The transformation lasted for over ten minutes. Only then did the heat in his body gradually fade.
His attributes had now become:
Strength: 126 (10) Agility: 128 (10) Constitution: 135 (10) Intelligence: 123 (10) Perception: 108 (10) Willpower: 114 (10)
Aside from willpower and perception, which hadn't changed, all his other attributes had increased significantly. Some had even gone up by two points.
He clenched his fist. A surge of powerful strength coursed through his body.
And that wasn't all.
His five senses had grown sharper, and his thoughts were quicker. Even the problems on yesterday's monthly exam that he'd been unable to solve no matter how hard he tried now seemed obvious with just a flick of his mind.
It even seemed as though time had slowed down.
The threefold gravity now felt barely stronger than Earth's. He felt that he had gained a measure of ability to protect himself.
He stood up, ready to explore the area.
Using his wooden stick for support, he walked along the mountainside, one step light and the next heavy, struggling to make his way forward.
His newfound strength seemed difficult to control.
The way he was used to exerting himself no longer matched his now powerful body. Sometimes he used too much force, sometimes too little, and several times he nearly fell over.
Fortunately, after carefully walking for more than ten minutes, he gradually began to adjust.
This was a desolate little island, only about one square kilometer in size.
There was nothing but ocean all around it, with a single mountain in the middle. There weren't any animals on the island, either. A few tiny insects, much like ants, bred and lived in the grass, but there were no other living creatures.
This finally put him at ease. It meant the place was quite safe.
He made a rough circuit of the mountainside. By his estimate, it was almost two in the morning.
So he began heading back.
Once he passed through the channel and returned to Earth, he immediately felt so light he could almost fly. Even walking made him stagger, his steps floating and unsteady.
At first he walked slowly, but soon he started running.
He fell several times, but each time he got back up and kept running.
On the empty, deserted streets, Chen Shouyi raced along in excitement, laughing as he ran. He moved faster and faster, sweeping through the streets and alleys like a gust of wind until he quickly made it home.
He opened the door and tiptoed back to his bedroom.
After closing the door, he flung himself onto the bed and rolled around a few times. Today's adventure had left him thrilled and exhilarated.
He laughed silently a few times, then couldn't resist opening his Status Panel again.
His increased attributes hadn't returned to their original values, and the talent ability option was still there, too. Only "Natural Healing" had been replaced by "Beginner Self-Healing."
He clenched his fist. The skin on his palm creaked as it rubbed tightly against itself.
It was all real.
He really had become stronger—stronger than he could have imagined.
Then he suddenly thought of a problem, and his excitement quickly faded.
"Should I report this Space Channel?"
Chen Shouyi hesitated. Deep down, he absolutely didn't want to. Nobody would.
He'd heard that Martial Apprentice trainees at the Martial Arts Academy all entered hidden Space Channels for training. That meant the other world's unique environment could greatly improve a Martial Apprentice's strength.
His attributes now exceeded the Martial Apprentice standards, and he was even approaching the level of a martial artist.
For example, the male Martial Apprentice assessment required a bench press of 200 kilograms. Judging by his attributes, he could now manage 290 kilograms, putting him just one step away from the 300-kilogram standard for martial artists.
His agility was even 0.2 points higher than his strength, meeting the martial artist standard outright.
As for constitution, it was now his strongest attribute, reaching an astonishing 135.
But he still hadn't passed the Martial Apprentice assessment. And even if he did, he'd have to wait more than five months before he could enter the Martial Arts Academy.
During that time, a Space Channel that only he could enter held a powerful attraction. He could feel that if he trained in the threefold gravity, his strength would surely improve even further.
But an unguarded Space Channel in the middle of a city was still dangerous.
That night, he tossed and turned, his thoughts at war. It was almost dawn before he finally drifted off.
He hadn't slept for long when his body clock woke him right on time.
Although he'd only dozed for a little while, Chen Shouyi felt refreshed, not the least bit groggy from staying up all night.
He picked up his phone to check the time and saw that the screen was still black. He quickly pressed the power button, and fortunately, it lit up again soon. It seemed the other world's environment hadn't burned it out.
"Mm, I'm only about ten minutes late."
He quickly got dressed and went to the bathroom to wash up.
