Daniel didn't care in the slightest about the duo's reaction. They only saw the surface, but he could perceive what no one else could.
— William, I'll take care of you now. I will awaken your Extreme Yang Physique and reorganize your Ki veins along your energy channels. Since our Milky Way has low energy density, I'll use my own True Ki to raise you to Ki Foundation.
Even without understanding anything, William nodded in agreement. The man before him was a hero who had fought for humanity for decades; there was no reason for doubt. Daniel was satisfied with the trust placed in him. The man didn't even ask questions—he simply agreed.
"It seems this disciple will be disciplined," he thought with some relief. Viviane, Sindy, Lúcia, and Linia had given him the most trouble, to the point of exhaustion. It was good to start off on the right foot.
— It's good that you trust me, but know that you'll feel a lot of pain... like boiling water running through your veins. Are you still willing?
— If I go through this, will I be cured?
— Much more than cured. Your life will change completely.
William would be lying if he said he wasn't afraid. Who likes feeling pain? Still, temporary suffering was better than the anguish that lingered in his soul. Seeing his determined gaze, Daniel said nothing more. With a motion of his hand, William's body floated as if gravity had been turned off.
Then, a stream of blue energy intertwined with several black lines flowed from Daniel's fingertips and penetrated William's skin. A deafening scream of extreme agony echoed through the satellite room. Red veins like fire became visible, pulsing across William's body, and soon all his clothes burst into flames.
The man's skin seemed to age rapidly, and a cloud of steam formed around him. Estela, watching the scene in terror, stepped back and stumbled into Jessica, who trembled in fear. The two fell to the floor, unable to look away from that supernatural phenomenon.
Watching the mass of vapor, they saw an intense glow emerge and noticed the silhouette shrinking rapidly, until it took the shape of a well-trained man with toned muscles. Looking at the floor, they saw what seemed like liters of oily residue being expelled. The substance spread, covering the ground. William's roars of pain diminished minute by minute until they vanished completely.
°°°
Ten minutes passed from beginning to end. The vapor dissipated, revealing a handsome man emitting a golden glow, floating where once stood a 180-kilogram figure. His body looked as though it had been sculpted to perfection—firm, proportional muscles without flaws. His hair was golden like the sun, and his eyes carried the same radiant hue.
Soon, the two also noticed an unpleasant odor in the air, like sewage, and instinctively covered their noses. Yet their eyes remained fixed on that new, beautiful man.
— Estela... it can't be that that over-100-kilo, bald, ugly guy turned into this masterpiece? — Jessica asked in disbelief. She knew that even billions couldn't buy such a transformation.
— Yeah... I guess we just have to accept this new reality... he's so handsome now—and he also got quite big down there... if I had known, I would've treated him better before, ah! — Estela sighed, regretting her past attitude.
"I could never have imagined he'd become the second most handsome man I'd ever see... it was unthinkable," she thought, dejected. Jessica was speechless; she had known her friend for years, but it was the first time she had seen this bold side of her.
°°°
Lowering William to the ground, Daniel smiled, impressed by how abnormal these Special Physiques were. He had only provided a source of True Ki while clearing impurities and reorganizing the veins. The rest was the work of the Extreme Yang Physique itself.
"Was it really supposed to be this abnormal?"
At first, he had planned to help him reach Ki Foundation, but his body continuously absorbed the energy source and advanced all the way to Core Formation... which would be equivalent to Rank D in the system.
— How do you feel? — Daniel asked, satisfied. He realized dealing with geniuses was far less exhausting.
William was still stunned, looking at his own hands, touching his arms and defined abdomen—completely different from the massive belly he once had. Tears formed in his eyes. The joy he felt was something no one else could understand. Thinking of his beloved wife, Juliane, a wide smile spread across his lips.
— Mr. Daniel... Master, I feel like I've been reborn... It's incredible! I feel terrifying strength in my body and also something like an energy flowing and settling into a sphere below my navel!
— Well, you've formed your Ki Core. In the Murim world, you've just begun your martial journey. You no longer need to fear most firearms.
The three were stunned upon hearing that. Being immune to bullets was something they had only seen in movies.
— Go take a shower and put on some clothes. I'll deal with these two, and then we'll return to Earth.
Hearing his master, William finally noticed he was completely naked and, glancing sideways, caught the "predatory" looks of the two women. Covering himself with his hands, he hurried toward the locker room. However, unable to control his new strength, he accidentally slammed his head against the ceiling when pushing off the ground. Even more embarrassed, he tried to moderate his power and disappeared down the corridor.
