Chapter 5: The First-Level Iron Eater

At breakfast, only Feng Mu and his mother, Wang Xiuli, were present.

It was only then that he learned the police station had taken on a major case last night. Feng Ju had not returned all night, while Feng Yuhuai, due to her exceptional constitution, had been promoted to a boarding student just yesterday.

Boarding was a privilege reserved for top students, meaning special attention from the school, 24-hour access to the martial arts training room, and additional lessons from teachers after school hours.

Nothing scandalous—don’t jump to conclusions.

Wang Xiuli was a person with a regular routine and had gone to bed early last night, completely unaware of how late her son had returned.

“Your sister’s constitution is good. She’ll have a bright future and will be able to help you too,” she comforted softly, watching her son silently shovel food into his mouth with a dull expression.

Feng Mu swallowed the last bite, hummed softly, and picked up his bag to leave.

Wang Xiuli handed him a neutralizing agent with a hint of guilt. “Remember to take this. Also, don’t resent your father for being biased; he’s doing it all for the family.”

The neutralizing agent looked like spicy strips but tasted like plastic. It was used to suppress or eliminate radioactive factors in the body. Ordinary people needed to consume one per month to prevent mutations.

“Yeah, I know. I’m just a bit reluctant; I want to slack off a few more days at school. I’m not planning to take the college entrance exam again—I can’t pass anyway. Next week, I’ll handle the withdrawal procedures and find a job to help support the family.”

That was the longest sentence Feng Mu had spoken to his family since he had crossed over three years ago.

He wasn’t lying exactly, because there was indeed something at school he wasn’t ready to let go of just yet.

Wang Xiuli forced a smile and gave her son some pocket money out of guilt.

Feng Mu didn’t refuse; he stuffed it into his pocket and left.

Outside the residential complex, he made his way to the hardware store as usual and silently bought a pound of iron beads. Without putting them in his bag, he stuffed them into his pants pocket.

Whenever he had a moment, he would sneak a couple into his mouth like candy, swallowing them whole without chewing.

By the time he reached the school, half of the beads in his pocket were gone.

“My stomach feels a bit bloated and uncomfortable. Is it because I had breakfast? Why does it feel so full?” Feng Mu frowned, rubbing his belly just as a sudden dialogue box popped up before his eyes.

[Iron Eater: Rank 1]
[Edible Iron Types: 1]
[Metal Traits Absorbable: 1]
[Currently Detected Edible Iron—Ordinary Pig Iron, Consumption Rate 0.5%]
[Absorbed Traits: ???]

Feng Mu was momentarily stunned.

“So eating iron makes me stronger. The consumption rate represents the progress of strengthening through eating iron, directly quantified. That’s pretty straightforward and fits the game’s characteristics.”

“Not only can it make me stronger, but it can also absorb metal traits. That sounds pretty awesome.”

“If there’s a Rank 1, does that mean there’s a Rank 2 or even Rank 3 and 4?”

A sudden warmth surged in Feng Mu’s chest. His only confusion was that he didn’t remember game skill entries being able to upgrade ranks.

After all, the game mainly focused on faction management and development, so the character combat and skill systems were relatively underwhelming.

[Notice: This game has been integrated into reality. To better adapt to the new version, comprehensive upgrade patches have been applied. Players are advised to explore independently and not be alarmed.]

Feng Mu understood.

How to put it?

Since it’s already silver rarity and still can upgrade ranks, this skill patch is a bit of a power move, but I like it.

“If [Iron Eater] can keep upgrading, what about the other two gold-level skills?”

Feng Mu thought probably not, since gold level would mean they’re maxed out. Any further upgrade would be overpowered, but he wasn’t sure and intended to verify later.

Lost in all sorts of calculations, Feng Mu snapped back to reality to find himself standing at the classroom door.

About a third of the seats were empty, and the students inside all glanced up sharply, as if no one expected Feng Mu to attend class today.

“Didn’t those who stayed in the classroom yesterday all drop out?”

“Yeah, why is he here again?”

“Is he planning to take the college entrance exam?”