Chen Xingyue was already there. She wore cute Rascal Rabbit pajamas and sleepily brushed her teeth.
"Morning!" Chen Shouyi greeted her, then took out his toothbrush and started brushing, too.
Chen Xingyue rinsed her mouth, spat out the white foam, and glanced at him in the mirror. Suddenly, she said, "Brother, you're shedding your skin."
"Oh, am I?" Chen Shouyi took a closer look and realized that she was right.
For some reason, a lot of old skin had appeared on his face, peeling off in patches here and there. He stopped brushing, held his toothbrush between his teeth, and grabbed a piece of dead skin. He pulled it off in front of the mirror, and it came away with a ripping sound, taking a huge patch along with it.
He froze for a moment. The skin underneath was rosy and smooth, as delicate as a baby's.
When he came back to himself, he noticed the astonished look on Chen Xingyue's face. Keeping his expression calm, he said, "Maybe I got too much sun yesterday."
"Weren't you taking an exam yesterday?" Chen Xingyue immediately challenged him.
"I got sun at noon. The faucet was running too hard when I washed my hands after using the bathroom, and I got my pants wet, so I stayed in the sun a little longer to dry them." Chen Shouyi answered with a straight face. He realized that his thoughts were incredibly sharp now; he could make up a lie on the spot without even thinking.
"Brother, that's disgusting."
Chen Xingyue immediately looked at him with disdain.
"Well, whose fault is it that you're so curious? Besides, it wasn't like I wet myself. It was just water. What's so disgusting about that? When you were in elementary school, there was that time you were in a hurry to pee, and you..." Chen Shouyi fired back at once.
Seeing that Chen Shouyi was about to bring up an embarrassing childhood story, Chen Xingyue flushed and snapped, "Brother, if you say that, I'll never talk to you again!"
She had already forgotten all about her earlier suspicions.
Watching Chen Xingyue flee in embarrassment, Chen Shouyi felt triumphant. This was the first time he'd beaten his sharp-tongued little sister in an argument.
Once Chen Xingyue had left, he quickly closed the bathroom door. Facing the mirror, he rubbed his face hard—and the entire layer of skin came off.
Looking at his reflection, he felt a little like he was seeing a stranger.
He looked more handsome now, with red lips and white teeth. His skin was so smooth and delicate it seemed it would yield to the slightest touch, as if coated in a layer of creamy jade. Beneath his thick brows, his dark eyes shone brightly.
He was utterly different from his former, ordinary, slightly dark-skinned self.
Staring into the mirror, Chen Shouyi felt no joy, only alarm.
"How am I supposed to go outside looking like this?"
"If my parents see me later and get suspicious, I can keep saying I got sunburned. I wonder if they'll believe me."
He looked at his arm and rubbed it gently. A huge patch of dead skin came off at once. It seemed his whole body had shed its skin completely.
He quickly took off his clothes, showered, and scrubbed all the dead skin off his body.
Back in his bedroom, he sat on the bed, looking troubled.
How was he supposed to explain this?
He couldn't stay in his bedroom forever. Even if he did, he couldn't avoid his family forever.
Just then, he noticed the bedroom window. A thought struck him, and he walked over and opened it to look down.
Below was a narrow alley, about four or five meters above the ground. Chen Shouyi figured that with his current constitution and strength, he could jump down without getting hurt. He could worry about explaining things tonight.
Maybe if he spent the whole day in the sun, his skin would turn slightly dark again!
He watched the people ahead gradually walk away. With no one behind them, he took a few deep breaths, steeled himself, and braced one arm against the window before leaping down.
Thump! Chen Shouyi's knees bent only slightly before he landed firmly on his feet, as easily as if he'd jumped down from half a meter up.
The person walking away heard the noise and turned back, wondering if something had fallen from the sky. But apart from noticing someone behind him, he saw nothing.
Chen Shouyi smiled at him, then walked toward the restaurant and called from a distance:
"Mom, I'm going out to play with a classmate. I'll be back tonight."
"Got it. Be careful on the way," Mother Chen said automatically, hearing Chen Shouyi's voice while she was mopping the floor.
After she finished speaking, she realized something was wrong. When had that boy gone out?
By the time she reached the doorway, Chen Shouyi had already disappeared without a trace.
Before you continue