’Shit... it’s getting worse. Why do Asura‑rank cards always end up punishing first?’
If I weren’t used to being hurt constantly, I would have already fainted. Then again, being able to endure more pain wasn’t exactly sothing to brag about.
The heat spread through my chest, then crawled up my spine. Before another breath ca out, sothing snapped inside .
A sharp crack rang out from deep in my ribs.
Then another.
My arms gave way, and the vial slipped from my grip, smashing on the floor. The bed shuddered as every muscle in convulsed violently.
It felt like the worst spasm of my life—but instead of just hitting my legs, it tore through my entire body, even rattling my head.
"ARGGG!"
My jaw clenched so hard it started to bleed. A raw taste filled my mouth as green and red liquid slid past my lips, dripping down my chin—and a few of my teeth even ca loose.
Elizabeth rushed forward. "Remus—!"
Agnes grabbed her arm.
"Stay back. Touching him now would infect you and kill you on the spot. Let the dicine do its work."
dicine? If that counted as dicine, then a poison master might as well open a clinic. Damn it. What did I just drink that even a single touch could drop a person dead?
Unfortunately, there was no chance to ask. Only a pained groan ca out of .
Another jolt ripped through my back, stealing the air from my lungs. My fingers clawed at the sheets without aning to.
I wanted to curse her.
I wanted to ask what kind of monster’s blood she made drink.
crack!
My spine twisted on its own. Every muscle pulled tight, then snapped loose, then tightened again. The room spun, doubling, then blurring into streaks of light.
Another crack tore through my lower back. Bones ground against each other, shifting into a shape they hadn’t held in years.
Elizabeth tried to pull free from Agnes. "He’s hurting—"
"He must," Agnes snapped. "If his body didn’t break, it couldn’t rebuild. Right now all we could do was wait and hope for the best. You wanted this, right?"
Elizabeth’s hands went to her face as tears slipped through her fingers. "
I... I wanted him to be cured." she choked out, voice trembling, "but I didn’t expect... I didn’t expect it to be like this."
Her body shook as sobs broke free, and she sank to her knees, guilt and fear tangled together in every movent.
"Listen to . Nothing ca free in this world. Every gain demanded a price. And his condition forced him to stake his own life."
"But..." Elizabeth’s voice trembled as she struggled to find the right words. "What if he doesn’t make it? Does that an... that I’m the one who killed him?"
Yes, you dimwit. Did you really need to ask that? Hearing her nonsense only made this ordeal worse. Poor Remus—he had a friend who was all face and no brain.
He probably wished he died on that cliff rather than dealing with this ss.
’Not good... losing it.’
My vision faded . Lanterns warped into bright sars.
Another crack.
Then another.
My back arched off the mattress, higher than before.
Everything twisted.
Everything burned.
Everything shook.
And then my consciousness slipped away, wiping everything to black in an instant.
***
***
***
"Remus."
"Remus."
"Remus."
A light pressure tapped my shoulder.
Annoyed, I opened my eyes.
Elizabeth hovered over with a worried look.
Looking around, the room that felt dark and suffocating last night now sat under warm morning light. Sunlight slipped through the small window and gave the place a soft glow.
"You’re finally up!" she said, letting out a shaky breath before pulling into an overly tight and clingy hug. "I was so scared. I thought sothing happened to you.... you made it. You’re cured."
"Cured?"
I pushed myself upright, expecting the usual heaviness in my spine or the dull ache that ca with every movent.
None of it ca.
My back stayed straight. My arms felt steady. My whole body moved without the familiar strain. It didn’t even feel human anymore—too strong, too balanced, too... right.
And it wasn’t just surface-level strength. Sothing deeper humd under my skin, like a force waiting to be called. Most people wouldn’t catch it.
But a cultivator always noticed changes inside their body.
And the most shocking part ca the mont I took a steady breath.
My body already matched the raw strength of my real one. Only the source differed.
If my real body drew power from many paths—dantians, ridians, the core that shaped my shadow ability, and traits earned from my special physiques. This new body relied on none of that.
Everything ca from raw muscle. No energy flow. No hidden energy channel. Just pure physical strength packed into every fiber, as if the elixir rebuilt to a genetic level.
"Look, you also look better now!" Elizabeth pulled out a small mirror, and angled it to .
A man stared back—long dark hair falling past sharp shoulders, dark almond-shaped eyes that looked clearer than before, and a jawline that gave off a rough kind of strength.
But the face was only the start.
My whole body showed signs of change. Muscles sat tighter and more defined, shaped like they had been carved instead of grown. I tugged my clothing up a little, expecting the usual flat stomach.
Instead, rows of firm muscle lined my abdon.
Not six.
Ten.
Each one stood out in neat blocks, packed with raw power. Even breathing made them flex in ways that felt unreal.
Elizabeth grinned. "See? I told you. You look amazing now."
Amazing wasn’t the word I would have picked. This was a full rebuild.
A body made to move, fight, and break limits without a hint of weakness.
While my attention stayed on the mirror, footsteps approached, clear enough to show how sharp my senses had beco. About ten seconds later, the door slowly opened.
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