“No way. With his grades, even if he took it, he wouldn’t pass. He’s just like those who dropped out yesterday. Their families are poor; no way they’d waste money like that.”

“Then why is he here?”

“Who knows? Maybe he’s not giving up, trying to shamelessly ask for another chance. Or maybe he wants to borrow money from teachers and classmates to buy a certificate?”

“Is he crazy? I won’t lend him money. Lending money to someone who’s bound to fail? That’s just throwing it away.”

“I’m not short of money, but as classmates, knowing he can’t pass, lending him money would only give him false hope. That’s cruel—I couldn’t do that.”

“Tsk, class monitor, you’re really kind…”

Whispers filled the classroom, and the glances the classmates cast were just as condescending as yesterday.

Yesterday, Feng Mu would have felt stifled and oppressed. But after a day had passed, hearing such garbage talk no longer affected him.

“They’re just walking blood bags. I don’t need to get angry.”

Feng Mu ignored them and took his seat.

Seeing him come, classmates quickly averted their eyes one by one, seemingly afraid he’d pester them for money.

Feng Mu sneered inwardly, noticing the change in his own mindset.

“Because I have hope, I feel confident. But precisely because of that, I must quietly develop and avoid getting arrogant!!!”

He silently warned himself. The reason he came to class first instead of sneaking straight to the warehouse was for the same reason.

“Since I’m at school, I have to keep up the act of a good student. At least, my behavior shouldn’t deviate too much from before, so as not to attract attention.”

Feng Mu wasn’t wary of his classmates—he was simply preparing for the worst. After all, two students had died in the warehouse, and sooner or later, the police would come to investigate the school.

Assuming the last contact those two victims had with their families was when they left for school in the morning,

and assuming their parents were alert, by now the police might have already received missing person reports.

Feng Mu listened to the lesson absentmindedly, his thoughts drifting to the warehouse.

After the cultural class ended, there were two martial arts classes in the morning.

Walking down the corridor, Feng Mu glanced several times toward the playground but saw no sign of the blue-and-white police car, easing his sense of urgency slightly.

Upon arriving at the martial arts training room, the air temperature suddenly rose. The scent of sweat and hormones filled the space, and students dressed in martial arts uniforms looked like ferocious beasts, wildly flexing their muscles and striking various devices that displayed real-time data.

Punch power: Level 2.9
Attack speed: 2.6 frequency
Skill: Level 1.4 rank

Feng Mu instinctively glanced at a device in the center of the room, his eyelids twitching violently.

Next to the machine stood a figure, muscles coiled and bulging. Even through the sweat-soaked clothes, tendons wriggled like thick earthworms.

“Zhao Chong, second place in the most recent senior year martial arts simulation exam.”

Watching Zhao Chong surrounded by admiring classmates, Feng Mu quietly withdrew his gaze and moved toward the corner.

Each martial arts apparatus served a different purpose, but all had several students gathered around. Feng Mu didn’t bother joining in.

Before, it had been out of insecurity or inability to compete.

Today, he was simply too lazy to move. The strong feeling of indigestion in his stomach made him afraid that any vigorous exercise would cause him to vomit.

Vomiting wasn’t frightening, but vomiting up a pile of iron beads—that was a scene too terrible to imagine.

“Without the power of the sacrifice ritual, digestion is such a struggle. I feel like I’ve only digested less than a tenth. My stomach is still unbearably bloated.”

Feng Mu frowned slightly, calculating in his mind.

“At this rate, I’ll need about 10 more hours to finish digesting and be ready for the next iron eating session.”

“One full meal raises consumption by 0.5%. Eating twice a day means a 1% increase per day. So to reach 100%, it’ll take 100 days?”

What would happen when the consumption reached 100%? The system hadn’t given a clear answer.

Feng Mu speculated two possibilities: either he would absorb a special trait from pig iron, or the [Iron Eater] skill would upgrade to Rank 2.

Either way, it should trigger a transformation in his strength.

“Completing the transformation in 100 days isn’t slow in theory. But is there any way to speed it up?”