Before Eric Ruiz could finish, Ivy interrupted, “No need. I’ve already agreed with my classmate, and I’ll start working at the incinerator in two days.”

Eric Ruiz’s brow furrowed, and he let out a cold laugh, ready to refuse.

Beep beep.

A text message arrived on his phone, urging him back to the station. He had only stopped by home to pick up some laundry.

“I ate outside. I’m tired and going to rest. I’ll give half my salary to the family each month, don’t worry,” Ivy said, not wanting to argue. Giving half her salary was a way to avoid a serious conflict with Eric Ruiz, keeping him from being angry. That would be unwise and unhelpful to her current situation. It was, at the very least, paying her way for the three years she’d lived in this body.

She would leave once she had the means to repay her debt. She believed that day wouldn’t be far off.

Eric Ruiz replied to his team's message and was about to scold Ivy when he saw that she had already returned to her room and closed the door halfway.

Eric Ruiz’s face twitched. He muttered, “Rebellious child, incompetent and unwilling to listen to reason.”

Wang Suli quickly appeased him. “Alright, alright. You need to hurry back to the station. We can talk later.”

Eric Ruiz suppressed his anger and gave a few instructions. “Keep an eye on her. Don’t let her go out much at night. Things aren’t safe these days. Some dangerous elements from a particularly vicious organization have infiltrated the Ninth District.”

As he was leaving, Eric Ruiz’s gaze fell on the graduation certificate on the coffee table.

He frowned.

Wait, crumpled?

Something was wrong. It wasn't just the certificate. Ivy seemed different somehow.

Ivy, standing behind her bedroom door, paused before closing it slowly.

“A particularly vicious organization, dangerous elements… could it be…”

Ivy lowered her head, her dark eyes reflecting the daily prompt—[Current inheritance progress: 1%, rewards have been sent, please check and claim!]

An absurd, terrifying thought occurred to her: “Could they be the delivery personnel sent by the organization?”

Ivy shuddered, praying silently, “But please don’t let them deliver it to my home. Damn it!!!”

Pulling open her window blinds, she looked out at the grimy alley, the shadowy figures passing by. Suddenly, everyone seemed suspicious.

Everyone seemed like a potential member of that vicious organization.

Yes.

Her identity was one of them.

Ivy knew she was being paranoid, but the foreboding in her mind was overwhelmingly intense.

“I still lack a sense of security. I need to train and get stronger,” she thought.

Ivy closed her blinds, turned on her computer, opened the video, and followed the instructions, quickly losing herself in the strenuous training.

The training was tiring, monotonous, painful, yet strangely fulfilling.

Her tendons and muscles screamed in protest. Her bones transformed under the influence of the iron. Time slipped by, one round after another.

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Her movements were still clumsy, her posture imperfect, and her stiff muscles stubbornly resisted improvement.

But amidst her slow movements, a dull sound occasionally echoed in the air—faint, almost imperceptible, covered by her ragged breathing. Ivy didn’t notice it.

It was the sound of her bones grinding against her flesh, a harsh protest from her body.

[Iron Eater: Rank 1]

[Consumable Iron Types: 1]

[Absorbable Metal Properties: 1]

[Currently detected iron type—Common cast iron, absorption rate 10.5%.]

[Absorbed properties: ? ?]

Faster.

Much faster.

Today’s increase was 4.2%, faster than yesterday, almost double the rate of the first day.

“Day after day, uninterrupted training. The fatigue accumulates, so the absorption rate increases daily,” Ivy mused, collapsing onto the bed. Her entire body ached intensely, but a satisfied smile curved her lips.

“For others, fatigue and pain are best relieved with rest. But for me, I hope the debuff will continue to stack endlessly.”

The coolness in her chest had spread from a single point to several ribs. Even the air she breathed carried a chill.

At 4 AM, Ivy fell asleep.

She dreamt that her bones were piercing through her flesh, transforming into a suit of cold armor that covered her entire body, revealing only a pair of pitch-black eyes.

She was slaughtering. Everywhere was blood.

Police officers in uniform surrounded and attacked her. Eric Ruiz was among them, screaming in terror and fury, cursing her for becoming a monster.

Suddenly, her chest caved in, her ribs splitting and twisting into jagged, sharp edges. Her head blossomed into a flower-like shape.

She died, becoming a grotesque evil corpse.

Ivy’s eyes snapped open. She was staring at the dusty ceiling, not the fiery inferno of the incinerator.

“Damn, a plant-like transformation,” she muttered.

Ivy picked up her phone and checked the time: 8:33 AM.

She’d slept a little over four hours, her sleep disturbed by a disturbing nightmare.

“I don’t have to go to school today, and I’m not in a hurry to go to the incinerator. So today, I can train from morning till night, not wasting a single minute.”

Ivy’s eyes shone with excitement. She was eager to see how much her absorption rate would increase without the distractions of school and chores.

First, she needed to buy more iron beads.

She checked her remaining supply, finding only about two pounds left.

“I thought it would last four days, but it’s only enough for two. It’s both exciting and frustrating,” Ivy muttered, quickly getting dressed and heading out.

She stopped by a nearby store and spent the rest of her money, bringing her iron supply up to a little over five pounds.

She returned home and began training.

Except for bathroom breaks and bringing her food into the room, Ivy didn't leave her room.

Wang Suli stood outside her door, listening to the repetitive “One two three four” rhythm coming from Ivy's room, a worried look on her face.

“She’s given up on the college entrance exam and graduated,” Wang Suli thought.

“Why is she still doing physical training?”

Wang Suli hesitated several times before finally sending a text message to her daughter.

[——Your sister seems a little… obsessive. She’s been in her room doing physical training all day. Can you come home this weekend and comfort her?]

...

In the top martial arts class.

Several beautiful girls, their brows radiating confidence, were chatting together. Audrey Ruiz was among them.

Thanks to her excellent constitution, beautiful appearance, and charming personality, Audrey, who had only transferred to the elite class a couple of days ago, quickly integrated into the group and showed signs of becoming a key figure.

“Amazing, Audrey! You won’t believe how harsh our martial arts instructor is. He scowls at everyone, but he praised you for two consecutive classes. He was smiling like a sunflower!”

“You think Audrey is like Zhang Yi, another favorite of the instructor? She has top-tier constitution. We ordinary people can only admire her.”

“Don’t flatter me. I’m still far from that level,” Audrey Ruiz said with a slight smile, lightly stroking her hair. Her beautiful eyes shone with pride.

Suddenly, her phone beeped.

Audrey pulled out her phone, read the message, and her delicate brows furrowed slightly. A hint of displeasure clouded her bright eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Ruichi asked anxiously.

Audrey Ruiz said with a hint of annoyance, “My sister being difficult at home again. My mother’s worried and wants me to come back.”

“Oh, Audrey has a sister?”

“Who is she? Does she study at our school? If Audrey is such a genius, her sister must be amazing too!” The girls chirped, full of curiosity.

Audrey shook her head, readily showing the message to her friends, sighing softly, “She's not talented and is sensitive and insecure. She often upsets our parents.”

“Oh, I see. Having a sister like that must be tough on you, Audrey,” Lu Ruichi said sympathetically.

Audrey raised her head, shook her high ponytail, and smiled, “That’s why I have to work harder, to become outstanding. I’m not just carrying my own expectations, but also my parents’ hopes, and the burden sister.”

“Wow, Audrey is so mature.”

“Audrey is amazing. I wish she was my sister.”