°°°
Noticing Daniel's gaze, the two felt uneasy. But remembering how magnificent William had become, they couldn't help but feel a certain expectation about how beautiful and sexy they themselves might become—they were even competing over who would go first. Daniel narrowed his eyes and sighed before pouring cold water on their hopes.
— Don't overestimate yourselves! William's case is due to his Extreme Yang Physique. That's why the transformation was so intense. With you, it won't change much.
Jessica and Estela couldn't hide their frustration. They thought their moment to shine with supernatural beauty had arrived—but not everything goes as planned. Daniel felt somewhat frustrated with their mindset but simply ignored it.
— With your low talent, the most I can do is raise you to Ki Refinement, the first level for anyone entering martial arts. Any further and your bodies would collapse. However, with training and dedication, you may reach greater heights in the future.
They didn't fully understand, but since it came from their handsome boss, it had to be something good. So they nodded. Lifting them into the air, Daniel continued:
— Don't overthink it. Someone at Ki Refinement has the strength of ten weightlifting athletes. So endure it for one minute.
As he finished speaking, the blue energy with dark strands penetrated their pale skin, and two sharp screams echoed through the place, as if competing over who could scream louder. Bluish veins pulsed visibly, and soon a black liquid with a sewage-like odor began dripping from them, pooling on the floor as their skin became smoother and more radiant.
Jessica's acne vanished, leaving her face clear, and the marks on red-haired Estela's face also disappeared, enhancing her appearance. One minute later, both lay on the ground, over the puddle of foul-smelling impurities, panting. Suddenly, they looked at each other and widened their eyes in astonishment. It wasn't as drastic as William's change, but their beauty had increased by several levels.
— My intuition was right, Jesse! — Estela exclaimed, delighted.
Jessica was still dazed, but a beautiful smile formed on her lips. Soon, however, both made faces of disgust.
— Ugh! What is that terrible smell?! — Jessica shouted, getting up.
The two ran from the filthy puddle, but noticed the smell seemed to follow them—until they realized it was coming from themselves. They immediately rushed to the bathroom. As they ran off, they remembered their boss. Daniel simply shook his head as he watched them.
"Was it really a good idea to accept these spoiled brats?" he wondered. They seemed very superficial to him. "Well, what's done is done!"
— Boss, we're going to shower, we'll be right back! — Jessica shouted before disappearing.
— I'm going too, boss! — Estela added, vanishing alongside her friend.
Daniel ignored them and used his True Ki to eliminate all the filth. Everything disintegrated into particles in the air. But soon, a vein throbbed on his forehead as he heard bold voices.
— Willy, come help your beautiful friends in the shower! — Jessica's voice echoed, followed by Estela's. — Yes, Will, let's forget the past! You won't regret it...
— You perverts! Stay on your side! I'm a married man—and even if I weren't, I wouldn't touch you!
— Don't say that, Willy!
— No means no!
Bang!!
William shouted as he slammed the door in their faces.
— You don't know what you're missing! — Jessica exclaimed, and finally silence returned.
Daniel massaged his temple, thoughtful.
"Should I really have accepted those two? Ah... putting that aside... so this is the year 2000, huh!"
He leaned back in his seat, observing Earth before him. His spiritual sense enveloped the planet, allowing him to understand the time he was in, since he hadn't asked before. Azure was as beautiful as ever. It was almost unimaginable the destruction that would come upon it. But Daniel knew the truth. The planet he remembered was desolate and ravaged, very different from this vibrant blue world full of life.
"Azure... my disciples and I did our best, but we couldn't protect you... This time will be different!"
Daniel made a silent vow and reflected on a few matters. As Lucas had said, this era held a surprise—it was in this year that he had gone to live in an orphanage. Since it was still April first, there was one day left before his younger self would be taken there.
He pondered what to do. As a near-transcendent being, finding his past self wouldn't be a problem. They would be treated as separate existences by the universe—unless that version reached a certain existential level; at that point, he would be rejected by this reality.
Someone else in his position might think of eliminating their past self or leaving things as they were, but Daniel thought differently. He didn't want to steal the future of an innocent person—especially one that was himself.
"Alright, let's do this and see what it leads to in the future!"
Finishing his thoughts, he stood up. Footsteps approached—it was William, Jessica, and Estela, smiling excitedly.
— Is everyone ready?
The three nodded. Daniel said nothing more, and in the next instant, the four vanished. The satellite's entire communication system resumed functioning, but the place was completely empty, leaving everyone at NASA utterly bewildered.