CHAPTER 24-UNSTOPPABLE GROWTH

Finally, I'm back.

Maximus' golden eyes gleamed in the darkness, the intricate patterns within them shifting like a living constellation. If one looked closely, they would see alternating rings of black and gold, each layer forming a mesmerizing contrast. At the very center, a deep crimson hue pulsed ominously, like an ember burning within his soul.

His clothes were in tatters, barely clinging to his body. His upper torso was fully exposed, revealing skin untouched by scars yet brimming with an unnatural vitality. His long black hair cascaded freely down his back, silky and unkempt. From afar, his slender yet powerful frame could almost be mistaken for a woman's.

But up close, there was no mistaking it—this was the body of a predator.

Maximus sat cross-legged, his posture straight yet relaxed. He exhaled slowly, his breath controlled, steady. His mind, however, was anything but calm.

"That voice… Who was it?"

Memories flickered—disjointed, incomplete.

"And at the end… that white figure. It was enormous, far beyond anything I've ever seen. And that woman's voice… it felt familiar, yet I've never heard it before. She said my enemy is 'all'? What the hell does that mean? And 'don't trust anybody'?"

His fingers curled slightly.

"I never planned to trust the system from the beginning… but 'my enemy is all'—that part bothers me."

He sighed. There were too many questions and too few answers.

Shaking off the unease, he shifted his focus outward.

The night had fallen completely, yet strangely, there were no monsters lurking nearby. The eerie silence should have been unsettling, but his attention was drawn to something else entirely—his own body.

A strange sensation pulsed through him.

A newfound vigor surged through his veins, his muscles thrumming with power, his bones feeling reinforced as if they had been reforged in fire. His very soul felt… renewed. Rebuilt.

He clenched his fists, feeling the raw energy coursing through him.

"This feeling… my body is overflowing with strength!"

Then, something else caught his attention—his hair.

Long, black strands trailed past his shoulders, reaching down to his waist. He tilted his head, running his fingers through the silky strands.

"The hell? My hair grew this long?"

He grasped a handful of it, lifting it up to examine it properly.

"Shit… it really reaches my waist. Do I look like a damn girl? No… it's more like I look like a cultivator."

He clicked his tongue in mild irritation but didn't dwell on it. Instead, he stood up.

The moment he pushed off the ground—

Crack—

The earth beneath him fractured slightly.

His expression froze.

"What the hell?"

He looked down at his feet. The cracks on the ground weren't deep, but the fact that a simple movement had caused such damage…

His gaze moved to his hands. He flexed them, watching the veins pulse beneath his skin.

"Did I… get taller?"

A quick glance confirmed it. His frame had grown noticeably larger.

But what truly caught his eye—was his body itself.

His eight-pack abs were fully defined, each muscle carved like a masterpiece of flesh and power. His chest had broadened, his shoulders more pronounced. Every inch of his physique radiated raw, explosive strength. His arms, previously well-toned, were now thick with sinewy muscle, the veins running across them like rivers of power.

He ran a hand over his chest, feeling the solid ridges of muscle beneath his fingertips.

This wasn't just strength.

This was evolution.

A minute passed. Then two.

Maximus remained silent, staring at his body in quiet awe.

"I can't believe it… I feel so much stronger than before. My body is brimming with energy."

He clenched his fists once more.

"I need to check my status."

STATUS.

A translucent blue screen materialized before him.

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[STATUS WINDOW]

Name: Maximus Omniclone

Level: 4

EXP: 118,750 / 200,000

Health: 488 / 488 (Health scales with Vitality)

Mana: 2,725 / 2,725 (+1,925 MP)

---

[ATTRIBUTES]

Strength: 51 (+15)

Agility: 42 (+10)

Vitality: 44 (+20)

Endurance: 39 (+15)

Intelligence: 35

Perception: 24

Soul: 48.8 (+36.5 Soul Points)

Unallocated Points: 20 (Level Up Bonus)

---

[TALENTS]

Copy Everything (???)

Metal Reinforcement (C)

Fire Control (B)

Runner (D)

Soul Absorption (A)

Berserk Rage (A)

Strengthened Body (B) [UPGRADED] (Increases Strength, Agility, Endurance, and Vitality. Passively enhances stamina and resistance to physical damage.)

Camouflage (C)

Mutant's Reflex (B)

Demonic Will (A)

Ironhide Defense (B)

---

[BLOODLINE]

Origin Devourer Physique (???)

First Stage Unlocked:

Devour Physical Matter: Your body can consume and integrate physical materials to strengthen itself.

Perfect Body: Your body is perfectly designed. Explore the benefits yourself.

Perfect Evolution: Absorbing bloodlines will not alter your form but will enhance it.

??? (Further stages locked)

---

[SKILLS]

Low Regeneration (E)

Aura Blade (B)

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[TITLES]

Boss Slayer

Demon Slayer

Irregular

---

[SHOP]

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[INVENTORY]

Crimson Coat (Destroyed)

Ring of Mana

Swift Boots

Health Potions ×10

Mana Potions ×8

Crimson Blade (Destroyed)

Low-Grade Crystals ×20

20 Crystals (Currency)

Food & Water Supplies (3 Days' Worth)

Basic Ammunition (Bullets ×20)

---

Maximus' pupils shrank as he processed the information.

"What the hell? My MP increased so much?! I thought only absorbing high-grade crystals could do that… and now I'm already Level 4? I'm close to Level 5… once I reach it, I can finally get a class!"

His gaze drifted downward, scanning through the changes.

"Even my health increased… my stats too—except intelligence. But… wait…"

And then—

His breath hitched.

+36.5 Soul Points.

"What the actual fuck?! How did it increase so much?!"

His hands trembled slightly as he processed the absurd growth. Skipping past some talents and he scan the b rank talent strengthen body hmm it evolve because of my bloodline?it greatly increase my strength,then his eyes landed on something new.

His fingers twitched slightly, a mix of shock and exhilaration flooding through him.

But as his eyes drifted further down, he froze again.

[BLOODLINE: ORIGIN DEVOURER PHYSIQUE]

His heart pounded.

"I awakened a bloodline…?"

A deep breath. He forced himself to read through it carefully.

"Devour physical matter? That's overpowered as hell! And this is only the first stage? How strong will it become later?!"

His mind raced. Then, a memory resurfaced.

"That voice… it said I was 'born to them'… Are they my parents?"

A strange emotion settled in his chest. Longing.

But he crushed it immediately.

"Focus on the present."

His gaze landed on a small red bell icon in the top corner of the screen.

A notification.

Ding! [NOTIFICATIONS]

Maximus narrowed his eyes.

"This should tell me what the hell happened while I was unconscious."

He clicked it.