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.
No dizziness. Nor was there any alleviation to the pain.
