5. Strange beings

As the intense pain begins to subside, Zilong feels a strange, soothing sensation spreading through his body. The burning agony is replaced by a cool, almost tingling feeling that radiates from his heart outward. His breathing steadies, and the frantic pounding of his heart slows to a strong, rhythmic beat.

Suddenly, he becomes aware of an unfamiliar sensation within his bones. They feel denser, stronger, as if being fortified by an unseen force. This transformation brings a surprising sense of power and stability, replacing the previous weakness and disorientation. His muscles, too, seem to regain their strength, growing more resilient and responsive.

As the transformation continues, his senses sharpen dramatically. Colors appear more vibrant, and the details of his surroundings become astonishingly clear. He can hear the faintest sounds with crystal clarity, from the rustling of leaves outside to the distant hum of electricity. Even his sense of smell intensifies, detecting a myriad of scents he had never noticed before.

This newfound awareness and strength fill him with a mix of awe and uncertainty. He is no longer in pain, but the unknown energy that once tormented him now bestows a remarkable, almost superhuman, vitality. The experience leaves him wondering about the true nature of this mysterious force and what it has awakened within him.

He then looked at his hands bewildered, 'whao', this was indeed an experience to feel, he stood up to his feet and glanced around him, indeed his senses became sharper, and his body was beaming with energy.

He then looked at the dead lizard, walk closer to it and studied it.

As Zilong's senses reached new heights, he noticed a strange glow emanating from within the lizard monster that had eluded his sight before. This glow came from a crystal embedded deep in the creature's chest. Previously, he had only glimpsed a faint, indistinct light, unable to discern its true nature through the haze of his normal perception.

Now, with his enhanced vision, he could see the crystal with astonishing clarity. It was not just a simple, glowing stone. Intricate strings of light were woven into and around the crystal, forming complex patterns and symbols. These luminous threads pulsed rhythmically, as if carrying some sort of energy or message.

The crystal itself was multifaceted, each face catching and refracting the light in a mesmerizing display. The colors shifted subtly, blending into each other in a continuous, flowing dance. The strings within seemed to intertwine, forming a delicate, yet powerful, network that hinted at a deep and mysterious significance.

As he stared at the crystal, he felt a connection to it, as if the same mysterious energy that had transformed him was also present within this lizard monster. This newfound clarity allowed him to perceive the intricate beauty and complexity of the crystal, revealing that it was much more than just a glowing stone—it was a source of immense power and mystery, intertwined with the very essence of the creature itself.

As Zilong got closer the almost non-existent call grew louder, ther was a gash on the lizard body, just below the faint light, Zilong quickly tore open the large gash stuck his hand inside it and pulled out a glowing crystal, it was not as faint as it was a few moments a go, the crystal lit up as Zilong touched it, he felt the coldness of the crystal, eliminating the darkness around him.

He looked at this crystal the size of a finger with mixed emotions.

[Do you want to absorb the emalix stone?]

[Yes or no]

Zilong was startled as the sudden words morphed into the air, he was fascinated and at the same time confused.

'What would happen if I actually absorbed it?', thinking of the pain he felt earlier he dismissed the thought and decided to not to.

"Do I have a system now", indeed that strange transformation that some how transferred the soul core of the beast to him actually gifted him a system, well.. of all things.. if someone told him that he would have a system in the distant future he would have laughed at the person's face but hear he was...

'What should I do now', he thought.., the Members of his team was long dead, the horror he faced at the moment was gone.. he wanted to rest.

Zilong contemplated as the bright sun rose above the horizon Zilong looked up at this phenomion with mixed emotions, and that was when he noticed something, looking up he saw something that looked like the top of a tall building, judging from the distance it was about a kilometer or two away from his current location.

The appearance of the building seemed to have ignited something in his heart.

'what, a building here?, then..' Zilong contemplated the thought of a human actually being there...or a powerful abominations ready to rip him into shreds.

Then a rusle in the distant bushes seemed to attract his attention, then a miniature version of the scary lizard came out of it, once it spotted him, its eyes suddenly ignited with killing intent, and it dashed at Zilong.

But instead he didn't run, he didn't know why he suddenly had confidence in himself to defeat this little abomination but somehow he did.

The abomination lunged forward opening its terrifying maw of rasor sharp teeth, Zilong shifted his weight and dodged his attack at the last moment, the creature wasnt too big just as big as a tree trunk, he held the tail of the abomination and smashed it to the ground with full force the abomination splaterd on the floor.

He looked at the dead abomination, "what really happened to me?" He mumbled under his breath after he absorbed that beast core he indeed got stronger.

And right now he wanted to test he nee found strength, the dashed towards the huge building at an inhumane speed, quickly covering the distance within minutes.

It wasn't a building but actually a pagoda..

The pagoda towered ominously up to 1000 meters into the sky, its sheer size and dark presence dominating the landscape. Constructed from an unknown black metal, it exuded an aura of foreboding and power. The surface of the metal was smooth, almost mirror-like, yet it absorbed light rather than reflecting it, giving the entire structure a stark, imposing appearance.

From the apex of the pagoda, streams of energy pulsed outward, cascading down the sides like ethereal waterfalls. This energy shimmered with an eerie, unnatural glow, casting long, flickering shadows across the ground below. The air around the building vibrated with a low, constant hum, a subtle but persistent evidence of the immense power contained within.

Surrounding the base of the pagoda were numerous black statues, each one intricately carved and exuding a menacing presence. These statues depicted various fearsome creatures and enigmatic figures, their eyes seemingly alive with a malevolent light. The detail in each statue was astonishing, capturing every sinew and scale with lifelike precision. They stood as silent sentinels, guardians of the dark energy emanating from the pagoda.

The energy flowing from the pagoda seemed to animate these statues, making them appear as though they could spring to life at any moment. The combination of the towering black metal structure, the pulsing energy, and the sinister statues created an atmosphere of dread and awe. It was clear that this pagoda was not just a building but a focal point of some ancient and powerful force, its purpose and origin shrouded in mystery.