“Respected Empress of Night, Silver-haired Princess wandering abroad, I will come to welcome your return tomorrow morning with the highest level of respect.”
“8:00 AM. Don’t be late, or prepare to face this Empress’s wrath.”
“Yes!”
Liu Yao could hardly hide the amusement in her eyes.
She hadn’t expected Shen Ji to have such an over-the-top, chunibyo side to him, and his sister was just as interesting.
Noticing Liu Yao’s gaze, Shen Ji scratched his head awkwardly.
“Sister Liu, my sister is usually like this. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have let her watch so much anime.”
Liu Yao shook her head.
“I actually think your sister is very interesting. To remain so positive and optimistic despite being seriously ill is truly rare.”
Shen Ji’s eyes lowered slightly.
Only he knew exactly how much the original owner’s sister had suffered.
At such a young age, she had been confined to a hospital bed, and she had been trapped there for five years.
Over those five years, the pain had never let her go, yet Shen Wan had always stubbornly endured.
Though she would occasionally blurt out chuunibyou lines like, “What does this bit of pain matter? It’s merely the price of becoming a king,” Shen Ji saw through it clearly.
It was nothing more than a disguise.
“Perhaps. Actually, she isn’t that strong; she just doesn’t want to show it.”
Liu Yao said wistfully, “No matter the time, only by becoming strong enough can you change everything around you. I hope you can become someone who can change the fates of others.”
Shen Ji squeezed the glass vial in his pocket.
A look of determination appeared on his face, and he gave a silent nod.
***
Nanjiang Old District, Unit 3, second floor.
Shen Ji turned the key and pushed open the green metal door.
The first things that caught his eye were several pieces of old-fashioned furniture.
Next was a framed photo of a family of four hanging on the wall. In the photo, his sister smiled sweetly and cutely, his mother looked gentle, and his father appeared steady.
But all of that was in the past now.
Shen Ji tossed his backpack into the corner of the entryway, kicked off his shoes, and lay down on the sofa.
He held the dark red liquid up, looking at the dim light through the glass.
He had two choices now.
One was to drink it directly.
The other was to find Ye Xi and test if there were any issues.
Aside from the fact that Ye Xi might question the source of the plasma, her overbearing personality alone would be enough to give him a massive headache.
After thinking for a moment, Shen Ji cleared his mind and forcefully twisted the stopper of the glass vial.
A faint scent of blood wafted out.
Resisting the urge to gag, Shen Ji pinched his nose and gulped it all down in one go.
A moment later, a violent burning sensation erupted in his abdomen, as if a bottle of boiling water had been poured into his stomach.
As the heat continued to churn, the System’s mechanical voice rang out.
**[Detected that the host is absorbing Concentrated Plasma. This System will initiate the fastest absorption rate.]**
‘Crap! Liu Yao didn’t tell me there would be a reaction like this!’
**[50%]**
The burning sensation persisted.
Shen Ji was in so much pain that his lips twitched uncontrollably.
This felt 10,000 times more agonizing than when Sun Wukong entered his sister-in-law’s stomach.
**[70%]**
As the percentage for this Evolution rose, Shen Ji didn’t feel the discomfort in his abdomen subside.
Instead, the heat spread toward his entire body.
It was especially intense in his chest.
His body felt like it was being roasted between two furnaces.
**[99%]**
‘No way! Even this damn System is pulling this crap?’
He would never forget the loading bars from his previous life that would always get stuck at 99% and never budge.
Shen Ji felt as though this heat was incinerating the last of his life force.
He was in so much pain that he couldn’t even make a sound.
He could only open his mouth weakly, as if venting his internal helplessness.
**[Ding — Congratulations to the host for completing the first Evolution.]**
Just as Shen Ji was about to faint from the pain, the System’s notification caused his entire body to relax.
The burning sensation receded like a tide, replaced by a cool, refreshing power circulating through his body.
[Evolution Status]
Current Evolutions: 1
Second Evolution Progress: 0%
Evolution Points: 0
Shen Ji flexed his hands.
Then, as if remembering something, he subconsciously touched his ears and found nothing unusual.
He immediately dashed into the bathroom and leaned over the sink to inspect his reflection in the mirror.
Looking at the man in the mirror, Shen Ji couldn’t help but swear in his mind.
‘What the hell is this? Come on, System, come out and tell me. Is this still supposed to be a Blood Race simulation?’
The Shen Ji in the mirror showed absolutely no characteristics of the Blood Race.
The only change was his eyes, which had turned a night-blue color, shimmering with a mysterious glow.
**[Reminder to the host: This System’s Evolution is simulated strictly according to the Blood Race form. Please do not question the System.]**
‘This crappy System must be colorblind.’
Shen Ji took a long breath.
Complaints aside, he could keenly sense the changes in his body.
The most obvious change was his vision.
The original owner didn’t wear glasses, but his eyesight was far from excellent.
Now, however, with just a slight focus, he could see the fine texture of the rust on the faucet.
When he looked out the window, he could even see the mist filling a bathroom in the building across the way.
This reminded him of the Blood Race detection range the System had mentioned — as far as the eye can see.
This meant that as he continued to evolve, his range for discovering the Blood Race would expand even further.
Shen Ji’s excitement was beyond words, and a look of joy spread across his face.
Regardless of the details, he had taken the first step in this world.
It was a good start.
Furthermore, as he subconsciously manipulated that cool power within him, the strength in his hands grew.
An unearned sense of confidence made him feel that he could now handle Ye Xi with one hand.
Shen Ji pulled his phone from his back pocket and opened his chat with Ye Xi.
“Ye Xi, I have to say, the buns you made were really ugly, and they didn’t taste that great either.”
***
Meanwhile, in her bathroom, Ye Xi was huddled in the bathtub with her head down.
Her mind was replaying the scene where she had choked Shen Ji.
She hadn’t actually wanted to do that, but after suppressing her Blood Race form for so long, losing control of her emotions was inevitable.
Moreover, that guy had eaten all three buns by himself; she had been hoping he would leave one for her.
But it was too late to say anything now. With how petty Shen Ji was, he was probably holding a grudge against her.
Thinking this, Ye Xi dunked her head underwater, leaving only her eyes staring blankly forward.
Suddenly, a notification sound from her “Special Interest” contact chirped.
Ye Xi stepped out of the tub, her graceful legs creating splashes.
She hurriedly dried her curvaceous body with a towel and rushed to check her phone.
When Ye Xi saw the message from Shen Ji, her body trembled violently.
Her fists clenched tight, letting out a series of *crack* and *pop* sounds.
Shen Ji stared confusedly at the “typing…” status at the top of the chat.
‘What is this tiger-woman doing? She’s been typing for so long. Is it really this hard to find someone to practice my new strength on?’
“Oh. I’ll pay more attention next time.”
“Huh?”
‘I didn’t send it to the wrong person, did I? Has Ye Xi been possessed by someone else?’
“Also, you’re not gentle at all. Your chest isn’t big, but your temper sure is.”
A moment later, Ye Xi placed a video call.
Shen Ji stopped circulating the power in his body and answered.
Her cold face appeared on the screen, framed by damp strands of hair, staring straight at Shen Ji.
“Do you want to check for yourself?”
Shen Ji scratched his cheek and asked curiously, “Check what?”
The view on the screen slowly began to move downward…