There was a fire inside me. It felt scorching hot, as if my very soul was burning. It was bubbling like lava on the verge of erupting. It was painful and mind-numbing.

“Don’t hold grudges, Alex. This is the fate of trashes like you who are more worthless than maggots gnawing on corpses.”

A face with an ugly sneer flashed from my memory, followed by his grating voice that expressed nothing but contempt. It was the last thing I heard before the grotesque monster pounced on me.

My anger soared as I recalled that haunting scene.

Trash? Who was the real trash here?

A man who could forget his humanity just because he obtained some superpower wasn’t even fit to be a trash. And he had the gall to lecture me? I wanted to twist his neck the next time I would see him.

“Little imp!! Come to your sense!! It’ll be too late if you won’t snap out of it now.”

Logier’s frantic call and his violent shaking of me brought me back to my sense. As I became aware of my surroundings, I noticed a blood-colored hue cloaking my body. It was leaking like a gaseous substance, constantly evaporating into thin air.

“Logier! What happened? Did I fail?”

“You are finally back!” The orc chieftain wiped his head, looking relieved.

I tilted my head, confused. What did he mean? Back! From where?

The steam oozing off me gradually faded, taking with it the blood-colored aura. And then, exhaustion hit me with the force of a speeding bike. I fell on my ass, spread eagle as I hyperventilate.

[You have learned a new skill.]

Bloodlust Lv 1 [0/1000]

The manifestation of your desire for violence and bloodshed. The reflection of your anger and hatred.

Active effect:

+3 Strength; +1 Penitration (!)

Cost: 5 HP/sec

The trick I learned from Logier reflected on my system as a skill. To me, it was a good thing. I’d be able to build up proficiency faster and level up the skill. This way, I can save some of the valuable time it’d have taken to train on this ability.

However, my good mood died instantly when I checked my stats. HP had fallen below ten. I was so close to death, and I hadn’t even realized it. The price for the activation of bloodlust was too steep. It was not a skill that could be abused.

Good thing it became a skill.

“Here.” Logier dropped a goblin corpse in front of me. “Eat and replenish your vitality. We will talk later.”

I was feeling hungry for some reason. Perhaps it was a side effect of having a low HP. I couldn’t stop drooling at the sight of the dead monster.

Beasteal Diet has absorbed vitality through flesh and blood.

Regain +1HP/min for ten minutes.

Extra HP will nourish the body.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

I continued to chew a few mouthfuls before leaving the corpse alone. It was a shame that the healing effect never stacks. It would’ve been better otherwise.

Logier went back to killing the goblins. Now that I was awake, there was nothing to distract him from the task. He had already killed more than twenty goblins, but the supposed hidden enemy hadn’t revealed itself.

It might be that there was none, to begin with. But, I couldn’t help but feel restless.

“Wait! Logier don’t finish them all. Leave a few, well, four for me to kill.” I remembered I needed only forty more evolution points to level up. Killing one goblin would grant me approximately ten evolution points, so four will be enough.

“Four? You need them alive?” Logier tilted his head, showing his confusion. I didn’t bother to explain anything and only nodded in agreement. “Alright. I’ll bring you then.”

Moments later, Logier grabbed four by their necks and dragged them to me. It was been a little over fifteen minutes. I had already regained more than half of my HP thanks to the Beasteal diet.

“I might evolve after killing them,” I informed Logier, transforming my right hand into a long pike made from flesh and bones. He gave a grunt of response before coming to stand next to me. His eyes were on my right hand.

The orc chieftain watched in fascination as my limb turned into a deadly weapon in a slow process.

I became a little self-conscious because of his intense stare. “What?” I asked, wondering what got the chieftain so interested.

“Your ability seems a little different from the imps I know.” He informed, doubt lacing his voice. “Maybe you are special among imps.”

I raised an eyebrow(which I don’t have) in surprise and curiosity. Aiming at the back of the goblin’s neck, I stabbed the fleshy pike. Like a hot knife through butter, the pike went unobstructed through the flesh and bones of the monster.

[You have killed a juvenile goblin]

[+10 Evolution Points]

“What imp’s ability have you seen?” I asked, desiring to know more about the species I’ve become. In the meantime, I proceed to stab the second one after pulling the pike out from the first goblin’s neck.

“Hmm, the only ones I’ve seen are mind tricks and fire breathing. That’s about it, I guess.” He shrugged, sounding doubtful at his own memory. “I can’t remember because I rarely ever saw imps. They usually stay hidden from us.”

Fire breathing and mind trick… I noted these down in the deepest part of my memory. Until now, all the information that I have gathered on my race hadn’t deviated from the lore depicted in games and novels.

“Compared to their weak fire and feeble mind tricks, I like your ability better.” Logier complimented, making me smile. “Its more practical and deadly. Hmm, is that why bloodvores massacred them?”

I had to crane my neck to hear his mumblings. My heart skipped a beat when I heard bloodvore from his mouth. I was beginning to both hate and fear this group that had taken a firm root on the second floor.

[You have killed a juvenile goblin.]

[+10 Evolution Points]

Ding!!

[You’ve finished gathering the required evolution points. Commencing Evolution shortly…]

[Analyzing records… Complete!]

[The following evolution paths have been opened for you:-]

1. Toxicbreath juvenile Imp (!)

2. Adult imp (!)

3. Swift juvenile goblin (!)

I gasped in surprise as a bunch of notifications carrying valuable information appeared one after another. It took me a while to read and understand them all.

Looking at the three options, I wondered about the mechanism behind them. How did the system’s recommendation work? Then, I noticed golden exclamation marks next to the three options.

Those only appear next to an option if some kind of explanation was available about it.

Without delaying, I pressed on the first one.

Toxicbreath Juvenile imp

A rare evolution of imps that embodies poison and toxins. They can freely manipulate toxins in their bodies and others’ bodies to some extent.

Adult imp

A grown-up imp that had reached the full potential of its current form.

Swift juvenile goblin

A rare path opened for you due to your body carrying the records of a juvenile goblin that excelled in speed and stealth. With a faint presence and speedy legs, they are hard to catch.