Chapter 148: A Certain Sacrifice - I

[Congratulations, Hunter Aventine Tidea, on consuming a Fruit of Metamorphosis and taking your first step towards Divinity!]

[What part of your existence would you prefer to sacrifice?]

"..."

Perhaps I was stunned, and perhaps I wasn’t. This was an event that only <Absolute Prophecy> could predict.

My own [Absolute Awareness] merely alerted me moments before the screens appeared, allowing me to perceive the formation of the screens as they were written.

"So... this is the manifestation of the Fruit of Metamorphosis?"

Seeing it so explicitly described was odd.

With [Absolute Awareness] peering into the mechanism I now faced, I understood how the myriad races came to be, and how S-Rank was achieved. It was a process of throwing away parts of humanity to become something else.

A shocking truth hovered before my eyes, too expensive to directly sense using [Absolute Awareness], but incredibly clear in the face of inference and a few hints I’d received already.

Still, I had to leave a little room for doubt, as I had no other proof other than this odd conjecture of mine. So, let me phrase it as a question:

"Are humans the origin of all races somehow?"

This was the question too expensive to confirm.

I could only go back to the current situation at hand... What portion of my life could I sacrifice?

And what kind of effect will it create?

Unfortunately, such information lingered only in the future. Although [Absolute Awareness] could let me observe examples among those currently consuming the Fruit of Metamorphosis in other provinces of the City of Arenas, there was no certainty that such phenomena would hold true for me as well.

The mere influence of the Gaea System was already a variable that morphed the entire playing field.

What a privilege it was to be able to choose what to cast aside.

...I couldn’t help but glance at the others eating the Fruits of Metamorphosis, observing the instantaneous changes they were experiencing.

Some had unknowingly shed certain emotions, steadying their minds by erasing fear, bolstering their convictions by erasing their worries, or feeding their pride by annihilating any hint of inferiority hiding deep within them.

There were some who could no longer taste sweet things, weakening the diversity they could perceive but creating more room for more receptors of other flavor profiles.

And others had even lost certain tendons in their limbs, a certain group of muscles, or even an unused set of joints... Moving towards a different species entirely—a higher race.

The most commonly lost portions of existence were any anomalous genes found within one’s DNA.

All of such sacrifices were double-edged swords, with benefits and consequences going hand-in-hand. Some were more obviously disadvantageous, while others would only reveal their fangs later down the line.

Thus, it was important that one took several Fruits of Metamorphosis to ensure that the end goal of Evolution was achieved. Stopping midway was more damaging.

...Perhaps that was the reason why some of the myriad races existed today.

A flashing yellow screen appeared before my eyes.

[Please decide as soon as possible.]

Ah, so the Gaea System could only suppress the Evolution... That made sense.

Unlike my <Trait> awakening chances, I could not store it in the bank until I achieved the perfect conditions.

I stopped overthinking and spoke based on my instincts.

"I want to sacrifice my sense of direction."

[Preference acknowledged.]

[Initiating minor metamorphosis...]

[...Processing.]

[...]

[...]

[...]

[Success! Minor metamorphosis has been completed!]

[Notice: The metamorphosis process was completed with an accuracy of 92%.]

[Alert: The Law of Equivalence was invoked in the process of metamorphosis.]

[Congratulations! Your Sense of Direction has been deemed to be an A-Rank sacrifice.]

[You have stepped away from mundane humanity. Divinity has grown a little closer.]

[Evolution Progress: 3%]

Seeing these screens, I couldn’t help but raise a brow. A sense of emptiness consumed me, blurring the world beyond my senses.

Suddenly, I felt as if I were standing on a deserted island, knowing only what was in my vicinity and unable to mentally locate those places beyond the horizon.

It was an odd feeling to lose something that came so naturally to me, having travelled all over Earth and across the wide, seemingly endless main continent of Fleim.

I intuitively knew that I was no longer capable of locating the Soulless City of Grakkis from here. I was forced into a fog of war, where everything hidden by the fog shifted around in my mind, evading my ability to plan my navigation ahead of time.

