starkly different from the past, when only cold, unyielding rejection messages had appeared. An unbearable, searing heat surged through him repeatedly, as if his very blood were reversing course. Hunched over and gasping for breath, Dokyeom struggled to blink, realizing something utterly black was now eclipsing his sight.

Several seconds later, a hazy shadow, coiling like smoke, solidified into a distinct form, giving birth to words.

Before he could even begin to comprehend the meaning of those words, Dokyeom’s world was swallowed by an impenetrable blackness.

****

From somewhere, the distinct sound of water splashing echoed. Blurry afterimages flickered into existence and vanished before his eyes.

Agon’s memories, intertwined with Dokyeom’s own since the very first day they met, now surged forward like an incoming tide, sweeping over his skin. Every single emotion contained within them washed over him, raw and unfiltered.

The sense of profound mystery Agon had felt the day they first met resurfaced. In Agon’s perception, Dokyeom was excessively frail, a delicate being that could easily be bitten to death in a single swift motion. Consequently, Agon had designated Dokyeom as a protected species, one he was obligated to safeguard.

This was precisely why Agon had consistently brought him sustenance. Potent venom, a staple of the Dagon species, was known to bolster immunity, and Agon had simply wished for Dokyeom to consume it and grow stronger.

Agon recalled the days in his homeland when he himself had been on the verge of death, cared for by another. He remembered that profound debt of gratitude, and he had chosen to repay it by forsaking his home and venturing into an unknown world.

For this very reason, Agon had both expressed his disapproval and felt utter disgust at Dokyeom’s recklessness. He had tried to avert his gaze from such audacity by maintaining a cautious distance, yet a part of him must have always known it would ultimately come to this.

Whether it was an instinctual certainty, Agon knew this entire process would be excruciatingly painful. It was an arduous undertaking, one that would undoubtedly inflict harm upon the body. Hence, he had desperately wished for Dokyeom to desist. This heartfelt sentiment solidified within Agon each time he saw Dokyeom’s lips, now stained a chilling blue from the water.

‘…I truly hope it doesn’t hurt.’

That, then, was the profound reason Agon had consistently refused the skill until this very moment.

****

The memories and emotions, having surged like an overwhelming tide, now gradually began to recede. Dokyeom, panting desperately, once more writhed against the excruciating, piercing pain that coursed through his entire being. Something within him was undeniably changing.

The very movement of his cells, tearing apart and then reattaching, manifested as a vivid, excruciating pain from the crown of his head to the tips of his toes. He was utterly helpless, swept away and drawn in without any chance to resist.

“Ugh, h-huk…!”

After enduring it several times, each time biting back a curse, the pain receptor slowly subsided as if numbed, just as he thought he was surely going to die. The oppressive grip that had held his entire body was suddenly gone. From that moment onward, Dokyeom found himself utterly alone.

Beginning with the faintest whisper of wind from an unknown source, the sounds around him expanded to an overwhelming degree. Not merely nearby, but every gurgling, shifting sound from the ‘outside’ became acutely audible.

Every single one of his five senses was dramatically amplified. This amplification extended far beyond the normal human range.

A strange sense of unfamiliarity intertwined with an odd stability. There was even a peculiar, subtle sensation, as if his body were no longer entirely his own. As these disparate sensory inputs spread like ripples and then interlocked, merging into a singular, cohesive experience, Dokyeom waited out the long moments, focusing solely on his breath.

“Hah… haah.”

A surge of vitality coursed through every inch of his body. He felt an invigorating lightness, a powerful energy bubbling up within him that was beyond anything he had ever experienced. Indeed, all his senses were now impossibly acute, making him keenly aware of every surrounding presence and sound. It was as if the very popping of foam as he moved through the water echoed right beside him.

He had achieved . Finally—

When he finally opened his eyes, the surroundings were cloaked in an absolute, inky blackness. Yet, paradoxically, he could perceive and feel everything as if outlined by sharp lines. A flashlight, extinguished and partially dissolved by the digestive fluid, rolled aimlessly at Dokyeom’s feet.

The bubbling sound of foam ascending to the surface grew steadily louder. It was the unmistakable sound of a massive body thrashing violently. The Chimera, it seemed, had still not managed to escape the water.

Dokyeom swiftly called up his status window. Having successfully activated , his immediate priority was to ascertain his newly elevated rank.

[Han Dokyeom]

Rank: S-Class.

Contract: Star of ‘Orias,’ one of the 72 demons of ‘Lemegeton.’

Authority:

Traits:

Skills:

The stark white lettering, suspended against the impenetrable blackness of his vision, appeared like a flurry of snowflakes gracing a midnight sky. To Dokyeom, this particular moment was nothing short of miraculous.

