After showering, Evan dried himself off, put on a clean old cotton nightgown, and crawled into bed on the metal-framed bed in the bedroom.
Evan sighed comfortably and was about to close his eyes when he suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right."
There's one more bottle of medicine.
I was supposed to drink the Transformation Potion, the last of the five Magic Potion Pulis gave me, today when I got home.
I didn't have time to drink because of the attack.
He pulled the bottle of brown liquid out of the bedside table drawer, unscrewed the cap, and downed it in one gulp.
[You have consumed Diluted Transformation Potion. Effects last: 10 hours.]
[Effect: Within the effects of the medicine, slowly gain the Beyonder Characteristic: Basic Sanguine, accumulating to 2%].
[Can the Side Effect be reversed?]
"Reverse."
Evan stared at the empty little Glass Vial.
"Taking this medicine means I'm completely saying goodbye to my past as Mortal!"
"This also marks the end of our relationship, you old bastard, Pulis."
"Since you left me information and Magic Potion, I'll spit on you a couple more times later."
After drinking the Magic Potion, a thought struck him.
The skin on his chest felt slightly warm; his Secondary Brain had sensed its master's call.
The tiny monster, about the size of a palm, slowly crawled out of his chest.
The black brain tissue paired with the metallic Bone Spikes looked quite eerie in the dark.
Five slender claws, like fingers, are both agile and sharp.
Evan guided it with his mind, making it crawl down the edge of the bed and into the narrow wooden crevice under the bed, where it curled up into a ball.
"Someone's here. Wake me up."
He mentally issued instructions to the Secondary Brain.
The small creature tapped the bed frame twice with the tip of its Bone Spikes spikes in response.
Only then did Evan close his eyes in relief.
The temperature inside the blankets was just right.
On my first night in this new chapter of my life, I can finally have a good night's sleep.
After a good night's sleep, Evan opened his eyes and the first thing he did was reach for the pocket Pocket Watch on the bedside table.
The hands on the silver case pointed to 7:30.
Arrive at the station before 9:00 AM; there's plenty of time.
He threw back the old, fuzzy quilt and sat up.
"You chicken~!"
As usual, the springs of the metal bunk bed emitted their familiar screeching sound.
The bedroom was still bathed in a faint blue light seeping through the gaps in the curtains in the early morning, but Evan didn't even need to activate his Demon-Hunting Form; his eyes were as clear in the darkness as if a light were on.
Every crack in the wall, every peeling edge of the wallpaper, and even the wrinkles on the collar of the shirt hanging on the clothes rack were clearly visible.
He listened intently to the sound from the next bedroom.
There was no breathing sound.
Evan put on his coat and went out of the room. He pushed open the door to the second bedroom and saw that the bed was neatly folded, and the corners of the sheets were aligned as if an instructor in a military camp had checked it.
Richard had already left sometime earlier.
Only a folded piece of scrap paper was left on the bedside table. On it, written in bold, unyielding handwriting, was a line:
"I'm taking the medicine. See you later."
Evan smiled and tossed the toilet paper into the stove.
A thought flashed through his mind.
The Secondary Brain slowly crawled out from the narrow crack under the bed.
The little creature looked noticeably more listless today; its once-full brain tissue was somewhat sunken, and the Bone Spikes on its back had lost the sharp metallic luster they had last night.
It lay on the floor, its five thin claws supporting its body as it moved forward segment by segment, like a toy with a nearly dead battery.
Even so, it still lightly pushed off the ground, leaped more than a meter high, and landed steadily in Evan's outstretched palm.
The moment it landed in his palm, the little monster began to melt into his hand.
The next second, Evan felt the energy in his body begin to be consumed at an accelerated rate, as if an invisible hand had drawn a strand of it out of his blood vessels.
"Good heavens," he muttered to himself.
"You need to go back into my body to recharge, right?"
He turned around, grabbed a handful of brown sugar from the cookie box on his desk, and popped it into his mouth.
The coarse particles melt on the tip of the tongue, and the sweetness rushes straight to the throat.
Then he opened the Attribute Panel.
A series of prompts appeared simultaneously.
[ The Incomplete Blood-Burning Potion's Side Effect have been reversed.]
[ Beyonder Characteristic: Basic Sanguine +4%]
--
[ The Side Effect of the Diluted Transformation Potion have been reversed.]
[Your Self-Awareness has improved, and your mental strength has permanently increased by 0.1.]
[You like the sun even more now, Spirit permanently +0.05.]
