"Emmm, I was just saying. Was that really necessary?"
Han Fei waved dismissively and got out of bed, stretching his now-vigorous body.
"Oh, it's snowing?"
Han Fei went to the window and suddenly noticed snowflakes drifting outside.
He opened the window and felt the biting wind.
"Another year has passed without me even realizing it."
In 2013, the Taotie would descend.
It was 2011 now. Once the New Year passed, it would be 2012.
It was getting closer and closer.
Come to think of it, there had always been talk of the Mayan Prophecy—that 2012 would be the end of the world. But this time, the end would come in 2013, not 2012. He just didn't know whether there was a prophecy like that in this life.
Looking at the dangerous sky, Han Fei murmured to himself.
"I'll deal with whatever comes."
A few days later.
Training base.
Bang! Bang!
A flash of blue streaked through the air.
Several large boulders on the ground shattered and flew apart.
His hands moved without pause. A beautifully shaped sword appeared in his right hand, and a huge blue-green talisman appeared, hovering above the ground. A large character—"Stab"—was written on it.
"Piercing Wind Stab!"
!!!
The speed was unbelievable.
A blur flashed past.
An entire rockery exploded and flew apart.
Han Fei appeared at the other end of the rockery, his armor completely unscathed.
"The Wind Eagle Armor's attack power isn't bad, and speed is its strong suit. Its only real weakness should be its defense. Even so, ordinary firearms are already useless against me now."
Han Fei glanced at the machine gun and RPG set up nearby, then at the charred wreckage in another area.
"This is only what I can do after putting on the armor. I'm still too weak on my own. I don't know if I'm even as strong as a first-generation warrior, but at the very least, my body's recovery ability is nowhere near as good."
"The Super God World's technology is way too advanced when it comes to defense and recovery."
He didn't remember the specific details.
He only remembered that when Qi Lin awakened, the Taotie had pierced her chest, yet she recovered in just three days—with no scar!
An injury like that...
If it had happened to him, he would've died.
And that was only a first-generation warrior.
Han Fei shook his head. Fortunately, there was still time, and next September, his abilities would evolve again. He had a feeling that they would undergo a major change.
With so much time, he still had plenty of room for error.
There was no need to worry too much.
He de-transformed.
Han Fei sat in a chair that one of the personnel had brought over and took a drink of water. "Black Star, have the results come in?"
"Data analysis has been completed and sent."
"Testing shows that this armor is designed for quick battles. It is unsuitable for prolonged engagements or frontal assaults and is best suited to assassination missions."
"Current weaknesses: its defensive weakness is the most apparent. An anti-materiel sniper rifle could potentially inflict minor injuries. Precision missile strikes, heavy artillery barrages, and other unconventional attacks remain lethal threats."
"Based on your earlier description, your current attack power is estimated to be at the bottom of, or around the level of, an ordinary Second Generation Super Soldier. Your defense is roughly equivalent to that of an ordinary first-generation warrior."
"This data lacks a real-world template and is not accurate. It is for reference only."
Han Fei nodded. This assessment was about what he'd expected.
The Wind Eagle Armor wasn't known for its defense. It was known for its speed.
The assessment made sense.
But once he developed it further and improved his compatibility with it, reaching its peak would let him unleash energy waves, slash out enormous sword auras, fire Piercing Wind Stab lasers, and summon the Wind Shadow Vehicle. Surely then, the assessment would be different.
Those abilities he'd just mentioned had flashed through his mind as names and descriptions when he merged with the Wind Eagle Armor.
That meant the armor had a lot of untapped potential.
Han Fei nodded to himself.
Then he asked, "Black Star, based on your calculations, do you think this armor can be replicated?"
"..."
"The armor's material is unknown, and its energy is difficult to analyze. Even if we use Earth's current technology alongside the new materials and technology you provided, any armor we create would be impractical."
"What if the Light-Shadow Stone of Wood could power it?"
