Devouring Dragon Heir

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[Absorption Panel]

[traits acquired - null]

[skills acquired - null]

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[current status]

[name - Klaus]

[physique - 7]

[magic - 1]

[Skills - passive aggro (F), Origin Absorption (Divine)]

[Traits - roach (B)]

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Looking at the panel, Klaus was quite surprised. He had read far too many web novels and watched countless anime to not know what this sudden, anomalous panel signified.

It was clear as the sun that he had awakened an ability, weather a cheat or not only time will tell. Crucial information slowly entered his mind about the usage and functionalities of this panel, a direct data transfer from an unknown source.

The panel, he understood, was a direct extension of his new awakening. The skill was of Divine Rank, a tier he had never even heard mentioned in any of the public forums or hunter association documents.

The highest level Klaus had encountered in his previous life, and even now in this world's known lore, was only SSS-ranked skills. He was quite sure that the Divine Rank was not just a few levels above SSS, but likely an entirely different stratum of power, perhaps even beyond mortal comprehension.

A sudden, deep, soothing satisfaction had crept up in his entire being, settling into his bones as if he were finally content with his life, a profound feeling he had not felt in years, not since his transmigration.

This wasn't just physical comfort; it was a deep, spiritual contentment. He knew that if utilized properly, this skill, Origin Absorption, could help him grow stronger to an extent he could not currently fathom. The potential was limitless.

The skill had many aspects and nuances, but for summarizing, its core function allowed him to absorb powers from other things. This "things" was still vague, but the system had clarified it meant anything with latent or manifested abilities, be it living creatures, dead bodies, or even magical artifacts.

He did not yet know the precise distinction between a "trait" and a "skill" in this new panel, but he instinctively felt he would get familiar with it once he progressed and experimented more.

Thinking about the term "trait," his gaze landed on the Roach trait that was listed as B-ranked on his panel. He had never heard of a trait before.

"I thought I only had the Passive Aggro skill, but who knew I also had a trait? Let's see..." he thought, his curiosity piqued. He focused his will on the "Roach (B)" entry, and a new, smaller window immediately opened in front of him, displaying its details.

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Roach (B): Description: Your will to survive is absolute. Even when broken, battered, and on the brink of death, you cling to life with the stubborn tenacity of a cockroach. Death finds you a remarkably difficult target.

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"Could have named it better, comparing me to a cockroach," Klaus mumbled, a faint twitch appearing on his face. The comparison was less than flattering, but the description itself was undeniably usefull. He felt a small wave of relief that others could not see these system notifications; the name alone would be embarrassing.

Klaus moved on from that, accepting the unique nature of his trait. Since he already knew about his infamous Passive Aggro talent – the F-rank skill that made him a walking monster magnet he didn't need an explanation for it. He had lived with its effects for five long years.

Klaus closed the screen, the panels dissolving into thin air, and began planning his next steps. A significant advantage of his Origin Absorption ability, as the system had implicitly informed him, was that absorption could be carried out on dead targets for up to 24 hours after their death. This opened up immediate possibilities for safe, controlled growth.

Now, the most logical path for him to pursue would be to use the 100,000 Union Credits he had received as "bereavement contribution" to buy as many fresh monster corpses as possible.

These corpses, especially from higher-ranked monsters, would likely yield powerful skills or traits upon absorption.

However, a fundamental hurdle immediately presented itself. First, he required an awakened identification to legally purchase such materials from licensed vendors or even to do the simplest tasks required of an awakened individual, such as entering public gates or registering for hunter activities.

And for that identification, he required a visible, demonstrable awakened ability to showcase in front of the Hunter Association officials. This was the Catch, He had awakened an ability, divine one at that, but he couldn't reveal their true nature without drawing catastrophic attention.

So, it all circled back upon him. He needed an officially recognized, simple awakened ability. Now, the only way to proceed was to find a creature to kill, or even a corpse, to absorb its abilities.

Or, perhaps, a material with appropriate magical properties would do. Quite unthankfully, he had never bothered to purchase any such things earlier, as he had believed himself unawakened.

His current location, a rundown slum house in City-35, offered no immediate solutions for finding monster corpses or magical materials.

Looking around the dilapidated room, he could not find any immediate clue on how to start. He took a deep breath, the dusty air filling his lungs, and sat on the rickety chair.

He closed his eyes, attempting to meditate, a habit he had picked up in the orphanage to calm his racing thoughts. After some time, a more primal, undeniable sensation crept over him: the need to eat something.

He hadn't fed himself properly in days, not since his desperate escape from the dungeon and his unexpected journey through the abyss. God knows how he was still sane and functional.

He stood up, his stomach rumbling, and proceeded towards the small, shabby kitchen, a cramped space with barely enough room for one person. As he opened the tiny, rusting fridge, a faint, unpleasant odor wafted out.

Inside, he saw a single, half-eaten banana, its skin mottled brown, being salvaged by a determined group of black ants, marching in a neat line to and from a small crack in the wall.

The banana was clearly rotten, unfit for human consumption. He picked it up with two fingers, intending to throw it away.

In the process of moving the banana, one of the few ants, a tiny black speck, crawled up onto his hand. In a moment of frustration, or perhaps just instinct, Klaus slapped his hand with the other, a quick, unthinking motion.

