27

After parting ways, Lin Kai didn't head back home like Ji Yulan had suggested. Instead, he returned to the shed and stayed inside one of them in silence. He was going to wait until nightfall before returning to the python's burial site. Whether the corpse would still be there by then, he couldn't say for sure, but now, all he could do was hope.

Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes into hours as Lin Kai sat quietly, his mind racing. Despite cleaning the shed twice over, the overwhelming stench clung to his senses, numbing him. Yet, he gritted his teeth, enduring it all for the sake of absorbing the python's remains.

Finally, his wait was over. The dead of night had arrived.

"Is it time?" he muttered under his breath, slowly stepping out of the shed. His pulse quickened with every second, the thrill of what was to come making it hard to stay calm.

He thought about waiting a bit longer, but in the end, his excitement got the best of him, and he decided to act.

The only thing that greeted him outside was the eerie silence of the night. Aside from the occasional chirping of insects, there wasn't a single sound to be heard.

Moving as stealthily as a thief, Lin Kai crept toward the burial ground.

When he was about ten meters away, he paused. Rather than rushing in, he scanned his surroundings and waited for a good ten minutes. Once he was sure that no one was around, he let out a quiet sigh of relief and cautiously approached the spot where the python was buried.

"What do I do now?" Lin Kai muttered under his breath. It wasn't like he could unearth the entire corpse. His only option was to dig a small hole just large enough to make contact with the body. If what Ji Yulan said was true, much of the python's body would have already dissolved. He could only hope he would be able to absorb it, just like he had with the Heart Fruit after it was crushed.

Looking around, he hoped to find a tool to dig with, but there was none.

"Screw it." There was no time to waste searching for a tool. He had to do it with his bare hands.

Bending down, Lin Kai knelt on the ground and began digging through the soft soil with his fingers. Since the burial was still fresh, and the soil hadn't been compacted, it was relatively easy to move. However, this also made it hard to keep the hole from collapsing in on itself. Each time he removed a handful of dirt, more would slide back down, filling the hole again.

Growing frustrated, he gritted his teeth and shifted to digging at the edge of the burial site. Instead of tossing the soil back onto the grave, he flung it over his shoulder, further behind him.

After nearly two hours of exhausting work, Lin Kai finally managed to reveal part of the python's body—or at least, what was left of it.

The moment the remains were exposed, a horrid stench hit him, an acrid mix of sulfur and acid that burned his nostrils.

*Sizzle…

The corpse of the python was sizzling like meat in a hot pan, only this wasn't ordinary heat—it was dissolving, melting away at an alarming rate.

"This..." Lin Kai's scalp tingled as he stared at the gruesome sight. Swallowing hard, he hesitated, unsure of what to do next.

To absorb it, he had to touch the corpse. But just looking at it made his heart race with fear. If this substance could melt the flesh of a beast far stronger than him, what would it do to his own body?

"FUCK IT." He spat the words through clenched teeth. Fortune favoured the brave, didn't it? If he wanted the reward, he had to take the risk. In the future, there would be even greater challenges ahead. He couldn't back down every time danger appeared.

Bracing himself, he extended his hand toward the sizzling corpse and touched it.

"AAAAH! Fuck me!"

The instant his hand made contact, an unbearable pain shot through his arm, so intense it robbed him of speech. It felt like his hand was being fried in scorching oil.

Despite the overwhelming agony, Lin Kai somehow managed to stifle his screams. Maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was the excitement of gaining new power—or perhaps both. He couldn't afford to make a sound and risk drawing attention.

Trembling, he glanced at the panel before him, a twisted grin spreading across his face despite the pain.

[Absorb Swamp Python?]

[Yes/No]

Without a second thought, Lin Kai selected [Yes]. As soon as he did, the familiar dark layer began to spread from his hand, seeping into the ground. This time, the absorption process was much slower than before.

Though the absorption had begun, the pain in Lin Kai's hand didn't lessen—it only intensified. The burning sensation now seemed to crawl deeper into his bones.

He had no idea how long he endured the agony. Every second felt like an eternity as he waited, praying for the absorption to be complete. Finally, the message he had been hoping for appeared.

[Gained Skill: Transformation—Swamp Python]

"This… This…" Lin Kai's eyes widened as he stared at the notification. For a moment, he forgot about the pain entirely, his gaze glued to the screen. He had been expecting some kind of boost to his realm—maybe he would refine his muscles completely and officially attain the full strength of the 8th realm. Or, if he was lucky, maybe he'd even break through to the 7th realm.

But a skill? He hadn't seen that coming.

For a few seconds, disappointment flickered through him. He had taken such a huge risk, only to gain a skill instead of a power boost.

But that feeling quickly disappeared when he glanced at his panel and saw the description of his newly acquired ability.

[Name: Lin Kai]

[Realm: 8th Step (False)]

[Skills: Exploration, Self-heal, Empowerment, Transformation—Swamp Python]

[Transformation—Swamp Python: Can freely transform into a swamp python.]

"This…" The description was short, but it almost took Lin Kai's breath away.

For a long moment, he just stood there, speechless. His mind seemed to freeze after reading the skill info. This was so absurd that he almost thought he was dreaming.

He had seen the python's body—it had been massive, far larger than anything he could imagine becoming. But if he could transform into that…

"HISS…" Lin Kai sucked in a deep breath, his thoughts racing. Even in his wildest dreams, he hadn't expected to gain such an outrageous ability. The temptation to test the skill on the spot surged through him, but then he glanced at his right hand—and nearly screamed in horror.

