The bald man's eyes gleamed with a ravenous green light, like a hungry wolf, as a growling sound emerged from his throat.
The hunger coursing through his body drove him to pounce on the food before him like a starving tiger. He tore into the meat with large bites, devouring it greedily. Even the bones were consumed, thanks to his body's incredible digestive powers, which could break everything down effortlessly.
In no time, the pile of food before him, once towering like a small mountain, had quickly disappeared. Yet, the bald man's stomach seemed like a bottomless pit; no matter how much he ate, it never seemed to fill.
Finally, when the food was gone, the bald man licked his lips, clearly unsatisfied, and let out a satisfied burp.
He sat there for a minute, allowing the food to rapidly digest, replenishing his energy and slightly enhancing his body. Feeling the return of strength throughout his body, the bald man grinned, feeling like he was ready to go again.
With a quick jump to his feet, he began throwing punches and kicks into the air, practicing his combat moves.
Bang! Bang! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of his strikes cutting through the air was sharp and crisp.
Suddenly, a cold breeze swept past his back.
Sensing something behind him, the bald man relaxed his stance and turned around. There, he saw a figure emerging from a mist that gradually took the shape of a man. It was none other than Hypaste, whose body was always shrouded in a faint water mist, obscuring his features.
Blackstar grinned wide, immediately recognizing him. "Boss, you're here! I just finished doing ten thousand push-ups, two hundred more than yesterday!"
"Hmm… That's impressive progress. Keep it up!" Hypaste nodded approvingly. With a slight shake of his hand, the sound of Bloodstones clinking together filled the air as he revealed a bag of them.
Blackstar's eyes lit up at the sound. "Wow, Boss, you brought so many Bloodstones! You're incredible! I was just about to run out, and this batch arrived at the perfect time!"
Without hesitation, Blackstar opened the bag, took out a Bloodstone, and swallowed it. He had consumed nine stones today, and he was still two short of his daily limit.
Hypaste didn't stop him, instead taking the opportunity to place his hand on Blackstar's chest.
His mental energy delved into Blackstar's body, sensing the flow of power within.
As the Bloodstone was fully absorbed, Hypaste withdrew his hand, his eyes filled with contemplation. "How do you feel?"
"Great! Just like always. I can feel my strength growing every moment," Blackstar exhaled, his body feeling stronger, and he said this with satisfaction.
"Hmm… I met with King Rhett recently. We discussed a potential issue with you," Hypaste suddenly mentioned. Blackstar was momentarily stunned and quickly asked, "An issue? What issue?"
"King Rhett said that when you were unconscious, there seemed to be a strange power emanating from your heart. He couldn't quite tell what it was, but it was distinct from the rest of your body," Hypaste explained, ruffling Blackstar's bald head. Since returning, Blackstar had shaved his head, intending to start fresh and promising that he wouldn't grow his hair back until he had avenged Jinsha.
"There's something wrong with my heart?" Blackstar looked puzzled but obediently closed his eyes, concentrating on his heart, trying to sense any abnormalities.
After a moment, he opened his eyes and said, "Well, since my body changed, I've noticed that my heart feels different too. But I assumed that, like the rest of my body, this change was normal, so I didn't pay much attention to it."
Hypaste furrowed his brow. "Tell me exactly what's been happening. If King Rhett mentioned it, there must be something unique about it."
Blackstar rubbed his left chest and then his smooth head as he explained, "Whenever the energy flows through my heart, it feels like something is inside, trying to absorb it. But this comparison doesn't fully capture it. Anyway, I didn't want to lose the power I'd worked hard to accumulate, so I just kept everything moving as usual and ignored it."
Hypaste squinted. "In that case, you should try letting your heart absorb the energy. See what happens."
Blackstar's face fell. "What if something terrible happens? I still need to avenge Jinsha. It's better to be cautious, right? Besides, I'm steadily improving every day with my current training…"
"If it's a hidden danger, there's no avoiding it. Solving it early will help you with your revenge. If you delay and it turns out to be something sinister, it could be a ticking time bomb, getting more dangerous the longer it's ignored," Hypaste insisted firmly. "With me here, there's nothing to worry about."
"Boss…" Blackstar was moved, his lips trembling slightly. After a deep breath, he said, "Alright, let's do this! I'll try it now!"
With that, Blackstar sat down in a meditative position and even swallowed another Bloodstone.
