Half a Year

A week passed.

The Base Attributes remained unchanged despite the special training.

On the contrary,

Yi Chen's mental state had become extremely listless. He had grown noticeably thinner, and his hair had begun falling out in clumps.

During Monday's "Pathology" class,

Edmund and the others were startled by Yi Chen's condition when they saw him. They tried to offer him some material assistance, but he rejected it all.

Yi Chen gave only one simple reply—special training.

After confirming the trace of resolve in his dim eyes, Edmund did not ask any more questions.

During the first week, Yi Chen spent nearly 80% of his time in Teacher Zed's "Paradise." He slowly began trying out equipment other than the treadmill... Just as his body adapted to one machine, a brand-new piece of equipment would immediately shatter his balance again.

The second week arrived.

His attributes remained unchanged,

and Yi Chen's condition did not improve. A large area of his scalp had already begun reflecting light... He looked as though he had aged by ten or twenty years. He began wearing a coat and pulling up its hood.

Walking between the Teaching Building and the campus, he looked like a walking corpse.

On Sunday, he finally got a rare night of rest. When he returned to the dormitory with staggering steps,

he had no idea that

Professor Chamberson, in owl form and perched on his shoulder, was waiting there.

"Your physical condition is extremely poor. The injuries accumulated in your body may all turn into lasting aftereffects, and your future is in grave danger... Do you want to give up, William?

"All you have to do is nod.

"I'll immediately contact the academy and sever all your ties with Zede. I'll also transfer you to a different Pathology class, guaranteeing that Zede won't have any further contact with you.

"Tonight, I'll send you to a clinic inside Zion for comprehensive treatment."

"Thank you, Professor Chamberson... I can feel that some subtle transformation is taking place in my body. I want to keep going."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure..."

Suddenly,

Chamberson, who had been several meters away, appeared in front of Yi Chen almost as if he had teleported there. He gently placed a hand on Yi Chen's shoulder.

"I knew I hadn't been mistaken... Pain is the most suitable physical catalyst for you. To reach the Multi-Attribute Limit, you must pay a price far greater than anyone else.

"Also,

"you don't need to worry about the monthly mission requirements.

"I'll submit a request to the school for a mission delay on your behalf.

"However, the academy does not encourage this kind of closed-door training.

"After all, the ultimate purpose of cultivating gentlemen is to eradicate pathogens. Direct contact and actual combat with pathogens are the most meaningful activities.

"Therefore,

"the maximum mission delay is half a year.

"During these six months, you must fully adapt to Teacher Zed's special training and slowly recover while the pain continues... After six months, you must complete a mission worthy of the name.

"A gentleman's mission won't be as simple as Green Lake Town. Anything could happen."

"I'll be ready. Thank you, Professor."

"I look forward to seeing the state you reach after six months."

A month passed.

The attributes still had not changed, and his physical condition remained just as terrible.

However, the damage to his body and the aging had slowed somewhat.

During this period, Yi Chen also skipped one Gentleman Etiquette Class and one Pathology class.

Two months passed.

Although his attributes remained unchanged, his physical condition had improved.

Most importantly, his hair had begun growing back.

During class,

Dagobert, who possessed exceptional talent in physical strength and physique, also noticed that subtle changes were taking place in Yi Chen's body.

These changes differed from the physical growth he himself—or most people—experienced.

They were not a matter of polishing, training, or shaping the body upon its original foundation.

The feeling Yi Chen gave him was more like this: his original body had been completely torn apart, crushed, and then primitively reassembled, rebuilding a body more suited to him and easier for him to control.

Three months passed.

Four months passed.

Five months passed.

Over these months, Yi Chen gradually returned to his original appearance, and his spirits slowly improved... Yet his physique value remained at 2.

On the surface, it looked as if everything had returned to the starting point and nothing had happened.

Besides,

after so many months of training,

the process and schedule of his daily special training had long since become fixed.

Once Yi Chen's stamina had been completely drained, Teacher Zed would shut down the equipment immediately.

He would carry Yi Chen's utterly exhausted body into the bathtub filled with Nutrient Solution and leave him submerged until he woke up.

If Yi Chen woke before the Teaching Building closed, he could return to the dormitory to sleep.

If he woke up late, he could only remain there and continue training.

Time came to eleven days before the half-year deadline.

Weirsterman Teaching Building—Underground Area

As usual, Yi Chen was undergoing special fitness training... but today was different.

Zede watched the time on his pocket watch, his expression grave.

The training had gone overtime.

Yi Chen should have exhausted his stamina and collapsed completely half an hour ago.

However,

he was still seated on the rowing machine covered in steel spikes, his palms completely pierced through, maintaining a high rowing frequency.

"Could it be..."

Zede did not tell Yi Chen that the training had already gone overtime. Instead, he spoke in his usual special-training tone.

"That's enough rowing for today. Go rest briefly on the treadmill."

"All right."

Yi Chen left the rowing machine with ease and promptly wrapped a bandage around his pierced palm.

Without stopping,

he merely wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm before stepping onto the easiest treadmill.

While running,

Yi Chen suddenly turned his head. "Mr. Zede, can I run a little faster? I don't know what's happening... I feel like my body is getting lighter and lighter."

"Yes. Just follow what you and your body want to do. From now on, you don't need to ask for my opinion."

After giving that final instruction, Zede fell silent, seemingly waiting quietly for some change to occur.

Hiss, hiss~

Zede's cochlea received a string of faint signals, sounds produced as the pores of a human body squeezed and trembled.

For a moment,

bursts of red mist began pouring from Yi Chen's running body.

It was as though the blood inside him were evaporating.

In reality, the total amount of blood Yi Chen used for circulation had not decreased. What was expelled was merely stagnant blood, along with the remnants of the pain and injuries that had accumulated in his body for so long.

The more Blood Mist was released,

the lighter Yi Chen felt.

His speed on the treadmill increased as well,

until the red mist nearly concealed his entire body, leaving visible only a rapidly running figure.

Then,

something even stranger happened.

Yi Chen's skin began to "shell over" across large areas, separating from his body... Crack! An entire piece of shelled skin fell away, and Zede swiftly rose and caught it in his hand.

As he touched the flawless human skin shell, Zede became intensely excited.

"Purification, molting... Only the final step remains!"

A completely new layer of slightly reddened skin covered Yi Chen's body. One could even see strands of lively, tender sprouts and rootlets moving beneath the skin alongside his blood vessels.

Several dozen seconds passed.

The tender surface layer gradually matured, becoming normal in color and texture.

It was more resilient, delicate, and form-fitting than before.

His hair grew at a speed visible to the naked eye, almost making up for the amount he would have grown over half a year, and hung down over his shoulders.

Boom! A deafening blast rang out,

accompanied by the scattering and clanging of various metal fragments.

The overused, severely aged metal treadmill exploded beneath Yi Chen's feet.

Amid a backdrop of interwoven Blood Mist and metal wreckage,

a long-haired young man walked out completely naked.

A Little Meatball had also grown from his shoulder. It waved its arms like a swaying wave, its teeth grinding loudly as it displayed its excitement.

The young man picked up the organization's bag,

and put on his long-unused suit.

At that moment, the Gentleman's Skin clinging to his body immediately detected the tremendous changes in his flesh and projected the corresponding updated data across his retinas.

Physique increased: 2 → 3

Special Note: The essence of the flesh has changed. The Physique value will be easier to increase.

"Diseased Trait" proficiency increased.