Chapter 44 - 1% chance

Right now, from the void, pills suddenly appeared, floating in the air. They emitted a gentle green light, carrying a powerful life energy. The fragrance of medicinal herbs spread out, enveloping this entire gloomy space. The pills slowly fell, landing on Lathel’s body, then gradually dissolved into liquid, seeping into his flesh. At that moment, his body—once like a withered branch in summer—suddenly brimmed with vitality, like a blossom bursting forth in spring. His gaunt frame was once again filled out with muscle and blood, life energy transforming into a warm current rushing throughout his entire being. Right then, the system notification suddenly appeared. [???? You are lucky to enter the evolution process (1% chance). Your body is evolving, please wait.] Lathel wore a proud smile, as if everything was within his calculations. Suddenly, his body radiated a blinding brilliance, causing the dark mist creeping closer to come to a halt. In fact, they even showed signs of retreating, as if frightened by the light emanating from Lathel’s body. Lathel slowly stood up, his physique returning to its peak state as before. No, at this moment, he was even stronger than before. His body was so filled with energy and strength that it seemed as if it might burst open and overflow. Fortunately, at this moment, the talent ’Perfect Humanity’ revealed its tremendous power. His body quickly adapted and began to change, harmonizing itself with the enormous energy within. Gradually, that energy was also fully absorbed by his body. Magic sigils once again appeared all over him, shining even more brilliantly than before. They looked like a kind of tattoo—both enchanting and mysterious, yet also wondrous and divine. The light radiating from these tattoos was like a dreadful acid, forcing the dark mist to continuously retreat, only stopping when it was more than ten meters away from Lathel. [???? Congratulations! You have successfully evolved. The talent ’Perfect Humanity’ has advanced to rank A. Name: Perfect Humanity. Rank: A Level: 4 (0/80,000,000 EXP) Description: Possesses exceptional strength and adaptability. Your body is now a high-grade Assimilation Method, rank A, able to automatically absorb and convert magic energy. Additionally, this talent can increase the level of other talents by one rank.] ... ???? Name: Lathel Solvain Status: Youngest Prince of the Kingdom of Terith Role: Villain ???? Level: 3 - Early stage Talents: ???? Space | Rank S | Level 2 + 1 (0/8,000,000 EXP) ???? Perfect Humanity | Rank A | Level 4 (0/16,000,000 EXP) Soulbound Weapon: Celesthalis | Soul: Evelyn Noctis ⭐ Current EXP: ~8,048,000 EXP Harem: ???? Selvia Aquelis (married | Main Heroine) ???? Current Quests: Awaken Selvia – Rank S – Deadline: 90 days Investigate Dark Mist – Rank B – Deadline: 60 days Humiliate Lucien – Rank D – Deadline: 15 days ... Lathel glanced at his information panel displayed by the system, a satisfied smile appearing on his face. His gaze didn’t linger on the panel for long before shifting to the massive fish swimming through the dark mist before him. "Anomaly... Lathel..." A voice resounded—majestic, divine, yet brimming with malice. It was as if countless giants were speaking at once, indistinguishable in gender or age, echoing through the entire shadowy space. Lathel gripped the Celesthalis spear, its tip pointed at the great fish, and smirked, "Are you Xal’veth—the so-called god that those worthless trash just mentioned?" Krit! Krit! Krit! A sound like a fish breathing underwater reverberated throughout, but Lathel could hear the anger and irritation within it. "Angry, are you?" Lathel mocked, "Then come, bite me if you dare." "Lathel... you should be grateful that you’re still alive by my mercy," Xal’veth spoke, the voice still hoarse and guttural. Lathel chuckled, "Pff! Hahahaha... Please. If you could kill me, you would’ve done it already instead of relying on a swarm of maggots clinging to their pathetic desire for revenge." "Let me guess..." Lathel stroked his chin, looking like a sage deep in thought. "You... can’t act directly, can you? There’s something holding you back, right?" Krit!!! The hissing grew sharper, as if Xal’veth was about to lunge at Lathel and tear him apart with its own fangs. "Ah! So I was right," Lathel laughed, his smile full of disdain. "In that case, you’d better scuttle off before I turn you into sashimi." "You... krit... krit..." Xal’veth seemed furious, gasping for breath as it spoke. "Keep laughing while you can. The insolence and disrespect you’ve shown... you... will pay the price." "I’m still waiting..." Lathel’s smile faded, his gaze turning razor sharp. "Let’s hope the price is worth the taste of the sashimi I’m about to savor." "Huh!" Xal’veth snorted in contempt, then left behind one last line before slowly fading away: "Dark Mist will engulf this world once more. You are nothing but a mortal who will be swallowed by everlasting darkness." Lathel frowned, but the mist before him began to dissipate, and the world around him gradually returned to how it had been. However, a ray of light appeared in the distance, dispelling the gloom and chill of this place. Lathel saw the sun gradually rising, its warm rays bathing his body—yet he felt no joy. His gaze swept over the corpses of the soldiers scattered everywhere. Without hesitation, he picked up his spear, then— Smash! Smash! Lathel, utterly indifferent, drove his spear through the hearts of the fallen knights. For extra measure, he used the blade to slice through their throats. All ten knights, even their horses, met the same fate. Lathel didn’t care who might still be alive, whether any could be saved, or if any of them had ever truly been loyal to him. He... killed them all. "Don’t you want to save them?" Evelyn’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind. Lathel pretended not to hear, continuing his work until the very last one was finished. Only then did he speak, "They were attacked by the dark mist. Even if any survived, they would surely be tainted by it. So... killing them all is simply easier." When it was done, Lathel picked up a church follower’s badge—now stained black—and tossed it onto the ground, a wicked, icy smile playing across his lips. With everything finished, he walked over to Mira. She was still barely hanging on, her breathing faint and weak—she could die at any moment. Blood continued to gush from her chest, and if she stayed here much longer, death was inevitable. In truth, when he’d pierced her chest, he’d deliberately avoided her heart—granting her a small chance at survival. ... Mira Role: Lathel’s personal maid | NPC ???? Rank: None Talent: None Loyalty: Loyal – 87% ???? (Not yet activated) Beauty Score: 78 ... "It seems... your will to survive is quite tenacious." Lathel smirked. "In that case... I’ll give you a chance." He waved his hand, and a crimson energy orb appeared, floating above his palm. "One percent chance of success. This is your only shot," Lathel said, then pushed the red orb toward Mira. The orb of energy entered her body and vanished instantly. "AGH!!!" Mira immediately screamed, her voice wracked with pain and despair, her body contorting in grotesque, unnatural ways. Crack! Crack! Crack! Her limbs twisted and bent into jagged angles, bones snapping audibly, her face contorted with the agony she was enduring. "AGH!! AH!!!" Mira screamed so violently it seemed her throat might tear open, fresh blood pouring from her eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and from every place where broken bones had punctured her flesh. Lathel waved his hand again, retrieving a small porcelain vial the size of two fingers from his Storage Space. From inside, he took four pills exuding a pungent medicinal aroma, tossing them onto Mira’s body. As soon as they touched her skin, they dissolved into a viscous, greenish fluid and seeped into her flesh. "Why are you saving her?" Evelyn’s voice rang out, tinged with confusion. She couldn’t make sense of Lathel’s actions. Lathel replied simply, "Because she’s still loyal to me." "How can you be sure of that?" Evelyn pressed. But Lathel didn’t answer. He paid Mira no further attention and walked into the carriage. The moment he set foot inside, his eyes flashed with surprise—then quickly shifted to excitement. A wild smile curved his lips as he muttered, "Interesting... Selvia, you’ve really given me quite the surprise."