His flesh had almost melted off, leaving only his bones intact. Panic surged through him as he hurriedly filled the hole he had dug, kicking soil back into place before spinning around and rushing toward the nearest river. The excitement from gaining the skill was now overshadowed by pure terror. The dissolving effect seemed to be spreading up his arm, threatening to consume more of his body.

Just the thought of it made him break into a full sprint, desperate to reach the river and wash it off before it was too late.

-------

Within minutes, Lin Kai reached the river at the far end of the servant's quarters. Without wasting a second, he plunged into the cold water, desperate to stop the burning pain and the terrifying dissolution of his flesh. But the deeper he sank into the water, the more his hope turned to dread.

The water did nothing. The flesh on his hand continued to melt away, creeping up toward his wrist. Lin Kai's heart raced as he realized he only had two options: cut off his arm or hope that somehow, by some miracle, the water would slow the effect before it consumed him entirely.

Staring at his wrist, he was on the verge of panic when his eyes flicked to the newly gained skill: Transformation.

"Will it work?" he muttered under his breath, torn between doubt and desperation. Could transforming stop the dissolution? It seemed like a wild idea—completely absurd—but what other choice did he have? If he did nothing, he would soon be reduced to nothing but bones.

"Screw it!" There was no time to hesitate. His body was already in the river, muffling any noise. Without thinking twice, Lin Kai activated the transformation skill.

Instantly, his body began to contort and expand. His limbs twisted as his skin rippled and stretched, transforming into something inhuman. His entire form became a mass of squirming flesh, growing larger and larger until he was unrecognizable. The process felt both rapid and excruciatingly slow at the same time.

Finally, his body settled into the massive shape of a swamp python, much larger than the corpse he had absorbed. Lin Kai had become a terrifying beast—a python over ten meters long and three meters wide.

*Hissss...

Regaining his senses, Lin Kai looked around, his vision now vastly different. Everything appeared sharper, clearer. As a human, his sight had been limited to what was in front of him, but now he could see almost 180 degrees around. The night no longer felt dark. Though the colours were muted—greenish tones with a touch of yellow—he could see with incredible clarity.

Even more surprising, Lin Kai discovered he could see in infrared. The heat signatures of small animals nearby glowed brightly in the dark, their shapes clearly outlined. It was a strange, exhilarating new world.

*Hiss...

He tried to speak but found he couldn't. All that escaped his mouth was a hissing sound. This would take some getting used to.

'What else can I do?' he thought, adjusting to his new form with growing excitement. It felt like unlocking a new toy, and he was eager to explore its features. Concentrating, he realized he could sense temperature changes in the air. It was as if he could predict whether the night would grow colder or warmer.

Focusing on the abilities of the python, Lin Kai discovered its innate skill: Swamp Formation. He could turn a fifteen-meter area around him into a swamp if he wished.

'Interesting...' The more he learned, the more he realized how powerful this transformation was. Unlike his Empowerment skill, this transformation had no time limit. He could remain in this form as long as he wanted.

'Let's check the panel.'

With anticipation, Lin Kai summoned his status screen, eager to see the full extent of his newfound strength.

[Name: Lin Kai]

[Realm: Half-step Primal]

[Skills: Exploration, Self-heal, Empowerment, Swamp Formation, Transformation]

'WHAT THE...?!' Lin Kai nearly shouted in shock. He knew he had become stronger, but this was beyond his wildest expectations. A Primal Beast was a creature that could rival experts above the seventh grade. And here he was, just half a step away from becoming one. His strength now matched, if not surpassed, the peak of the seventh grade.

'Can I use my other skills in this form too?' He wondered if he could still access his human abilities. If so, this would be a major leap forward in power.

He decided to test it out. Activating Empowerment, Lin Kai felt his blood heat up once again, though this time there was no pain. His python body began to shimmer with a glowing green hue. It wasn't as blinding as before, but still powerful enough that if he weren't submerged in water, he might have drawn attention.

As his strength surged, something new appeared.

[Name: Lin Kai]

[Realm: Primal]

[Skills: Exploration, Self-heal, Empowerment, Swamp Formation, Transformation, Miasma]

A new skill: Miasma. While there was no description, Lin Kai instinctively understood its power. He could release a toxic cloud that would poison and kill any living creature in its range. How deadly it was, he wasn't sure, but it was definitely another terrifying weapon in his arsenal.

Five minutes passed, and the empowerment effect wore off. This time, though, he didn't feel the same exhaustion as he did in his human form. Even so, Lin Kai reluctantly ended his transformation. As his body shrank back to its human shape, the overwhelming sense of power faded, leaving him feeling almost... empty.

"That was... AWESOME!" he shouted, still standing in the river. The excitement of his new abilities had him almost jumping with joy, but when he looked down at his hand, his heart sank.

His right hand, still devoid of flesh, sent a shiver of terror through him. The skin had melted all the way to the bone.

But despite the horrific sight, he felt a wave of relief. The dissolution had finally stopped. The flesh wasn't melting anymore.

Still wincing in pain, Lin Kai dragged himself out of the river. It was then that he noticed something else.

His clothes were gone.

"FUCK ME!" Lin Kai groaned. Now, with no other option, he grabbed some large leaves to cover himself and hurried back to his room.