Crazy Blood Demon

"Option 1 is a rare neutral mana skill, a mutation that grants you night vision, and another mutation that eliminates your need to eat," Addak said with a smile.

A small blue box appeared in his hand, accompanied by two syringes of different colors.

"But this is just garbage compared to the second option," he laughed, his voice tinged with mockery.

Then he pointed to himself, his grin widening even further.

"Option 2 is me. I will become your master. I will teach you how to fight properly, provide you with valuable information about this world, and stand by you even in the apocalypse. When you have nothing to do, I will be there. And eventually, when you are strong and skilled enough, you might even become one of us," Addak said cheerfully, his voice dripping with confidence.

[56 watchers recommend Option 2]

[2 watchers recommend Option 1]

"Give me a moment to think," Bob said, his expression unreadable.

*Hey, Remo, what do you think about this?*

'Pick Option 1. Option 2 just wants to turn you into an Arcesilus. Maybe that's the real purpose of this apocalypse—to collect new Arcesilus,' Remo replied, his voice calm yet firm.

"I choose Option 1!" Bob shouted decisively.

Addak's brows furrowed, and his smile vanished, replaced by a dark, foreboding aura.

"Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?" Addak asked angrily, his voice filled with tension.

"No," Bob replied firmly.

[Congratulations, you have completed the quest!]

[All rewards have been automatically transferred to your inventory]

[Inventory slots enabled: 4/5]

"Keep following the second main scenario!" Addak shouted angrily before disappearing into thin air.

[48 watchers are thrilled with your choice of Option 1]

'What is this? Nearly everyone recommended Option 2, but now they're happy I chose Option 1. It doesn't make sense,' Bob thought, his mind clouded with confusion.

Still overwhelmed by the side effects of Charge, Bob decided to use the bounty he had earned. Weakened by starvation and surrounded by complete darkness now that Addak and the monsters were gone, he saw no better opportunity to inject himself with the mutations. While Bob's enhanced eyes allowed him to see better in the dark than a normal person, it was still far from adequate.

Bob retrieved a dark brown syringe from his inventory.

[Hebkou V3

Rarity: Uncommon]

He set the syringe against his vein and injected its contents.

[A mutation is seeping into your body]

Bob's eyes began to burn slightly, forcing him to blink rapidly. After a while, the sensation subsided, and he noticed the mutation had taken effect. He could now see perfectly in the dark.

Next, Bob pulled out a second syringe, this one darker in color. Before injecting it, he used the *Eyes of God* on it.

[Giorgio G53

Rarity: Rare]

Bob was surprised by the rarity, especially since Addak hadn't mentioned it. He pricked it into the same spot on his vein, which had already healed from the last injection.

The mutation worked almost immediately. Bob's stomach began to hurt tremendously, and he collapsed to the ground, writhing in convulsions. It felt as if something was gnawing away at his insides.

The pain was unbearable, so intense that Bob's mind momentarily wished for death, even though he had no true desire to die.

This agony lasted for an hour before finally subsiding. Bob lay still, staring at the wall in shock, his body trembling from the ordeal. It took another ten minutes for him to recover and regain his composure.

As soon as he was back to his original state, Bob felt the change. He no longer experienced hunger. He didn't feel full or fed either—just an unsettling, neutral sensation.

*You experienced such intense pain because you literally grew a new stomach that devoured the old one,* Remo explained. *This new stomach is peculiar. It feeds on mana instead of food. When it fully formed, it immediately consumed 50% of your mana to sustain itself.*

Bob reflected on the situation. Before the fight, he had been prepared to eat the monster's corpse, risking disease, to avoid starving to death. The hunger had been debilitating. But now, thanks to the mutation, he didn't need to rely on such desperate measures.

Satisfied with this newfound survival advantage, Bob turned his attention to the item that intrigued him most: the rare neutral mana skill box. It would shape his future.

Bob retrieved the box from his inventory and opened it.

[You opened the box with the rare neutral mana skill]

[You have been given the skill: Echo Blade]

Bob immediately checked the skill's description.

[Echo Blade]

Rarity: Rare

Consumption: 30 mana

Level: 1

Affinity: Neutral Mana

This skill allows the user to release a delayed shockwave with their weapon after a strike. The shockwave mirrors the original attack, hitting the target a second time after a short delay. This makes it particularly effective for catching opponents off-guard or breaking through defensive stances. However, overuse of the skill causes slight disorientation, reducing the user's accuracy for a brief period.

[Next level: 100,000 XP]

The skill was impressive—almost overpowered. It effectively allowed Bob to deal twice the damage with a single attack. The downside, a minor reduction in accuracy due to overuse, was manageable. However, what annoyed Bob most was that he couldn't even use the skill yet. With only 13 mana at his disposal and the skill requiring 30, it was completely out of his reach.

Bob shared his frustration with Remo.

'It's likely because you're too low-level to use rare skills,' Remo replied nonchalantly.