A week passed since my transaction with that vampire. I only recalled that interaction because the auction I was invited to starts in a few hours. I gained quite a bit during that time. The skill I was working towards was finally acquired, and Prometheus has grown to level ten. The only thing he did was eat and 'sleep.' He has two evolutions to pick from, both rank E.

[Big Magma Ooze]

[Ancient Magma Ooze]

I picked the cooler-sounding name. Unfortunately, Prometheus needs to grow out of adolescents first. Rob finished his books and is back to smacking the safe. I'm sure this is training a skill or something. Duchess is working on magic, and Khan still exists. I tried teaching him how to use his armor again, but I gave up.

[Battered Bones

The user's bones can be broken at will. Bones that are broken this way mend themselves quicker. Bones can be shattered to increase the exertion of various movements. Increase blood production.

Exertion Bonus: +50%

Blood Production: x1.5]

This is my eighth [Path of the Broken Body] skill.

"Ellis, I would not recommend learning over ten skills as the human body cannot handle the strain. I personally have sixteen, and I think you can withstand more when you are my age, but until you master the arts, I wouldn't recommend it."

"I understand, master Wang. What skills should I get then?"

"Hmm... Keeping a balance of skills is more important than the exact ones you get. You can always neglect a skill until it fades. Replacing it with something that fits the same category works too. You have four "passives" and four "actives." That is balance.

Your specific path's capstone ability needs two new passives to bring out its full potential. But I'll recommend you learn a "recovery" move instead. You already have your weird healing touch thing, but it wouldn't hurt."

"I understand."

"My disciple. When I said it wouldn't hurt, I meant it wouldn't hurt your future and your skill in combat. It will definitely hurt to learn. Like really bad. Anyways, my daughter is back in the capital, and as a strapping young man, go help her with her human trials."

"I have an auction to go to in a few hours. I won't be able to entertain Rain for long. I want to prepare myself and my wallet."

"Go do it anyway. It'll only take a few minutes. My daughter wants to see if her newest potions can raise stats. She is really excited about this one."

"Would this count as doping?"

"As much as anything else you put in your body. It isn't short-term benefits for long-term side effects. It's fine as long as you take them in moderation, plus there is a limit to how much you can artificially bump up your stats with alchemical products."

"I see... What's the next part of my training? I learned the skill you wanted me to learn. Now what?"

"Go help my daughter, numbnuts. I'll tell you when I tell you."

I got kicked out of the dojo and went to find Rain in her workshop. I knock on the door and wait for a response. I bought Duchess and Rob a phone each, but they don't get service in the mansion. It made me wonder if I was the only tamer with a family plan solely because he gave his tamed beasts a phone. They wanted smartphones too. With the janky lightning-to-power converter I have, they don't even need to leave the mansion to charge them.

This only came up because I'm using master Wang's Internet to download a shitton of stuff on the two devices. I was checking the progress of the downloads when Rain opened her workshop door. Her face scrunches up when she sees me.

"Ew, what happened to your body? You looked like a popstar, and now you're built like security for said popstar. What the fuck. Even the prosthetic got bigger! I didn't know that could happen, and I made the damn thing!"

"Your dad made me get buff."

"That's a shame."

Once I figured out the trick to healing muscle fibers at the cellular level, my refractory period disappeared. Err, my recovery period disappeared. The results were immediate and noticeable. With master Wang's surprisingly good personal training and guidance, we were able to sculpt my body into something worthy of the cover of sports magazines. He aimed for a practical body but didn't want an ugly disciple running around. He figured out the balance. I shouldn't be surprised that master Wang is a great personal trainer. We met when he was lurking around an institute's gym.

He said my face didn't change, and now it doesn't match my body, making it look like I got a head transplant. He also told me to cut my hair because it can be grabbed in fights. I asked him if that was why he was bald, and he beat me. He pulled his punches, but it hurt a lot. My resistance didn't grow since he purposely didn't deal any damage.

"What do you have for me, Rain? I can't test too many things since I have somewhere to be."

"A date? Good, you're young. You should get out more."

"No, I was invited to an auction, so I wanted to check it out."

"Invited? Who invited you? A date?"

She hands me a potion, and I down it. Nothing happens. She gives me another one, and I drink it. Everything is tinted purple, and my ears are cold.

"Some vampire. He bought blood from me. I don't think it would be a date since he gave me an invitation instead of making me his plus one."

"Who are you bringing as your plus one then? Not the rock, right? Because you can bring it as a self-defense weapon instead of using your plus one on it."

She's right. I was planning on taking Flash Gordon. Rain is also trying to stab me with an empty syringe. It doesn't break my skin. She reaches for the revolver on the table, and it brings back bad memories.

"What are you doing?"

"I don't think you are peddling blood, so I wanted to see why a vampire would reveal themselves in the capital of the Prime Territories for a taste of your juice. Vampires don't mix well with other races, even if those vampires want peace. How much did he pay?"

