Chapter 25 Demon Heart
“Brother Namgoong. What is all this?”
Baekwoon looked slightly bewildered.
A reconnaissance team to gather information on the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
In reality, it was a special unit seeking the spiritual creatures within.
Namgoong Yeon had gathered more people than expected.
“The more, the better, right?”
“But this is…”
“There are too many spiritual creatures for an individual to handle anyway.”
Baekwoon reluctantly nodded.
If Namgoong Yeon was right, there would be enough spiritual creatures not to worry about sharing.
Baekwoon was simply amazed by Namgoong Yeon’s resourcefulness.
Though most were low-level, there were a few high-level warriors Baekwoon had seen before.
Among them, the most notable were those sent from Sichuan.
“How did you persuade the Tang family?”
“It was tough. But Dalrofo will be a great help.”
“…Brother Namgoong. Is it right to call that a great warrior?”
Baekwoon glanced sideways at a beast caged nearby.
“Roar!”
A sudden roar from the enormous beast.
A girl with bun-shaped hair trembled in fear.
“Eek! S-sorry. I’ll remove the muzzle soon….”
Baekwoon looked at the scene with pity.
“Hmm, maybe calling it a young warrior would be more appropriate. We can’t bring the adult from Tang family.”
“That’s not what I mean…. Ugh, never mind. We’ll manage somehow.”
Baekwoon felt that it would take too long to explain the unease he was feeling.
At the same time, he wondered.
Was it right to send spiritual creatures to catch spiritual creatures?
What if the Tang family’s creature allied with other creatures and turned against them?
Even if subdued, it would undoubtedly lead to a conflict with the Tang family.
As Baekwoon pondered this, Namgoong Yeon spoke in a calm voice.
“Baekwoon. You know not to consume a core immediately after obtaining it, right?”
“Hah. Do you think I’m ignorant of the basics? Everyone here knows that. Do you suspect I’d steal the core?”
Baekwoon didn’t hide his displeasure.
Namgoong Yeon waved his hand quickly, adding,
“No, I’m just concerned you might reach the demon heart stage.”
“Demon heart?”
“Yes. Consuming a core or elixir doesn’t guarantee an increase in inner strength. The better the elixir, the more likely the demon heart will follow.”
“A demon heart, huh. I’d like to experience it once.”
“Ha, you’re a bold one.”
“If one overcomes the demon heart, they can advance to a higher realm, right?”
Namgoong Yeon replied while managing his expression.
“It’s not easy. At first, you feel like you could break everything. Most lose their reason, drunk on power, before they can think of higher realms.”
“Have you met someone overcome by the demon heart?”
“I’ve seen someone on the verge from a distance. They had overwhelming power, but their growth stopped there. Or rather, it wasn’t growth. They’d soon fall into demonic madness and lose their life. Even if they survived, they couldn’t progress further.”
“Hmph. I’m also stuck at a wall.”
Baekwoon was desperate.
He became a second-rate expert within a year of entering the martial world, and a first-rate expert within two years.
As the promising talent of Zhongnan, all martial artists knew his story. Baekwoon thought their attention was natural.
With good looks and outstanding skills, he believed he was the new wind in the stagnant martial world.
But that was it.
Ten years after reaching the first-rate level, he still hadn’t reached the pinnacle.
All he had left was the glory of the past.
The pressure to advance to the next stage choked Baekwoon.
“You’ll reach it soon. Without risking dangerous gambles.”
“Hmph…”
As their conversation drew to a close, the girl with bun-shaped hair approached cautiously.
“Um, excuse me.”
Baekwoon glanced at her.
She must be from the Tang family.
“What is it?”
“Dalrofo seems uneasy…. How much longer until we reach the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains?”
The girl asked anxiously.
As time passed, the reptile’s rampage grew more intense.
Baekwoon sensed something was off.
If they sent a spiritual creature, the handler should also be a corresponding expert, right?
She was timid and weak.
And she didn’t seem to know the location of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
At best, she was third-rate.
“Even if we go as fast as possible, it’ll take half a month.”
“Half a month…?”
Thud.
The Tang family girl collapsed.
She had no confidence in managing the fierce creature for half a month.
“…Brother Namgoong. Did you offend the Tang family?”
Why would they send such a girl to this dangerous place?
Baekwoon couldn’t understand the Tang family or Namgoong Yeon’s intentions.
***
__________________________
The 【Green Basilisk】 can evolve into
1. 【Green Iguana】
2. 【Marine Iguana】
3. 【Large Armored Lizard】
4. 【Thylacine】
5. 【Dimetrodon】
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I looked at the choices.
1. Green Iguana.
Literally a safe choice.
