Chapter 14: Bloodlust
**Chapter TWELVE**
As the two beast bodies slammed hard against the cold forest floor, the system notification flashed brightly across Liyu’s vision.
[Ding! Host bloodlust has increased.]
For once, when the system spoke inside Liyu’s mind, it didn’t sound sarcastic or mocking. Instead, it sounded concerned. [Host, your bloodlust is increasing rapidly. You should refrain from further slaughter for your own good.]
The forest suddenly became eerily silent. Too silent. Liyu’s grin slowly faded as he listened to the system’s warning. A cold breeze swept through the forest, rustling the leaves and causing the branches overhead to creak softly in the darkness. The atmosphere suddenly felt heavy. The most disturbing part wasn’t the warning itself. It was the fact that the system sounded genuinely worried. And the system only ever sounded like that whenever he was in real danger.
Liyu’s fingers twitched slightly. "Bloodlust," he muttered slowly. His gaze shifted toward the two headless gorilla corpses lying nearby. Strangely enough, he didn’t feel disturbed by the sight at all. If anything, the more he killed, the more exhilarated he felt. A slow smile crept onto his face.
"System," Liyu said quietly. "Am I becoming insane?"
The system paused for a long moment before replying. [Current analysis: Host has always been insane.]
Liyu chuckled softly. "Well, maybe that’s true," he admitted. "But that’s not what I’m asking. What exactly is this rising bloodlust you keep talking about? Care to elaborate?" His tone remained calm as he crouched down and began carving out the spiked gorilla cores one after another.
The system remained silent for a while, probably trying to determine the best way to explain the situation without causing its already unstable host to become even worse. Finally, it spoke. [Host should have realized it already. The more you massacre, the more your excitement rises and the more your bloodlust grows.]
Liyu’s hand paused slightly. "Wait, you mean my bloodlust has been increasing for a while now?"
[Affirmative.]
Liyu frowned. "Then why the hell didn’t you tell me earlier?"
[I believed Host would be intelligent enough to notice the changes himself. Unfortunately, your mind was too focused on the thrill of battle and slaughter to realize what was happening to you.]
Now that the system pointed it out, Liyu could actually feel it. Something about him had indeed changed. The more he killed, the stronger and more alive he felt. During battle, his senses became sharper, his body lighter, and his instincts fiercer. Yet the excitement and pleasure he felt from killing had completely masked the abnormality from his awareness.
"So my rising bloodlust is the reason for all this?" Liyu asked calmly.
[Affirmative.]
"And what exactly is causing it? Is it simply because I’ve been killing beasts nonstop?"
[You are both right and wrong at the same time, Host.] The system’s voice became colder and more serious. [Your bloodlust is deeply tied to the primal instincts of the Primal Tyrant Physique. As you should already know, your physique was born for bloodshed, survival, domination, and battle. The more you fight, massacre, and kill, the higher your bloodlust rises. And the higher your bloodlust rises, the more hidden abilities and perks of the Primal Tyrant Physique become unlocked.]
Liyu raised an eyebrow as he returned to the clearing where the nine dead spiked gorillas still lay scattered everywhere. "So bloodlust is actually beneficial?" he asked. "Then why do you sound so worried?"
When the system replied, it sounded both irritated and exhausted, as if it was tired of repeatedly explaining dangerous things to a lunatic. [Host, listen carefully. The higher your bloodlust rises, the greater the temporary enhancements granted by the Primal Tyrant Physique. Your senses sharpen further, your physical strength increases, your instincts become deadlier, and your battle efficiency improves dramatically. However, the drawbacks are far more dangerous than the benefits.]
Liyu’s expression slowly turned serious. The system continued. [The more your bloodlust rises, the harder it becomes for you to control yourself. Think of it like consuming a highly addictive drug. At first, it starts small. Barely noticeable. But over time, the addiction deepens. The pleasure grows stronger. Eventually, the person becomes completely dependent on the feeling. Your bloodlust functions similarly, except far worse.]
A new notification suddenly appeared before Liyu’s eyes.
[Bloodlust Percentage: 15%]
Liyu blinked. "Only fifteen percent?" he muttered. "That doesn’t sound too dangerous."
The system’s voice rang out immediately. [Host, that is exactly how addiction begins. Small amounts eventually become larger ones.]
Liyu nodded slowly. He understood what the system meant almost perfectly. "I get your concern," he admitted. "Relax. I’m not planning to do anything reckless." Then he paused before grinning slightly. "I’m just curious, what happens if I cross the hundred percent mark?"
The silence that followed was unusually long. When the system finally spoke again, its tone sounded genuinely exasperated. [Host, seriously? I just explained that your current bloodlust level is already dangerous, and now you’re thinking about reaching one hundred percent?]
Liyu only grinned wider. After all, if just fifteen percent bloodlust had already boosted his physical abilities this much, then how monstrous would one hundred percent be? The thought alone was tempting.
The system sounded almost defeated. [Host’s greed truly knows no limits. Yes. As Host suspected, reaching one hundred percent bloodlust would grant amplification even superior to your Berserker state.]
Liyu’s eyes lit up instantly. But before he could get excited, the system’s tone became icy cold. [However, if you ever wish to live long enough to enjoy your strength, then never attempt to cross that threshold. Because the moment your bloodlust reaches one hundred percent, you will lose your mind completely.]
Liyu’s grin slowly disappeared. The system continued. [Host would become a mindless beast driven purely by slaughter and instinct. At that point, Host risks losing control of his consciousness for an extremely long time.]
Liyu frowned. "How long?"
The system’s next words made even him shiver slightly. [It varies. Several years, decades, perhaps even eternity. Once consumed completely, Host may never return to normal again.]
For the first time in a while, Liyu was genuinely stunned silent. Several years? Eternity? Just imagining himself wandering endlessly as a mindless monster drenched in blood was enough to make chills crawl down his spine. That wasn’t good. Not good at all. Liyu let out a long breath before forcing a grin back onto his face.
"Well, we’ll deal with that later."
By now, he had already finished carving out the beast cores from the dead gorillas. Yet despite his casual tone, the system could tell something clearly. For the very first time since obtaining the Primal Tyrant Physique, Liyu was actually disturbed.
Liyu walked calmly through the forest. Any beast that caught even a glimpse of him from afar immediately turned tail and fled for its life. Some tripped over themselves in panic, while others froze in terror and collapsed onto their backs, trembling violently as if death itself had appeared before them. Liyu barely spared the terrified beasts a glance.
"So this is how it feels to be the predator instead of the prey."
