{Chapter: 174 Fusion of Corpse Beads}
Ada frowned as she watched the shimmering shield in William's hand. She had expected him to use it defensively, but instead, he seemed to be repurposing it for something else entirely.
"What are you planning to do?" she asked, puzzled.
William shifted his grip, and the shield in his palm shimmered, its edges reforming into a razor-sharp blade. "The essence of a corpse bead is stored in its liquid core. To absorb them, I need to cut through their surface and extract the energy inside."
With practiced precision, he picked up the light blue Wind Corpse Bead, its smooth surface faintly glowing. He placed the tip of his blade against it and pressed down, carving a perfect circular opening. A luminous, almost ethereal liquid swirled within, exuding a faint breeze as if the very air around it stirred in response.
"Help me with the rest," he said, handing the knife to Ada. "In this order—the red Fire Corpse Bead next, followed by the aquamarine Water Corpse Bead, the yellow Earth Corpse Bead, and finally, the snow-white Ice Corpse Bead."
Ada took the blade with a nod, her hands steady as she mimicked his movements. The moment she pierced the Fire Corpse Bead, a wave of warmth brushed against her skin, as if the bead itself was resisting, radiating heat. She handed it to William without hesitation.
William's muscles tensed as he prepared to withstand the impact.
Ada's eyes widened as she watched him. This wasn't just about fusing the corpse beads; it was a battle between his body and the chaotic energies surging within them. If he failed, the energy could tear him apart from the inside out.
"Alright," William muttered to himself, tightening his grip on the energy surging around him. "Let's see if my theory holds up."
Without wasting another second, William lifted the Wind Corpse Bead to his lips and tilted it, allowing the liquid to pour into his mouth. The cool, airy essence slid down his throat like a fresh gust of wind, and immediately, his muscles and bones felt as though they were being caressed by a gentle breeze. His T-cells, sensitive to energy changes, surged with excitement, reacting to the infusion.
Tossing the emptied bead aside, he took the Fire Corpse Bead from Ada and drank it down in one gulp. A searing heat spread through his stomach, racing through his veins, setting his blood aflame. His skin tingled, sweat beading on his forehead as if his entire body had become a furnace.
Next came the Water Corpse Bead. The cooling sensation countered the lingering fire, washing over him like a refreshing stream. His body adjusted rapidly, embracing the balance between heat and cold.
The Earth Corpse Bead was heavier, denser. The moment he swallowed, an invisible weight pressed down on him, as if his very bones had been reinforced, making him feel as though he had been anchored to the ground.
Finally, he took the Ice Corpse Bead, and a sharp, biting chill spread through him. His limbs numbed momentarily, frost seeming to form beneath his skin before it was absorbed into his system.
With all five elements coursing through him, William exhaled, rubbing his stomach, which now felt unnaturally full. He glanced at Ada with a grin.
"How do you feel?" she asked, eyes filled with a mix of concern and curiosity.
William smirked. "Honestly? The flavors were unexpected. The Wind Corpse Bead tasted like apple juice, the Fire one burned like strong Erguotou, Water was minty and refreshing, Earth had a rich, chocolate-like texture, and Ice... well, that one was like sucking on a frozen popsicle."
Ada blinked, momentarily caught off guard by his response. "I'm asking if you feel anything unusual, not how they tasted!"
William chuckled, standing up and stretching. "No, I feel fi—"
His words cut off abruptly. His expression twisted in pain, and a strangled cry tore from his throat.
A searing agony erupted inside him, a chaotic storm of conflicting energies colliding within his body. One moment, his insides felt like they were being sliced apart, the next, he was burning, freezing, and being crushed all at once. He collapsed onto the ground, writhing, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
Ada rushed forward in alarm. "William! What's happening?!"
His fingers dug into the dirt as he gritted his teeth, barely able to choke out a response. "Something's cutting... it's too hot... too cold... ahhh!" His body convulsed, the pain overwhelming his senses.
Ada looked at William who was rolling, "William, William, are you okay?"
"It's okay, don't worry about me, ah..." William said painfully, and fainted directly from the pain.
---
In the depths of his subconscious, William saw a picture in a strange space, surrounded by swirling streams of five distinct colors—blue, red, aquamarine, yellow, and white. He could feel them clashing, each force trying to dominate the others.
These were the five elemental T-viruses, each one attempting to annihilate the others and claim his body as its own.
But before they could reach a conclusion, something else emerged—his own T-cells, glowing with a deep purple hue. Unlike the viruses, his T-cells did not seek destruction but rather absorption. They surged forward, eager to consume and integrate the foreign energies.
Sensing a common enemy, the five elemental T-viruses momentarily ceased their infighting and turned their aggression toward the invading T-cells, attempting to resist their control.
A brutal battle unfolded.
At first, William's T-cells struggled under the overwhelming force of five elements combined, but then—another force awoke. His metamorphic cells, the adaptive anomaly within him, rose to aid the T-cells.
Together, the T-cells and metamorphic cells pushed back against the invading viruses, breaking them down piece by piece. The elemental forces that once sought to overwhelm him were now being devoured, integrated into his very being.
As the last remnants of resistance faded, the transformation completed.
His T-cells had evolved. Their cores now bore traces of the absorbed elements—some glowed light blue, some burned red, others shimmered aquamarine, some turned golden yellow, and a few gleamed pure white.
With this evolution, his body had been divided into five elemental affinities—Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, and Ice.
And then, a powerful tremor surged through his cells, as if testing their newfound strength.
---
Back in Reality
"William! Wake up!"
Ada's desperate voice pulled him back. His eyes snapped open, his pupils briefly flashing with five different colors before settling. He took a sharp breath and sat up, feeling an unfamiliar energy coursing through him.
Ada let out a sigh of relief. "You're finally awake. I thought something had gone terribly wrong!"
William ran a hand through his damp hair, taking a moment to register what had just happened. Then, he looked at Ada and spoke with quiet certainty.
"I did it. I successfully merged them."
Ada's lips parted in surprise before a relieved smile spread across her face. "That's amazing! Congratulations!"
But William's expression darkened slightly. "There's a problem."
Ada frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Their power is... too much. They don't want to stay contained. They're trying to break free from my body. If this continues, I'll explode from the inside out." His voice was calm, but the weight of his words was chilling. If not for his enhanced physique, he would've already been torn apart.
Ada's eyes widened in alarm. "What?! How do we stop it?!"
Ada's face changed, "How could this happen? Is there any way?"
William clenched his fists, his breath uneven. "I need to release some of the burden... share the excess energy somehow."
"But how do we do that? How can this be shared?"
A strange glint flickered in William's eyes as he suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Ada and pinning her beneath him. His grip tightened, his body trembling with raw, unstable power.
"Ada..." His voice was husky, his restraint slipping. "There's no way to stop it... I can't control myself anymore."
A trace of primal energy surged through him. His body was no longer entirely his own.