Deception [1]

The blood pill dissolved with a bitter sting. A warmth surged through his body,

spreading from his chest to his limbs. His blood churned. Heartbeat quickened. Qi pulsed.

But Ace didn't flinch.

He sat down, legs crossed, slipping into a lotus meditation posture. His breathing slowed to a rhythm, steady, deliberate.

He guided the pill's effects through his meridians, tracing their influence like a master cartographer mapping an enemy's terrain.

Minutes passed.

Then he consumed another pill.

And another.

One by one, Ace consumed all eight high-grade Blood Pills, devouring them like a man immune to consequence.

His body swelled faintly with heat after each one, veins glowing dimly with a reddish hue under his skin but there was no sign of pain, no resistance, nor any backlash.

Then he opened his eyes.

"...Still nothing," he said quietly, tone unreadable.