As expected, lying inside the box was an old, tattered book, exuding the musty smell of cheap paper—a so-called martial arts manual. But as Russell reached out to touch the fragile pages, ready to crumble to dust, he was struck motionless.

"Hard Shell Technique?" What a joke! This cross-era talent book was disguised as a rustic antique—if this wasn't misleading, what was?

The talent book, as its name suggested, was linked to skills and abilities related to armor or shell. Russell was concerned whether, as a human, he could even learn this.

Clearly, his worry was unnecessary. As he gingerly touched the book, fearing it might disintegrate, an information prompt appeared: "Hard Shell Technique detected. Would you like to learn it? Yes or No?"

Adding to the urgency was another note: "Due to the ancient nature of this talent book, it will turn to dust and vanish within 10 seconds once exposed to air."

Presented with this countdown, Russell panicked. Initially, he intended to consider whether turning into a shell-covered being was worth it, but the system forced his hand, offering no time for deliberation. Still, he couldn't let such a rare talent book vanish into thin air.

Taking a leap of faith, Russell chose "Yes."

As soon as he confirmed, the "Hard Shell Technique" disintegrated into dust and absorbed into his body through his fingertips, settling in his heart. Russell immediately sensed a peculiar tingling sensation emanating from his chest, growing more intense.

Pulling open his shirt, he saw a pale blue, beautifully shaped rhombus scale emerging from his chest. Over the next few minutes, the scale grew from the size of a fingernail to that of a baby's palm, its bluish hue shimmering elegantly, suggesting an innate nobility and life-like essence.

After a few more minutes with no further changes, Russell smiled wryly.

Now he had a blue scale on his chest—although aesthetically pleasing, it was a bit too much. Meanwhile, he received more information about the Hard Shell Technique.

It turns out, this was merely the first scale. With continual nourishment from his diet, it would absorb nutrients and gradually spread.

The spreading would first cover his upper body, then extend to his limbs, and finally up his neck and head, ultimately covering his entire body with 108 scales.

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What about its defensive capabilities?

Though the information didn't specify, Russell instinctively felt its extraordinary nature, considering it was the first major reward from a main quest upgrade.

However, if the blue scales spread entirely, how could he show himself in public?

Thinking of this gave him a headache, but Russell figured he'd deal with it later. He believed there must be a way to control the growth of these scales since he'd mastered the talent.

Russell fetched a fruit knife and gently pressed it against the single scale on his chest. To his relief, the scale resisted the blade's pressure effortlessly, defending him against the weapon.

Even applying seven-tenths force—equivalent to an average adult’s full strength—failed to penetrate. Russell nodded in satisfaction, reassured that his heart was now well-protected.

With his current strength, exerting seven-tenths force equaled an adult's full thrust, confirming the scale's sturdiness beyond mere aesthetics.

Having dealt with the two reward items, Russell left the fish pond to thoroughly wash away the accumulated grime on his body.

The filth had tested his limits of endurance. After the scrub, his skin was as he imagined—many shades paler, smooth, and flawless, with a rosy sheen. His skin glowed beautifully.

Fine, he thought, he's become a pretty boy, but one with high combat power. Comforting himself so, Russell noted that after the genetic serum, his toned and well-proportioned musculature far exceeded his prior, somewhat unfit physique.

Donning a white shirt, he returned to find the hundred-square-meter fish pond nearly filled with water.

Sunlight filtering through the blinds made the water shimmer, indicating he'd been unconscious for at least a day after using the serum, which explained his hunger.

Contemplating, Russell retrieved the Ice Crystal Bottle from his spatial backpack. Now expanded to a diameter of over ten centimeters, the bottle no longer held just a single Ice Crystal Fish Mother the size of his finger.

Inside were ten additional smaller fish, no bigger than tiny fry, but their icy blue, transparent bodies were strikingly beautiful!

Russell was unsurprised, knowing these small creatures' adorable appearance could charm little girls and young women alike—a surefire hit.

Calculating the Ice Crystal Fish Mother’s breeding pattern, it spawned regularly every five days, yielding five fish each time!

Thus, the mini Ice Crystal Fish increased daily by one without external interference.

By this growth rate, continually accumulating these fish would eventually lead to an abundance of spiritual energy.

"Please, little ancestors, don't die on me," Russell thought anxiously, deciding to release them into the pond. He sent a command to the Ice Crystal Fish Mother.

Unexpectedly, this extinct being returned a wave of reluctance and resistance to Russell, but it couldn't defy its owner’s will. Reluctantly, it led its young out of the bottle into the pool.

"Splash, splash, splash..." A series of splashes startled Russell; who would've thought such small fish could cause such huge splashes, hinting at their significant weight and density.

"What?" Not long after hitting the water, the Ice Crystal Fish Mother projected emotions of despair and sadness, which unsettled Russell deeply.

Glancing at the ten small fish in the pool, Russell broke out in a cold sweat, horrified to find the once-vibrant Ice Crystal Fish now belly-up, their vitality vanished, clinging to life by a thread.