The Place Where Everything Begins

『 Transaction has been accepted 』

『 A total of 1x✰ has been deducted from your star account for the trade 』

『 You have 0x✰ remaining in your star account 』

『 Commencing the transferring process... 』

『 ... 』

『 You have acquired the talent, Serenity of Magic 』

『 Transaction is concluded 』

...

After the transaction was done, Jeremy suddenly felt some changes within his body.

To be exact, some changes occurred within his soul, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what thing had changed within it.

Jeremy only knew that his very soul seemed to have more compatibility with meditation. He even felt that he could meditate longer than in the past, with more efficiency, too.

While Jeremy was closing his eyes to feel the changes within his soul, Mercury's voice suddenly resounded excitedly beside his ears,

❰ Congratulations again! You are now the most lavish spender in the past ten eras! My heart is thumping with ecstasy now! ❱

Then Mercury promptly continued his piece as if he was in a hurry,

❰ Very well... I think it's time for me to leave as some impatient guys are waiting to buy things from me in the Pantheon. Farewe... ❱

"Wait!"

Before Mercury could finish his goodbye, Jeremy hurriedly stopped the former all of a sudden.

Simultaneously, Jeremy said his reason,

"I've bought so many items from you. May I ask you for a simple favor?"

Unexpectedly, Jeremy asked for a favor from another person...

❰ What is it? ❱

"In fact, I will be teleported out of here as soon as the Special Access is concluded, but I want to take the evolution pill in a safe environment. Also, I think there is no place better than here to take the pill, so..."

❰ So, you want me to maintain the Special Access for you? ❱

Mercury pointed out Jeremy's request, whereas the latter answered shortly,

"Yes..."

After hearing that, Mercury fell into a silence for a few seconds; he promptly replied,

❰ Hmm... it's doable. I will just think of it as a favor then; it's not a high price to pay anyway. However, I still have some trades to do in Pantheon, so I will appoint you as the host of this place and leave here once and for all. Is that okay? ❱

"I will become the host? If it's like that... How much time will I get before the Special Access ends?" asked Jeremy after hearing that Mercury would leave after appointing him as the host.

❰ Around 50 hours ❱

"Okay then. Thank you for the favor..."

❰ Nah... I'm the one who has to say thank you. After all, you have made so many big deals with me. Now, I have to go for real, human. Farewell. ❱

"Goodbye..."

After finishing their parting words, Mercury promptly left, leaving only Jeremy behind within the dark space.

Simultaneously, a window of notifications showed up before Jeremy,

...

『 You have been appointed as the Special Access' host 』

『 You cannot control or use any function within the Access, and you will be teleported to the Tutorial's second stage after the Access ends 』

『 Time remaining before the Access ends: 50 hours, 22 minutes, 35 seconds 』

...

'Alright, I should be safe here for the next 50 hours.' Jeremy thought after seeing the notifications and timer.

Then he kept his steel spear inside the right glove before bringing out the evolution pill from his left glove.

Soon, a small rainbow pill appeared on Jeremy's left palm.

*Fwuu...*

Jeremy heaved out a long breath as he thought to himself,

'I hope my hunch is right...'

Earlier, when Jeremy had been in a dilemma whether to buy the evolution pill or not, his hunch was triggered.

At the time, Jeremy felt that the longer he waited, the higher the risks of failure. Due to that, he decided to buy the evolution pill with no second thought.

After all, if Jeremy were destined to fail in evolving, he would fail no matter when he took the pill anyway.

Jeremy's peak period in his past life, he couldn't go past the limits himself. That meant even if he decided to wait any longer before taking the pill, the result would still be the same.

Thus, Jeremy chose to believe in his hunch and bought the pill. He would eat it here once and for all...

'All of this is for the sake of the evolution. I will be the greatest existence of the human race after this...'

Having thought so, Jeremy sat down on the dark floor and put the evolution pill inside his mouth.

*Gulp*

Jeremy gulped the pill down his throat in one go...

Then he closed his eyes and waited patiently for the pill to take its effects.

Sure enough, only after a few seconds, Jeremy suddenly felt hot inside his stomach as the pill was liquified and suffused to every part of his body.

'It's hot...'

As the pill's substance gradually traveled all over his body, Jeremy felt that he was sweating harder and harder.

Right now, Jeremy's back was drenched with hot sweat as his black combat suit stuck on his body stickily.

Jeremy continued to sit there silently while sweating profusely for quite a while, with his body temperature rising to a staggering 50 degrees Celsius. Such a temperature could even be used to fry an egg.

The proceeding continued for more than tens of seconds, then...

'Hmm...? The hotness starts receding away...'

Jeremy thought in wonder after feeling the burning sensation gradually fading away from his body.

After a few seconds, Jeremy's body temperature became normal once again as he stopped sweating.

However...

'It's become cold instead?'

Indeed, Jeremy's body temperature didn't stop at the 'normal' degree as it started to drop further.

Degree by degree...

Not long after, Jeremy's body temperature dropped to below 20 degrees Celsius, more than 15 degrees lower than ordinary people.

If other humans experienced such a sudden temperature change, they would lose consciousness without apparent signs of breathing or a pulse right now.

Such extreme hypothermia or sudden drop of body temperature was too much for any average person to handle.

'Fuck... My head feels so dizzy... I might lose consciousness at this rate...'

Jeremy cussed inwardly after his body temperature stabilized at around 18 degrees Celsius.

Even for the superhuman, Jeremy, it was still a bit too much. His mana couldn't even help him in such a situation.

At this time, Jeremy's body shook nonstop from the coldness and dizziness.

Until when Jeremy had almost lost consciousness, his low body temperature suddenly increased once again.

Jeremy's body gradually stopped shaking as the coldness and dizziness started to disappear, and his body temperature rose to 50 degrees the same as before.

Shortly after, his body temperature dropped once again...

'So, it is like this...'

Jeremy thought while gritting his teeth tightly after realizing what situation he would be facing soon.

He would experience the sudden rise and drop of body temperature alternately from this point on...

Jeremy's body had to undergo the sudden temperature change in intervals so many times that he didn't even count it anymore after the fourth cycle.

Currently, Jeremy was too focused on enduring the deadly ordeals that he didn't have enough room to spare for the counting.

Just like that, The repeated cycles of hot and cold continued for quite some time....