The two young warriors sat cross-legged before Cliff, eyes closed, each clutching an essence stone in their hands.
Cliff watched them closely, studying every movement, every trace of mana that flowed through their bodies, weaving its way through the intricate "mana veins" that acted as conduits.
Unlike his own method of absorption, which came naturally, he noticed that for them, the process was far more challenging. They had to carefully blend the essence from the stone with their own, guiding it inward toward their essence stones.
He understood the dangers as well—one moment of lost concentration could result in severe consequences, like cracks in their essence stones, causing their energy to leak out.
His attention shifted to Rakahn, whose breathing was becoming labored. Sweat drenched his body, and his expression was twisted in pain.
Cliff wanted to help, but he had been warned not to interfere. Any disruption could be fatal.
"Damn it," he cursed silently, feeling helpless.
His attention was abruptly drawn to Dahlia, her teeth clenched, the sound of them grinding together echoing through the room. She was clearly struggling to endure the agony, though she did her best to hide it.
Cliff clenched his fists. He hated feeling useless. What was the point of him being here if he couldn't help? Lost in thought, he suddenly felt a hand grasp his, gripping it tightly—too tightly.
Frowning, he looked down. It was Dahlia. Her eyes had turned white, and with her free hand, she clutched her chest as if the pain was radiating from there.
"That's where her essence stone is, right?" Cliff thought to himself.
Suddenly, an inhuman scream erupted from her throat, echoing through the room like a thunderous roar. The sound was so terrifying that Cliff had to reassure any passerby that everything was under control.
Rakahn, who had been biting down on a piece of wood to endure the pain, let out a muffled groan before collapsing unconscious.
"Shit! Is he okay!?" Cliff rushed over, unsure if he should shake him awake or leave him be.
As he struggled with indecision, the sound of a soft chime filled the room, like a divine whisper of reassurance.
[Your contractor, Rakahn Orleth, has evolved.]
Cliff exhaled a sigh of relief. "Well done, man. You did it."
But then a trembling voice interrupted his moment of peace.
"M-Master…" came Dahlia's voice, weak and strained.
Cliff turned around and saw her lying on the ground, looking as though she was on the brink of death. He immediately grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly.
"Dahlia, stay with me!" he shouted, his voice shaking with fear.
For several agonizing moments, her body writhed, but the worst of it seemed to pass. The tension left her limbs, her breathing slowed, and peace slowly returned to her face.
[Your contractor, Dahlia Orleth, has evolved.]
"She's sleeping soundly now," Cliff murmured, noticing her head resting on his leg. He gently stroked her silver hair, savoring the brief moment of calm.
As he sat there, his thoughts drifted. He reflected on everything that had happened since meeting Rakahn, who had now become a trusted friend. His encounters with Dahlia, Akumu, Cain—so many people, so many challenges.
What was his goal in this vast, unfamiliar world? He had faced so many dangers already, but there was still so much more to come. There were clear gaps in his strategy, and if he wanted to conquer the entire forest, he needed to be more organized, more efficient, and ensure that his allies were all on the same page.
The awakening of Rakahn and Dahlia was just the beginning.
It was true that as creatures grew more powerful, they also became more intelligent. But that only meant they saw humans as prey. And if that was the case, Cliff reasoned, they, too, must view these creatures as prey to be hunted on their path to power.
Cliff opened his eyes, noticing that Rakahn had woken up and was now sitting before him. The horned warrior offered him a warm smile.
"Is something troubling you, my lord?" Rakahn asked.
"Ah, Rakahn! You're awake. Congratulations on your awakening," Cliff responded, returning the smile.
"Thank you, my lord. I even awakened my elemental affinity!" Rakahn said proudly.
"Oh really? So does that make you a 'mutant monster' now?" Cliff asked, intrigued.
"No, sire. It's rare, but sometimes a person can awaken their elemental affinity without reaching the mutant stage, if the essence stone they absorbed had a strong elemental affinity beforehand," Rakahn explained.
"Oh, I see. So, what's your elemental affinity?"
"Earth, sire," Rakahn replied.
"Earth, huh? That was the element of the hobgoblin you killed, wasn't it?" Cliff noted.
"Yes. His elemental affinity was strong enough that he could create force fields. Now I've inherited those abilities," Rakahn said evenly.
"Wow, I can't wait to absorb mine now!" Cliff exclaimed with the excitement of a child waiting to taste their favorite dish.
He picked up one of his stones, the one with the darker hue, and closed his eyes, preparing to begin his absorption.