Options

Vesa was speechless. Alex wasn't wrong. One of the uses of lifeforce would indeed allow them to regenerate their bodies, even if their heads were blown clean off. But this wasn't a game. Vesa had kept this from them for a reason. She was afraid—afraid that Alex and Mingyue might abuse the ability, pushing themselves into endless deaths and resurrections until they lost their sanity.

Facing death wasn't simple. Even the last Progenitor had gone mad after experiencing it for the first time. The darkness. The fear. The absolute terror. For centuries, he had become a ruthless tyrant before finally regaining his sanity. Alex fell silent. He didn't care if he went crazy—if he had to die over and over to save Emily, then so be it. But dragging Mingyue into that hell with him? No. That was not an option.

It didn't take long for Alex to reach the facility. Emily lay motionless on the bed, her face deathly pale. Her once golden hair was now mostly white, with only the tips still holding onto their color. Looking at her condition, Alex's hands clenched into fists. He activated his ability at full capacity, calculating every possible solution to save her.

Option one: Use the new cultivation technique.

Too risky. No guaranteed results.

Option two: Find the rumored healing elixir from high-level dungeons.

Said to cure any illness and extend lifespan, but unconfirmed.

Option three: Ask Mingyue for a solution from her world.

Might work, but would take time.

Option four: Have Emily cultivate using a proven method.

Slow. Too slow.

None of these were immediate. Alex ground his teeth. There had to be another way. Meanwhile, Vesa was deep in thought. She had a solution. But it would place a massive burden on Alex. Still… if she told him now, it would strengthen his trust in the system. Vesa made her decision.

[King, I have a solution, but it will require an enormous amount of life energy.]

Alex's eyes snapped to attention. "Don't waste time. Say it, Vesa."

[As you know, I can inscribe runes. There is one I can use right now, but it will cost 1,000 lifeforce. You'll need to inject more every week or sooner, depending on her condition. The rune will act as a lifeforce substitute, preventing her from using her own supply. Not only will it stop her from dying, but it will also gradually restore her to her peak condition.]

Alex's eyes widened. For a moment, he felt like punching something. "And you're telling me this now!?" But he swallowed the frustration. It didn't matter why she hadn't mentioned it earlier. What mattered was getting the lifeforce.

Lifeforce: 125/1,200

Alex exhaled sharply. He couldn't make the same mistake again. He needed to build a stockpile, not just for Emily—but for himself. Without wasting another second, he left the facility and sprinted into the forest.

CRACK!

BOOM!!

Alex's body was covered in sweat and blood. His clothes were torn to shreds. One of his arms was missing. His breathing was ragged, but his grip on his weapon never wavered. In his hand, he held a 1.5-meter (4.9-foot) Warhammer, its black metal gleaming under the moonlight. It wasn't just any weapon. It could shift its weight from a tenth of an adult's weight to ten times that. The silver-lined head of the hammer was stained with blood— Not his own.

Alex gritted his teeth. He had work to do. And he wasn't stopping until he got what he needed. Alex had received the Warhammer from Emily a few days ago, along with a dozen Mana Guns and other items. Right now, he planted the hammer into the ground, using it to steady himself. His breathing was heavy, his muscles aching from the brutal fight.

A new message flashed in front of his tired but determined eyes, just as the stump of his missing hand began regenerating.

[King, you're too reckless. Why didn't you attack the tiger from a distance? Your experience in real combat is almost non-existent.]

Vesa wasn't wrong. The only fights Alex had been in were inside VR games. Still, he felt relieved that he had played them—not just those games, either. If he hadn't, even with his current strength and abilities, this would've gone a lot worse. But Alex just smirked, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "I know what I'm doing, Vesa. Just find me the next target that meets my criteria." His voice was calm, unshaken. He had already calculated everything.

Could he have dodged the tiger's attack?

Yes. But his body wasn't strong enough to immediately counterattack after dodging—which would've dragged the fight out. That wasn't an option. Instead, he sacrificed his arm. When the tiger bit down on it, he smashed its head with his Warhammer, turning it into a bloody pancake.

Painful? Yes.

Efficient? Absolutely.

Right now, his priority was filling his lifeforce reserves as quickly as possible. Emily didn't have time for him to hesitate. The faster he got stronger, the better.

Lifeforce: 980/1,200

As Vesa scanned for the next target, Alex sat down in a lotus position and started absorbing more mana crystals. This time, he pushed himself further. He absorbed two types of energy at once. Mana flowed into his spine. Qi, coated with mana, wove through his muscles—back, waist, and arms. He was breaking his own sequence, but he didn't care. He needed power now.

At first, everything felt smooth. But the moment qi started working through his muscles— Pain. Pure agony. Every cell in his body felt like it was being inflated and torn apart at the same time. It was worse than losing his arm. And he was doing this to three parts of his body at once. He clenched his teeth so hard he could taste blood. But he didn't stop. Seconds passed like an eternity. Then— Something shifted. His muscle fibers tightened, becoming denser, stronger. He could feel it—power surging through him, raw and unrestrained.

Alex stood up. Swish. Swoosh.

He swung the Warhammer left and right. Faster than before.

BAM!

He slammed it into the ground, shattering the earth beneath him. A deep crater formed. His gaze shifted toward the tiger's corpse. His eyes gleamed red. His body shimmered—breaking into green particles, floating through the air. And then They surged toward him.