My mental map had been shattered, left only vaguely recognizable.

"Luckily..."

[Absolute Awareness]!

My senses expanded far and wide, skimming the surface of the planet, never looking too deeply into anything and merely locating the layout of the land around me.

Suddenly, that deserted island was no longer as small as the central tower. Though the mana expenditure grew to a similar height, it was not unbearable if it was just this cursory scanning.

My senses stretched beyond the Walvaskaz Empire to the west, moving past the tomb of the Living City of Hispe and through the still-bustling Soulless City of Grakkis.

I saw the hills and mountains at the border, the forests of the Human Domain, the Grand City of Laquer, and even the Human-Demon Border...

[Absolute Awareness] split the western reaches of this fog of war in my mind.

I closed my eyes and withdrew my senses, allowing it to cover only this Province Ellea. Now that I was confident that I wouldn’t get lost in this province I’d found myself in, I split off a portion of my attention and moved it to Province 16 Claws.

There, I spotted a dumb Hydra—who reminded me of the <Wyrm With No Name>—shedding his scales, replacing what once was a dull, mossy color with a darker and more ominous phantom-like green.

Having prioritized keeping other opportunists away, the Hydra had not chased Gron and the rest down the central tower.

"Heh,"

Looking at that Hydra now, I found him to be good prey.

As he shed his scales, more and more foggy white threads of <Fate> attached themselves to his frame.

Hundreds...

Then thousands.

It was quite a bizarre sight to see. After all, this meant that this was a major turning point in the Hydra’s life.

A fortuitous encounter that would bring him glory and strength.

I couldn’t help but laugh. A purple magic circle spread out beneath my feet, twisting space and pulling space and time into an infinitesimal point.

6th-Circle Spatial Magic.

[Warp].

** *

Manziq was an A-Rank Hydra who rushed to the territory of the 16 Claws as soon as he heard of their demise.

It was a rare occasion when all of his heads had agreed in the first five minutes. There was no need for any in-depth discussions and debates to determine the benefits of a decision.

There was no need to plan thoroughly.

All Manziq knew was that he had to travel to Province 16 Claws and contest for the Fruit of Metamorphosis.

Such a decision proved to be correct.

In fact, it was so perfect that he’d doubted his luck for a moment.

After all... there were only two B-Ranks and a single E-Rank guarding the central tower.

Manziq understood just then: the Space Mage who’d annihilated the 16 Claws didn’t care about the Fruit of Metamorphosis. Unaware of the bad luck that plagued any S-Rank who attacked those below them, he assumed that the Space Mage had been a passing S-Rank hell-bent on revenge.

Having gone through Evolution to achieve S-Rank, there was no need for this Space Mage to consume more Fruits of Metamorphosis.

In fact, it was even detrimental to anyone who’d already completed Evolution. It was rumored that any S-Rank and above would face an endless chain of mutations if they consumed another.

Thus.

’This was indeed the opportunity of a lifetime!’

Manziq, feeling the massive changes in his body after consuming his eighth Fruit of Metamorphosis—a fruit that had long been overdue—sighed with all thirty of his heads.

Right.

From twenty, he now had 10 more, each with its own slightly different personality.

None of his competitors stood a chance against the relentless corrosion of his breath attack, making this entire ordeal a breeze.

"...But why do I feel so scared?" One of Manziq’s heads spoke.

"It’s probably because we just shed our old scales. The new ones have yet to completely grow or settle. I don’t feel anything but a light chill."

Another head frowned: "Our senses always give us a chill whenever it concerns a premonition of danger. You newbies need to adjust yourselves to the body for a little longer before making such conjectures."

"We should impose a two-week silence for the new heads. Otherwise, their opinions and discussions will pollute the decision-making capabilities of the body." One of the older, central heads raised its chin.

"I second the motion." Another one followed.

"HEY!" All of the ten new heads protested.

Alas...

Before they could say anything more...

7th-Circle Fire Magic.

[Pillar of Incineration].