For two consecutive days, Ivy trained relentlessly, day and night.

She was completely exhausted, collapsing onto the bed like a rag doll.

Even though her computer was off, the “One two three four” rhythm still seemed to echo faintly in the room.

Ivy’s eyes were bloodshot, the dense network of blood vessels making her pupils look even more terrifying. She stared blankly into space, an unsettling sight.

[Iron Eater: Rank 1]

[Consumable Iron Types: 1]

[Absorbable Metal Properties: 1]

[Currently detected iron type—Common cast iron, absorption rate 25.5%.]

[Absorbed properties: ? ?]

A 15% surge in absorption rate, an average of 7.5% per day. The results were significant.

Of course, the cost was high. Not only was her iron supply almost completely depleted—not a single bead left—but her body was also on the verge of collapse. Her heart ached with every beat.

This was her body screaming for help. If she continued to stack debuffs, she didn’t know if her absorption rate would surge further; her heart might give out first.

Ivy realized, “I eat iron, but I'm not an iron man. If I push myself too hard, I’ll die.”

She thought, “This test has revealed my body's current limits. 7.5% per day, several times more than I initially expected! At this rate, if I can maintain this for another ten days, I can reach 100%.”

Anticipation filled Ivy’s heart, the cold throbbing in her chest intensifying. “As long as I can get enough iron, in just ten days, the Iron Eater skill will bear fruit.”

Ivy desperately wanted to get up and earn money to buy more iron, but reason prevailed, and she closed her eyes, sinking into sleep.

6:14 AM.

Ivy was awakened by an intense hunger.

Her empty intestines churned, her stomach growled, a desperate emptiness gripping every cell in her body.

The feeling was indescribable, as if her skin wanted to devour her muscles, her muscles her bones, her bones her blood—a ravenous hunger that made her want to consume herself.

Consume myself?

Ivy felt a shiver down her spine. A terrifying image flashed through her mind: “A evil corpse?!”

Ivy quickly got out of bed. Because the lights were off and there was no mirror, she didn’t see that her pupils had narrowed into vertical slits, glowing with a greenish light.

She pulled open a drawer and took out a plastic bag.

The plastic bag felt heavy. She opened it, revealing leftover food mixed together.

For the past two days, she had brought her food to her room and put it in the bag, intending to throw it away for scavengers later. She hadn’t expected to eat it herself.

Without chopsticks or a spoon, Ivy buried her face in the bag, frantically shoveling the food into her mouth.

The cold leftover food, all mixed together, had an indescribable taste, yet Ivy devoured it with gusto.

Her mouth opened and closed rapidly, her teeth chomping intensely. Her mouth was full of saliva, her esophagus working frantically to transport the food into her bottomless stomach.

No, not bottomless.

More like a concrete mixer filled with concentrated acid. No matter how much food went in, it was instantly dissolved by the acid, churned by the stomach walls, and then broken down by her ravenous body.

Ivy tossed the plastic bag aside, went to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and without checking what was inside, stuffed anything edible into her mouth.

Ten minutes later.

The terrifying hunger subsided. Ivy’s pupils returned to normal. Looking at the messy kitchen, her face fell.

After cleaning up the kitchen, Ivy returned to her bedroom and sat on the bed, lost in thought.

“What just happened? What was that unnatural hunger?”

The thought of wanting to consume herself sent a shiver down her spine.

“Was it because I ran out of iron?”

“Or because…”

Ivy frowned, forcing herself to recall the sensations she had experienced earlier.

“No, earlier, I didn’t want to eat iron, but flesh, viscera. So, the reason was… I’ve been eating only iron and no regular food?”

“The feeling of fullness from eating iron was deceptive. I still need to eat regular meals.”

“Furthermore, while the initial effect of eating iron is on the bones, my stomach and intestines have also undergone significant strengthening, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to digest the iron.”

After careful consideration, Ivy reached a conclusion: “From now on, I need to combine iron consumption with regular meals. The more iron I eat, the more food I need to eat to prevent nutritional imbalances and prevent my body from being distorted into a evil corpse!”

Even though she wasn't a doctor, her body's feedback told her this.

“Food + iron. A balanced nutritional intake. Initially, I’ll aim for a 1:1 ratio—for every pound of iron, I’ll eat a pound of food?”

Ivy had tentatively formulated a solution, but the effectiveness would only be determined by her body's reaction.