The poor ant, caught between his palms, was instantly slain, a minuscule casualty of his irritation.

Klaus was about to shake off the dead ant's minuscule body when a new notification, vibrant and impossible, suddenly rang in his mind, surprising him greatly.

[Ding!! Target detected for absorption!] [Would you like to proceed with the absorption?]

Looking at the notifications, Klaus was skeptical at first. An ant? What could he possibly gain from an ant?

But then, he remembered a fact from his distant memory, a tidbit of knowledge from his previous life: ants, despite their minuscule size, could exhibit strength much greater than their original proportional size, lifting many times their own body weight.

The gears of his mind churned quickly, putting the pieces together. He realized, with a sudden flash of insight, that insects were one of the most underestimated species in this world, precisely due to their small size and perceived insignificance.

He could leverage their abundance in natural urban environments like this slum to grow safely, discreetly, and without drawing any unwanted attention from the Hunter Association or the mysterious forces that seemed to observe him.

With that thought, he mentally confirmed 'yes'. A small, swirling portal, no bigger than his palm, appeared transparently in his hand, directly over the dead ant. The portal hummed faintly, and in a blink, it swallowed the ant's minuscule corpse whole, leaving no trace.

[Ding!! Ant's corpse was absorbed!]

[Ding!! Passive skill acquired: Herculean Strength (D)!]

Looking at the rank of the skill, Klaus was quite surprised. A D-rank skill from a single ant? The results had significantly exceeded his expectations. He immediately focused on the panel, eager to see its description.

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Herculean Strength (D) Description: Ants are known for their incredible strength-to-size ratio. This skill grants a subtle, almost imperceptible enhancement to your Physique and Endurance, allowing you to exert disproportionate strength or maintain physical activity for extended periods without easily tiring. You find it easier to lift, push, and endure physical strain beyond normal human limits.

Effects: Physical stats (+10% of current physique)

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With that, he also checked his main status panel to see the changes it had caused, and as expected, his physique stat had already updated.

[Current Status]

[Name - Klaus]

[Physique - 7 (+0.7) >> 7.7]

[Magic - 1]

[Skills - Passive Aggro (F), Origin Absorption (Divine), Herculean Strength (D)]

[Traits - Roach (B)]

First of all, his physique points had changed from 7 to 7.7, a tangible increase. Also, a new skill name, Herculean Strength (D), had appeared on the panel's skill section, replacing the temporary acquisition space.

Klaus wanted to try more, to test his theory and push the limits of this new discovery. He searched around the shabby kitchen for the rest of the ants that had escaped during his previous, accidental ant-slaying. After looking around the room for quite a bit, tracing their faint trails, he finally found another one scurrying across the floor and slapped the ant in the same manner as the last one, deliberately this time.

Similar to last time, a notification appeared in front of him. He proceeded with the absorption. This time, however, no new skill appeared. Instead, the effects of the existing Herculean Strength skill got enhanced. The panel updated.

Now, the increase in physical stats had increased to 15% of his total stats from the earlier 10% increase. Also, a numerical count appeared in front of the skill name:

Herculean Strength (D) [2/1000]

Klaus theorized that this count signified the amount of ants he had to absorb to see significant changes in the skill, perhaps leading to a rank-up once the count reached a certain threshold. It seemed like a progressive system of refinement.

What followed was a restless massacre of the ant community in his house. Klaus moved methodically, swatting down every ant he could find. With an increasing death count, however, the effective increase in percentage dimmed down, a clear sign of diminishing returns.

After killing five more ants, the effective increase in percentage decreased to 1% per ant. After fifteen more ants, it halved again to a 0.5% increase with each ant, which lasted until he had absorbed thirty ants in total. At that point, the direct percentage increase from individual ants completely stopped.

But still, Klaus, driven by his new goal, continued his hard work, collecting every ant he could find, the counter still slowly ticking upwards, indicating overall progress even if the immediate effect wasn't visible.

A few hours passed. Klaus had already slain and absorbed about 100 ants, meticulously collecting their minuscule bodies. He was now sitting, observing the updated changes in his skill panel.

Herculean Strength (D) [100/1000]

Effect: Physical stats (+70% of current stats)

Current Physical Stats: 7 (+4.9) >> 11.9

Klaus was quite satisfied with the effects of the skill. A 70% increase in his physique was substantial, especially since the increase was in percentage rather than solid, fixed stats. This meant the skill would continue to be useful for his entire lifetime, scaling with his base physique growth.

Regarding the rank of the skill, he was still quite confused. The effects of the skill, especially with a 70% increase to a primary stat, seemed to outmatch what he understood of a D-rank skill.

He thought there must be a more thorough and complex criterion for determining the rank of a skill than just its initial effects. Perhaps it was based on its base potential, or its scalability, or simply the tier of the creature it originated from.

Still, he felt a powerful sense of satisfaction. If other hunters knew about his Origin Absorption ability, they would either die of a heart attack due to the sheer unfairness of it, or they would do anything to kill him to decrease his perceived threat and steal his power.

But either of those scenarios wouldn't happen, not if he had anything to say about it. He had already decided to keep this ability a top secret, a power that only he and the system knew about.

Dangers lurked in this world almost everywhere, but now, Klaus felt a renewed sense of confidence. He had a path to strength, a way to ensure his survival, and perhaps, even thrive in this brutal reality.