Night fell. Stars shimmered faintly as summer insects buzzed and flickered in the dark.
A gravid mosquito slipped through a crack in the door and drifted silently into the room.
It quickly found its target—a naked, red-haired woman seated cross-legged on the bed, her posture calm, her presence sharp.
The mosquito buzzed eagerly and darted toward her.
Just as it was about to land—
Boom.
It ignited midair.
In less than a breath, it was reduced to ash.
The woman slowly opened her phoenix-like eyes, casting a cold, dismissive glance at the drifting cinders.
Her rose-red lips parted slightly as she exhaled a faint breath, a satisfied smile forming.
"I didn't expect that slave's heart-blood to be so pure… It pushed me straight into Silver Three-Star."
Her voice was soft, but laced with ambition.
"With this Bloodthirsty Demonic Art I obtained from the Dark Guild, reaching Gold rank is only a matter of time. Then I'll stand at the top among the younger generation of Glory City."
Her eyes flashed with cruelty.
"Ye Han… just wait. I'll repay that humiliation a hundredfold."
Shen Xiu clenched her delicate fists, her expression cold and resolute.
—
Deep underground, in a dim cavern, Chang Ping suddenly rose to his feet after enduring three days and nights.
His strength had surged past 4,000 kilograms—he was now a Silver Four-Star warrior.
Upon reaching the Silver rank, he had naturally awakened Dark Power.
Also known as penetrating force, it allowed him to bypass external defenses and directly damage internal organs.
At Silver Four-Star, it could ignore up to 80% of an enemy's defense.
"My turn now."
Chang Ping cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing sharply, and strode forward with the torch in hand.
The torch he'd exchanged from the shop burned steadily—almost unnaturally so. As long as it wasn't fully submerged, it would never go out.
Across from him, the Blackwater Turtle had been watching.
The moment Chang Ping approached, it rose and lunged.
"ROAR!"
Its bloodied maw snapped toward his head—fast as a bullet.
One bite, and his skull would shatter like a melon.
But in Chang Ping's eyes—
It was slow.
Painfully slow.
He tilted his head slightly, evading the strike with ease, and casually swung his hand.
Smack!
The turtle's head burst apart like glass, exploding into fragments.
Killed in a single blow.
Three days and nights of waiting—for nothing.
Chang Ping didn't even pause.
Hunger overwhelmed him.
He grabbed the corpse, found the bleeding vessel, and drank greedily.
Within minutes, not a drop remained.
The warm blood entered his body—and was instantly absorbed.
Trillions of cells devoured the energy like starving beasts.
His muscles swelled visibly, a faint silver sheen spreading across his skin.
His clothes tightened, clinging to his expanding frame.
"I'm still hungry…"
Even after draining the turtle's essence, the hunger persisted.
His eyes glinted green.
Without hesitation, he tore into the flesh—raw, unroasted.
Crunch. Grind. Swallow.
He devoured everything.
Flesh. Tendons. Bone.
The turtle's bones shattered between his teeth like fried peanuts.
Soon, only the shell remained.
"…Still not enough."
Chang Ping rubbed his stomach—then paused.
Something felt… different.
He lifted his robe.
"…Whoa."
Eight perfectly defined abdominal muscles stared back at him, each one hard as steel.
His strength—and defense—had both skyrocketed.
"With this body… I could probably knock Shen Xiu unconscious with a single punch."
But he quickly calmed himself.
"The Sacred Family still has experts… at least three Black Gold rank warriors. If I act now, I'll just get crushed."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Better to reach Black Gold One-Star first… then settle the score."
After all, there were plenty of Blackwater Turtles left in the cold pond.
Enough to sustain him.
Returning to the safe zone, Chang Ping summoned his status panel.
It had become his only pastime.
---
Name: Chang Ping
Gender: Virgin
Hobbies: Women
Talent: Physical Enhancement + (gains 1 kg of strength per minute)
Strength: 4321 (Silver Four-Star)
Soul Power: 13 (Demon Spirit Apprentice)
---
"…What the hell?!"
Chang Ping stared at the panel, dumbfounded.
"Virgin?! I'm just… a pure guy, okay?!"
Black lines filled his forehead.
"Fine, change my hobbies if you want—but don't mess with my gender!"
He took a breath, then noticed something else.
"That '+'…"
Curious, he tapped it.
Swish!
His strength dropped by 100.
"Wait—what?!"
He quickly checked again.
The talent description had changed:
(gains 2 kg of strength per minute)
"…You can upgrade talents by consuming strength?"
His eyes lit up.
"Nice!"
He tapped it again.
Another 200 strength vanished.
"…And the cost increases too."
Still, he didn't hesitate.
Again.
And again.
He only stopped when it reached:
(gains 8 kg of strength per minute)
The "+" disappeared.
Either he'd hit the limit—or he lacked the remaining strength.
He did a quick calculation.
1 minute → 8 kg
1 hour → 480 kg
1 day → 11,520 kg
"…At this rate, I can reach Gold rank in a single day."
His lips curled into a grin.
That speed surpassed nearly every warrior alive.
Of course, there was a price.
"I'm starving…"
The faster growth came with increased consumption.
But aside from hunger, his body remained stable—stronger than ever.
"I can't keep going like this. I need food—now."
He stood and turned toward the spiked turtle shell.
Most of his strength had been spent upgrading his talent. Hunting another turtle was out of the question.
So he settled.
Even the shell would do.
As he approached the pond, where massive turtles lay submerged, a thought crossed his mind.
"…I can't swim."
He frowned.
"Is there anything in the shop… that lets me fight underwater?"
___________________________
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