System Activation

Lin Chen sat in a corner of the contestants' rest area for about ten minutes.

The scrape on his arm had completely stopped bleeding, leaving only a faint red mark. He rubbed it with the back of his hand, wiping away most of the dried scab and exposing a thin layer of newly grown skin underneath. The pain in his ribs had nearly vanished, and he no longer felt anything unusual when breathing. He had not had a drop of water since leaving home that morning, so he got up and headed toward the drinking station in the corner of the venue. A large iron barrel stood there, with the words "Drinking Water" painted on it, though most of the paint had peeled away.

He bent down and used the enamel mug beside the barrel to scoop up half a mug of water. The water was warm and carried a rusty taste, but his throat felt much better after he drank it. Just as he straightened up, his gaze drifted unconsciously toward the main ring. The next match seemed to be underway there. Two figures were moving rapidly across the platform, one of them especially nimble, leaping about like a monkey. But before he could look any longer, his eyes landed on several people walking in through the entrance to the contestants' area.

They were dressed in martial arts uniforms and talking as they walked. At the front, a short bald man was gesturing as he explained some move, while a young man in an orange gi beside him listened with a smile.

The hand holding Lin Chen's enamel mug suddenly froze.

He could not say what was wrong, but at that instant, he felt as though something had brushed against the edge of his vision. A faint, almost imperceptible tremor, as if something in the air had changed. Then he heard a voice.

The voice rang directly inside his mind.

[ Ding! Detected that the host has undergone ten years of arduous martial arts training. Conditions fulfilled! ]

It was cold, mechanical, devoid of emotion. It sounded as though it were speaking right beside his ear, yet also as if it were coming from inside his own head. The water in the enamel mug swayed slightly, ripples spreading across its surface before settling again.

[ All-Dimensional Item Pickup System binding... Binding successful! ]

[ After ten years of martial arts training, the Martial Arts Pickup System has officially activated! ]

Lin Chen stood still, his fingers still wrapped around the mug's handle. He blinked, confirming that he was not hallucinating. The voice at his ear truly came from somewhere inside him. He looked down at the mug in his hand. The water had gone still, reflecting his blurry face.

Something else had appeared in his vision. At the edge of his sight, several thumb-sized spheres of light floated in midair. Their colors resembled a blend of translucent white and pale green, and they slowly rotated. There were not many of them, only around a dozen, scattered along both sides of the passage leading to the main ring. When he looked at them, the spheres seemed to sense his attention and began drifting toward him. They were not fast, floating over like dandelion seeds carried by the wind.

The instant the first sphere touched his chest, he felt as if a warm spring had surged through him from within. Strength flowed down his arms all the way to his fingertips. Then came the second, then the third. One sphere after another entered his body, each bringing a faint warmth.

[ Ding! Picked up Basic Energy Fragments ×12. Basic Energy +24. ]

[ Ding! Picked up Ki Blast Structure Information Fragments ×3. Ki Blast Comprehension +2%. ]

[ Ding! Picked up Martial Arts Experience Fragments ×7. Basic Combat Technique Experience +14. ]

The notifications sounded in his mind one after another, every line as clear as printed text. Lin Chen felt the muscles in his arms twitch slightly, carrying the sore, swollen sensation that came after an intense round of training, except it faded far faster than usual. His right arm, which had still been a little sore moments ago, no longer felt any discomfort at all.

He set down the enamel mug and returned it to the rack beside the iron barrel. As he turned, the corner of his eye caught the entrance to the contestants' area. The short bald man and the young man in the orange gi had already passed through and were standing in the waiting area beside the main ring, talking. As they moved while speaking, several more light spheres drifted out from where they stood, slowly passing through the air toward him.

The spheres paused before him, then entered his body.

[ Ding! Picked up Basic Movement Experience Fragments ×5. Speed +6. ]

The young man in the orange gi suddenly turned his head and glanced in Lin Chen's direction. He tilted his head slightly, as though trying to make something out, then turned back and continued talking to the short bald man. His gaze had passed through Lin Chen toward the wall behind him. He clearly had not been looking at Lin Chen at all, merely turning his head at random.

Lin Chen stood there for about two seconds before turning and walking back to the contestants' rest area. Every step he took was as usual, neither fast nor slow, but he could feel that when the soles of his feet touched the ground, the muscles in his calves reacted just a little faster than before. He sat down on the bench again and wiped away the water stains left by the enamel mug with his sleeve.

The light spheres were still drifting toward him. This time, they fell from overhead, coming from the match currently taking place on the main ring. The contestants were moving swiftly, and with every collision and burst of force, faint spheres of light peeled away from their bodies like droplets scattered by the wind through morning mist. They flashed briefly in the sunlight, then floated toward him.

[ Ding! Picked up Speed Orbs ×2. Speed +4. ]

[ Ding! Picked up Ki Perception Fragment ×1. Ki Perception Range +1%. ]

[ Ding! Picked up Basic Damage Resistance Fragments ×3. Constitution +6. ]

Lin Chen remained seated on the bench, simply watching the spheres continuously drift into his chest. His breathing stayed steady, and his expression did not change noticeably. Another contestant sat on the bench beside him, wrapping bandages around his fingers with his head lowered, completely oblivious to anything unusual on Lin Chen's side. Some people in the stands were applauding, while others shouted, "One more!" The sounds blended together like a noisy blanket covering the entire venue.

He closed his eyes and saw a translucent interface floating in the darkness of his vision. Several short lines of text appeared on it:

[ Host: Lin Chen ]

[ Combat Power: 82 ]

[ Bloodline Slot: (Empty) ]

[ Martial Arts Library: Basic Fist and Kick Techniques (Mastery), Basic Footwork (Proficient) ]

[ Skill Library: None ]

[ Talent Traits: None ]

[ Inventory: Empty ]

Lin Chen opened his eyes. He reached up and touched the inside of his left wrist. His skin was warm, and his pulse was steady.

Two more light spheres floated over from the direction of the main ring, one white and one pale green. They met before him, then entered his chest at the same time. His shoulders tensed slightly on instinct before quickly relaxing.

From the distant main ring came the referee's voice: "Match over. The winner is contestant Krillin!"