"...Ha."
After finishing the fight, Baili An deactivated his Demonic Binding Eyes and rubbed his eyes with slight discomfort.
After continuous use, his vision felt strained.
The energy consumption itself was manageable, but overusing ocular abilities would still cause damage to his eyes.
When he first awakened these eyes, his mental strength had increased slightly, but it was still far from enough to support reckless usage.
"But that's about to change…"
Baili An opened his eyes again.
There was still a faint stinging sensation, but he paid it no mind. His gaze was filled with anticipation.
"A 300 Source Essence eye already gave me that kind of boost. I wonder… what kind of change the Sharingan will bring?"
Inside his inner world.
Amid the gray void, the card representing the Sharingan glowed faintly.
On it, three scarlet tomoe rotated slowly.
Current Source Essence: 2605
Sharingan: 2605 / 2600 (Unlockable)
A surge of excitement rose in his chest.
But Baili An forced himself to calm down.
"…Let's get somewhere safe first."
…
At the outermost edge of the secret realm, monsters were rare. Even wild animals were seldom seen.
After confirming his surroundings were safe, Baili An leaned against a tree and sat down.
He closed his eyes.
His consciousness sank into his inner world.
Reaching out, he touched the Sharingan card.
A soft red glow spread from it.
The once static design seemed to come alive. The crimson eye radiated an eerie, mesmerizing aura.
At the same time, changes began within his body.
Sharingan unlocked successfully. World adaptation complete.
Uchiha bloodline integrated. Chakra converted into spiritual energy. Fire attribute acquired. Fire-type ability awakened.
"…What?"
Sharingan awakening initiated. Current state: Three Tomoe.
Adapting to world rules. Techniques reconstructed. Transferring…
Special techniques: Izanagi, Izanami, Transcription Seal, Summoning Contract
Genjutsu: Demonic Shackles, Illusion Reflection, Bubble Illusion, Black Flame Illusion
All Fire Release techniques granted
Mangekyo Sharingan unlockable. Required Source Essence: 5 / 24000
"…What??"
The sudden flood of information made his head buzz.
At the same time, spiritual energy surged through his body, a warm and powerful current spreading through every limb.
His total energy had doubled in an instant.
"…No way."
Baili An couldn't help but let out a stunned laugh.
"So that's how it works…"
Everything felt incredibly real.
The changes in his body. The techniques embedded in his mind.
And yet, it all felt almost unreal.
When he unlocked the Demonic Binding Eyes before, he had already experienced some benefits.
His vision sharpened. His reaction speed increased. Even his thinking became smoother.
Later, he realized it was due to enhanced mental strength.
But this time…
He focused inward, carefully sensing the changes.
"My spiritual energy and mental strength both jumped to a completely new level. That alone would be insane."
"And on top of that, I awakened a fire-type ability."
"And most importantly… these reconstructed techniques."
A smile slowly spread across his face.
He had chosen the Sharingan for its versatility, especially its decisive advantage.
Genjutsu.
Against monsters, the Sharingan was a natural predator.
With it, the cost of hunting would drop significantly, and his efficiency would increase dramatically.
As for these techniques…
They were an unexpected gift.
And an invaluable one.
After a long while, Baili An opened his eyes again.
They were now crimson.
Three tomoe rotated slowly within them, carrying a faint, ominous presence.
"So this is the world through the Sharingan…"
he murmured softly.
Everything before him became incredibly clear.
Compared to before, every detail seemed magnified, yet his overall perception remained perfectly balanced.
It was a sensation difficult to describe.
Even the fatigue from earlier had completely vanished.
His eyes had never felt better.
He could clearly sense the power contained within them.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Let's test it out… on the Goblins."
…
Among Goblin territories, the most dangerous was the Goblin Den, their true stronghold.
Next were the tribes outside.
And finally, the scattered villages.
For nearly a year, Baili An had only hunted isolated Goblins.
Today was different.
This was his first direct assault on a Goblin village.
Flames engulfed the crude wooden huts.
Goblins howled in panic.
Amid the chaos, Baili An moved like a shadow, weaving through their ranks.
His Tang blade flashed again and again, harvesting lives.
Bursts of fire erupted around him, forcing the Goblins back.
Occasionally, a Hobgoblin would charge toward him.
Each time, it was instantly caught in his genjutsu, standing frozen before being cut down without resistance.
More importantly, Baili An could feel it.
In the heat of battle, he was rapidly adapting to his newfound strength.
His enhanced spiritual energy reinforced his body.
His heightened mental strength sharpened his perception.
Before obtaining the Sharingan, this level of combat would have been impossible.
"…Hm?"
Suddenly, his movement paused.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something.
Behind a collapsed wooden structure, a peculiar Goblin was hiding.
It wore strange garments, a crude wooden crown on its head, and held a staff.
Its body was smaller than a normal Goblin.
A Tier 3 monster.
Goblin Shaman.
It specialized in magic, with intelligence far surpassing ordinary Goblins.
Watching Baili An slaughter its kin, it quietly raised its staff and began chanting.
A massive fireball formed in an instant.
It shot toward Baili An without hesitation.
Several nearby Goblins were caught in its path as well.
But Baili An had already been on guard.
He dodged immediately.
The Goblins, however, were not so fortunate.
They were consumed by the flames.
"Sharingan."
The moment their eyes met, Baili An pulled the Shaman into an illusion.
Its perception of reality fell completely under his control.
Even as Baili An pierced its heart, it remained trapped within the illusion.
Only at the moment of death did it break free.
Even then, its eyes were filled with disbelief and terror as it stared at him.
"Even a Goblin Shaman, with strong mental power and magical ability, couldn't resist the Sharingan's genjutsu."
"And it didn't even realize it was trapped until the very end."
Baili An exhaled softly.
"…And I'm just getting started."