Born In Ashes: The Enigma
Chapter 65: Vessel Of Corruption

Chapter 65: Vessel Of Corruption

(You have killed Level 5 Swift Tiger. Agility +1, Cosmic Energy +1, Strength +0.5)

(You have reached Level 2)

(A/N: The cosmic energy Azrael would receive after killing monsters also included the 40% bonus provided by the Breathing Method. For instance—after killing the Swift Tiger, he initially received 0.7 points of cosmic energy. Since the mid-level Breathing Method boosts the amount of energy gained by 40%, the total became 0.98 points. That’s nearly 1, so I rounded it off for convenience.)

When a person kills someone inside Eonrift, they gain a portion of the target’s power. This phenomenon only occurs inside Eonrift.

Outside Eonrift, individuals must cultivate their source core through conventional methods to level up.

But within Eonrift, as long as you kill, you can absorb a fraction of the slain target’s power and level up rapidly.

Normally, killing a Level 5 monster while being at Level 1 would have granted significantly more stat points than what Azrael received.

However, Azrael’s stat points were already far higher than those of an average Level 1 individual. As a result, his body required substantially more energy to grow stronger, and so his stat increase was only marginal.

Even so, Azrael was deeply satisfied with the gain. One must understand raising even a single stat point required days of intense effort for him.

But now, by merely killing a monster, he had earned a total of 2.5 stat points.

"Mom was right when she called Eonrift a training ground. In here, I can increase my powers at a much greater speed."

Azrael took a few seconds to feel the changes in his body, trying to understand how the energy of the Swift Tiger had strengthened him.

He noticed that the energy he gained after killing the Swift Tiger not only increased his stats—thereby strengthening his body—but also slightly enhanced his spiritual power, reinforcing his soul.

However, aside from the fact that the stat points physically strengthened him and the level-up appeared to elevate him to a higher lifeform, he couldn’t discern any other distinct changes.

In the end, he decided to set it aside for now.

’Let’s try to reach level 10 before leaving Eonrift, so I can quickly become a class warrior and unlock my Class.’

Azrael opened his status window to see the information about the trial he had received right after killing the Swift Tiger.

====

---) Your Eonrift Trial has been issued — Find and kill the Vessel of Corruption among the three Tower Masters of The New Moon City.

---) Time Limit: One Month

---) Reward for your Trial — Activation of your powers, ???

====

Azrael looked at the trial he needed to complete and raised an eyebrow.

’Find and kill the Vessel of Corruption... three Tower Masters?’

He had no idea what the Vessel of Corruption or the Tower Masters were. Glancing around at the dense forest surrounding him, he narrowed his eyes.

"It seems the first thing I need to do is get out of this forest and gather some information about these so-called Tower Masters," Azrael muttered, closing his status window.

A one-month time limit was generous, so he wasn’t particularly worried about running out of time. As for the rewards, he knew the activation of his powers was a guaranteed reward for the trial, while the remaining rewards would depend on his overall performance.

Azrael began looking for a tall tree that could offer him a better vantage point, hoping to determine which direction he should head.

Soon, he found a tree about 50 meters tall and climbed to its peak.

Once at the top, he finally saw the sun—which had been hidden behind the tall canopy. Judging by its position in the sky, he estimated it to be around 3 P.M.

Looking in all directions, he saw nothing but an unbroken sea of towering trees. It confirmed that he was deep inside the forest.

Though he couldn’t tell which way would lead him out, he spotted a river in the distance on his right.

The river appeared to be about 10 to 15 kilometers away.

With some basic knowledge of wilderness survival, he immediately decided to head toward the water source.

Azrael figured that if he moved at full speed, he should be able to reach the river before nightfall.

Although he was strong, he knew the forest would become significantly more dangerous at night, and he needed to find a safe place to stay.

"Let’s hope I’ll be able to find a residential area by following the river, since people usually build cities or villages near water sources," Azrael muttered, and after climbing down the tree, he immediately headed in the river’s direction.

The Swift Tiger wasn’t the only monster inhabiting the forest.

Not long after Azrael began his journey, he encountered another creature.

This time, it was an Earth Lizard—a monster with the power of the Earth Element.

The lizard was only Level 3, clearly weaker than the Swift Tiger. Its agility and strength were inferior, but its defense was far superior despite its lower level.

Azrael had to strike many times before finally breaking through its defenses and killing it.

(You have killed Level 3 Earth Lizard. Stamina +1, Strength +0.3)

After slaying the Earth Lizard, Azrael continued heading toward the river.

He encountered several more monsters along the way, but none were stronger than the Swift Tiger.

His stat points increased little by little, and about an hour after beginning his journey, he leveled up once more—reaching Level 3.

The sun continued to move across the sky and eventually approached the horizon, its light beginning to fade.

Azrael climbed another tall tree to check his position and saw that the river was just about a kilometer away.

He looked at the setting sun and decided to stop for the day.

Since monsters often came to the river to drink at night, it wasn’t wise to set camp too close to it.

Using Fallen Star, he chopped a few logs and constructed a platform high up in a tall tree. He used some rope he had brought in his inventory to bind the wood together, and once the platform was ready, he sat down on it with a satisfied expression.

By the time he completed the platform, the sun had already set, and night began to envelop the world.

Taking out some food from his inventory, Azrael quickly filled his stomach, drank water, and set up a few safety measures in case a monster tried to climb the tree during the night.

He then silently lay down on the wooden platform and looked up at the stars that had started to fill the night sky.

As he gazed at them, he couldn’t help but recall his final memory of Earth.

At that time, he had been staring at the stars when a shooting star transported him to this world.

’I wonder if that shooting star is related to the tasks I keep receiving...’ He thought, closing his eyes to rest.

He hadn’t slept for long when sudden noises interrupted his slumber.

Azrael instantly sat up and looked toward the direction of the river—the source of the noise.

’This is...’ Azrael narrowed his eyes, focusing his senses to hear more clearly.

’It sounds like someone is fighting over there.’