Cherreads

Chapter 8 - A New Class!?!?

The guardian impaled in Seraphina's back attempted to pull its arm free, but found it inexplicably trapped. Seraphina's internal viscera, now more slime than flesh, seemed to constrict around it, locking it in place. A slow, chilling smirk began to stretch across Seraphina's blood-splattered face, a terrifying sight amidst the gore.

"You all might be faster and stronger than me," Seraphina rasped, her voice thick with blood but filled with a new, ruthless edge, "but you sure in the hell are not smarter than me. You Guardians may not be Monsters, but I'm going to treat you all like Monsters."

As she spoke, a wave of shimmering, amethyst-hued slime surged from Seraphina's back, rapidly climbing the impaled guardian's arm. It flowed with terrifying speed, engulfing the creature's entire form. A distorted, gurgling shriek erupted as the guardian's body began to dissolve, melting into the hungry mass of Seraphina's essence.

Simultaneously, Seraphina's severed left arm, lying on the cold stone floor, shimmered and transformed. It didn't just regenerate; it turned into a sentient, whip-like tendril of pure slime. With unnerving speed and purpose, this animated limb slithered across the chamber, independent of Seraphina's main body, heading directly for the guardian that had been casting the black flame.

The guardian Seraphina had used as a shield emitted one final, agonizing shriek before dying. Seraphina, still impaled and missing an arm, grimly maintained her hold on the burning corpse, using its charred remains as a barrier between herself and the remaining threats. The chamber was filled with the acrid smell of burnt flesh and the faint, sweet scent of dissolving biomass.

The severed, now animated, slime arm whipped forward, a blur of amethyst liquid, flying at the remaining guardians – what Seraphina thought were the only remaining guardians in the main group.

Then, a sharp, terrified scream tore from Lyra's throat.

Seraphina's head snapped back towards Lyra's position, a wave of cold dread washing over her. She watched, momentarily stunned, as her protective mini-slimes, which had formed a seemingly innocuous barrier around Lyra, were now swarming over a fifth gaunt figure she hadn't even perceived. This guardian, moving with impossible stealth, must have slipped past Seraphina's Awareness (Lvl 6) and Scan (Lvl 3) in the chaos, aiming for Lyra. But the mini-slimes had been there, reacting instantly. They were now actively engulfing the unnoticed guardian, their tiny forms stretching and dissolving its pale skin.

The battle had escalated into a chaotic, multi-front war, forcing Seraphina to split her attention while still grievously wounded.

The last guardian, its black-flame-ridden body contorting in its final throes, finally crumbled to ash. With the immediate threat neutralized, the raw, adrenaline-fueled surge that had sustained Seraphina through her horrific injuries abruptly vanished. Her strength, already depleted, gave out completely. With a heavy, wet thud, Seraphina collapsed onto the polished stone floor, landing amidst the dissipating remnants of the battle. The pain, though dulled, was a deep, throbbing ache that permeated every inch of her being.

As she lay there, eyes half-lidded, the detached slime-arm that had been attacking the magic-caster swiftly slithered back across the floor, fusing seamlessly with her shoulder. The mini-slimes, having successfully engulfed and dissolved the unnoticed guardian, detached themselves from Lyra and flowed back towards Seraphina, rejoining her main mass. Her body, a grotesque canvas of self-inflicted wounds and battle damage, began to visibly knit itself together with astonishing speed. Flesh reformed, muscle reconnected, and the stump of her severed arm began to bulge, rapidly elongating as the Moderate Regeneration worked overtime.

Just as her arm was halfway regrown, a blinding torrent of System Notifications assaulted Seraphina's consciousness, overwhelming her senses with a cascade of information:

"Congratulations! Level 14 -> Level 17!" 

"Unused Stat Points: 21 (Please allocate points)." 

"Congratulations! Acquire: Second Class: Guardian Eater! The user now has the ability to eat Guardians and take their skills, traits, and abilities."

"Acquire: Guardian Core... Guardian Core fused with Golden Monster Core -> Golden Guardian Monster Core (Level 4)!"

"User now has four hearts!" 

"Unlock Guardian Skill Tree! Acquire 150 points to spend in Guardian Skill Tree."

"Unlock Job Titles!"

"Acquire Title: Monster Guardian!"

"Acquire Title: Mother Slime!"

