Chapter 9: No Pain, No Gain. (REVAMPED)

At the tree hideout, preparations were efficient and deliberate. The ten║Lesser Stamina Fruits║, though numerous, fit securely into the compact trekking bag. With their plum-like size, carrying them all remained practical, ensuring the load stayed light.

Switching into the white T-shirt carried extra significance. It was the last outfit he had brought with him, a stark reminder that time was running out on his resources. With no other changes of clothes left, the need to soon find a water source loomed large, both for drinking and washing what little he had.

After removing the boxing wraps from his shoulder, he tended to the raw, irritated skin, cleaning it with quick, efficient motions. The sting faded slightly, and a sip of water offered a momentary reprieve, though it also underscored the dwindling supply.

A glance at the║Looted Status║confirmed everything remained in place, but the urgency grew. Securing a reliable water source had become critical—not just for survival, but for maintaining some semblance of cleanliness as the journey pressed on.

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

  ﴾ LOOTED STATUS ﴿ ⧼ Locked ⧽

Name: Jay | Age: 23

Race: Lesser Human ⧼Male⧽

Est. Level: N/A ✯ | Est. Tier: N/A ✯

Strength: 0 ✯ | Agility: 0 ✯

Vitality: 0 ✯ | Endurance: 0 ✯

Spirit: 0 ✯ | Luck: 7

Health: 0 ✯/ 0 ✯

Stamina: 0 ✯/ 0 ✯

Spirit Energy: 0 ✯/ 0 ✯

Looted Stats: 15✯ ➟ 139 ✯

INNATE TALENT:║ LOOT║ ⧼ Grade Unknown ⧽

INNATE EXCLUSIVE SKILLS:║LOOTED STATUS║

﴾ ACHIEVEMENT TITLES ﴿

⧼ Common Grade ⧽

║Training Maniac-I║║Lesser Arachnid Hunter║

﴾ SKILLS ﴿

⧼ Common Grade ⧽

Lv.3║Inspect║ Lv.3║Night Vision║ 

Lv.4║Nimble Fingers║ Lv.5║Blood Poison║

Lv.5║Poison Resistance║Lv.6║Physical Pain Resistance║

Lv.10║Hydraulic Leap║

⧼ UnCommon Grade ⧽

Lv.1║Passive Stamina Regeneration-I║

 ﴾ RESISTANCE ﴿

Physical Pain Resistance ➟ 6%

Poison Resistance ➟ 5%

 ﴾ SPIRIT ITEMS ﴿

⧼ Common Grade ⧽ 

║Rusted Short Sword║║Adhesive Boots║

 ﴾ WEAPON MASTERY ﴿

STAGE 1 ⧼ Lv.1 - Lv.10 ⧽

Lv.1║Minor Dagger Mastery║➟ Lv.1║Dagger Aura║ ⧼Locked⧽

STAGE 2 ⧼ Lv.11 - Lv.20 ⧽

Lv.11║Minor Sword Mastery║➟ Lv.11║Sword Aura║➟║Aura Extension║

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

The inability to utilize the║Looted Stats║hung in the air like a nagging reminder. Despite the stash of 139 Looted Stats, the system's limitation made them useless without reaching the threshold of twice the overall Stats. 

With his current Stats sitting at 84, he needed more than 168 Looted Stats to unlock their potential. Knowing that, he mentally shelved the frustration and focused on something more immediately actionable—the newly looted Skills.

Among them, one stood out: Lv.5║Blood Poison║. The idea of merging it brought a mix of anticipation and caution. Selecting it, a notification flashed before his eyes.

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

﴾Warning﴿

Merging this skill will result in a permanent change within your bloodstream. 

Your blood will develop a toxic property capable of inflicting minor poison damage when exposed externally, and will naturally grant immunity to poisons of lower-leveled Tier-1 creatures.

Do you wish to merge?

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

The implications of altering one's very blood demanded careful consideration. Still, the prospect of gaining immunity against certain poisons seemed invaluable, especially given the unpredictability of the environment.

The decision to accept the merge came with the realization of how strategically useful the ability could be. The thought of coating a weapon with poisonous blood, or the possibility of a creature poisoning itself if it bit him, made the risk seem worthwhile. With a deep breath, he confirmed the merge.

Immediately, a wave of heat surged through his veins, turning his blood unnaturally warm. The sensation intensified until his skin flushed a deep red, signaling the rising temperature within. The pain was sharp, like fire spreading beneath his skin, but still within the bounds of endurance. 

With his heightened Spirit Attribute, his enhanced senses allowed him to track the changes happening inside. He could almost pinpoint where the transformation took hold, the process altering him at a fundamental level.

The burning sensation reached a peak as it concentrated in his bone marrow. The searing heat deep within his bones became unbearable, almost forcing a scream from his throat. Yet, through sheer willpower, he held back, gritting his teeth as the pain wracked his body.

Amid the torment, a series of notifications blinked into view.

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

﴾ Lv.6║Physical Pain Resistance║➟ Lv.15║Physical Pain Resistance║﴿

Lv.15║Physical Pain Resistance║

Increases resistance towards physical pain by 15%, enabling you to endure higher levels of damage without losing composure. The enhanced resilience allows improved focus and reaction time under severe physical stress, making it easier to remain calm and effective in high-pain scenarios. As this skill levels up, your threshold for enduring pain will steadily increase, mitigating the impact of external injuries more effectively.