"..."
"Preliminary calculations show that it may be feasible, but any armor we create would still be inferior. It wouldn't even qualify as a first-generation warrior. It could only briefly withstand ordinary firearms, making it half a Super Soldier at best. The cost would inevitably be high, and it wouldn't be worth it. I strongly advise against wasting money on this."
"You only mentioned defense. What about its attack power?"
"...I can't calculate that. The basic hardware still can't bring out Black Star's full capabilities. Requesting a more powerful upgrade."
"I don't have the ability to do that right now. Wait."
Han Fei answered grumpily.
"Fine. So, in short, mass-producing the armor isn't realistic for now. We'll have to wait until there's an opportunity later."
Han Fei stretched, picked up his coat, and headed outside.
"Forget it. I don't want to think about this anymore. I'll head home first. These past couple of days have been so busy."
Time passed slowly.
The New Year came.
Fireworks bloomed across the sky,
bright and colorful, decorating it with beauty.
They brought a touch of warmth to the cold winter night.
Every TV channel was showing its own New Year's Eve gala: singing, performances, variety shows, traditional culture, celebrities, and the funniest sketches.
This was the entertainment culture humanity had developed.
It was flourishing.
But...
As the New Year approached,
Han Fei sat alone in his enormous home, watching TV.
Watching all the merriment,
he felt completely detached from it.
His heart remained unmoved.
He hadn't grown up in an orphanage in this life, but his parents might as well have been absent.
After he started middle school, the two of them went their separate ways, and he became independent.
That was how things had been ever since.
"How sentimental. It's not like I haven't spent New Year's like this before. I wonder what Aunt Wu cooked up today. Well, I'm a little curious."
Han Fei stretched, gave a self-mocking smile, and picked up his hot cola.
Just then—
"Yo! Little Fei! Master Xin's back!"
An annoyingly familiar voice came from the entryway, and a familiar figure appeared.
He still had that cocky look. When he saw Han Fei turn around, he started making faces at him.
Gulp.
Han Fei swallowed the cola he'd almost spat out and stared at Zhao Xin in surprise.
"Weren't you going back to your hometown?"
"Haha, Little Fei, you think I'd leave you all alone?" Zhao Xin laughed, changed his shoes, and walked inside.
Then he turned around. "Come on in! Why're you standing outside?"
Han Fei looked over.
A huge, burly guy was standing by the doorway, scratching his head and looking at him sheepishly.
It was Liu Chuang.
"I was waiting for you to go in first. You're my boss, after all."
Liu Chuang muttered a couple of words and followed him inside.
"You two have homes to go back to. Why'd you come over here?"
"Hey, Master Xin's always been loyal. How could I leave you alone? Besides, my folks aren't going to miss me. They'd rather I didn't disturb their alone time. As for Chuangzi, his family's just like yours, so the three of us might as well get together and muddle through tonight."
"Sure. I'll ask Aunt Wu to make some extra food and bring out some liquor. We'll have a drink tonight."
"By the way, Little Xin, I haven't put you in your place in a while, and you're getting too bold. You dare call me Little Fei now? Got a death wish?" Han Fei grinned menacingly.
"Holy crap! No! Chuangzi, quick, stop him!"
"..."
The three of them joked and brawled, making a ruckus.
The enormous house felt livelier.
Before long,
Aunt Wu served the food.
It had all been made with Longevity Cookware.
There was Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Dragon and Phoenix Bringing Good Fortune, Husband and Wife Lung Slices, mouthwatering chicken, cold-fragrance pills, ants climbing a tree, dragon, tiger, and leopard...
There was everything you could ask for.
"Come on, let's all dig in."
In such a lively atmosphere, time passed quickly.
Though he didn't drink often, Han Fei was in such good shape that he could down three bottles by himself without feeling dizzy at all. It was like drinking water.
Zhao Xin and Liu Chuang, on the other hand, couldn't quite keep up.
Before you continue