After the injection of the Primary Growth Accelerant, Chu Ge transformed directly into a young lion, and the moment he changed, he felt as if countless bugs were crawling inside him, causing an unbearable itching, and even a faint stabbing pain in his joints.
He curled up on the sofa, drenched in cold sweat.
"This hurts way too much…"
Chu Ge clenched his teeth, now finally understanding what it meant to prefer death over life.
And this was only the beginning of the pain.
It grew more and more intense until he felt like every bone in his body was dislocated, his skin started to crack open, and blood oozed out, staining the sofa red.
A whole hour passed.
Chu Ge's torment finally ended, and he nearly fell apart.
He still lay on the sofa, his body covered in blood, but now his size had increased significantly.
He was no smaller than some adult large dogs, of course, but compared to an adult male lion, he was still quite small.
Chu Ge wanted a mirror, and a full-length mirror appeared beside him.
He examined his bloody self and let out a breath.
The pain was worth it!
Now, he looked as big as the gray wolves he had encountered before, still a bit smaller than an adult female lion, let alone the majestic adult male lions.
Given the same size, wolves and dogs would definitely lose to him in a fight.
He slowly stood up, feeling full of strength throughout his body, which enlivened his spirits.
He immediately called up his Attribute Panel:
Survivor: Chuge Siqi
Star Rank: One Star (upgradable)
Biting Force: 185
Forelimb Strength: 156
Hind Limb Strength: 198
Speed: 172
Physical Strength: 102
Survival Entity: African Lion
Survival Skills: Body Color Change, Cheetah Speed
Survival Equipment: None
Survival Team: None
Survival Points: 300
...
All his attributes had skyrocketed, more than five times stronger than before, with Biting Force nearly reaching twenty times!
Chu Ge was ecstatic.
He had finally become truly strong!
If just the Primary Growth Accelerant was this amazing, how much stronger would the intermediate and advanced Growth Accelerants be?
Would they make him age in just one go?
Cough cough!
That should be impossible...
Chu Ge shook his head with a laugh, suddenly thinking of the pitbull and the gray wolf.
Those two must have used Growth Accelerants, or they wouldn't be that big.
For some of the higher-grade species, using the initial 1500 Survival Points to exchange for Growth Accelerants was most cost-effective.
Apart from venomous insects, for the vast majority of species, size determines combat strength.
He turned his attention back to the Attribute Panel, focusing on the 'upgradable' option behind the Star Rank.
"Upgrading the rank requires 100 Survival Points, would you like to upgrade?"
A line like that popped up in the light screen.
Chu Ge hesitated for a moment, then chose to upgrade.
Upgrading would certainly have more benefits.
The next second, a column of light descended from the sky, enveloping his lion's body, giving him a warm feeling.
"You have successfully upgraded to a Two Stars Survivor, the Survival Arena rewards you with 1000 Survival Points, starting today, you can view the next Survival Competition Task five days in advance."
An emotionless female voice rang in Chu Ge's ear, surprising him once more.
There were rewards for upgrading!
Most crucially, he could know the next Survival Challenge Task in advance.
Though only five days early, it allowed him a head start in understanding the environment of the Survival Competition!
The light dissipated, and Chu Ge felt his strength had increased yet again.
His Attribute Panel updated accordingly:
Survivor: Chuge Siqi
Star Rank: Two Stars
Biting Force: 231
Forelimb Strength: 181
Hind Limb Strength: 210
Speed: 181
Physical Strength: 123
Survival Entity: African Lion
Survival Skills: Body Color Change, Cheetah Speed
Survival Equipment: None
Survival Team: None
Survival Points: 1200
...
All attributes had increased by either teens or twenties in their values.
Chu Ge was pleased, but something felt off.
Is this the only increase after advancing in rank?
There was no transformative change as he had expected.
Could there be some hidden settings that had not been announced?
Chu Ge stopped pondering over it.
He got up and headed for the Primary Training Hall, took a shower first, then began to test his speed.
A 50-meter sprint!
His neck now bore slightly dark manes, sparse but distinctly lion-like, and as he ran, he became a yellow bolt of lightning.
3.31 seconds!
A terrifying speed!
He was exhilarated, so he ran again.
3.02 seconds!
After running four times consecutively, he broke through to 2.53 seconds!
The Cheetah Speed had fully integrated into Chu Ge's body.
A cheetah's top speed can reach up to 110 kilometers per hour, which translates to less than four seconds in a hundred-meter race.
It took Chu Ge longer to start and pick up speed than before, due to his significantly increased top speed.
If he were to sprint for a while to accelerate before measuring his 50-meter sprint, his numbers would be even more exaggerated!
"Good, I can still improve more in this month," Chu Ge thought confidently, understanding he was approaching closer to being a top predator.
He had 1200 Survival Points left, which was enough to redeem another Lv3 Survival Skill.
"Indeed, high rewards come only with taking risks," Chu Ge murmured as he walked towards the Survival House.
In the battle at Qingmei Park, if he had chosen to play it safe, he certainly wouldn't have taken off like he did now.
However, he was also very lucky.
He had just caught the Vulture off-guard.
He could be confident, but must never be arrogant.
Back at the Survival House, the sofa looked brand new.
He transformed back into human form and lay on the sofa, pulling up the holographic screen to check on the fate of the Pitbull.
A video window popped up in the screen, showing a large cage with many antelopes inside, zooming in on a small antelope.
The little antelope lay in a corner, its gaze empty, motionless.
Seeing this, Chu Ge let out a soft sigh.
He did not pity the Pitbull; the Pitbull had shown him no mercy, and had the police not arrived in time, it might now be the Pitbull watching his own end in a video.
He just felt a complex sense of loss.
He shook his head, wondering which zoo this was.
Then, the video shifted, showing the entrance of the zoo.
Nanluo City Zoo!
"It really can fully sense my intentions," Chu Ge sighed, forcing himself not to think too deeply, to avoid being overwhelmed by the implications.
He watched for a while before turning it off.
He hadn't slept for two days and needed a proper rest.
...
The next morning.
Chu Ge got out of bed to go to school under Chu Feiqiang's cold gaze.
He didn't know what his parents would say about him once he left; unable to explain, he simply tried not to overthink it.
Arriving at school, he heard many students discussing Qingmei Park along the way.
The previous night, the video of the animal battle at Qingmei Park had gone viral online. There were several versions, and although not very clear in the darkness, one could still make out the Pitbull, the Gray Wolf, and the young lion.
The incident was becoming more influential, and it was said that Qingmei Park had been sealed off.
When Chu Ge arrived in the classroom, he happened to run into the homeroom teacher, Xu Xuebing.
Xu Xuebing glared at him and then began to lecture him.
After ten minutes, Xu Xuebing left with his anger not completely subsided.
Sitting at his desk, Chu Ge pulled out his textbooks, ready to review.
"Why aren't you panicking at all?"
Tang Xuejia turned around, asking curiously.
It wasn't just her; other students in the classroom also glanced at him frequently.