After consuming the blue pill, "Death" felt a strange sensation he had never experienced before.
It was as if an endless energy was seeping into his body, infiltrating his cells, and reshaping them anew.
At that moment, he noticed the tattoo etched on his body begin to move, almost as if it were a living entity.
Its lines, once static, started shifting and intertwining, searching for something deep within him.
Suddenly, a new pattern emerged, one he had never seen before, as though the tattoo was reorganizing itself to reveal a buried secret.
This sensation was no mere illusion. The tattoo seemed designed to serve as a bridge, connecting him directly to the energy.
His body was now absorbing energy in a way that was unprecedented—fast and astonishingly efficient.
"Death," who had always been extraordinary, was now something far beyond human.
Without hesitation, he began training, eager to exploit this newfound method of energy absorption.
What took regular trainees weeks to achieve—coating half an arm with energy (typically requiring 5 to 25 days)—he accomplished in just one day.
Under normal circumstances, traditional energy training was a time-intensive process. Trainees would start by focusing their energy on coating their external body, then gradually work on integrating it into their tissues to enhance their muscles and bones.
This process was intricate, fraught with challenges, and required years of dedicated effort.
For many, it was an insurmountable obstacle, leaving them stuck in the first level their entire lives due to their bodies' rejection of the energy.
But thanks to the tattoo's unique mechanism, "Death" bypassed all these limitations.
The new method was not just a means to accelerate his progress—it was revolutionary in every sense of the word.
His body was no longer merely coated in energy; instead, it was actively integrating it into his flesh, tissues, and bones, effectively halving the time required for training.
This fusion of two stages, previously deemed impossible, was now his reality.
Moreover, the tattoo increased his energy-gathering speed by at least double, propelling him leagues ahead of anyone at his level.
After hours of relentless training, "Death" paused momentarily to contemplate the reward he was supposed to receive.
Rescuing the commander had entitled him to a month's worth of training under one of the organization's elite leaders.
However, given the pace of his progress—he anticipated breaking through to the next stage in just three months—he no longer saw much value in this reward.
Instead, he began considering alternative options: additional shadow points, rare resources, or perhaps a chance to enter the fabled "Cave of Solitude."
The cave was a legend among the organization's members. It was said that those who entered faced a creature that mirrored their appearance and strength. Defeating it would earn them an extraordinary prize.
Gaining access to this cave was a rare and invaluable opportunity, but he knew it required meticulous planning.
Despite the organization's generosity in supplying its frontline fighters, its strict hierarchy was undeniable.
Most of its elite resources were concentrated at the center. Only those ranked as deputies to third-level commanders were permitted to leave the center for the frontlines.
The fourth level was exclusive to the organization's strongest individuals, while only two people had ever reached the fifth level: the organization's leader and the Grand Elder.
After a long and grueling day, "Death" returned to his tent.
Despite the extraordinary effort he had exerted, there was no sign of fatigue on his face.
He sat in the corner of his tent, pulling out his weapons.
Though they were new and unused, he began cleaning and polishing them with meticulous care—a habit deeply ingrained in him over time.
As he held his dagger, an idea struck him.
What if he used the tattoo's energy infusion technique to enhance his weapons?
This process, more complex than merely coating something in energy, was nonetheless fascinating.
He decided to test it on his old dagger first, to avoid potentially damaging his new weapons.
Slowly, he channeled energy into the blade, following the intricate instructions provided by the tattoo.
Something went wrong. Cracks began to form along the dagger's surface.
"I must not have controlled the energy properly..." he muttered to himself before trying again.
This time, he was more cautious, carefully balancing the energy within the weapon.
After several failed attempts, he finally succeeded, but the dagger was completely ruined in the process.
Next, he turned to his new weapon. With newfound confidence, he followed the steps methodically, and this time, he succeeded on his first try.
The weapon became sturdier and sharper, as if the energy flowing through it had transformed it into something far more powerful.
For the first time that day, "Death" allowed himself a small smile.
He knew this technique would redefine his future battles.
While testing the effects of energy infusion on his weapons, another thought crossed his mind.
What if he infused parts of his body with energy? He began experimenting.
Coating his feet with energy, he discovered that it significantly reduced friction with the ground, effectively doubling his speed.
With the additional effect of the red pill, which had already tripled his speed, his movement became six times faster than his original speed.
This newfound speed brought him closer to a threshold no one had ever reached before.
He knew that the speed of sound was 27.6 times faster than the fastest human alive, but his current speed surpassed that of the fastest human by 24 times. He was now teetering on the edge of the impossible.
"At this speed, I could eliminate all my previous enemies before they even realized I was there," he thought, a flicker of determination lighting up his eyes.
He glanced down at the tattoo, now his most potent asset. It was the key to his transformation, the source of his unimaginable power.
There was no doubt in his mind—this power would make him something the world had never seen before.