Acquiring an ability

"Top up!"

The instant the thought arose, the thousand yuan on the bed vanished.

Lin Shuguang's eyes went wide. It was so real! The heartache felt so real!

But he still quickly opened the Attribute Panel.

--

[Name]: Lin Shuguang;

[Blood Energy Value]: 9 Ka;

[Skill]: Basic Body Refining Technique LV1;

[Destined Soul]: Slaughter Blade (Silver)

(Description: Grants a special ability upon manifestation)

[Special Ability]: Absorption LV1 (Successful kills allow you to seize blood energy)

--

"This!!!" Lin Shuguang was stunned.

His attention was completely captured by the newly added [Special Ability], and his breathing immediately quickened.

The biggest obstacle facing him now was his blood energy value!

If he wanted to get into the Martial Arts School, he had to raise his blood energy value above 95 cal before June next year.

After looking through many related books, Lin Shuguang now understood the various astonished looks people had given him upon learning that his blood energy value was only 9 Ka.

For others who started with forty or fifty cal as soon as they awakened, reaching the 95-cal threshold was more like jumping from the first step to the third. It was merely a matter of putting in some extra effort.

But for an "underachiever" like him, whose blood energy value was only 9 Ka, this was far more than a few steps. It was an impassable chasm!

Previously, he had not understood the purpose of the Attribute Panel. Now he did.

Spend money, evolve!

When Lin Shuguang's gaze fell on the Attribute Panel again, it held noticeably more fervor.

But the panel showed him no courtesy and gave no response.

"Could it be that I haven't met the top-up requirements?"

Lin Shuguang frowned in thought. As he stared at [Absorption LV1] and unconsciously focused his attention, something unexpected happened!

A line of small explanatory text slowly appeared.

(Absorption LV2: Successful kills allow you to seize twice the blood energy. Wealth Value required to upgrade: 2,000)

"It actually costs two thousand... no wonder!"

He had only found a little over thirty yuan on him, a mere drop in the bucket compared with two thousand.

Suddenly, his gaze fixed on a certain spot...

A few seconds later, he brought the little piggy bank back again.

To be honest, he really had not intended to touch it, but his plans could not keep up with the changes.

"Little sister, this is the first lesson I'm teaching you after my rebirth-a man's mouth tells nothing but lies!"

He deftly smashed the piggy bank and checked it inside and out three times, but there was only a little over five hundred yuan inside. Lin Shuguang's eyelid twitched. This is bad. I'm still a long way short of two thousand.

Upgrading the Jungle Knife's ability any further was out of the question, so Lin Shuguang settled for his next-best option and turned his thoughts to [Basic Body Refining Technique LV1] on the panel... In his memories, the [Basic Body Refining Technique] was a standardized body-refining method jointly created by several grandmasters from the National Martial Arts Administration. In terms from his previous life, it was rather like "radio calisthenics."

Everyone practiced it from childhood. Aside from improving physical fitness, more importantly, it could increase the blood energy unleashed upon awakening to a certain extent, though the exact amount still depended on individual talent.

At this thought, Lin Shuguang could not help feeling embarrassed. After more than ten years of practice, his blood energy value upon awakening had only been nine cal. Just how terrible was his talent?

Shaking off the thought, he concentrated, and a line of small text slowly appeared-

(Basic Body Refining Technique LV2: Daily blood energy gain increases to 0.2 cal. Wealth Value required to upgrade: 200)

It really works! Lin Shuguang was delighted.

"Top up!"

The moment he spoke, nearly half the small pile of money disappeared-exactly two hundred, no more and no less.

Immediately afterward, in Lin Shuguang's field of vision, the number after [Basic Body Refining Technique] jumped to 2!

It had leveled up!

Lin Shuguang seemed to sense something. Following that peculiar sensation, he found his surroundings changing in an instant.

Everything around him was gray and hazy. Only a person who looked exactly like him was performing the [Basic Body Refining Technique] over and over. As time passed, the movements went from awkward to fluid. Then some unnecessary poses were discarded, and certain movements were subtly adjusted to better suit the body's range of motion, repeated again and again.

After an unknown amount of time passed like this, Lin Shuguang finally woke from the dream.

He hurriedly tried to recall it. Not only had he forgotten nothing, but he discovered that this latest version of the [Basic Body Refining Technique] was etched into his mind with perfect clarity, as though he really had practiced it countless times.

"So this is the LV2 Basic Body Refining Technique? Let's try it!"

Lin Shuguang jumped off the bed, took his stance, and began practicing.

As he began practicing the poses from his memory, the benefits of the upgrade were obvious. Every movement was vivid in his mind, and he could flow through them smoothly without deliberately trying to recall them.

