Just as Orochimaru was slowly getting used to Shiro, a mechanical voice rang in his mind:
"Congratulations to the host for binding to the Serpent Life Plot System!"
Even Orochimaru, renowned for his composure, was slightly stunned by the sudden voice in his head. Then, as if realizing something, he quickly began to investigate.
"The Serpent Life Plot System... could this be the golden finger every transmigrator is supposed to have?"
Before Orochimaru could show a look of shock, the prompt in his mind came again:
"The system detects that the host's lifeline is turbulent and fraught with bad luck. The system will provide the host with certain rewards when important plot events are triggered, changing the host's fate!"
"Trigger plot events? And what are the rewards?"
Orochimaru hurriedly pressed for answers, but his voice was like a stone sinking into the sea—the system gave no response.
This awkward feeling, like a bone stuck in one's throat, waiting to come out yet unable to, made Orochimaru feel quite uncomfortable.
Just when he thought he might have just been hearing things, the system's voice sounded in his head once more:
"The system has not yet been activated; please patiently await the right opportunity. In view of the host's bad luck, the system is issuing a beginner's gift pack in advance. Will you accept it?"
"A beginner's gift pack?"
Seeing this prompt, Orochimaru was wild with joy. True enough, the crying child gets the milk... or rather, the candy, since it could actually be issued in advance.
"Accept!"
Although he knew this extra golden finger would add something unpredictable to his life, his voice still carried an unavoidable trace of excitement.
"Congratulations to the host for acquiring the abilities of Black King from the Marvel Universe. (Note: How can a scientist get by without a robust physique?)"
"Black King? Isn't that the villain from *X-Men: First Class*?"
Though he had been a researcher in his past life, he still watched movies and dramas in his spare time, and as a globally successful sci-fi film series, *X-Men* had naturally left a deep impression on him.
And Black King, as a veteran big boss among the villains, had made an even more profound impact.
Black King could absorb almost any form of energy—kinetic energy, nuclear energy, magic—and then convert it to strengthen his own attributes or use it directly for attacks.
A grenade would be completely absorbed the moment it exploded, and attacks from dozens of machine guns or even rocket launchers could be taken in stride.
It was said that if he were to stand on the sun, he would be an invincible existence—provided his energy conversion efficiency could keep up.
Moreover, the absorbed energy could keep him ageless and immortal, though whether he was truly immortal as legend had it remained unknown, since he had been beaten to death by Magneto.
This ability could be said to ignore all physical-level damage, as long as one's physical fitness was strong enough and the energy conversion rate could keep up.
Compared to the Dark Release conjured up by Hiruko—which was like a mere firefly daring to rival the bright moon in brilliance—this was a fully enhanced version of the Dark Release, and an all-around crushing one at that.
A wave of pain brought Orochimaru back to his senses. The cells all over his body seemed to churn, and countless dense bumps kept rising across his skin in a terrifying spectacle.
If an outsider were to see this scene, they would undoubtedly be scared piss-less, but these were no longer problems Orochimaru could worry about at the moment.
Cell division and reorganization were extremely painful, and the mortality rate was also very high—which was why people opposed human experimentation; it was truly thankless work.
As the pain intensified, Orochimaru was already covered in sweat, but instead of letting out agonizing screams, he bit down hard on the quilt, afraid he might accidentally bite off his tongue.
The little white snake beside him looked at Orochimaru's agonizing state at a loss, swimming around him anxiously in hopes of being able to help in some way.
The pain came as fast as it went, fading away within just a few minutes.
However, Orochimaru was already unconscious. The shock of cell division was like having one's soul torn apart; even Orochimaru, known as one of the Sannin, could hardly bear it, and the intense pain caused him to black out not long after.
Seeing that Orochimaru had calmed down, the little white snake also stopped its restless movements and returned to his bedside to keep a quiet watch.
Changes at the genetic level could never happen that quickly. Although the surface of Orochimaru's body had returned to normal, the cells inside his body were still undergoing ceaseless transformation.
His brain, internal organs, and bones were undergoing a step-by-step metamorphosis. Orochimaru knew nothing of these changes until the sky grew dim once again.
"How is he?"
A middle-aged man's voice rang out beside Orochimaru's hospital bed, his tone filled with the majesty of someone in authority, as if his words were not an inquiry, but an interrogation.
"Lord Hokage, senior Orochimaru's physical attributes are completely normal. The reason he hasn't woken up after so long is likely due to a minor concussion to the head, coupled with the excessive burden on his body recently, causing it to enter a state of dormancy by instinct. I believe he will wake up before long, so you don't need to worry."
Hearing the Hokage's inquiry, the doctor dared not conceal anything. The person before him was Konoha's supreme leader, and Orochimaru on the hospital bed was likewise a figure of extraordinary status.
"Hmm, resting a bit more is fine too!"
Glancing at the nervous doctor, then looking at Orochimaru's even breathing, the Third Hokage lingered no longer, turning and walking out of the ward, hastily seen off by the doctors and nurses.
Being the shadow of a village kept one very busy, especially with quite a few recent events occurring, and he had simply squeezed in some time after finishing his workday to check on this disciple of his.
Not long after everyone left, Orochimaru slowly opened his eyes on the hospital bed.
He had already heard their conversation while he was still half-asleep, but his consciousness was awake while his body refused to obey commands, and only at this moment was he able to open his eyes.
Re-evaluating every part of his body, he found no abnormalities, save for a wave of intense hunger that made him realize a long time must have passed.
Raising his eyes to look out the window, the sky was now completely dark, and the lights in the distant homes of the residents had been lit, casting a soft glow.
Seeing him wake up, the little white snake excitedly crawled up to Orochimaru's face and wagged its tail.
"Sigh..."
Sitting up from the bed, Orochimaru stretched; after sleeping for a whole day and night, his bones felt stiff.
Recalling the scene before he lost consciousness, Orochimaru hurriedly checked his current body.
It looked no different, but the hunger and yearning emanating from every cell throughout his body made him realize that all of this was no dream.
The quilt still retained the shallow bite marks and a trace of blood stains from before he lost consciousness. Although a nurse had come in to tidy up during that time, she apparently hadn't noticed this detail.
Moreover, the hunger transmitted by his bodily cells wasn't just as simple as wanting to ingest food; Orochimaru could sense that it was a craving for external energy.
Thinking of this, Orochimaru couldn't wait to experience this ability for himself.