I Can Devour Monsters' SSS Talents

The sound of the chain being dragged suddenly stopped.

At that same moment, a heavy and complete silence descended upon the Rib Passage.

Neither the sound of the mist moving nor the sound of bone powder falling from the massive ribs could be heard.

Not even the sound of One’s feet scraping on the ground. Lian, Seris, and One all remained in the same position.

Motionless.

Seris’s hand was on her sword’s hilt, but her fingers did not move even slightly.

One’s body beneath them remained still like a massive black statue. Only its antennae, which usually moved at the smallest change in the environment, were now completely stopped in the air.

Lian sent a clear and firm command through Hive Link.

Do not move at all, not even one step, even if something comes close to you.

One’s fear was transmitted to his mind through the link, but the ant accepted the command.

The gray mist a few meters ahead moved slowly. Something was present inside it, something very large.

But before its full shape could be revealed, a few stored system notifications appeared before Lian’s view.

He had not had the chance to check all of them during the battle inside the skull.

Now the panels, without making sound or physical movement, opened one after another before his eyes.

[You have slain Grave Doppelgänger — Mutated Lv.27.]

[You have slain multiple Bone Scavengers.]

[You have slain multiple Grave Mimics.]

[Butcher has been activated.]

[The Stats of slain creatures have been analyzed.]

[You have obtained 141 Stat Points.]

Lian kept his gaze on the remaining number.

One hundred and forty-one permanent points.

This amount had not been obtained from only one enemy. Butcher had analyzed all the monsters they had killed on the path and extracted one percent of their Stats.

The majority of the points had come from the Grave Doppelgängers, Bone Scavengers, and the occupying core.

The Grave Mimics had a smaller share, but their numbers were greater, and in total, they had added a significant amount.

Lian opened his current status.

[Strength: 618]

[Spirit: 400]

[Speed: 400]

[Mana: 910]

[Resistance: 448]

[Stat Points: 164]

With the addition of one hundred and forty-one new points, his stored points reached three hundred and five.

[Stat Points: 305]

Lian did not intend to keep them.

In an environment like the Giants’ Graveyard, storing power that could be used at that very moment was meaningless.

But he could not put all the points into only Mana or Strength.

The creature present in the mist probably would not be defeated by raw power alone.

Reaction speed, damage tolerance, and spiritual power to resist unknown abilities.

And enough Mana for continuous use of Divine Skills.

All were necessary.

Lian made the distribution in his mind.

[Strength increased by 75.]

[Spirit increased by 50.]

[Speed increased by 65.]

[Mana increased by 55.]

[Resistance increased by 60.]

[Stat Points: 0]

A new panel appeared.

[Strength: 693]

[Spirit: 450]

[Speed 465]

[Mana: 965]

[Resistance: 508]

The change was immediately felt in his body.

Not explosive, and not so intense that he lost control, more like the compression of new force into his muscles, bones, and mana flow.

His heartbeat became deeper, his vision became clearer, and he felt the time between perceiving danger and his body’s reaction had shortened.

More mana flowed in his veins, and his body’s resistance to environmental pressure increased.

But no excitement appeared on his face. The chain sound had stopped only moments before.

In such a situation, even a small movement could be deadly.

He now understood what the Varkesh warning meant, and he wanted to take it seriously, especially because he felt a powerful blood flow in the mist.

A blood flow even stronger than the Doppelgängers.

The next notification appeared.

[Glutton has successfully devoured three Skills.]

Three panels opened one after another.

The first skill came from the Grave Doppelgänger.

[Echo Adaptation]

[Rank: Common (+)]

[By observing an enemy’s movements, the user gradually analyzes their combat rhythm and predicts repeated patterns.]

[The longer you observe a target, the more accurately you can recognize and anticipate its repeated movements.]

[Current Limitation: Only one primary target may be fully analyzed at a time.]

Lian quickly reviewed the text. At its current rank, the skill could not copy the enemy’s Skill.

