Translator: CinderTL
Star City Academy, Dorm 301
Seated at his desk, Feng Qi began organizing the gains he had acquired during his recent Dream Realm experience, meticulously recording them in his notebook. This would help him formulate a clear plan without feeling lost or overwhelmed.
First, he focused on his enhanced abilities:
Ability Enhancement 1: His prefix title Robust had advanced to Very Robust, more than doubling his physical attributes. The title's passive bonus to physical strength had increased from 20% to 30%, and his body's natural regenerative capabilities had improved accordingly.
Ability Enhancement 2: His prefix title Resilience had advanced to LV5, granting a 5% increase in muscle resilience.
Note: This enhancement might affect the combat power boost granted by the Blood Source state, given that it strengthens muscles and the Blood Source state transforms him into a muscular powerhouse.
Ability Enhancement 3: He had acquired a brand-new prefix title, Blood Source. When activated, it could dramatically enhance his strength for a short period and alter his physical appearance. However, it required consuming his own vital energy and posed potential risks if used in the real world.
Note: It's best not to attempt this ability in reality, as it could have severe consequences. However, there's a reasonable chance it can be controlled.
After tallying his gains in strength, Feng Qi began organizing and analyzing the intelligence he had gathered.
Intelligence Gain 1: Confirmed that Mu Qing was not controlled by evil forces in the future. Her actions—founding the Dawn Army, massacring cities, etc.—were driven by her own will.
Note: Consider giving Mu Qing the email next time to uncover the truth behind her actions.
Intelligence Gain 2: Suction Cup is almost certainly a clone or replica of Mu Qing. The rune crystal on her body is likely the same one Mu Qing possesses, and Suction Cup was likely created by the Scarlet Research Institute.
Note: Based on this, the Scarlet Research Institute's alignment may be benevolent rather than malevolent, though this cannot be confirmed with absolute certainty.
Intelligence Gain 3: In the Dream Realm, a mysterious hidden door was discovered within the abandoned hospital (residential complex) where Suction Cup often resided. This is highly likely a hidden experimental base left by the Scarlet Research Institute before the destruction of Human Civilization, potentially containing crucial information.
Note: No method to open it has been found yet. Search for clues in reality or force it open when you possess absolute power.
Intelligence Acquisition 4: A scroll made of a special material was discovered within the Star City Underground Shelter. The map on it is highly likely related to the Heaven-Reaching Road.
Intelligence Acquisition 5: Mo Fei's "Brain in a Vat Project" proposed in his email message. If conditions permit and the timing is right, consider attempting to implement it.
Note: My future self is so miserable QvQ
Intelligence Acquisition 6: It can now be confirmed that Liu Yue and the Xia Family Brothers are not werewolves.
Note: In the Future Line, my future self was implanted with a surveillance chip. This could be a starting point for finding targets.
Intelligence Acquisition 7: Three brats have formed a surprisingly influential organization called the "Destiny Association." It's time to strike hard.
Intelligence Acquisition 8: Strengthening the Suction Cup can extend the duration of stays in the Dream Realm.
Intelligence Acquisition 9: Xiaoxin, a classmate at Star City No. 1 High School, possesses a unique talent for growth through adversity. Her future development is worth watching; she might hold unexpected surprises.
After organizing his discoveries and gains from the Dream Realm, Feng Qi closed his notebook.
His bank account was now empty, preventing him from purchasing more rune crystals to replenish the energy needed to enter the Dream Realm.
However, the upcoming Tiger Soul Concept Competition left him completely unfazed.
In his mind, victory was already assured, and the eight million yuan prize money would soon be his.
Checking the time, he saw it was 5 PM.
He pulled out his phone and called Lin Ran.
The call connected after a few seconds. Before Feng Qi could speak, Lin Ran's voice boomed through the line:
"Food?"
"Is that all you ever think about?"
Lin Ran's confused voice echoed back: "What else could it be?"
"Never mind. I just wanted to tell you it's time for food."
Lin Ran: ...
After hanging up, Feng Qi stood up and headed out of the dormitory.
As for why he didn't notify Mu Qing about dinner, it was because she never needed reminding.
No one arrived at the Academy Cafeteria earlier than her, and no one left later.
When it came to eating, Mu Qing was always the first to arrive and the last to leave, diligent and hardworking.
After leaving the dormitory building, he walked straight toward the Academy Cafeteria along the flowerbeds planted with lush greenery outside the dorm.
The evening sky was ablaze with crimson clouds, a breathtaking sight.
Gazing at the sky, he recalled the Blood Moon that never set in the Dream Realm of the future.
For some reason, a sudden wave of melancholy washed over him, a sense of "the sunset is beautiful, but twilight is near."
As the recent focal point of attention at Star City Academy, Feng Qi was greeted by students every few steps on his way to the cafeteria. He nodded in acknowledgment to each one.
Seeing the smiles on their faces and the unwavering determination in their eyes, he felt a measure of solace.
This was all worth fighting to protect with every ounce of his strength.
Entering the Academy Cafeteria, the aroma of delicious food wafted through the air, instantly dispelling his lingering melancholy.
Nothing brought him greater joy than a good meal.
Especially now, after his strength had been amplified in the Dream Realm, his appetite had grown ravenous. He felt like he could devour an entire cow.
After grabbing a tray from the rack, he headed to the serving area to begin selecting his meal.
After spending several days in the Dream Realm, Feng Qi didn't feel hunger, but he still missed the sensation of eating.
Tonight, the Academy Cafeteria's menu was particularly lavish.
Braised pork ribs, Alaskan abalone, Boston lobster, stewed pork hock, pickled cabbage with glass noodles, tofu with scallions, roasted whole lamb, spicy chopped pepper fish head... He piled his plate until it was completely full, with no room for more.
