Hours later, Rain slowly regained consciousness on the cold bathroom floor, his body feeling heavy and drained. He groggily opened his eyes, blinking against the dim light in the room. His right hand throbbed with a dull ache, but when he lifted it to examine, he saw that it had fully regenerated. The skin was smoother, the muscles denser, and the veins beneath his skin pulsed faintly with stronger energy. His body, however, felt incredibly weak, like a vessel emptied of its contents. He realized he had pushed his genetic energy to the brink.
Sitting up slowly, Rain's mind raced to piece together what had just happened. The experiment had worked, albeit at a steep cost to his energy reserves and body. He reached out mentally to the BIT, asking for an update on his condition. 'BIT,' came the response, 'your genetic energy has increased by 15%, and your body has shown significant improvement in muscular density and skin toughness. However, your energy reserves are currently at 8%, and further exposure to acid without recovery could result in severe damage.' Rain let out a long breath. His experiment with the acid had been a success, but it was clear he needed to approach the next step with more caution and preparation.
As Rain stood, he immediately noticed the weight of his right hand—much heavier than before, and his arm struggled to move it with ease. The transformation from the acid had made his muscles denser, but it also threw off the balance of his body. His next goal was clear: he had to transform his left arm as well to maintain symmetry. However, before any further steps, he needed to recover his genetic energy. Sitting on the sofa, he instructed BIT to purchase genetic recovery medicine, and BIT promptly responded that it would arrive in five minutes. Rain decided that both of his hands would be transformed today.
As he rested, BIT chimed in, asking if Rain would like to send the latest experiment data to the city. After a brief moment of thought, Rain agreed. Curious about his progress, he inquired about the refinement of his genetic energy. Last time, it was 0.009 percent; now, BIT reported it had jumped to 0.012 percent. Rain was surprised at the accelerated rate of refinement just from transforming his right hand. The acid not only strengthened his body but also seemed to speed up the refining process of his genetic energy. However, BIT reminded him that controlling genetic energy was still crucial if he hoped to reach the True Body realm or master combat techniques. To Rain's surprise, BIT informed him that the city had credited him with 5,000 credits as gratitude for his experiment data. He hadn't expected compensation beyond the free acid but was pleasantly surprised by the additional reward.
Just then, the door alarm rang, signaling the delivery. Rain quickly answered to find a robot holding a package. Opening it, he found the genetic recovery tablets inside—two files containing 10 tablets each. He sat back on the sofa, swallowing a tablet, and began to meditate. After consuming two more, his energy was fully restored. The tablets not only replenished his energy but also curbed his hunger, which was a welcome side effect. With a deep breath, Rain returned to the bathroom. This time, he submerged his left hand and arm up to the elbow in the acid, balancing his body, as his right arm had already undergone the same process. He knew that pushing further without balance might cause unnecessary strain, and he was determined to remain cautious as he continued refining his body.
As Rain carefully submerged his left hand and arm into the acid, he braced himself for the familiar, searing pain. The moment his skin touched the surface, it felt as though his entire arm was being torn apart by fire. His skin began to melt immediately, just like before, but this time he was more prepared. Focusing his genetic energy on his left arm, he sent it surging toward the area being attacked by the acid. Despite his efforts, the pain intensified, reaching deep into his muscles as they too started to dissolve.
The agony was overwhelming, and Rain felt his vision blurring as he fought to remain conscious. His entire left arm felt like it was being consumed, muscle fibers vanishing in the corrosive liquid. Even with his genetic energy slowing the process, he could feel the acid eating away at his muscle tissue, eventually exposing bone. He gritted his teeth, determined to endure it. But, as the acid pushed deeper and the pain reached his bones, he realized that his energy reserves were depleting fast. His body began to tremble, and he closed his eyes, retreating once more into his soul space in an attempt to control the overwhelming sensation.
Inside the soul space, Rain found a fleeting moment of relief, though the pain from the real world still clung to the edges of his awareness. As his genetic energy hit dangerously low levels, his body struggled to keep up with the severe damage. Sensing that he could no longer endure the process, Rain exited the soul space and instinctively pulled his left arm out of the acid. His eyes widened as he saw the bone of his fingers and forearm exposed, his skin and muscle having been completely dissolved.
For a few agonizing seconds, nothing happened, and then, just as with his right hand, the slow process of regeneration began. Muscle tissue started to weave itself back together, followed by the gradual reformation of his skin. But the strain on his body was immense. The pain, coupled with the rapid loss of genetic energy, became unbearable. His entire system was on the verge of collapse. As his vision blurred, he felt himself losing grip on reality, the effort to stay conscious too great.
With a final, futile attempt to remain upright, Rain's strength gave out. His vision went black, and he collapsed onto the bathroom floor, unconscious. His left arm, still partially submerged in the acid, twitched as it painfully regenerated, while his body lay completely drained and defenseless.
When he finally woke up hours later, Rain groggily checked his genetic energy levels, seeing they had barely climbed back to 14 percent. He slowly stood up, his body still aching from the ordeal. As he moved, he noticed that, although his balance wasn't severely affected, both his arms felt unnaturally heavy, making them difficult to control. The weight of his newly regenerated muscles was foreign, and he realized that to regain proper movement, he would have to refine his entire arm, not just sections at a time.
But for now, the only thing he wanted was rest. Exhausted, Rain grabbed a genetic recovery tablet, swallowing it down before stumbling toward his bed. He set an alarm for 7:00 AM, then collapsed onto the mattress, letting the comforting pull of sleep take him under once again.