"Yuelan! Get your ass out of the bathroom, I need to take a shit!" Xuan yelled at the top of his lungs, bashing the bathroom door.
His sister was currently inside, and God only knew what she had been doing for the last 2 hours.
"Shuuuut up! I'm doing my makeup!" Yuelan yelled back. "If you had such a handsome face to take care of, then you would know it takes time! Delicate time! Go take a shit in the cat's litter box or something."
"..."
They didn't own a cat.
This motherfucker.
Yuelan was his younger adopted sister, and also a complete and total shut-in who played games all day long. The two had been living together ever since their parents died in a tragic plane crash.
But now? She was acting like a pest.
That's what I get for mixing up the dates and accidentally eating expired food... Xuan grumbled as he turned to the side.
"Yuelan... I'm going to the balcony."
"Are you going to jump?"
"No."
"Oh... pity."
His brow twitched in annoyance, yet he ignored her words and entered the balcony.
Xuan leaned over the edge, and just as he was about to do the deed, he spotted something strange by his side.
A blue hologram...? Xuan focused, and the moment he did, the hologram expanded, displaying a strange message.
—
—
Basic Qi Gathering Technique? Absorb Qi...? Is this some cultivation nonsense?
It seemed like the expired food had gotten to his head way more than expected.
At the same time, his stomach felt much better and he no longer had to do the unthinkable.
So he sat back down on the balcony and let out a sigh.
What am I doing? I got a job interview in 20 minutes. I don't even have my suit ironed...
He was the breadwinner of what was left of their family, or at least the one who took care of Yuelan. Albeit, they were still living off their parents' inheritance since he couldn't get a stable job.
In the current world, people who hadn't gone through college or had fifteen years of experience at age twenty were seen as unfit.
But he didn't dwell on those depressing thoughts for long as he glanced to the side again.
It's still there... Xuan thought, reading the strange pop-up's description again.
Since he had nothing better to do until his sister got out of the bathroom, Xuan decided to try it out.
He sat in a lotus position and took a deep breath. To his surprise, his body began heating up.
Then, the pop-ups appeared. Just this time, they displayed something completely different.
<1 / 5,000>
Oh? Xuan's eyes beamed.
As much as he didn't want to believe what was happening, it seemed genuine. His body felt different too; he just couldn't explain it.
But the feeling was addictive, so he decided to continue.
<2 / 5,000>
<3 / 5,000>
It increased by 1 every second he cultivated, and the warm feeling kept flowing through his body, greatly relaxing it.
<4 / 5,000>
<5 / 5,000>
Maybe just a little more...
.
.
.
<4,998 / 5,000>
<4,999 / 5,000>
<5,000 / 5,000>
It felt as if his entire body exploded in a warm energy, then suddenly turned cold. Yet that coldness didn't last long since the next pair of pop-ups more than explained it.
—
—
Stats? Supreme physique...? Xuan wondered, and the moment he did, another interface popped up in front of him.
Name: Xiao Xuan
Cultivation: First Level Spirit Apprentice
(Qi: 5,000 / 10,000)
Legacy: None
Bloodline: None
Physique: Boundless Void Physique
Physical Strength: 200
Mental Strength: 300
Physical Defense: 170
Mental Defense: 200
"..."
I should eat expired food more often.
He stood up and walked back inside his home, then sat on the couch silently.
Xuan had no clue what was happening, but he didn't dislike it. Having an overpowered physique and a Qi gathering skill was always a boon, even if it didn't make sense.
Yet the moment he thought that, he caught a glimpse of the clock on the wall, causing him to jump up and run to the closet.
Shit, I'm an hour late. I wouldn't go... but this time my parents' former friends offered me this opportunity... I have to show up.
He put on his suit, some fancy shoes, and ran by the bathroom.
"Yuelan! I'm heading out! There's food in the fridge, call me if you need anything!"
"'Kay, take your time," Yuelan replied playfully. "Also... just wait until I come out. You'll be surprised."
Her words fell on deaf ears as he left the apartment, locked the door behind him, and sprinted away.
Xuan felt surprisingly fast as he leaped over the railings, then used the pole to travel down.
He didn't waste time and continued toward the job site.
But he couldn't help but feel as if something was off. He saw several serious car accidents all around him.
Upon taking a closer look, he realized all those cars were empty without even a single drop of blood in sight.
An ominous feeling crept up his spine, but he did his best to ignore it.
Finally, he arrived at the café shop and stepped inside.
It was just as empty as the streets, yet a few steaming lattes were placed on the tables, clearly meaning someone had been here just recently.
He checked the counter, then the back room, but he couldn't find anyone.
That was when his instincts kicked in, telling him something serious had happened.
Xuan ran out of the café shop and immediately ran back to his home.
Before he could get too far, his body froze as a chill ran down his spine.
Even the distant beeping of cars muted, and the only thing he could vividly hear was the beating of his heart.
That silence didn't last long as out of nowhere, he heard a ding, followed by a set of pop-ups that made his heart drop to his stomach.
All of a sudden, the ground cracked apart as dozens of buildings began to topple in the distance.
But not only that, Xuan saw some strange slender creatures rise up from the cracks in the ground.
The creatures came in all shapes and sizes, and at a glance, he could tell they were far more powerful than him.
Xuan's body finally unfroze, and he didn't hesitate to dash into a nearby alley, then make his way back home.
After all, his younger sister Yuelan was still there, unprotected.
But just as he reached the end of the alley and turned the final corner leading up to his apartment, he stopped.
His brows furrowed in wariness as he stared at the figure ahead.
It was a creature similar to the ones he had seen a moment ago.
A human-sized lizard who wore a pair of leather armor and held a shabby stone spear tightly in its hands.
The other creatures seemed difficult to deal with, but this one?
Xuan cracked his knuckles and stretched his back.
I should put some of my street fighting skills to the test.