Chapter 14: Soaring Heights! My Limit? (Part One and Two)

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

Feng Mu had nearly drained all his energy, collapsing onto the bed like a lifeless corpse.

Even though the computer was off, the sound of "one, two, three, four" seemed to echo in the room.

His eyes were sunken, bloodshot with countless red veins, making his pupils look terrifyingly eerie as they stared blankly into the air.

[Iron Eater: Level 1]

[Edible Iron Types: 1]

[Absorbed Metal Traits: 1]

[Currently Detecting Edible Iron — Ordinary Pig Iron, consumption at 25.5%.]

[Absorbed Traits: ??]

His consumption rate had surged by 15%, averaging 7.5% per day, a remarkable achievement.

Of course, the cost was steep; besides completely depleting his iron reserves without a single iron bead left, his body was on the verge of collapse, his heart sending sharp pangs.

His body was sending an alarm—if he continued stacking debuffs, he might not know if his consumption percentage would explode, but his heart would certainly break first.

Feng Mu realized: "Although I eat iron, I am not yet an iron man. If I keep training like this, I might die suddenly."

He thought, "At least I’ve tested my body's limits. A 7.5% daily increase is several times more than I initially expected. At this rate, after just ten more days, the progress bar will reach 100%."

His heart surged with anticipation, the coldness in his chest unable to suppress the excitement: "As long as I can get enough iron, just ten days, and the Iron Eater will yield results."

He wanted to get up immediately to find money and gather iron, but reason forced him to close his eyes and sink into a deep sleep.

At 6:14 a.m., Feng Mu was awakened by an intense hunger.

His empty intestines writhed, his stomach churned in vain, and an overwhelming emptiness gripped every cell in his body.

The sensation was indescribable, as if his skin wanted to devour his muscles, his muscles to consume his bones, and his bones to swallow his blood—a hunger so fierce he wanted to eat himself.

Eat myself?

A shiver ran across Feng Mu's scalp, and a horrifying image flashed through his mind: “A revenant?!”

He hurriedly climbed out of bed. Because the lights were off and there were no mirrors in the room, he did not realize that his pupils had narrowed into vertical slits, glowing with a greenish light like a snake’s eyes.

He pulled open a drawer and grabbed a plastic bag.

It was somewhat heavy. Opening it revealed mixed leftovers.

In the past two days, he had been bringing meals back to his room and dumping them into plastic bags for storage, planning to throw them out to scavengers after a few days. But now, he had no choice but to benefit himself.

Without chopsticks or a spoon, Feng Mu buried his head into the bag and frantically clawed at the food with his hands.

The cold leftovers were all mixed together, their taste indescribable, yet Feng Mu ate with great relish.

His mouth opened and closed exaggeratedly; his teeth chewed intensely; saliva flooded his mouth; his esophagus squeezed and transported the food into the seemingly bottomless pit of his stomach.

No, it was not a bottomless pit.

It was a blender filled with strong acid; no matter how much food fell in, it was instantly dissolved by stomach acid, churned by the stomach walls, and then devoured by his hungry body.

Feng Mu tossed the plastic bag aside and went to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator. Regardless of what was inside, anything edible was stuffed into his mouth.

Ten minutes later,

the terrifying hunger gradually subsided. Feng Mu’s pupils returned to normal as he looked at the messy kitchen, his expression changing.

After cleaning up the kitchen, he returned to his bedroom, sat on the edge of the bed, and fell into deep thought.

“What just happened to me? What was that abnormal hunger?”

The thought of "wanting to eat myself" left him trembling with residual fear and horror.

“Is it because I ran out of iron?”

“Or is it…”

Feng Mu furrowed his brow tightly, suppressing his lingering dread, trying to recall the sensations his body had experienced.

“No, I wasn’t craving iron just now; I wanted meat, I wanted carbohydrates. So the root cause is that I’ve only been eating iron and no actual meals?”

“The satiety from iron was deceiving me; I still need to eat real food.”

“And even though the first phase of the iron transformation is in the bones, my digestive system must have been significantly strengthened too; otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to digest iron.”

After pondering, Feng Mu drew a conclusion: “From now on, iron consumption must be paired with food. The more iron I eat, the more I need to eat regular meals, or else nutritional imbalance might cause me to deform into a revenant?!”

Although Feng Mu was not a medical expert, his body’s signals were clear.

“A balanced meal of food plus iron. For now, I’ll try a 1:1 ratio—eat one pound of iron with one pound of food?”

