Fu Li, an apple clenched between his teeth, opened the second entry—the first B-rank ability.
Name: Human Immortal Path
Rank: B
Type: Permanent
Effect: Based on the various organs within the human body used to absorb energy, creates a perfect digestive system. This digestive system can instantly break down ingested matter and convert the absorbed nutrients into Honkai Energy.
At the same time, the user's Honkai Energy can be attached to saliva, producing a fatal corrosive effect on all objects, especially organic matter, to facilitate consumption.
This ability allows one to absorb nutrients perfectly. As a result, the user's vitality steadily grows more vigorous, their aura gradually harmonizes with heaven and earth, and they will almost no longer age.
Note: Immortals are thieves. What do they steal? All things between heaven and earth.
He swallowed the apple flesh. "This one's pretty good."
"Breath Concealment at D-rank is a byproduct of this ability." Prometheus poked her catlike head out. "Will the host use saliva to attack enemies?"
The hopeful look in her tiny eyes was absurdly adorable.
"That visual would be pretty weird."
Fu Li did not say whether he actually would. He felt out the changes in his body, then exhaled.
"My base physical qualities have improved a little, and particles in the air are continuously gathering into my body... Does 'breathing' count as a form of 'ingestion' too? It's pretty convenient."
Just like the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in other high-magic worlds, the atmosphere in the Honkai world also contained invisible Honkai Energy.
Normally, this Honkai Energy remained inert like helium, neon, and other gases. It could only be driven through certain specific methods.
For instance, Honkai-series technology, spells and skills that controlled Honkai Energy, or cultivation methods passed down in Shenzhou.
"By that classification, Human Immortal Path is also a cultivation method." Fu Li glanced over the Character Panel. "So the Permanent section on the panel refers to passive abilities that keep running continuously?"
"Yes." Little AI agreed. "Among the three categories for linked skills on the panel, 'Permanent' represents abilities that operate indefinitely, 'Status' represents buff-type skills that can last for a certain period, and 'Active' refers to moves and methods that erupt instantly."
She moved her slender, jointed fingers. "For example, the Partial Amplification Technique in the host's Status section."
Name: Partial Amplification Technique
Rank: D
Type: Status
Description: Can enlarge a certain part of one's body fivefold and make it hard as iron. The multiplier can be freely adjusted between 0 and 5. It can be used for attacks or as a defensive skill.
Note: Don't force it in. People will die.
"This is the most typical kind of status skill. Its effect and duration depend on the energy input by the host."
At that point, Little AI paused.
She narrowed her gorgeous ruby-like eyes and carefully observed Fu Li's expression.
Only after discovering that this guy had no reaction whatsoever to the keywords "a certain body part," "fivefold larger," and "hard as iron" did she continue in a somewhat complicated mood.
"I'm quite surprised that the host didn't draw a single active skill, but I suppose I don't need to provide a specific example for those."
"Mm."
Fu Li, holding a half-eaten chair leg in one hand and chewing something in his mouth, replied vaguely.
"The stuff in the item section is basically self-explanatory just from the names. What exactly is that thing called the Galaxy Bat?"
"This."
Prometheus pulled a thick baseball bat nearly a meter long out from beneath her skirt.
The bat was extremely stylish. Its grip was made from a black-and-gold combination full of futuristic technological flair, while the barrel was etched with shimmering crystal-blue patterns.
Name: Galaxy Bat
Rank: C
Category: Item/Armament
Description: A baseball-bat-type item from the future. It is incomparably sturdy and can inflict massive blunt-force damage. It also comes with Hidden Edge Mode.
Hidden Edge Mode: This armament possesses the properties of a sheath. The holder can store bladed weapons no longer than two meters within it, after which they will automatically charge up.
The longer the charge time, the greater the power of the slash when drawn. Limited to one strike.
Note: Rules are meant to be broken!
A shrill whistle of splitting air rang through the cramped apartment. Waving the Galaxy Bat in his hand, Fu Li could not help sighing. "As everyone knows, compared to baseball's fame in the sports world, baseball bats have a far greater influence in the world of cold weapons."
