I Can Assimilate Everything Chapter 3: On the Brink of Death! I

Evolutius Catacomb Entrance #55.

A flash of light enveloped Achilles as he passed through the entrance, finding himself deposited in a new, unfamiliar locale.

He appeared to be within a lengthy, shadowed passage.

Dim purple stones embedded in the walls provided a faint illumination, and the blue portal he had just traversed remained visible behind him.

Ahead, the tunnel split into nine separate paths, each shrouded in impenetrable darkness, rendering him unable to discern what lay beyond.

These paths could harbor swarms of Evolutius Beasts, or perhaps they were recently cleared by Advanced Humans, leaving them temporarily devoid of hostile creatures.

Regardless, he felt a profound lack of security, a gnawing fear of the unknown lurking in the shadows.

No matter how he steeled himself, this pervasive dread lingered.

He had only just turned twenty-one.

Working manual labor jobs in construction had kept him reasonably fit, but it was no match for the might of Evolutius Beasts.

The slightest encounter would result in his utter annihilation; his only recourse at this juncture was sheer fortune and chance.

Luck, to avoid the Evolutius Beasts.

Luck, to find precious Evolutius Crystals.

He observed the faint glow of the purple stones lining the immediate vicinity, knowing that true Evolutius Crystals would present as genuine, vibrantly radiant purple gems.

These stones offered no such promise.

Thus, he had no choice but to venture deeper.

Scanning the nine diverging routes, he chose the one furthest to the right without much deliberation.

He might encounter other Advanced Humans, or he might face Beasts.

But without advancing, no reward could possibly be attained!

His footfalls were nearly silent as he advanced into the gloom.

The illuminating purple stones behind him appeared to diminish in number as he progressed.

He activated the flashlight function on his mobile device, continuing his journey.

Not long after, he reached another junction. This time, only four paths presented themselves, and once more, he selected the path on the extreme right.

The anxiety within him intensified, despite encountering nothing tangible, as he remained on constant alert for any sudden beastly assault.

Under such immense strain, he lost track of time as he pressed onward.

He had yet to encounter anything, which was peculiar, as it was widely understood that Evolutius Crystals naturally formed over time within the Catacombs!

His hope was to discover newly forming Evolutius Crystals without needing to penetrate too deeply.

However, with each passing moment, this hope seemed to recede further into the distance.

Until…

BOOM!

He felt tremors from afar, powerful enough to shake the very ground beneath him.

The vibrations caused him to halt abruptly, a chilling sense of apprehension seizing him!

Further ahead, the tunnel took a sharp bend, and beyond it, he could discern flashing lights accompanied by distinct, guttural roars.

The roars of beasts that sent his heart pounding wildly.

Danger.

Every fiber of his being shrieked a warning to retreat, yet he forcefully suppressed the instinct and cautiously moved forward!

Reaching the curve of the winding passage, he cautiously peered around.

And there he beheld…

"Ah…"

A sight that nearly elicited a startled cry, which he managed to stifle.

A scene of carnage unfolded before him: two Evolutius Beasts resembling leonine creatures covered in spikes lay deceased. One was encased in a layer of frost and impaled by ice shards, while the other was reduced to near-total incineration!

Three Advanced Humans, exuding an intimidating aura, were confronting a third, significantly larger Evolutius Beast wreathed in crimson flames. Though wounded, it opened its maw to unleash a ring of fire before abruptly turning and fleeing.

"Shit! Don’t let the Pack Leader get away!"

The central figure among the three Advanced Humans—a woman wielding a mace adorned with ice spikes—shouted, giving chase.

Following her lead, two male Advanced Humans, their fists ablaze with fiery energy, exchanged a glance before charging forward.

They left behind two fallen Evolutius Beasts and a path slick with blood!

"…"

Achilles stared, momentarily breathless, at the tableau before him. He, too, was aware of a crucial detail.

Evolutius Beasts harbored Evolutius Crystals within their very heads.

While different breeds of Beasts contained varied types of Crystals, even the lowest-grade Evolutius Beasts could render Advanced Humans incredibly prosperous!

If he could manage to acquire the Evolutius Crystals from even a single one of these slain beasts…

DUM!

His thoughts ceased.

He understood the imperative to act swiftly.

Primarily because his intention now was to pilfer from these Advanced Humans.

An act that, were he to be discovered, would result in his immediate and merciless termination.

But having made his decision, he moved with haste!

He pushed down the lingering fear of the monstrous, twice-his-size creatures lying motionless before him and sprinted towards the beast impaled by the ice spikes.

An ice spike protruded from its head, and within its skull, a faint, scintillating light was visibly escaping!

A mix of fear and relief washed over Achilles as he surveyed his surroundings, his fingers closing around a shard of ice that sent a chilling sensation through his hands.

He employed this ice shard, painstakingly widening the gash on the Beast's skull until the opening grew larger.

Adjacent to the brain matter, he spotted three resplendent purple Crystals, each about half the size of his fist, and he swiftly reached out to claim them.

Upon withdrawing his hands, he found himself clutching three brilliant, spiked purple crystals.

Evolutius Crystals!

THUMP!

He distinctly felt his heart pound once more as he regained his composure.

Recognizing the dwindling time and the uncertainty of the Advanced Humans' return, he decided against excavating the Evolutius Crystals from the scorched Beast opposite him.

Greed leads to demise.

He had already courted fortune excessively and would not dare to test the boundaries of his luck further!

Therefore, he would—

GRR!

…

A deep, ominous growl reverberated, paralyzing him where he stood.

It… was perilously near.

With what little strength he possessed, he managed to turn, and there it was.

The deceased Evolutius Beast, charred to the point of being unrecognizable.

And yet… it seemed by no means truly dead.

It stirred weakly from its position, but the ferocity within still blazed, its right paw, tipped with blackened claws, already ascending before it crashed down!

A surge of terror and adrenaline coursed through Achilles as, by raw instinct, he could only thrust his hands up in defense!