After Xia Yanchun returned home, Shen Nian took out all the toys from the toy box and played with each one.
In the end, no more collection items were triggered, so he gave up.
Hidden tasks seemed mostly luck-based—from the tear of clouds and sea to the fate goddess mom, to the plastic toy of the wind and song bell, each one was unexpected. Actively searching for clues left him clueless, but somehow he stumbled into completing them.
Ah, system, take flight!
The next day.
The holiday was ending, and boarding students had to attend evening self-study tonight, but Shen Nian and Xia Yanchun didn’t need to. There was no rush to return to school.
By 10 a.m., Shen Nian was already packed and ready. He, Shen Yue, and Xia Yanchun took a bus to the town entrance.
Shen Nian had only finished eight test papers. He needed two more to advance to an intermediate adventurer. Thankfully, he had [High Spirits], or else he’d be completely drained.
[High Spirits] is carrying hard, bro.
[Glimmer Training] is also a decent title, but experience is abstract. Without controlled variables, it’s hard to gauge how strong [Glimmer Training] really is.
As for [Miraculous Recovery]… there was no chance to test it yet. Shen Nian wasn’t about to self-harm—maybe he’d try it if he scraped his knee someday.
Skills are never a burden. Like in games, some skills you might not use, but it’s good to have them.
On the bus, Shen Yue and Xia Yanchun sat together, chatting like close sisters about everything—recently popular dating shows, Shen Yue’s workplace complaints—never running out of topics.
Shen Nian sat behind them, resting his head on his hands, listening with a forced smile.
Hah, sis stealing her brother’s spot—what kind of sister is this?
Then who’s gonna make up for the affection I’m missing?
Leaning against the back of Xia Yanchun’s seat, Shen Nian secretly breathed in her scent. It felt a bit creepy, but he liked doing it openly when sitting with her too. Since she allowed it, sneaking a whiff was even more acceptable.
Remembering how Xia Yanchun had embarrassingly rushed downstairs yesterday, Shen Nian smirked, feeling warm inside. His hand reached forward to play with her soft, fluffy hair.
Xia Yanchun glanced back at him but ignored it, continuing her chatter with Shen Yue.
…
They arrived at the neighborhood in the afternoon.
A cool breeze swept through. The ground swept clean in the morning was now covered in fallen leaves.
Autumn had truly arrived. Cinan wasn’t as scorching as before—Shen Nian’s favorite crisp autumn days!
Autumn girl, please let me misbehave.
Following the two girls into the neighborhood, Shen Nian took a few steps before leisurely backtracking. He picked up two withered leaves and draped them over the sleeping stray cat by the security booth.
Huh? Aren’t cats supposed to be alert? Why isn’t it waking up?
If not for its little belly rising and falling, Shen Nian would’ve thought it was dead.
So he piled a dozen more leaves on the cat, turning it into a leafy scarecrow.
The security guard who witnessed it all: …
Met a real character today. What even to say about this kid.
By the twentieth leaf, the cat finally woke up. It instinctively tensed to hiss, but seeing Shen Nian, it couldn’t even be bothered. It just dashed into the bushes and flopped down.
Now Shen Nian was satisfied. If the cat didn’t get up and sleep again, he’d feel unsettled.
“Why do you always mess with this cat?” the guard finally spoke up.
This cat was well-behaved—never scratched tires or bike seats, didn’t yowl during mating season, and though it hissed if strangers got too close, it was practically a refined gentleman if left alone.
“Dunno. Developed a bond. Withdrawal symptoms now.”
“You’re something else.” The guard gave a thumbs-up.
Shen Nian chuckled, exchanged a few words, then went back to his room to organize his things.
Dinner was takeout. Seizing the last day of the holiday, Shen Nian rushed to finish his ninth test paper.
Before he knew it, night fell. Shen Nian stretched his neck at the desk.
Just one more paper to become an intermediate adventurer!
Two charm points, two stamina points.
Not that he really needed them anymore.
If only stamina could be converted into mental stats.
Stamina could be infinitely replenished with [High Spirits], and though mental energy could too, Shen Nian’s marathon study sessions sometimes left his brain exhausted. A higher mental cap would’ve been nice.
Charm was even more useless.
Bro’s charm was already maxed out. What now? If attack maxes make you a nuke, defense maxes make you a tank, does charm max turn you into a succubus?
Shen Nian was a kind soul. If possible, he’d gladly share the [Intermediate Adventurer]’s two stamina points with those in need.
For the average high school boy, two stamina points could be life-saving.
Imagine cramming all holiday, then returning to a 1000-meter P.E. test like:
Sound familiar?
This was the reality for countless boys post-holiday.
You wouldn’t want the girls in class to see you gasping after one kilometer, collapsing in defeat, right?
But with those two stamina points? Everything changes.
The delinquent’s hot girlfriend eyes you differently. The quiet, pretty class rep blushes at you. Your childhood friend who usually hates you starts reevaluating…
For some guys, this would be god-tier.
Not you, Ma Mingfan.
Wait, you actually want it? I was joking.
Leaving his room after speedrunning six subjects (essays included), Shen Nian’s head spun. He needed a ten-minute break to recharge.
Shen Yue, as usual, was sprawled on the couch. At least she wasn’t too lazy to shower, or the couch would’ve been filthy by now.
“If you really never get married, are we just gonna live together forever?”
“Huh?” Shen Yue peeked over like a curious kitten. “I’d like that, but you’ll marry someday, right? If it’s Xia Yanchun, I wouldn’t overstay. Just visit occasionally so I don’t die alone out there.”
“What? Since when am I marrying Xia Yanchun?”
“Relax, just an example. Anyone works. Right now, she’s the closest to you, no?” Shen Yue waved it off. “Don’t overthink it.”
“Can you buy life insurance? With me as beneficiary.”
“You’re asking for a beating.” Shen Yue laughed angrily. Disrespecting your elder sister? That’s a death sentence.
Just cut off his monthly gaming pass—that’ll tame him.
Speaking of which, Shen Yue glanced at him. “You really quit gaming?”
“Dropped Naruto. Playing Three Kingdoms Kill now.”
“…Just go back to Naruto.”
“What, disrespecting Three Kingdoms Kill players??” Shen Nian fumed.
“Alright, alright, go play, child.”
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rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
