I stared at the purple-trimmed Rare Crate with my heart pounding rapidly.
Aside from the Rare Crate, I left the others in my inventory.
My hand trembled slightly as I touched it, feeling a magical energy seeming to flow from the crate.
With one deep breath, I opened the lid.
A blinding flash of light greeted me, but soon dissipated into a swirling, glowing energy that took the form of a large crystal.
I was awestruck gazing at the mystical crystal hovering before my face.
Its transparent surface glowed softly, with strands of energy like flowing streams of water coursing within.
"Evolution Crystal..." I unconsciously whispered as I read the name displayed beside it.
Curiously, I read the description about this rare item.
Item Name: Evolution Crystal
Description: The Evolution Crystal is a luminous gemstone that holds the power to upgrade or enhance the user's skills to the next level. By touching the Evolution Crystal and focusing energy on a particular skill, the user will feel a surge of power strengthening that ability to its next evolution.
So this crystal had the ability to upgrade or evolve the skills I possessed!
My eyes then fixated on the newly acquired Chain Bind skill.
Yes, I figured I could use the Evolution Crystal to enhance this ability!
I could imagine how overpowered it would become.
However, besides Chain Bind, my gaze then turned to the Split Personality and Imagination Information skills I also had.
Those two skills were actually quite tempting to upgrade as well. But I quickly shook my head to dismiss that thought.
Split Personality sounded like a dangerous thing. What if I truly lost control over myself after leveling up that skill?
I could end up never returning and be trapped as some other personality I didn't recognize!
That would be the same as death!
As for Information Imagination... yes, even if I upgraded it, the dangerous side effects would likely still persist.
It could perhaps even worsen. No, definitely not a wise choice.
Of course this was just my assumption, but what was the harm in considering the worst possibility?
So my choice fell solely on Chain Bind.
At least this skill sounded safe and useful enough if I truly had to venture into dangerous adventures.
Well, as an adventurer, it was most fitting to enhance this skill. More useful for me too.
DO YOU WANT TO USE THE EVOLUTION CRYSTAL ON THE CHAIN BIND SKILL?
"Y-Yes, I want to do it," I replied with a slightly trembling voice containing my enthusiasm.
Suddenly the Evolution Crystal's light flared brightly, its glowing energy swirling like a vortex of water.
I squeezed my eyes shut as that energy surged toward me, touching my forehead like soft hands massaging my head.
The next instant, searing pain struck like a sledgehammer blow! My head felt like it would explode from the Evolution Crystal's power enhancing my Chain Bind skill! I groaned in agony, my body nearly collapsing if not for gripping the bed.
One minute that felt like an agonizing century passed in that torturous state.
But soon after, the pain gradually subsided and I could breathe a sigh of relief.
Sweat drenched my entire body, but I could feel something different about the now glowing Chain Bind skill in my mind.
CONGRATULATIONS, YOUR CHAIN BIND SKILL HAS BEEN UPGRADED FROM COMMON TO UNCOMMON
I smiled with relief, feeling its promotion to Uncommon rarity would surely make it much stronger and more useful.
Soon after, I immediately checked it. And sure enough!
[ACTIVE SKILL]
Chain Bind: Uncommon Rarity
The "Chain Bind" skill is the ability to bind an opponent's abilities for 5 seconds, effectively restricting the enemy's movement and capabilities. However, the user must wait 1 minute before using this skill again.
It had been significantly upgraded!
After successfully enhancing the Chain Bind skill with the Evolution Crystal, I was convinced that luck was definitely on my side!
My spirits soared instantly, optimism flooding my mind, despite having just experienced a rather...torturous and yes, sinful ordeal.
Not long after, I snatched up the purple-trimmed Rare Crate before me with confidence.
Without hesitation, I flung it open with one pull.
Bright light greeted me again. But this time, the light did not form a crystal like before. Instead it glowed and slowly contracted until forming a...
Heart?
It was a heart!
I froze staring at the pulsating, heart-like object hovering before my eyes.
Its color was a fiery red with purple veins spreading across the surface like intersecting arteries.
The object throbbed with an eerie glow, as if freshly ripped from a living creature's chest.
Seeing it, I couldn't help but swallow hard nervously.
CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE GAINED A SKILL: THROBBING FIEND
CHECK THE SKILL IN THE SKILL MENU
"Wh-what is this..." I stammered. A heart like that was not something I expected as a reward.
