[Skill Evolution Detected]
Arin stiffened.
His eyes narrowed as a faint thrill crawled up his spine.
[Newbie Slither (Lv.10) → Basic Slither (Lv.1)
—you finally learned to take your first proper wiggle-wiggle, yay!]
He expected something like this…
But still, a tiny tear glimmered in the corner of his eye.
"Ah. Yes. Of course," he muttered flatly.
But the emotion didn't last. Hunger hit him again—sharp and demanding.
Thankfully, a full feast lay beside him.
The first prey he had ever hunted.
Well… second. Technically.
His fangs sank into the plump flesh.
Blood splattered across the stone floor.
Nearby serpents paused, staring at him with hungry envy—then immediately went back to biting each other.
When Arin finished his 'gourmet meal', a proud glow spread across his face…
…until he remembered something.
"HEY!" he shouted. "Where are my quest rewards, you—"
He cut himself off.
System curses meant karma backlash.
[Tch.]
The system clicked its tongue.
[…you actually remembered.]
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Arin's face twisted in pure fury.
[Here.
Don't make a scene.]
[1. 10 Basic-Tier Cultivation Draw Tickets
2. +2 Inventory Slots
3. Fresh Meat]
Arin ignored the first two completely.
Fresh meat.
Fresh. Meat.
A tear slid free.
He didn't know if it came from hunger…
or from the painful heart of a true gacha addict.
Either way, he braced himself.
"Fine… let's get this over with."
He slammed the 10x Draw button.
---
[Basic Draw Initiated]
1. Poop
Poop stepped on by an immortal. Truly a treasure. Cry.
2. Leaf
Used in a fight between two mortal-stage kids. Legendary.
3. Rock
Just a rock. Reminds me of you.
4. Flyers
Advertisement for a life-threatening pill. You should take it.
5. Dog Poop
Yes, more poop. No, you may not complain.
6. Sand
The Sands of Eternal Disappointment.
7. Hand Fan
You don't even have hands. LMAO.
8. Piss
Produced by a disappointed man. Drink for enlightenment?
9. Light Orb
Eternal Light. Something missing in your heart.
Arin's soul cracked.
"NONE of this is cultivation-related!"
[DING!]
[Congratulations.
You pulled: Low-Grade Body Tempering Pill.
Be grateful — this one actually matters.]
Arin stiffened.
A real pill.
After rocks… poop… piss… humiliation…
His eyes widened.
His tail began slapping the ground uncontrollably.
"A… a pill?" he whispered.
His vision misted. "I thought I'd never pull something real with those cursed rates…"
He immediately stored it in his inventory—almost too fast—like it might vanish.
But joy didn't last.
A wave of paranoia curled around him.
What if someone steals it?
He bolted toward his cave at full speed.
Inside, he gently drew the pill out again.
It sat on his tail-tip, glowing faintly… or maybe that was just his imagination.
Either way, it looked holy.
He placed the pill into his mouth and swallowed.
No taste. No sweetness or bitterness. Just nothing.
Warmth erupted inside him.
His vision blurred and his body collapsed, while his mind faded into unconsciousness.
When he finally opened his eyes, he felt different.
Joy sparked in his gaze.
"I… I've grown taller…"
His scales shone with new hardness. "These look like they've been reborn."
He could feel it—the pill had cleared his clogged energy pathways.
Before he could celebrate—
[Host is about to starve. Again]
Arin's eye twitched.
He wasn't sure who he hated more: the system… or his own stomach.
He retrieved the premium meat from his inventory.
Saliva poured from his mouth.
His gaze fixed sharply on the meat as its aroma filled the cavern.
Outside, serpents gathered near the entrance—drawn to the smell—but none dared enter.
In the next second, the top-tier flesh was gone.
At last, his stomach was satisfied.
It was time to cultivate properly.
He coiled himself neatly.
Energy flowed smoothly through his newly-cleared qi pathways.
Qi streamed from every direction.
His focus spread through his entire body—every scale, every inch.
(Not having arms or legs made it easier.)
---
Time slipped away unnoticed.
He always lost track of time while cultivating.
Minutes… hours… something passed.
The premium meat kept hunger away.
His meridians unlocked one by one.
Subtle changes formed in his body—and in the world around him—though he had yet to notice them.
Eventually, the effects of the top-tier meat faded away.