After sitting down, Xia Zuo glanced at the empty bottle on the low table in front of him, feeling somewhat puzzled.
This bottle was wider than the usual potion bottle, with a thicker glass body, a frosted surface, and diamond-shaped patterns.
There was a dim alchemical lamp within the curtain, and apart from the light reflected off the glass, it didn't seem to contain any luminescent substance.
"You only have resistance to fire. Use this bottle emitting red light to test," Taelus leaned back in his chair, leisurely speaking, "You didn't pass the test this year. It's alright. You can try again next year. But don't push yourself too hard. No matter what happens during this test, I cannot touch you. Understood?"
Red light...
Was there really
something inside this bottle?
No, right...
"I understand, Lord Taelus," Xia Zuo raised his head, blinking, uncertain if the other had picked up the wrong item.
Taelus seemed to have something in mind, smiling kindly, "Stop staring at me, turn over the hourglass and let's start the test. I won't give you any shortcuts."
Xia Zuo, with some skepticism, cast a divination spell into the bottle.
"Discovering unknown things, due to low mental and perceptual levels, couldn't obtain more detailed information."
There really was something there... Could it be because my mental attribute is so low, I can't even see the red light?
Xia Zuo awkwardly smiled, not bothering to explain the slight misunderstanding between them. With his left hand, he turned over the hourglass to start the timing, while his right hand removed the bottle stopper and covered the bottle's opening with his palm.
"Hiss..."
Xia Zuo gasped, a cold breath rushing in as his hand felt like it was splitting open, that sensation... more scorching than when unlit scorching potion droplets fell on his face during fire-breathing.
"Hmm?"
Taelus tilted his head slightly, observing Xia Zuo, sensing that the other's reaction seemed more pronounced than others'. "Should we stop? Just remove your palm from the bottle's mouth."
"No, it's fine."
Xia Zuo's teeth chattered, clinking together.
He shut his eyes tightly, pressing down on the bottle's mouth with his right hand, focusing his attention on the character template in his mind.
【HP】27/28 (Affected by an unknown entity)
【HP Regeneration Rate】
- Basic Regeneration Rate: 1.62 points/hour.
- Real-time Regeneration Rate: 1.62-200→-198.38 points/hour.
The basic regeneration rate of 1.62 points per hour was futile against the deduction rate of up to 200 points per hour.
Allocating all six free attribute points to mental attributes was of no avail. The gap between 7.5 mental points and the minimum threshold of 9 points was still significant.
Should he really wait until next year to retest? Xia Zuo hesitated amidst the shivering caused by the intense pain.
Let's take another look... What would the blood loss rate be after three minutes?
With a thought, he switched the unit for regeneration rate calculation to "points/minute."
...
【HP】27/28 (Affected by an unknown entity)
【HP Regeneration Rate】
- Basic Regeneration Rate: 0.027 points/minute.
- Real-time Regeneration Rate: 0.027-3.33→-3.03 points/minute.
...
Time was ticking away second by second, approaching the threshold of three minutes.
Xia Zuo adjusted his posture, holding the elemental bottle between his legs, using his arms and upper body to firmly support his right hand.
Taelus, sitting across, shook his head helplessly.
This scene had repeated too many times today; when the time was up, Xia Zuo would faint in agony.
Three minutes were up!
The deduction rate instantly doubled, reaching 10 points per minute, equivalent to 600 points per hour.
"Ah!"
Xia Zuo cried out in pain, rolling off the chair onto the floor, almost tipping the table over.
Taelus restrained his arms, refraining from assisting the other. As the examiner, he couldn't have any physical contact with the examinee.
"Xia Zuo..."
Taelus watched with a puzzled expression as Xia Zuo writhed on the floor but didn't lose consciousness. He remembered how the latter had escaped from near-death situations in the cave and had walked alone in the woods for two days...
"Such a resilient will."
Taelus silently marveled, leaning back into the chair.
At this moment, Xia Zuo keenly felt the source of the pain in his palm.
It was akin to numerous fine needles repeatedly piercing his skin and bone. Even though nothing was visible, he could vividly imagine the needles puncturing his palm and emerging from the back of his hand.
His ability to endure this critical three-minute threshold was solely due to the data-driven enhancements from the "Golden Finger."
【Undying Body】Before HP reaches 0, even if hit at a vital spot, death won't occur, and any injuries will self-repair as HP regenerates.
This special ability gained after the data-driven enhancement extended far beyond its literal effects.
Based on his experiences, Xia Zuo roughly understood the relationship between HP and his physical state.
HP > 90%:
- All senses normal, sharp thinking, agile reflexes.
- If the instant blood loss doesn't exceed 10% of HP, despite severe pain, focusing and concentrating could suppress it.
50% < HP < 90%:
- As HP decreases, vision gradually blurs, thinking and reflexes slow down.
- Resting for a while in a comfortable place can alleviate muscle soreness or dizziness.
HP above 50%: Won't fall into unconsciousness due to pain, hunger, or poisoning, but may experience faintness or dizziness.
HP < 50%: Almost always experiencing headaches and nausea; at this stage, the likelihood of fainting significantly increases if afflicted by negative statuses.
HP < 20%... Xia Zuo hadn't experienced this yet, but he guessed even a slight push would render him unable to get up from the ground.
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