It reminisced in front of the pool.

Seventy-three years. That's the time it spent there, affixed to that cursed cross. If not for those idiots breaking the array, he might have remained there for so much longer...

In any case, this pool...

He looked at the candidate and told him: "Jump in there"

Jin frowned.

It did not look like the kind of pool one would want to swim in. And since he knew how this liquid was made, it was even worse. Was that monster hoping to refine him? Trying to turn him into some kind of pill? Was it for the Fear? Or maybe the Corruption?

He breathed in deeply. Since it came to this, he could only use that. Just as he was getting ready to take out the sword and gourd from his hidden spatial ring that he kept within his corrupted arm, he felt a powerful push from his back.

A vine had sprouted without him being aware and was firmly sending him into the pool.

He watched as it grabbed Ame and prevented her from moving to him. He could see the despair in her eyes. And he could see the coldness in the monster's eyes.

All of it happened in a single instant. It had been far too fast for him to take action.

He had been an idiot.

He should have saved himself while he could instead of waiting for the right opportunity... An opportunity should be created not waited upon...To think he would have failed in such a dumb way...

No!

Not yet!

He could still!

As he entered the liquid, his spiritual energy reached the space artifact. His consciousness locked onto the two items and then...he lost consciousness and everything turned black.

...

"No! No!" Ame screamed as tears fell down her cheeks in waves. She could not lose him! Not like that! They should have fought! Even if there would have only been a very small chance of them getting out of it alive... It was still better than watching him turn into a pill.

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She glared at the monster that had grabbed her as flames began to erupt all over. They were white. She was going to go all-out. She was aware that she was no match for it but it did no longer matter.

She had been dumb.

Only after losing something would one truly understand how much it was worth.

Only after it happened could one feel regrets.

However, reality is cruel.

With a single wave from the monster, a powerful wind chased and dispersed all the flames. Everything was extinguished in a second. At the same time, the arm that had grabbed her swirled and grew. It enlarged and began to create a dense net of vines that shrouded her.

In a dozen seconds, she had turned into a bound dumpling.

A trembling, cursing, raging one.

The monster sighed and stated: "Don't worry, he won't die. This is beneficial to him"

She still cursed. He sighed and had the vines bind her mouth. Her cries were muffled. It was still slightly irritating but he could cope with it. For his goal.

It created itself another throne and sat as he watched the liquid.

Ever since the candidate was pushed in, it began to swirl. The liquid flowed clockwise at a constantly growing speed. It could see deep within that the body of the candidate was at the center of it.

It would take a while before the process finished. He crafted himself another cup and grew a few pumpkins. A good drink was always enjoyable.

...

Jin's consciousness recovered and he awoke in a forest this time.

This forest was very strange. The trees were like skyscrapers and their bark was orange instead of brown. The grass he was on was rigid and dark green.

What was going on?

Was he becoming a pill?

Was this how it felt? At least, it did not hurt.

...He spoke too soon. He began to feel movement all around him. Vines, roots and branches were moving. Towards him at that. His survival instincts took charge and he began to run away.

It was futile though and he was soon grasped by them.

After that, pain came. He felt them enter his body. And then he started to feel them grow within. He expected it to end soon and die.

That did not happen.

Instead, he remained in that state...

...

It had not upheld a conversation for so long. Even if he was now the only one chatting and the one listening was forced to due to being bound, it was still enjoying itself.

"This pool contains the blood of many as well as my own. My blood...It transformed it all. This is no longer simply a pool of blood, no, it is something much greater"

"He will grow from the nourishments within"

"How so, you ask? I have no idea! Ahahah! But it will be good!"

The more he spoke, the more Ame tried to struggle. She was not freeing herself anytime soon though. But she kept trying. Because she could not abandon Baem. And she feared what would emerge from this pool. She was scared of the idea of Baem turning into some kind of monster...

She cursed herself.

She had been so stupid.

If only she agreed to give up on those three and flee when he told her...

If only...

She cried.

...

The liquid continued to diminish as time went by.

Until nothing was left of it and the body of Jin was the only remaining thing within the crater. He awoke at that time. He slowly got up and then jumped in front of the monster and Ame.

His appearance had changed. Within his hair were vines. Dark green with sharp orange ends. There were a dozen cascading alongside the flowing dark hair he now naturally had.

He glanced at his own arms and the rest of his body before turning his gaze to the monster and asking: "What did you do to me?"