[Totem Possession Successful!]
[Please choose: Flesh Enhancement or Specialty Selection.]
『Specialty Selection』
Sakeer's spirit stirred.
This was the moment he had been waiting for—the true potential of 『Totem Possession』 lay not just in stat boosts, but in its extended skill choices.
As the totem tattoo finished forming on his arm, he noticed an immediate change—
His Physical Defense stat had increased by 50 points.
"So, the totem of the Wise King of the Forest Hamusuke boosts base physical defense… fitting, considering his immense durability."
Sakeer glanced at his status panel, confirming the change.
From his past experiences fighting monsters in the War Troll Guu region, he had already deduced that attribute boosts from totems generally ranged between 10 and 50 points.
Given that Hamusuke had been a level 30+ monster, it made sense that his totem would provide a higher bonus.
Still—
This stat increase wasn't what truly interested Sakeer.
After all, the 『Shamanic Adept』 class was only a mid-tier specialization, and its real strength lay elsewhere—
In the unique skills it unlocked!
To Sakeer, basic stat boosts were merely a supplement—a way to compensate for class weaknesses.
The true potential of this ability was in 『Totem Activation』—a skill with direct combat applications, similar to the fighting techniques of Zero.
Initially, this was his primary goal—
An ability that amplified his strength, making it effective in both early and late stages.
However—
When he realized that this skill also offered an alternative choice, his perspective shifted.
『Specialty Selection Selected!』
Sakeer focused his mind, activating the option.
A low hum resonated through his body.
A new prompt surfaced on his status panel, displaying a list of abilities related to the Wise King of the Forest Hamusuke.
[Choose one of the following specialty abilities to fix. Once selected, this choice cannot be changed.
Select an ability compatible with your race, class, and traits; otherwise, it may be weakened or rendered unusable.]
(1) Alertness
(2) Fitness
(3) Night Vision
(4) Blindness Resistance
(5) Jungle Acceleration
...
(1) + (2) Tenacity
(1) + (3) Flesh Armament
[Please make your selection.]
Sakeer's eyes widened.
He had expected a handful of options at most.
But this—
This was far more than he had imagined!
『Specialty Acquisition』 turned out to be far more versatile than he had originally thought!
He took a moment to consider his options.
In YGGDRASIL, there wasn't much detailed information about the Shaman system.
However, based on games he had played, the class seemed to function similarly to a Druid, with abilities that revolved around harnessing beast and monster traits.
Sakeer carefully scanned through the list of skills, weighing his choices—
Then, his gaze stopped at the final option—
『Flesh Armament』.
For a brief moment, his pupils contracted.
"I can… actually choose this?"
He hadn't expected this ability to be available.
One of the key reasons behind Hamusuke's incredible durability wasn't just his race—
It was the passive skill 『Flesh Armament』.
This ability was a defensive trait seen in some of the most powerful beings in YGGDRASIL.
For example—
Among the Guardian Hierarchy of the Great Tomb, Cocytus' distinctive light-blue armored exoskeleton was a result of Flesh Armament.
Even Shalltear, Demiurge, and others had partial applications of this ability.
The greatest advantage of 『Flesh Armament』 was its scalability—
Its strength grew alongside the user's stats!
The higher the level—the stronger the armament!
Furthermore—
Because it was part of the body, any damage taken could be healed with restoration magic, making it highly sustainable in combat.
However—
It wasn't without drawbacks.
The biggest limitation was that the armored parts of the bodycould not equip external gear.
This was why figures like Shalltear and Demiurge only used it partially—applying it to specific body parts rather than their entire form.
Additionally, even if 『Flesh Armament』 reached its highest potential, it would generally be on par with Legendary-tier equipment at best.
Only with extremely rare materials, such as Data Crystals, could it even approach Artifact-tier strength.
Sakeer folded his arms, deep in thought.
"If I remember correctly, this ability is typically exclusive to Subhumans and Xenomorphs…"
What would happen if he chose it?
The inability to equip armor on affected areas was definitely a flaw—
But at the moment, he had no armor to begin with.
Beyond that—
As a Cursed Knight, regular equipment barely lasted in his hands before being corroded and destroyed.
So, in reality—
This restriction wasn't much of a downside.
At worst, he could just use this as an experiment—
After all, it was just a single totem tattoo.
A test case for future decisions.
"I'll take the gamble."
『Select: Flesh Armament.』
The moment the command was given—
A deep, resonant hum filled the air.
The attribute panel trembled, flickering slightly as the new ability integrated itself into his status.
『Flesh Armament has been selected…』
『This skill has a low adaptation rate with the user…』
『Weakened.』
Sakeer's brows furrowed.
"Weakened?"
He had expected some level of incompatibility—
But just how much had it been affected?
Sakeer read it's description.
Skill: Flesh Armament → Deteriorated Flesh Armament
Cost: None (Passive) → 10% HP (Active)
Description:
Allows the user to choose between partial or full-body armament.
The armored areas cannot be equipped with additional gear.
Defense value is equal to the sum of the user's existing defense stats.
↓
Deteriorated Flesh Armament – Adjusted Description:This skill has been converted from passive to active.
