It took Lin Kai almost an hour to make it back to his room. By the time he arrived, nearly all the other servants were fast asleep. Luckily for him, he managed to grab some food.
After finishing his meal, he returned to his room and finally sat down on the bamboo chair by the window. Staring out into the distant sky, his thoughts drifted back to the conversation he had with that woman.
He didn't know her name, nor did he know anything about her, yet it was perhaps the only genuine, heart-to-heart conversation he'd ever had.
"Forget it." Shaking his head, Lin Kai tried to push the thoughts aside. Even though he had talked for so long with such a beautiful woman, he wanted to forget about it as soon as possible.
Patting his cheeks lightly, he forced himself to focus back on the glowing panel in front of him.
[Name: Lin Kai]
[Realm: 8th Step (False)]
[Skills: Exploration, Self-Heal, Empowerment]
Looking at the newly gained skill, he felt a surge of excitement, though he tried to keep calm. Standing up, he closed the door, and the window and then stood still in the middle of the room. Unlike his other two skills, this one was an active combat skill—something that could give him a real boost in power.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, clenched his fists, and softly muttered, "Empowerment."
Since the moment he had absorbed the skill, Lin Kai had instinctively known how to use it. The only thing he didn't know was its effect.
The moment he activated 'Empowerment', his entire body began to turn red, the transformation visible to the naked eye. It was as if his blood was boiling inside him.
"Aah! HOT... TOO HOT." He gritted his teeth as a wave of discomfort swept through him. It felt like someone was pouring boiling water into his veins. Within moments, his entire body glowed bright red, and the room was bathed in a deep crimson light.
Fortunately, Lin Kai had closed his doors and windows, or such a transformation would have drawn unwanted attention.
The changes didn't stop there. His skin, hair, and even his deep blue eyes all turned the same shade of red, glowing with heat. Steam rose from his body as if the very moisture in the air around him was evaporating.
"This power..." Despite the intense discomfort, Lin Kai couldn't deny the strength now coursing through him. For the first time, he felt truly powerful. If he faced that wild boar again, he was sure he could beat it black and blue.
"Are there any changes?" Focusing back on the panel in front of him, he checked for any updates. Sure enough, there was one.
[Name: Lin Kai]
[Realm: 8th Step]
[Skills: Exploration, Self-Heal, Empowerment]
The (False) behind his realm had vanished. Lin Kai had now truly reached the rank of a Martial Artist, even surpassing many warriors who had been practising since their childhood.
"Huff... Huff..." He resisted the urge to test his strength further. Instead, he took deep breaths, trying to calm the raging energy inside him. He wanted to see how long the skill would last. Since it was an active skill, it was bound to end.
Sure enough, after five minutes, the red glow began to fade. Slowly, his body, hair, and eyes returned to their normal colours.
As the overwhelming strength disappeared, it was replaced by intense weakness. Lin Kai collapsed to the floor, breathing heavily.
"Ugh... damn it." He cursed under his breath, feeling completely drained. The skill was powerful and could save his life, but the side effects were enormous. If he used it, he'd have to pick his battles wisely. If his opponent could still move after the skill ended, he'd be as good as dead.
"Forget it..." Lin Kai sighed, not wanting to think too much about it. Right now, he couldn't afford to be picky about his skills. Having three abilities was already a blessing from Lady Luck.
Closing his eyes, his consciousness blurred as sleep slowly overtook him. The room returned to its previous calm, the only sound being the steady rhythm of Lin Kai's heavy breathing.
-------------------
Meanwhile, across the estate, a different scene was unfolding inside an elegant building. Ji Yulan made her way to her room, but as she reached the door, she noticed someone sitting silently on her bed.
"Young lady?" she called softly, raising an eyebrow when she saw Ji Yan sitting there. Letting out a quiet sigh, she asked, "What are you doing here so late?"
Ji Yan looked at her, then at the red handprint on Ji Yulan's face. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.
"I... I..." She clenched her fists, wanting to speak, but the words seemed to stick in her throat. It was as if the very air had grown too heavy, making it impossible to talk.
"I understand." Ji Yulan shook her head, a gentle smile on her face. "You don't have to explain anything."
"I..." The more Ji Yulan acted so understanding, the more guilty Ji Yan felt. Summoning all her courage, she gritted her teeth and finally forced the words out.
"I'm sorry."
It was a simple sentence, yet saying it took every ounce of strength she had. Once the words were out, Ji Yan lowered her gaze, staring at the floor while nervously fidgeting with her fingers.
"Young lady..." Ji Yulan stepped forward and stood in front of her. Gently holding Ji Yan's hands, she smiled softly. "You don't need to apologize. You did nothing wrong. After all, I'm just a maid, while you're the youngest lady of the Ji family... If anyone, I should be the one asking for forgiveness."
Hearing her words, Ji Yan's heart ached even more. She bit her lower lip, clenching her fists. But when she realized Ji Yulan was still holding her hands, she slowly relaxed.
"Go get some rest. A lot happened today," Ji Yulan said gently, pushing her slightly toward the door.
