"I'm not asking..."
These were the words that Elena wanted to hear least from Zane, and yet they were indeed the words that escaped from his pursed lips. Zane was unpredictable, and Elena still did not know what his ability was that he had gained after consuming a blood crystal.
For all she knew, he had some godlike power. And it was this fear of the unknown, as well as the sheer rage Zane had displayed the previous day when he killed Gregory, that compelled Elena to do that which she feared the most.
After taking a deep breath to steel her resolve, Elena popped the blood crystal into her mouth. Grimacing in disgust as she felt the sanguine liquid pour down her throat. As much as she wanted to throw up, she could not.
This was an expression which intrigued Zane, as it clarified that Elena found the blood crystals to be disgusting, which was the exact opposite of what he felt when he ate them. And almost immediately after consuming the blood crystal, Elena's body reacted in a way that Zane's never had.
Her veins turned dark, and her mouth began to froth as she fell to the floor, spasming as if she was having a seizure. Upon further inspection with the Examine feature of the system, Zane found a familiar message that he had seen when he last examined this condition. But there was a minor difference.
--
[A Living Being has consumed a blood crystal, a Debuff has been applied!]
[Debuff: Corruption]
[Duration: 30 Minutes]
[Effects:]
20% Decrease in Experience Gain
Paralysis
Thus, Zane watched in silence, observing the teenage boy as he suffered from a state similar to Elena and Olivia. But as expected, his status was slightly different from the two of them who had already awakened.
---
[Examine]
Zane's own thoughts activated the feature, allowing him to determine exactly what was happening to his two would be companions.
[A Living Being has consumed a blood crystal, a Debuff has been applied!]
[Debuff: Corruption]
[Duration: 30 Minutes]
[Effects:]
20% Chance of Success of Awakening
20% Decrease in Experience Gain
80% Chance of Infection
Paralysis
---
For Zane, it was now a waiting game, to see whether this boy would turn, or if he would awaken. Because of this gamble, Zane sat right in front of him, and watched as the boy reeled in agony. All while keeping his war club nearby in case he needed to swiftly put an end to this potential threat.