Upon activation, the user can choose between partial or full-body armament.
The armored areas remain unequippable.
Defense value is now equal to half of the user's total defense.
Sakeer's expression shifted into something between amusement and disbelief.
"Deteriorated skills… so this is a thing?"
A skill transitioning from passive to active was unheard of in the game.
Could this be a phenomenon unique to this world?
In YGGDRASIL, once a skill like Flesh Armament was acquired, it functioned as a passive ability, remaining active at all times with no option to disable it.
But now—
This "deteriorated" version had become an active skill, meaning it could be activated and deactivated at will.
And that wasn't the only change—
The cost.
10% of his HP per activation.
A pure, percentage-based consumption.
That was steep.
"If that's the case, then full-body armament is obviously the better choice."
His gaze sharpened as he took a deep breath.
"Flesh Armament!"
[HP: 233 → 209]
The moment the skill activated, an energy mist erupted from his pores, enveloping his entire body in a dense, gray haze.
In an instant—
The mist solidified, forming a set of bright gray armor covering his entire form.
Even his head was encased within a helmet, completely obscuring his features.
As the sunlight filtered through the canopy, it struck the newly formed armor—
A subtle metallic sheen reflected off the surface.
Click! Click!
Sakeer flexed his arm, the armor shifting and rubbing together, producing a soft, mechanical sound.
Through the helmet's visor, he examined the armor more closely.
It was… lightweight.
If he hadn't witnessed the transformation firsthand, he would have thought he was simply wearing a thick robe rather than a full-body armor set.
"Item Identification."
A blue system window materialized before his eyes.
Deteriorated Flesh Armament – Full-Body ArmorLevel: Lower (11~20)
Durability: 138
Physical Defense: 84
Magic Defense: 54
Effect: None
Description: None
"Physical and magic defense are exactly half of my base stats… and durability is the sum of both."
Sakeer quickly pieced together the pattern.
"Disarm."
At his command, the armor flickered, dissolving back into a white mist before seamlessly retreating into his body.
His figure reemerged, standing in place, deep in thought.
"Flesh Armament!"
This time, he focused on a single limb—
His left arm.
A layer of bright gray bone wrapped around it, reinforcing it like a gauntlet.
However—
The cost was still 10% HP.
Sakeer's mouth twitched.
"So whether it's full-body or just one limb, the HP consumption stays the same?"
He performed another Item Identification—
And as expected—
The localized Flesh Armament had the exact same attributes as the full-body armor.
"If the HP cost is the same, then partial armament is completely inefficient."
With a flicker, the armored layer dispersed, revealing his bare arm once more.
Sakeer stood there for a moment, his expression growing increasingly strange.
"Hold on… why does this 'deteriorated' version seem… better?"
Yes—
The defense was lowered compared to the original passive version—
But the flexibility to activate or deactivate the skill at will?
That was a huge advantage!
With Totem Possession and the strange deterioration effects unique to this world, Sakeer saw endless new possibilities!
Refocusing his attention, he approached Hamusuke's massive corpse, pressing his palm against it.
In an instant—
The entire body vanished, absorbed directly into his Inventory.
"Fly."
With a flash of magic, Sakeer soared into the sky, heading back toward War Troll Guu's territory.
With Hamusuke's death, the Great Forest of the Southern Region was thrown into disarray.
Without its dominant ruler, chaos gradually spread—
Though not immediately.
Soon, the Demon Snake Naga and his forces moved in, bringing the warring beasts and monsters under his control.
Under his iron-fisted rule, the jungle regained order.
Meanwhile, powerful beasts and creatures were being systematically captured and transported to the Forest Cracks.
In just one month—
The Great Forest of Tob underwent a dramatic transformation.
Surprisingly, the outer regions remained largely unaffected—
Instead, with the removal of high-tier predators, weaker monsters and animals flourished.
Ten Days Later – The Forest Cracks
At the entrance of the cave, the Demon Snake Naga stood, his posture low and respectful.
"My lord," his hoarse voice echoed, "the powerful beasts in the depths of the forest have been nearly eradicated."
As he spoke, his eyes flickered toward a figure inside the cave—
His expression briefly twisted in fear.
It was War Troll Guu.
But—
The once massive, towering figure was now noticeably smaller.
Even his aura had weakened.
More concerningly—
Blood was dripping from his body, pooling into a barrel below.
The Demon Snake Naga swallowed hard.
Had it not been for War Troll Guu's powerful regeneration, he would have already died from bleeding multiple times.
Sakeer emerged from the cave, holding a wooden barrel filled halfway with blood.
He glanced at the Demon Snake Naga and grinned.
"By the way, Lord Ryraryus, why don't you contribute some blood too?"
The Naga's entire body stiffened.
He stared at the barrel—its sheer size nearly half a person tall—
And his voice trembled.
"M-My lord… I-I do not possess a troll's regeneration…"
Sakeer blinked.
Then—
He ran a hand through his hair, nodding in realization.
"Ah. Right. My bad."
His smile widened.
"I'll change that for you."
The Demon Snake Naga froze.
A deep, sinking feeling crept into his gut.
(End of Chapter)