Qualitative Change!

As night descended and the vibrant green world began to collapse, the hall reemerged, revealing its ancient grandeur. In the center stood the giant golem, now marred by tiny cracks that spiderwebbed across its stone surface, remnants of the chaos that had unfolded.

James glanced at his palm, where a coin-sized burn mark glowed faintly; a mark left by Anne. This mark was both a commission and a curse, a constant reminder of his promise to protect the one with transcendent talent. It had appeared the moment she vanished, and with it came a surge of knowledge: the child he needed to find was located in Tianjing City. As he drew near to the child, the mark would guide him, alerting him to their presence.

He sighed heavily, bowing once more to the giant golem, a silent gesture of respect and farewell, before he turned and walked toward the door.

Stepping out of the cave, James took a moment to gather his thoughts. He summoned the sickle of death, its cold blade gleaming in the dim light. With a swift motion, he destroyed the cave, ensuring that no one could disturb Annes final resting place. The echoes of the cave collapsing reverberated through the air, a fitting end to the chapter he had just closed.

With the cave in ruins, James settled down in the grass, seeking a moment of clarity. He reflected on his recent gains, the most significant being the mental technique gifted to him through the legendary mission: Dark Night. Unlike the Aura Cloud Technique he had trained in, this new skill felt inherently familiar, as if he had been mastering it for years. He raised his hand, observing the black aura that coiled around his fingers, a smile creeping across his face.

The sensation of newfound strength was intoxicating. Although his original energy had diminished significantly during the transformation, leaving him with only 10 points of energy; he could feel the dark attribute energy coursing through him, far more potent than anything he had felt before.

The qualitative change in his Aura also affected the techniques and skills he possessed. He opened his panel, curiosity piquing as he examined his enhancements.

---

[Host: James]

Body: Death Scarecrow (0 evolution points)

Rank: F-grade medium

Growth value: (30124/100000)

Mentality: Night (First level: At nightfall)

Energy value: 10

Spells:

- Gale (Night Blessing: additional dark attribute damage.)

Talents:

- Life Thirst

- Devouring Fear

- Scythe of Death

- Life Storage (1000/1000)

Skills:

- Straw Binding (Night Blessing: Increases toughness and release speed of straw, inflicting continuous dark attribute damage.)

- Dark Fear (Night Blessing: Awakens target's instinctive fear of darkness; those with weak willpower may fall into eternal darkness.)

- Transformation into Night: (Status skill, requires the Night Heart Technique. Consumes dark attribute Aura when activated.) Transforms the user into darkness, enhancing soul panel, attack power, and speed while slightly increasing damage from light, thunder, and fire attributes.

- Night Step: Blends into darkness; can teleport within a 100-meter radius using any shadow (requires Night Heart Technique, no cooldown in Transformation into Night state).

- Erosion: Deals dark attribute damage to enemies; consumes dark attribute Aura to erode targets. Upon their demise, feeds back dark matter to the host (requires Night Heart Technique).

---

James's eyes sparkled with determination as he absorbed the information. This was more than just a power-up; it was a new beginning. The potential of his abilities filled him with hope as he envisioned the battles ahead.

Standing up, he looked toward the distant horizon, the weight of Annes sacrifice heavy on his heart. "I won't let you down," he promised, his voice steady with conviction. The night was just beginning, and so was his journey.

James stared at his newly updated skill panel, a rush of excitement bubbling within him. Not only had his old skills been enhanced, but the three new skills granted by the Dark Night Heart Method were downright incredible. One boosted his attack power, another enabled quick dodges and surprise strikes, and the last one dealt continuous damage while also facilitating recovery. It was a perfect trio of skills that complemented each other beautifully.

Then, as he reveled in his newfound power, a thought struck him like a bolt of lightning.

"Wait a minute... there's something I'm forgetting," he muttered, his brow furrowing in concentration.

He quickly scanned the long list of skills, his eyes darting until they landed at the very bottom. There it was, the game-changing skill that had saved him countless times: Life Harvest.

But as he read the description, a strange expression crossed his face.

Life Harvest: Kill creatures that are seriously injured or have less than 20 points of vitality.

(Night Blessing): Consumes a certain amount of energy to kill creatures that are seriously injured or have less than 50 vitality.

"What's this?" James chuckled incredulously. "How come all my other skills are so powerful, yet this one feels like a letdown?"

He couldn't help but laugh at the irony. While his other skills surged with potential, Life Harvest remained nearly the same, only now it consumed even more energy than before. In fact, with the shift to darkness, he realized that he had actually weakened this critical skill.

"Oh well, it's probably for the best," he sighed, shaking his head. "If Life Harvest could be further enhanced under the Night's Blessing, it would be borderline overpowered. This makes more sense."

Deciding to regroup, he thought, "I should head back to the camp." His growth value still had a long way to go before reaching the pinnacle of F-grade. The immediate priority was to boost his Aura. With the little energy he had left, he was barely scraping by.

Unlike those who practiced Aura with utmost caution, James had learned to manipulate his Aura freely, letting it flow even during movement or combat. While others feared the risk of damaging their meridians, which could cripple them, he had no such concerns. If his Aura caused damage, he could simply replace a few straws and expend some vitality to repair the damage. This reckless abandon allowed him to maximize speed and quality, completely disregarding traditional safety.

As he made his way back to the camp, he suddenly spotted a familiar face. However, the sight that greeted him was less than pleasant.

Carmen lay sprawled on the ground, his once-charming face now a mess of bruises and swelling. The only thing unchanged was his narrowed eyes, which were so puffy that he could barely open them.

Riding atop him was a girl with long, fluffy brown hair and a figure that demanded attention. She was mercilessly pummeling Carmen, each punch landing with a satisfying thud. Carmen's body twitched beneath her, and with each of her strikes, her ample curves bounced in a rather distracting manner.

James leaned against a nearby rock, unable to suppress a grin as he took in the spectacle.

"If only I had some popcorn," he murmured, amused by the chaos before him.

The scene was almost comical, the girl's fierce determination contrasted with Carmen's hapless predicament. It was a sight both amusing and oddly pleasing, and he couldn't help but enjoy the moment.