Similar color and body shape.
Think of it as a larger Green Basilisk.
Mostly herbivorous, so I could survive on plants.
Too boring.
Pass.
2. Marine Iguana
An iguana that lives in the sea.
Could swim better, but it’s not appealing.
Don’t know if there’s a sea nearby, and I have the Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Step.
3. Large Armored Lizard
This one’s famous.
Like a sunflower facing the sun, this lizard looks at the sun.
Nicknamed the Sungazer Lizard.
Think of it as a superior version of the Armadillo Lizard.
Not a bad choice.
Scales like armor would complement my weaknesses.
And it looks cool.
On hold.
So far, these were common choices.
But the next ones were problematic.
4. Thylacine
Why did this suddenly appear?
It was unexpected.
A special evolution means certain conditions were met, but I couldn’t guess.
Unlike last time, the conditions for special evolution weren’t shown.
Let’s think about the Thylacine’s strengths.
First, it’s a mammal, as the name suggests.
That means it’s warm-blooded, not cold-blooded.
Warm-blooded is generally better for survival.
I was human too.
Though unexpected, the choice itself wasn’t bad.
Also on hold.
Now, the last one.
5. Dimetrodon.
The much-anticipated Dimetrodon.
This one was also well-known.
A representative of the Permian period and synapsids.
It’s always in dinosaur books.
Looks like a lizard with a large neural spine sail on its back.
Often depicted basking in the sun in swamps.
The surprising thing is that Dimetrodon isn’t a dinosaur.
It’s a synapsid.
I was shocked when I found out.
Like when I realized Pteranodon wasn’t a dinosaur.
Anyway, back to focus.
In terms of combat power, Dimetrodon was overwhelming.
It was one of the top predators of the Permian period.
I believe its body length was around 5-6 meters.
Big enough to fight a Piranha Caiman.
Thylacine has the advantage of being warm-blooded, but Dimetrodon can regulate its temperature with the sail on its back.
Yes.
Let’s go with Dimetrodon.
I should evolve into the strongest species.
My eyes began to close.
When my eyes close, it means evolution has begun.
Dimetrodon better have eyelids.
I felt my body slowly changing.
Now I’ll become a Dimetrodon.
Regulate my temperature in the sunlight, live by the water.
Defeat the Caiman and become the king of the swamps, eating fish.
Continue until I become the strongest dinosaur, Spinosaurus….
…Spinosaurus?
I saw a swamp.
A creature gliding smoothly through the water.
A dragon with a large crest roared.
It was an overwhelming being, called the strongest among dinosaurs.
Spi….
….
My head throbbed painfully.
Spinosaurus was the strongest dinosaur.
Crack.
I vividly saw it breaking the neck of a weak Tyrannosaurus with its huge jaws.
Yes, Spino is the king of dinosaurs….
….
…..
Spino.
A pseudo-dinosaur that only eats fish.
Spino.
A loser that fled to the waters.
Spino.
An ordinary creature losing in size to Tyrannosaurus.
Spino.
A byproduct of popular media.
Spino.
The culprit who brought me to this world.
Spino is a loser of the era who lost to Tyrannosaurus.
Did I want to become Spino?
No, that can’t be.
Flash.
I opened my eyes wide.
A white egg surrounded me.
Disgusting things trying to drag me into madness.
If I stayed still, I would evolve into Dimetrodon.
Dimetrodon is strong.
Maybe even stronger than the Caiman.
But, something hot in my chest rejected it.
Unacceptable.
[「%! 자■□ 」has been activated.]
Crack!
The egg surrounding me shattered.
What I did was purely instinctual.
Stopping evolution midway might have unknown side effects.
But the images that suddenly flashed through my mind.
Should I call it inspiration?
Because of those, I decided.
This evolution was wrong.
I couldn’t have chosen Dimetrodon so easily.
I wouldn’t walk the path of a giant pelican.
My
breathing eased.
The internal energy deep in my dantian slowly circulated through my body.
The darkened mind cleared instantly.
[You have escaped from the demon heart.]
The status window shone brightly.
Demon heart.
Yes, what just happened was undoubtedly a demon heart.
I almost took the wrong path.
[New choices are available.]
Should I consider it a reward for overcoming the demon heart?
I looked at the choices with excitement.
__________________________
The 【Green Basilisk】 can evolve into
1. 【Green Iguana】
2. 【Marine Iguana】
3. 【Large Armored Lizard】
4. 【Water King Lizard】 (Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Step, fragment of a high-level Core consumed)
5. 【Crocodile King Lizard】 (Dragon Claws, fragment of a high-level Core consumed)
__________________________
Yes. These are the right choices.