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

The spike in pain resistance served as a small consolation, a direct response to the suffering endured. Gradually, the overwhelming heat subsided, leaving behind a new, permanent change. 

His blood carried the toxic properties he sought, ready to be weaponized if needed, while also making him a dangerous threat to any creature foolish enough to bite him.

Wondering if the change had affected the color of his blood, he reached for a Kitchen Knife. The blade, though sharp enough for basic tasks, struggled against his skin thanks to the high Endurance Attribute that toughened his body. 

He chose not to use the║Rusted Short Sword║, wisely avoiding the risk of infection from its rusted surface.

After exerting more force, he finally managed to create a small cut on his palm. A streak of nearly black blood oozed out. Concerned, he hurried to the entrance of the tree burrow and pushed aside the bushes, letting the sunlight illuminate the darkened liquid. 

Despite its almost-black hue, the blood was still red, albeit with a deep, ominous shade. The sight brought a sigh of relief—his blood hadn't fully lost its natural color.

Turning his focus back to his Status, his gaze settled on the Lv.10║Hydraulic Leap║. The moment he selected it, a new notification surfaced.

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

﴾Warning﴿

Merging with║Hydraulic Leap║will permanently alter the skeletal structure of both legs. 

The bones in your legs will be reinforced to accommodate new hydraulic channels, allowing the redirection and rapid pressurization of your blood fluids. This modification will enable you to generate explosive hydraulic force, significantly boosting your jumping power and enhancing leg-driven movements.

Do you wish to merge?

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

Skepticism lingered as he studied the notification. The word 'altered' provided some reassurance—it didn't imply a full replacement of his skeletal structure. Up to that point, none of the skills he had merged had changed his physical appearance in any drastic way. 

That thought settled his mind, though doubt still lingered. Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself of the age-old mantra: "No Pain, No Gain." With that, he chose to proceed.

The moment he accepted, an unbearable pain surged through his legs, far worse than anything he had experienced before. 

Cracking sounds echoed from within his bones as they began to shift and realign. Unable to remain upright, he collapsed to the ground, the agony robbing him of any ability to stand.

His fingers dug into the dirt with desperate strength, a futile attempt to anchor himself against the overwhelming pain. He bit down hard, trying to stifle the screams threatening to escape, aware that any noise could draw nearby monsters to his location. 

Despite his best efforts, some of the pain slipped through in strained yells, carrying just far enough to be heard within a 20-meter radius.

The pain far surpassed anything he had endured previously, the restructuring within his legs feeling like they were being shattered and remade. Amidst the torment, another string of notifications appeared, offering some clarity amidst the chaos.

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

﴾ Lv.15║Physical Pain Resistance║➟ Lv.24║Physical Pain Resistance║﴿

Lv.24║Physical Pain Resistance║

Increases resistance towards physical pain by 24%, enabling you to endure higher levels of damage without losing composure. The enhanced resilience allows improved focus and reaction time under severe physical stress, making it easier to remain calm and effective in high-pain scenarios. As this skill levels up, your threshold for enduring pain will steadily increase, mitigating the impact of external injuries more effectively.

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

But at that moment, all he could do was ride out the storm of agony, hoping the transformation would end soon and leave him stronger than before.

The intense suffering paid off as his║Physical Pain Resistance║skyrocketed to Lv.24. The upgraded resistance offered a 24% reduction in pain, making the experience more bearable, though it still gripped him in waves for another agonizing minute. 

By the time the transformation ended, sweat drenched his forehead, and his body collapsed into the dirt, drained from the ordeal. For several minutes, he simply lay there, catching his breath and letting the exhaustion wash over him.

When Jay finally gathered the strength to examine himself, he carefully inspected his legs. The changes weren't immediately noticeable, but under close scrutiny, he detected the subtle differences. 

The bones in his legs had thickened, their structure more durable than before. The muscles in his thighs and calves looked denser, more defined, and carried a noticeable increase in strength and resilience.

Rising to his feet, he moved cautiously, expecting unfamiliarity or stiffness, yet everything felt surprisingly natural. Despite the dramatic alterations, his legs responded smoothly, as if they had always been this way.

Still cautious, Jay stepped outside the hideout and conducted a thorough sweep of the surrounding 200 meters, eyes sharp for any lurking threats. Fortunately, the area remained clear of monsters, granting him the freedom to focus on testing his newly acquired skill.

Taking a deep breath, he braced himself and prepared for his first trial with Lv.10║Hydraulic Leap║, ready to push the limits of his enhanced legs and see just how far they could propel him.

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Author Note:

I'm thrilled to share that I'm taking a big leap forward! Alongside Earth's Alpha Prime, I've launched the first sub-book for EAP.

ALTER REALITY: Online (Full-Dive VR LITRPG)

The book is now published on Royal Road with just the first chapter available, and I'll be releasing new chapters at a rate of 3 per week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday). Do check it out!

Chapter Release Rate: 3 Chs/Week.

<<<< Tue, Thu, Sun >>>>

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