[Current Location: Open Ocean - 350 meters depth]
[Time since algae farm established: 52 hours]
[Algae colony status: Mature and producing]
My little algae farm is thriving. The Manabloom colony has spread across the entire rock outcropping, glowing softly in the darkness.
And I've been using it. Oh, have I been using it.
[You have defeated: Krill]
[+5 EXP]
I feed the corpse to the algae. It glows brighter. Mana pulses out.
[Absorbing ambient mana...]
[MP: 68→70]
It's slow. But it's FREE MANA. Just for existing near my farm.
This is the most idle-game thing I've ever done and I LOVE it.
But I've hit a problem.
The krill and plankton around here are running low. I've been over-hunting and have almost caused extinction of all the krill in this area. And the algae needs MORE nutrients to produce MORE mana.
I need bigger prey.
Time to go hunting.
I've been scouting the area with my Basic Vision and Detect Vibration, and I've noticed schools of fish passing by regularly. Not the tiny larval fish from before.
Real fish. Sizeable fish.
[Prey Sense activated]
[Detected: Swardine School - 200+ individuals]
[Average Level: 5-7]
[Average HP: 10]
Swardines. This world's weird version of sardines, but with sword-like noses. They travel in massive schools, probably for protection. They are basically a school of bite sized needles. Too bad I don't feel pain.
Perfect.
Each one is level 5-7. I'm level 8. I should be able to handle them.
The question is: How do I kill ENOUGH of them to feed my algae properly?
I can't fight 200 fish at once. Even with my new skills, that's suicide.
But I don't need to FIGHT them.
I just need to CATCH them.
[Stomach Inventory: Manabloom Algae stored]
[Available storage space: Significant]
Wait.
Wait.
What if...
What if I don't kill them FIRST?
What if I just... swallow them? Alive? Store them in my Stomach Inventory with the algae?
[Stomach Inventory ]
The water in there is deoxygenated overtime, algae can survive for months on end without oxygenated water'.
Which means anything living inside would...
Suffocate.
And then die.
And then get consumed by the algae.
And then get converted to mana.
Which I would absorb.
Directly.
This is...
This is the most BROKEN exploit I've found yet.
I'm going to feel like a R*blox pay to win.
But I'm doing it anyway.
The Swardine school approaches. I can sense them—hundreds of fish, swimming in tight formation.
Okay. Here's the plan:
Step 1: Swim through the school
Step 2: Sting as many as possible to paralyze them
Step 3: Swallow the paralyzed ones whole using Stomach Inventory
Step 4: Wait for nature to take its course
Step 5: Profit
I'm a terrible person. Jellyfish. Whatever.
Let's do this.
I activate Invisibility—wait, I still have Intermediate Camouflage, not full Invisibility.
[Intermediate Camouflage activated]
[MP: 70→68]
I position myself in the school's path and wait.
They're getting closer. I can see the movement with my Basic Vision. Hear the vibrations.
[Swardine School approaching]
[Estimated time to contact: 10 seconds]
My tentacles spread wide. Twenty tentacles, each loaded with venom.
5 seconds
3 seconds
Contact.
The school hits me like a wave.
Fish everywhere. Bumping into my tentacles. Triggering my venom.
[Poison Sting activated x7]
[Poison Sting activated x12]
[Poison Sting activated x19]
The paralyzed fish start drifting, unable to swim.
Now!
I open my mouth—do I have a mouth? Yes, apparently, for this—and activate Stomach Inventory in consumption mode.
The first paralyzed Swardine gets SUCKED into my storage.
[Stomach Inventory: Swardine (paralyzed, alive) stored]
[Mass increased: +0.3 kg]
Then another. And another.
[Stomach Inventory: Swardine x5 stored]
[Mass increased: +1.5 kg]
I'm getting HEAVY. But I keep going.
The school scatters, fleeing in panic, but I've already paralyzed dozens.
[Stomach Inventory: Swardine x23 stored]
[Mass increased: +6.9 kg]
I'm so heavy now I'm sinking. But I don't care.
Because inside my Stomach Inventory, I can FEEL what's happening.
The fish are moving. Struggling. Then slowing down.
[Swardine #1: Suffocating]
[Swardine #3: Oxygen depletion critical]
[Swardine #7: Deceased]
Oh god, this is SO dark.
[Manabloom Algae: Consuming deceased organism]
[Mana generation initiated]
[Absorbing mana directly...]
[MP: 68→75→82→95]
IT'S WORKING!
[Swardine #2: Deceased]
[Swardine #5: Deceased]
[Mana absorption accelerating...]
