As soon as Ren drank the elixir, an excruciating pain shot through his body. His bones cracked audibly, and his muscles tensed like they were being shredded from the inside.
Thick, black liquid oozed from his pores, carrying with it a foul stench that made his stomach churn. It felt as if his body was being torn apart piece by piece.
"It's like hell itself is crawling under my skin," Ren thought, his jaw clenched tightly. He suppressed a scream, knowing that any noise could draw unwanted attention.
Minutes felt like hours until, finally, the pain began to fade. He opened his eyes, his body covered in a thick, oily sludge that smelled worse than rotten eggs.
Bits of dead skin clung to him, and his body felt... different.
"This feels straight out of a Wuxia cultivation novel," Ren muttered, flexing his fingers as the alien sensation of power pulsed through him. "Maybe my rank has improved."
Ren had come prepared. Without wasting time, he set up a small, collapsible bath tent from his spatial ring—a travel luxury he'd packed for situations exactly like this.
The water felt heavenly as he scrubbed himself clean, washing away the grime and dead skin. Once the filth was gone, he paused and examined his reflection in the water.
His body had transformed.
Sleek, toned muscles had replaced his lean frame, and his once-faint abs were now sharply defined. His biceps flexed with newfound power, but his build remained athletic rather than bulky.
Even his height had changed—he was taller, and his movements felt smoother, more natural, like his body had finally shed its limits.
"Not bad," he muttered, smirking as he admired his new physique. "I guess my old rank is starting to return."
Ren sat cross-legged, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Let's see how much I've gained," he said, summoning his status window.
---
╠═⌠ Status ⌡═╣
► Name: Ren Holmes
► Title: Reincarnator
► Age: 19 years
► Rank: E Grade ( -E → E )
► Strength: E ( -E → E )
► Health: E+ ( E → E+ )
► Stamina: E ( -E → E )
► Charm: A- ( B+ → A- )
► Intelligence: B-
► Mana: F+ ( F → F+ )
► Luck: C
---
Ren's lips curled into a grin. "Not bad. Strength, stamina, and even charm are up."
He ran his fingers over his skin—smoother, paler, and unblemished. "A- Charm, huh? Guess I really did get an upgrade. Not that I needed one."
Most importantly, his mana had finally increased. Even though he wasn't a mage, mana was essential for body enhancement and weapons like mana swords.
"Finally, I won't run dry after two moves," he muttered, flexing his fingers.
However, he wasn't naive. "Some old injuries are still there," he noted, feeling the faint aches in his joints. "Even elixirs can't heal everything... but this is a good start."
After dressing, Ren began sorting through the loot from the corpses he had found in the cave.
The most valuable item by far was a high-tier space ring, a rare treasure with a storage capacity far beyond the usual mid-tier varieties.
He found some old weapons—mostly rusted junk he'd sell for scraps.
But one item caught his eye:
A gun.
Yes, a gun.
In this world, guns had fallen out of favor long ago. Most people abandoned them because they couldn't match the destructive power of mana-based weapons. However, certain powerful families still trained their heirs in marksmanship for self-defense.
Ren happened to be one of those heirs. Though his skills had dulled, he had trained in marksmanship in his past life.
The weapon wasn't just any gun—it was an artifact.
---
► [Storm Fang] — Rare Mid-tier Artifact
Enhanced Accuracy: Increases the wielder's accuracy at long range.
Thunder Shot: Fires a bullet charged with mana, stunning the target for a few seconds.
---
Ren inspected the sleek design, feeling the balanced weight in his palm. It wasn't as powerful as a high-grade artifact, but its abilities were useful.
"A gun, huh? It might not be the meta in this world, but who cares? I'll make it one."
He smirked. "I'll upgrade this bad boy later. Let's see what a little creativity can do."
Satisfied with his spoils, Ren packed everything into his space ring and prepared to leave.
Several days after Ren's departure, the air around Blood Mountain remained deathly still.
However, the silence was soon broken.
A group of cloaked figures, their robes adorned with strange symbols, ascended the mountain.
Leading them was a towering man with a rough, scarred face—Elder Morvan of the Dark Order. His cold eyes swept across the terrain.
"Search every inch of this place," Morvan ordered, his deep voice dripping with authority. "If there's anything valuable, it's mine."
His subordinates scattered, tearing through the area. They dug up graves and even desecrated the skeletons Ren had buried.
Suddenly, one of them called out: "Elder Morvan! Over here!"
Morvan approached, his eyes narrowing as he spotted something carved into a boulder.
---
The letters were etched roughly but clearly into the stone:
> "Yo, Morvan!
So, you made it here, huh? Bet you're drooling, hoping for some treasure. Well... bad news—I already took everything worth having. You're late, genius.
But hey, don't leave empty-handed. Here's a free gift—some wisdom:
Ever hear the phrase 'Curiosity killed the cat'? Well, in your case, it's about to kill a whole circus of fools.
Also, shoutout to your mom. Honestly, I regret that night… Should've worn protection. Didn't know she'd pop out a walking L like you.
So, here's some fatherly advice:
Smash this rock and go home. Seriously. You're way outta your league, 'son.'
With love,
—Your Real Daddy ♥"
---
For a long, cold second, there was silence.
Morvan's eye twitched. His jaw clenched. His fists trembled.
Then—
"WHO… WROTE… THIS?!" he roared, his voice shaking the cavern.
Veins bulged across his forehead, and his face turned a deep shade of red. "YOU DARE—"
Fueled by pure rage, he reared back his leg, mana flooding his muscles—
And kicked the boulder with the force of a battering ram.
---
BOOOOOOOM—!!
The ground erupted. Rocks split. The entire cave trembled.
Suddenly—
CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.
Massive boulders above them broke loose, crashing down in a thunderous avalanche.
"SHIT!" Morvan's eyes widened in horror. "IT'S A TRAP!"
The landslide swallowed his subordinates whole, their screams vanishing beneath the crushing weight of stone.
Morvan tried to dodge, but the ground beneath him collapsed, sending him tumbling into the rubble.
When the dust finally settled, he was buried—battered, bruised, and very, very humiliated.
---
Morvan gasped for air, his body pinned beneath debris. Pain shot through his ribs, and his leg throbbed from where he'd struck the boulder.
All around him was destruction. His men were gone—either crushed or buried alive.
A cold, choking silence returned to Blood Mountain, broken only by his ragged breathing.
And above all else…
That wretched message carved into his brain.
---
Somewhere, far from the chaos, Ren sneezed. "Huh. Must be someone talking behind my back."
With a smirk, he sped off toward his next destination.