Curious, Ryan picked up the batch of Top Grade pills he had just produced and tossed them back into the Creation Furnace.
However, the moment the pills entered the furnace, they were immediately ejected.
’All of them?! Ryan blinked in surprise.
Mira’s dull voice followed shortly afterward.
[Host, items produced by the Creation Furnace have already reached the Heavenly Recognition of the Boundless Origin and cannot be re-created.]
Ryan paused. Then he understood.
So "products of the Creation Furnace cannot be re-created" was another important operating rule.
He had just discovered yet another limitation of the furnace.
It made sense. The Advanced Creation function of a mere Black Iron-tier Creation Furnace was already ridiculously powerful.
If the treasures it produced could also be endlessly recycled back into the furnace for further creation, its ability would truly be too abnormal.
Ryan nodded thoughtfully.
At least now he had a clearer understanding of the Creation Furnace’s rules.
Then his gaze shifted toward the fiery-red pill in his hand.
’The Second-Tier Top Grade Burning Blood Pill.’
After carefully examining its described effects, Ryan was surprised to discover that it was almost perfectly suited to his current situation.
In fact, it seemed as though the pill had been made specifically for someone like him.
But whether the pill would truly be as miraculous as its description claimed was another matter.
Ryan was already older than the age at which most Bloodline Fighters awakened their Bloodlines.
Worse, he possessed an extremely weak constitution and practically nonexistent Bloodline aptitude.
According to the pill’s description, there was a certain chance of awakening a Bloodline.
That meant there was also a chance of failure.
And the word awakening... For Ryan, it carried a particularly heavy weight.
Four years ago, he had already experienced the crushing feeling of having his hopes shattered.
The memory had left a shadow deep within his heart.
People often said that physical wounds were easy to heal, while emotional wounds were much harder.
Only those who had experienced such pain could truly understand the meaning behind those words.
Even now, despite possessing the miraculous Creation Furnace, Ryan was still an ordinary person at heart.
When faced with an unknown outcome that could once again determine his fate, nervousness and fear were inevitable.
"If I swallow this Burning Blood Pill..." Ryan stared at the fiery-red pill in his palm. "Will I actually be able to awaken this time?"
His lips tightened slightly.
Four years ago, he had already been declared ’dead’ once.
Deep down, he was genuinely afraid of experiencing that despair again.
If he failed this time, not only would his spirit suffer another heavy blow, but he would also lose an incredibly valuable treasure.
After all, this Second-Tier Top Grade Burning Blood Pill was worth at least two to three hundred Low-Grade Origin Stones.
To Ryan right now, that was an astronomical sum.
Its value was enough to purchase a decent mansion on the outskirts of Ashfall City’s wealthy district.
With that money, his family of five could immediately leave the slums and move into a proper home, perhaps even with some money left over.
If they lived frugally, that amount could potentially cover the daily expenses of a poor family like theirs for decades.
For a while, Ryan found himself caught between two choices.
Sell the pill.
Or consume it himself.
Neither decision was easy.
After a long period of deliberation, Ryan finally rejected the seemingly sensible choice of selling the pill for immediate financial gain.
His thoughts returned to what had happened today.
He had nearly been trampled by Derek Sterling while riding a Golden Fang Tiger Mount.
From childhood until now, Ryan had experienced far too much of the world’s cruelty.
His weak constitution.
His poor Bloodline aptitude.
His impoverished family.
The discrimination.
The bullying.
The humiliation.
All those unpleasant memories slowly surfaced in his mind.
And then Ryan suddenly understood something.
On the Crimson Expanse, strength was the true foundation of survival.
Without sufficient strength, possessing great wealth would not necessarily bring happiness.
It could instead become a source of disaster.
If he remained weak, even a mountain of Origin Stones might not be enough to guarantee his family’s safety.
Ryan slowly clenched his fist. His hesitation gradually disappeared.
"Succeed or die." His gaze became firm. "There’s no turning back."
"This time..."
"I must awaken!"
Once he made his decision, the fear in his heart seemed to fade.
Whether the Burning Blood Pill worked or not, he would give it a try.
At worst, he would fail once more. Or perhaps even several more times.
So what?
If he failed, he could simply go scavenging again.
He could collect more waste pills, damaged treasures, discarded artifacts, and anything else that contained energy.
Then he would feed them into the Creation Furnace.
As long as he continued creating, he would eventually obtain pills suitable for him.
No matter how much effort it required—
He had to awaken!
If one pill wasn’t enough, he would take two. If two weren’t enough, he would take three!
If three still weren’t enough... Then he’d take ten!
Or twenty!
He would keep going until he succeeded!
As long as he possessed the Creation Furnace, there were infinite possibilities.
And since Top Grade pills possessed the highest efficacy within their respective tiers, the problem of medicinal resistance wasn’t particularly significant for him.
The more Ryan thought about it, the clearer his mind became.
His hesitation vanished completely. There was only one thought left.
’Awaken!’ Ryan took a deep breath.
He closed his eyes. Then, without the slightest hesitation...
Gulp!
He swallowed the Second-Tier Top Grade Burning Blood Pill in one gulp.