6 Chapter 6: Eat and Grow Strong (2/2)

And then what? Back in the open, the cockatrice would have the advantage again. Even if it got stuck in the entrance, it would just double out and emerge from whatever entrance it found. I would be relentlessly hunted down no matter where I went.

No. I had to settle the score with the cockatrice once and for all. I just had to make sure I didn't cock up.

I fumbled for the matches in my pocket. Turning around, I struck the match. I had just barely produced a spark when the whole space in front of me suddenly vanished in a gigantic, deafening explosion, and my world turned into fire and pain.

”Gaaah!”

The force of the explosion hurled me out of the cave, and I crashed onto the ground outside, totally scorched. Meanwhile, the cockatrice screeched inside the cavern as my little spark set off a chain reaction. The methane inside the cave combusted spontaneously, and within seconds, the interior of the coal mind turned into a furnace. The cockatrice flailed inside the mine, screeching as it was cooked alive by the raging inferno.

I wasn't able to cheer in triumph, having been severely injured by the explosion myself. Not only was I suffering from third degree burns, my body scorched and fuming, I had broken several bones from being hurled out of the cave. Even a simple movement was agony. I groaned through my parched, blackened lips, as I tried to move, only for red-hot pain to spike through my limbs. Lying there helplessly, I waited for my Regeneration to kick in.

I didn't know if I was out of energy, or if the damage was too severe, but my regeneration speed this time was slower than usual. I lay on the ground helplessly, praying to whatever God who existed in this world (probably Evelyn) that a monster in the forest wouldn't stumble upon me and feed on me. That would have been quite the pathetic end.

”Guh…”

Closing my eyes, I waited, and then tested my limbs. I could finally move, but I realized that my injuries were far from healed. My flesh remained blackened, and pain continually nagged at me through the blisters or exposed muscle. My Regeneration so far had only healed my broken bones.

It had to be enough.

Wincing, I endured the pain as I rose to my feet. By now, the inferno in the coal mine had died, slowly winking out into tiny cinders as the cave exhausted its supply of methane and coal. I proceeded toward the interior cautiously, gingerly clutching at my wounds, which were all over my body. It hurt. It hurt like hell.

But I knew I couldn't just lie around, waiting to heal. I was hungry. Very hungry.

Stepping through the soot, I peered warily into the interior. There was a single, blackened corpse in the middle of it all. It seemed that the inferno had thoroughly cooked the cockatrice. At first, I was hesitant about eating such a charred, burned carcass, but the black soot flaked away, revealing succulent, cooked meat.

The cocky cockatrice had cocked up and was now paying the price for it.

”…I see.”

The cockatrice must have some sort of resistance to fire. It was a miracle it wasn't reduced to ash and bones. Well, good for me. I had a well-grilled meal right in front of me. Staggering toward the cooked cockatrice, I tore a chunk of meat out and placed it into my mouth.

Amazing. This thing was delicious.

I greedily began ripping chunks of meat out of the cockatrice and shoveling it into my mouth. So lost was I in my hunger that it turned into an automatic, instinctive motion, my hands mechanically reaching out and tearing pieces of the cockatrice and stuffing them into my mouth. I swallowed after chewing, my mind blank from the sheer ecstasy.

It felt so good to be…alive. Plus, I hadn't had such a well-cooked meal in a while. When was the last time I ate something like this? Two days ago? Three?

Before I knew it, I had devoured the entire cockatrice. Feeling full, I slumped down next to the now-white bones. I had picked the meat off so cleanly that there wasn't much traces of muscle or fat left. Everything was now in my stomach.

”Huh, how does that work?”

I was surprised at how I managed to eat the whole cockatrice that was larger than me. Was there a black hole in my stomach or something? How did I fit all that meat into my meager body? Where did it go?

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And then I realized that I was no longer hurting. Looking at my blackened arms, I cleared the soot away to see fresh, pink flesh. The blisters were gone. I had fully regenerated.

”I see…so I have to eat in order to keep up my regeneration pace.”

I nodded in understanding as I placed a finger on my chin. This could be useful. If I ever was on the verge of death, all I needed to do was eat and I would regenerate back to perfect condition. There were limits, of course, but it was a much-needed ability to keep me alive.

”Now then…what should I do?”

I was about to leave when I was alerted by a ping. My hand subconsciously swung and conjured the blue holographic window.

Name: Tanaka Tomoyuki

Species: Undead

Job/Rank: Zombie/Ghoul

Special Abilities: Adamantium Will, Regeneration, Devour

Now that was new. I had never seen Devour before. Scratching my head in bewilderment, I tapped on the word and read the description.

Devour: Gain a special ability of the target you consumed as food

”Oh…”

This was an interesting, if not macabre special ability. I couldn't believe I gained it right after devouring the cockatrice. Was that the cockatrice's special ability? No…that couldn't be. The cockatrice showed no signs of inheriting any of my skills when it ate my arm, and if it had such an ability, it would have displayed far more special abilities when it pursued both me and slew the anaconda. Hell, it should have gained a special ability from the anaconda…whatever that was.

Or perhaps I was mistaken and it belonged to the cockatrice. But it made no sense that I would gain its special ability, Devour, when I never had it before.

Maybe it's this world's version of leveling up. Whenever I defeat a powerful foe, I would earn new abilities.

That made more sense. I gained Regeneration after I ”defeated” and consumed the necromancer so it stood to reason that this was an unlockable ability rather than one I stole from devouring the cockatrice.

Well, whatever the case, I guess I'll find out.

I glanced back out of the devastated coal mine and stared at the fading sunlight that peeked through the scorched entrance. After all the events that had occurred today, it was finally night, huh? It felt like an eternity.

For now, I'll rest up, and then I will start hunting tomorrow.

The forest was full of monsters. I glanced at the cockatrice and snapped off a particularly large rib that curved into a single, sharp point. Not the ideal weapon, but it would do for now. I couldn't rely on finding another coal mine to incinerate whatever monster I ran into out there. At the very least, the makeshift weapon would give me an edge over those smaller, white wolves.

My mouth began to water when I thought of them. I was sure those guys would be absolutely delicious. Furthermore, I wondered what ability they might have…

Pushing my glasses up, I smirked. For the first time ever since I had arrived in Restia, I actually felt a measure of excitement.

Eating would never be the same again.