The guest hall was elegant, filled with bonsai pines and relief carvings.
Lord Fen Qin sat at the main seat, smiling beside a young girl—
a porcelain-skinned child barely ten years old,
delicate as a doll.
> "Liam, come sit."
Liam's father was thin, kindly, and warm-eyed.
Since his wife's death, he had poured all his love into his only son—
perhaps too much.
> "Father," Liam greeted, putting on his best innocent face.
He remembered from the original's memory:
his fiancée, Lana Su, the third daughter of House Su,
often brought tonic soups to the Qin residence.
> "Brother Liam!" Lana said sweetly, standing up.
"I made chicken soup for you today! It's good for your health."
> "Ah, thank you, Miss Su."
He wasn't exactly into kids,
but he couldn't deny—having a fiancée dropped on him for free wasn't bad.
The butler, however, was cautious.
He subtly tested the soup with a silver needle before handing it over.
Seeing that, Liam smirked inwardly. Professional.
> "Go on, son," said Lord Qin. "Don't waste her kindness."
The soup gleamed golden, fragrant with ginseng and wolfberries.
Liam took a spoonful—and froze.
His system flickered open on its own.
Omni Essence: +1
Eyes wide, he quickly gulped down another mouthful.
Omni Essence: +1
Without hesitation, he lifted the entire pot and chugged.
Everyone in the room stared in shock.
His father blinked. "...Son?"
Lana's lips parted in disbelief. Was it really that good?
> "Butler," Lord Qin said slowly, "buy a hundred hens tomorrow.
The young master will have chicken soup every day."
> "Yes, sir."
When Liam finally drained the pot, his Omni Essence reached 3.
He wiped his mouth, thinking hard.
Was it the soup or the ingredients?
He grabbed a ginseng root from the pot and bit into it.
Omni Essence: +1
> "So it's the ginseng! The stronger the medicine, the more essence I gain!"
But before he could celebrate, a hot rush hit his nose—
and he fainted, blood streaming down his face.
---
Hours later.
> "Doctor, will the young master be alright?"
"No need to worry. His body is simply too weak from indulgence.
The ginseng was too potent."
When everyone finally left, Liam opened his eyes with a groan.
> "So… overdoing it kills me. Got it. Small doses next time."
He opened his system panel again:
Omni Essence: 5
This time, he poured all five points into Constitution.
Warmth surged through his body.
His muscles firmed, his breath deepened,
and for the first time in this new life, he felt truly alive.
> "Now that's more like it."
---