If there was a hell, Yuan Lin imagined it looked a lot like his apartment floor at that moment.
He was sprawled on the cold linoleum, curled up in a fetal position, every muscle and nerve in his body screaming in painful rebellion. It was a strange feeling. It wasn't like the pain of a bruise or a cut. It was an internal, cellular pain, as if his skeleton had suddenly decided to run a marathon and his nerves were the finish line tape.
"Great," he thought with sharp sarcasm, wincing in pain. "Superpower... comes with super muscle cramps. I should have read the terms and conditions."
The mental interface flashed before him, not out of a summons, but as an automated notification.
[Warning: Severe cellular stress detected due to forced enhancement. Pain levels: 8.7/10. Recommended course of action: Endurance. Side effects will fade in approximately 3-4 hours.]
"Endurance?" he whispered in a broken voice. "What a helpful and compassionate system you are."
The arrogance he had felt in the park had completely evaporated, replaced by a miserable reality. He was the "Lord of Chaos" who had defeated his opponent with a single touch, and now he was just a young man writhing on his floor, wishing he could reach the painkillers in the bathroom cabinet.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Yuan Lin froze. The sound came from his apartment's front door. It was a quiet, methodical knock, not a violent one. But in his current state, it might as well have been Death itself knocking.
His pain suddenly intensified from a rush of adrenaline. Who could it be at this hour? He wasn't expecting anyone. Was it the members of the "Black Tiger Hall," back for revenge with their friends? Was it the landlord, coming to complain about the sound of his body hitting the floor?
"System! Perception!" he thought desperately.
Despite the headache the skill caused him, he activated it. He looked with his mind's eye through the door. He didn't see aggressive red threads, but a familiar aura. A calm, deep, sky-blue aura.
It was the old man. Master Chen.
Lin felt a new wave of panic. How? How did he find his address? Do these martial artists have terrifying investigation techniques too?
*Knock. Knock.* The knock came again, just as calm and patient.
Lin knew he couldn't ignore it. This man was no ordinary old man.
With a monumental effort, he forced his aching body to move. He crawled to the wall and used it to push himself up onto his trembling feet. Every movement sent a sharp pain through him. It took him what felt like an eternity to reach the door. He looked through the peephole. It was him, standing quietly, his hands behind his back.
He took a deep breath, tried to arrange his face into a normal expression, and opened the door, but left it secured with the safety chain.
"Good evening," the old man said, his voice as calm as a mountain lake. He didn't seem surprised to see Yuan Lin in such a miserable state.
"G-good evening," Yuan Lin stammered. "Can I help you?"
Old Man Chen smiled a slight smile. "I think so. I was walking in the park after you left, and I found this." He held up his hand, and in it was... Yuan Lin's wallet. It must have fallen out during the fight. "I took a look at your identification card. I hope I'm not intruding."
Lin felt foolish. Of course, the ID card. No superpowers, just simple logic. "Oh. Thank you. I was looking for it."
He reached his hand through the opening to take the wallet. But the old man didn't hand it over immediately. His wise eyes were studying Yuan Lin's pale face and the beads of sweat on his forehead.
"That power you used today," he said quietly. "It was not 'internal force' as we know it. It was chaotic, explosive... like a storm trapped in a teacup."
Lin felt his heart stop. He knew. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, the best lie he could come up with. "They were just bullies, and I got lucky."
Old Man Chen chuckled softly. "Luck is a good thing, young man. But luck does not throw an 80-kilogram man three meters through the air."
He paused for a moment, then said, "I am not here as an enemy. I am here out of professional curiosity. And perhaps... gratitude."
He held out his other hand, in which he held a small, polished wooden box. "Consider this a humble token of thanks for your intervention. This is 'Soothing Root' ointment. It helps with cases of... 'overexertion.' It seems to me you might be in need of it."
Yuan Lin stared at the box, then at the old man's eyes. He knew. He knew about the side effects. He knew the power he had used came with a price.
Hesitantly, he removed the safety chain and opened the door just enough to take the box. "Thank you."
Old Man Chen nodded. "The world is not as quiet as it seems, young man," he said as he prepared to leave. "There are... circles. The 'Black Tiger Hall' you dealt with is just a minor nuisance. But your display of power will not go unnoticed." He stopped at the end of the hallway and gave him one last look. "If you ever want to understand the 'currents' instead of just making 'waves,' you know where to find me."
Then he turned and left.
Yuan Lin closed the door and leaned his back against it, slowly sliding to the floor. His mind was spinning. He had been exposed. Not by his demonic followers, but by humans in his own world.
He looked at the wooden box in his hand. He opened it. A fresh, herbal scent wafted from a pale green ointment inside. With trembling fingers, he took a little of the ointment and rubbed it on his still-aching shoulder.
Instantly, he felt a pleasant cooling sensation spread through his skin, soothing the fiery pain beneath. Its effect was almost immediate. This was no ordinary medicine.
He sat on the floor, the pain in his body beginning to subside thanks to the magical ointment. He had survived the consequences of his arrogance, but he had gained a new problem.
He was no longer just the secret "Lord" of another world. He was now a "person of interest" in his own.
And the suspense and excitement were no longer just notifications on a mental screen; they were now knocking directly on his door.