Could I Really Be a Genius?

Gu Yuan withdrew his slightly numb hand.

That punch had been far more powerful than one thrown using only his vital energy—by more than a single level.

More importantly, the instant he threw it, he had clearly felt his mental power cling to his fist, creating an effect similar to high-frequency vibration.

If he used this technique in a real fight and landed a punch on a ferocious beast or a person, could the mental-power vibration strike their brain directly and interfere with their judgment?

After all, first-rank Warlocks were pitifully weak. They couldn't even project their mental power outside their bodies to interfere with an enemy.

But Gu Yuan hadn't projected his mental power. He had compressed it and wrapped it around his knuckles, turning it into bonus magic damage on a physical attack!

Wasn't that basically a mage maxing out their melee talents? Who could stand up to that?

Gu Yuan looked at his right fist, the corners of his mouth rising uncontrollably.

"Holy crap."

"Could I really be a once-in-a-thousand-years genius?"

If this really worked, it would be a magic attack that no one could guard against.

The next time he encountered one of those ferocious beasts that relied on their thick hides, he'd land one punch and shake their brains into a smooth paste.

His mind raced as he calculated whether this fighting style was viable. The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, so he continued experimenting in the training room.

But controlling the mental power as it clung to his fist wasn't easy. The slightest mistake would cause it to disperse through his meridians.

Gu Yuan threw punch after punch, adjusting the ratio of vital energy to mental power as he searched for the perfect balance.

Two hours later, he was drenched in sweat from head to toe.

His success rate had stabilized at around sixty percent.

A genius among geniuses, indeed.

Gu Yuan glanced up at the clock on the wall.

He changed into clean clothes and strode out of the training center.

He hadn't forgotten that today was his first day as a security guard.

Nothing mattered more than farming traits.

He'd been eyeing the juicy trait above Old Man Zhou's head for days. No matter what, today he had to claim his spot.

He strolled all the way to the entrance of the Destiny Bureau.

"Morning, sir!"

Gu Yuan leaned against the security booth window and smiled at Old Man Zhou inside.

Old Man Zhou was holding his mug of tea. The sudden greeting startled him so badly that his hand jerked, and he nearly spilled the tea in his lap.

He looked up warily at the smiling young man outside.

The kid had been coming around every day for the past two days, staring fixedly at him for ages whenever he passed by.

Still, after seeing him so often, Old Man Zhou had more or less gotten used to it.

He nodded stiffly in greeting, then pointed inside the gate, signaling for Gu Yuan to hurry in and stop blocking the window.

Gu Yuan didn't mind. He waved with a smile and headed for Shen Tingxue's office, as if he already knew his way around.

He pushed open the office door. Shen Tingxue was seated at her desk, looking through some documents.

Hearing him come in, she didn't even look up. She simply opened the drawer beside her, took out a clear plastic bag, and tossed it onto the desk.

"Here. This is your security uniform."

Gu Yuan's eyes lit up when he saw it.

This wasn't just an ordinary security uniform. It was his ticket to legally stay by Old Man Zhou's side and farm traits!

"I'm warning you."

Shen Tingxue stopped writing and looked up.

"Just do your job as a security guard. Don't cause trouble, and especially don't go picking on Old Man Zhou!"

Shen Tingxue knew her cousin all too well.

The kid had been full of tricks since he was little and never did anything without a reward in mind. If he was insisting on becoming a security guard at the Destiny Bureau, he definitely had an ulterior motive.

She didn't know what Gu Yuan was after, but it couldn't hurt to warn him in advance.

"Don't worry, don't worry."

Gu Yuan patted his chest, looking the very picture of righteousness.

"I just thought Old Man Zhou might be tired of watching the gate all by himself, so I came to help share the burden. Why would I make him angry? I'm famous for respecting the elderly and caring for the young!"

Gu Yuan almost believed himself as he said it.

Shen Tingxue sneered, about to give him another warning.

But Gu Yuan wasn't about to give her the chance. He grabbed the uniform, turned, and bolted, disappearing in a flash.

"Cousin, you get back to work. I'm going on duty! Serving the people!"

Shen Tingxue looked at the empty doorway and shook her head helplessly.

"What on earth is that kid up to?"

Old Man Zhou had only just set down his mug and picked up the day's newspaper when—

"Hm? Why did that kid come out so quickly today?"

Through the glass window, he saw Gu Yuan walking toward the security booth with a plastic bag in his arms.

Didn't he usually stay inside for at least half a day around this time? Why was he out so early today?

A trace of suspicion stirred in Old Man Zhou's heart.

But when he saw the plastic bag in Gu Yuan's hand, and the glimpse of dark blue fabric peeking out of it, a sudden sense of foreboding rose within him.

That color, that style—it looked an awful lot like...

Before Old Man Zhou could react, Gu Yuan had already pushed open the security booth door and swaggered inside.

"What are you doing in the security booth?"

Old Man Zhou's eyes widened as he watched Gu Yuan tear open the plastic bag and pull out a brand-new security uniform.

Gu Yuan pulled it straight on.

"Yeah, this is perfect!"

He checked his reflection in the security booth's window and nodded with satisfaction.

"You're..."

Old Man Zhou stared at Gu Yuan, mouth agape, one finger pointed at him. He still clung to one last glimmer of hope: maybe the kid just had some kind of unusual uniform fetish?

"Old Man Zhou, isn't it obvious?"

Gu Yuan turned around, stood at attention, and gave him an extremely sloppy salute.

"Starting today, I'm officially a proud security guard at the Destiny Bureau!"

Old Man Zhou was stunned. The newspaper slipped from his hands and fell to the floor.

"Don't worry, Old Man Zhou. I'm here to help you! From now on, you can leave all the dirty and exhausting jobs to me!"

Gu Yuan thumped his chest as he promised, his eyes fixed firmly on the top of Old Man Zhou's head.

Gu Yuan swallowed, his eyes practically glowing.

He'd been waiting for this day for so long.

Old Man Zhou felt a chill run through him under Gu Yuan's ravenous stare.

That kid's eyes were terrifying.

Old Man Zhou couldn't help shuddering.

He'd lived through all sorts of storms in his time, but this was the first time an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old had stared at him like that.

Could the kid really be after him?

Had young people's tastes really gotten that extreme these days?

At the thought, Old Man Zhou tightened his coat and instinctively shrank back.

"Old Man Zhou, are you cold?"

Gu Yuan keenly noticed Old Man Zhou's movement.

He paused.

Warriors generally had vigorous vital energy and weren't afraid of the cold.

That was even more true of a warrior of Old Man Zhou's caliber.

Why would he feel cold?

Could it be...