C1 Body Modification

Qin Anyi's complexion was ashen as he propped himself up against the wall of an alley, his body slumping for support. His right eye was reduced to a mere slit due to swelling and redness, and fresh traces of blood marred his nose and the corner of his mouth, giving him a rather wretched appearance.

He was encircled by four buzz-cut youths who glared at him with malice. The apparent ringleader spat out a glob of saliva and snarled, "I've never come across someone like you before. My hand is throbbing from hitting you so much. You'd actually prefer to get beaten to death than give up the money, huh?"

Licking his lips, Qin Anyi winced as pain radiated from every part of his body. Clutching a stone he had just picked up, he used his other hand to fiercely guard the pocket of his clothes, fixing the four youths with a silent, defiant stare.

Inside that pocket lay the modest wages from an entire summer's work. It was less than two thousand yuan, but it represented all his expenses for the upcoming semester, tuition included.

He hadn't anticipated that his hard-earned money would attract the attention of some thugs, nor that he'd end up cornered in this desolate alley.

The alley had clearly been neglected for some time, evidenced by the stench of rotting garbage accumulating in the corners.

Despite being outnumbered, Qin Anyi had held his own in the scuffle, but his resolve remained unshaken. He was determined not to let anyone take what was rightfully his.

"Fine! You've got guts! That school uniform... you're from Changqing No.1 Middle School, aren't you? Don't know who Black Skin is, do you? Kid, you're in for it now. I'll be waiting outside your school from now on. Every time I see you after class, you're getting a beating!" the leader of the youths panted, clearly worn out from the assault on Qin Anyi. Realizing his verbal threats were falling on deaf ears, he cursed under his breath and brandished the steel pipe in his hand, "I'm beat. Let's get out of here. But remember his face—we'll deal with this punk later!"

As the four young men turned and left, issuing their menacing parting words, Qin Anyi's tightly wound nerves finally began to unwind. The pain that had been simmering in his body now seemed to amplify, his head spinning slightly. He barely had a moment to catch his breath when suddenly, a brisk gust of wind whistled by his ear!

As the wind howled, Qin Anyi caught sight of the buzz-cut youth turning back around, his face twisted in ferocity. In a flash, the steel pipe in the young man's grip was hurtling towards Qin's head. Caught off guard, Qin was too slow to evade the blow.

"Thud!"

A dull thump echoed as agonizing pain tore through Qin Anyi's skull. His world spun wildly before his legs gave way, and he crumpled to the ground, unconscious...

The gang of four buzz-cuts descended upon him, their fists and feet raining down until, breathless and begrudgingly, they ceased their assault. Beating the lifeless body of the already unconscious Qin Anyi offered little satisfaction.

"Damn ungrateful fool! I, Black Skin, offered to borrow money as a favor, to look out for him in this neighborhood. And he has the nerve to refuse me, forcing my hand!" The ringleader spat out in disgust, rifling through Qin Anyi's pockets and extracting nearly two thousand yuan. He slapped the cash against his palm, "Dressed like a pauper, but loaded with cash. Let's blow it all tonight and have ourselves a blast."

"Fourth Bro, the guy's head is bleeding. That hit you landed was brutal. You didn't kill him, did you?" one of the buzz-cuts asked, a tinge of concern in his voice.

"What's it to us? No one saw us do it. People die in Changqing all the time, and the cops can't crack most of the murder cases. If he's dead, that's just tough luck. He should've coughed up the cash when he had the chance. Who else is there to blame?" The leader scoffed, "Come on, let's go. That beating worked up an appetite. We'll grab a bite and later find some company to really enjoy the night."

With the boss's word as law, the underlings held their tongues. The prospect of a night's revelry, as suggested by Black Skin, set their minds racing. They sauntered off, arms slung over each other's shoulders, into the night...

Qin Anyi lay motionless on the ground, the blood seeping from his wounds quickly staining the earth beneath him a deep crimson, spreading steadily outward.

As the blood reached a garbage pile about a meter from where Qin Anyi lay unconscious, an extraordinary event unfolded! The foul-smelling, cluttered heap of trash began to quake violently once Qin Anyi's blood touched it, and a gentle voice emerged.

"Blood DNA sampling complete, confirming pure human lineage. Initiating 'Qilin' sequence, analyzing fusion process... Commencing extraction of bodily information..."

"Extraction complete. Analysis indicates organ damage at 70%, musculoskeletal damage at 15%, blood loss at 18%, with a body strength rating of F. Status: Critical condition..."

"Recommendation: Initiate immediate bodily repair... Host status: Unconscious, consent assumed by default..."

"Body repair protocol activated. Estimated duration: three hours and twenty minutes, consuming 60% of Qilin's residual energy..."

With the voice's last echo, the garbage heap erupted in a dazzling glow. A crystal-clear sphere, the size of a fist, burst forth and hovered midair. The light it emitted flickered briefly before positioning itself above Qin Anyi's brain.

The sphere appeared to pulse with life, its surface undulating like ripples on water. Suddenly, hundreds of fine, transparent filaments shot out from within, each one teeming with life.

These filaments danced in the breeze before their tiny suction cups flared open and swiftly latched onto Qin Anyi's body.

The bleeding from his wounds ceased abruptly, and what followed was unsettling to witness.

Qin Anyi's clothes were violently ripped apart, revealing muscles and bones that writhed incessantly, as if swarms of insects were scuttling beneath his skin.

The cacophony of shifting bones was relentless. Qin Anyi, previously unconscious from the severe impact and blood loss, stirred faintly as the excruciating pain from his body's transformation contorted his face into a grotesque grimace.

A low growl escaped him instinctively, seemingly draining his last reserves of strength. After a stifled moan, he lapsed back into unconsciousness.

"ALERT: Pain levels have exceeded the host's threshold. The body's repair process is now at increased risk..."

"Suggestion: Administer the potential stimulating serum immediately... However, as the serum is still in the experimental phase, its use may result in unknown side effects. Exercise caution..."

"Status: Unconscious, consent assumed by default..."

Once more, the gentle voice echoed, followed by a surge of fiery red liquid from within the sphere. The liquid, channeled through what were once transparent filaments, entered Qin Anyi's body without reservation, rapidly spreading throughout his entire form beneath the undulating muscles.

Post-injection, Qin Anyi's complexion noticeably improved, yet the transformation of his body scarcely decelerated. Pores across his skin expelled odd substances that solidified into crusty deposits, emitting a pungent odor.

Dozens of the fine threads, previously clinging to Qin Anyi through suction cups, detached and hovered inches above him. They forcefully expelled jets of water, scouring away the crusty deposits from his skin. The threads then reattached to Qin Anyi, further hastening his physical restoration.

This cycle repeated for over three hours until the intense muscular contractions gradually ceased. All the threads disengaged from Qin Anyi's body simultaneously and swiftly retracted into the sphere.

"Physical repair complete... Requesting to initiate brain fusion..."

"Host's state: Unconscious, consent assumed by default..."

The sphere emitted an odd hum before attaching itself to Qin Anyi's head. It then began to permeate through his skull! Minutes passed, and finally, the sphere had fully integrated into Qin Anyi's brain.