As James and Laura stepped out of the cave, they emerged into the cool, fresh air on the second level of the giant cavern. Both of them paused, taking a deep breath of relief.
Laura glanced at him, her curiosity ignited. "So, what do we do about your injuries? And by the way, what do you eat? I mean, you don't seem to have a digestive system. How does that even work? Oh! And can we consider you an alien? If you can still advance, does that mean you're in your juvenile form now? Can you even feel the limits of your mature form?" She fired off questions with the enthusiasm of a child.
James chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You're like a curious baby sometimes." He looked around until he found a relatively clean spot on the cave floor. Gently, he set Laura down. "Rest for a bit and focus on bandaging your wounds."
After that, he turned away, seeking solitude as he settled down against a wall, trying to block out her incessant chatter by covering his ears with the straw that adorned his body.
Laura, undeterred, made a mock threatening gesture, but when he continued to ignore her, she huffed in annoyance and shuffled off to tend to her own injuries.
Once she fell silent, James couldn't help but smile, a small victory of peace. Despite his earlier irritation, he felt a pang of concern for this naive girl who had faced danger head-on. It seemed that beneath her bubbly exterior, she possessed a resilience he hadn't expected.
He took a moment to open his status panel, and his smile faded as he surveyed the details before him:
[Host: James
Main body: Scarecrow (1 evolution point: can choose the evolution direction)
Class: F-grade low-grade
Growth value: 10/10000
Talent: Life Desire, Fear Devouring
Skills: Fear,
Harvest of Life,
Straw Binding,
(Severely injured, body damage 84%, permanent damage 32%)]
'Evolution point? Can I really evolve?' A mix of hope and curiosity flickered in his mind. 'Could I become Super James?'
He hesitated only a moment before clicking on the evolution point option.
[After system detection, the host's current form is a scarecrow. The evolutionary direction is generated based on the host's current situation...
...Generation completed - Evolution direction:
1. Scarecrow of Fear: A shadow creature born from absorbing the fear of all living beings. It no longer desires life and transforms into shadow and fear itself.
'(The body becomes shadow, excelling at mental attacks, capable of fear purification to create seeds of fear.)
Evolution requirement: 1 evolution point.'
2. Corpse-eating Scarecrow: An undead creature born from the absorption of resentment and blood in a sea of corpses. It desires no life and knows no fear. It lives among crows and devours flesh and blood.
'(Unlocks the eating system, gaining the ability to devour, blood manipulation for body tempering, and the ability to summon corpse crows.)
Evolution requirement: 1 evolution point.'
3. Death Scarecrow: Once eager for life, this form consumes a vast amount of life force, ultimately becoming an undead creature that harvests lives out of jealousy.
'(Unlocks the Death Scythe, Life Force Storage System, and Life Force Purification for injury treatment and upgrades for the Death Scythe.)
Evolution requirement: 1 evolution point.]'
James stared at the options, a mix of dread and intrigue washing over him. Each evolution path offered power, but at what cost?
"Which one do I choose?" he whispered to himself, contemplating the transformations that lay before him. The fear-laden whispers of his potential echoed in his mind, and he felt the weight of his decisions pressing down on him.
"This... Scarecrow is incredible," James murmured, staring in awe at the three evolution options displayed before him. Each path was a doorway to immense power, but the decision weighed heavily on him. 'Which one should I choose?'
He rubbed his chin, caught in the grip of indecision.
The first option, ''Scarecrow of Fear'', seemed the most unique. Its ability to thrive on fear alone was tempting; no need to kill, just incite terror to grow stronger. It promised rapid evolution, but something about it didn't sit right with him. 'It doesn't match who I am right now,' he thought. The idea of becoming a shadowy figure feeding off fear felt too detached from the soldier and policeman he once was.
The second option, ''Corpse-eating Scarecrow'', resonated with him on a deeper level. Physical, brutal, primal; it felt like the natural extension of his old life on the battlefield, where strength and skill had kept him alive. As a former soldier turned detective, this path aligned with everything he knew, everything he had been trained for. His instincts screamed that this was where his true power lay.
Then there was the third option, ''Death Scarecrow''. It was the most fitting for his current state, a broken scarecrow with severe injuries and 32% permanent trauma. His strength had dwindled to that of a mid-level G-grade fighter. This option offered something the others didn't: healing. The ability to store life force and mend his body. If it could repair his permanent injuries, he might be able to regain the full strength he had lost.
James sighed deeply, feeling the weight of his situation pressing down on him. He couldn't have it all. Only one path could be chosen.
After a long moment of contemplation, he finally made up his mind. The third option, ''Death Scarecrow'', made the most sense right now. Healing his body was essential if he was going to survive in this form. With a resigned sigh, he murmured to himself, "My life seems to be heading down an increasingly dark path. And here I thought I was a good guy."
He gave the system his selection, feeling the weight of the choice settle into his chest. Almost immediately, the straw that made up his body began to stir, writhing as though it had a life of its own. It shot out from him, wrapping around his frame like silken threads, cocooning him inside a tight bundle that quickly grew to over two meters tall.
"Hey! James, what's going on?" Laura, who had been nearby, spun around at the strange noise. Her eyes widened when she saw the cocoon, her heart skipping a beat.
Panicked, she rushed over, tapping gently on the straw cocoon. "James? Are you in there?" But there was no response. She bit her lip, nervousness creeping in. The last thing she wanted to do was interfere, but she had no idea what was happening. The sight of him encased in this strange cocoon was more unsettling than anything she'd seen before.
After circling the cocoon a few times, she settled in front of it, her back to the massive structure. With a sigh, she unsheathed her Nepalese knife from her lower back and laid it across her legs, ready to defend them both if anything unexpected happened.
"Is this a cocoon? Are you going to emerge as a butterfly or something?" she whispered, her voice light with humor, though the unease still clung to her. Laura knew better than to disturb him during such a critical moment. Whatever this was, it was important, and she wasn't about to risk messing it up.
Inside the cocoon, James had no idea what was happening outside. The moment he made his choice, he felt as though he was wrapped in the softest cotton, his consciousness drifting into a foggy state. It was oddly peaceful, like being suspended in a dream.
[Host is evolving. Please ensure you are in a safe and quiet place to avoid interruptions. Any interruption will result in evolution failure.]
'Now you tell me,' James thought wryly, but he was too far gone to do anything about it. His mind sank deeper, and his awareness slipped away completely as he entered the final stage of evolution.
''[Evolution has begun. Time remaining: 71:59:56...]''
The countdown had started, and the process had begun. Now all that was left was to wait and hope that nothing interrupted the transformation.