One Piece: God of Space - Chapter 11 Leaving the Kingdom

When Fang Jin learned that he was in a cultivation novel where the protagonist was a lady and that he had become cannon fodder, he quickly racked his brain to think of a way to save himself.

Everything seemed wrong until he saw it.

[First day as a pet owner.]

[Attractiveness +1]

…

[A day of cultivation with zero gain.]

[Understanding +1]

A young man from modern-day Earth, Lin Fan, is transported to another world after a freak accident—bringing with him a basic Zerg unit from StarCraft: a Drone.To his shock,the world he lands in is none other than—Douluo Continent!In an instant, Lin Fan becomes the Zerg Overmind. Starting with a single egg, he grows stronger through hatching, devouring, and evolving.Beginning his development in the Star Dou Forest, he lurks in the shadows, absorbing every usable resource and converting it into bio-energy.Soul Beasts?They’re nothing more than gene samples for the Zerg. Whatever they have—I have too!Soul Bones?Perfect. I’ll melt them down to enhance the Swarm!Soul Rings?Sorry, I can mass-produce those. You want a ten-thousand-year one? I’ve got plenty!Ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts?I have billions of Zerg soldiers!Hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts?I still have billions of Zerg soldiers!Continental Soul Master Elite Tournament?When so-called geniuses of the younger generation face off against Zerg-engineered gene warriors, how will they not despair?And when the newly transformed Xiao Wu encounters the Zerg Swarm under Lin Fan’s command, a ruthless and decisive Blade Queen is born!Soul Masters will be implanted with Mind Control Parasites and reduced to mere slaves of the Swarm. Female leads? One by one, they’ll be upgraded into Blade Queens, loyal to their Overlord, and conquer the world in his name!I am the supreme Overlord!And I shall lead the Zerg to devour all life!

I became the childhood friend of the protagonist in a novel. The childhood friend who died from taking drugs.

In this world, orphans or just anyone without any hope for this world can apply to become a “walking target”. Their sole purpose is to be a practicing dummy for the students of the sect who train to become “Demon Hunters”. These students need “walking targets” to test their training on living, walking beings of flesh and blood.
In exchange, they will be provided with food & shelter.
Their existence value is lower than a slave, but if they manage to survive a few years they can receive a life long pension.

Xiao Han is such a “walking target”. One time he witnessed a powerful Demon Hunter disposing a demon. When the demon died, a fragment of the demon that managed to escape entered Xiao Han’s heart. No one saw that, and even Xiao Han himself only felt some discomfort for an instant.

But that thing in his heart soon gave Xiao Han visions, and the first one is of a cultivation method which allows Xiao Han to absorb damage to enhance his body. A perfect cultivation method for a “walking target”.

- Description from Novelupdates