Volume Two: Life and Death in the Northern Territory-The Devouring Experiment

It's time to get started.

I was so nervous that my whole body was trembling, and I could barely hold the Crystal Emperor Fruit. I took several deep breaths to try and calm my wildly beating heart, but it was no use.

No, I can't hesitate any longer.

Let's give it our all! Wait a minute.

That said, how do you "devour" something?

You're not going to eat it directly with your mouth, are you...?

Huang Huo have no idea how to proceed. I can't fully read the fragments of Blood Fiend's memory, and there's no one to teach me.

Let's give it a try first.

I carefully placed the Crystal Emperor Fruit on the ground, hovered my finger above it, and gently stimulated the blood. A tiny drop of blood seeped from my fingertip.

Tick-tock--

A tiny drop of blood landed on the Crystal Emperor Fruit, making a crisp sound.

Stare~

I stared wide-eyed at the tiny drop of blood, but nothing happened.

What the hell?

Is Huang Huo kidding me?

No, it's definitely not as simple as just dripping blood on something! If that were the case, wouldn't I just be able to absorb any blood I dripped on it?

After thinking about it carefully for a moment, I suddenly had a flash of insight.

I gently pressed my hand onto the tiny drop of blood on the Crystal Emperor Fruit, closed my eyes, cleared my mind, and gave a command to the deepest part of my body.

"Devour it—"

In that instant, a strange feeling swept through my entire body, as if all my muscles, blood, and meridians had been activated. Through my tightly closed eyes, I could almost see the long-dormant Blood Core within me begin to tremble violently, and wisps of red light flowed through my limbs and bones into my fingertips, connecting with tiny drops of blood.

The blood droplets immediately began to boil, churning and flowing, extending into countless fine lines that tightly bound the Crystal Emperor Fruit. Another large amount of blood seeped uncontrollably from my hand, flowing along the blood lines and forming various complex and beautiful patterns that covered the entire Crystal Emperor Fruit.

Hiss--

Then, the devouring began.

The incredibly sturdy Crystal Emperor Fruit began to tremble violently under the invasion of the bloodline. The fluorescent blue crystal gradually dissolved into the blood. At the same time, a painful and itchy sensation spread from my palm throughout my body, as if countless tiny particles were being poured into my body from my fingertips. It was extremely uncomfortable!

Gritting his teeth and enduring the pain, time slowly flowed by in the midst of the agony. Finally, the fist-sized Crystal Emperor Fruit completely dissolved, and the bloodline extending from his fingertip receded.

The pain and itching gradually disappeared. I stood up from the ground, tried to move my limbs, and carefully felt the changes in my body.

It seems... there's not much difference.

Is it because I already have the ability to crystallize blood that there's been no change?

Oh well, at least I know how to devour things now.

In that instant, something unexpected happened.

With a soft "plop," it sounded like a knife piercing fruit.

Without warning, a thick, long, red and blue Crystal Spike tore through my muscles and pierced out of my body.

"... Huh?"

It was too sudden.

For a moment, I couldn't understand what had happened.

Pfft! Pfft!

Two more Crystal Spike my body from my left shoulder and side! The belated pain pierced my brain, and the violent spasms made me kneel on the ground. The maddening pain ravaged my internal organs and burned my eyeballs, as if countless ants were gnawing at my body! I bit my lower lip tightly to keep myself from screaming, otherwise the sound would surely reach the ears of the three of them!

"Waaaaah... waaaah..."

The agonizing pain continued as three more Crystal Spikes pierced my spine simultaneously. The tearing sensation inside my body made me feel like I was in the deepest hell. The severe damage to my spine rendered me immobile. Copious amounts of blood gushed from the wounds, and my consciousness grew increasingly blurred. My vision... became so dark...

But it's not over yet...

My only strength is my exceptional adaptability, isn't it?

"Keep going with me... swallow!!"

The spurting blood froze in mid-air, then connected with each other, forming a large net that tightly enveloped the Crystal Spikes that had burst forth from the body! The blood frantically eroded the Crystal Spikes, causing the crystals to melt away little by little, but the Crystal Spikes refused to give up and continued to slowly extend from the body, creating a tug-of-war with the blood net.

How much time passed after that?

Countless times he was knocked unconscious by the pain, and countless times he was awakened by it. In the endless torment, the blood web finally gained the upper hand. The Crystal Spikes shrank and dissolved millimeter by millimeter, one, two, three, four... At the moment when his mind reached its limit, finally—

"Ah... haa... haa..."

The last Crystal Spike retracted into his body, and the violent tearing force within him finally subsided. He regained sensation in his limbs, and the horrific wounds on his body began to heal at a visible rate.

I gasped for breath, shakily getting to my feet. Looking at the faintly bright sky, I realized I'd sneaked out in the middle of the night; it must be almost five o'clock now. Had it been that long...?

It really is true, I escaped with my life...

I wonder if I've become any stronger now?

I reached out, trying to gather my strength in my palm, and then—

"... Light?"

It was a metallic, banded crystalline light that swirled and coiled in my hand, its color a mixture of light red, dark red, and bronze. Apart from the hue, it was exactly the same as the light emitted by the Crystal Emperor Tree!

Blood crystals of various colors appeared in my palm. Enveloped in light, the blood crystals of different sizes automatically pieced together. The longest copper-colored crystal rod was the main body, with light red crystal pieces attached to it to form the blade. Crimson crystal fragments piled up and twisted to form a strangely shaped handle. The whole process lasted less than three seconds, and a Greatsword surrounded by crystal light appeared in my hand.

The sword was even taller than my body, and I could barely feel its weight. Its huge yet not bulky curved blade, its unique shape made of countless stacked crystals, and its cool lighting effects gave me a sense of déjà vu.

After careful consideration, I suddenly realized.

Isn't this a recolored version of Sister Qi's Void Greatsword!?

Wait, wait, wait, are you kidding me?! One of the coolest weapons in the world of anime is right in my hand! As a former chuunibyou (delusional teenager), how can I not be excited?! ヾ(o◕∀◕)ﾉヾ

So, how powerful is it?

Give it a try!

He gripped the sword with both hands, aimed at several distant boulders, and cleaved horizontally—

The red crystalline light surrounding the Void Greatsword shot out with my movement, transforming into a massive blade of light that cleaved the solid boulder in two in an instant!

But that's not all.

Everything on the same level as the boulder—wild grass, trees, mounds, even a few unlucky early-rising monsters—was cut in half! One perfectly flat slice after another appeared before me, as if accusing me of my brutality.

"OMG..."

Wow, that's amazing!! I never imagined that after consuming a Crystal Emperor Fruit, such a divine weapon would be born within my blood! Those five hours of hard work were definitely worth it!!

What happened to my original Condense Blood into Crystals?

Thinking of this, I immediately concentrated my power in my hands again, and instantly, exquisite, translucent crimson crystals appeared in my palm. It seems that my original ability to Condense Blood into Crystals has not only not disappeared, but has actually been enhanced!

It was all worth the hardship!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next few chapters will be packed with high-energy moments; after eating the fruit, it's time to pick the flowers—this marks the first climax of the second volume.

I couldn't resist adding another chapter. Every time I get to the climax, I can't help but want to post all the saved-up chapters at once. I need to be more rational!

But since I've already posted it, I'll shamelessly ask for Monthly Votes and book reviews again~