Stranger still, every transition between movements sent an electric tingling through his body, as though a warm current were continuously pushing through his limbs and bones. As his blood surged, his whole body began to warm.

Once, twice... his movements grew increasingly practiced and natural... until the fifth round. The moment he finished, Lin Shuguang was utterly exhausted and dropped onto the floor, gasping for breath.

Tired as he was, he could not hide the joy in his heart.

He opened the Attribute Panel:

[Name]: Lin Shuguang;

[Blood Energy Value]: 9.2 cal;

[Skill]: Basic Body Refining Technique LV2;

[Destined Soul]: Slaughter Blade (Silver);

(Description: Possesses a degree of destructive power upon manifestation);

[Special Ability]: Absorption LV1 (Successful kills allow you to seize blood energy)

It really had increased!

Excitement filled Lin Shuguang's chest, instantly dispelling much of his fatigue. His clear eyes shone brighter than ever, lively and alert.

His fatigue soon vanished completely, leaving him brimming with vigor.

"So what if this world has changed! Once I fully understand this cheat, I'm bound to improve faster and faster!"

His blood energy value had already increased by 0.2 cal, so continuing was pointless. Besides, Lin Shuguang could not even say he had enough strength left for another round. He specifically checked the requirements for upgrading the [Basic Body Refining Technique] to LV3.

(Basic Body Refining Technique LV3: Daily blood energy gain increases to 0.5 cal. Wealth Value required to upgrade: 500)

"The rate of blood energy growth more than doubles!!! If only money weren't a problem..."

Lin Shuguang felt as though a cat were scratching at his heart. He could only resent having too little money!

Putting cultivation aside, he rested briefly, then began voraciously absorbing knowledge about this world.

Three hundred years ago, the Spiritual Energy Resurgence began, and the Martial Dao rose to prominence. Humans who awakened their destined souls were regarded as extraordinary beings. Some could not manifest abilities and were later called the Awakened, while others could manifest their destined souls as tangible abilities and were later called Martial Artists.

Over the following fifty years, under the nation's orderly guidance, Martial Dao cultivation gradually became widespread. The first [Basic Body Refining Method] was introduced, marking the formal beginning of the Martial Dao in the country.

Two hundred and forty years ago, at the peak of the Spiritual Energy Resurgence, the number of Awakened surged worldwide.

Yet how to rapidly advance the Awakened into Martial Artists became the greatest headache for governments around the world.

One hundred and eighty years ago, soul rings were created, and the Martial Dao system reached maturity.

The problem of the Awakened being unable to manifest abilities was completely resolved. The creation of soul rings marked the official arrival of a golden age of the Martial Dao worldwide.

One hundred and fifty years ago, responding to the nation's call, major martial arts schools were formally established. Today, they had become the backbone of training outstanding Martial Artists for the country.

Even now, gaining admission to a martial arts school was itself enough to bring glory to one's family. After all, it was a necessary step toward becoming a Martial Artist, and anyone who became a Martial Artist could enjoy many privileges, both overt and covert. This was also why so many parents were desperate for their children to get into martial arts schools every year.

The college entrance examination system was still the same as in his previous life. Even those hoping to attend a martial arts school had to sit the academic examinations. This was mandatory.

Meanwhile, Father Lin and Mother Lin had gone to the shop after taking Lin Xiaoxi to school.

Lin Shuguang kept his head buried in his books, unusually engrossed. In the end, only a call from his mother roused him. "We might be busy at the shop until late tonight. Remember to pick Xiao Xi up sometime after five. You two can eat out. Do you still have any money?"

"No." Lin Shuguang zeroed in on his mother's last question.

Mother Lin fell silent for a moment. If she remembered correctly, she had just given him a thousand at noon today.

A thunk came from the other end, sounding like a large cleaver striking a chopping board (Lin Shuguang's eyelid twitched), followed by an emotionless voice. "How much do you want?"

The air seemed to freeze.

"Two... no need!" Lin Shuguang promptly corrected himself, having nearly let it slip.

Perhaps because his final answer had been so firm, the atmosphere on Mother Lin's end eased slightly. After a moment's consideration, she said, "There's some spare money in the living room drawer. Take what you need."

The call ended.

Lin Shuguang raced into the living room. After searching three drawers, he finally spotted a dozen or so notes tucked inside a dictionary of idioms, and his face lit up with delight.

But when he counted them,

Twenty-seven yuan and eighty cents...

His smile instantly vanished. He had gotten excited over nothing!

"Wait!" Lin Shuguang suddenly thought of something.

"The system told me I can seize blood energy by killing. It probably doesn't specify what I have to kill... so killing chickens should count too! I'm such an idiot!"

Thinking of the dozen or so chickens the shop had just bought...

Lin Shuguang grabbed his blade and charged off, bristling with aggression.