Nick! I won’t be human anymore either!

Staring at the words on the system interface, Jos barely had time to be amazed by the three hundred thousand points before he watched them begin to decrease at an avalanche-like speed. The greater the risk he took, the more points he received—this was one of the main characteristics of the system Jos had figured out during this period. And, just as he expected, since the points were rewarded at the very moment the risky act was completed, they were sufficient to offset the consequences! Whether the system was designed this way or if Jos had simply found a loophole, it undoubtedly gave him the opportunity to try dangerous things.

For instance, his current predicament. Three hundred sixty thousand points were disappearing at the rate of over a thousand per second. After a quick calculation, Jos noted he had just over six minutes left, but he felt no panic. Instead, he carefully observed the changes in his own body.

As the serum slid down his throat, Jos felt as if he had swallowed a ball of scalding ice. The contradictory sensation only intensified over time, until it seemed every cell in his body was exploding in agony. Before he could even recover from the pain, a wave of unbearable, tingling itchiness crawled over him. Caught between pain and itch, Jos was unable to move or cry out—he could only endure as the extreme discomfort invaded his body.

But after a minute of this torment, Jos realized he was getting used to it. Well, if suffering was inevitable, best not to dwell on it. Thanks to this fortitude, Jos then noticed his physical abilities were increasing at a shocking—and even terrifying—rate.

Originally, even without using his do-or-die ability, Jos’s body, strengthened by the fruit’s power, was already equivalent to the strength of two hawks. If he added all his abilities together, his combat power reached five hawks. Yet now, after only a minute, he found his physical strength had already reached that level.

This rapid enhancement didn’t last long. When his physical power reached the strength of ten hawks, the process abruptly halted, as if someone had slammed on the brakes.

[Host status stabilized. Automatic protection mode disabled. Forced separation procedure terminating...]

“So the so-called automatic protection was really just to protect yourself? And here I was, actually happy for a moment!” After venting at the system, Jos glanced at his system panel and saw that, after deducting debts, only a little over ten thousand points remained from the original three hundred sixty thousand.

“Tsk... The method works, but it’s not as if I can just mess around without consequences...” Seeing the number on the panel, Jos broke into a cold sweat. He had clearly underestimated the cost of this reckless act—if the reward was even slightly less than the point expenditure, he would already be a dead man.

Still, Jos was not one to worry about things that hadn’t happened. Since he survived, he naturally focused on the benefits he’d gained. What surprised him was that the serum, which had strengthened him in reality, now appeared as a new ability icon in the system panel, alongside his other abilities.

[Name: Blood of Chaos, First Stage]
[Rating: ???]
[Description: The spark ignited by Jos’s neurotic ideas colliding with Dr. Connors’s experimental serum—a supreme act of recklessness, resulting in an unclassifiable, indescribable serum.]
[Physical Enhancement: Boosts all physical attributes (except intelligence) by 500%.]
[Slightly Viscous Body: Your body’s surface can transform into a slime-like layer; this thin film not only reduces physical damage but can also briefly cling to any surface.]
[Tentacle Limbs: You may temporarily grow several tentacle-like limbs; however, no matter their number, their combined strength equals that of your arms.]
[Evolution: When you feel fully adapted to this power, you may consume 100,000 Reckless Source Points to evolve.]
[Note: Forcing evolution before fully mastering your body will lead to unexpected consequences.]

“So this is... a low-grade Slime Overlord template?” Jos muttered. He didn’t know exactly what had happened during the mixing of the serums, but he realized that none of the things he’d worried about had come to pass.

In fact, although he’d gained something similar to a slime’s power, he could control whether to activate it, and except for wasting a significant number of points, there were basically no side effects.

“You mean... you’re actually fine?” Suddenly, Dr. Connors’s voice pulled Jos from his thoughts. Turning his head, Jos saw the doctor’s face twisted in horror and disbelief.

For a normal person, even a single injection of the serum usually meant a high risk of death. Yet Jos had mixed all the available serums and downed them in one go—a process meant to be split into several surgeries, injected into different parts of the body over a week. Jos had simply gulped it all down in a single, reckless act. By any measure, it was suicide, but Jos had survived as if nothing had happened.

Jos nodded at Dr. Connors in response, then threw a punch into the air. The blow shattered the air itself with a thunderous crack, making Dr. Connors nearly leap from the floor in shock.

“Could this be the proper way to use the serum...?” Connors murmured, falling deep into thought.

Jos, however, was pleasantly surprised at his newfound strength. Perhaps it was due to his long-term use of his do-or-die power, or perhaps it was a benefit from the system, but he found he did not suffer from the typical scenario in novels where a sudden power surge leads to a loss of control. It wasn’t a big deal, but it did save him a lot of trouble. Still, he resisted the urge to test his new abilities here; he refrained from using his most powerful moves or his viscous body.

After all, this was still Hydra’s stronghold—Jos wasn’t fool enough to reveal his trump cards here.

“Ahem... Now that the serum’s handled, I’ll be leaving, then?” Jos asked, glancing at the still-dazed Dr. Connors. When there was no response, Jos simply turned and left. He’d already gotten what he wanted; staying any longer would only tempt Connors to dissect him. As for whether Dr. Connors would hold a grudge, Jos didn’t care in the slightest. This was Hydra’s turf—if anyone wanted trouble, it would be Duncan and the others bearing the brunt.