[MP: 95→115→140→175]
My MP is SKYROCKETING!
[Multiple Swardine deceased]
[Algae consumption rate: High]
[MP: 175→250→340→450]
THIS IS INSANE!
[EXP gained: +18]
[EXP gained: +21]
[EXP gained: +19]
Wait, I'm getting EXP too?!
[Note: Stored creatures killed by environmental conditions still grant EXP to user]
I'M LITERALLY JUST STANDING HERE AND LEVELING UP!
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 9]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 10]
[MP: 450→550→680→820]
The mana keeps coming. The algae keeps consuming. The fish keep dying.
I'm a MONSTER.
An EFFICIENT monster, but still.
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 11]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 12]
Hours pass. I just... float there. Heavy with stored mass. My MP climbing higher and higher as the algae processes the Swardines.
[MP: 820→1000→1200→1450]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 13]
This continues for what feels like forever.
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 17]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 21]
The EXP notifications are coming so fast I stop paying attention to them.
[MP: 1450→1680→1920→2100]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 24]
[MP: 2100→2150→2180→2200]
Finally, the mana flow slows. Stops.
[All stored organisms consumed]
[Stomach Inventory: Manabloom Algae only]
[Mass normalized]
I check my status.
[STATUS]
Level: 24
HP: 96/96
MP: 2200/2200
EXP to Next Level: 847/2500
LEVEL 24?!
I jumped from level 8 to level 24 in ONE HUNTING SESSION?!
And my MP is over TWO THOUSAND?!
This is BROKEN! This is SO BROKEN!
I found the infinite money glitch! The EXP farm! The—
[Three hours later]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 25]
[Evolution threshold reached]
[Species: Turritopsis rubra → Turritopsis nutricula available]
[Do you wish to evolve?]
[YES] / [NO]
YES! ABSOLUTELY YES!
[Evolution Initiated]
[Warning: Metamorphosis required]
[Estimated time: 2 hours]
Only two hours? That's way better than 24!
[Beginning transformation...]
My body starts changing. But this time it's not the horrifying melting sensation from before.
This is... reorganization. My cells shifting, improving, enhancing.
[Metamorphosis: 25%]
I'm conscious the whole time, but my body is locked. Can't move. Can't hunt.
Just... waiting.
[Metamorphosis: 50%]
This is way less traumatic than last time.
Still boring though.
[Metamorphosis: 75%]
I can feel my body getting BIGGER. Stronger. More complex.
[Metamorphosis: 100%]
[Evolution Complete]
[New Species: Turritopsis nutricula - Immortal Jellyfish]
The changes are immediate and INCREDIBLE.
[STATUS]
Name: —
Species: Turritopsis nutricula
Level: 25
HP: 300/300
MP: 6000/6000
STR: 45
DEF: 35
AGI: 60
INT: 40
THREE HUNDRED HP?! SIX THOUSAND MP?!
My stats TRIPLED!
But that's not even the best part.
[Skill Evolution Detected]
[Self-Heal Lv.1 → Constantine Lv.1 (Unique)]
Constantine?
[Constantine Lv.1: Maintains perfect biological homeostasis. Automatically converts MP to HP when damaged. Grants immunity to aging. Automatically removes status effects using MP. User cannot die while MP remains above 0.]
I...
I'm IMMORTAL.
Actually immortal.
As long as I have mana, I CANNOT DIE.
THIS IS THE MOST BROKEN ABILITY EVER!
[Skill Evolution Detected]
[Intermediate Camouflage Lv.1 → Invisibility Lv.1]
[Invisibility Lv.1: Complete visual invisibility. Does not hide mana signature or physical presence. Cost: 5 MP per minute.]
Full invisibility! Not just "nearly invisible"—ACTUALLY invisible!
[Skill Enhancement Detected]
[Poison Sting Lv.1 → Poison Sting Lv.3]
[Potency significantly increased]
And my venom got stronger!
I check my skill points.
[Skill Points: 25]
TWENTY-FIVE POINTS?!
Did I get one per level? That's...
That's SO MANY POINTS!
I immediately pull up the Skill Shop.
[SKILL SHOP]
[Filter: Attack Skills]
[Results: 147 skills]
I browse through them, looking for something good.
But as I scroll, I notice something weird.
Most of the attack skills are greyed out.
[Requires: Limbs]
[Requires: Mouth/Teeth]
[Requires: Solid Body Structure]
Of course. I'm a jellyfish. I don't have most of those things.