He tentatively devised a solution, intending to observe his body’s response after trying it.

He also considered that perhaps a combination of nutrient liquids and iron would be more scientific, but that thought was quickly dismissed.

Sleepiness vanished amidst his thoughts. Though still weary, Feng Mu found himself unable to sleep.

He got up and took a warm shower. The water flowing over his skin relaxed him, the chilling sensation emanating through his bones piercingly sharp, his mind clearer than before.

“The coldness has already covered all my ribs and is beginning to spread along my spine, creeping toward my limbs.”

“I can feel my bones hardening, especially my ribcage, as if embedded with a layer of iron armor—heavy and dense.”

“I wonder, if I sliced open my chest now, what color would my ribs be? Could an ordinary knife cut through them?”

“At 25.5% consumption, my ribs and spine are already fully coated. Maybe if I increase the consumption another 20 to 30%, all my bones will be covered?”

“If that’s the case, perhaps I don’t need to reach 100%—at 50%, the Iron Eater should unlock some milestones, right?”

“For example, at 50%, unlocking absorbed traits?”

Turning off the water, Feng Mu dried himself with a towel. In the fogged mirror, his blurry body appeared. His once slightly plump belly now looked sucked in, as if liposuctioned, and his chest and back had thinned, outlining the sharp angles of his bones.

“I’ll rest tomorrow to recover, then go to the incineration plant the day after to work, and find ways to earn money and gather iron.”

Feng Mu grinned at his reflection and went back to his room for a nap.

Around noon,

Feng Yuhuai returned home.

The television volume was noticeably louder.

“Don’t turn the volume so high; your brother is still sleeping,” Wang Xiuli scolded her daughter.

Feng Yuhuai ignored her and held the remote, smiling brightly: “Sleep, sleep, sleep—what time is it and you’re still sleeping? If you ask me, my brother is just too lazy, that’s why his grades are so bad, and he has no hope for the college entrance exam.”

Wang Xiuli quickly covered her daughter’s mouth and feigned anger: “Your brother is working hard. He just doesn’t have your talent. He’s been locked in his room doing physical exercises these past two days. Don’t provoke him anymore.”

“Hmph, my brother isn’t that fragile. Besides, between being incompetent and not trying, I think not trying is easier to bear.”

Feng Yuhuai’s bright smile suddenly turned toward the bedroom, teasing:

“Right, Feng Mu?”

Wang Xiuli was startled and quickly turned her head, indeed seeing her son standing expressionless at the door, his face unreadable.

Feng Mu coldly watched Feng Yuhuai’s performance without responding, his gaze dull and calm.

Feng Yuhuai’s smile gradually faltered: “Just joking. You’re not mad, are you?”

Feng Mu ignored her and turned to Wang Xiuli: “I was hungry last night, so I ate the food in the fridge.”

Wang Xiuli was surprised, both shocked that Feng Mu had nearly emptied the fridge and relieved. She quickly stood and headed to the kitchen, saying as she walked, “You must have been hungry. I’ll cook now. You and your sister watch some TV and don’t fight.”

Feng Mu sat on the sofa, watching TV; after all, he had nothing else to do.

Seeing Feng Mu completely ignoring her, Feng Yuhuai was itching with frustration. Since childhood, whether at home or school, she had always been the center of attention and admiration.

She was used to and enjoyed being looked up to and expected to succeed.

Yet Feng Mu, clearly a useless person, had never shown any of those emotions in his eyes.

I’m your genius little sister, the hope of the whole family. Shouldn’t you be proud of me and revolve around me? If you keep like this, it’ll be hard for me to help you when I make it big~

Feng Yuhuai glanced at Feng Mu, who was staring blankly, appearing even duller and more lifeless.

“Useless and stupid,” she labeled him silently, muttering with disdain: “Incompetent.”

“Don’t provoke me; I won’t argue with you,” Feng Mu remained calm throughout, emotionally unmoved. He did not want to guess his sister’s intentions and was too lazy to bother.

In his heart, he was indifferent: “Boring.”

Lunch was simple because Feng Mu had eaten nearly everything in the fridge, and Wang Xiuli hadn’t had time to shop.

Feng Yuhuai took a few bites before putting down her chopsticks.

Feng Mu wasn’t hungry but slowly ate several bowls. Since there was no iron to eat, it was better to fill his stomach.

Moreover, he deliberately slowed his eating pace now, allowing himself to better feel the power of his digestive system.

