One, two, three...
Liu Zheng expressionlessly stuffed the remaining sheep eyeballs into his mouth.
He didn't dip them in water again, as his new tongue found the taste quite pleasant.
With each eyeball he consumed, something new grew on Liu Zheng's body.
His rationality didn't decrease further, probably because he had gotten used to it.
"'Blood and Flesh Rebirth' state acquired."
"State: Blood and Flesh Rebirth"
"Effect: Gain near-immortal flesh repair abilities."
When Liu Zheng consumed the last sheep eyeball, the system prompt appeared again.
"Finally, something good happens."
He burped contentedly.
"Seeing you eat with such joy comforts me."
The maid said, pleased.
"Should I call you Mr. Li or Xiao Jiu?"
Liu Zheng casually leaned on the sofa and wiped his mouth with his tentacles.
"Either is fine, a name is just a label."
"Then I'll call you Xiao Jiu. Thanks for the meal, I should leave."
He said as he stood up.
"Hold on, young man, I haven't given you your tip yet."
The maid said.
"What do you want?"
She swayed her hips and approached Liu Zheng.
"Money, supernatural items, or... me?"
The maid extended a delicate finger and circled it around Liu Zheng's mouthpiece.
He certainly didn't want her.
Even if she wasn't an old man, a busty maid also absolutely lacked cuteness.
Money would be nice; if Mr. Li was generous enough, he might be able to pay off Niu Ma's debt and buy another bottle of Mao Tai.
Thinking this, an uncontrollable thought began to expand in Liu Zheng's mind.
"I want a powerful, explosive supernatural item, the bigger the better."
He agitatedly waved his tentacles, smashing the floor loudly.
"Interesting."
Although the maid initially seemed annoyed, a sly smile spread across her face upon hearing his words.
"It wouldn't be bad to see that woman go insane."
She muttered under her breath.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing. Just wait a moment, I'll go get it."
The maid's catwalk carried her upstairs.
Liu Zheng stood waiting.
His four eyes continuously scanned the surroundings, all his tentacles twitching in readiness.
Fortunately, he still retained his basic rationality, knowing not to mess around here.
Finally, the maid came down from upstairs.
"Make sure to use it well, it's very rare."
She chuckled and placed a yellow piece of amber in Liu Zheng's tentacle.
"Name: Feces Sea Mad Maggot Fossil (single-use)"
"Type: Prop"
"Quality: Fine"
"Effect: Instantly releases a large amount of unstable ammonia upon use."
"Note: Is it to kill a person or to destroy the person's heart?"
"Can it be taken out of the instance: No"
Liu Zheng looked at the fat white worm that had been asleep for who knows how many millennia, and a chill ran through him.
If he died to this thing, wouldn't his human life be over?
Oh, he guessed he wasn't considered human anymore.
No worries then.
"Thank you, goodbye."
Liu Zheng pocketed the amber and walked away without looking back,
afraid that if he lingered, he'd smash the maid's head with his tentacles.
"See you next time, young man."
Out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to see Mr. Li waving at him.
Back at the entrance to Premiere Mansion, Liu Zheng found that the bodies of the security guards were still there.
"Hasn't anyone come to clean this place up?"
Liu Zheng complained as he opened his character panel.
Everything had happened too suddenly, and he had not had time to look closely before.
"Status: Flesh Deformation"
"Effect: Causes uncontrollable mutations in the player's flesh, unable to alter genes or lineage."
"Current mutation effects: Strength +30, Constitution +20, Perception +15."
Liu Zheng vigorously swung his tentacles, smashing one guard's body into mush.
Very good, very powerful.
He nodded, satisfied.
"Temporary Madness: Anger Management"
"Effect: The player becomes extremely irritable, to the point of losing reason. A high Spiritual Attribute helps alleviate the symptoms."
"Duration: Three instances."
"Flesh Deformation and Anger Management, why do I feel like I'm the villain here?"
Liu Zheng looked at the pile of bodies, a sudden thought flashing through his mind.
For about fifteen minutes, he hummed a song as he walked towards the Bloody Restaurant.
-----------------
"Boss, I'm back."
Liu Zheng greeted.
Niu Ma was playing with his phone, head bowed. Hearing him, he lazily looked up.
"How much did Mr. Li give you? Damn!"
Niu Ma's eyes bulged bigger than his nostrils.
"How did you turn into this freak?"
He jumped up suddenly, his tail fluff exploding.
Even from the perspective of an "excellent employee," Liu Zheng's current appearance was somewhat horrifying.
"It's a long story. By the way, do I still count as a human citizen looking like this?"
He asked curiously.
"Your essence hasn't changed, so theoretically, yes, but also potentially no. However, as long as City Hall doesn't send a letter, your status won't change."
Niu Ma thought for a moment.
"When would City Hall send a letter?"
"No idea. Except for the employment department, the efficiency of other departments is pretty low."
Niu Ma shook his large head.
"Alright then."
"Hurry up and tell me, how much in tips did you get?"
He urged.
"Mr. Li gave me this."
Liu Zheng took out the Feces Sea Mad Maggot Fossil.
"What is this thing even used for?"
Niu Ma asked, puzzled.
"It seems it can release a large amount of ammonia."
"Yikes, take that away."
Niu Ma quickly covered his nose.
"Don't let those guys in the dining hall see this, or even I can't save you."
After Liu Zheng put away the fossil, Niu Ma said disdainfully.
"Aren't we not allowed to enter the dining hall?"
"Sometimes when the dining hall is overwhelmed, they let us help out in the kitchen. Though it's rare, I've encountered it a few times since I've been here."
Niu Ma replied.
"Is it dangerous?"
"Dangerous, certainly, but there are also quite a few benefits..."
Niu Ma's speech halted midway.
"By the way, when are you going to play Snake? I'm still waiting to see the clearance rewards."
He blustered.
"Not yet. Boss, could you get me some paper and a pen?"
Liu Zheng said.
"What do you need those for?"
"I need them to get used to my new body."
"Such a hassle, hold on."
Niu Ma again spit out a key, opening a cabinet in the bottom right corner.
"Help yourself."
Liu Zheng did as told and took out a notebook and a fountain pen.
The cover of the notebook bore a name.
"Bai Langzi"
He opened the notebook, finding the first few pages filled with unreadable serpentine, twisting script.
"This guy is from the Snake-man Clan, was supposed to be a modern poet. Then the retro trend hit, and he became unemployed."
Niu Ma spoke with a bit of schadenfreude.
"Name: Snake-man Poems"
"Type: Miscellaneous"
"Quality: Ordinary"
"Effect: None"
"Remarks: The final masterpieces of a genius poet, perhaps appreciated by certain entities."
"Can it be taken out of the instance: Yes"
Miscellaneous?
Liu Zheng was seeing this type of item for the first time.
He pondered the remarks for a moment, then tore out those pages of poems, folded them neatly, and put them in his pocket.
"You should change into a uniform; looking at you now is quite an eyesore."
Niu Ma said disdainfully.
Not only was it ill-fitting, many areas were torn, revealing things that shouldn't be exposed.
"Does changing the uniform cost money?"
"This should count as accidental damage, so it shouldn't cost anything. I'll ask."
Niu Ma took out his phone, chattering away for a while.
"Alright, the new uniform will arrive shortly."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a white thread descended from the ceiling.