Chapter 29: Chapter 29

Chapter 29 Shudder without being cold

Translator: 549690339

“Xiao Chen, I heard from your mother that you joined the school’s Martial Arts Team, how does it feel?”

Lin Zichen had just returned home when he was asked this by Lin Yansheng in the living room.

He had called Zhang Wanxin after school to say he had joined the school’s Martial Arts Team and would be coming home late, so both of his parents were aware of this.

“It’s quite good, I can sweat it out after school and work out a bit.”

Lin Zichen replied while taking off his shoes.

Lin Yansheng asked another question, “Xiao Chen, whether it’s academic talent or athletic talent, you excel in both. Have you decided which path to pursue in the future?”

“I think my athletic talent is more remarkable than my academic talent, and the path of martial arts seems more promising too. Once I reach high school, I’ll join the Martial Arts Class and learn martial arts,” Lin Zichen answered without hesitation.

There are no Martial Arts Classes in the educational stages of this world.

Because practicing martial arts too early can affect the body’s development.

Only when students reach high school and their bodies are almost fully developed do schools start offering Martial Arts Classes.

Before that, students mainly focus on academic studies.

But courses related to Genetic Integrators, Mechanically Modified Humans, and Exotic Beasts are also offered to allow students to develop comprehensively.

“What a coincidence, your mother and I also want you to learn martial arts, it seems our family of three is in perfect agreement,” Lin Yansheng said with a satisfied smile on his face.

In this world where humanity is constantly threatened by Exotic Beasts, all trades are inferior, only martial arts stand superior.

Because only by training in martial arts to a certain physical strength can one bear the backlash of Genetic Fusion and mechanical modification, becoming a superior Genetic Integrator or Mechanically Modified Human.

“By the way, where’s mom?”

“Your mom and your Aunt Xu went out to buy groceries. They said it’s Friday, so everyone will get together tonight.”

“No wonder I didn’t see her around the house.”

Lin Zichen nodded and didn’t chat further, quickly going upstairs to take a shower.

He had worked up a sweat during martial arts practice and now felt sticky and uncomfortable.

In the bathroom.

Lin Zichen finished his shower, dried off his body, and stood naked in front of the mirror, carefully examining himself.

Despite the intense workouts he did regularly, his muscles didn’t look bulky at all. They weren’t exaggerated like a bodybuilder’s but were lean and toned.

He appeared slim when clothed but muscular once undressed.

“Not bad, a perfect physique.”

Looking at his reflection, Lin Zichen felt very satisfied.

Then, on a whim, he started practicing punches and kicks in front of the mirror.

[You’re practicing punching, Qi-Blood +1, strength of hand muscles +1, hand flexibility +1, proficiency of punching +1]

[You’re practicing kicking, Qi-Blood +1, strength of leg muscles +1, leg flexibility +1, proficiency of kicking +1]

He hadn’t been practicing for long when laughter and conversation drifted up from downstairs.

It was the voices of Zhang Wanxin and Xu Meng, who had returned from grocery shopping.

At the same time, he heard Shen Jianye and Shen Qinghan’s voices.

The two families were getting together for dinner that evening, and all three members of the other family had arrived.

Seeing that everyone was there, Lin Zichen grabbed his clothes, got dressed, opened the door, and went downstairs.

When he reached downstairs,

He saw the two mothers cooking in the kitchen, the two fathers chatting leisurely at the tea table, and Shen Qinghan sitting on the sofa doing her papers, studying hard.

Hearing the sound of Lin Zichen coming downstairs, Shen Qinghan looked up at him and complained,

“Xiao Chen, you took such a long time to shower, I’ve been here for half an hour.”

“It was alright.”

Lin Zichen replied and sat down beside her, casually starting to check his phone.

He was looking at the current news, keeping an eye on the situation everywhere.

Not long after, Shen Qinghan leaned over with a mysteriously excited expression and said,

“Xiao Chen, guess what sort of groceries your mom and Aunt Xin bought. You’ll never guess it.”

“King crabs?”

“No.”

“Lobster?”

“Wrong again.”

“Then I have no idea.”

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to guess!” Shen Qinghan said with a victorious smile before revealing, “It’s Phantom Squid Meat, three pounds of it!”

Phantom Squid Meat?

Lin Zichen thought he must have heard wrongly, visibly surprised.

From the front, Lin Yansheng said, “Your mom knew you and Qinghan wanted to have this, so she specially asked your Aunt Xu to buy it at the market.”