Pure Blood Source energy flowed through his body.
This time, Blackstar deliberately guided the energy toward his heart.
Because his heart already had a slight pull on the energy, it didn't take much effort for Blackstar to channel the powerful Blood Source energy toward it.
Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
The beating of his heart grew faster.
Blackstar's breathing became heavier. At that moment, he felt like his heart had grown heavier, placing a burden on his body.
As more and more energy flowed into his heart, it seemed to grow addicted to the process, pulling in the energy faster and faster.
Outside, Hypaste's grip on Blackstar's shoulder tightened as he sensed the abnormality in Blackstar's heart. It was as though something mysterious was brewing inside. Even when Hypaste tried to probe further with his mental energy, it was repelled.
This power was unlike anything he had ever encountered, beyond his knowledge and experience.
"Blackstar, stay safe…" Hypaste squinted, readying a tendril of mental energy infused with freezing magic, hovering just above Blackstar's body. He was prepared to freeze Blackstar's heart at the slightest sign of trouble and use top-tier healing potions to save him.
With his skills, even if Blackstar's heart were destroyed, Hypaste was confident he could still save him.
However, Blackstar's unique physique complicated matters. Hypaste couldn't be certain that conventional methods would work.
At this moment, thanks to his special body and the fusion of mental energy and flesh, Blackstar could naturally observe every corner of his body as if through a divine lens, a sort of "inner vision."
As Blackstar concentrated, he noticed that a white mist had begun to form within his beating heart, coalescing from the energy of the Bloodstone.
But upon seeing this white mist, Blackstar's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
For reasons unknown, the white mist gave him an extremely strange feeling—one that felt both unfamiliar and yet eerily familiar.
It even caused him a faint, indescribable pain.
"What… what is this…"
A shiver ran down Blackstar's spine, his skin breaking out in goosebumps.
His eyes snapped open as he resisted the urge to cry, holding back the emotion welling up inside him.
Hypaste let out a sigh of relief, glad that nothing disastrous had occurred. But he still felt a tinge of regret for allowing Blackstar to take the risk in the first place.
"How do you feel? What's going on with your heart?" he asked.
"I'm not sure… it felt really strange," Blackstar said, confused, as he recounted the experience to Hypaste.
Afterward, he lowered his head, quietly reflecting on the sensation he had just experienced.
"A white mist…" Hypaste mumbled, racking his brain to recall anything similar. After a long moment, he frowned and exhaled deeply. "Let's put this aside for now. I'll need more time to study your condition, and then…"
Before Hypaste could finish, Blackstar suddenly swallowed another Bloodstone, without warning.
"Wait! You've already reached your limit for today. Any more, and you'll start accumulating impurities. That could be dangerous…" Hypaste shouted in alarm.
But it was too late. The Bloodstone had already melted in Blackstar's mouth, flooding his body with pure Blood Source energy.
This time, Blackstar had grown more proficient, easily directing the energy toward his heart.
The white mist became denser, gradually taking shape into a distinct outline… something resembling a bow and arrow.
The mysterious power continued to radiate from within, causing Blackstar's heart to contract repeatedly. He didn't know why, but he couldn't help feeling an overwhelming urge to grasp this power tightly in his hands.
Driven by this urge, Blackstar ignored Hypaste's warnings, consuming an extra Bloodstone to keep fueling the mysterious force.
A few minutes later, his blood and energy calmed, and his heartbeat returned to normal.
Blackstar opened his eyes again, meeting Hypaste's concerned gaze.
"How do you feel? Overconsuming Bloodstones could leave harmful residue in your body… You were reckless!" Hypaste scolded.
Blackstar scratched his head sheepishly. "Boss, the Bloodstone's power was all absorbed into my heart. It doesn't seem like there are any impurities left…"
"Hmm?" Hypaste blinked in surprise. He placed his hand on Blackstar again and was stunned. "You're right… no impurities."
"Boss, this time when the energy was absorbed, the white mist didn't increase, but it condensed into the outline of a bow. I have this feeling… if I can fully master it, it will unleash an incredible power," Blackstar said excitedly, though his smile soon faded as he recalled the familiar sensation.
Hypaste noticed the shift in Blackstar's expression. "What's wrong? Is there something else?"
Blackstar sighed deeply, pausing for a moment before finally admitting, "I don't know why, but every time I feel that power, I think of Jinsha…"