Ignoring the cafeteria auntie's "Waste is shameful!" admonishment, Feng Qi smiled and nodded before leaving.
Wasting food is out of the question. I'll definitely be back for seconds later.
He headed to the north corner of the cafeteria, where Mu Qing and Lin Ran had already arrived.
Sitting down next to Lin Ran, he grabbed a roasted lamb leg and took a large bite. The meat was crispy, fragrant, and tender, neither gamey nor greasy.
Delicious!
As he savored the flavor, he glanced at Lin Ran's plate, which held only a few slices of meat, and chuckled, "You've got quite the appetite today, huh?"
Lin Ran looked up at Feng Qi's overflowing plate, then at Mu Qing's equally piled-high plate, before glancing down at his own meager portion. His expression turned somewhat helpless.
"I ate too much for lunch, so I don't have much of an appetite tonight."
"Keep going!" Mu Qing looked up and gave Lin Ran an encouraging glance before returning to her hearty meal.
This left Lin Ran feeling a faint sense of melancholy.
He wanted to try harder, but this wasn't something that could be achieved through effort alone.
Dining with Feng Qi and Mu Qing, watching them devour their food with such gusto, he felt his own appetite had improved significantly compared to before.
Yet, against Feng Qi and Mu Qing's monstrous, gluttonous appetites, his "good" appetite made no difference—it was still just a mere morsel.
A sudden idea struck Lin Ran.
He wondered if he could research a special art magic to aid digestion, similar to how Duan Yu in wuxia novels would cheat his way to victory when drinking with Qiao Feng.
Noticing Lin Ran's solemn expression, the ravenously hungry Feng Qi ignored him and began devouring his food.
He gradually became completely immersed in the clash of flavors, utterly lost in the moment.
The meal lasted about half an hour, during which Feng Qi went back for seconds.
Just as he had anticipated, his appetite in the real world had increased after his strength improved in the Dream Realm.
After finishing his meal, he had replenished nearly 0.5% of his energy, and the replenishment was still slowly increasing even after he finished eating.
He felt that if his physical strength continued to improve, he might one day be able to rely entirely on the Academy Cafeteria to meet his energy needs.
Of course, this was just wishful thinking.
If his appetite reached that level, he would probably need to consume nearly half of the Academy Cafeteria's food each meal to fill his stomach.
Bai Fusheng would undoubtedly drag him in for a physical examination, fearing something was wrong with him.
Mu Qing, as a rune augment, could explain her large appetite, and no one would suspect anything.
But for a normal person to have such a monstrous appetite, he would either be considered a mutant or suspected of being parasitized by a domain creature.
After dinner, he and Lin Ran went straight to the Academy Library.
Reading for the rise of humanity.
After finding a foundational book on cultivation technique research, he also picked out an advanced book on art magic research for Lin Ran.
Lin Ran was the founding patriarch of a major school of art magic in the future. Feng Qi had high expectations for Lin Ran's future contributions to this field.
The Future People's evaluation of Lin Ran served as proof.
If not for a single misstep that halted his research into art magic, Lin Ran would have achieved even greater accomplishments in the field.
The Hand Seal Flow Art was not Lin Ran's ultimate goal. After refining the initial concepts of the Hand Seal Flow Art, his talent for art magic research was still on the rise. It was at this point that he suddenly shifted his focus to cultivation techniques.
With this thought, Feng Qi looked up at Lin Ran, who was sitting across from him.
"Lin Ran, why are you so determined to research cultivation techniques? Is it just for a dream?"
Lin Ran was taken aback by the question.
After a moment of silence, a nostalgic expression appeared on his face.
"It's not just my dream, but also my grandfather's. He was a researcher at the Tiger Soul Research Institute, and his lifelong ambition was to develop a Super Cultivation Technique that could change the world and make humans stronger than domain creatures. I grew up under his influence, so I've always been deeply interested in researching cultivation techniques."
"Unfortunately, while Grandfather was refining his cultivation technique concept, improper circulation of spiritual energy during practice caused all the meridians in his body to rupture, leading to his death. That's why I want to carry on his dream and develop the Super Cultivation Technique he pursued throughout his life."
Feng Qi, who had been about to offer a few words of comfort, suddenly found himself at a loss for words after hearing the cause of Lin Ran's grandfather's death.
Encouragement? Clearly, that was out of the question. Whether the cultivation technique Lin Ran was researching had failed due to external factors, resulting in the rupture of millions of meridians and death, the problem could be eliminated by stopping Lin Ran's research at its source.
As for advice, advising Lin Ran to abandon his pursuit at this point would be heartless.
So he chose silence.
"Hey, isn't that the monk?" Lin Ran's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Following Lin Ran's gaze, Feng Qi turned to see the monk sitting nearby, earnestly flipping through a yellowed book.
Seeing this, Feng Qi was somewhat surprised.
He never imagined a monk would actively seek to learn and improve himself.
A wave of relief washed over him, making him realize the monk wasn't as unreliable as he'd thought.
Just then, the monk closed his book, stood up, and headed toward the restroom.
Seeing this, Feng Qi also stood up, curious to see what the monk had been reading.
After all, the monk was his student, and he could later tailor his lessons using knowledge copied from the future database, based on the monk's interests.
Approaching the desk where the monk had been sitting, Feng Qi reached out and picked up the yellowed book. But when he saw the four large characters on the cover, his expression froze.
Uniform Fetish
Feng Qi: ???
Any goodwill he'd felt toward the monk vanished instantly.
With a critical mindset, he flipped open the book. But the contents transformed his anger into utter bewilderment.
The book detailed how to subdue inner desires and face temptations with equanimity.
This... this was actually a Buddhist scripture.
(End of the Chapter)