Chapter 40: The Entry Is Uncanny—Could It Be Alive?

In truth, [Mad Blood], [Iron Eater], and [Feast] are all a bit sinister.

[Iron Eater] has more than once jolted Feng Mu awake from nightmares, leaving him convinced he had turned into a Calamity Corpse. Moreover, lately, when incinerating the corpses, he found that the ugly, terrifying creatures didn't look as grotesque as they once did. He could even distinguish which ones were more refined or delicate in their features.

It’s a chilling thought, isn't it? Much like how humans struggle to tell one spider from another; if you can actually spot the subtle differences in their beauty, it’s best to go to a hospital and have your own biological composition checked.

Then there is [Feast], the one that hasn't yet had its "packaging" torn open. Feng Mu has been injured several times and has forcefully suppressed the urge to feed on blood to recover. Is it because he doesn't want to? No, he is simply acting out of instinctual fear.

[Feast]: The blood of your own kind is filled with an alluring fragrance. Devour them, and you shall attain eternal life.

Just think about it. Whether devouring the blood of one's own kind actually leads to immortality, Feng Mu isn't certain—or rather, he is unsure how much blood would be required to achieve it. One person is definitely not enough. Ten or a hundred would be a bit meager. Thousands, perhaps, might be enough—or perhaps that would still be a drop in the bucket. After all, immortality is represented by the concept of infinity, a number greater than the sum of all human lifespans throughout history. Feng Mu has no way of knowing how many "blood bags" are required to satisfy the equation of immortality.

But what he can foresee is that once he takes that first sip, he will never be able to stop. He would slide uncontrollably into the abyss. If [Iron Eater] represents an evolutionary shift in physical structure from human to something else, then [Feast] is a subjective moral descent from human to something else. The logic is simple: once you view your own kind as walking blood bags, can you truly still consider yourself human?

Perhaps that day will eventually come, but Feng Mu still hopes it arrives a little later, so he can hold onto a bit more of the radiance of his humanity.

[Iron Eater], [Mad Blood], and [Feast]: "..."

So, you’re the noble and pure one, and the three of us are the sources of evil polluting you? Then don't use us!

Feng Mu tore up the paper, swallowed it along with the iron filings, and then drew a tube of blood with a needle, muttering to himself: "I spent my life activating this system to get these traits; how could I possibly not use them?"

It’s like smoking—everyone knows it’s bad for your health, yet how many people can truly quit? Most people don't even forget to light one up on their deathbed.

Iron-eating cannot stop, blood-letting cannot cease, and the forging exercises must not be skipped for a single day. Perhaps it was the residual adrenaline from a hearty battle, or perhaps it was a subtle shift in his mindset, but Feng Mu’s state tonight was exceptionally fierce.

[Edibility ↑↑↑]

Three upward arrows appeared simultaneously, a rare occurrence.

***

Triple efficiency? Tonight, he wouldn't sleep; he would work his life away until dawn.

3:30 AM. 07:55 AM.

Feng Mu stopped his training, and the settlement screen on his retina froze:

[Iron Eater: Tier 1]
[Edible Iron Types: 1]
[Absorbable Metal Properties: 1]
[Currently Detected Edible Iron: Ordinary Pig Iron, Edibility 94%.]
[Absorbed Property: Embryonic Molding (White)]

"Hoo—"

Feng Mu exhaled a long breath, his eyes flickering with joy. "At this rate, I’m only 6% away from filling the Tier 1 edibility bar. If nothing goes wrong, I can finish it tonight. Or perhaps even sooner—maybe even before I get off work..."

With this aspiration, he rolled up his sleeves and drew another tube of blood with the syringe. His arms were already covered in needle marks from the past few days; if someone were to see them, they would surely jump to all sorts of misunderstandings.

He put away the syringe, shouldered his bag, and sat at the table to eat his meal in earnest. Wang Xiuli looked haggard, as if she hadn't slept at all. Several times, she opened her mouth to urge Feng Mu to quit his job and stay home, waiting for Feng Ju to return and arrange something else for him. But she seemed to know it would be useless, so she eventually just reminded him to be careful.

His bicycle had clearly suffered too much abuse; it let out a harsh, creaking sound as he pedaled, like a dying patient wheezing out a final farewell. "It's time to get a new bike," Feng Mu thought. After all, it was a loyal steed that had been with him for a long time. Feng Mu wasn't a heartless person; he couldn't bear to dismantle and "eat" it. Once he bought a new one, he would give this old bicycle a proper burial in the dirt.

As he rode into the incineration plant, the security guard holding his thermos looked slightly surprised. Feng Mu ignored him, changed his clothes, put on a mask, and entered the incineration room.

Wang Jian had arrived early. Seeing Feng Mu show up for work safely, a look of relief appeared on his face. He seemed to want to ask something, but seeing that Feng Mu wasn't in the mood to talk, he kept it to himself. After the incident with Luo Ji, Wang Jian had become more composed and learned to hold his tongue.

There were no Calamity Corpses all day, as if the gods themselves were urging Feng Mu to upgrade quickly.

16:20 PM.

After finishing the final set of forging exercises and swallowing a mouthful of iron filings, the progress bar for the Tier 1 Iron Eater overflowed, accompanied by the prompt: [Edibility ↑↑].

***

Ding—

The crisp notification sound was like a fledgling bird cracking its eggshell from within.

[Iron Eater: Tier 2]
[Available Slots for Edible Iron: 2]
[Available Slots for Metal Properties: 2]
[Absorbed Property: Embryonic Molding (White)]

His muscles felt tight, his skin was stretching, and his bones were restless inside, like a giant curled up, desperately trying to break free from the constraints of heaven and earth.

Pangu opening up the world? Ah, no, wait—am I turning into a Calamity Corpse?

Feng Mu felt a surge of horror, sensing his bones trying to grow outward, piercing through his skin to take control. Although this would undoubtedly mean a qualitative leap in his strength—greater power, stronger defense, and, most importantly, looking much cooler and fitting the persona of a villain—he still wasn't ready to lie down in an empty incinerator chamber just yet.

"Don't come out!" Feng Mu roared in his heart, his voice filled with desperation.

One minute, two minutes, three minutes... Under his intense rejection, the restless bones were forced to settle down, ceasing their urge to tear through his body.

A strange ripple passed through his mind. Feng Mu felt a wave of aggrieved emotion coming from the [Iron Eater] trait.

A trait developing emotions? That was even more sinister.

A ridiculous thought crossed Feng Mu’s mind: "Are the three traits born from [Blood and Iron] actually alive?"

"No, they aren't alive yet, but as I continue to work hard and upgrade, one day..."

Feng Mu shivered and suppressed the ominous fantasy: "Is the process of my training and upgrading actually a process of incubating them?"

"Impossible. I must be overthinking it... right?"

It took him over ten minutes to calm his mind and feel the changes in his bones. The first thing he noticed was that his bones had become heavier. The second thing was...

Feng Mu suppressed the urge to experiment. He glanced back at Wang Jian, who was squatting by the door smoking, and decided to wait until he got home after work to feel it out. Otherwise, if he scared Wang Jian, he’d have to kill him to keep his secret, wouldn't he?