Chapter 40: Autonomous Madness

“Eight crimson shards... accumulated without even noticing.”
After four days of rest in the shelter, Chen Zhuo decided it was time to venture out—just one more try at gathering the remaining fragments, maybe even luck into some seasoning along the way.

“My tongue’s been tasting like dust for two days straight,” he muttered, licking his lips.

In a world where most survivors were lucky to get a full meal, anyone else saying that would’ve been drowned in scorn. *You’re lucky to have food at all—how dare you complain about flavor?*

…

On a vast, snow-white plain, Chen Zhuo stood like a lone figure in a painting—his coat fluttering in the wind, behind him a rare crimson beast, eyes wide in eternal shock, lifeless.

Drops:
Crimson Shard
Cotton (Green) ×2
Soil ×2

“At last,” he exhaled, scanning the loot. “Just one shard left. But the wildlife’s been thinning out lately.”

“Have I been hunting too hard?”

With only one shard needed to forge the Crimson Pearl, Chen Zhuo stared at the blank screen of his bio-scanner, frustration creeping in.

“It’s still early. Let’s circle around again.”

Beneath a sky choked with flurries and temperatures hovering near -20°C, he trudged through the frozen wasteland—twisting, turning, finding nothing. Eventually, he turned toward the ruins.

…

Inside the ancient structure, a massive wolf spirit lay motionless, eyes closed in quiet repose. Then—something stirred. Its pupils snapped open, twin orbs of feral red fire.

Through the crumbling archway, it caught sight of movement on a distant hillside: a human figure darting between shadows, locked in fierce combat with a creature unlike any other.

The figure was Chen Zhuo—but this wasn’t another wolf guardian. This was a refined-grade crimson beast.

The Crimson Rhinoceros charged forward, its colossal horn spiraling upward like a spear of death. Each thunderous step cracked the frozen earth beneath it.

That noise roused the Wolf Lord from slumber.

Facing the charging beast, Chen Zhuo didn’t flinch. With one hand, he seized the horn mid-strike. His feet planted firm, he twisted his torso, effortlessly redirecting the beast’s momentum.

Then—like magic—the blade appeared. A jagged iron sword materialized in his grip. One swift thrust, deep into the rhino’s massive right eye. He twisted the blade—once, twice—and the creature’s brain was reduced to pulp.

With a final groan, it collapsed, leaving behind a body as large as a truck and a single blue chest.

“ROOOOAR!”

Before Chen Zhuo could even check the drops, a guttural roar erupted from behind—deep, monstrous, shaking the very bones in his skull.

He turned.

There, standing in the ruins’ shadow, was his old friend—his longtime rival, the Wolf Lord.

Chen Zhuo grinned. No hesitation. He waved wildly, shouting back with mock fury:
“Die already, you overgrown mutt!”

He claimed the refined chest. Inside—no surprise—was the final shard.

The Crimson Pearl was complete.

No second thought. He tapped the shards together.

【Crimson Pearl: Forged from shards dropped by crimson beasts. Consuming grants permanent +5 to all four stats. No side effects.】

The pearl fit snugly in his palm—egg-sized, blood-red, pulsing with an eerie vitality. It radiated cold so deep it felt like ice seeping into his marrow.

If the system hadn’t explained it, Chen Zhuo wouldn’t have dared eat it. Even knowing it boosted constitution, the thing *felt* evil.

Holding it close, the stench hit him—thick, cloying, metallic. Worse than the shards. Iron rust, blood, something ancient and rotten.

He swallowed hard. Forced himself to take a breath. Then—down it went.

Unlike the hard, unyielding texture in his hand, the pearl melted instantly on his tongue.

But the taste? That was pure torture. Ten times worse than smelling it up close. The iron-laced tang flooded his nerves, burning his mouth, clawing at his throat.

Within seconds, acid surged up his esophagus. He doubled over, clamping his hands over his mouth, fighting not to vomit.

The world spun. His vision blurred. Then—suddenly—it cleared.

And power surged through him.

A 20-point stat boost. His strength, speed, endurance, reaction—all leaped forward.

Host: Chen Zhuo
Strength: 27 +5
Speed: 25 +5
Endurance: 27 +5
Reaction: 28 +5

“Huh…”

For the first time in memory, a sound escaped him—not a grunt, not a laugh. A low, unnatural growl, chilling and raw.

His eyes burned red. Not just the whites—*the entire eyeball*, every inch of iris and pupil drenched in crimson.

But unlike when using shards before, his mind wasn’t clouded. In fact, clarity sharpened.

Around him, a halo of red light shimmered—nothing like the bloody mist of past uses. This was different. Pure. Controlled.

“System,” he whispered, voice rough. “What the hell is going on? This feels like the frenzy state from the shards… but I’m *so* clear-headed.”

【Ping. Congratulations, host. You’ve unlocked the hidden effect of the Crimson Pearl. 0.5% chance to gain autonomous berserker ability.】

“Wait—*what*? That’s insane. What does it actually do?”

【Autonomous Berserk: Temporarily increases all stats by 10%. Duration: 2 minutes. Cooldown: 24 hours.】

“Right now I’m pushing 30+ endurance. After berserk, I’ll get another 3 points across the board.”

“Meaning I can *one-shot* the Wolf Lord. Hahahaha.”

【Ping. Wolf Lord’s strength stat: 40–45.】

“…Uh.”

“Doesn’t matter. My other stats will crush it. And I’ve got tricks up my sleeve.”

He laughed, unfazed by the system’s teasing. All he cared about now was how to make the Wolf Lord *wish* he’d stayed asleep.

Meanwhile, the Wolf Lord had watched everything unfold—from the rhino’s slaughter to Chen Zhuo devouring the fruit.

It sensed the surge of crimson energy within him. Knew that power. But what puzzled it was that Chen Zhuo showed no signs of losing control. No madness. No wildness. Just… focus.

As the Wolf Lord pondered, Chen Zhuo leapt down from the hillside.

*Boom.*

The impact shook the ground. He landed perfectly, balanced, calm.

Now face-to-face with the towering beast inside the ruin, Chen Zhuo felt nothing. No fear. No tension.

Then—something flickered across his face. A grin. Wide. Sharp. White teeth flashing.

The Wolf Lord blinked. Confused.

Then Chen Zhuo did something strange.

He bent down, scooped up a chunk of broken stone, and hurled it through the ruin’s gaping doorway—straight toward the Wolf Lord’s head.

A purple epic-tier beast like him? A pebble? Ridiculous.

It didn’t move. Didn’t flinch. Let the rock strike its skull with a dull *thud*.

It waited. Curious. What game was this human playing?

Then—Chen Zhuo smiled wider.

“Yep,” he said, voice dripping with amusement. “You can’t come out. Or… you’re afraid to.”