Monster

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This attribute list was based on Noah's unique evaluation standards.

For example, the basic attributes included strength, agility, constitution, reflexes, and mental power. The fifth statistic was the most elusive, because it was related to the human brain, which humanity knew very little about. Under Noah's evaluation standards, the average score for all five major attributes of a normal adult was 10.

As for Ronan, every single one of his attributes far exceeded that standard.

Because he had never been a normal person to begin with!

His fourteen years in prison had not only left him wandering between life and death, but also had him diligently practicing the Eleven Arts, the physical training technique Noah had taught him, as well as the Elf Meditation Technique his mother had secretly passed down to him.

A strength score of 35 was enough to crush most humans! Even elite special forces soldiers were no exception.

Xiang Feihu's strength was roughly around 20. Bullying ordinary noble playboys had always been effortless for him, almost laughably easy. But he had run into a wall—Ronan was no easy opponent.

Constitution and agility were easier to understand. The former represented a person's physical strength, recovery ability, resistance to damage, and so on, while the latter reflected overall dexterity, movement speed, action speed, and more.

Reflexes were more complicated, mainly referring to neural response speed. In Noah's comprehensive combat rating system, reflexes carried considerable weight. After all, neural response speed was extremely important in actual combat!

Especially in mech battles!

Every second of reaction time could determine whether someone lived or died.

Both the Eleven Arts and the Elf Meditation Technique helped with reflexes. Ronan's neural reactions were astonishingly fast, which was only natural. As for mental power, having practiced meditation for years, he naturally surpassed ordinary people who knew nothing about meditation.

The advanced attribute of metabolic speed also reflected a person's strength from another angle. The faster one's metabolism, the stronger one's self-repair ability. Meditation speed, meanwhile, was a term unique to wizards. Since he had no point of comparison, Ronan had no idea whether his own meditation speed was considered fast.

All in all, judging from this list alone, just these few attributes were enough to prove that Ronan was a monster.

Yet he was still dissatisfied. "Back in prison, I could only operate mechs, spaceships, and the like in the virtual space you created and in the prison library's virtual warehouse. I could understand why you gave me question marks for practical experience—but now, why are they still question marks?"

Ever since escaping from prison, he had personally flown a small spacecraft!

He could not exactly call himself proficient, but surely he did not deserve a huge question mark?

Ronan was rather petty about this sort of thing.

Noah's reply still carried its usual mockery. "That question mark will stay there until you've officially piloted a mech! Rookie, don't think flying a foolproof spaceship for a short distance makes you a real mechanic. You're still far from it!"

After hearing Noah's answer, Ronan stopped caring so much.

It was merely because he had never formally operated a mech. Since he had not died and had even become part of Yi Lin Manor, he would have opportunities to pilot a mech sooner or later.

With that thought, he wished Noah good night and carefully closed the Pocket Watch.

The next second, he slowly lay down on the bed.

To others, Ronan appeared to have fallen asleep.

In truth, he was meditating!

The Elf Meditation Technique!

So-called meditation was actually a form of training for the brain, practiced by wizards whose mental power was exceptionally strong.

Wizards possessed the talent to draw Primal Power—magic power—from Primal Stones. However, their absorption speeds and the amount of magic power their bodies could store varied.

Meditation could train mental power. The stronger one's mental power, the more magic power one's body could store, and the stronger the wizard became.

Although wizards had always been a taboo subject in the Steel Empire, Ronan had never given up practicing meditation. He knew this was wealth his mother had left him behind, and when real danger came, wizardry could absolutely save his life.

It was best not to use it ordinarily.

After all, without expensive equipment, humans would find it difficult to detect the magic power stored within Ronan's cells.

Ronan's mind was intensely focused while meditating.

Before he knew it, seven hours had passed, and the sky had begun to brighten.

He suddenly opened his eyes, automatically ending his meditative state. This was the time he had set for himself: seven hours every day, no more and no less, perfectly matching a normal sleeping schedule.

The clock on the bedside table showed six in the morning.

