The System is a Devil

"That would be this one—'Beginner Body-Strengthening Elixir' by Canglang Pharmaceuticals…"

The salesgirl picked up a glass bottle filled with a shimmering pale blue liquid and introduced it to Shen Qian.

According to her explanation, this type of beginner elixir was most effective upon first consumption, boosting physical abilities by around 5% to 8%. It could be taken again after three months, but any further use would have no effect.

Shen Qian did some quick mental calculations and was immediately shocked.

The "Physical Enhancement Potion" produced by his system had an absurd 18% effectiveness—on him, at least!

That was downright ridiculous.

Canglang Pharmaceuticals was one of the world's top 500 companies, a leading name in Huaxia's pharmaceutical industry. Many of Shen Qian's well-off classmates used their products.

"How much for a bottle?" he asked.

"You're a high school student, right? We're running a promotion right now! The original price is 80,000 Huaxia credits, but with a student ID, you can get it for just 68,888!" The salesgirl beamed sweetly and gestured to a nearby advertisement.

Even though Shen Qian knew these potions were expensive, the price still made him flinch.

His parents had worked tirelessly for years, and their entire savings barely amounted to a few tens of thousands.

Silently memorizing the ingredients listed on the bottle, Shen Qian set it back down and turned to leave.

"Wait! Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?" The salesgirl called after him urgently. "The potion takes at most two months to fully take effect. If you're preparing for the Martial Arts Entrance Exam, it's still plenty of time!"

"Two months to take effect?"

Hearing that, Shen Qian walked even faster.

Just then, a group of people entered the store. Leading them was a refined-looking man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, exuding the presence of a true big shot. Beside him, a slightly hunched, chubby man was speaking rapidly in a hushed tone. Shen Qian caught snippets of words like "sales" and "promotion."

For some reason, the man in glasses glanced at him a few times.

They passed each other, but Shen Qian soon halted.

From behind, he heard the salesgirl addressing the group with titles like "President Ding" and "Manager."

Something clicked in his mind. He turned back and approached them.

"Excuse me, sir."

"Yes?"

Ding Anbai's eyes flashed with surprise for a split second before amusement took its place. He turned to face the young man.

Under the gaze of the group, Shen Qian felt slightly awkward but forced himself to continue. "Could I have your business card?"

Ding Anbai studied him for a moment. Maybe it was just Shen Qian's imagination, but there seemed to be something unusual in his gaze.

Ding Anbai shook his head slightly, but he still reached into his pocket and handed over a card before casually waving at the chubby manager to continue their conversation.

Shen Qian hadn't expected it to be this easy. He had just gotten the business card of what seemed to be a major figure in the pharmaceutical industry. Though he found Ding Anbai's attitude a bit odd, he had achieved his goal. He thanked him and left the store.

As Shen Qian disappeared from sight, the conversation resumed.

The chubby manager, who had been speaking with Ding Anbai earlier, couldn't hold back his curiosity. "Sir, do you know that kid?"

Ding Anbai nodded, then shook his head, and said something that left the manager completely baffled.

"What a shame."

...

"Ding Anbai, Regional Manager of Canglang Pharmaceuticals, Southwest Huaxia."

Shen Qian pocketed the business card and pondered as he walked home.

Asking for a card had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, but there were many uncertainties ahead.

One thing was certain: the system's "Physical Enhancement Potion" completely outclassed every existing body-strengthening elixir.

A nearly 20% boost—and it didn't take two months to work. It only needed one night. Even more terrifying, the potion could be taken up to three times before breaking through to martial artist rank, with full effectiveness.

A potion like this would shock the entire world.

It could probably save millions of guys from being dumped by their fiancées like all those tragic martial arts protagonists…

No exaggeration—just selling the formula could fetch a fortune beyond imagination.

But things were never that simple.

Where had the formula come from? How did he know about it? And even if he managed to profit from it, how could he ensure the benefits remained his?

Thinking about all this gave Shen Qian a headache.

Although civilization had been rebuilt after the Cataclysm, the world was still far from stable.

Especially in an era where everyone pursued martial power, expecting absolute peace and order was a contradiction in itself.

As if to validate his concerns, his wristband—tucked inside his jacket pocket—suddenly vibrated.

(Don't ask why he kept it in his pocket. The answer was simple: he was broke and couldn't afford to lose it.)

Shen Qian took it out and saw a police emergency broadcast:

"A group of dangerous scavengers infiltrated the city yesterday. The authorities are actively searching for them. Citizens are advised to remain vigilant and report any suspicious individuals immediately."

Scavengers.

Shen Qian had never seen one in person, but he was familiar with the term.

After the Cataclysm, surviving outside the city was a nightmare—deadly radiation, extreme weather, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes…

That was the territory of mutated beasts—a forbidden zone for humanity.

And yet, some people still lived there.

Most were criminals—wanted fugitives who had no choice but to flee into the wilderness, clinging to the slimmest chance of survival.

Ordinarily, scavengers would never be able to sneak into the city, but yesterday's citywide power outage must have given them an opening.

Shen Qian wasn't particularly concerned. After all, it had nothing to do with him.

…

Pain.

So much pain!

The moment Shen Qian opened his eyes, he let out an involuntary groan.

He was back on his apartment rooftop, his body drenched in sweat. That deep, bone-weary soreness was a brand-new experience.

Without hesitation, he summoned his system panel, eager to find out what the hell had happened this time.

As expected, a new entry appeared in the Auto-Training Log, labeled with today's date: 22970309.

His thoughts focused, and the folder opened, revealing a series of text logs.

[Note: No combat experience gained this session. To conserve energy, only text records of 'Training Memory' have been retained for host review.]

You left home and arrived on the rooftop. (18:52)

After warming up, you began narrow-grip push-ups. (19:01)

You completed 923 push-ups across 10 sets. (19:49)

You rested. (19:50–20:00)

You then started jump squats. (20:01)

You completed 1,024 squats across 10 sets. (20:38)

You rested again. (20:39–20:52)

You started pull-ups. (20:53)

You did 404 pull-ups and broke the clothes-drying rod. (21:08)

(Click to access 'Training Memory')

The log was short, but its contents made Shen Qian question his very existence.

So, in the past two hours, he had completed five to six times his usual four-hour training volume?!

…Wait. What the hell was that about breaking the clothes-drying rod?!

Shen Qian turned his head with difficulty—just in time for the wind to blow a piece of lace fabric onto his face.

After peeling it off, he surveyed the rooftop, now a scene of utter devastation—the drying rack had collapsed, and clothes were strewn everywhere.

Shen Qian let out a long sigh…

Then covered his eyes.