"Acquire Title: Ambusher!"

The sheer volume of new information, the rush of newfound power, and the lingering echoes of pain combined into a dizzying cacophony within Seraphina's mind. She lay there, breathing heavily, trying to process the monumental changes that had just occurred.

Lyra, who had been huddled behind her protective mini-slimes, her heart hammering against her ribs as she witnessed the brutal, almost fatal exchange, let out a choked cry of horror and relief when Seraphina collapsed. Seeing her ally, covered in blood and slime, an arm severed and a hand protruding from her stomach, was truly terrifying.

But then, as Seraphina lay prone, Lyra's sharp eyes registered the impossible: the severed arm was already regenerating, the gaping wounds visibly closing, the very grime and blood seeming to absorb back into her amethyst-hued form. It was a sight that defied all known biology and magic, yet it was happening right before her eyes.

Without a second thought for her own safety, Lyra came running over to Seraphina, the miniature slimes parting for her as she approached. She knelt beside Seraphina, her face pale with concern, hands hovering uncertainly over Seraphina's still-healing body. "Seraphina! Are... are you alright?" she whispered, her voice a mixture of profound relief that the battle was over, and lingering shock at the sheer violence of Seraphina's regenerative capabilities. "That was... horrifying. And incredible."

Seraphina managed a genuine smile as she looked up at Lyra, appreciating the raw, unfeigned concern on the demon scholar's face. The smile, rare and slightly unsettling amidst the drying blood on her face, reached her amethyst eyes. "And very lucky," Seraphina added, her voice still a little weak, but strengthening with every passing second.

Her arm was already almost fully regrown, and the puncture wound in her torso had completely closed, leaving only a faint shimmer of new skin. "If it wasn't for me being a slime, I would've died," Seraphina stated plainly, the truth undeniable in the face of her wounds. As she said it, she distinctly heard the resonant, powerful beat within her chest—not just one, or two, or three, but all four of her hearts, thrumming like a set of perfectly synchronized drums, a testament to her newly acquired power and resilience.

Lyra, her brow furrowed in confusion, leaned closer to Seraphina's chest, her ear hovering near the armored surface. "What is that sound?" she murmured, clearly hearing the powerful, rhythmic thrumming. Her eyes, wide with curiosity, met Seraphina's. "Your heart has a strong rhythm."

Seraphina gave a faint, knowing smirk, a touch of pride in her tired eyes. "You mean hearts. I have four." She paused, letting that sink in before continuing her explanation. "I gain a new heart whenever I absorb a significant core or a strong core. I'm pretty sure I could fuse weaker cores together to gain a new heart that way, too." She tapped lightly on her own chest, over where her core resided. "However, my Core is what ties my hearts together; as long as the core is not destroyed, then I can still live if one or two of my hearts get destroyed."

The revelation of multiple hearts, and the mechanics behind their acquisition, seemed to add another layer to Seraphina's already bewildering physiology. Lyra straightened up, her expression a mix of awe and burgeoning understanding. This wasn't just monstrous; it was a complex, almost modular form of life, constantly evolving and adapting.

"Give me a second, Lyra," Seraphina said, already closing her eyes and beginning to pull up the mental interface for her System's notifications, intending to allocate her new stat points.

"You're going to spend your points?" Lyra's voice held a note of genuine surprise, causing Seraphina's amethyst eyes to snap open.

"Wait, you know about the System?" Seraphina asked, her voice laced with incredulity. This was a complete revelation. She'd assumed her System was a unique, perhaps even cursed, consequence of her transformation.

Lyra nodded, a slight frown creasing her brow at Seraphina's shock. "Yes. Every sentient being has a System. Except monsters, of course." She gestured vaguely around the chamber. "It's how the world processes progression, skills, and even basic needs for us."

Seraphina's jaw dropped, then snapped shut. Her head tilted, a new, pointed question forming. "Is your System... a raging bitch?" she asked, her tone flat, a clear jab at her own constantly sarcastic and critical internal companion.

Lyra blinked, looking genuinely perplexed by the question. "No," she replied, a faint smile touching her lips. "My system is pretty nice to me."

"And yet you're stuck with me, well I guess despite that you're an idiot, and I'm a raging bitch by your words, I guess we work well together. Though next time, when you get into this predicament again, maybe spawn your children and have them to ambush your enemies instead of taking damage like that," the System's voice echoed directly in Seraphina's mind, its tone sharp and utterly devoid of self-pity.