Ronan got up, washed, found some food in the kitchen for breakfast, then headed to a relatively open lawn in the manor to practice the Eleven Arts by himself.

Meditation had to be kept hidden from others, but there was no need to hide the Eleven Arts.

Because, in the eyes of the bodyguards, the strange Young Master Ronan had the habit of doing aerobics every morning...

That was right, aerobics!

When Noah had first taught Ronan the Eleven Arts, Ronan himself had found it unbelievable.

The Eleven Arts consisted of eleven sets of movements combined with eleven breathing techniques. It sounded quite impressive!

But when practiced, it looked exactly like someone with a strong sense of rhythm doing exercises alone!

Back in prison, he had been mocked plenty of times because of it.

At Yi Lin Manor, no one laughed at him, but the bodyguards all gave him strange looks.

Someone still loved doing morning exercises these days... That was truly rare.

The taciturn Young Master Ronan really was old-fashioned.

Ronan was naturally happy to let them think so. He had only gradually come to understand the strength of the Eleven Arts. More than half of his monster-like physical condition was thanks to it. He had once pressed Noah for the origins of the Eleven Arts, but unfortunately, Noah had lost too many memories and could not explain clearly. He only said that exercising had no downside.

At the time, Ronan had never imagined that this so-called lack of downside would bring such enormous benefits!

Practicing the Eleven Arts three times every day without fail had become part of Ronan's life.

After finishing the Eleven Arts, Ronan would usually take a shower, then go to the manor library to find a book or watch the news on television. Although he had learned a great deal from the prison library, many of those books were outdated. If he wanted to truly integrate into this era, Ronan still had to work hard.

Three peaceful days passed like that.

At noon on the third day, an elderly butler came to find Ronan and brought news of uncertain value. "Miss Wei Wei has woken up."

"The first thing she asked for after waking up was to see you. Although we told her that you were safe, she did not believe us. She seems determined to see you with her own eyes before she can rest easy."

Ronan, who had been watching a television report on the progress of the investigation into the previous assassination attempt, raised an eyebrow. Without giving it much thought, he followed Old Butler away.

He remembered clearly that Old Butler was specifically responsible for Wei Wei's daily needs and etiquette instruction.

As for that little girl Wei Wei, Ronan actually found her rather troublesome.

Because he had no idea what kind of attitude she had toward him.

She had hated him so much before. Even after they had gone through danger together this time, there probably would not be much improvement, right? She wanted to see him as soon as she woke up? Could this be another prank?

Ronan had no interest in children bickering and fooling around, so he had always turned a blind eye. But if it went on for too long, it would still become troublesome.

"Looks like it's time to consider making that little girl restrain herself a little. After all, I did save her life last time."

Ronan thought to himself.

Ronan, who was extremely slow when it came to feelings, never imagined that a young girl's thoughts could change in countless ways.

If he opened the Pocket Watch now and told Noah what he was thinking, Noah would definitely say disdainfully:

"Idiot!"

But he did not, so he was destined to follow behind the butler in confusion as they headed deeper into the manor.

In a spacious, tidy room, Wei Wei lay weakly on the bed.

Several maids stood nearby with pained expressions. One of them leaned close to the bed, bending down to listen attentively and nodding from time to time.

"Miss, Young Master Ronan has come to see you."

Old Butler lightly knocked on the door, then stepped aside slightly to reveal Ronan behind him.

The latter forced an awkward smile.

The moment she heard Ronan's name, a trace of delight appeared on Wei Wei's pale face.

Then she saw Ronan's half-dead-looking smile.

Her expression immediately fell!

What was that supposed to mean? Was he unhappy to see that she had woken up? Was that smile just him humoring her?!

The thought made anger surge within her!

And here she had been worrying about him so much!

That damned country bumpkin, that ungrateful wretch—could he not even give her one sincere smile?

Wei Wei felt wronged.

But when she thought of the figure rushing resolutely toward the valley through the heavy rain that night, her heart calmed somewhat.

She told herself that she had to stay calm.

So, in what she believed was a very calm voice, she ordered:

"You may all leave."

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