She had considered a more scientific approach of combining nutritional supplements with iron, but the thought was quickly dismissed.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Her anxiety dissipated. Though still tired, Ivy couldn't sleep.

She got up and went to the bathroom to wash her face. The warm water flowing over her skin calmed her. The icy coldness emanating from her bones through her skin became more pronounced, and her thoughts cleared.

“The coldness has spread to all my ribs and is beginning to extend along my spine and into my limbs.”

“I can feel my bones hardening, particularly in my chest, as if a layer of armor is embedded there, making it heavy.”

“I wonder, if I were to cut open my chest now, what color would my ribs be? Would an ordinary knife be able to cut through them?”

“My current absorption rate is 25.5%. My ribs and spine are almost completely covered. To cover the rest of my bones, I might need another 20-30% absorption rate,” Ivy calculated.

“So, I might not need to reach 100%. At the 50% milestone, the Iron Eater skill might unlock a stage-based reward.”

“For example, at 50%, unlocking the ability to absorb properties?”

Ivy turned off the water and used a towel to dry herself. The steam in the mirror obscured her body. Her previously slightly chubby belly had flattened considerably, and the bony structure of her chest was more prominent.

“I’ll rest tomorrow and let the enthusiasm settle. I'll go to the incinerator the day after tomorrow to find a way to earn money for iron.”

Ivy grinned at her reflection before returning to her room and going back to sleep.

Around noon.

Audrey Ruiz returned home.

The TV volume was noticeably louder.

“Why did you turn the TV up so loud? Your sister is still sleeping!” Wang Suli scolded, glaring at her daughter.

Audrey ignored her mother, continuing to adjust the volume with the remote control and giggling, “Sleeping, sleeping, sleeping. It’s already noon, and she’s still sleeping. She’s just lazy. That’s why her grades are so bad, and why she has no hope of passing the college entrance exam.”

Wang Suli quickly covered her daughter’s mouth, pretending to be angry, “Your sister is trying hard. She just doesn’t have your constitution. She’s been doing physical training in her room for the past two days. Don’t provoke her.”

“Hmph, she’s not that weak. Besides, between being incompetent and not trying, not trying is definitely more comfortable,” Audrey said with a bright smile. Her snow-white chin suddenly turned toward the bedroom, and she teased, “Right, Ivy?”

Wang Suli was startled and quickly turned around. Sure enough, her daughter was standing silently at the doorway, her expression unreadable.

Ivy stared at Audrey with cold eyes, neither confirming nor denying her words, her gaze distant and calm.

Audrey’s smile faltered. “I was just kidding. You’re not angry, are you?”

Ivy ignored her and looked at Wang Suli instead, saying, “I was hungry last night, so I ate the food in the refrigerator.”

Wang Suli was startled, both by the near-emptiness of the fridge and by the relief that it had caused her. She quickly stood up and went to the kitchen, saying, “Were you hungry? I’ll make some food. You and your sister should watch TV and don’t fight.”

Ivy sat on the sofa, looking at the TV. Since she had nothing else to do today, she watched TV without any complaints.

Seeing Ivy completely ignoring her, Audrey gritted her teeth in anger. From childhood to adulthood, whether at home or at school, she had always been the center of attention.

She was used to and enjoyed the feeling of being admired and expected.

Yet, Ivy, a complete failure, had never shown her those emotions.

I’m your genius sister, the hope of the entire family. Shouldn’t you be proud of me, revolving around me? If you are like this, my future success will be of little help to you.

Audrey glanced at Ivy, who was staring blankly into space.

“Useless and stupid,” she muttered under her breath, mentally labeling Ivy. “Incompetent.”

“Don’t provoke me. I won’t argue with you,” Ivy said calmly, her heart unmoved. She didn’t bother trying to understand her sister’s intentions.

Pointless, Ivy thought indifferently.

Lunch was simple because Ivy had nearly emptied the refrigerator, and Wang Suli hadn’t had time to shop.

Audrey ate a few bites and put down her chopsticks.

Ivy, not feeling hungry, slowly ate several bowls. Since she couldn’t eat iron, an empty stomach was an empty stomach.

Furthermore, she deliberately slowed her eating to better feel the enhanced digestive capabilities of her stomach and intestines.