With no suitable spatial storage equipment available, this was already the least suspicious weapon he could carry around.
Seeing him put the bat away in satisfaction, Little AI floated closer. "The host seems very happy."
"Of course."
His fingers kept tapping against the tabletop. In the end, Fu Li could not hold back his true thoughts from the girl who was the only one aware of his reincarnator identity.
"How should I put it, Prometheus? Even though I've always said I'm weak and not worth mentioning, the truth is that going from an ordinary person who wasn't even D-rank to just one step away from the legendary S-rank in only two years... That talent would be top-tier even in those massive organizations."
How did large organizations train promising juniors? And what had Fu Li's own life been like, struggling alone through the mud?
It was like everyone cramming for civil service exams: fresh graduates had no financial troubles, enjoyed preferential policies for new graduates, could sign up for classes, and devote themselves to studying full-time.
Meanwhile, office drones had to face the pressure of daily life, mentally and physically exhausting workloads, the constant harassment of brain-dead bosses, and family members saying, "Just study whenever you have time after work! The hardships we suffered back in my day were far worse than what spoiled young people like you go through, blah blah blah!"—all that presumptuousness and lack of understanding.
Fu Li had broken through to the Critical rank in two years under such circumstances. Even though he had only done so right before his death, compared to Bianca Durandal Atagina, Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie—widely acknowledged to be practically cheating, constantly encountering opportunities, and reaching S-rank in four years like the chosen child of fate—his talent was only greater, never lesser.
Yet even someone like Fu Li had monsters whose backs he could never catch, no matter how hard he worked.
He closed his eyes, and three beautiful figures appeared before him—the fellow survivors of Changkong City.
If so-called children of the plane truly existed in this world, then they had to be that bug-like Trio.
As the saying went, thirty percent came from innate energy, seventy percent from hard work, and ninety percent from background. The old Fu Li truly could not compare to those three, who possessed both extraordinary talent and powerful backing. Every chance reunion had dealt him a heavy blow, until he had even started joking that perhaps the threshold for being called a genius was merely catching sight of their backs.
But now?
The young man opened his eyes again, his gaze burning brightly.
"Intertwined, Kiana"
Noticing from the corner of his eye that the fog outside had completely dispersed, Fu Li rose from the room he had eaten down to nothing but a secondhand laptop and a sling bag.
The taste had been far from pleasant, and a faint feeling of fullness followed, making him realize that even Human Immortal Path's digestive ability had limits.
Or rather, the Human Immortal Path he had only just begun cultivating had limits.
Looking at the bare room, Prometheus said blankly, "You really ate everything..."
Human Immortal Path did not provide any flavor enhancement. It tasted exactly how it should.
"I picked up all the furniture myself at the secondhand market. I couldn't take it with me when I left anyway, so why not put it to use?"
Fu Li held the laptop in his left hand while his other hand skillfully logged into the author dashboard.
"Also, I didn't eat my underwear because I still need to wear it later. And I didn't eat the parts that touched the ground. Some things are still too disgusting to put in my mouth."
After typing a few words on the keyboard, he suddenly remembered something. "Prometheus, can I talk to you outside by 'thinking'?"
Talking to himself would be way too stupid.
"Of course. The system already has that function."
"That's good."
After stuffing the items into the canvas backpack filled with underwear, Fu Li said to the Little AI floating around aimlessly, "Preparations are over. Time to get down to business."
"Where is the host going?"
"I'll explain on the way."
As he spoke in his mind, he changed into that dark coat washed to a faded blue.
The average temperature in the Far East was around 10°C in March. With his physical condition enhanced by Human Immortal Path, wearing too little would not make him catch a cold or develop a fever, but standing out too much in a crowd was not suitable either.
His chuunibyou phase had long passed. There was no need to deliberately be different and make himself conspicuous.
Watching Fu Li sling the backpack onto his shoulders, Prometheus looked regretful. "It's a pity the host does not meet the conditions to use the Fourth-Dimensional Skirt."
