"This... This is impossible!"

Su Ran was horrified to discover that the strength in his left arm was gradually fading away, and the once swollen limb was once again shrinking down, reverting to a skin-and-bones state at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Moreover, all sensation in his left arm had vanished, and Su Ran couldn’t even make a fist, let alone raise his arm.

Everything had returned to the starting point.

The cruelest thing in the world is to first give you hope, then plunge you into despair, and this was the exact portrait of Su Ran’s heart at the moment.

"How could this happen?"

Su Ran completely collapsed. He had just started to recover, but then reality ruthlessly shattered it to pieces. All the strength drained from his body, and he sat down on the ground, his eyes empty.

Could it be...

That his life had reached the point of a flickering flame, where even the Healing Pill could not take effect?

"Haha, Hahaha."

Laughing out of despair, even Su Ran’s laughter was weak and his expression forlorn as if he had lost all spirit to fate’s mockery.

"Meow~~"

Little Black sensed something was off with Su Ran, ignoring his duty at the door and immediately leaping to Su Ran’s side. His eyes were full of confusion as he continuously rubbed his fluffy head against Su Ran’s pant leg, trying to offer comfort.

"Little Black, don’t worry, I just can’t accept it for a moment."

Su Ran gently stroked Little Black’s head. He had come to terms with it; having lived with the disease for so many years, he was accustomed to it. What difference would a few more years make?

As long as he was alive, that was enough.

At this moment, Su Ran did not dare to hope for too much. Just being able to see the sun the next day was already enough for him to feel content.

Dear God, that’s not too much to ask for, right?

"Phew, after venting out, I feel much better."

Su Ran’s resilience was not weak; he quickly accepted the cruel reality and got up, just about to return to his bedroom when his mother appeared in the living room.

"Little Ran, you logged off so early today?"

Su’s mother was carrying bags both large and small, clearly having just finished buying New Year goods. Seeing Su Ran’s lifeless eyes, she sensed something was amiss. She quickly dropped the food ingredients to the ground and hurried over to Su Ran, asking anxiously, "What happened, why do you look so listless? Don’t scare your mom, okay?"

"It’s nothing, Mom. Seeing you bought so much stuff, the New Year mood is getting stronger, huh."

Su Ran forced a smile, although it was somewhat strained. Holding Little Black, he walked over to the plastic bags, squatted down, and started rummaging through them. "Wow, Mom, you really went all out this time, even buying several fish! Oh my, this pork must weigh at least ten pounds, right? It’s so heavy!"

Su Ran was exclaiming non-stop, and even Little Black’s eyes gleamed, staring intently at those fish, meowing persistently.

Watching Su Ran’s figure, Su’s mother was already frozen in place.

"Haha, and there’s my favorite broccoli, Mom... hm?"

Before Su Ran could finish, he noticed something odd about his mother. His heart skipped a beat - could it be that his mother had discovered something?

"Meow~"

Sensing the tension, Little Black cleverly jumped out of Su Ran’s arms, no longer paying attention to the delicious fish, and quietly snuck back to the room.

"Little Ran, quick, stand up and walk a few steps!"

Su Ran’s mother’s eyes were somewhat red, and, excitedly walking over to Su Ran, her gaze never left his left leg, her eyes becoming brighter and brighter.

"Mom, I’m so sick and you still want me to walk a few steps..."

Su Ran complained mutteringly, but still, he stood up and walked a few steps according to his mother’s wishes.

"Son, have you already recovered from your illness?"

Su Ran’s mother watched his walking posture with disbelief, the shock and joy in her eyes clearly visible.

"How could... Eh?"

Su Ran was just about to deny it, but before he could finish his sentence, he noticed something was amiss. At this moment, walking didn’t tire him at all, and his left leg lifted and landed very smoothly. He himself found it unbelievable.

It must be understood that Su Ran used to walk almost by dragging his feet and his posture was very awkward. Now that there was such a big change, it was no wonder that his mother could tell at a glance.

"Quick, show your leg, let Mom see!"

Su Ran’s mother excitedly ran over, almost tripping over the ingredients on the floor, and came in front of Su Ran. Without caring whether he agreed or not, she grabbed the hem of his trousers and lifted them up.

At this time, Su Ran was wearing a pair of fleece-lined sleep pants, which were easily turned up, and his calf was exposed to both of their views.

"My God, son, what kind of divine medicine have you eaten? Your leg has fully recovered!"

Su Ran’s mother couldn’t help but pinch Su Ran’s thigh, the surprise came so suddenly that she still felt it was all so unreal. Yet, the smile on her face bloomed like a fresh flower.

"Uh, maybe the massage feature in the game pod worked."

Su Ran scratched his head, speaking off the cuff. Only then did he realize, the Healing Pill was effective after all. It was just that his illness was too severe, and the effect of the Healing Pill wasn’t enough to completely cure him.

Thinking this, Su Ran’s hope was rekindled again. He firmly believed that if he could get one more Healing Pill, he would definitely be able to completely overcome this stubborn illness!

"Whew."

Su Ran took a deep breath, pressing his hand against his violently beating heart. At this moment, the shock in his heart was not less than his mother’s, and he managed not to lose his composure on the spot.

"Son, let Mom see, how is your arm recovering?"

Su Ran’s mother stood up, lifted Su Ran’s left sleeve a little, and after seeing that pitiful arm, she quietly pulled the sleeve back down, comforting Su Ran with a smile, "Son, the leg has recovered, so how far could a complete recovery be? You play the game well, play it fiercely, do you hear me?"

Uh.

Su Ran didn’t quite know how to respond to his mother’s command to play games—in a tone that meant not playing was not an option!

"Mo..."

Just as Su Ran was about to say something, his face suddenly contorted in pain, and he no longer cared about speaking with his mother. He hurried to the table and gulped down the prepared Nutrient Solution.

"Indeed, even with the existence of the Divine Secret Elixir, the toxicity of the Healing Pill cannot be completely eliminated..."

With the nourishment of the Nutrient Solution, Su Ran’s complexion quickly returned to normal. He was still shaken up by the recent episode of pain, a look of relief on his face.

"Little Ran, don’t scare Mom, are you alright?"

Seeing Su Ran’s unusual behavior, Su Ran’s mother became flustered. She rushed over to Su Ran, her face full of worry.

"It’s nothing, I’m so strong, how could anything be wrong with me? I was just thirsty, needed a drink to moisten my throat, haha, don’t get all worked up!"

Su Ran casually explained, and to avoid his mother’s gaze, he strode towards his own bedroom, "Mom, I’m going to play a game now. I’ve got tasks to do later, so I won’t keep you company here~!"

Watching Su Ran’s retreating figure, Su Ran’s mother stood still, motionless for a long time, her thoughts unknown.