Squid of Life and Death Core Refinement Method

Refinement Method Ranking: D

Description:

The Squid of Life and Death Core Refinement Method harnesses the dual nature of healing and corruption found in the male Life Squid and female Death Squid. Practitioners can refine their cores to enhance either regeneration and vitality or poison and durability, depending on the chosen path.

Pathways:

Stage One: The Depth's Awakening

To begin refinement, the practitioner must acquire and refine 10 Life Squid cores or 10 Death Squid cores, depending on their chosen path. The refinement process requires submersion in deep, still water for six hours while allowing the core’s mana to slowly merge with their body.

Path Options:

Path One: Depth's Healer

Abilities & Effects:

• Enhances natural regeneration, allowing wounds to heal 2x faster than normal.

• Grants the ability to passively cleanse toxins and minor ailments over time.

• Slightly improves movement speed by 2x in aquatic environments.

Drawbacks:

• Healing is limited to wounds up to major severity, and cannot restore lost limbs or organs.

• Increased mana consumption when healing occurs naturally.

• Weakened offense, as the body prioritizes survival over attack power.

Path Two: Ocean’s Killer

Abilities & Effects:

• Gains the ability to secrete a slow-acting poison from the skin, dealing damage over time to anything that comes into direct contact.

• Can now digest and absorb weak poisons, converting them into minor healing effects.

• Increases resistance to poison-based attacks by 30%.

Drawbacks:

• The poison effect does not work on non-organic targets.

• User must regularly consume toxins to maintain their venomous abilities.

• Overuse of poison secretion can cause nausea and fatigue.

Path Three: Depth’s Guardian

Abilities & Effects:

• Increases physical durability by 2x, making the skin more resistant to blunt and slashing attacks.

• Reduces damage taken from water-based attacks by 20%.

• Allows minor self-healing, closing small wounds over time.

Drawbacks:

• Movement speed is slightly reduced on land due to the body’s reinforced structure.

• Healing is slower compared to the Healer path.

• Strength and speed gains are balanced but do not excel in either.

Path Four: Death’s Emissary

Abilities & Effects:

• Gains the ability to release a toxic aura that weakens nearby enemies, reducing their speed by 10%.

• Slightly hardens the body, making it more resistant to piercing attacks.

• Grants the ability to instinctively sense weakened or injured enemies within 100 meters.

Drawbacks:

• Aura does not affect enemies stronger than the user.

• Heightened aggression instincts, making it harder to resist urges to attack vulnerable targets.