A Visit

You have 1 unused Skill Point remaining. Continue developing the Skill Tree?

Ji Minghuan leaned against the headboard, tilted his head, and glanced at the newly unlocked skill on the "Stealth" branch.

Branch One (Stealth): Restraint Belt Senses (Learned) → Restraint Band Truth (Learned) → Restraint Band Color Change (Available to Learn, requires 1 Skill Point to unlock) → Unknown → Unknown

He raised a finger and lightly tapped the newly unlocked skill. Its details panel immediately appeared.

Restraint Band Color Change: Makes your Restraint Band enter an invisible state. After using the Restraint Band to wrap yourself, you will enter a state of invisibility. (If you encounter an entity whose attributes surpass yours in every respect, it may notice you once you get within a certain distance.)

Ji Minghuan looked at the skill description and thought, Pretty good. It's useful for tailing people... But haven't I put too many points into this branch? It feels a little lopsided.

At present, only the "Stealth" branch of the Skill Tree had grown particularly long. The "Frenzy" and "Ferocity" branches drooped sickly, as though they might wither at any moment.

"But for now, this is the only way to develop it... I can't use the combat branch skills anyway. If they're strong, I can't beat them. If they're weak, I can beat them easily."

Ji Minghuan scratched his hair and considered it expressionlessly. "Learn it. There's no better option for now."

He raised his finger and held down the skill icon. The icon dimmed from bright to dark, blooming with a red-and-black glow bearing his True Name.

1 Skill Point consumed. You have successfully learned the "Stealth" branch skill—"Restraint Band Color Change."

Learning permission for the next "Stealth" branch skill has been unlocked.

Ji Minghuan glanced at the newly unlocked skill in the "Stealth" line and muttered, "This branch really has one good skill after another. I just can't stop."

Restraint Band Trap: Lay a trap made of piled-up Restraint Bands in your current location. Once an enemy steps into the trap area, their legs will immediately be bound and entangled by Restraint Bands. (Restraint Band traps created through this skill will inherit the effects of skills such as "Restraint Belt Senses" and "Restraint Belt Detection.")

"This description looks downright devious. I really want it... Too bad I've already used up my Skill Points."

Seeing there was nothing else he could do, he brought up the Character Development System panel.

This character's Exclusive Cultivation System is—the "Social Superstar System."

The core rule of the "Social Superstar System": Whenever you establish cooperative relationships with more extraordinary humans, you can obtain rewards through the "Exclusive Cultivation System."

Current progress—Cultivation Mission 1: Establish a friendly cooperative relationship with 1 Esper (regardless of faction). (Reward: 1 Attribute Point)

Cultivation Mission 1 completed. Reward obtained: 1 Attribute Point.

Cultivation Mission 2 has appeared: Establish cooperative relationships with a total of 3 Superhuman Species. (Current progress: 1/3. Superhuman Species with whom cooperative relationships have been established: Esper "Blue Arc.")

Ji Minghuan raised his brows, his eyes lighting up in the darkness. "Right, does cooperating with Harmless Grade Espers count as cooperation? If it does, I could find hundreds of partners in a day. Wouldn't that let me max out my attributes right away?"

He thought, I'll test it. It won't take much time. I can treat it as a little bedtime activity and look for nearby Harmless Grade Espers. Though going out now is dangerous, since Old Man and Older Brother are both home.

Ji Minghuan opened his personal panel and added the Attribute Point from the cultivation mission reward to "Strength."

Game Character No. 1 "Black Cocoon" has undergone a change in the "Strength" attribute: C+ Grade → C++ Grade

He took out the phone beneath his pillow. While logging into the Esper Association's Official Website, he had the Restraint Band retrieve a notebook and ballpoint pen from the bedside cabinet. He tore out a page and wrote a line on it with the pen:

—"Sleeping and dreaming. Do not disturb, or I'll run away from home with Little Sister."

It had to be said that the Restraint Band was remarkably nimble at such delicate work. Its handwriting was even neater than Ji Minghuan's.