It was both astounding and utterly wondrous. To have ascended from the lowest E-class to the formidable S-class in this very instant was almost beyond belief.

A multitude of S-class skills, now prominently displayed in his skill window, shimmered white before his eyes. Among these, and were Agon’s specialized offensive skills.

He still had no idea how his own form might have transformed. Yet, an undeniable premonition settled within him: he felt as though he could now breathe even deep underwater.

“So that’s how it is, then?”

*Click-clack—*

Dokyeom pulled back the barrel of the gun he held, chambering a round. Then, he pressed the muzzle against the wall that Agon had so vehemently scratched, his lips moving as if in a whisper.

“, , .”

*Bang—!*

He infused a single bullet with three skills, then fired it without hesitation. The trembling stomach wall seemed to devour the projectile with a voracious appetite. Only a few seconds passed.

*Screeeech—!*

The entire space convulsed violently, and a deafening serpentine shriek echoed back, reverberating all around him. Dokyeom’s body was thrown about uncontrollably by the creature’s convulsive movements, making it nearly impossible to stand. He could see the stomach walls expanding everywhere, distended with digestive fluid. This was the unmistakable precursor to something being violently expelled.

*Rumble—*

This, after all, was merely a reactive backlash. The Chimera was a monstrous beast inherently endowed with skill resistance, meaning its recovery from such effects would be equally swift.

To achieve a more profound effect than this, the skills needed to be directly applied to the ‘main body’ itself.

“Alright, I’m coming out soon. So let’s see each other outside.”

Preferably, with the firm resolve that one of them would die.

From the distance, the unmistakable sound of water gushing in grew louder. As the digestive fluid mingled with the incoming water, raising its level, the impossibly distended stomach wall erupted, violently expelling its entire contents in a single, explosive torrent.

Swept away by the ferocious current, Dokyeom was pulled out helplessly. As he confronted the sensation of weightlessness within the water, he was greeted by an utterly breathtaking panorama.

Within the deep blue water, the intricate currents and eddies, like threads, became vividly visible before his eyes. This was the underwater world as Agon perceived it.

Everything felt transparent, weightless, and he could breathe as effortlessly as if inhaling air. A sharp, thrilling ecstasy, so potent it made the hairs on his neck stand on end, coursed down his spine. Even the Chimera, thrashing wildly with the surging waves, held no fear for him now.

*Kieee! Kieeeek—!!*

Dokyeom twisted his body, pushing off the water, and launched himself towards the Chimera. The rapidly flowing currents brushed against his cheeks. His body sliced through the water with such incredible agility.

Instinct now permeated every action he took. Perhaps due to Agon’s wild temperament, or the innate explosive power of an S-class being, every move he needed to make was intuitively clear in his mind. Yet, a faint, equally compelling conflict also lingered within him.

A conflict over whether he should kill this creature, or spare its life.

*Swoosh—*

Suddenly, a shadowy mass sliced through the water and lunged at him. Dokyeom drew the dagger from his waist, and the moment something entered his radius, he plunged the blade in, tearing through the flesh.

The mouth of a venomous snake, gaping like a boa constrictor, was slit open from one corner, its belly ripped apart. Acrid blood instantly obscured his vision. The hand gripping the dagger trembled uncontrollably.

“Ugh, huk…!”

Even though Dokyeom had achieved S-class, his opponent was a monster that had evolved to be nearly SS-class. There was no possibility of defeating the Chimera by himself.

The flesh, which he thought would tear indefinitely, suddenly became impenetrable, blocking his blade. Dokyeom quickly discarded the dagger and lunged towards the Chimera.

*Piiieek!*

He then retrieved the gun he had tucked into his waist and firmly re-gripped it.

Since its hide was impervious to attacks, any direct hit would be useless. So, where and how should he attack?

*Click-clack—*

Just then, a suitable target caught Dokyeom’s eye: the Chimera’s eye. Or, going a bit further, inside its mouth.

“Alright, let’s take a trip to the bottom with me first.”

Dokyeom aimed his gun near the Chimera’s eye and fired a few shots casually to draw its attention. The Chimera’s eyes, covered by a nictitating membrane, furiously tracked Dokyeom.

When those dull eyes seemed to freeze, the Chimera’s massive body descended with a sudden *swoosh*, without warning.

The Chimera’s lifeless eyes, shrouded in a white membrane, evoked a deeply unsettling feeling.

It felt as if it were under some kind of spell.

A profound sense of unease crawled over his skin. That feeling materialized into reality when the Chimera’s eyes suddenly widened, fixing on a venomous snake that darted past it.

A sharp beak plunged down onto the head of the snake as it swiftly passed the Chimera.

“!”