The Unforeseen Transformation

“This is… not good!”

Hastily, Li Chunsheng half-closed his eyes, obscuring the radiant glow of his Golden Pupils.

Just like that, he reverted from the radiant-eyed youth to his usual vacant, ‘dead fish’ gaze.

“What’s happening? I didn’t actively activate [Infinite Gold Coins], nor did I [Materialize] any coins. How did this number change on its own?” A flicker of alarm and uncertainty crossed Li Chunsheng’s face.

He glanced around, confirming that Liu Xia and the Investigator had already departed, leaving him alone. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

‘It seems no one noticed the anomaly in my eyes,’ Li Chunsheng mused, instinctively bracing his arms against the ground, intending to rise. Suddenly, a gasp of surprise escaped him. “Huh?”

He stared, dumbfounded, at his arm—the very one Liu Xia had bitten into a ragged mess moments ago—now completely unblemished and whole!

What was happening? Had the divine power of the [Temple of Life] healed him?

Yet, only he and the other two had been present. Who, then, could have healed his arm?

This bizarre physical phenomenon instantly left Li Chunsheng utterly bewildered.

‘I suspect this recovery is somehow linked to the fluctuation of the ‘Gold Content’ displayed before my eyes just now,’ Li Chunsheng pondered, stroking his chin as he ventured a bold hypothesis.

Despite his prolonged contemplation, Li Chunsheng found no further clues, ultimately deciding to let the matter rest.

“To think, this seemingly useless cheat ability would actually prove effective one day,” Li Chunsheng murmured with a sigh. “It’s been twenty years since I transmigrated into this world…”

Li Chunsheng’s consciousness had awakened twenty years prior within the body of an infant abandoned before an orphanage—truly, a catastrophic beginning.

Fortunately, at the age of ten, he inadvertently awakened his cheat ability: [Infinite Gold Coins].

Of course, calling them “gold coins” wasn’t entirely accurate. As a commoner of Black Iron rank, no matter how much Li Chunsheng ‘farmed’ money, he could only produce Black Iron coins.

To truly generate gold coins, he would likely need to ascend to the rank of a Holy Knight, progressing through Bronze and Silver tiers before finally reaching the Gold tier, only then being able to manifest gold coins from within his body.

Still, metal coins *were* coins, weren’t they?

Even if Li Chunsheng were destined to only ever generate an infinite supply of Black Iron coins throughout his life, it was still an immense power. If utilized properly, living a life of affluent ease would be no problem at all.

That was, until Li Chunsheng became aware of another fundamental law of this world: [Blessings]…

The day he first discovered his cheat ability, he eagerly [Materialized] a Black Iron coin and rushed to present it to the orphanage director.

“Grandma Director~ I found some money, for you!” Young Li Chunsheng, in his first attempt to use his cheat ability, had intended to help those around him.

After all, the orphanage where he resided had always struggled financially.

The Grandma Director, smiling, took the Black Iron coin offered by young Li Chunsheng. However, a single glance was enough to make her expression falter, her gaze turning serious as she inquired where he had found it.

“Uh… on the street outside the orphanage…” Li Chunsheng fabricated a lie. “Grandma Director, is there something wrong with this Black Iron coin?”

The Grandma Director gently patted his head. “Chunsheng, this is a Black Iron coin that hasn’t received a [Blessing]… It’s fake, unusable… Anyway, I’ll keep this coin. Just remember not to mention this outside, or it might cause trouble for the orphanage, alright?”

Later, Li Chunsheng learned that all currency circulating in human society had to undergo various labor rituals. During these ceremonies, women from different social strata were hired to serve as ‘idols’ representing the [Goddess], bestowing blessings upon the coins produced by men, thus transforming them into usable currency.

Only by using blessed currency could men avoid degenerating into goblins.

Throughout this process, the divine power of the Temple of Wealth would personally brand each coin, essentially assigning it a serial number, ensuring its origin was clear and traceable.

Furthermore, during the rituals, the Temple of Wealth continuously monitored the coin production process. If Li Chunsheng were to use his cheat ability to create counterfeit coins too often, he would undoubtedly expose himself.