"200k for a pint. I didn't make enough money, though. I immediately spent most of it right after."

I cut my palm and drip the blood into a vial for Rain. I won't be stingy with the only alchemist I know. Also, if she wants my blood, she doesn't need to lift a finger. Her daddy will come over and beat it out of me.

"Drink this last potion while I examine this. This should be the stat increaser."

"What were the other two?"

"Soapy water and something that makes you temporarily color blind. Now drink."

The potion looks like a glitter bomb went off in a marinara factory. It tastes like what I imagine a car battery would taste like if blended and heavily seasoned. It goes down my throat smoothly. It feels like miniature explosions are rampaging throughout my body as I start bleeding from my fingernails. It itches under my skin. I tried to scratch, but my nails fell out as soon as any pressure was put on them.

My hearts hurt like they are firmly grasped. My knees gave out, and I fell, knocking over a bunch of things on a nearby table. I see Rain speaking to someone, maybe me, but I can't hear anything but rushing waves. Suddenly my perception shifted. I'm looking both at Rain and the floor. My eye dangles from my skull, blood pouring out of the socket, splattering the ground.

I push the eye back in with my shaking hand. My blood hurts, and something deeper aches. My soul, maybe, I don't know. I think I'm dying. I try speaking, but I cough up sludge. It burns through the bottom of my mouth, mixing with the blood on the ground. I try to heal myself, but I can't move my mana. I can't feel my limbs anymore. I stand up anyways, ignoring my problems for the time being.

Rain is running around, looking for something, but that doesn't concern me. The world around me is so beautiful, and I'm a fool for not seeing it earlier. It's like every color has split into three new ones. They bleed into one another to give the de facto picture of reality. I try to speak again, but my tongue hangs through my bottom jaw, unresponsive. A system window popped up, and I passed out.

I wake up to liquid splashing on me. I shoot up and look around. My vision is normal, and I can feel my wounds close.

"Fuck, if you're going to pass out, stay like that for more than a minute. You scared the shit out of me sitting up like that."

I sound out a few words before hoarsely saying, "I'll warn you next time..."

She dumps more potions on my head, and my body starts to feel better. I check the system.

[Congratulations! The user has unlocked a new stat!]

[+1 Attunement]

What the fuck is attunement? It's nowhere mentioned in my Lexicon. I stand up off the ground as Rain splashes another potion in my face. It's minty.

"What was in that thing?"

"Don't tell my dad, but most of his prized herbs and ingredients. If I wasn't his only child, he'd crucify me if he found out. If."

"Wouldn't that make it hard to replicate for the future?" Being left on a cross would also make it hard to remake it.

"Yup, but I don't need to replicate it. I need it to do something specific. I just completed a class requirement by purposely creating a potion only a master alchemist and above can with an original recipe. I should be excited more than anything, but I feel exhausted."

"Congratulations, what's attunement?"

"The act of attuning? I don't know. What's up with the random question?"

"It's the stat I got."

"Ah, explains the title I got. Anyway, want-"

The door opens up, and master Wang is standing in the doorway. His arms are behind his back, and he has a soft smile. He looks at me and the blood before looking at his only child.

"You'll need to pay me back, Daughter."

He closes the door behind him as he leaves. The room is silent for a long time before Rain speaks through her gritted teeth.

"Shit. I figured that if dad found out when I'd already been out of the capital, and by the time I saw him again, he'd forgive me. Shit. That's it. I'm bankrupt. It was nice knowing you."

"Is it that bad?"

"He once skinned a thief alive because they somehow managed to make off with his wallet. He didn't use a knife but his bare hands. Not even his nails straight up took his finger to his flesh and *rip.* A man died in agony for twenty dollars and a coupon for chicken."

"What the fuck?"

"This was before he mellowed out after meeting my mother. He was a poor and struggling martial artist before the cataclysm. He used to get robbed daily, so he has no mercy for those that take from him."

"Still, what the fuck? You still took his things?"

"Eh, he loves me, so he won't do anything like that, but he definitely won't fund my ludicrous experiments and potions anymore, at least not until I pay him back. By the way, do you have a get-rich-quick scheme I can borrow?"

"Not really. At the auction, you can sell some potions. You can be my plus one."

"Ehh, I don't want to. Selling my potions to people who don't know how to appreciate the genius behind every drop would kill me."

"What about me?"

"You don't count. You like drinking the random things I give you. You'd eat the vials if I didn't fine you for that."

The perception Rain has of me is worrisome.

"It's an auction that a vampire invited me to. It shouldn't be full of ignorant people. Plus, a shop is one of the easiest ways someone of your caliber can make money, and this is great publicity for the shop-to-be."

"Sure, whatever. Let me prepare my things, meet me in an hour or two."