Chapter 30: Shadow Essence.

He considered tearing off his tattered shirt to use as a bandage, but then he would be left shirtless. He doubted they would provide him with more clothes if he asked, so he figured he had to find a different way to stop the bleeding.

With that in mind, Dawn closed his eyes and began concentrating on circulating his energy around the injured area. He didn't expect much, but he hoped it would at least slow down the bleeding. 

Because his expectations were low, the result truly surprised him.

"Huh... the wound is healing...?" Dawn muttered in disbelief as he watched.

In the area of his arm where he was channeling all his energy, the torn flesh began to knit itself back together. It wasn't merely closing, but regenerating on its own. Dawn could hardly believe his eyes as he watched the transformation.

[You can sense the potent energy of the Phoenix Feather coursing through you.]

Another system notification appeared, hinting at the cause of this miraculous healing. However, even without the system's prompt, Dawn already knew that it was the Phoenix Feather causing this phenomenon.

'Honestly... this feather. I apologize for underestimating you when I first saw you. You're the greatest thing I've ever consumed in my life.'

The effects lingered in his body, not only making him stronger but also granting him regenerative abilities. 

'This is too useful, I hope these effects are permanent—'

[You have fully absorbed the potent energy of the Phoenix Feather.]

[+1 Strength.]

[+1 Agility.]

[+1 Stamina.]

[+1 Sense.]

Following the notification, Dawn felt his body grow weaker and the healing of his injury slowed, despite his continued energy circulation. Fortunately, most of his wounds had healed.

'I knew it was it too good to be permanent. The effects ended…' Dawn grumbled as he reviewed his stats.

[HP: 77/100%]

[Energy: 73/100%]

[Strength: 6] 

[Agility: 6] 

[Stamina: 6] 

[Sense: 7] 

'...At least I managed to get some stat boosts from it. With this we can conclude that the effects are temporary, but I'm still able to permanently retain some of the temporary effects.'

Dawn sighed, turning his gaze back to the dark veil. 

"Well, it looks like it's going to be a while until anyone else arrives. I wonder how the others are doing... I didn't have much of an opportunity to think about them."

As Dawn stared at the veil, his gaze turned distant. He was certain that fewer than half of those he'd seen before entering would make it through.

"..."

Shifting his gaze from the veil, he turned his attention to the [Mail] screen.

[Mail.]

[You've completed the 'Emergency Quest: The Hunt.']

[Completion rewards have been sent.]

[Would you like to receive them?] (Y/N)

Dawn looked around once more to confirm that he was alone before returning his attention to the screen.

'Yes, I'd like to receive them.'

Following his response, a glowing light radiated from the screen almost instantly, transforming into five luminescent cards. The cards bore no design or marking and were simply blank and red.

[Please select the card of your choice.]

'Which one should I choose...'

Since he was alone, Dawn could take his time choosing his reward. However, he didn't want to risk getting caught again, like he had with Aella.

'I wonder what she thought... From her perspective, it probably looked like I just materialized a glowing red feather out of thin air... It must've seemed strange, but she didn't tell anyone about it and kept it to herself. I'm a little grateful.'

Dawn shook his head, realizing he was getting distracted, and extended his hand to grab the second card from the far left. 

Upon grabbing it, the other four cards disappeared, but the card he was holding remained blank.

'This usually takes a few seconds...' Dawn thought to himself, resting his chin on his palm while he waited.

*Ba-Dump!*

Suddenly, he felt a powerful throb in his heart. A split second later, his chest began to heat up, illuminating with a crimson light from beneath his tattered shirt.

'There it is,' Dawn thought to himself, glancing down.

Once again, a small part of the crimson crystal, the prototype, peeked out of his chest and pulsed with a crimson light. He gritted his teeth and breathed heavily as his chest heated up and burned.

After a few seconds, the glow disappeared, revealing the content of the card.

[+1 Shadow Essence.]

'Shadow essence...?' 

While he stared at the reward with a puzzled expression, the prototype retracted into his chest. A few seconds later, the card's shape changed, sparkling with electricity before transforming into a dark, ominous substance.

In his palm, it had no weight and pulsed like a living entity, resembling a swirling, nebulous cloud of darkness—the color of a moonless night sky. 

"Whoa..." He blurted out, captivated.

The longer he stared at it, the more it shimmered with an array of muted colors. Dawn could feel it calling to him, but at the same time, he felt chills rushing down his spine from the sense of danger it emanated.

[The Shadow Essence Resonates with your core.]

[Would you like to consume the Shadow Essence?]

Dawn glanced away from the screens and the shadow essence and looked back at the veil of darkness. It didn't seem like anyone would arrive anytime soon.

[Inspect Lv. 1]

[Shadow Essence]

[This is the embodiment of shadows itself, a physical manifestation of darkness. It is a piece of an eternal night, a fragment from a realm beyond comprehension.]

"..Consume it." he muttered, his eyes sparkling at the description.

Following his command, the shadow essence glowed brightly before levitating into the air and infusing its energy into him. 

Dawn felt chills as the energy flowed into him. It was ominous and dark, but it felt natural, as if it were meant to be part of him. 

If he were to compare it to the energy of the Phoenix Feather, the latter was warmer and more comforting, whereas the shadow essence was darker and more chilling.

[You have consumed a Shadow Essence!]

*Ba-Dump!*

Following the notification, Dawn's heart began to pound faster. His body grew colder as the surge of energy flowed through every corner of his body. 

Unlike the foreign sensation he experienced with the Phoenix Feather, the energy of the shadow essence felt familiar. It was like his own energy but more powerful and potent.

'The energy is overflowing... it's making my body go numb... I need to control it...'

While remaining seated, Dawn crossed his legs and exhaled deeply before slowly inhaling. He repeated this process, channeling the energy throughout his body and into his core.

As he did this, he checked his status.

[Dawn Goldblood.]

[Race: Human.]

[Core Rank: Awakened.]

[Level 1 (15/50)]

[HP: 77/100%]

[Energy: 73/100%]

[Strength: 26] (+20)

[Agility: 26] (+20)

[Stamina: 26] (+20)

[Sense: 27] (+20)

His stats had increased as he'd expected, but the amount by which they had increased was far more than he'd anticipated.

'Is it because the shadow essence resonates with my core more than the Phoenix Feather? Or maybe the Phoenix Feather itself is more suited for healing and not for enhancing one's status...'

Dawn wasn't sure, but he didn't have long to ponder as he noticed another change.

[Energy: 73% -> 83%]

The energy from the shadow essence was replenishing his own energy. This was different from the Phoenix Feather, which drained his energy just by being within his body.

'Perhaps it's a matter of compatibility…? I was only able to retain only one stat from the Phoenix Feather, but I'm clearly more compatible with the Shadow Essence… I wonder how much of my status I'll be able to retain once it's fully absorbed?'

Dawn couldn't help but grin at the challenge.

[You can sense the potent energy of the Shadow Essence coursing through you.]

'Bring it on! I'm going to absorb all of you and retain as much of your strength as I can!' He declared inwardly, starting to channel more of the energy into his core.