No, this looked highly suspicious and horrifying!
Still, when I read its description, I gasped in realization that this was actually a skill!
[ACTIVE SKILL]
Throbbing Fiend: Mythic Rarity
The "Throbbing Fiend" skill is a dangerous evil skill that drains the life energy from other beings to strengthen yourself. By activating this skill, you can launch a vicious attack that will snuff out the lives of your enemies while transferring their life force to you, healing your wounds and temporarily boosting your combat abilities. However, the risk is that each time you use this skill, a portion of your humanity will be eroded, making you increasingly cruel and vile with repeated uses.
I swallowed hard, shuddering at that horrific description.
A skill like this was utterly inconceivable as a reward I would hope for!
This was more like a curse that could strip away my entire humanity!
Plus why did this skill have a physical form? Why didn't it just manifest as text like usual?
I really was fated to be a sinner hahaha.
I laughed at myself.
Let's just pretend I didn't see it... as I was about to store it in my inventory.
At that moment, my body suddenly shuddered. Huh? What was happening?!
A dark purple energy crept from the throbbing heart toward me.
Along with it, fear began gripping my heart as that energy coiled around me like a venomous snake.
"No... No... I don't want this!" I started screaming and struggling, but the purple energy had already fully infused me.
It seeped a dark presence into me, like a murderous urge spreading until I felt a bloodthirsty craving for enemies!
I let out a feral roar with a bloodthirsty voice like a wild beast. My eyes went wide, glowing red consumed by cruel and vicious emotions. My hands clenched tightly with my fingers transformed into sharp claws.
For a moment, I could feel a portion of my humanity slipping away.
Replaced by a dark side and vile compulsions that felt so tempting to act upon. The throbbing fiend within had risen, completely overtaking my human side!
I roared wildly, my eyes blazing crimson like smoldering embers.
Rasping voices whispered cruel words in my ears, "Kill... Kill... KILL!"
My head throbbed with murderous urges swelling within me.
I snarled, clawing and shredding everything in this inn.
My claws ripped through the bedsheets, tearing pillows until feathers flew everywhere.
Then I lashed out with brutal punches at the window, pummeling it repeatedly until cracks spiderwebbed and it finally shattered into pieces.
The faucet! I gripped the sink faucet, ripping it out until the water pipe broke and sprayed everywhere.
"AAAARRRGGHHH!" I roared again while clawing wildly at my own hair. Blood dripped from my torn fingers from my punches moments ago.
I couldn't stop!
I couldn't control this!
Pain...pain...this hurt! The searing pain in my head made me even more uncontrollable.
I clawed at the wooden floor until my fingers split from the nails, leaving bloody tendons protruding from my shredded skin.
My head whipped around wildly seeking more objects to destroy.
I kicked the dresser until it shattered apart, hurling chairs in random directions until utter chaos reigned.
Roaring, raging, demolishing everything around me.
Amidst that brutal frenzy, I heard the doorknob turning from outside.
Instinctively I whipped around toward the sound, crouching in a wary stance with claws raised. Ready to tear into whoever would emerge from behind that door.
And sure enough, a girl's figure stepped inside with a confused expression.
But upon seeing the inn's ravaged state and my seemingly possessed form, her face instantly drained of color, consumed by terror.
That face... it felt familiar to me, even in this frightening state.
Yes, I remembered her... Furina!
Wh-what was she doing... here?!
Our eyes met. I could see my own monstrous reflection in her widened, horrified gaze. A bloodsoaked fiend with raised claws. An unrestrained, savage beast ready to deal death to anyone.
Furina was pale-skinned with soft white hair shimmering blue. Her mismatched eyes, one dark blue and one light, stared at me in horror. Her slightly parted lips now pressed tightly shut.
We stood frozen in tense silence for several seconds.
Until finally I began snarling again. My bloody, mangled hand raised with claws unfurled, ready to slash and tear her apart.
***
A/N: If you want to read the 7 advanced chapters with a faster update frequency than the webnovel, you can read it on my patreon whose link is below:
https://www.pâtreon.com/Junxt
Replace "â" with "a" and search for it in your browser.
By the way, don't forget to throw a power stone and leave a review to motivate me :)
I didn't expect this development to turn out like this... honestly this isn't the development I had in mind. However, it seems interesting, so I'll just continue on.
It's like they are truly alive, and I can't control them lol.