# Chapter Twelve:
Kang Jin-woo spent the next few days in his shabby apartment, surrounded by the dark treasures he had collected. The "Tomes of Eternal Night" presented an enticing challenge, but it was currently locked, waiting for Jin-woo to reach a certain level of power and understanding. The "Pulsating Shadow Heart," on the other hand, was another enigma. It throbbed with a steady, strong rhythm in its opaque jar, radiating an aura of pure dark energy that Jin-woo felt resonated with the core of his being.
He knew this heart was a key to something, perhaps to significantly enhancing his "Shadow Affinity," or even unlocking new abilities. But how to use it was unclear. Should he consume it directly? That seemed risky, even for someone like him. Pure shadow energy could be overwhelming, as the System had warned previously.
Jin-woo decided to start by researching. He returned to the "Book of Twilight Rituals (Torn)" he had obtained from the Sons of Twilight cult. Despite being fragmented and dangerous, it contained some basic information about handling shadow energy. He remembered the recipe for a "Temporary Darkness Potion" which required a "Small Shadow Essence." Now, he had something much more potent: a "Pulsating Shadow Heart."
"If a small essence can make a temporary potion," Jin-woo mused, a cold smile forming on his face, "then what can a whole heart do?"
He began to study the potion recipe again, trying to understand the underlying principles. It required some rare herbs that grew in cursed places, in addition to the shadow essence. He didn't have the herbs, but he wondered if he could modify the recipe, or perhaps use the heart in a completely different way.
He used his "Cold Observer's Eye" on the heart again, trying to glean any additional information.
[Pulsating Shadow Heart (Authentic) – Legendary Component (High Grade)]
[Description: A living heart pulsing with pure shadow energy...]
[Potential Uses (Requires specialized knowledge or skills): Direct consumption (very high risk, unpredictable results), imbuing into a weapon or tool (requires advanced "Shadow Crafting" skill), using as an energy focus in powerful rituals (requires deep understanding of "Shadow Magic"), carefully extracting its essence to create potent potions or elixirs (requires "Shadow Alchemy" skill or similar).]
[System Note: Direct handling of this heart without protection or sufficient understanding may lead to shadow possession, madness, or a painful physical transformation.]
"Shadow Alchemy... Shadow Crafting..." These were skills he didn't possess yet. Direct consumption was morbidly tempting, but the warning was clear. "Shadow possession" didn't sound fun, even for him. As for "painful physical transformation," it depended on the type of pain. Some pain was amusing.
Jin-woo decided he needed a safer (or at least less catastrophically dangerous) way to interact with the heart. The idea of "carefully extracting its essence" seemed the most logical for now. He didn't have the "Shadow Alchemy" skill, but he was intelligent and creative in his own twisted way.
He remembered he had some basic tools he had stolen from an abandoned science lab some time ago. Test tubes, small Bunsen burners, some basic chemicals. Perhaps he could set up a simple experiment.
He spent the next few hours setting up his makeshift lab in a corner of his apartment. The place looked like a mad scientist's den, which wasn't far from the truth. He was extremely careful when handling the jar containing the heart. Even just being near it made him feel a strange tingling in his skin, and faint whispers at the back of his mind.
The whispers were interesting. They weren't clear words, but more like feelings and sensations: a cold hunger, a desire to spread, a hatred of light. The heart was alive, and it was communicating with him in its own way.
"You're lonely, aren't you?" Jin-woo whispered to the heart, a strange smile on his face. "Trapped in this jar, far from your world. I understand that feeling well."
He felt as if the pulse within the jar had changed slightly, as if responding to his words. This made him even more cautious. This thing wasn't just a component; it was an entity, or at least part of one.
He decided he wouldn't try to extract anything from the heart directly for now. Instead, he would try to "communicate" with it in another way. He remembered the incomplete "Lesser Shadow Binding" ritual from the "Book of Twilight Rituals." The ritual was dangerous and incomplete, but it revolved around forcing a shadow creature into submission. This heart wasn't a complete creature, but it carried the essence of a powerful shadow being.
"Perhaps I can adapt the ritual," Jin-woo thought. "Not to bind you, my heart-friend, but to understand you better. To create a sort of temporary connection."
This was a crazy and dangerous idea. Using an incomplete ritual on a legendary component. But Jin-woo was bored, and boredom made him reckless.
He began to draw the distorted symbols from the "Book of Twilight Rituals" on his apartment floor, using stolen chalk. He modified some of the symbols based on his dark intuition, trying to shift the ritual from one of control to one of connection or sensing. He placed the jar containing the heart in the center of the circle of symbols.
Then, he began to chant the twisted words from the book, his quiet voice filling the room. He felt the energy in the air change, becoming heavier and more oppressive. The shadows in the corners of the room began to dance and elongate, as if responding to the ritual.
[Warning: You are performing an unstable and incomplete ritual using a legendary component. There is a high probability of dangerous backlash.]
Jin-woo ignored the System's warning. He was past the point of no return. He continued chanting, feeling a trickle of dark energy flowing through him, from the heart, and into the symbols drawn on the floor.
Suddenly, the heart within the jar glowed with a bright purple light, and the whispers in Jin-woo's head became louder and more urgent. He saw fleeting images dance before his eyes: an endless black void, dying stars, strange, nightmarish creatures feeding on light. He felt a cold, deep hunger, and a desire to join that cosmic dance of darkness.
Jin-woo fought against these sensations, focusing on maintaining his sanity. He didn't want to be consumed by the heart, but to understand it. He cried out the final words of the modified ritual, and felt a burst of cold energy fill the room.
Then, silence. The heart's glow subsided, and the shadows returned to normal. Jin-woo was panting, feeling exhausted, but he also felt something else: a faint but clear connection to the dark heart.
[You have (partially and dangerously) succeeded in establishing a temporary connection with the "Pulsating Shadow Heart."]
[You have gained a slight insight into the nature of the "Dark Void."]
[Your "Shadow Affinity" has slightly increased.]
[New Skill Acquired (Incomplete, Dangerous): "Whispers of the Dark Heart" (Level 1)]
[Whispers of the Dark Heart (Level 1): You can hear faint whispers from the "Pulsating Shadow Heart," which may offer cryptic insights or distorted warnings. Listening for too long may lead to madness or influence your decisions. Requires the heart to be nearby.]
[Warning: This connection is unstable and may break or turn hostile at any moment.]
Jin-woo smiled a tired but satisfied smile. He had succeeded, sort of. He hadn't gained immense power, but he had gained a deeper understanding, and an interesting new skill. "Whispers of the Dark Heart"... that sounded promising.
He felt that the heart in the jar was calmer now, as if it had acknowledged his presence, or at least accepted him as a temporary companion in this strange world. Perhaps, over time, he could deepen this connection, and learn more of the secrets of darkness.
But he also knew he was playing with fire. This heart was not a friend; it was an ancient and dangerous natural force. And any mistake in handling it could be his last.
Jin-woo looked at the fading symbols on the floor. It had been a risky experiment, but it had been worth it. He had learned something new, and he was a little closer to understanding the forces he was dealing with.
And now, with this new connection to the heart, perhaps he could start thinking about how to use it to enhance his abilities more effectively. And maybe, just maybe, he could start thinking about how to open the "Tomes of Eternal Night."
The game was ongoing, and it was getting more dangerous and exciting with every step.