Evan couldn’t see what was happening above, but the thunderous impacts told him the Saints were fighting again.

  Down here, he could only watch Quentin Vilewind work the extractor, draining the Rooted Spirit Tree’s life essence drop by drop.

  The tree finally broke free of Quentin’s slowing technique.

  Though gravely wounded and weakened by the extraction, it lashed out with everything it had left.

  Roots wove into nets.

  Others cracked like whips.

  All of them aimed at Quentin—and more importantly, at the extractor behind him.

  Quentin didn’t budge.

  Black mist coiled around his arms as he slashed, corroded, or shattered every root that came near.

  When he couldn’t block in time, he simply took the hit head?on.

  Evan winced.

  A Saint?tier body was monstrous.

  If even one of those roots touched him, he’d have to self?detonate his regeneration core to survive.

  He silently cheered for the tree.

  Come on. Take him with you. Both of you die. Please.

  But the tree’s strength was fading.

  The more Quentin extracted, the weaker it became.

  Finally—

  A soft click sounded from the extractor.

  A vial of glowing green extract slid into place.

  The Rooted Spirit Tree’s roots sagged.

  The light along its trunk dimmed.

  Its massive body fell still.

  A near?Tier?5 spirit plant—dead.

  Evan’s stomach dropped.

  I’m next.

  Quentin didn’t even take the vial.

  He simply raised a hand.

  A shadowy palm materialized, grabbed Evan, and dragged him forward.

  Quentin’s eyes were cold.

  “What skill did you obtain from Princess Seraphine’s extract?”

  Evan froze.

  They don’t know about Evolution’s Grace?

  Or maybe they know she had a bloodline?crystal skill… but not what it does.

  He forced a clueless expression.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “I got an S?rank skill. Rhino Charge.”

  Quentin laughed—a sharp, unhinged sound.

  “Princess Seraphine possessed a bloodline?crystal skill. Such skills are always absorbed. No matter how many skills are in the extract, you will always obtain the bloodline one.”

  Evan’s mind raced.

  Bloodline crystal? Evolution’s Grace is that kind of skill?

  Quentin leaned closer.

  “Don’t lie again. Or I’ll show you what it feels like to be extracted alive.”

  Evan’s heart pounded.

  He needed time.

  He needed a miracle.

  And then—

  Quentin’s eyes flickered.

  Clarity.

  Madness.

  Clarity.

  Madness.

  Wisdom leaking out of his gaze like water from a cracked jar.

  Evan’s heart soared.

  He knew that look.

  “Johnny…” Evan whispered. “I’m Johnny.”

  “You… you’re Johnny?” Quentin asked, confused.

  “That’s right. I’m Johnny.”

  Quentin’s face lit up with childlike relief.

  “Johnny! You didn’t leave!”

  The shadowy hand vanished.

  Evan dropped to the ground and sprinted toward the trunk.

  He had one goal:

  Drink the tree marrow before Quentin regained his sanity.

  If Quentin healed completely, Evan was dead.

  He reached the trunk’s hollow interior.

  A pool of glowing green liquid shimmered inside—about a bowl’s worth.

  Evan plunged his head in and drank.

  It tasted like sweet mung bean soup.

  He gulped half of it in seconds, then pulled out his pill bottle to collect the rest for Yvonne.

  Behind him, Quentin muttered:

  “No… I’m hurt… I need it…”

  Evan froze.

  Quentin’s gaze locked onto him.

  “I need to drink…”

  He shoved Evan aside and buried his face in the remaining tree marrow.

  Evan hit the ground hard.

  “You treat Johnny like this?” he shouted desperately.

  Quentin paused—

  For half a second—

  Then kept drinking.

  The small sip he’d taken earlier had partially healed his mind.

  He wasn’t fully insane anymore.

  Evan’s “Johnny” trick was losing its power.

  “Quentin… you’ve changed,” Evan whispered dramatically.

  “You don’t care about Johnny anymore.”

  His heart sank.

  If Quentin regained full sanity, Evan wouldn’t last a second.

  Then—

  A spark.

  Evan’s eyes darted to the extractor.

  A vial of Rooted Spirit Tree extract glowed faintly green… with a hint of blue.

  A sign of incomplete Tier?5 evolution.

  He lunged, grabbed the vial, and dumped it into the hollow trunk.

  “Quentin,” he said softly, “time for your medicine.”

  The extract mixed with the remaining tree marrow.

  Quentin inhaled sharply—

  Then slurped down the entire mixture in one breath.

  Evan backed away, pulse racing.

  Humans couldn’t absorb spirit?plant extracts.

  Drinking one usually meant instant death.

  But Quentin wasn’t human anymore.

  Not exactly.

  Evan watched, breath held, waiting to see—

  Would Quentin die?

  Or become something far worse?

  When you feed a monster poison, you don’t pray for justice.

  You pray it kills the monster before the monster kills you.