Pain was a teacher. But fire was a finisher.
While the Chimera thrashed, screaming from the loss of its human arm, Su Chen didn't give it a second to breathe.
He held the remaining three Napalm Jars.
"You shed your skin to escape the fire," Su Chen said coldly. "Let's see you shed your flesh."
He didn't throw them one by one. He juggled two jars in his left hand and one in his right, then dashed forward.
The snake recovered, its remaining human arms clawing at the air, trying to intercept him.
[Shadow Step.]
Su Chen vanished.
He reappeared in mid-air, directly above the Chimera's exposed, raw back.
He smashed all three jars down at once.
CRASH.
The mixture of sugar and potassium nitrate coated the monster's wet, pink flesh. The magnesium fuse sparked.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
It wasn't just a fire; it was an inferno. Without its protective scales, the Chimera had zero fire resistance. The napalm cooked the meat instantly.
"GRAAAAAAAH!"
The beast's scream shattered the windows of the lab. It rolled on the ground, smashing equipment, trying to put out the sticky flames. But the fire just spread deeper.
[Target HP: 1500 -> 800 -> 400...]
"Finish it," Su Chen whispered.
He landed on the floor, his boots slipping in the slime. He gripped the Rusty Pipe with both hands.
He targeted the final weak point revealed by the [Eye of Truth].
[Weak Point: The Brain Stem (Exposed by burning flesh).]
Su Chen leaped. He drove the pipe downward like a spear.
SQUELCH.
The pipe pierced the burning meat and crunched through the skull. The Chimera went rigid. Its tail slammed into the ceiling one last time, and then it collapsed.
Dead.
[System Notification:]
[You have slain the Level 7 Boss: Venomous Chimera.]
[Experience +2,500.]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[You are now Level 5.]
A golden light bathed Su Chen's body. His fatigue vanished. His wounds knitted together.
He stood atop the burning corpse, breathing heavily.
"Loot," he said.
He kicked the corpse aside. Beneath it lay two items.
1. [Chimera Scale Leggings (Rare)]
- Defense +15.
- Effect: Speed +2.
2. [Skill Book: "Toxic Blood" (Passive)]
- Effect: Your blood becomes poisonous to enemies.
Su Chen equipped the leggings immediately. He threw the skill book into his pocket for later.
But his eyes were fixed on the real prize.
The glowing refrigeration unit in the center of the room. It was untouched by the fire.
He walked over and opened the glass door.
Cold mist poured out. Resting on a velvet cushion was a syringe filled with a glowing, neon-blue liquid.
[Genetic Evolution Serum (Type-A)]
[Grade: Epic (Purple)]
[Effect: Re-writes the user's DNA.]
Su Chen picked it up. His hand trembled slightly.
In his past life—or rather, in the "future" he had seen in novels—items like this were controlled by mega-corporations or military warlords. A solo player getting one on Day 1 was unheard of.
"With this, I won't just be a survivor," Su Chen murmured. "I'll be a predator."
He didn't hesitate. He plunged the needle into his neck and depressed the plunger.
The liquid entered his veins.
Fire.
It felt like he had injected liquid magma.
"Guh—!"
Su Chen dropped to his knees. He gripped the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white. His veins bulged, turning blue, then black, then gold.
[System Alert: Evolution starting.]
[DNA re-sequencing...]
[Pain Threshold: Critical.]
Su Chen gritted his teeth so hard a molar cracked. He didn't scream. He refused to pass out.
He watched the numbers in his vision.
[Strength: 14 -> 24]
[Agility: 16 -> 26]
[Endurance: 10 -> 20]
[Intelligence: 12 -> 22]
His muscles became denser, more compact. His skin shed a thin layer of dead cells, revealing new, tougher skin underneath. His vision sharpened until he could see the dust motes in the air.
[Evolution Complete.]
[New Trait Acquired: "Perfect Body (Stage 1)".]
[Effect: Complete Immunity to Poisons, Toxins, and Diseases. Stamina recovery increased by 300%.]
Su Chen stood up. He felt light. Powerful.
He picked up a piece of glass from the floor and sliced his own palm.
The cut appeared, but there was no blood. Within three seconds, the skin knitted itself back together. Not a scar left.
"Regeneration," Su Chen smiled. "Good."
He checked the global rankings.
[Rank 1: Anonymous (Level 5)]
[Rank 2: "Tiger" (Level 3)]
[Rank 3: "Viper" (Level 3)]
He was two full levels ahead of the nearest competition. And that was huge.
Suddenly, a notification pinged.
[System Announcement: The First Night is halfway through.]
[Hidden Event Triggered: The Merchant of Death.]
[A Wandering Merchant has appeared in a random location within the city.]
[Time remaining: 30 minutes.]
Su Chen's eyes narrowed.
The Wandering Merchant.
Most players ignored this event because the Merchant appeared in dangerous zones and charged exorbitant prices.
But Su Chen knew something they didn't.
He knew the Merchant's "First Customer" discount was 90%.
And he knew exactly where the Merchant spawned in this district.
Su Chen walked to the window. The Science Building was his now. The zombies downstairs were just free XP waiting to be farmed. But the Merchant... that was a limited-time opportunity.
He looked at the notification.
[Current Coins: 4,000.]
"With a 90% discount," Su Chen calculated, "I can buy *that* item."
He smashed the window with his elbow.
He didn't take the stairs. He jumped from the 4th floor.
Wind rushed past his ears.
[Shadow Step.]
Just before hitting the ground, he teleported to the shadow of a tree, landing with zero impact.
He moved into the darkness, a blur of speed and death.