--
[ The Side Effect excessive Sanguine Tainted Blood have been reversed.]
[Your Self-Awareness has greatly improved, and your mental strength has been permanently increased by 0.3.]
[You've become very fond of the sun; your Solar Affinity has increased by 10%.]
--
[warn!]
[ Beyonder Characteristic: Basic Sanguine has reached 31%, the first stage effect is about to be activated.]
[Upon activating Stage 1, Physique is permanently increased by 2, Self-Healing Enhancement by 1000%, and Blood Quality is increased by 100%.]
[WARNING: This effect is Beyonder Characteristic, not a drug, and its Side Effect cannot be reversed.]
[Upon activation, you will gain the following weaknesses:]
[1. Basic Bloodthirst - You need to drink at least 100 ml of fresh blood every day, otherwise your rationality will decrease by 50%.]
[2. Basic Sun Aversion - Your Solar Affinity is reduced by 20%. -20% effect: Standing in sunlight will cause a stinging sensation on your skin.]
[3. Basic Silver Weakness: Silverware will make you feel nauseous.]
Evan stared at the long string of text on the Panel, a thoughtful look slowly rising in his eyes.
" The Side Effect were about what I expected: Bloodthirst, aversion to male virility, and weakness in male virility."
"However, since it's labeled as beginner, there should be intermediate and Advanced later on. At this stage, it doesn't seem too serious."
"The stats are quite generous. Adding two points to Physique instantly increases Regeneration tenfold."
He tapped the edge of the sink with his finger.
One hundred milliliters of blood per day.
His eyes darted around.
"I've got it! This isn't unsolvable. Aside from its disgusting drawbacks, it can even accelerate the progress of the Copper Plague."
"Aversion to sunlight? My Solar Affinity is currently 24%, so even if you subtract 20%, it's still positive and won't make a difference at all."
"Weak silver is just disgusting, it doesn't matter."
"If I ever do get burned by silver in the future, I'll just drink some silver-related Magic Potion and reverse the Side Effect."
"The weakness of the Bloodthirsty Species can be seen from their aversion to sunlight; their resistance in a certain aspect has become negative."
"Then I'll just take medicine to bring the negative resistance back to a positive value, and that'll solve the problem, right?"
Having figured this out, Evan didn't hesitate any longer and mentally clicked "agree."
The next second.
A violent tremor exploded in the center of his chest.
Countless strange red blood vessels radiated out from the location of his heart.
Like a swarm of startled red insects and snakes, they rapidly spread from his collarbone to his Rib and then to his shoulder blades, reaching every inch of his body.
An indescribable force, imbued with a chilling will, embraced his blood and veins.
He looked down at his bare chest.
Beneath the skin, muscles undulate at a speed visible to the naked eye, each muscle fiber seemingly possessing its own consciousness, re -Weaving, connecting, and strengthening.
He could even feel the blood flow accelerating, and at a certain point, he could even detect the subtle vibrations caused by the blood hitting the blood vessel walls at his fingertips.
This state lasted for about ten minutes.
When everything calmed down, Evan let out a long breath.
He hasn't changed at all in appearance.
The first stage of Beyonder Characteristic does not change anything on the surface of the physical body.
But the internal workings are completely different now.
He tentatively clenched his right fist.
"Cheer."
It wasn't the sound of bones cracking.
It's the sound of friction produced by the intense rubbing between fingers and air.
If his blood vessels were once like trickling streams, now they are like rushing rivers.
Abundant nutrients and oxygen flow within it, constantly ready to nourish every tissue in the body.
I glanced down at the Panel.
Basic Panel:
[ Profession: Demon Hunter ]
[None]
[ Characteristic: Basic Sanguine 31%; Copper Plague 0.21%]
[ Physique: 3.436 → 5.436]
[Spirit: 3.077 → 3.527]
[ Spirit Vision: 0]
[ Talent: Power of the Nine Dragons ]
Special Skills Panel:
[ Regeneration: 136% → 1147%]
[ Blood Quality: 131.5% → 242.5%]
[ Blood Toxicity: 43% → 49%]
[ Solar Affinity: 24% → 4%]
Looking at the Physique stat of 5.4, Evan felt a surge of boundless power.
He tried throwing a punch at the air.
The sound of something cutting through the air exploded directly into the bedroom.
The airflow generated by his arm formed an invisible gust of wind, causing the shirt hanging on the coat rack a meter away to flutter twice.
"That punch could probably easily smash the head of a normal human being."