The Outside World

Looks like I still had to rely on Dad.

Hearing Su Ren's words, Su Shijie felt a warmth in his heart as well.

Even a low-level Contamination Zone was far too dangerous for someone like him, who had yet to reach the Awakened Rank.

His soul tentacles might effectively suppress opponents of the same level, or even those above his level.

But who said there would only be one enemy in a Contamination Zone?

Aside from possible evil spirits, there could be manifested Wicked Anomalies, contaminated Spirit Beasts, or even humans.

And now, with his Late Level 9 powerhouse of a father fully supporting and backing him, they could undoubtedly avoid a lot of trouble and test his abilities as quickly as possible.

After all, instinct was one thing. Until he tried something himself, he would never know how it truly felt.

"Though the Tough Skin brought about by your Bloodline Transformation should count as one of the most common Bloodline Traits, it's still not bad.

"Some people's traits are too evenly balanced when their bloodlines transform, leaving them with almost no distinctive characteristics."

While Su Shijie was still processing the meaning behind those words, Su Ren swiftly hooked his left-hand hook across Su Shijie's arm.

He sliced open a wound that was neither too large nor too small.

Blood immediately streamed out.

"See? Much tougher. As your Gene Evolution improves, your defensive ability will rise along with it. I'd say your external protection is about on par with the hides of most Spirit Beasts."

Su Shijie stared at the blood flowing from his arm, utterly speechless.

His father seemed to have studied Bloodline Transformations quite deeply. Whenever he occasionally got drunk and went on a rant, he would say that if he'd undergone a Bloodline Transformation when he was injured back then, he would have made it big long ago.

Uh, it was probably like how the people who knew every detail about sports cars were usually the ones who never bought one.

Compared to the pain he had endured during his breakthrough, this barely counted as anything.

But it was only a test. Did he really have to be this ruthless?

Still, this also demonstrated another benefit of breaking through on his own. If it had been the old Su Shijie, he would probably have been howling in pain already.

His willpower had clearly grown stronger. The pain had not lessened; he had simply become more capable of enduring it.

"Remember this: the higher the level of your Bloodline Transformation, the better. Not only might you gain all sorts of unusual bonuses, but more importantly, it can reinforce your genetic foundation. It will let you improve faster, go farther, and make breakthroughs more safely."

Hearing his father's explanation, Su Shijie took the opportunity to ask his own question.

"Dad, I also feel like I can directly inject Soul Power into this trait to improve it. Should I save it for the next transformation, when I might get a better trait?"

Su Ren, who had been explaining things, froze when he heard that.

Then he said in disbelief, "You can control it yourself?"

"Uh, yeah. Simply improving a trait consumes less than a Bloodline Transformation, and I don't need to save up enough for a qualitative change. I can give it however much I have."

"Fine. Come with me. Let's run a test."

Su Ren gave Su Shijie a long look before answering his question.

"Traits from Bloodline Transformations are usually stress responses that arise according to what you encountered during the transformation. For example, you said your stomach was cut open, so your skin toughness improved. If I had successfully transformed back then, I might very well have gained a trait like regenerating severed limbs.

"Whether it's multiple transformations or transformations based on inherited bloodline foundations, the new traits are usually connected to the original traits, or simply strengthen them.

"Only Bloodline Transformations caused by sudden events with no reliance on one's existing traits will produce completely unrelated abilities.

"Still, I've heard that sometimes unrelated traits can combine and evolve into even more miraculous ones."

As he spoke, Su Ren directly grabbed Su Shijie and carried him out the door...

"Dad? Are you taking Brother out?"

Bai Congcong, who was wearing an apron as he cleared the dining table and cleaned the kitchen outside, asked curiously when he saw Su Ren coming out with Su Shijie.

"Yeah. Your brother just advanced on his own, after all. I'm taking him out to familiarize himself with the changes and see whether there's still a need for medication."

"Oh, be careful. I'll stew some more mushroom soup and leave it simmering in the pot. If you want some when you get back, remember to serve yourselves."

Wearing his apron, Bai Congcong smiled gently. He was sincerely happy that his third brother had managed to overcome his fear and take this step on his own.

Bai Congcong and Bai Xinxin attended the Advanced Class, not a combat-oriented program, but they had still gritted their teeth and advanced step by step to Mortal Tier Level 9. Besides wanting to save money, it was also because their father had told them about the many drawbacks of using Pain-Free potions directly.

After all, they also reduced one's potential. If one's foundation was not properly reinforced, the connection between the body and spiritual energy guidance would grow increasingly "unfamiliar."

And once someone started using Pain-Free potions, they would probably no longer have the courage to endure the pain when reaching the Transformation Tier. They could only rely on potions to advance.

Awakened Rank potions were already so expensive. Transformation Tier ones would only be harder to obtain.

Still...

No matter whether Third Brother used potions again, I would always support him.

After all, he had already proven that he could earn the money for potions through games.

He might even have a chance to obtain Transformation Tier potions.