It only analyzed patterns, movement rhythms, and repetitions in fighting style. But even that was very valuable.

In long battles, every time the enemy repeated a movement, the chance of predicting the next move increased.

Against fighters with chaotic patterns or enemies with a huge power gap, the skill was more limited.

However, combining it with his own knowledge could create a very dangerous result, although that itself was not something to be ignored.

Lian stared at the rank section for a moment.

Common.

Only the first level.

If this Skill, like his other skills, had the potential to grow to Divine, its final form would probably be far beyond predicting movements.

Perhaps at Divine rank, it could do what the Grave Doppelgängers did.

Not just recognizing the rhythm of a skill, but creating a real version of it.

Even if copying an enemy’s Skill completely was impossible, the ability to temporarily reconstruct its structure alone would be an extraordinary power.

The Doppelgängers, in the middle of battle, could create weaker versions of skills they saw and use them. He was sure that when this skill reached Divine rank, he could do the same.

So even though it was useless at its current rank, at Divine rank, it could be significantly useful.

The second panel opened.

[False Presence]

[Rank: Common (+)]

[Creates a temporary false presence carrying the user’s voice, scent, and weak mana signature. Each one costs 25 mana.]

This Skill had been obtained from the Grave Mimics.

Lian could not create a physical body or a complete Doppelgänger, but he could create a false presence within a close range.

Voice, smell, a weak mana trace, and even the sound of footsteps heard from another point.

The false presence only lasted a few seconds and would collapse upon direct contact or the first attack.

Creatures with very high Perception might notice the difference, but in combination with Abyss Veil, its true value became clear.

Lian could hide his real presence and simultaneously leave a fake trace in another location.

In battle against an enemy that hunted based on sound, smell, or Mana Signature, this Skill could change the outcome of the fight.

Besides, this was only the lowest rank. When it reached Divine rank... maybe it could create clones of himself? Although he doubted they would be at the level of the Doppelgängers, even these clones could be helpful in many situations.

The third skill came from the Bone Scavengers.

[Ossuary Armor]

[Rank: Common (+)]

[Nearby compatible bones may be shaped into disposable defensive plates.]

[The armor’s strength depends on the quality, density, and condition of the consumed bone material.]

[Consumes 0.9 mana per minute.]

Unlike Diamond Skin, this Skill did not harden Lian’s body. Unlike Solar Forge Aegis, it also did not create a permanent or massive armor of solar fire and magma.

Ossuary Armor was an environmental tool. It absorbed nearby bones and turned them into temporary armor.

It could cover only one part of the body.

The forearm, shoulder, leg, or even form as a multi-layered shield against a strike.

The armor would shatter after absorbing an attack, and its quality depended directly on the bones used.

In an environment like this graveyard, the raw materials were almost unlimited.

Lian assessed the value of all three skills in a few seconds.

Ossuary Armor would be useful in this environment, and even outside it, it still had many uses.

Echo Adaptation would become one of his best analytical skills for long battles.

But in the current situation, False Presence had the most immediate value.

The Varkesh warning was still repeating in his mind. When the chain sound stops, do not move.

If the creature in the mist sensed movement, a false presence might be able to change its path.

But Lian had not yet activated the Skill.

First, he had to confirm the rule and see exactly what they were dealing with.

The mist slowly moved aside. A massive shadow appeared among the giant ribs.

At first, only its legs were visible. Long, bony legs, each made from several bones belonging to different creatures. Its knees were at a height taller than One’s height.

Black strands and thin chains held the bones together.

Then its torso emerged from the mist. The creature was about eighteen meters tall.

It was very thin. Its ribcage was made of a collection of irregular ribs, and among them, no heart or natural organ could be seen.

Black chains were wrapped several times around its chest, neck, and shoulders.

Some links were sunk into the bone, some passed through the body and came out from the other side.

Its head was almost human, but it had no eyes. The surface of its face was flat and white.