You know. I've never actually been inside the rotten vale. I've been to the portion exposed to the coral Highnds, ate it some too, but never been inside.

  First thing I noticed; It fucking stinks. With my Enhanced Body trait boosting my sense of smell, I was seriously dizzy from walking around in this pce. How these other creatures could stand it is beyond me. Whatever; It's not enough to inhibit my effectiveness.

  What was enough was this gross fog that caused me to start hacking and coughing when I got close to it, I could feel myself growing weak. Shaky. It was bad enough I didn't sense the horse-sized bck scale lizard sneaking up on me before its fangs were already sinking into my shoulder, cracking through my cvicle as it bites down. I roar in pain and reach both my hands up to grab the creature and sm it over my shoulder and onto the carrion-floor of the Vale itself. I follow this up with a kick to the beast's body, but it also strikes me in the hips with its tail.

  We're both sent sprawling onto the sticky ground, and I let out a huff of multi-elemental breath as I stand up, my wings fpping and driving the miasma away. I take to the air, using my natural superiority that flight afforded me to stay out of reach. I use my wings to unch myself forward, using my new Crown to control fire from my palms causing me to flip. My improved mind had made this next move easy, using the centrifugal force of my free-falling flip to deliver a horrendous axe-kick to the lizards' skull. My own strength and sturdiness multiplied the force from the explosive flip to bisect the poor creature's bead.

  I immediately pick the creature's corpse up and move on. Something about this pce prickles at me, makes my skin - er, scales - crawl; I don't want to stay here for very long. But it's also the only pce I haven't spent much time in. There's bound to be some goodies here that I haven't got to yet. It's just a matter of finding them. And to find a pce where this god-damn stench isn't choking the life out of me! For fuck's sake.

  I went deeper, down to where some blue, flowing water was. A quick test showed it was acid, so I gave it a healthy berth. Cooking and eating the creature - a Great Girros - was worth a forty years of bioenergy, and gave me the redundant Paralytic Fangs trait, which I just broke down with Bioenergy Control for another twenty years of energy. Still, my stomach was sated a small amount, but only just. I wanted more.

  I decided to explore the upper regions of the Vale, remembering that I specifically don't remember coming here. Honestly, I'm a bit of a mess.

  The path upward was treacherous, with jagged bones and the remains of fallen monsters littering the way. I manoeuvred carefully, my enhanced senses on high alert for any signs of danger. Despite the oppressive atmosphere, I could feel the bioenergy radiating from the area, tempting me to stay and explore further.

  As I ascended, the miasma grew thinner, allowing me to breathe more easily. I reached a pteau where the remains of a massive beast y, its skeleton half-buried in the decaying earth. I nded softly, my cws sinking into the soft, putrid ground.

  Scanning the area, I noticed something glinting within the ribcage of the fallen monster. My curiosity piqued, I approached cautiously. As I drew nearer, I realized it was a cluster of vibrant, glowing crystals. They pulsed with energy, and I could feel the bioenergy emanating from them in waves.

  "Jackpot," I muttered to myself, reaching out to touch one of the crystals. As my fingers made contact, a surge of bioenergy flowed into me, replenishing my strength and heightening my senses even further. The crystals were a rare find, worth their weight in gold for the boost they provided.

  Just as I was about to collect more, a low growl echoed from behind me. I spun around, my cws at the ready, and saw a massive Radobaan rolling towards me, its body covered in yers of bones and debris. The creature's eyes glowed with a menacing light as it charged.

  Instinctively, I took to the air, narrowly avoiding the Radobaan's crushing charge. I hovered above it, assessing my options. The creature was heavily armoured, making a direct attack difficult. But I had faced tougher foes before.

  Drawing on my Crown of Dominance, I summoned a torrent of water, directing it at the Radobaan's legs. The force of the water unbanced the beast, causing it to stumble. Seizing the opportunity, I swooped down, my sharp cws aiming for the exposed joints. With a powerful swipe, I tore through the creature's armour, leaving it vulnerable.

  The Radobaan roared in pain and fury, thrashing wildly. I danced around its attacks, my wings giving me the agility to stay out of its reach. With a final, concentrated bst of fire, I struck its exposed core, the fmes searing through its body. The Radobaan let out a final, pained bellow before colpsing in a heap.

  Breathing heavily, I nded beside the fallen beast, my body thrumming with the adrenaline of battle. I allowed myself a moment of triumph before turning back to the crystals. There was still so much more to discover in the Rotten Vale, and I intended to make the most of it. A thought comes to my mind and I activate Bioenergy Control, directly absorbing the energy from the crystal. My eyes widen as a rush of Bioenergy comes to me, Sixty years worth! I drop the crystal once it's devoid of even a second's worth of bioenergy, watching as it lost its lustre and crumbled to little fkes. I grip my hands before turning to the Radobaan's corpse and come over to it.

  I focused on the Radobaan's corpse, my eyes narrowing as I prepared to use my Bioenergy Control. This technique was still new to me, and I had to concentrate to draw out every bit of energy the beast had left. I pced my hands on its armoured hide and felt the familiar surge of power as the bioenergy began to flow.

  The process was slower than consuming the creature directly, but it allowed me to extract more bioenergy than I could by eating it. I could feel the energy seeping into my veins, strengthening me further. The Radobaan's essence was potent, and I could tell it would provide me with a significant boost.

  Minutes passed, and finally, I felt the st of the Radobaan's bioenergy flow into me. I stepped back, breathing heavily, and looked at the now desiccated corpse. It had been drained of all its vitality, leaving only a brittle shell behind.

  I stood up, feeling the newfound strength coursing through me. This was more than I had expected—a total of seventy years of bioenergy from both the crystals and the Radobaan. My mind raced with the possibilities of what I could do with this much power.

  I needed to find more sources of bioenergy in this pce, but I also needed to be cautious. The Rotten Vale was full of dangers, and while I was stronger now, I couldn't afford to be reckless.

  I gnced around, scanning the area for any signs of movement. The pteau seemed quiet for now, but I knew better than to let my guard down. I took a moment to gather my thoughts and then set off deeper into the Vale. There was still so much to explore, and I was determined to uncover all its secrets.

  As I moved forward, I couldn't help but feel a sense of exhiration. The bioenergy coursing through me made every step feel lighter, every breath more invigorating. This pce might be a nightmare to navigate, but it was also a treasure trove of power waiting to be cimed.

  And I intended to cim it all.