He had the Restraint Band pull a bottle of glue from the drawer, then gathered the Restraint Band around the bottle and held it in his hand. He got out of bed, turned the doorknob, stepped out of his room, and stood in the hallway, using the glue to stick the note to his bedroom door.

Then he returned to his room, shut the door, and locked it.

"Okay, now I have some free time."

Based on what he knew of Gu Qiye, no matter what Gu Qiye needed from him later, he definitely would not disturb Ji Minghuan's sleep after seeing that line on the door.

Gu Qiye still felt guilty about arguing with Old Man in front of his younger brother and sister. One younger sister had already run away from home; naturally, he did not want to see his younger brother throw a tantrum and storm out as well.

As for Gu Zhuoan, there was even less to say. He had no standing whatsoever in this household, practically like a prisoner under observation. At this hour, he should be obediently asleep in his room.

Ji Minghuan pressed the Restraint Band against the wooden floor of his room, and its senses seeped downward like rainwater.

While spying on Gu Qiye, who was reading downstairs in the Living Room, he took a mask and trench coat from the storage box at the bottom of the wardrobe and slowly put them on. He pressed the fastening button by the mask's ear and activated its built-in Voice Changer.

Staring at his phone screen, he silently murmured, "Let's see... which relatively famous Harmless Grade Espers are nearby? I'll randomly pick one lucky person."

The files of nearly every "Harmless Grade Esper" were registered on the Esper Association's Official Website for major companies to verify. Only Harmless Grade Espers were qualified to work alongside ordinary people in companies, and in certain settings, their special abilities could shine brilliantly in the workplace.

At that moment, Ji Minghuan was browsing through the files of these "Harmless Grade Espers."

A moment later, his gaze settled on one of the profile photos.

"It's you... Bookstore Owner, the Harmless Grade Esper codenamed 'Photo Finder.'"

To be honest, Ji Minghuan could not be certain whether the noise he made while slipping out of his room through the Floor-to-Ceiling Window would alert his Older Brother on the first floor or Old Man on the third.

To be safe, Ji Minghuan used the Restraint Band to wrap his entire body like a black mummy, including his mask and trench coat, leaving only a slit for his eyes.

The next moment, as the effect of his newly learned skill—Restraint Band Color Change—activated, the pitch-black Restraint Band gradually changed color, becoming a transparent, invisible camouflage. Naturally, Ji Minghuan, wrapped within it, could no longer be seen either.

"Really useful."

Ji Minghuan tugged at the Corner of His Mouth, satisfied as he looked at his transparent body. Maintaining his invisible state, he took a few tentative steps, blending perfectly into the air, then gently pulled open the Floor-to-Ceiling Window.

He diverted gravity into the floating Restraint Band, leaped through the window, and jumped into the moonlight.

Five minutes later, Li Jing City, Broly Bookstore.

Warm orange light spilled evenly across the room. The shop was empty; hardly anyone visited bookstores at this hour. In fact, most bookstores should have been closed already. This one remained open so late only because it also functioned as a café.

The young owner paused outside and flipped the sign on the door from "Open" to "Close."

Then he returned inside, listened to Jazz Music, and made his final preparations before closing: tidying the bookshelves, wiping down the tables and radio with a towel, then returning the hardcover books customers had left in the café area to the gaps on the shelves.

The coffee machine chimed. He picked up a cup and poured himself some hot coffee, then carried the freshly brewed coffee to the counter. Steam, laden with fragrance, rose into the air.

The Corner of His Mouth curved slightly as he breathed in the blissful scent. Just as he was about to enjoy the final moments of quiet before getting off work, something suddenly appeared at the edge of his vision.

The owner froze for two seconds, set down his coffee cup, and slowly looked up.

A huge black cocoon was hanging upside down from the ceiling, barely inches from his head. The strange thing was... it was clearly right above him, yet he had not seen it at all before, as though the black cocoon could turn invisible.

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