Name: Fourth-Dimensional Skirt
Rank: D
Category: Item
Effect: A seemingly ordinary miniskirt that appears capable of pairing with most tops.
When this skirt is worn by a human female—limited to broadly defined beautiful girls who are not part of the LGBT community—the area between her thighs and the underside of the skirt becomes a spherical extradimensional storage space with a radius of three meters. It also gains the peculiar property of "making people think they can see it when they actually cannot."
Note: The art of obscurity!
Little AI suggested unwillingly, "How about the host tries again? Maybe the system panel's description is wrong."
"Wouldn't you know whether it's wrong?"
Fu Li shot this ill-intentioned little thing a sidelong glance and gently pressed down on the doorknob.
With a creak, he stepped out of the room.
"What nice weather."
Fu Li raised a hand to shield his brow from the nine o'clock sunlight. Squinting lazily, he passed Room 201 next door.
Little AI teased, "Aren't you going to say goodbye to the white-haired beautiful girl next door?"
"When I was a mercenary, an old veteran taught me this: if a man wants to succeed, he must first kill his love-struck brain, then kill his nostalgia-struck brain. Cherish the present, cherish your family, cherish the future."
Carrying the bat, Fu Li descended the stairs at an unhurried pace. He smiled harmlessly at a neighbor who had come out for a walk, then continued in his mind, "Fortunately, I don't have any family. So I only need to cherish the present and the future."
His answer was neither here nor there, yet it fully conveyed his attitude.
As for family, though, it was not as if he had none at all.
At the very least, there were still dozens of people sharing the surname Fu in that VX group on his phone called "Old Fu Family Happy Forever."
Unfortunately, those distant relatives were extremely indifferent toward Fu Li. They basically treated him like air.
It was not because they were heartless. For one thing, many cousin households in modern society were like that. They had not visited one another in years and could not even recognize each other by sight.
For another, his parents, who had died young, had done something rather unconventional. They had even changed their surname to "Fu," a homophone of their original surname. It was a case of guilt by association, of hating the house along with the crow.
"What about that mysterious presence that released the fog?" Seeing that her host did not wish to elaborate, Prometheus considerately changed the subject. "That morning fog did not look natural at all."
"Which is why I specifically waited until it dispersed before coming out. Someone will deal with that thing."
Fu Li continued farther and farther away through their mental conversation, eventually vanishing among the tightly packed buildings of varying heights.
Several minutes later, on the opposite side from where he had left, a white figure came jogging over from the distance.
Her silver-white hair cascaded like a waterfall, tied at shoulder level with orange ribbons into twin braids convenient for movement.
Her white sailor uniform with black trim clung to her body, displaying both her figure and vitality while also giving off a pure, flawless impression.
Her bright eyes sparkled brilliantly, and her delicate skin glowed.
Though her smile was rather silly and there was a little dust on her exquisite, lovely face, it still could not conceal her breathtaking beauty.
"Morning, Landlady!"
The girl raised her hand and cheerfully greeted the acquaintance taking a walk downstairs.
The landlady, who had just assumed Fu Li was heading out with a bat to beat her senseless, replied stiffly, "M-Morning, Miss Kiana."
The girl possessed a noble temperament yet made people instinctively feel goodwill toward her. However, for someone harboring ugly thoughts like the landlady, that radiant smile like the morning sun only made the ugliness in her heart impossible to hide.
What was more, the landlady had just driven away Fu Li, whom she knew well.
Then again, did a simp count as an acquaintance? Probably.
The woman maliciously grumbled inwardly, but asked with concern, "You're already out and about so early in the morning. What were you doing?"
She knew Kiana had not been home. Otherwise, she would not have dared to smash on Fu Li's door that early even if she had been given several more lives.
This little girl loved meddling in other people's business.
"Ahaha~"
Kiana rubbed her flat little stomach and laughed foolishly. "A junior from the middle school division asked me out for breakfast! You know how much I eat, Landlady. If someone's treating me, shouldn't I eat my fill?"
Before you continue