While not as extreme as the ravenous hunger of that morning, the food still dissolved quickly in her stomach, much faster than normal. The rate had slowed somewhat, but was still quite impressive—perhaps a step down from a cement mixer to a washing machine.

“Enhanced digestive function. This is a hidden benefit of the Iron Eater skill. Profitable, hehe,” Ivy thought.

She had previously felt full after two bowls of rice, but now she ate five bowls and was only about 80% full. If she hadn’t been afraid of alarming Wang Suli, she would have eaten two more.

“What a pig,” Audrey Ruiz sneered, but a hint of envy flickered in her eyes.

Ivy put down her chopsticks and licked the rice grains from her lips, pleased with herself. “The importance of digestive ability to martial artists is self-evident. Some say it’s comparable to innate talent and constitution.”

After eating, Ivy was about to go back to her room.

Audrey continued chatting with Wang Suli at the table.

Audrey asked, “Mom, has the precinct been busy lately? Dad hasn’t been home for dinner.”

Wang Suli replied, “Yes. There’s a major case. Apparently, dangerous members of a particularly vicious organization have infiltrated the Ninth District, and they’re conducting open arrests.”

Audrey asked curiously, “What kind of vicious organization?”

Wang Suli’s memory wasn’t great. She recalled hearing the name at the precinct while delivering lunch. What was it called again?

She rubbed her temples, then snapped her fingers. “I remember now! It’s called… [Destiny], yes, that’s the name.”

Ivy, who had just begun to rise, sat back down, picking up her chopsticks and finishing the remaining scraps of food on her plate.

“[Destiny]!” Audrey’s eyes lit up. She said excitedly,

“Six years ago, the Higher City Council issued a wanted list of extremist organizations. [Destiny] was the only SSS-ranked secret organization on that list. They say the organization is huge, their actions unpredictable, and their members are extremely dangerous and insane.”

“But [Destiny] was severely damaged after the Council’s crackdown and lay dormant for several years. It seems they’ve recovered and are preparing for a major move.”

Ivy glanced at her sister impassively, agreeing with her assessment.

Because the resurgence of [Destiny] was real, and its major moves were also real. And I am Destiny's biggest and most dangerous move!

Wang Suli was surprised. She didn’t usually pay attention to these things. Eric Ruiz only mentioned them in passing, and she’d assumed it was an ordinary organization. She hadn’t realized it was so infamous.

She asked dubiously, “How would you, a student, know about this?”

Audrey flicked her chin. “Ninth District’s elite high school, and I’m in the top martial arts class. Most of my classmates come from influential families and have access to information unavailable to the public. I just remember what I’ve heard.”

Worried lines appeared on Wang Suli’s face. She was afraid Eric Ruiz would be in danger.

Audrey continued, “I heard something big happened in Higher City a few days ago. They said… the sky split open.”

“The sky split open?” Wang Suli didn’t understand what her daughter was talking about.

“The news is blocked, and there are no newspapers in Lower City. I don’t know what it means either,” Audrey said, equally confused. After all, people in Lower City had never seen the sky from birth to death. The only thing they could see when they looked up was the massive backside of Higher City.

Wang Suli pulled out her phone, intending to call Eric Ruiz.

The call went unanswered several times, and Wang Suli’s face paled.

Audrey, who had initially been unconcerned, now looked a little worried, forcing a smile, “He’s probably on a mission and can’t answer his phone.”

After a moment’s thought, Audrey added, “I heard that [Destiny]’s main operations are in Higher City. Even if they occasionally appear in Lower City, it’s usually just low-level members. It shouldn’t be too dangerous.”

Wang Suli, seemingly reassured, looked slightly better.

Audrey, however, said with fascination, “Even killing a low-level member of [Destiny] is enough to raise your citizen ranking.”

Her expression suggested she wouldn't mind encountering a [Destiny] member herself.

Ivy, observing her, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. When they changed the subject, she got up and returned to her room.

In the evening, Audrey left for school.

A little later, Eric Ruiz finally returned their call. He said he had been on a mission in the west of the city and couldn’t answer his phone.

Wang Suli’s heart sank. Ivy also heard the conversation.

A subtle unease stirred within her. “West of the city? The incinerator should be in the west of the city, right? A coincidence?”

That night, she slept soundly, her absorption rate continuing to increase.

The next day.

Ivy rode her bike to the incinerator to start her new job as a corpse incinerator.