Lyra is lucky to have a nice System, Seraphina thought, a wave of profound envy washing over her. She pushed the thought aside, refocusing on the task at hand, the System's tactical advice already filing away for future use.

"Allocate stat points," Seraphina commanded, pushing aside her brief moment of existential musing. The System's interface materialized instantly in her mind, displaying her current stats and the blinking 21 unused points.

Her recent brutal encounter, the shattering of her armor, and the sheer pain of her reformation weighed heavily on her decision. Her speed had been matched, her defenses breached. It was clear where her priorities needed to lie.

"Allocate 8 points to Defense," Seraphina instructed, feeling a subtle hardening within her very essence. "Allocate 5 points to Agility," she continued, imagining herself moving even faster, leaving no room for ambush. "Allocate 4 points to Strength," she added, envisioning more potent strikes with her claw and dagger. "And allocate the remaining 4 points to MP," she concluded, thinking of the devastating potential of her newly acquired Black Flames.

The System processed her command instantly.

"Allocation confirmed." "Defense: 49 -> 57" "Agility: 63 -> 68" "Strength: 44 -> 48" "MP: 60 -> 64"

Seraphina felt a subtle, yet significant surge of power course through her, a tangible reinforcement of her chosen attributes. The lingering aches from the battle seemed to recede further as her body optimized itself.

Seraphina Brodior: Current Profile Update

Strength: 48

Defense: 57

Agility: 68

MP: 64

With her stats allocated, Seraphina's attention now turned to the other overwhelming notifications: the new Guardian Eater class, the Golden Guardian Monster Core (Level 4), the four hearts, the Guardian Skill Tree (150 points), and the new Job Titles. She still lay on the ground, though her healing was nearly complete.

"Guardian skill tree," Seraphina murmured, her attention immediately drawn to that particular notification from the torrent of information. Her eyes, still closed, focused on the mental interface, prioritizing this new avenue of power over the other revelations.

The System responded instantly, a new, complex branch of abilities blossoming in her mind's eye. Unlike her general skills or Monster Eater class, this tree pulsed with an ancient, protective energy, yet also carried a faint echo of the malevolence she had just fought. It was a tree of both defense and inherent danger.

Seraphina's mind, still buzzing with the recent level-ups and System revelations, plunged into the Guardian Skill Tree. Its branches glowed with potential, displaying a myriad of skills that seemed to hum with the essence of the fallen guardians. She thought of the black flame that had nearly incinerated her, the surprising speed of her foes, and the stealthy guardian that had nearly ambushed Lyra.

She made her choices:

Guardian's Aegis (Lvl 3) - Cost: 60 points (20 per level)

Description: A passive trait that grants increased resistance to magical and elemental damage, absorbing some of the impact from such attacks.

Rationale: Directly addresses the threat of magical attacks like the black flame she just encountered, shoring up a crucial defensive weakness.

Shadow Strike (Lvl 3) - Cost: 45 points (15 per level)

Description: An active skill that allows Seraphina to imbue her physical attacks (dagger, claw, or bite) with shadowy, piercing energy, increasing damage and potentially bypassing a portion of enemy defense.

Rationale: Enhances her primary physical offense, giving her an edge against tough, resilient enemies like the guardians.

Core Resonance (Lvl 2) - Cost: 40 points (20 per level)

Description: A passive trait that enhances the effects of absorbed cores, providing a small boost to all stats derived from them, and making it easier to absorb or fuse new cores.

Rationale: Connects to her core "Monster Eater" class, increasing the efficiency of her primary method of growth and leveraging her new Golden Guardian Monster Core.

Guardian's Sense (Lvl 1) - Cost: 5 points

Description: Enhances Seraphina's passive awareness and ability to detect hidden or stealthy entities, particularly those with a strong magical or ancient signature.

Rationale: Directly addresses the fact that a guardian ambushed Lyra unnoticed, improving her general awareness and preventing future surprises.

Total Points Spent: 60 + 45 + 40 + 5 = 150 points. Remaining Points: 0.

A final series of notifications flashed across Seraphina's mental interface, confirming her new acquisitions. She felt a subtle shift within her, a new layer of power settling into her core. She was ready for whatever lay deeper within the World Tree temple.

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