As soon as I realized what I was looking at, I clutched the core closer to my chest, looking around jealously as if something was about to snatch it out of my hand.My heart was pounding out of my chest. I felt a flood of emotions I didn’t expect. It was at that moment I realized that I was like a man lost in the desert coming across a glass of cold, refreshing water. Well, I was literally lost in the desert, but I didn't exactly need to drink. What I did need was power. The power to defend myself and not die another agonizing death. And the little core I held? Oh, man, the word “refreshing” didn't even come close to describing what I felt at that moment. I hated dying. It didn't get any easier. In fact, now that I knew what to expect, I was ten times more afraid than I had been at first. And this feeling only got worse the more progress I made—I really didn't like being set back and having to start from scratch. That sucked. So bad.But, unfortunately, my little moment of happiness came to an abrupt end as I remembered the words of those mercenaries.Even just talking about what I was doing here in public was enough to end up in prison. Now, it could just be that the empire wanted to keep a method to become powerful to themselves. Nobles not wanting the peasants to rise up and all that.Sadly, I knew this was just wishful thinking on my part.So what was it, then? Would doing this give me some kind of horrible disease that would spread around and kill a bunch of people? Or would it create a corrupt (...)