"Chrysalis Stigma?"
I didn't have the mental capacity to pay close attention to the notification window.
However, I do recall hearing that term before.
Just to clarify, here I am speaking about myself as Qin Yu, not about the memories of Arthur Knox that I have obtained.
-Life flashing before one's eyes-
People who were about to die would usually recall memories they had never remembered before.
I experienced the same thing.
Memories of myself from childhood to adulthood began to surface.
Starting from when I lived in an orphanage, met the demon woman, grew up, got married, and had a child in my mid-twenties—all those memories played out before my eyes.
Although I was an orphan, I never neglected my education.
With a proper education, I hoped to secure a good job.
I recall facing financial difficulties during my early college years.
I tried to find a better-paying job than part-time work, but failed when they discovered I was an orphan.
Just as I was about to give up, I met an old man sitting quietly by the roadside.
The old man asked me one question, "Do you like insects?"
"Yes," I answered. I wasn't lying at that time; I've always liked insects since I was a child.
Talking to the insects behind the orphanage building had been a part of my daily routine as a child.
"It's good that you like them. I'll give you a Chrysalis Stigma."
Since the old man said he had given me the Chrysalis Stigma, various kinds of insects began to frequently appear around me.
Thanks to my closeness with those insects, I managed to secure a job as an Entomologist.
I was quite confident in my knowledge of insects.
There were cannibalistic insects that could eat their own mates or their own mothers, for example, praying mantises.
There were also insects whose genitals exploded when they mated for the first time, for example, male honeybees.
And there were many other interesting facts.
Why did I suddenly think of all this?
[The Absorb ability of the Chrysalis Stigma has been unlocked.]
[Select the insect you wish to absorb….]
That notification window was informing you about the reason why I suddenly started talking about insects.
[You will gain abilities corresponding to the insect you choose.]
Did I look like I was in any condition to make a choice?
Moving my body alone was already impossible.
The only insect that appeared near me was… a cockroach!!
'A cockroach?'
[Start using the absorb skill.]
[Absorption of cockroach characteristics is in progress.]
My eyes began to close completely as the notification window appeared, informing me that the absorption of cockroach characteristics was in progress.
My foolish mind screamed in panic—was I going to become a cockroach?
Blip!
My eyes finally closed completely.
My consciousness also finally vanished completely.
The last feeling I experienced was… like being inside a cocoon.
[Successfully used the absorb skill.]
[Insect slot:
Cockroach (Periplaneta)
2.-]
***
A few moments before Qin Yu fell into unconsciousness, Tumelo and Dmitri had stopped their torture.
Unlike Dmitri, who looked relaxed, Tumelo suddenly began trembling; his large black hands and body were shaking harshly.
"I-I think we've done something wrong."
"What? Are you feeling guilty now?"
Dmitri placed his hand on Tumelo's shoulder and said, "Calm down. In a place like this, no one will care about the death of one slave."
"What if Livia asks about him?"
"We'll just say that another demonic beast blocked our way. I'm sure Livia won't say much."
Tumelo was eventually convinced by Dmitri's words.
The two of them intended to run hurriedly to describe the situation where they had been ambushed by a demonic beast.
Just a few steps into their run, they both stopped.
They stopped because a bright light in the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet suddenly appeared behind their bodies.
"A rainbow?"
"Why did a rainbow suddenly appear?"
They both turned around and saw Qin Yu's body—Arthur Knox's body—emitting light in seven different colors like a rainbow.
Transparent shadows resembling wings began to appear above Arthur's body, on his back.
The butterfly wings wrapped around Arthur's body and…
Tzztt!
The seven-colored light and butterfly wings vanished in an instant.
What greeted Tumelo and Dmitri when the light disappeared was Arthur Knox's body, whose skin began to peel off.
"Where did all the wounds I inflicted go?" Dmitri furrowed his brow. "What is that? Molting?"
The wounds clinging to Arthur's body began to fall off and slowly drop to the ground along with his peeling skin.
As the molting process continued, Arthur slowly rose to his feet.
Gradually, after the molting process was complete, Arthur seemed to have been reborn.
Arthur's eyes opened in a shocking way.
Tumelo and Dmitri's faces became the targets of Arthur's menacing gaze.
"Do you think you can threaten me or scare me just because I don't know what just happened to you?!" Dmitri replied confidently.
He gripped his pickaxe tightly and charged forward to attack Arthur.
Slash!
Dmitri's face was full of confidence, confident that his slash would hit Arthur's neck.
"Hah?"
He ended up stunned when he realized he had slashed at empty air.
He noticed that Arthur had somehow managed to dodge.
Unwilling to accept the failure of his attack, Dmitri continued to attack blindly.
"Hmph! Hmph! Hmph! W-why? WHY???"
Dmitri ended up screaming like a madman.
***
It wasn't just Dmitri who was shocked; I was just as shocked as he was.
I stood there, looking at my hands alternately.
I couldn't believe that I had actually managed to dodge Dmitri's attack.
[Skill Cero Escape successfully triggered.]
I was able to dodge Dmitri's attack because I had acquired a skill after absorbing the characteristics of a cockroach.
A moment ago, a notification window like this appeared…
[Cockroach characteristic absorption complete.]
[You have successfully obtained three skills.]
The first skill was Molting.
I didn't know how, but it seemed the Molting skill automatically activated when I was unconscious.
I lost consciousness only for a moment.
When I opened my eyes, the wounds on my body had already healed.
[Skill Molting was successfully used.]
[Cooldown: 6 months.]
The second skill I obtained was Cero Escape.
It was said that this skill could allow me to evade enemy attacks.
[Cero Escape did not work if the enemy attacked without intent to kill.]
At that moment, Dmitri began attacking me like a madman.
My childish mind screamed in excitement, wanting to jump for joy upon realizing there was plot armor helping me survive.
Had I become overpowered?
Stupid!
Even though I had gained several skills, including one that allowed me to evade Dmitri's attacks, my body also grew exhausted alongside the superhuman reflexes I displayed.
In short, I was still weak.
I was grateful that my self-awareness as an extra role kept me from getting drunk on the thrill of plot armor.
'Let's end this fight.'