Third Brother had said that once one reached the Transformation Tier, they could leave the Federation's beginner server and enter the Star Domain Network, where they could even earn foreign currency...

The residential area where Su Shijie and his family lived was Residential Zone 2 of P-314. Though it was still 1.2 kilometers from the shelter, an abandoned subway station connected directly to it. Traveling through the subway tunnels avoided most accidents and dangers.

Its safety was actually higher than that of Residential Zones 3 and 4, despite those two being closer.

After leaving the sectioned-off area of their home and entering the cramped passageway lined with wooden boards on both sides, one could truly feel the lively atmosphere of Residential Zone 2, bustling with voices.

Though ventilation systems were in place, all kinds of mixed odors still drifted into their noses.

From time to time, the sounds of parents scolding and beating their children could be heard nearby.

Since the bonfire gathering had only ended not long ago, a faint festive mood still lingered in the air. Many people stood around in small groups, chatting.

When Su Ren limped past with Su Shijie, nearly everyone greeted him.

Quite a few people respectfully took the initiative to make way, letting the father and son pass first while greeting them.

The surrounding voices quieted considerably.

Their family clearly never put on airs, yet they still had the effect of a Street Sweeping Tiger.

Because of Su Shijie's family's standing in Residential Zone 2, not only was their allotted space large enough to nearly form a separate civil defense area, but it was also close to one of the exits.

It was neither directly beside the exit, where there would be too much foot traffic, nor too far away, making entry and exit convenient. It was considered the most desirable location in the residential zone.

Night had already fallen, and the bonfire gathering was over.

The heavy civil-defense metal gates at the exit had been shut, leaving only a smaller door set into the metal gate for passage.

Moreover, aside from special circumstances, ordinary people could not pass through at night.

But clearly, this was no issue for Su Ren.

Two guards carrying Electromagnetic Assault Rifles were chatting idly with four reserve guards armed with pistols nearby.

The moment they saw Su Shijie and his father approaching, they immediately straightened up.

"Hello, Instructor Su!"

"Be more serious. At least arrange for someone to keep watch outside during your shift."

Su Ren casually returned the greeting with his hook, then scolded them with a smile.

"Hehe, aren't there comrades in the monitoring room? Their radios are on."

One of the official guards with an assault rifle grinned as he handed over a hand-rolled cigarette.

Su Ren accepted it casually, sniffed it under his nose, then tossed it back.

"Use less sawdust next time. How is anyone supposed to smoke this?"

"We don't have benefits like yours. It's good enough that we have anything at all."

"Alright, open the door. I'm taking this brat out for some experience."

"Right away."

The other official guard eagerly opened the small iron door, then patted the radio on his shoulder and said, "If anything comes up, just call us. We can definitely handle chores and carry things."

The forest was even more dangerous at night, but with only Awakened Rank Spirit Beasts active nearby at most, it posed no problem at all for Su Ren.

But for guards who had not even reached the Awakened Rank and lacked danger intuition, even with weapons in hand, they could still get into trouble.

That was why he only mentioned carrying things. If they encountered a problem even Su Ren could not handle, charging in together would only get them killed.

They could deal with most threats only by relying on the advantage of this exit.

With two Electromagnetic Assault Rifles and the heavy civil-defense metal gate, a firing position at the entrance could hold off even an Awakened Rank Level 9 Spirit Beast.

"Fine. If there's ever something you can't finish carrying, I'll call you."

Su Ren waved impatiently, then led Su Shijie out through the small iron door.

Although Su Shijie had lived here for eighteen years, he could still count on one hand the number of times he had left the residential zone at night.

Walking up the sloped passage at the entrance, he could see several bonfires still burning in the distance, along with tree trunks laid horizontally around them as benches.

The faint scent of firewood and a trace of earthy freshness drifted through the air.

The glow of fireflies slowly descended through the air, and together with the chirping of cicadas, made the night seem especially tranquil.

By the remaining light of the bonfires and fireflies, he could vaguely make out that beyond the bonfire clearing ahead, the surroundings were covered by towering trees and tangled roots. The ground was completely invisible.

The giant trees were actually spaced fairly far apart, but each one had a diameter of over five meters and stood more than a hundred meters tall, their massive forms like skyscrapers.

The dense branches and leaves overhead intertwined, completely obscuring the stars and moonlight. Looking up revealed only pitch-black darkness, like an abyss.

Even during the day, little sunlight could penetrate here. There would merely be a little more hazy light than there was now.

Roots, trunks, branches stretching and interlacing overhead, and vines turned the entire forest into a complex, three-dimensional, multilayered world.

After the spiritual energy cluster covered the area, not only animals but even plants had undergone their own evolution.

These trees were not only as towering as buildings; the hardness and toughness of their bark and trunks were also astonishing.

Even Firearms found it difficult to leave obvious marks on them.

Even with all his strength, Dad Su Ren could probably only cut a little way into one. The prosthetic on his leg was made from this very wood.

Cloning interfered with spiritual energy, while machinery was too precise. These seemingly crude wooden sticks were cheap and effective...