This Beast-Tamer is a Little Strange - Chapter 529

Chapter 529: Chapter 529: System Version 4.0 (2)
The System didn’t answer immediately. It didn’t need to. The silence stretched, pressing down on him like a heavy weight.

Kain swallowed hard, but it did nothing to ease the tightness in his chest. His mind flashed back—Serena’s wary eyes, Malzahir’s barely concealed fear, the suffocating hunger that had clawed at his sanity.

The way his own hands had trembled afterward, still aching with the desire to clutch something, anything whether that be a fragment or a person, and drain it completely.

And now, the System expected him to consume even more of that energy? En masse?

Kain clenched his jaw, willing himself to breathe through the rising panic.

The System continued, voice maddeningly neutral. *If it helps, your body and Pangea are now far better suited for the process. Your previous… let’s call it ‘incident’… was due to improper regulation. But now, with the integration of the Star Space, absorption should be—*

“Shut up.” Kain’s voice came out hoarse. He exhaled sharply, pressing a hand over his face. “Just… give me a moment.”

A beat of silence.

Then: *Of course. Take all the time you want. We have all of the time in the world for your fragile mental strength. Not like we need to rebuild an entire System or anything. Or like I am suffering from gross over-exhaustion after undergoing a process that I barely had the necessary energy reserves to complete safely.*

Kain bit back a curse. His fingers curled into a fist, his nails digging into his palm. He should be used to this by now, the System’s incessant and unhelpful commentary, but right now it felt unbearable.

It didn’t matter if the System framed it as a necessity. It didn’t matter if he was supposedly ‘better suited’ for it now. The idea of willingly taking in that energy again made his entire body scream in protest…but also longing—which is what scared him even more.

But what choice did he have?

None.

He had just practically sworn to Serena that he’d cut back. And given what just happened he had no confidence in reassuring her that the continued absorption would be okay.

Kain could already practically see the fear, disappointment, maybe even disgust, at his seeming lack of control and inability to just let go of absorbing the core fragments.

Serena had already been wary, and had already been watching him with unease. What if this was the final straw?

What if she decided he wasn’t worth the risk? That he a threat, not only to her but to everyone? That he was beyond saving?

What if she told the Order?

A cold shudder crawled down Kain’s spine at the thought. Serena was composed, methodical—if she deemed his abilities too dangerous, she might not hesitate to report it, their current status as friends (?) bedamned.

Not because she wanted to betray him, but because she thought it was the right thing to do.

And the Order… He didn’t really need to imagine how they would react. If they categorized him as something on par with the Abyssals, a quick death would be something he could only hope for… More likely, they’d contain him. Study him. Tear apart his existence in order to find a way to use him—or erase him entirely.

The weight pressing down on his chest grew heavier.

His breath came a little sharper. He couldn’t afford to lose their trust. He couldn’t afford to let them think he was slipping into something beyond control.

But if absorption was the only way to restore the System’s functions…

Kain stiffened.

‘Wait.’

The System had said many sources. Not just core fragments.

A slow, uncertain thought took root in his mind. If he wasn’t limited to absorbing core fragments to obtain this Source energy anymore… If there were other ways to replenish the System’s energy…

Could he do it without them noticing?

His heart beat a little faster—not from fear this time, but from possibility.

If he could find an alternative method, something subtle, something that wouldn’t draw the same attention as draining core fragments—

It wouldn’t be stopping. But it would be hiding.

And right now, that might be his best option.

His hands, still stiff from the tension, unclenched slowly. His breathing slowed.

“Alright. Tell me more.” Kain’s voice was steady when he finally spoke. “You said all living things and objects containing Source energy could be used. Clarify what this means”

The System’s response was instant. *All living things born on a planet, contain a small amount of Source energy from that planet—that is what gives them life. I am sure that you sensed it in your allies when you had your…meltdown. ‘Objects’ refers to any material or construct imbued with Source energy—artifacts, rare naturally formed crystals, certain relics, and, in extremely rare cases, the terrain itself.*

Kain couldn’t help dwelling on the description of all living creatures having Source energy. Was the GP previously absorbed Source energy? Had he been absorbing it for far longer than he’d even realized? Perhaps his ability to absorb it was precisely why the System even bound itself to him…

*The GP*, The System began, upon reading his thoughts *previously obtained via killing to power the System was a combination of less pure Source energy, genetic energy, and other types of energy emitted by the body after death. This impure energy while not as powerful as pure Source energy, is significantly more stable and has no adverse side-effects upon absorption. However, after integrating with your Star Space, the System will now only absorb pure Source energy, and the currency used by the System will now also be Source Points.*

“Does that mean that I can discretely absorb Source energy from any creatures? Not just ones that I kill now? Also, does that mean the absorption won’t be detectable by others?”

It was that last question Kain was the most concerned about while thinking about a certain pair of blue eyes that had been staring at him with trepidation.

*Naturally, since the System is now actively involved in the absorption process it should be undetectable when from hunted creatures, only requiring that the Host be within a certain range for the discrete absorption. However, considering that Source energy returns to the planet almost immediately after death, energy from kills made by others will only be obtained if you were present at the time of death, and you will only obtain a fraction of the energy you would have obtained from making the kill directly.*

That last statement was incredibly surprising to Kain. “Why the hell should it matter who makes the kill?”

*That is a restriction due to the illusive power of fate in this world. Any energy or nutrients obtained from killing a life will, as a kind of prize, be much more easily absorbed by the hunter. That is why you will see many wild creatures walk past a seemingly decent carcass in favour of hunting something else directly even if there are no signs of poison on the corpse. After all, diseases are practically non-existent in this world, so they wouldn’t be afraid of getting sick. It’s the power of fate that has led to this phenomenon.*