Chapter 146 The Little Pill

Hao Ren felt that ever since he had met Raven 12345, this irresponsible woman had never given him good news. Whenever something exciting happened, Raven 12345 was sure to pour a bucket of cold water on him—this revelation about cultivation manuals was no different.

Raven 12345 seemed to feel that she hadn't dampened Hao Ren's spirits enough, and when she saw that he wasn't saying anything, she simply started muttering beside him, "Forbidden spells are memorized, martial arts are practiced. Where in the world is there a skill book that lets you cast Frostbolt with a double-click? You have to learn and practice slowly. You can't even memorize a math formula on Earth, so you think you can memorize twenty-plus lines of rune patterns in another world? You're panting like a dog after running two hundred meters, so you think you can even lift a Dragonslaying Blade? You can't even figure out these simple things on Earth, so even if you transmigrate to a magical continent tomorrow, you'll just be a loser in a different place. I used to know this idiot who constantly lamented his unfair fate, believing that the main reason he couldn't succeed was that he lived in a mundane world with no exciting adventures like in storybooks. By chance, I was holding a 'God's Wish Extravaganza,' so I granted his wish, restored him to the age of six, and threw him into the best magic school on the Ben Tugen Continent. That guy was a loser in another world for twelve years and is still a bricklayer—so, young man, don't be impatient. Take things one step at a time, one bite at a time. I'll arrange a training program for you that will keep you from dying, so you can slowly familiarize yourself with your body's changes and temper your mind. Look, you're already taking a shortcut compared to many people. At least you only need to temper your mind; I can directly give you the physical qualities and special abilities you need through physical adjustments—the only requirement is that you develop a mind that can control your power."

Finally, she added, "Think about those poor kids who run five kilometers every day, do fifty push-ups, swim two kilometers, and then use a calculator to count calories at every meal. Then look at your current physique, which could take down a whole crowd in the underground fighting market. Be happy."

Raven's words silenced Hao Ren. He suddenly realized that this unreliable goddess might also have a conscientious side. Although she was careless, lacked authority, lived sloppily, and had instant noodle soup stains from last week on her desk, she was a good goddess.

At least she wouldn't casually give you a bunch of power and then leave you to fend for yourself—she would cautiously steer you in the right direction, thinking of everything for her inexperienced new employee. To be honest, Hao Ren was a little touched.

His emotion lasted until Raven 12345 pulled out a small pill from who-knows-where.

"Come on, be good, take this. I knew you'd be worried about your combat power as soon as you got back, so I prepared this for you," Raven said with a smile, speaking softly. Hao Ren vividly remembered that this was the same tone his mother used when she tricked him into taking medicine.

"What is that thing?!" Hao Ren jumped back more than a meter, crouching defensively.

"A little pill that lets you see the truth of the world..."

"Don't be silly, the Matrix reference is outdated, who understands that now?"

Raven 12345 teleported directly in front of Hao Ren, pinched his mouth, and threw the pill in: "Just eat it, don't be so picky. This thing is military equipment issued by the Temporal Administration, specially prepared for newbies who pass the initial mission test."

Hao Ren finally felt relieved when he heard the last sentence. He chewed it and swallowed the pill: "It tastes a bit sour, what does it actually do?"

"Sour?" Raven 12345 was stunned, then slapped her forehead and pulled out another pill from her pocket. "Oh, I grabbed the wrong one just now, this is the one for you. Don't worry, you won't die from taking the wrong medicine. This thing can mark your thinking system, and strengthen your mental world by coexisting with your brain. It's the latest gadget from the Military Intelligence Department, originally only issued to auxiliary troops, but recently it's being distributed to inspectors. It takes effect quickly after you swallow it, although you won't feel it yourself, it will effectively prevent you from brain death due to various accidents, and it can also help you resist mental shocks. Mortal races are too weak, if you don't strengthen your mental power, you can't even use civilian equipment properly. By the way, how do you feel?"

Hao Ren didn't even bother to discuss the matter of taking the wrong medicine. He swallowed the second pill nervously, and his forehead began to sweat. "Brain symbiosis!? Why does that sound so creepy..."

"Well, some races show resistance to this device, especially Standard III humans," Raven 12345 wasn't surprised by Hao Ren's reaction. "You instinctively fear things that sound like parasites, but this isn't a parasite—it's a reinforcement, a lifeless micro-device, like warriors wearing armor, it's your mental armor, a double reinforcement from body to soul, doesn't that sound less disgusting?"

Hao Ren accepted this explanation, ignoring the faint discomfort rising from the bottom of his heart with his usual thick skin—he would later learn how valuable the little pill he had swallowed was.

Raven 12345 looked at Hao Ren with satisfaction, seemingly quite optimistic about the latter's composure. Then she returned to her desk, adjusted her posture, and put on a serious look: "The new protective equipment has been issued to you, so let's talk about your training and enhancement. Manuals and cultivation methods are indeed unreliable, but I know a reliable training ground—one of a kind in this world, hard to find anywhere else."

Hao Ren immediately perked up his ears: "Where?"

"Go home and have a dream, go to the Dream Realm to train," Raven 12345's lips curled up. "Survive alone in the wilderness of that place, or find a place where people live, and use your own brain to figure out how to survive. The former teaches you to face danger, the latter teaches you to adapt to unfamiliar cultural environments. These two skills are essential for an inspector."

Hao Ren immediately remembered the giant wolf that had pounced on him in his nightmare that night. Even after experiencing the undead in the underground palace, he couldn't forget the feeling of suffocation pressing against his neck, and his breath caught in his throat. "The Dream Realm... didn't you tell me not to casually touch that stuff!? You said it was dangerous there..."

"Because you were a silly newbie back then," Raven 12345 rolled her eyes. "And now you're a newbie, so you can go to the Dream Realm to train. That place is just a twisted space linked to the real world, the physical parameters are the same as the surface world, it won't directly kill you, so it's very suitable for you. Of course, if you don't want to, I can arrange for you to go somewhere else. There's a training camp for new recruits in the Great Triangle Galaxy, where you have to team up with two hundred other guys to eliminate thirty thousand terror beasts..."

Hao Ren stood up suddenly, his face full of righteousness: "Isn't it just the Dream Realm? I'm willing to risk it for world peace!"

"If you're so brave, then why are your legs shaking?"

Hao Ren: "..."

"Don't worry, you won't die," Raven 12345 smiled. "Why did I give you the little pill just now? The biggest use of that thing is to prevent brain death or soul death. As long as you don't enter the Dream Realm physically, you don't have to worry about dying inside. At most, you'll wake up from a nightmare and wet the bed..."

Hao Ren's forehead was covered in cold sweat: "As a goddess, can't you speak a little more elegantly?"

"Oh, to flood the bedchamber, and awaken in fright."

"..."

Just as Hao Ren was planning to talk to Raven about this "elegance" problem and ask how to consciously enter the Dream Realm, the door of the room was suddenly pushed open.

An arcane thrall, covered in blue runes, respectfully bowed at the door, emitting a series of low sounds that ordinary people couldn't understand.

Raven 12345 immediately stood up: "Oh, I'll go over there for a moment. I have something else for you later, wait here."

As soon as she finished speaking, Her Majesty the Goddess disappeared from the room in a flash of light, leaving Hao Ren bewildered.

Hao Ren didn't know what was going on with that crazy goddess, but he didn't dare to leave casually. He wandered around the room aimlessly for a while, and finally became curious about something.

Raven 12345 had been studying something that looked like a data terminal on her desk, and now that thing was still on, with a holographic image floating on the small device.

Hao Ren slowly walked over—it should be okay to take a look, right?