Hearing this, Lin Zichen suddenly felt an indescribable sensation in his heart.

He looked toward Zhang Wanxin, who was busy in the kitchen, and quickly stood up, walking over to say, “Mom, let me help you.”

Shen Qinghan also went into the kitchen to help upon seeing this.

It was now 8:30 p.m.

Dinner was finally ready.

Although the meal was served much later than usual, causing everyone to be ravenously hungry, the sight of the eight dishes and one soup on the table made them feel the wait was worthwhile.

“Xiao Chen, this Phantom Squid Meat is so fragrant, and the texture is chewy, really delicious!”

Shen Qinghan, her face beaming with happiness, took the initiative to pick up a piece of Phantom Squid Meat and place it in Lin Zichen’s bowl.

Lin Zichen tasted a bite, and it was indeed delicious.

[You have absorbed a trace of the “Phantom Squid’s” life essence]

[Phantom Squid Album: 3.01%]

Huh?

The progress bar for the album actually increased?

Lin Zichen was first startled, a bit surprised, but then he thought it made sense.

If touching it with his hands allowed him to absorb, then eating it would undoubtedly result in absorption as well.

While he was pondering these things, the television screen in front of them was broadcasting a piece of news.

“Genius girl shocks the nation!”

“At just fourteen years old, she successfully merged with the heart of energy, becoming the youngest Mechanically Modified Human in the country’s history!”

“When the energy is activated, she can easily lift a 2000kg off-road vehicle with one hand, sprint a hundred meters in just 3 seconds, and perform a vertical jump from a standstill to a height of 8 meters!”

“The prodigy of Capital City from yesteryear and today’s genius girl, which of the two peerless geniuses will become the king of this era?”

“Will Genetic Fusion be unrivaled, or will mechanical ascension prove undefeatable? Let’s look forward to the ultimate showdown between these two geniuses in the future!”

Everyone at the dining table watched this news report.

Among them, Zhang Wanxin said somewhat incredulously, “Another genius girl has popped up? She’s only fourteen, her body has not even fully developed, and she’s already undergone mechanical modification. I really don’t know what her parents were thinking.”

Lin Yansheng sipped his soup and said, “They probably saw how successfully the prodigy from Capital City marketed himself, making a fortune, and they wanted to jump on the bandwagon to make a quick buck as well.”

Listening to this, Lin Zichen also felt that this so-called peerless prodigy was all about marketing to make money.

Earning money, well, there’s no shame in that, it’s understandable.

Shen Qinghan, looking at the news on the television screen, thought that the term ‘peerless twin heroes’ sounded really nice, so she looked at Lin Zichen with full enthusiasm and said,

“Xiao Chen, I’m going to work hard to improve myself and strive to become peerless twin heroes with you one day!”

“Yeah, keep it up,” Lin Zichen made an encouraging gesture to her.

Watching the interaction between the two children, Shen Jianye and Xu Meng across the table felt a hint of bitterness, growing increasingly worried about Shen Qinghan’s future.

Strive to become peerless twin heroes?

But the reality was, the gap between the two children would only grow wider and wider.

Forget it, Han Han is still young.

Let her enjoy her happy days as long as they last, and cherish the friendship as long as it continues. Let her live in the present.

What’s to come can be dealt with later…

Shen Jianye and Xu Meng had come to terms with it, feeling that letting nature take its course was the best approach. They were no longer plagued by needless worries.

After all, worrying would only bring bad moods and couldn’t change a thing.

Soon.

The television screen switched to another news story.

“In XX District of Shanhai City, the captain of the local security force tragically perished last night at 11 p.m. in his office. Surveillance footage shows he died from a giant Exotic Rat that had infiltrated the premises.”

“The captain, named He Chunshan, had held his position for three years, making outstanding contributions to the security of XX District during his tenure, with a record of arresting nineteen followers of the Rat God Cult, helping Mechanically Modified Humans kill three giant Exotic Rats…”

After reporting on the security force captain’s contributions, the TV screen immediately played an interview clip.

The interviewees were security officers from the office, all looking furious and shouting that from now on they would fight the Rat God Cult to the death.

After watching this news report, everyone in the room widened their eyes in disbelief.

The security force captain was dead?

Last night at 11 p.m…. wasn’t that shortly after they had left the security office?

Thinking of this, everyone felt a chill of fear.

Especially Lin Zichen, who remembered the rat he had seen the night before and shuddered.

PS: Holding out my bowl, asking for monthly and recommendation tickets!