{Rewards distributed...}
{Rewards calculated and received}
{Ding! Host has reached level 10!}
{Evolution available}
{Evolution would begin now... Good luck Host!}
"ARGHHHHHHHHH!" A blood-chilling scream from Max echoed through the streets as he immediately fell face-first to the ground, not unconscious, but completely unable to move.
The bystanders and town residents wasted no time rushing toward him. They had noticed the gang members on the streets preparing to make their move on their saviour, and they weren’t about to let him die here. Determination filled their eyes as they charged forward.
Max’s body tensed violently, his eyes turning bloodshot as his fingers clawed the earth in sheer agony. His breathing came in ragged gasps, every sound scraping against his throat like broken glass.
"Wh... what’s wrong with him?" A man asked as he crouched down beside the dragon vessel with a few others in tow.
’Is he... I think he is going through a transformation or something. Wait—no, this is more than that. He is evolving. Already? How quick is that? That means this is the weakest he has ever been.
Nobody must interrupt this,’ the man thought, his hand brushing aside his trench coat. His eyes sharpened as he stared at Max, whose entire body kept convulsing harder with each passing second.
’If I finish him here, no one would know. I could say it was the demon vessel that dealt the final blow. With him gone, no dragon aura would draw demons into this world.’ His hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword, slowly pulling it free. But then, he froze.
’No... the higher-ups were clear. They want him alive, not dead. I don’t know why, but if they insist, then it must be for a reason. My allegiance lies with the Hunter faction, and whatever they command me to do...’ he let out a slow breath, sheathing the blade, before crouching closer to Max.
’...is what I will do.’
"Everybody! Give him space! Don’t crowd him." The man barked, pushing back the closest bystanders. Then he gently rolled Max onto his back.
Looking at the young lad, he could see pain etched into every inch of his body. Blood ran down from the corner of Max’s lips. His eyes were so bloodshot it was as though veins of crimson had flooded them.
His fists were clenched so tightly that his nails had pierced his own skin, drawing blood. Most haunting of all, his mouth opened and closed repeatedly as if he desperately wanted to speak.
"Save your strength. Don’t waste it talking," the man said firmly. "You need to channel everything you have into finishing this evolution. If you succeed, you’ll come back stronger than ever."
’Ho... how does he know what I’m going through? Wh... who is he? Wait—his voice. Isn’t this the same voice that shouted at me to go for the vessel’s head? Who exactly is this man? Damn it... Mia!’ Max’s eyes widened, fear sparking in them, but his body betrayed him. He could only convulse as his head reeled, vision spinning.
His blood felt as though it were boiling inside him, heat rising until his body almost glowed. His bulging eyes threatened to burst out of their sockets.
"ARGHHHH!" Max screamed again, his voice breaking with pain, tears streaking down his face.
’Shit! What do I do?’ the man thought, startled, when Max’s trembling hand reached weakly toward him.
’I... I have no choice but to trust this stranger with Mia. That money has to reach the hospital now. Please, let her be safe,’ Max thought as his chest heaved violently, mouth struggling to form words.
"Didn’t I tell you to shut it? Save your damn breath!" the man snapped, his patience fraying. "Focus on surviving this or I’ll put a sword through your head myself!"
"Let’s take him to the hospital, or else he’ll bleed out right here!" someone yelled frantically from the crowd.
"Pl... pl—ARGHHH!" Max choked on his own scream as a new wave of agony tore through him. His bones began to break down from within.
The sound echoed across the street, sharp and horrifying, like twigs snapping one after the other. Each break sent his body thrashing against the ground, his cries of pain filling the street.
"Cra... crap!" Max muttered before he turned towards the man beside him. "I... I... I have someone in the hospital wh... wh... who goes by the name Mia... pl... please... take the money in... in my pocket and go de... deposit it for her. Pl... please save her for me!" Max managed to whisper, hoping the man had heard.
’Is that why he looked distracted earlier in the fight? Was he worried about this Mia fellow? That must mean the person is really important to him for him to still be thinking about her even in this state. But even if I wanted to go, I... I can’t just leave him here. If he dies during this, I will be blamed.’
"Pl... please he... help me save Mia. I... I beg... beg of you," Max managed to heave out, his eyes widening in pain again.
"ARGHHHH! Fuckkkk!" Max roared as he twisted and turned on the ground, his broken bones rapidly reforming. Each snap and shift sent violent waves of pain shooting through his body, causing his heart rate to spike dangerously.
His body was now enduring double the pain it had already suffered, like his very flesh and blood were tearing apart and stitching themselves back together all at once.
"Ah, damn it! Fine, I’ll save Mia. But you better come out of this alive, or I swear I’ll come to the afterlife and drill holes in you." The man spat before quickly ransacking Max’s pocket and grabbing the bundle of money.
"Li... Life Saver H... Hospital," Max managed to croak out through trembling lips.
"Fine. The rest of you, nothing must happen to him. And if something does, trust me, I will destroy this whole town. Bet me, I can and I will," the man threatened. Without a moment’s hesitation, he leapt high into the air.
The next instant, he landed smoothly on a rooftop, and in a flash, he sped off into the distance without so much as cracking a tile beneath him.
"ARGHHH!" Max screamed again, his bones cracking and reshaping at a terrifying pace. The sound of his flesh stretching and sinew snapping echoed in the silence around him.
To anyone else, it lasted only five minutes. But to Max, it felt like hours. His body was being shredded from the inside out, like thousands of burning needles prickling deep into his muscles and veins, ripping him apart before cruelly knitting him back together. Every second dragged on like a lifetime in hell.
And then, after that endless torment, came a sliver of relief.
A faint sound rang in his mind.
{Evolution Completed}
{Congratulations, Host!}
That was the last thing Max saw before darkness swallowed him whole, and he lost complete consciousness.