The laboratory was silent, save for the wet, crunching sound of Jiang Chen chewing.
Crunch. Gulp.
The "Failed Bone-Tempering Pills" were hard as stones and tasted like charcoal soaked in vinegar. To a normal person, eating one was torture. Eating fifteen was a death sentence.
Jiang Chen sat on a stool, methodically working through the box. His face was pale, sweat dripping from his chin—a performance for Elder Han.
"Number seven," Jiang Chen gasped, clutching his stomach. "It burns..."
"Keep going," Elder Han commanded, his eyes gleaming in the lantern light. He was scratching notes onto a parchment with furious speed. "Pulse is elevated. Skin temperature rising. But no organ failure. Fascinating."
Jiang Chen suppressed a grin. Inside his body, a feast was happening.
[Venom Heart: Active]
The toxins—heavy metals and fire poison—were being stripped away by the System, converted into pure Evolution Points. The remaining medicinal energy, chaotic and violent, was being forced into his bones.
DING!
[Consumed Failed Pill x1.]
[EV +5]
[Constitution +0.1]
DING!
[Consumed Failed Pill x1.]
[EV +5]
[Constitution +0.1]
He ate them all.
When the fifteenth pill hit his stomach, the energy reached a critical mass. His bones felt like they were vibrating. The marrow inside them was boiling, becoming denser, heavier.
BOOM.
A muffled sound echoed from inside his chest.
Jiang Chen stiffened. The bottleneck of Qi Condensation Layer 1 shattered.
A vortex of Qi swirled around him, sucking the ambient energy of the laboratory into his pores. His aura expanded, doubling in intensity.
Elder Han stopped writing. "You... you broke through?"
Jiang Chen panted, looking at his hands. "I... I feel stronger, Elder. The pain is gone."
Elder Han laughed. It was a high, manic sound. "Of course! The pill tempers the bone! By surviving the toxin, you absorbed the medicine with 100% efficiency! You aren't just a trash servant... you are a genius of digestion!"
He patted Jiang Chen's cheek. The touch was cold.
"Rest now, my little furnace. Tomorrow, we try the Soul-Rot Pill. I need to see if your mind is as tough as your gut."
Elder Han gathered his scrolls and walked toward the door. "Do not leave the lab. The wards will incinerate you if you try."
The heavy iron doors slammed shut. The locking mechanism clicked.
Jiang Chen was alone.
He waited five minutes. Then ten.
"System, scan."
[Scan Complete. No life forms detected in immediate vicinity.]
[Protective Wards: Active.]
Jiang Chen relaxed, dropping the "painful" act instantly. He sat up straight, his eyes clear and sharp.
"Status."
DING!
[Status Panel]
Cultivation: Qi Condensation Layer 2 (Early).
Attributes: Strength: 4.3 -> 5.0 (Breakthrough Boost)
Constitution: 3.7 -> 5.2 (Pills + Breakthrough)
Agility: 2.5 -> 3.0
Spirit: 2.1 -> 2.5
EV: 89 + 75 (15 pills) = 164 EV
"164 EV," Jiang Chen whispered. He felt rich.
He looked at the iron door. He couldn't leave, but he needed to prepare for the future. Elder Han mentioned "Soul-Rot Pills." That sounded dangerous. If the poison attacked his mind instead of his body, [Venom Heart] might not save him.
He needed a backup plan. He needed a second identity.
"System, open the Shop."
[Shop]
Skill: Shadow Step (50 EV)
Item: Mask of the Faceless (70 EV)
Skill: Venom Heart - Upgrade to Lvl 2 (100 EV)
Jiang Chen looked at the Mask. He had missed it before, but now he could afford it easily.
"Buy the Mask."
DING!
[Purchase Confirmed.]
[EV Remaining: 94]
A shimmer of light appeared in his hand. A thin, translucent membrane, like a layer of dried skin, materialized. It was cool to the touch and weighed nothing.
[Mask of the Faceless]
Usage: Place on face. Channel Qi to reshape features.
Note: Cannot change body height/build, only facial structure and skin tone.
Jiang Chen placed it on his face.
It felt like a second skin grafting itself onto him. It tingled.
"Mirror," he muttered, looking into the reflection of a glass jar.
He willed his face to change. Make me look average. Older. Scarred.
His reflection shifted. His jaw squared. His nose broke and healed crooked. His smooth skin turned rough and weathered. In seconds, Jiang Chen vanished. In his place was a thuggish-looking man in his thirties.
"Perfect," Jiang Chen grinned, and the reflection grinned back—a stranger's smile.
He took the mask off and tucked it into his robe.
He still had 94 EV.
"I need to survive the Soul-Rot Pill tomorrow," Jiang Chen analyzed. "My Spirit stat is too low (2.5). If the pill attacks my soul, I'm dead."
He looked at the Shop again.
[Skill Upgrade: Venom Heart (Level 2)]
Cost: 100 EV. Effect: Expands adaptation to Neurotoxins and Hallucinogens.
"I'm short 6 EV," Jiang Chen cursed. "I need 100."
He looked around the lab. The shelves were full of jars.
He walked over to a jar containing a yellow liquid.
[Item: Preserved Centipede Venom.]
[Toxicity: Medium.]
[EV Value: 3]
"Elder Han won't miss a sip," Jiang Chen decided.
He popped the lid, dipped a finger in, and licked it. His tongue went numb.
DING!
[EV +3]
He moved to the next jar. Spider Gland Extract.
DING!
[EV +4]
"That's 101 EV."
"Upgrade Venom Heart."
DING!
[Upgrading...]
[Venom Heart Level 2 Acquired.]
[New Resistance: Mental/Soul Toxins (Partial).]
Jiang Chen wiped his mouth. He was ready for tomorrow.
He lay down on the cold stone floor, using his arm as a pillow.
"Feed me, Elder Han," Jiang Chen whispered to the darkness. "Feed me until I burst. And when I'm strong enough... I'm going to eat you."