The oppressive silence of the cave pressed in on me as I trudged deeper into the tunnel. The air grew heavy with moisture, and the rhythmic drip-drip-drip of unseen water echoed somewhere in the vast depths. With each passing step, the memory of the small cave entrance seemed to fade further, swallowed by the endless darkness that stretched before me. My Mana Sight, however, painted a vibrant picture within my mind. The cavern walls, a muted brown or grey, representing the earth and rock, stretched endlessly as my only companions.

Countless glistening stalactites hung from the ceiling like jagged teeth, their forms a stark contrast against the darker backdrop. The stalagmites rising from the floor pulsed with a faint brown aura, their earthy composition laid bare by my unique vision. Despite the beauty unveiled by Mana Sight, a nagging doubt began to gnaw at me. This passage seemed to stretch on endlessly, a monotonous tunnel devoid of any discernible features. Had I ventured too far, into a dead end with no hope of escape?

The oppressive tunnel seemed to constrict further ahead, its mouth shrinking into a menacing maw of darkness. My steps faltered, replaced by a slow, deliberate approach. As I inched closer, the air grew stagnant and heavy, a subtle shift only perceptible through Mana Sight. The crack itself remained a normal fissure in the rock, roughly fifteen feet long and perhaps two feet wide, offering no immediate explanation for the oppressive atmosphere.

Squinting through the oppressive darkness, I crouched low and brought my face mere inches from the jagged crack. My fingers brushed against the rough stone, the coolness seeping into my skin. Despite the seemingly mundane appearance, my Mana Sight buzzed with an unsettling energy. The dominant brown aura of the rock was undeniable, reflecting the earth itself. However, a faint flicker of movement danced on the periphery, a wisp of an unfamiliar hue – a dark, almost inky purple that seemed to writhe and pulse with an unnatural life.

The feeling of danger wasn't immediate, but a sense of unease prickled at my skin, like a venomous insect crawling unseen beneath my clothes. It wasn't a desperate, life-or-death threat, but a slow, insidious danger that promised something far worse than mere physical harm. This crack held a secret, a hidden potential for a corrupting evil unlike anything I'd encountered before. For now, it remained a mystery I needed to solve, but the decision of whether to delve deeper into this unsettling passage weighed heavily on my mind.

With a deep breath, I steeled myself and **pressed forward** through the narrow crack. Curiosity, tinged with a sliver of apprehension, propelled me into the unknown. A horrifying sight greeted me on the other side. Sprawled across the cavern floor lay the lifeless form of a creature unlike any I'd ever encountered. It resembled a monstrous rat, its grotesquely distorted form easily dwarfing the size of a dog.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Compelled by a morbid curiosity, I drifted closer for a closer look. My Mana Sight pierced through the decaying flesh, revealing a disturbing truth. The creature's body pulsed with the same dark, inky purple aura I'd detected earlier. It wasn't a mere stain; it permeated every fiber of its being, a corrupting essence that spoke of a horrifying fate. Then, in a flash, the air around the creature crackled with a sudden unseen energy. A primal scream of danger erupted within my mind. It wasn't a conscious thought, but an instinctual surge of fear that propelled me backward.

Despite the primal fear coursing through me, I couldn't tear my eyes away. A flicker of movement caught my attention, and I watched in morbid fascination as the creature's bloated form began to rise with an unnatural slowness. But that wasn't all. As it lumbered to its feet, a horrifying transformation unfolded before my very eyes. New colors, faint but undeniable, began to seep into its decaying flesh. Orange and silver pulsed beneath the surface, swirling in a sickening pattern that seemed to mock life itself. If there were other colors, lost in the grotesque spectacle, my overwhelmed senses failed to register them. before it could fully rise to it feet i slowly move to its head and drive my finger nails in to its head and it stop moving. The colors were also disappearing.

Before it could fully rise, I lunged forward, a skeletal hand reaching out. My trembling fingers dug into its decaying head, nails scraping against bone. With a sickening crunch, the unnatural colors flickered and died, receding beneath the lifeless flesh. The creature slumped to the ground, a grotesque puppet with its strings cut.

I crept closer to the crack and settled into a crouch, scrutinizing it for any sign of change. Disappointment pricked at me. No twitch, no tremor, no hint of life stirred within the creature. As I pondered the lingering orange and silver hues, a sudden realization struck. Focusing on my own form, a thrill shot through me. The same, colors shimmered faintly within me. But there were others, faint whispers beneath the surface. Indigo, the strongest echo, shimmered beside the even fainter silver and violet. Even fainter still, a muted brown pulsed next to the familiar, but muted, orange.

I open my status, scanning for any explanation of the colors. My gaze locked onto the section detailing my main stat.

Main Stat

Strength - 2

Dexterity - 5

Constitution - 2

Intelligence - 6

Willpower - 5

The section detailing my main stat glowed with an unfamiliar intensity. Perhaps the colors held the key to understanding the transformation and my own connection to it. So, Intelligence is Indigo... but Dexterity and Willpower could be silver or violet, and the same goes for Strength and Constitution – brown or orange. The possibilities swirled in my mind, a kaleidoscope of potential explanations. With a newfound resolve, I dove deeper into my status menu, determined to crack the code and unlock the secrets hidden within these mesmerizing hues.