Chapter 22 : Potential Ranks

Potential Ranks

Holding the black furball in her hand, with its wide eyes staring at her, Serea tentatively asked,

"Lick... ah, no, Dogsius?"

"At your service!"

The furball didn't open its mouth, yet the voice indeed came from within it.

"It really is you. Is this your true form?"

"Yes, master. As a member of the Parasite Demon race, this is the form of our true bodies."

Hearing Dogsius' reply, Serea's expression darkened slightly. She felt that something wasn't quite right. To confirm, she focused on Dogsius, and a surge of information flooded into her mind.

Role: Dogsius (Parasite Demon, Legendary)

Level: 1

Status: Good

Spirit: S

Strength: F

Agility: F

Endurance: F

Constitution: F

Charm: A

Luck: B

Skills: Mind Reading (Tier 1), Bewitchment (Tier 2), Mental Link (Tier 2), Psychic Perception (Tier 2), Parasitism (Tier 2), Self-Detonation (Tier 1)

Introduction: A rare intelligent creature of the Abyss. As a Parasite Demon, lacking a strong body to support it, it is merely a waste.

"Legendary, another strange caption, similar to Celia's 'Hero'. What does this actually mean?"

System: Explanation. Based on potential assessment, any active unit can be ranked in seven categories: Nameless, Bronze Elite, Silver Elite, Gold Elite, Epic, Legendary, Lord/Hero, with each successive tier representing a higher evaluation.

"I see, so it's a potential ranking. That means that so-called Celia's growth potential is the highest?"

System: That is an accurate understanding.

"This little guy ranks Legendary too, though, but leaving aside this 'Legendary' setting..."

Serea stopped mid-sentence, because apart from Spirit being S, Dogsius' other attributes were all F— the lowest possible. Those stats were just too dismal to look at.

While she was thinking this, Dogsius picked up on her thoughts through mind reading. Although he didn't understand what S and F meant, he clearly knew Serea was disappointed in him.

"Oh, my Master, the way I look now is only my surface! Please give me a powerful body, and as long as I have it, I can show you all my strength. I guarantee you will be astonished!"

Dogsius pleaded humbly. Hearing this, Serea's face chilled,

"You actually read my mind?"

"Ah... no, my beautiful master, please listen to my explanation—"

Dogsius begged for mercy, but a sense of impending death enveloped him—retribution from the slave contract.

As long as Serea willed it, he could vanish into ashes at any moment.

Under that kind of terror, Dogsius endured a painfully long ten seconds, until the horrifying aura finally faded away.

"Considering it's your first offense, I'll let you off this time. If you dare do it again, you're dead."

"Understood, my beautiful master! Your subordinate will keep it firmly in mind!"

Dogsius nodded repeatedly. Seeing this, Serea was embarrassed to punish him further and simply tossed him aside.

"Take a look at these. Can you parasitize them?"

Serea asked, and at her words, Dogsius slowly stood, looking in the direction that Serea pointed. He saw a unit of Skeleton Warriors in silver armor.

At just one glance, the Parasite Demon screamed in fear.

"Ne... Netherworld Undead!"

Dogsius' voice trembled, then he spotted Little Black, clad in jet-black armor.

"Bo... Bone Warrior!"

On seeing Little Black, Dogsius hurriedly hid behind Serea, quickly burrowing into her boots.

"Master, save me, I'm willing to dedicate everything to you..."

Clinging to Serea's ankle, the furball shook violently, making Serea's ankle itch. Sighing, Serea reached in and plucked him out.

"Huh? What are you afraid of? Don't you want a body?"

Serea asked. Dogsius cautiously opened his eyes, but on seeing Little Black again, he immediately shut them in fright.

"My Master, are you kidding? You want me to parasitize a Netherworld Undead? And there's even a powerful Bone Warrior among them! That's a future Bone Reaper!"

"What nonsense are you spouting? They're all my subordinates. I'm giving you a body now—what's there to be afraid of?"

"What, they're Master's subordinates?"

Dogsius seemed to have heard something unbelievable. He risked a glance at Little Black and the Skeleton Warriors, then looked back at Serea.

"Oh heavens, these terrifying beings are actually your subordinates... I can hardly believe my eyes."

Dogsius stared at Serea with disbelief, causing Serea some confusion.

System: Parasite Demons can only inhabit living creatures, and cannot parasitize undead beings. The death energy and plague that undead carry are what all living things fear most—especially Parasite Demons, whose survival depends on living hosts.

"Understood."

Serea realized why Dogsius feared Little Black and the others—undead like them were essentially the nemesis of Parasite Demons.

"Looks like you can't parasitize them. In that case, you'll have to wait for a while for a body, since I currently don't have any living beings for you to inhabit."

"That's fine, master. As long as you don't hand me over to those monsters, I'll do anything you say!"

"Alright then, just follow me for now. I'll get you a suitable body when I find one."

"I'll obey your every command, master."

Dogsius agreed to Serea's delayed delivery of a body. Serea then popped him into her pocket, where Dogsius poked out a tuft of hair and a pair of big eyes to look around.

The matter of the Abyss Summoning was settled. Serea glanced at the offering—she saw that all the corpses had vanished, but the other items remained.

Fortunately, the most incriminating corpses had already been cleaned up. The rest didn't need to be dealt with.

"Alright, everything's done. We can leave this place now."

As Serea spoke, she gazed at the dark, dense forest—her staging ground for future ascendancy.

With the power of the Dark Altar, she was confident she would grow rapidly—enough to explore the heights of this world.

Brimming with confidence for the future, Serea fantasized about her rise. But just as she was caught up in dreams of glory, a thought entered her mind.

"Master, danger!"

Because of his powerful spiritual sense, the Parasite Demon could sense danger ahead of time. To help Serea escape quickly, Dogsius used their mental link, transmitting the warning directly into her mind.

After Dogsius' reminder, Serea herself felt a chill wind from behind. She tried to evade, but the assailant was a step faster.

Little Black and the other skeletons saw the attacker as well and wanted to rush forward. But as Serea recognized who the assailant was, she stopped them.

Letting the attacker pin her to the carriage with a sword, Serea saw the intruder's face right up close.

(To be continued...)

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

Is it Celia?

Also, it's ironic that the Bone Warrior is called Little Black when he's the biggest of his undead.