"Umm..." Ji Yan nodded. She knew what she had done today out of anger was unacceptable. Ji Yulan might act like it was nothing, but Ji Yan knew how much pain she must have caused. For a brief moment, she wanted to slap herself, but all she could do was lightly touch Ji Yulan's face, caressing the spot where the palm print was still visible.
"Take care," she whispered softly before turning to leave.
It would take time—perhaps a long time—and even then, there was no guarantee their relationship would return to how it was before. All of this happened because of her sudden outburst, her loss of control... Now, all Ji Yan could do was hope that time would heal what anger had broken.
------
Waking up to the sound of the bell tolling in the morning, Lin Kai stretched before heading to his newly assigned duties. Cleaning the animal sheds wasn't the most glamorous task, but it was still a fresh experience for someone like him.
"What should I do today?" he hummed softly, making his way to the sheds with a light smile. He had already cleaned them the day before, and with the absence of the beasts, there wasn't much to do today. Realizing this, Lin Kai began to plan out how he could spend the rest of his day.
As he was lost in thought, he soon found himself standing in front of the shed where the Blood Goat had been the day before. But when he arrived, he was stunned—it was empty.
"Huh?!" His brows furrowed in confusion. Lin Kai hurried to the other sheds, but to his surprise, they were all vacant. The sheds he had thoroughly cleaned yesterday were still spotless, just as he'd left them.
"What's going on?" Lin Kai muttered with a frown. He had accepted the tedious job of cleaning after the beasts because it came with a hidden advantage: the precious fruit he had absorbed earlier.
His plan was simple—do his work honestly, and every now and then, sneak a valuable fruit to absorb. For someone with his unique ability, this job was like striking gold.
Now, with no beasts in sight, Lin Kai couldn't help but feel disappointed. Without the animals, there would be no fruits, and without fruits, his progress would come to a halt.
"What am I supposed to do now?" he grumbled. Even though the sheds were already clean, he decided to go over them once again. He might not have any beasts to tend to, but that didn't mean he could slack off.
By midday, he had finished his work, though he felt a little unsatisfied.
Standing outside the shed, Lin Kai gazed off into the horizon, letting his thoughts wander. The woman he had spoken with yesterday had kept her word. Just as she had said, there was no Ji Yan around to torment him anymore.
"What should I do now?" he wondered aloud. With nothing left to occupy him, he thought about wandering the grounds. But then, he remembered where he was—in the heart of the Ji family's estate. Wandering aimlessly here wasn't the best idea.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. "I'm so stupid." He slapped his forehead, realizing he had been carrying the thin book that Ji Yulan had handed him yesterday. Why not make good use of his free time by learning more?
Sitting down on a nearby bench, Lin Kai opened the book and began to read.
"Blood Goat... a feral beast that can awaken its skill if fed a large amount of Heart Fruit." Lin Kai nodded to himself, satisfied with the information.
"The most valuable part of the Blood Goat is the wool it produces. It hates socializing with others and is extremely irritable. Handle with caution."
As he read through the brief introduction, Lin Kai couldn't help but chuckle. That description fits the Blood Goat perfectly. He turned the page, eager to read about the next creature.
"Swamp Python... a feral beast that can awaken its skill if fed a large amount of Ice Flowers."
"It produces poisonous shells used in crafting. Hates everything and everyone. Handle with extreme caution."
Lin Kai chuckled softly as he read the description, accompanied by a rough sketch of the beast. Just as he was about to flip to the next page, a loud commotion shattered the peaceful silence.
"What the—?" He glanced up, noticing a small group of around ten people gathered in the distance. Curious, Lin Kai walked over, stopping a few meters away to observe. The moment his gaze focused on the scene, his eyes widened in shock.
Surrounded by the group was the corpse of a massive snake almost as long as a bus and as wide as a hippo—something that resembled an upgraded version of an anaconda from his previous life... Something that could swallow an entire human in one single bite.
"This..." Lin Kai gasped, taking in the sheer size of the creature. He edged closer but chose not to join the crowd, instead opting to stand on the outskirts, quietly listening to the ongoing chatter.
After nearly twenty minutes, he finally pieced together what had happened.
It seemed the Ji family was planning a hunt for a Beast King in the nearby mountain range, and this unfortunate Swamp Python had become collateral damage.
While Lin Kai was still deep in thought, someone suddenly called out to him.
"You."
"Hmm?" Lin Kai glanced up, his eyes meeting those of a middle-aged man who was pointing in his direction, motioning for him to come forward.
"Senior," Lin Kai quickly responded, not daring to be disrespectful. He stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Go and dig the soil. We need to bury it," the man ordered flatly, his tone leaving no room for refusal.
"This..." Lin Kai was stunned by the command. He had thought today would be an easy day, but it seemed his brief moments of rest were already over.
With a resigned smile, he shook his head and stepped up to grab a hoe. He was about to begin digging when his hand brushed against the massive corpse of the Swamp Python—an enormous creature that could have swallowed a human whole with ease.
"This..." The moment his fingers made contact with the snake's cold body, Lin Kai's entire body froze. His eyes widened in disbelief as a familiar message appeared before him.
[Absorb Swamp Python?]
[Yes/No]