Though not as ravenous as in the early morning, when food entered his stomach and dissolved instantly—a clearly abnormal speed—now the digestion was normal but still very fast.

Roughly speaking, it had regressed from a mortar mixer to a drum washing machine.

“The enhanced digestive function must be a hidden benefit of being an Iron Eater—extra profit, hehe.”

Before, two bowls of rice were enough to fill him; now, he needed five bowls to feel 80% full. If he weren’t afraid of scaring Wang Xiuli, he would have eaten two more bowls.

“Glutton,” Feng Yuhuai sneered, though a hint of envy gleamed in her eyes.

Feng Mu put down his chopsticks, licking the grains from his lips with delight: “Digestive ability is crucial for warriors. Some even say the ability to eat ranks just below innate talent and comprehension.”

After finishing his meal, Feng Mu prepared to return to his room.

Feng Yuhuai chatted casually with Wang Xiuli at the table.

“Mom, has the police station been busy lately? Dad hasn’t come home for meals.”

Wang Xiuli replied, “Yeah, there seems to be a big case. Some members of the ‘Fate’ organization have infiltrated the Ninth District, and there’s a massive manhunt underway.”

Feng Yuhuai asked curiously, “What kind of organization is ‘Fate’?”

Wang Xiuli’s memory was fuzzy. She recalled once delivering food to the police station and hearing the name—it was something like…

She pinched her brow and snapped her fingers, “Got it. It’s called [Fate], yes, that’s the name.”

Feng Mu had half-risen from his seat but sat back down expressionless, picking up the few remaining pieces of food on his plate.

“[Fate]!”

Feng Yuhuai’s eyes brightened, excitedly explaining:

“Six years ago, on the heretical organization wanted list issued by the Upper City Council, [Fate] was the only secret organization rated SSS level. It’s said they have a huge structure and act unpredictably, with most members being insane and dangerous.”

“But after being heavily hit by the council, they disappeared for years. Now they’ve resurfaced, possibly recovered and preparing for a major move.”

Feng Mu glanced at his sister subtly, acknowledging her assessment.

Because [Fate] resurfacing was true, and a major move was indeed underway—the biggest and most dangerous move was him.

Wang Xiuli was shocked. She usually paid little attention to such matters. She thought it was just a regular group from what Feng Ju mentioned in passing, never expecting it to be so terrifying.

She asked doubtfully, “You’re a student—how do you know all this?”

Feng Yuhuai lifted her chin proudly: “Number Eight Middle School is a key high school in the Ninth District, and I’m in the martial arts focus class. Most classmates come from families with some background, so we get to hear news not available outside. I just remember what I hear.”

Wang Xiuli’s face showed concern; she feared for Feng Ju’s safety.

Feng Yuhuai continued, “I heard that just a few days ago, a big event happened in Upper City—they say the sky cracked.”

“The sky cracked?” Wang Xiuli didn’t understand what her daughter meant.

“The news was censored, and there’s no report in Lower City. I don’t know what it means either,” Feng Yuhuai admitted. After all, people in Lower City have never seen the sky from birth to death. The only thing they can look up to is the massive backside of Upper City.

Wang Xiuli took out her phone and tried calling Feng Ju.

After several unanswered calls, her face turned pale.

Feng Yuhuai wasn’t worried at first but now felt uneasy, forcing a smile: “He’s probably on a mission and can’t answer.”

After a moment, she added, “I heard [Fate] mainly operates in Upper City. Even if some members appear in Lower City, they’re usually fringe elements and not that dangerous.”

Wang Xiuli seemed to take some comfort, her complexion easing slightly.

Feng Yuhuai spoke dreamily, “Even if you kill just one fringe member of [Fate], the merit points are enough to raise your citizen rank.”

With that expression, she seemed eager to encounter a [Fate] member herself.

Feng Mu didn’t know how to respond to her expression. When the conversation moved on to other topics, he quietly got up and returned to his room.

In the evening, Feng Yuhuai left for school.

Later, Feng Ju finally called back, saying he was on a mission in the west side of the city and couldn’t answer earlier.

Wang Xiuli’s heart dropped to her throat. Feng Mu also heard this and felt a ripple inside.

“West side? The incineration plant should be in the west, right? What a coincidence.”

The day’s progress settled at zero, with no dreams through the night.

The next day,

Feng Mu rode his bicycle to the incineration plant and became an official cremator.

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