Not to mention, whenever he activated his cheat ability, Li Chunsheng’s eyes would glow as if filled with molten gold, making him as conspicuous as a firefly in the dark of night.

At that point, how would Li Chunsheng, possessing the ability to endlessly create counterfeit currency, be treated? Thrown into prison… or perhaps dissected and studied by the Temple of Life?

From then on, Li Chunsheng dared not casually use his cheat ability. This caution, ironically, meant that despite being a university student in his previous life, he failed to gain admission to a church university in this world.

‘But this change in my cheat ability now… is it for the better or for the worse?’ A faint glimmer of anticipation stirred within Li Chunsheng’s heart.

****

Meanwhile, Liu Xia had successfully evaded the Investigator’s pursuit and was now panting heavily, crouched within a thicket, attempting to catch his breath.

“I… I ran so fast just now, and my wounds healed incredibly quickly… Am I truly no longer human?” Liu Xia numbly raised his hand, inspecting it.

Dark green claws and coarse skin now covered his hand, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to a human’s.

Perhaps it was due to his complete degeneration into a goblin. During his escape from Li Chunsheng, Liu Xia had displayed inhuman speed, easily outdistancing the Investigator, who was merely a Black Iron-ranked commoner. Moreover, some of his previous injuries had healed during the chase.

The surge of power coursing through his body was unlike anything Liu Xia had ever experienced in his life.

“…If I had possessed this strength before, I probably wouldn’t have ended up like this…” Liu Xia fell silent. “…And I even hurt Chunsheng. I wonder how he’s doing now?”

“No! I have to go back and check on him!” He abruptly stood, intent on sneaking back to the “crime” scene.

Yet, perhaps from crouching for too long, a sudden wave of dizziness overwhelmed Liu Xia as he rose, causing him to collapse weakly to the ground.

“Wh-what… is… happening?” Liu Xia murmured, bewildered, before losing consciousness.

****

By the time Liu Xia regained consciousness, the sun had already set.

“I… this is…” Liu Xia moaned softly, pushing herself up from the ground.

“Huh… huh, huh, huh…? My voice?!” She frantically clutched her throat, coughing violently. “Cough, cough… cough, is my throat broken?”

However, this strenuous action caused a rather prominent feature on Liu Xia’s body to jiggle intensely.

It was as large and round as the full, snow-white moon currently adorning the night sky.

“AAAAAHHHH—!!” Liu Xia shrieked in disbelief, clutching her head, tears streaming down her face. “Wh-wh-what… why do I have *this* on my body?!”

Only then did Liu Xia truly notice the astonishing transformation her body had undergone.

Upon closer inspection, her physique resembled that of a young maiden, barely sixteen. Though shrouded in the night, her skin, under the moon’s soft glow, appeared as pristine and flawless as freshly fallen snow, shimmering brilliantly.

More significantly, Liu Xia’s male attributes, which he had grown accustomed to for twenty-two years, had now vanished completely, leaving behind naught but a pristine expanse!

Along with his male form, the power he had gained from degenerating into a goblin had also vanished. Should the Investigator target her again, escape would undoubtedly be impossible this time.

“How… could this be…” Liu Xia murmured, her expression dazed, tears welling in her eyes, looking utterly despondent.

Suddenly, the girl’s ears twitched, turning towards the distance; her senses seemed to have sharpened considerably.

“Oh no, the Investigator really seems to be heading this way! I need to quickly cover myself!” Liu Xia’s gaze fell upon her nearly naked body, adorned only by a few tattered strips of cloth, and a thought sparked within her.

Seizing the brief window before the Investigator’s arrival, she pilfered clothes that a nearby resident had left hanging outside and quickly put them on.

While she felt terrible for the innocent person, and the clothes were a poor fit, there was no time to be particular.

Having changed, Liu Xia feigned the casual gait of a passerby, strolling leisurely along the lamplit road.

Before long, the Investigator approached Liu Xia’s vicinity, his gaze, sharp as an eagle’s, sweeping over everything around him…

Including the girl, Liu Xia, who, despite her ill-fitting clothes, attempted to maintain a facade of calm!