Blood Crystal!

Snap!

The straw binding the giant scorpion's claws suddenly snapped, sending the creature into a frenzy. It twisted and turned, breaking free of James's hold. But Laura was quick on her feet. With swift precision, she lunged forward and severed two of the scorpion's remaining four legs.

"Hiss!" The giant scorpion roared in fury, its massive pincers clashing against the ground in a desperate attempt to regain its balance. Without four legs to support its weight, it collapsed, struggling pitifully as it thrashed about.

Eventually, the mighty pincers fell limp, defeated, and the giant scorpion lay still, like a colossal rock, drained of its life force.

"Hey! We actually took down a low-grade F-class alien!" Laura exclaimed, racing over to James. Her excitement quickly turned to concern as she noticed the deep gash in his chest. "Are you really okay? Do you need any help?"

"I'm fine. It's just a scratch," James replied, waving off her worries. Although he could feel the sting of the wound, it didn't seem life-threatening. He turned his gaze back to the giant scorpion, a smile creeping onto his face. The thought of the growth points he would gain from this victory filled him with anticipation.

Seeing that James was unharmed, Laura nodded in relief. She then approached the ancient vine nearby and carefully plucked two vibrant red fruits, examining them with delight.

However, as she admired the fruits, her eyes drifted to the puddle at the vine's base. Suddenly, she stiffened, biting her lip as panic washed over her. Without a word, she hurried back to James.

"Here," she said, placing one red fruit into her storage bag before offering the other to him. "Even though this one is only nine layers ripe, its color is stunning. The medicinal effect should be great."

James accepted the fruit and inspected it closely. Its enticing aroma filled the air, and its shiny surface was undeniably appealing. Yet, as he held it, he felt an odd detachment, much like the melons he used to see in the fields back home; he had no desire to eat it.

He tossed the fruit back to Laura. "You can keep it. That thing's not for me." He gestured toward the puddle, intrigue sparking in his eyes. "I think there's something down there."

"Wait, you don't want it? Where are you going?" Laura asked, bewildered by his sudden shift in focus. She glanced at the fruit in her hand, her expression shifting to concern as she noticed James's determination.

Ignoring her hesitation, he approached the puddle, peering into its shallow depths. The water barely reached his ankles, but at the bottom lay five blood-red crystals, each glistening enticingly.

"What is this…" James murmured, reaching down to retrieve the crystals. The largest one fit snugly in his palm, and an insatiable craving washed over him as he examined them.

[Low-level life force crystal detected. Should you consume it?]

He felt the urge to devour the crystals surge within him, but with Laura nearby, he stifled the impulse.

"Those are blood crystals," she said, her voice tinged with discomfort as she approached. "I'm not a fan of them."

"Do you know where they come from?" James asked, surprised by her reaction.

"Yeah," Laura replied, her tone darkening, but she didn't elaborate further, leaving him curious and slightly concerned.

"If you don't want them, just hand over all these blood crystals. They'll be quite useful to me," James said with a knowing smile. He clutched the blood crystals tightly in his hands, bringing them close to his chest as if absorbing their power. Inside, he gave the silent command to devour them.

Host devours primary life force crystal, growth value +42.

Host devours primary life force crystal, growth value +36.

Host devours primary life force crystal, growth value +51.

One after another, the crystals dissolved into his body, each bringing a wave of energy. A rush of intense pleasure surged through James, his whole being electrified. His eyes flared red, glowing with an unnatural intensity. The flood of power drove his growth value up by more than 200 points in an instant, nearly reaching the limit; he was just 52 points away from advancing to the next level.

"Ah…" A groan escaped his lips as he pressed both hands to his head, trying to steady himself, battling the overwhelming sensation coursing through him.

"James! What's wrong with you? Did the scorpion's poison finally get to you?" Laura's voice was full of alarm as she rushed to his side, seeing his distress.

"I… I'm fine," he managed, waving her off weakly as he staggered over to a nearby stone wall and sank down against it.

I got careless… again, James thought, struggling to regain control. Over the past few days, he'd grown accustomed to absorbing life force, but consuming blood crystals was different; much more intense. He had to be cautious, or he might trigger his darker impulses.

His thoughts wandered to one of his passive abilities, Thirst for Life. Once triggered, his senses would heighten, his strength and speed would multiply; but at a cost. His mind would succumb to a savage hunger, and he would feel an uncontrollable urge to devour any living thing nearby.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Laura asked again, her concern not fading.

"Really, I'm alright now. Just a bit tired, that's all," he said, his breathing steadier as the surge of power inside him began to stabilize.

But a troubling realization struck him. Is it because the concentration of life force in the blood crystals is too high? The energy from the crystals had poured directly into his body, unlike the gradual absorption of life force from the environment. The sensation was similar to using the Life Harvester technique, where life force was drawn all at once instead of bit by bit.

Before he could dwell further, Laura let out a sigh of relief, her usual playful smile returning. "Alright, if you say so. Let's get out of here. There's nothing left for us," she said, reaching down to help him up. "Though I still can't believe Harvey and his lot just ran off. We could have given them the scorpion materials if they weren't so paranoid."

James glanced at the scorpion's massive corpse, its life force all but drained. His own growth value was so close to the threshold; just a bit more and he'd advance. "Maybe we should rest here for a bit longer," he said reluctantly.

Laura tugged at his hand, attempting to pull him to his feet. "Rest here? Why? Let's just get out—"

Before she could finish, a slow clap echoed through the cave, interrupting her mid-sentence.

"Well, well, well. I didn't expect you two to actually take down the scorpion. That's quite impressive."

The voice came from the cave's entrance. James and Laura turned to see Harvey and his sister, Hailey, standing in the shadows, smirks plastered on their faces.

Laura's fury was instant. "Harvey! You've got some nerve showing your face here! We're the ones who killed the scorpion, and the red fruit belongs to us! You have no claim to any of it!" she shouted, pointing at him with blazing eyes.

"Oh, of course, of course," Harvey sneered, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "The scorpion, the fruit; they're all yours, dear lady." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black, spherical object. His grin widened wickedly as he held it up. "But you… you're also mine."

The cave's atmosphere shifted, tension thickening as Harvey's gaze locked onto them, the black sphere in his hand pulsating with an ominous energy.