Kenzo's injuries were not going to kill him… but they were going to put him in a terribly dangerous situation. Every breath burned him, every movement sent a shiver of pain through his body. He would not be able to defend himself against another attack, not in this state. Just imagining another creature appearing in front of him was enough to make his heart tighten.
And above all… how was he supposed to reach the tree he was aiming for like this?
He thought about it for a moment, but something else drew his attention. The Deviant's body lying on the ground. He stared at it, strangely drawn toward it.
That urge again. That disturbing, almost animal need.
Kenzo knew. He knew he was a Deviant himself. Or maybe even… something else.
So he had to feed on the creature's heart. It was instinctive. Irresistible. As though something deep inside him were calling out to that black, nauseating flesh.
He could already picture himself trying to crack the creature open, tearing apart its torso to eat the heart… when something happened.
A white glow appeared just above the corpse.
– « An artifact…? »
It was. One of the peculiarities of Deviant Void Creatures was that they granted artifacts to the one who killed them. How that was possible, no one truly knew. It was one of the great mysteries since the arrival of the Awakened.
Kenzo raised his hand and touched the light. Instantly, something entered his body like a pure impulse, cold and gentle at once.
Then a voice echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations. You have obtained an Artifact: Armor of the Forest Guardians+]
– « Armor… that's incredible. I really need that. I'll look at it right after. »
He took a deep breath. The pain in his ribs reminded him he did not have the luxury of waiting too long.
He immediately hurried to try to strip away the Deviant's bark. Unfortunately, it took time. Far too much time.
With his broken spear, he had to find a way to pry off a piece of bark from the Deviant's torso. The material was hard, like corrupted iron, rough, almost alive. But he finally managed it.
Beneath the bark, the body looked rotten… swollen, and it gave off an utterly revolting stench, to the point that he had to look away for a moment.
Kenzo gritted his teeth. He took his spear and drove it into the Deviant's black flesh. A dark sludge, just as black and foul, oozed out like thick pus.
He kept forcing it, tearing through the corrupted flesh, until he finally exposed the Deviant's heart. The smell was unbearable. But deep inside him, his own heart was stirring, almost joyful, excited at the idea of devouring it.
– « This is absolutely disgusting… »
Despite his revulsion, he ate the heart. The texture was soft, rubbery, sticky. The taste was foul. But he bit down again and again.
A few seconds later, he felt his body revitalize itself. As if his blood were beginning to boil with new energy. As if the fight had never happened.
And once again, the voice echoed.
[Congratulations. You have eaten a Void Creature for the first time: Young Shoot of the Cursed Tree [Condemned Unconscious]Your Heart becomes more Resilient.]
Kenzo froze for a moment.
– « A Condemned… that's the same stage as a Transfigured… »
He barely had time to process the discovery before his body reacted. A strange sensation spread through his muscles. A new strength. A density in his breathing. A solidity in his bones.
He looked at his injuries. They seemed to be healing, slowly but visibly. His scrapes were closing. The bleeding was gradually stopping.
– « I should check my Status… »
He inhaled, focused, and summoned his Orb. It had not changed since the last time: a transparent sphere, inside which a white and violet glow swirled.
Then he looked at his Status.
Status:
Name: Kenzo
Rank: Unconscious
Bodily Awakening: [Serpent+]
Awakened Prana: [2/800]
Heart: Awakened
Corrupted Prana: [8/1000]
Power: None, please ingest a power
Blessing: [Touched by the Unique], [The Lastborn]
Gift: [Chimera+]
Artifacts: [Armor of the Forest Guardians+]
– « My Corrupted Prana increased by two… is that because the Young Shoot was of a higher stage than me? »
He thought for a few more seconds.
– « Now I've got an Artifacts section… I should see what this armor looks like. »
He focused on the idea of the armor appearing on him. And instinctively… it worked.
An armor of black bark appeared over his body. It fit him perfectly.
The armor covered his entire torso, with the image of a gigantic tree on the chest, surrounded by eight smaller trees.
The sleeves were wrapped in black leaves, like a mantle of organic darkness, forming natural long sleeves.
The same material covered his thighs—black, dense, alive. Only his lower legs and ankles remained wrapped in rough bark.
And finally…
A crown of white flowers settled onto his head, creating a striking contrast with his black hair and that single white lock.
Kenzo remained still. He ran a hand over his chest, then over his shoulders. Everything felt perfectly fitted.
– « This is fine… I feel good in it. And I can move well. I wonder what the Status can tell me about the armor. »
He focused on it, and the text appeared.
[Armor of the Forest Guardians [Condemned Unconscious]:
When the sacred fire died, they remained.
When the hope of the forest left the living world, they remained.
When the madman brought chaos down, they remained.
When their vows were known only to themselves, they remained.
Here lies the only remnant of their existence.]
Kenzo frowned.
– « Yeah… I don't really understand much of that. I'll read it again another time. Right now I need to get moving again. I've rested enough. »
He dismissed his Orb. Picked up his broken spear. Drank a little more of the water he had originally come looking for.
Then, after one last deep breath, he resumed running toward the tree…
before the sky turned gray.