Activation

In the training room, Chen Chong took the stack of banknotes Peng Wei handed over and did a rough count; it was exactly four thousand.

He shook the money in his hand, letting the faint scent of ink drift into the air.

"Thanks."

"A bet is a bet... but, did you really not do anything to Pei Li?"

Peng Wei asked with a strange look on his face.

Chen Chong gave him a puzzled glance.

"Didn't I ask her for money?"

Peng Wei scratched his hair.

"No, you'd rather have the money than make a move on her? Just four thousand?"

He finally understood why Pei Li's expression had been so unsightly.

Chen Chong said indifferently, "Two hundred bucks is enough for me to find a former GG model at a bar for the night; four thousand is enough to keep her for two months."

"You didn't say that to Pei Li, did you?"

"She kept asking."

"...So what did she say?"

"That a two-hundred-buck cunt would rot my dick off."

Chen Chong clicked his tongue. "But I told her I have a pretty high resistance."

Peng Wei remained silent for a long time before giving a thumbs-up. "Impressive. Very good."

After Peng Wei left, Chen Chong tapped the banknotes in his hand unconsciously, the unique, fragrant scent of cash wafting from them.

He hadn't smelled this scent in a long time, and now that he did, he suddenly felt a sense of peace and satisfaction, especially here.

Of course, Chen Chong wouldn't use this money to find a woman.

It wasn't that he lacked interest; if he really wanted to, he could just cover Pei Li's head, and everything from the neck down was top-tier.

It was just that it wasn't the time for indulgence yet. The environment didn't allow for comfort, he didn't allow it for himself, and he didn't want to get tangled up in troublesome entanglements with others here.

"4000 bucks, enough to buy a bottle of E-1."

Chen Chong looked at the "93%" before his eyes and muttered to himself.

Most of his money had been funneled into the cafeteria, allowing him to maintain an acceptable growth rate even in the late stage of his first form. But given the increasingly slow trend, he didn't know how long it would take to break through the 100 mark by just eating.

However, with nutritional supplements, the problem would be easily solved.

Chen Chong arrived at the infirmary again and found the bespectacled doctor; he now knew this was the head of the infirmary, Zheng Changrong.

"Dr. Zheng, I'll take a bottle of E-1."

Chen Chong counted out 3,800 bucks and placed it on the table, the price listed on the inventory last time.

Zheng Changrong watched him count the money but didn't move, merely pushing up his glasses. "The supply convoy was raided two days ago, and the infirmary's supplies were inside. The stock hasn't been replenished, so every bottle used is one less."

Chen Chong was stunned. Thunder Dragon had even had his convoy raided? Was the situation that bad?

He quickly reacted, however. "Is there still any E-1 left?"

"There is. 4,800."

Zheng Changrong said calmly.

Chen Chong glanced at him but didn't say anything, simply pulling more money from his pocket to make up the 4,800.

It was fortunate he had a little left over.

But now, he truly didn't even have enough money on him to hire a prostitute.

Zheng Changrong instantly put on a smile. "One moment."

He turned around, pulled a small brown bottle from the cabinet, and handed it to Chen Chong.

It looked no different from the E-2.

Chen Chong checked it briefly before leaving with the vial, returning to his dormitory, locking the door, and sitting at the desk facing the window.

Outside the window, dark clouds obscured the moon, and the world was shrouded in gloom.

The entire Wasteland was silent.

"Let's begin."

93%... Chen Chong opened the small vial and downed the orange-yellow potion in one gulp.

The liquid tasted slightly bitter as it entered his mouth, flowing down his esophagus into his stomach, and within seconds, he felt a reaction.

Chen Chong felt a cold, tingling numbness in his gut spreading throughout his body, as if he had eaten something that had upset his stomach.

This stuff... it's the real deal.

Chen Chong lay down on the bed, his mind at ease. He closed his eyes, folded his hands over his lower abdomen, and waited for the potion to digest.

94%, 95%, 96%...

