Damien sat cross-legged on the ground, the dense silence of the forest surrounding him. The Bloody Green Orchids he and Luton had painstakingly collected were piled before him, their vibrant green petals shimmering faintly with magic essence.
He reached for the first orchid, his fingers brushing against its soft surface. Without hesitation, he shoved it into his mouth, chewing quickly despite its writhing resistance.
The familiar sweetness filled his mouth again, followed by the rush of essence coursing through his body. It settled in his core, and a notification panel appeared before him.
Ding!
«You have consumed a Bloody Green Orchid. +0.1% increase to essence core.»
Damien grinned. “Just as expected,” he muttered, reaching for the next one.
This time, he chewed with less caution, devouring the orchid in seconds. Another notification followed the first, marking another small but significant improvement to his essence core.
With each orchid he consumed, his excitement grew. He could feel his power steadily rising, the potential for growth driving him to eat more.
One after another, he consumed the orchids, his focus solely on the task at hand. The notifications continued to appear in quick succession.
Ding!
«You have consumed a Bloody Green Orchid. +0.1% increase to essence core.»
Ding!
«You have consumed a Bloody Green Orchid. +0.1% increase to essence core.»
It wasn’t long before Damien had consumed over twenty orchids. The initial pain that accompanied each one was tolerable, a brief burning sensation in his abdomen that quickly subsided.
But as he ate, he failed to consider the cumulative effect of the essence building within him. His focus on the notifications blinded him to the growing storm in his core.
By the time he had devoured half of the orchids, it hit him.
The pain was immediate and excruciating, far beyond anything he had experienced before. Damien’s essence core felt as though it were about to explode.
The burning was no longer localized to his abdomen—it spread through his entire body like wildfire. His veins felt like they were filled with molten lava, and smoke began to rise faintly from his skin.
Damien clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as he fought to endure the agony. His face reddened, and his breaths came in short, labored gasps. Sweat poured down his face, evaporating almost instantly from the heat radiating from within.
“Damn it…” he hissed through gritted teeth, but the pain didn’t relent. Instead, it grew worse, compounding with every second until he could no longer bear it.
“Graaahhhhh!” A scream tore from Damien’s throat, raw and guttural. He doubled over, clutching his abdomen as his body convulsed. He knew the sound would attract creatures from the forest, but he couldn’t stop himself. The pain was overwhelming, far beyond his tolerance limit.
His vision blurred, and the edges of his consciousness began to fade. Before his eyes shut completely, he saw a figure emerging from the shadows—a silhouette moving toward him with deliberate steps. His instincts screamed danger, but before he could react, the world went black.
~~~~~
As Damien lay unconscious, Aquila swooped down with a deafening cry.
Boom!
The Griffin positioned itself protectively in front of its master, its keen eyes fixed on the approaching figure. It didn’t know what it was facing, but it didn’t hesitate.
The figure lunged forward, and Aquila reacted instantly, meeting the charge head-on. An explosion of dust and debris filled the air as the two clashed, obscuring the battlefield.
Aquila struck fiercely, its talons slashing through the air and its beak snapping with deadly precision. But the figure’s essence was masked, its identity hidden even as the Griffin fought with everything it had.
Minutes passed, and the chaos showed no signs of stopping. Aquila let out another piercing cry, using the sound to disorient its opponent. It seized the opportunity as the dust began to settle, lunging forward and biting down with all its might. Its beak clamped onto the figure’s neck, and with a final burst of strength, it tore the head clean off.
Spurt!
Thud!
The figure crumpled to the ground, revealing its true form—a demon, its grotesque body limp and lifeless. Aquila stood over the corpse, its feathers ruffled but its posture proud. It had protected its master.
The Griffin returned to Damien’s side, lowering itself close to him and folding its wings protectively. It remained alert, its sharp eyes scanning the surroundings for any further threats. But as the hours passed, nothing approached. The forest seemed to recognize the danger Aquila posed and kept its distance.
~~~~~
Damien’s eyes fluttered open, and he immediately winced. His head throbbed with a splitting headache, and his body felt as though it had been crushed under a boulder. He groaned, forcing himself to sit up despite the discomfort.
“What… happened?” he muttered, holding his head as he tried to piece together the events. Slowly, the memory of the pain came back to him, along with the faint image of the silhouette approaching before he passed out.
Aquila nudged him gently with its beak, drawing his attention. The Griffin let out a soft, reassuring cry, and Damien reached up to pat its head. “Thanks,” he murmured. He didn’t need to ask to know that Aquila had protected him while he was unconscious.
As the pain in his head began to fade, Damien turned his attention back to the orchids. Half of his stock was still untouched, and he knew he had to proceed more carefully this time. “No more rushing,” he muttered to himself.
Reaching for two orchids, he shoved them into his mouth and chewed slowly. The familiar sweetness returned, followed by the burning sensation in his core. But this time, the pain was manageable. He allowed his body time to process the essence before consuming the next pair.
Damien continued this cycle, eating in measured intervals to avoid overwhelming his core. The notifications kept coming, marking steady progress.
Ding!
«You have consumed a Bloody Green Orchid. +0.1% increase to essence core.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Damien consumed the last orchid. He let out a deep sigh, relief washing over him as he received the final notification.
Ding!
«Mission Complete: You have successfully consumed the Bloody Green Orchids.»
Exhaustion hit him like a wave. Damien collapsed onto the ground, his chest rising and falling with slow, steady breaths. Aquila stood guard beside him, its watchful eyes ensuring no harm would come to him while he rested.
Luton joined the Griffin, its gelatinous form shifting slightly as it settled in. “We did,” Damien whispered to the slime. He remained too lazy to check the rewards.
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A/N: Hello dear readers. We’re back on schedule! Thank you guys for last month’s Golden Tickets. I shall be dropping a bonus chapter for the 100+ tickets we gathered.
Also, thank you all for the 200+ power stones. Two more bonus chapters! Let’s work harder! Thank you all very much for your support.