"Black Hand Zorro." Ke Mingqing searched the name on his phone.
Just as the super-human species panel described, the man was indeed a former Roundtable hero. However, only a brief profile existed online; no other information about him could be found.
It seemed his records were under official information control.
Ke Mingqing looked up from his phone and reevaluated the owner. The man was roughly 1.9 meters tall with his white hair tied back in a ponytail. Though over half a century old, he remained hale and hearty, his crisp shirt unable to conceal the heavy outlines of his muscles.
The lines of his face were still sharp and clear, his eyes bright and piercing, yet a pair of reading glasses hung on the bridge of his nose.
Forget it... It has nothing to do with me anyway. I should just come to this cafe less often to avoid stepping on a landmine. Ke Mingqing got up, pushed open the wooden door, and left to the soft ringing of the wind chime.
Behind the counter, the owner turned his head, watching Ke Mingqing's departing back through his reading glasses.
"So it's that kid's younger brother..." He shook his head and chuckled softly.
...
...
Ke Mingqing boarded the bus and scanned his transit code. Looking up from his phone, he saw there were no open seats left. Forced to find a spot in the corner, he grabbed a hand-ring with his right hand and stared blankly out the window at the passing streetscape.
The bus's air conditioning was blasting, and the shift from the outdoor heat to the indoor cold made him drowsy. He yawned, leaned his head against the window glass, and closed his eyes for a short nap.
It wasn't long before the bus arrived at his stop.
Ke Mingqing stepped off the bus, unlocked the front door with a silver key, changed into his indoor slippers, and walked into the living room.
Xia Zili hadn't gone out today. Instead, she was leaning against the back of the sofa, drinking Fanta Soda and watching the animated film Summer Ghost, her pretty face entirely devoid of expression.
Ke Mingqing sat down on the sofa and casually asked, "You finally get a day off and you're not going out?"
Xia Zili didn't even look up. "Third Sister is taking her college entrance exam today. I'm waiting for her good news."
"Fair enough." Ke Mingqing nodded. "She'll definitely be happy to see us both here when she gets home. I didn't realize you could be this thoughtful. Is your rebellious phase over?"
"None of your business."
"Then you should mind my business a little less from now on. I can't even get a girlfriend without you nagging me half the day."
Xia Zili lowered her eyes, screwed the cap back onto her Fanta Soda, and placed the bottle on the table.
She thought for a moment. "When are you going to bring your girlfriend home? ...If Third Sister and Mom are happy with her, then I won't have any objections."
Ke Mingqing fell silent. How could I possibly just bring another player home? he thought. If our alien mom figured something out, I'd be completely screwed!
Without saying a word, he turned and glanced at Xia Zili.
Her eyes were still lowered in thought, as if she were waiting for an answer.
"Are you done with your drink? Let me have a sip." Changing the subject, Ke Mingqing grabbed the soda Xia Zili had just set on the table.
He twisted off the cap and gulped down a huge mouthful, instantly taking the edge off the summer heat. Back at the orphanage, whenever there was a bottle of soda, the kids would fight over taking turns to drink from it. But Ke Mingqing figured that his own family wouldn't fight him over a drink.
Xia Zili belatedly looked up. She quickly turned her head, staring blankly at the mouth of the Fanta Soda bottle.
"You..."
"What's wrong?"
"Forget it. I don't want it anymore."
Xia Zili frowned, the tips of her ears turning slightly red. Ke Mingqing shrugged. Having a family really is different from being an orphan, he mused. At the very least, you don't have to fight over drinks.
He opened the skill shop.
Today's batch of five skills gradually materialized.
[Skill 1: Small! Small! Small! (E-Rank Skill) (1000 Super Coins)]
[Skill 2: Big! Big! Big! (E-Rank Skill) (1000 Super Coins)]
You two really are a pair of star-crossed lovers, Ke Mingqing thought, looking at the names of the two skills.
[Skill 3: Steel Drill (C-Rank Skill) (5000 Super Coins) (Transforms your right fist into a tremendously powerful drill for a short period)]
If I were playing Gold Miner, I might actually consider this one. Tilting his head, Ke Mingqing leaned back against the sofa and continued reading.
[Skill 4: It's Raining (E-Rank Skill) (1000 Super Coins) (Snap your fingers to summon a heavy downpour around you)]
Now this one is pretty tempting, Ke Mingqing thought. Putting aside whether or not it's actually useful, it's definitely cool enough.
[Skill 5: "Gate of Truth" (C-Rank Skill) (5000 Super Coins) (Open the Gate of Truth to acquire three small paper dolls. Each paper doll can bear the abilities of a "Philosopher")]
[Note 1: Upon acquiring this skill, you can randomly draw one "Philosopher" for your initial paper doll. Following this, you may unlock the abilities of a famous philosopher for every 2000 Super Coins spent.]
[Note 2: You may possess a maximum of three philosophers' abilities. The number of abilities each philosopher possesses will vary.]
An evolving skill? Ke Mingqing raised an eyebrow. Are you kidding me? Good thing I rolled this early. If a skill like this popped up in another player's shop, they would definitely snatch it up immediately.
But then he reconsidered: Unlocking a philosopher costs 2000 Super Coins. It comes with one initially, and holds a maximum of three. That means it takes 4000 coins to unlock the other two. Added to the base price, that comes out to 9000 Super Coins. For that much money, I could just buy a B-Rank skill... Is this really worth it?
Forget it, I already rolled it. With that in mind, Ke Mingqing lifted his finger and long-pressed the skill icon.
[Spent 5000 Super Coins. C-Rank Skill "Gate of Truth" successfully purchased. This skill has been equipped in your fourth skill slot.]
[Player's current Super Coin balance: 500]
Ke Mingqing stretched, set the Fanta Soda back on the table, and opened the skill's description panel.
[According to the effects of the C-Rank Skill "Gate of Truth," you currently have one chance to draw a "Philosopher."]
[First philosopher drawn: "Nietzsche."]
[The three skills granted by Nietzsche are as follows:
1. "God is Dead" (This skill will unlock when your player level reaches 10)
2. "Übermensch Philosophy" (For 1.2 seconds, renders you or one nearby target "Immune to Damage and Crowd Control") (Duration will increase as your Spirit attribute rises)
3. "Eternal Return" (Returns you or one nearby target to the position occupied 1.5 seconds ago)]
Holy shit, what kind of broken mechanic is this?
Ke Mingqing let out a silent sigh of awe and collapsed back onto the sofa, sincerely regretting the brief second he had spent hesitating.
After a moment, he opened his weekly missions.
[Weekly Mission 2: Kill a member of the super-human species (Reward: One draw from the item roulette)]
Staring at the blood-red text of the mission, he made a decision. Tonight's goal... slaughter a member of the super-human species. It doesn't matter how weak they are. As long as they're a member of the super-human species, they'll do.
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