Han Suo dropped the vial on the ground, glass shattering as it hit the floor. His hands reached toward his neck, clutching it desperately.
'HOT!!! Why is it so hot?!'
An intense heat surged down his throat like the flame of hell! Then it slowly made its way downward, spreading across every corner of his body. Sweat gushed from his pores as if a dam had opened, drenching his clothes within seconds.
His muscles twitched uncontrollably, spasming one after another. Every nerve screamed in agony. Still, he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, determined to endure the pain without letting out a single scream.
But a few minutes later, he couldn't take it anymore! The pain was unbearable!
"ARGHH!!"
He let out a bestial roar and savagely tore his shirt to shreds. His body crashed to the cold floor, rolling back and forth, seeking a little coolness from the tiles. But it was like tossing a droplet into blazing lava—utterly useless. His skin flushed a scalding red, veins bulging as the temperature surged with terrifying speed.
Then, without warning, his entire body erupted in vermilion flames. Strangely, the fire consumed only him. Although he thrashed and rolled across half the living room, breaking furniture and appliances, not a single object around him caught fire.
After half an hour of agony, the flame finally died out. In a corner of the room, Han Suo lay sprawled on the floor, his chest rising and falling as he gasped for breath. His entire body was naked, coated in a layer of strange dark matter that clung to his skin from head to toe like a layer of skin made from filth.
"Huff... huff. How... long has it been?" he muttered hoarsely, struggling to lift his head.
With great effort, he pushed himself halfway up, scanning the messy living room. When his eyes landed on his own body, he immediately recoiled and wrinkled his nose in disgust.
"What is this? It smells like rotten trash!" he complained, furiously waving his hand back and forth to chase the smell away.
His skin felt slimy and unpleasant, like he had just crawled out of a stagnant swamp. With great effort, he pushed himself to his feet and staggered toward the bathroom. On the way, he nearly slipped on his own filth!
An hour later.
Han Suo emerged freshly washed, with the room cleaned up as well. He had even confirmed in the bathroom that the blue screen didn't show up in the mirror. That meant nobody else could see it but him.
Sitting down on the couch, only now did he finally have time to really examine his body. He didn't feel any different, maybe just a little fresher and a bit more alive. But that could've been the effect of the warm bath he just had.
He hadn't forgotten his main goal, though.
He got onto the bed, sat cross-legged, and took in a deep breath. He straightened his back and rested his hands on his knees. Then he slowly exhaled, eyes closed, steadying his mind.
It had been a long time since he last did this, back when he was just sixteen. The feeling was a bit unnatural at first, and it took him a few minutes to adjust. Gradually, he cleared his mind of all distractions and entered a tranquil state. His breathing slowed, steady and calm, as he focused, trying to 'see' the Ki of this world.
A dozen minutes passed. Just as Han Suo was about to sigh in disappointment at yet another failure, something appeared in his mind's eye. Tiny specks of light, shimmering in all sorts of colors, drifted aimlessly around him. It was magical, like a twinkling sea of stars scattered across the night sky.
'Ki!' Han Suo thought, heart pounding with excitement.
He could finally sense it, the all-encompassing energy of this world. It had eluded him for so many years, always just beyond his reach. But now, at last, he could feel it. With this, he could finally begin his martial cultivation path!
[Ding!]
[New missions have arrived! Please check and complete for rewards.]
The system's voice snapped him out of his daydream. He opened the 'Missions' tab and chose the blinking 'Triggered Missions' subtab. His mouth dropped open in shock as he was speechless at what was written there.
[Triggered Missions]
[Reclaim your face!]
Description: Your dignity as a man has been trampled on! The lowly Manager Hong dared to humiliate you by tossing scraps your way! You must restore your face, or you don't deserve to be a man, let alone a perfect man!
Task: Physically give him a slap on the face. (Must carry significant force)
Reward: 20 GP (Gentleman Point)
Deadline: 1 day (23:59:59)
Punishment: -100 GP
Han Suo pointed a finger at the blue screen and shouted in anger,
"What the hell do you mean by slapping him?! A light tap back from him is enough for me to go unconscious!"
Manager Hong was at least in the late-stage of Ki Gathering Realm. A slap with full force from him could even kill a lion, not to mention his puny self! If he dared to offend this master, his life would end just from a 'hello' from Manager Hong's palm!
This system gave him an impossible mission!
Then, he glanced at the top right corner to see his GP was 0. Tilting his head, Han Suo voiced his doubt.
"Hey, can my GP go into the negative?"
[No, host.]
"Then what happens if I can't finish this mission before the deadline?"
[Because the host's GP is at 0, the system cannot deduct any further. If it happens, I will temporarily shut down. You will be unable to use any of my functions for 10 months.]
"What?! So harsh! You just woke up and already want to sleep again?"
[Negative. It was the worst-case scenario when you failed to live up to the standard of a man! Host, please try your hardest not to tarnish the image of more than half the universe.]
Hearing that, Han Suo had nothing more to say back...
He decided to leave this mission be for now and check other stuff. As he selected the 'Main Missions' subtab, a single mission was shown.
[Main Missions]
[Strength of a boy]
Description: You hit weaker than a wet noodle! Any woman on the street could defeat you. Please increase your cultivation quickly!
Task: Reach peak-stage Body Refinement Realm
Reward: Four Heavenly Beasts Scripture. (Ki Gathering Realm Chapter)
"Huh? There is a peak-stage in the Body Refinement Realm?" He cocked his head in confusion.
Han Suo had never heard of it! He always thought the highest one could reach in the Body Refinement Realm was late-stage.
It didn't help that he was a country bumpkin without much information, either.