His genes had not been activated. Even with training, after drinking too much, he still felt a little dizzy.
Smack!
Zhao Xin flopped onto the couch and covered his forehead. "No good. I'm a little dizzy. Let me rest, let me rest."
Liu Chuang, however, raised his glass again. "I'm still good. Come on!"
He looked like he had an extraordinary tolerance for alcohol.
If only he had not been facing the television.
Han Fei pursed his lips and checked the time. It was nearly midnight already.
Han Fei shook his hands and went to the bathroom to splash his face with water. The icy water hit his face, and his mind abruptly cleared.
"Huh? I haven't fished up today's bottles yet."
Because of his special ability, he always kept a basin of water and a bathtub full of water at home.
So Han Fei could start fishing directly.
But which one should he fish from first?
Han Fei stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and decided to warm up first.
He reached his hand toward the washbasin.
The instant the water submerged his hand, it was as if Han Fei's hand had entered a bottomless sea. There was no boundary to feel. When he had tested his ability before, he had even stuck his head inside, only to find that his hand seemed to be the only part of him that could enter that endless ocean.
He swept his hand around.
Suddenly, he felt something solid in his grasp, as though he had caught something.
Bang!
He pulled it out in one go.
It was the familiar glass bottle again.
He pulled out the cork.
Then tipped it over.
Every movement was smooth and practiced.
He had repeated these actions countless times.
"What is this?"
It looked like some kind of machine.
It was even glowing.
He vaguely felt that this thing was dangerous. His entire body prickled, his instincts warning him.
He blinked.
Han Fei looked into the bottle. There was nothing inside.
However, there was also a chip on that suspicious mechanical object. Perhaps it could be studied to determine what it actually was.
He set it aside for now.
Han Fei reached for the main event of the night.
The bathtub.
It was still that same bottomless sensation.
Fish.
I fish.
The familiar feeling.
He pulled out the cork.
The usual procedure.
Only—
"Holy shit! A golden legend?!"
What emerged from the bottle were six angular stones. They looked like models, each carved with crude animal emblems.
Han Fei's face was full of excitement.
He knew these things!
He knew them far too well!
There had been an animated show, with a villain who had run through the entire plot.
It had been weakened time and time again. Sealed away since ancient times, its source of fire qi divided, its wisdom worn away, its magic forgotten, its dragon teeth pulled, its twelve divine powers sealed, and finally turned into a stone statue. Yet it had remained the most powerful Demon in that world.
And these six little things were one part of its power, six of the twelve divine powers.
That was right. This tragic villain was called the Holy Lord.
It came from a bizarre world where black qi and white qi remained in balance.
Han Fei took out the six talismans.
He found that they were, respectively—
Rooster Talisman, the power of levitation.
Horse Talisman, the power of restoration.
Ox Talisman, the power of strength.
Rat Talisman, the power of life.
Dog Talisman, the power of immortality.
Sheep Talisman, the power of the soul.
Each of them could be called a bug-level ability.
The only pity was that they were all still in talisman form. While that allowed anyone to use them, it also meant they could not display their greatest power, because this was originally a seal, Lo Pei's seal on the Holy Lord.
And they were incomplete, only half of the set.
A minor imperfection, perhaps.
But even so, Han Fei felt more than excited enough.
Especially the Dog and Horse Talismans. One represented immortality, the other healing. With those two—
I can go ask Death God Karl whether he's a fart god!
All right, that was still a little risky.
Void definitions and supercomputer analysis still made him somewhat apprehensive.
Besides, he had no idea whether things from other worlds would undergo changes here. There was no telling.
After all, this was a science fiction world. Probably.
Still, he had managed to get something this good.
Could it be because today was New Year's Eve?
Han Fei's mind drifted through such nonsensical thoughts.
No matter what, with these six talismans, along with the Wind Eagle Armor, Eight Extremes Heaven, and all the things he had fished up over the years, there was no doubt—
He now possessed the ability to protect himself.
It had not been easy.
After awakening so many years ago, he had finally gained some sense of security.
He no longer had to worry about being blasted into the sky by a flare bombardment, or being erased outright by a Heavenly Blade Judgment.
Han Fei wiped his eyes. "No, it's still not safe enough. God-Slaying Weapons, Void Weapons, Stellar Detonation, Concept Definition... Those bastards in the Godly Superpower Universe only research destructive stuff. I still can't get cocky. I need to lie low!"
After composing himself, Han Fei put everything away and walked out of the bathroom again.
Zhao Xin and Liu Chuang were once again full of energy, competing to drink on the couch.
The dishes on the table were steaming hot, apparently because Aunt Wu had reheated them.
Han Fei smiled. "Why didn't you wait for me? Count me in!"
He moved closer.
"Come on, let's toast Brother Fei."
"If it weren't for Brother Fei, I... I'd still be that idiot who wanted to uphold justice but was about to fall into becoming a little thug. How could I be like this now, making something of myself and fucking realizing my dream!"
"Yeah, let's drink to that. If it weren't for Boss, I'd still be muddling through life as a hoodlum. Maybe I'd never have escaped that mire for the rest of my life, only able to keep being a rotten bastard. Boss gave me this opportunity and changed my life. I dare go back to my hometown now. Sob..."
A grown man like Liu Chuang actually could not help crying.
Han Fei said nothing. He merely raised his glass, tipped back his head, and drained it in one gulp.
Since coming to this world, he had already changed many people's fates. So far, the results seemed pretty good.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Fireworks bloomed.
Brilliant colors covered the sky, filling the air with celebration.
It was midnight.
A new year had arrived.
2012.
A timely snowfall promised a bountiful year.
It snowed the very next day.
And it was a heavy snowfall.
The weather became exceptionally cold.
Of course, that was irrelevant to someone like Han Fei, who had already begun to surpass humanity.
Just look.
Han Fei had already come out for his morning run in nothing but a shirt.
Although this kind of training no longer had much use for him, training was like rowing against the current. Persistence itself was a test.
"Okay, ten kilometers done."
After putting on his coat, Han Fei drove toward the training base.
He could not wait to test the power of the talismans.
It had already taken considerable restraint for him to suppress his desire upon waking and stick to his routine. Now that he had finished running, the first thing he wanted to do was try them out.
Oh, right. Besides the talismans, he had also handed that strange mechanical object from last night to the researchers. He wondered whether they had figured anything out yet.
Han Fei thought of it instinctively.
Only—
Before he could even start the car—
Black Star's voice began playing from his phone.
"Master, Laboratory No. 2 completed the urgent project you assigned, the research into that strange machine, at five this morning. According to the priority settings you established, the message was held until you finished your morning run."
Han Fei opened his mouth, not knowing where to begin with his complaint.
Forget it.
He would not fuss over it.
"Tell them to wait. I'll be there shortly."
"Yes."
Before you continue