Drawback system

The moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale glow over the estate walls. Most servants were already asleep, the compound sunk in a heavy silence. Ah Yue, however, was wide awake.

Wearing a tattered black robe and a wooden mask carved crudely from firewood, he slipped into the night like a shadow. His movements were smooth, practiced. Weeks of training and poison tempering had sharpened his senses, made him faster, more alert.

Earlier, he had secretly gathered information about the surroundings: which gang members loitered near the estate, who the wealthy targets in the district were, and the location of the underground black market.

He didn't have money, but he had resolve—and the Drawback System.

Tonight, he would kill.

---

The alley smelled of alcohol and urine. Ah Yue tracked his target—a gang member from the nearby 'Iron Rat Syndicate' known for shaking down local vendors. The man stumbled, drunk, towards the latrines behind a gambling den.

Ah Yue's palm struck silently, suffused with toxic qi. Five Poison Palm—strengthened to the brink—left no room for error. The man's body twitched once before collapsing in a quiet heap.

A quick search yielded a bulging coin pouch. Not a fortune, but enough.

Ah Yue cleaned his hands and changed into another robe. With his wooden mask still on, he moved into the marketplace nestled behind the east ward.

---

The black market was tucked behind a burned-down temple, a crooked maze of tents and stalls. The air was thick with strange incense, sweat, and the stench of secrets.

"Masked one," said a hunched vendor behind rows of animal jars. "Looking for something venomous?"

Ah Yue nodded. "Snake. Toad. Centipede. Spider. Scorpion. All pure poison."

The man grinned, yellow teeth glinting in the lanternlight. "Got just the thing."

Ah Yue returned to the estate with pouches filled with deadly vials. His mind buzzed with ideas. The Five Poison Palm was already complete… but what if he used more poison?

He applied fresh scorpion venom to his palms—and his status window blinked:

> [Five Poison Palm – Level 1 (101%)]

It had increased.

So he continued.

Snake bile. Toad secretions. Centipede venom boiled with dried herbs. Bit by bit, he pushed it to 120%, 150%, and eventually:

> [Five Poison Palm – Level 1 (200%)]

While the poison didn't evolve the art to the next level, its killing power surged. A single slap could rot flesh in seconds.

Yet, something gnawed at him—if his palm worked, could he do the same to his feet?

He smeared the same five venoms across his legs, focusing his qi downward. His body responded.

> [New Martial Art Unlocked: Five Poison Feet – Level 1]

His mouth twitched into a smile.

Now he had two martial arts. But his thoughts didn't stop there. He applied poison to his arms—then his forearms. He tried again on thighs, on calves, even the chest. The system struggled to define each new path—until it suddenly unified everything.

> [Poison Body Art – Level 1 (100%)]

His entire body had become a weapon.

With this success, Ah Yue committed himself fully. Over the next few nights, he stole from passersby and unattended coinboxes. Every coin was exchanged for toxins.

He submerged himself in venomous baths, coating his skin in layer after layer of death. The Poison Body Art evolved fast:

> [Poison Body Art – Level 2 (200%)]

But then… it hit a wall.

His strength didn't improve. His palm was stronger, yes. But physically, he wasn't changing.

"The poison has saturated my body," he muttered. "The surface is already full."

What about the inside?

He began by swallowing a diluted dose of centipede venom. It burned going down. He vomited, curled on the floor—but the system responded:

> [Poison Body Art – Level 3]

He coughed blood and grinned through the pain. "So that's the way."

Now, he drank poison.

Mild doses at first. Then stronger. Snake bile, toad bile mixed in wine, ground scorpion tail with rice water.

The system kept evolving:

> [Poison Body Art – Level 3 (200%)]

And finally… something changed.

His gut twisted. For a moment, it felt like fire was burning through his veins. His heart pounded with venomous heat.

Then—crack!

Ah Yue fell to his knees, convulsing. Something burst inside him.

> [Foreign Entity Detected: Blood Gu (Juvenile) – Destroyed]

[Blood Qi Absorbed: +137 Units]

[Internal Strength Increased]

Ah Yue gasped, stunned.

He had completely forgotten the Gu worm. It had hidden so well. But now, drowned in layers of poison, it had died—burned from within by the toxic sea his body had become.

And its death… gave him power.

For a moment, he sat in silence, letting the blood energy settle. His hands trembled—not with fear, but with excitement.