Alice bit into the [Talent Evolution Fruit], and almost immediately, her body began to glow with an intense, otherworldly light.
“W-Wow,” Aurelia gasped, stumbling back. “This thing is…”
“It’s a rare item that grants a new effect for your talent,” Alex explained. “I’ll try to find one for you next time, though they’re insanely rare.”
“Really?!” Aurelia’s eyes sparkled. “That means Alice is gonna get way stronger!”
Alex scratched his chin, nodding slightly. “Yeah, you could say that.”
His talent, [Extraction], was primarily utility-focused.
While incredibly versatile, it never granted direct combat power.
But talents like Alice’s [Star Archer] and Aurelia’s [Assassin of Shadows] were a different story: they thrived on offensive prowess.
The perks they gained from the fruit could significantly amplify their strength and combat power.
A faint chime interrupted his thoughts as Alice’s transformation ended.
Ding!
Alice opened her eyes, her expression shifting as she felt the surge of new power coursing through her.
[After eating the talent evolution fruit, you have gained a new perk for ‘Star Archer’!]
Ding! Ding! Ding!
[Talent Effect #2: Space Arrows; Combines with [Star Arrows] to deliver devastating damage. However, it requires 3 seconds to transform a [Star Arrow] into a [Space Arrow]. Additionally, you have gained the Artifact-level skill [Arrow Black Hole].]
Alice blinked at the message, then shouted, “WHAT THE HELL?”
Her hands trembled as she sent the panel to Alex and Aurelia.
Aurelia’s jaw dropped. “Holy shit!”
Even Alex raised an eyebrow. “Huh, not bad.”
The new perk was remarkable, far beyond what Alex had expected.
While his own perks like [Potential Extraction] and [Skill Evolution] leaned toward growth and adaptability,
Alice’s [Space Arrows] massively boosted her raw power.
These arrows rivaled some of the strongest offensive abilities in the game, potentially even surpassing [Blood Arrows].
But there was a catch: [Space Arrows] required a three-second charge, making them risky in high-speed battles.
Despite this limitation, Alex knew this perk had just doubled Alice’s strength.
“I need to test this out!” Alice grinned, pulling out her bow. “I should get used to it right away.”
Alex, however, frowned as a new notification appeared.
[Talent Evolution Fruit side effect: Berserk Frenzy; you will go berserk and attack anything you see; effect will last 30 minutes.]
“What?!” Alex’s eyes widened.
“Huh?”
Both Alex and Alice were shocked as they saw the side effect of the fruit. Stay tuned to empire
They definitely expected the side effect to be [Intense Desires], much like with Alex, but maybe it was a different side effect for each person?
Alice barely had time to process the notification before her pupils turned crimson, her entire demeanor shifting into something wild and uncontrolled.
“Alice?” Aurelia asked nervously, taking a step back.
She could sense the ominous aura that appeared around her friend, almost as if taken over by another entity.
“What’s happening?”
Alex and Aurelia heard familiar voices.
At that moment, Alera and Lilith, the two fox tribe members, appeared from behind one of the village huts.
They smiled upon seeing Alex and the others, their tails swaying happily.
“ALEX! You’re back!” Alera called out.
But Alice’s berserk state had already taken over.
Hearing their voices, she whipped around, her bow drawn, and a glowing [Star Arrow] forming on the string.
“Huh?”
“Alice, stop!” Alex yelled, but it was too late.
With a flick of her wrist, Alice charged the arrow for three seconds, transforming it into a [Space Arrow].
The air around it distorted as if reality itself was bending under its power.
“NO!” Alex shouted, dashing forward, “DON’T LET HER!”
Fwish!
Alice let go of the bowstring, the arrow flying at incredible speed toward the fox girls.
Alex could tell this arrow was powerful enough to obliterate even level 500 monsters.
He wouldn’t care if he was the one that was aimed at or killed, or even if it was Aurelia since they could be revived.
But entities already inside the game from the start like Lilith and Alera would permanently die if they were killed.
He wouldn’t allow that.
Aurelia reacted instantly, throwing her [Shadow Control Daggers] in front of Alera and Lilith.
The spinning blades managed to slow the arrow for a split second, but it wasn’t enough to fully stop it.
However, that second allowed Alex to reach the arrow just in time.
Drawing his dagger, he sliced the arrow in half mid-flight, grabbing the broken pieces to prevent them from detonating.
“Get out of here!” he shouted at Alera and Lilith, who quickly ran for cover.
Alice, undeterred, was already charging another [Space Arrow].
She turned her bow toward Aurelia, releasing the arrow in one swift motion.
“Aurelia, move!” Alex shouted, but there wasn’t enough time.
The arrow hit its mark, and a massive black explosion erupted, sending waves of distortion through the air.
When the smoke cleared, Aurelia was lying motionless on the ground before fading into a flash of blue light.
[Aurelia has been killed.]
Alex clenched his teeth, his heart racing, but he didn’t have time to check on her.
Instead, he dashed toward Alice, knocking her bow out of her hands before she could do anything else.
With a firm grip, he pinned her arms behind her back, forcing her to the ground.
“…” he didn’t say anything.
There was no such thing as “calm down” or “stop” when you were in that state.
The side effect was just too strong.
Alice struggled against his hold, growling like a feral beast.
Her crimson eyes glowed with unbridled rage as she scratched at Alex’s armor, her strength amplified by the berserk state.
“Shit, she’s strong like this,” Alex muttered, sweat dripping down his face.
He tightened his grip, ensuring she couldn’t free herself.
“What… what was that?” Lilith emerged from her cover.
“Berserk Frenzy,” Alex said through gritted teeth. “It’s a side effect of the fruit. She’ll attack anything that moves for the next 30 minutes.”
Alera’s eyes widened. “Thirty minutes?! How do we stop her?”
“We don’t,” Alex replied. “We just have to hold her down until it wears off.”
Alice snarled, her strength surging again as she tried to break free. But Alex refused to let go.
For the next half hour, Alex remained locked in place, restraining Alice as her berserk state raged on.
Her growls eventually turned into soft whimpers, and her crimson eyes slowly faded back to their usual color.
When the glow around her subsided completely, Alice blinked, confused.
“Alex? What… what happened?”
Alex let out a long sigh, releasing her. “You went berserk. It was the fruit’s side effect.”
The [Berserk Frenzy] was truly an effect even more terrifying than [Intense Desires].
At least the latter felt good, but this one was just chaos and violence.
Alice’s face paled as she glanced around, noticing the damage she had caused.
“Aurelia-?” Alice tried to call the name of her friend.
“You shot her,” Alex said, “But she should be back in less than a minute or two.”
“I—I’m so sorry,” Alice stammered, tears welling in her eyes.
Alex placed a hand on her shoulder.
“It wasn’t your fault. The fruit’s power is incredible, but we’ll have to be careful next time.”
Alice nodded, her hands trembling. “I’ll make it up to you all, I promise.”
Despite the chaos, Alex felt a sense of relief.
Alice’s new perk was a game-changer, and once she fully mastered it, her strength would rival level 800 monsters, probably.
But for now, they needed rest, and a plan to avoid any future surprises like the [Golden Star Festival].