The numbers flickered rapidly. Chen Chong could feel the components of the potion being absorbed by his super-efficient metabolism into his bloodstream, then carried throughout his entire body. His blood began to circulate faster of its own accord, and his body started to heat up; this heat permeated his bones and radiated outward. The bed was quickly dampened, and plumes of white steam began to rise.

97%...

The progression slowed slightly, but Chen Chong's blood continued to surge. He could feel his physique strengthening, and the numbers before his eyes were pushed firmly forward, reaching 98%.

The rhythm slowed to a crawl, the numbers remaining stagnant for a long time as Chen Chong's blood gradually decelerated and cooled. Nearly all two hundred of his bones had been tempered; if one could peel back his skin to look, they would reveal a faint, metallic sheen.

99%.

The progress finally hit 99%, and then it showed no intention of moving further.

Chen Chong's body temperature had returned to normal, and the nutrient supplement had been completely digested.

The effect of E-1 was naturally far inferior to E-2; although it still provided him with a significant boost, it fell just short of the final threshold.

Chen Chong opened his eyes and slowly exhaled.

Just a little bit more.

About what he expected.

He didn't get up, merely reaching out to open his bedside drawer.

It revealed a drawer packed full of Nutrient Paste.

Chen Chong grabbed a handful, tore one open, and sucked it down.

Since he had decided to activate his second form tonight, he wouldn't wait any longer.

In the unlit room, Chen Chong leaned against the bed, repeating the motions of tearing, swallowing, and discarding, like a mindless feeding machine.

One tube of Nutrient Paste after another was swallowed into his belly until his body gradually grew hot, and then—

100%.

Chen Chong's movements froze, his eyes once again flooded with a scarlet hue.

Within the Sea of Consciousness.

He floated in the boundless starry sky, not far from the Hexagonal Ancient Well.

Deep within the Starry Vault, the massive shadow of the beast was constantly roaming. It flew out of one galaxy and, like a diver, plunged into another, after which that galaxy began to dim, visible to the naked eye.

The shadow poked its ferocious head out from a nebula and "gently" shook it, causing the entire starry sky to tremble. Its body was composed of stars, shimmering with dazzling light everywhere. The scarlet eyes on its head shone, staring fixedly at a star cluster beside it, before it opened its mouth and swallowed it whole, as casually as an antelope turning its head to eat a fruit from a tree.

Chen Chong watched the Star Beast's hunt, unsure if an instant or an eternity had passed.

It seemed forever hungry, never resting, but when it finally noticed the tiny gaze from a corner of the universe, it shifted its focus.

Chen Chong's eyes could not contain its shadow; the red light in its eyes shone upon him.

Thunder Dragon Park, deep inside.

In a luxurious villa, Long Zhibin, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, stood with his back straight, arms crossed before a giant map on the study wall.

Brother Leopard stood to the side, holding a piece of paper, frowning as he reported:

"One shipment of supplies from Yongchuan went missing yesterday. Our informant in the Skull Gang reported that a vehicle entered their warehouse outside the town in the middle of the night.

"This is the third time this week, and with the situation at the Hunting Grounds... Boss, what do you think?"

Long Zhibin looked at the map of the town quietly for a while, his gaze fixed on the conspicuous skull mark, and said firmly:

"Wait."

"Still waiting? The rest is fine, but our Earth Dragon stock is bottoming out. A lot of the men below have heard the news, and there's some unrest."

Brother Leopard said with concern.

Long Zhibin said indifferently:

"I have other arrangements... Hmm?"

He suddenly paused, his head snapping toward the window.

Brother Leopard watched in confusion as Long Zhibin walked quickly to the window, then froze, remaining silent for a long time. He followed him over, then widened his eyes in shock.

In the sky over the Wasteland, the perennial clouds that never dispersed had vanished at some point. The black, velvet-like night sky was studded with stars as bright as diamonds.

The stars filling the night sky were indistinguishable from one another, all striving to bloom with light.

It was as if the entire universe were shining in unison.