"Once I get home, I have to go to bed early..." Ji Minghuan thought, "The mentor will come to find me soon, I have to focus on meeting him in my true form."
The sky was already very late, the twilight growing dense, and figures were sparse on the streets and alleys. Under the hazy yellow streetlights, a bicycle crossed the street, the soft, clear sound of the chain turning was audible.
Ji Minghuan casually bought a donut while on the road. He remembered that back when he was at the Welfare Institute, Kong Youling really liked this: whenever the nurses brought donuts back, he would always tell her he didn't like sweets and then give his share to her.
Eating alone now feels less flavorful, seemingly not as good as he remembers. Perhaps having left the poverty-stricken, cramped environment of the Welfare Institute and lacking the amazement of children around him, the donut that seemed so novel at the time has also lost its taste.
Yet as he tasted the flavor, he seemed to see the nine-year-old Kong Youling at his side, nibbling slowly with her snow-white hair waving, like a little white hamster.
From time to time, she would look back while chewing the donut to glance at him and write in her notebook, asking, "Really not eating?"
Ji Minghuan couldn't help but laugh softly, his eyes shaded by his hanging bangs.
"If... you were here, it would be nice." He suddenly thought.
He held a donut in his mouth, opened the door with a silver-plated key, and changed into house slippers.
Upon entering the living room, he saw Gu Qiye, who had just cleaned the kitchen, quietly sitting on the sofa and reading a book. The book was a newly unsealed hardcover edition of "The Stranger," the same book Black Cocoon was flipping through when making their attention-grabbing appearance last night.
"It's rare to see you reading at home." Ji Minghuan said, biting into the donut.
"Cultivate taste." Gu Qiye said.
Cultivate taste or studying the enemy? Ji Minghuan inwardly remarked.
He wasn't worried about Gu Qiye finding the same novel at home because the book he took last night was grabbed randomly from a bookstore on the way to Li Jing Square using the restraint belt, and he returned it casually on his way back.
This is what a properly high-quality villain character should do, or more accurately, a "gray character."
"Xiaomai... hasn't come back?" Gu Qiye asked, eyes downcast, reading without looking up.
"She said she wants to stay out until the end of summer break before coming back."
After briefly recounting what happened in the park, Ji Minghuan said he kept the contact information of a mixed-race girl named "Ke Qirui" and could call her if needed, then happily trotted off to the second floor.
Strangely, Gu Qiye didn't ask him for the girl's number, maybe thinking it'd make Su Zimai angry.
As a brother, he still quite understands his sister at home. Of course, if he knew Su Zimai had actually run off with an exorcist senior, he might dash straight to the park like lightning to bring Su Zimai home.
Actually, Ji Minghuan was a bit surprised, thinking he wouldn't see Gu Qiye upon returning home at this time, instead only being able to see the star of Li Jing City — Mutant "Blue Arc" on TV.
Of course... it was likely because Blue Arc was too badly injured yesterday, so the Mutants Association let someone else cover his shift, giving him a day off to catch up with recovery.
Ji Minghuan took clean clothes from the room wardrobe, took a shower, and heard the heavy footsteps from upstairs.
Gu Zhuo's room was on the third floor, right above the second-floor bathroom, judging from the footsteps, Dad should be in his room now.
So Ji Minghuan stood under the showerhead, rinsing his body with warm water, then summoned the restraint belt to press against the bathroom ceiling.
Sensing seeped through the white walls, bringing him the scene upstairs.
He saw Gu Zhuo sitting motionlessly on the bed, dazedly staring at the photo placed by the window. The photo was a shot from his and his wife Su Ying's college days, he hadn't seen this photo for two years, now looking at it intently.
Ji Minghuan originally thought he was handling some dangerous biological weapon but found himself surprised by Dad's deep affection instead.
He silently retracted the restraint belt back to his body. After the shower, Ji Minghuan changed into clean pajamas, sprawled on the bed, closed the room door using the restraint belt, then opened the personal panel, dense information filled his eyes.
[Character Attributes: Strength (determines physical quality): C-level; Speed (determines nerve reaction): C+-level; Spirit (determines mental intensity): C-level]
[Currently your game character - "Black Cocoon" holds 2 attribute points, choose to distribute them immediately?]
Ji Minghuan pressed the plus sign next to "Strength" and "Speed" each for balanced development.
[Primary game character "Black Cocoon"'s "Strength" attribute changed: C-level→C+-level]
[Primary game character "Black Cocoon"'s "Speed" attribute changed: C+-level→C++-level]
Like a dark current surging within, permeating every cell, his body functions visibly improved. Ji Minghuan tried doing a few push-ups on the ground, even the muscle movements seemed more fluid.
Moreover, increasing these two attributes could also enhance the strength and speed of the restraint belt, which was the most important.
Then he switched to the [Character Skill Tree] panel, skills on the three branches unfolded before his eyes.
[Branch one (Hidden): Restraint Sensing (learned) → Restraint Truth (to be learned) → Unknown (details will be available after learning "the previous skill" of this branch) → Unknown...]
[Branch two (Frenzy): Restraint Extension (to be learned) → Unknown → Unknown → Unknown...]
[Branch three (Li): Restraint Detection (learned) → Restraint Suppression (to be learned) → Unknown → Unknown...]
"Currently, the known methods to obtain the 'Split Point' are through completing mainline tasks, and creating a second game character would avoid the situation where the first character dies, leaving no way to obtain the Split Point—this way, even if the first character dies, I can use the second character to proceed, continuing to create more characters."
Ji Minghuan thought while long-pressing "Restraint Truth" in the skill bar.
He watched it change from dim to bright without expression, finally blooming with a color of intense black energy.
[Spent "1" skill point, successfully learned skill "Restraint Truth" of branch "Hidden" (able to force the opponent to speak their true thoughts when using the restraint belt to bind them).]
[The next skill of branch "Hidden" is open for learning permissions.]
"Then... in a few days I can go settle accounts with the director."
Ji Minghuan recalled the past in the darkness, memories of the old director leading them to worship in the Christ Church flashed through his mind. At that time, the old director knelt before the Jesus statue, bearing a deceitful and bloated face, clasping his hands in prayer, still an unforgettable impression.
"Old director, you can start praying to your god, praying... that you can give me a satisfactory answer."
He murmured softly, eyes reflecting the hellish color on the red-black branches.