LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 9: Drain Touch
I raised my hand confidently, shouting, "Drain Touch!"
...Nothing happened. No glowing effects, no dramatic sounds, no cool visuals. Just me standing there with my hand in the air like an idiot.
"Huh? Did the assets not load or something? Is it lagging?" I muttered, frowning as I shouted again, "Drain Touch!"
Still nothing.
"Drain Touch! Darin Touch! Dain Touch!" I kept repeating it, my voice getting louder and more annoyed each time. But nope—nada. Nothing. Not even a flicker of energy.
"What is going wrong?" I grumbled, inspecting my hand like it was a defective product. "Hmm… Looks fine. Five fingers, no weird glitches." I flexed my fingers experimentally. "So why isn't it working? Am I missing something?"
As I stood there puzzling it over, my eyes drifted to the slimy ground beneath me. Maybe… I thought, crouching down. Let's try this.
Placing my hand flat against the sticky surface, I said softly, almost like I didn't want the universe to hear me, "Drain Touch…"
In an instant, it worked.
Green particles, like tiny dots of light, erupted from the ground, spiraling upward and being sucked into my hand. I gasped, feeling a sudden warmth and surge of energy flooding my body.
The system's notifications started popping up one after another:
> You have drained 1% of the life force from "Zirthal, Guardian Serpent of the Forest."
You have leveled up!
The notifications kept coming, each one confirming my steady progress. My body felt stronger, more alive, as if I'd tapped into a limitless reservoir of power.
So this is what it feels like to drain something big, I thought, grinning as I clenched my newly energized fists.
As I glanced around, trying to spot any changes, I couldn't help but mumble, "Hmm… Level up, huh? But where's the change?"
I inspected myself more closely, running my hands over my arms and legs. Wait… are these sturdier? My fingers squeezed at my limbs, feeling a slight difference. My excitement began to bubble.
"Ohhhh, don't tell me! Am I gonna be like the Hulk after leveling up like crazy?" My grin stretched wide as I looked down at my stomach. "Ooooh, my six-pack abs are coming in!"
I pressed my hands against my stomach experimentally, imagining rippling muscles. "But wait, won't that be too much? I don't wanna scare girls or anything. Let's aim for Thor instead. Yeah, nice and steady—lean but powerful. That's the goal."
I shook my hips in excitement, a goofy grin plastered on my face. This power surge was incredible, and I wasn't about to waste it. Ready to drain this snake dry, I crouched low, my hands hovering over the ground.
"Hehe… Alright, snaky boy. You dared to eat me, huh? Now I'm gonna drain you into oblivion!"
I got to work.
"Drain Touch!"
"Drain Touch!"
"Drain Touch!"
I kept repeating the skill, over and over, green particles swirling up into my hands in rapid bursts. The system notifications flooded my vision, stacking one after another like some overworked RPG leveling spree:
> Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Green particles erupted continuously as I kept draining, the light swirling into my hands like an endless feast.
The system messages kept stacking up in front of me:
> You drained 1% life force from Zirthal, Guardian Serpent of the Forest.
Level Up!
Level Up!
The notifications came in rapid succession, overlapping with every use of Drain Touch.
"Drain Touch!"
"Drain Touch!"
I wasn't stopping.
The ground beneath me began to tremble violently, Zirthal's massive body shifting and rolling in an attempt to shake me off like I was some pesky ant crawling on its skin. The snake's movements caused loud rumbles, but I dug my tiny fingers into the slimy surface, refusing to let go.
"No way in hell am I stopping now!" I shouted, a wild grin spreading across my face. "This is too tasty, baby!"
The shaking only made me tighten my grip, and I kept draining and draining, watching the green energy surge into me like a bottomless buffet. The feeling was intoxicating, and I wasn't about to give it up anytime soon.
It just kept going and going, each message stacking higher and higher.
By the 25th try, though, the notifications stopped. My levels refused to climb anymore.
"Huh?" I frowned, flexing my fingers. "Did I… hit a cap or something?"
"A level cap? In reality?" I muttered in disbelief, staring at the system messages frozen in front of me. "What is going on? They should fire the system developers—playing way too much RPGs and putting in stuff like level caps? Come on! I'm no game character!"
Not ready to accept defeat, I clenched my fists. "Let's try again!" I shouted, preparing to yell Drain Touch once more.
But before I could finish, something smacked me on the back of the head with incredible force, sending me face-first into the slimy ground.
"Ahhh! What the—?!" My head throbbed as I groaned, the sticky, disgusting floor clinging to my face. My anger flared instantly, and I scrambled up, ready to rip apart whoever was responsible for dirtying my face. "Alright, who the hell—?!"
As I turned my head, another slap came out of nowhere, smacking me so hard I spun in midair before landing flat on the ground again.
I yelled at the top of my lungs, "DAMN YOU! WHO IS FUCKING WITH ME?!"
This time, I turned my head sharply, ready for anything—only to see him.
That damned cat.
Paws stood there, his tail twitching furiously, his face twisted in a look of pure anger. His eyebrows—wait, do cats even have eyebrows?—were raised so high it looked like someone had insulted his entire family.
He looked like I'd stolen his cat girlfriend or something.
I pointed an accusing finger at him, my frustration boiling over. "YOUUU—"
But before I could finish, he cut me off with a roar so fierce it almost knocked me back down.
"DO YOU WANNA DIE, YOU IDIOT?!" Paws barked, his voice dripping with fury. "IMBECILE! MORON! ABSOLUTE BRAINLESS CLOWN!" He kept going, unleashing every insult imaginable, his tone so loud it echoed in the snake's belly.
My jaw dropped as he continued. "You reckless, level-capped, slime-covered BABY VAMPIRE—WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!"
It was like he'd unlocked his inner dictionary of insults, hurling one after another with wild abandon. If cats had a PG-13 limit, he was definitely pushing it. Maybe even PG-16 at this point.
"That's personal!" I muttered under my breath, half in awe and half in shock.
Even as his tirade continued, something clicked in my mind. Wait a second… My eyebrows furrowed in realization.
"Guys, did anyone notice? He's back to his old accent!" I said aloud, grinning despite myself.
"HMM?" Paws snapped his head toward me, his fiery gaze narrowing. "Did you just INTERRUPT ME?! Nya!"
Yup. Definitely back to his old self.
And just when I thought it was over, Paws doubled down, his anger reaching new heights.
"Oh, you want MORE, huh, nya?! You brain-dead, blood-sucking, noodle-armed FAILURE! What were you THINKING, nya?! Do you have a DEATH WISH?!" His voice roared like a storm as he launched into a fresh wave of insults, leveling up to what I could only call PG-17 territory now.
"Tiny-fanged, dirt-brained IDIOT! Do you even THINK before you act, nya?! Do you think this is some kind of GAME?!"
Every word made my blood boil, the insults digging deeper into my pride. My inner self—call it pride, call it rage—began roaring louder and louder.
"Fight back!" it screamed at me. "What the hell did we even do wrong?!"
I couldn't hold it anymore. My hands clenched into fists, my jaw tightened, and I shouted at the top of my lungs, "HYYY! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?! WHAT DID I EVEN DO WRONG, HUH?!"
My voice echoed through the slimy chamber as I glared at him, my chest heaving with anger. I didn't care if he was my system. I didn't care if he could slap me across the room again.
I was done. It was time for some answers.