But there's one category that's FULL of available options:
[Venom Skills]
[Paralytic Venom Lv.1 - Cost: 2 SP]
[Acidic Venom Lv.1 - Cost: 2 SP]
[Hemorrhagic Venom Lv.1 - Cost: 3 SP]
[Necrotic Venom Lv.1 - Cost: 5 SP]
Wait.
[Notice: Skill Points can be used to level up existing skills]
[Cost: Equal to target level]
[Maximum level for non-unique skills: 10]
I can just... upgrade my existing Poison Sting?!
[Poison Sting Lv.3 → Lv.4: Cost 4 SP]
[Poison Sting Lv.4 → Lv.5: Cost 5 SP]
[Poison Sting Lv.5 → Lv.6: Cost 6 SP]
Let me do the math...
To get from level 3 to level 10 would cost: 4+5+6+7+8+9+10 = 49 SP
I don't have that much. But...
What if I merge skills? Get Necrotic Venom and level THAT up?
[Purchase: Necrotic Venom Lv.1 - Cost: 5 SP]
[Skill Points: 25→20]
[Skill Acquired: Necrotic Venom Lv.1]
[Synergy Detected: Poison Sting + Necrotic Venom]
[Combine skills?]
[YES]
[Skills Combined: Necrotic Poison Sting Lv.1]
[Effect: Inflicts Paralysis and Necrosis on contact. Necrosis causes rapid tissue breakdown.]
PERFECT! Now let's level it!
[Necrotic Poison Sting Lv.1 → Lv.2: Cost 2 SP]
[Necrotic Poison Sting Lv.2 → Lv.3: Cost 3 SP]
[Necrotic Poison Sting Lv.3 → Lv.4: Cost 4 SP]
[Necrotic Poison Sting Lv.4 → Lv.5: Cost 5 SP]
[Skill Points: 20→6]
Level 5 should be enough for now. I still want to upgrade other skills.
[Appraisal Lv.1 → Lv.2: Cost 2 SP]
[Skill Points: 6→4]
[Appraisal Lv.2: Provides detailed information including weaknesses and special abilities]
Perfect! Now I can actually analyze enemies properly!
I save my remaining 4 points for later.
Time to test out my new power.
[Current Location: Sunken Ruins - Outer Gate]
I'm back at the dungeon. The one that almost killed me before.
But I'm not scared anymore.
I'm level 25. I have 300 HP and 6000 MP. I'm IMMORTAL.
Let's see how tough you are NOW, guardian crab.
[Invisibility activated]
[MP: 6000→5995]
I pulse into the dungeon, completely invisible.
The Archaic Sentinel Crab is still on patrol. Same route. Same pattern.
[Appraisal activated]
[Target: Archaic Sentinel Crab]
[Level: 15]
[HP: 850/850]
[Weakness: Vulnerable to venom and necrotic damage.]
[Special Ability: Hardened Carapace - Physical damage reduced by 70%]
850 HP. Physical resistance.
Good thing I have NECROTIC VENOM.
I drift closer, my tentacles extending.
The crab doesn't see me. Can't see me.
I strike.
All twenty tentacles lash out simultaneously, wrapping around the crab's joints.
[Necrotic Poison Sting Lv.5 activated x20]
The crab SCREECHES—a horrible grinding sound—and thrashes.
But it's already too late.
[Status Effect Applied: Paralysis]
[Status Effec t Applied: Necrosis]
The necrosis spreads FAST. I can see it with my Basic Vision—dark spots appearing on the crab's shell, the tissue underneath breaking down, liquefying.
[Archaic Sentinel Crab: Taking damage - 50 HP/second]
[HP: 850→800→750→700]
The paralysis keeps it from fighting back. The necrosis just... melts it.
[HP: 700→650→600→550]
This is BRUTAL.
[HP: 550→500→450→400]
The crab's movements become weaker. Slower.
[HP: 400→350→300→250]
I'm not even TRYING and it's dying!
[HP: 250→200→150→100]
[HP: 100→50→0]
[You have defeated: Archaic Sentinel Crab - Level 15]
[+1200 EXP]
ONE-SHOT.
I BASICALLY ONE-SHOT A (mini) BOSS.
The crab's body collapses, already half-dissolved from the necrosis.
[Stomach Inventory: Archaic Sentinel Crab (deceased) stored]
[Mass increased: +15 kg]
I'm VERY heavy now, but I don't care.
The algae is going to have a FEAST.
I pulse deeper into the dungeon.
Time to explore this place properly.
And maybe find that Abyssal Reaver.
We have unfinished business.