No, he really wasn't this strong before!

The fishy stench and lingering mental contamination hanging over Blackwater Wharf had yet to fully disperse, but the atmosphere inside the dock had grown even stranger-an emotion called "shock" spread silently through Yang Shan's team.

Lin Wei watched Luo Li leap lightly down from the shipping container, his breathing steady and his manner almost leisurely, then glanced at the mother's remains slowly sinking beneath the water. She felt her worldview take a small hit.

Was this really the childhood friend Brother Shan had described as "getting by on his reaction speed"? The shut-in streamer they had previously suspected of being a "nepo hire"?

That fluid sequence just now-ghostlike movement, precise slashes, pinpointing the core, killing it in one strike-this was a fucking support ability user?! People would believe he was a B+ assassination specialist!

A Tu pushed up the glasses that had slipped down his nose and silently reinforced the platform of earth and stone beneath their feet. His gaze was full of awe as he looked at Luo Li.

Yang Shan was the first to recover. He rushed up to Luo Li, threw an excited arm around his neck, and shook him hard. "Holy shit! Li Zi! Tell me the truth! Did some ancient war god possess you?! Or have you secretly been popping miracle pills? This jump in your combat power is way too ridiculous!"

Nearly choked breathless, Luo Li irritably pried his arm away. "Get lost! This is years of effort finally paying off! Natural talent! Ever heard of it?"

"Like hell I believe you!"

Wearing an expression that said, "Do you think I'm an idiot?" Yang Shan circled Luo Li twice, staring intently at him.

"That speed, that explosive power, and that freaky blade of yours... you definitely stumbled into some lucky encounter! Come on, share! Let your buddy get a little of that good fortune too!"

"An ancestral blade and secret family techniques. Not for outsiders."

Luo Li continued spouting nonsense without batting an eye, casually returning Enma to his system storage. The dark-red, vicious blade vanished instantly, as though it had never appeared.

The sight made Yang Shan's eyelid twitch again.

Spatial equipment? He even has that? How much good stuff is he still hiding?

Lin Wei walked over then. She took a deep breath and said solemnly to Luo Li, "Mr. Luo Li, I misjudged you earlier. I'm sorry. Your strength... is admirable."

Her attitude had clearly become much more respectful.

In the apocalypse, strength was the best passport.

"You're too kind. We just worked together."

Luo Li smiled without taking the credit.

A Tu quietly chimed in as well. "Yeah... really impressive."

"All right, all right, enough mutual flattery!"

Yang Shan waved a hand, interrupting the somewhat formal atmosphere, and an excited grin returned to his face.

"Mission complete! A B+ mother! Those contribution points are in the bag! Come on! Let's turn it in! Dinner's on me tonight. We've got to properly celebrate Li Zi 'coming out of seclusion'!"

On the way back, Yang Shan never stopped talking. He kept buzzing in Luo Li's ear, trying to pry out the secret of how he had "gotten stronger."

Luo Li, meanwhile, put his mastery of brushing people off to full use, letting it go in one ear and out the other. Occasionally, he replied with "Good luck," "Lots of practice," or "Take a guess," leaving Yang Shan thoroughly frustrated.

Lin Wei and A Tu followed behind, watching the two bickering men with their arms slung over each other's shoulders, their feelings complicated.

"Brother Shan's... childhood friend. Has he always... hidden his strength like this?" Lin Wei could not help asking A Tu quietly.

A Tu shook his head and said glumly, "Before... Brother Shan said he was just a shut-in who was really good at games."

They exchanged a look, seeing the same thought in each other's eyes-how was this a shut-in? He was clearly a human-shaped beast wearing a shut-in's skin!

The Ability Users' Guild, mission handover desk.

When Luo Li submitted footage recording the mother's core energy fluctuations along with some samples of its remains, the staff member reviewing them looked at the words "B+ Parasitic Water Ghost Mother confirmed eliminated" on the screen, then at the freshly issued "B-rank practical combat assessment" on Luo Li's identification record. He could not hide the surprise in his eyes either.

"Mission B-188 confirmed complete. Base contribution points: 800. B+ mother decapitation bonus: 3,000. A total of 3,800 contribution points has been transferred to your account.

"The spoils have been registered. Ownership is for the team to distribute among yourselves."

The staff member made the announcement as calmly as he could, but his slightly trembling fingertips still betrayed his unease.

Taking the lead single-handedly in a successful B+ decapitation mission-that efficiency was absolutely top-tier even among B-rank ability users.

"3,800!" Yang Shan whistled excitedly and slapped Luo Li hard on the back.

"We're rich! Li Zi! You're our lucky star!"

Looking at the soaring contribution point balance on his ID card, Luo Li could not help smiling either.

He was another big step closer to his "grand home-buying plan."

As agreed beforehand, the contribution points were split evenly among the four team members, with Luo Li receiving an extra ten percent for bearing the main risk and completing the decapitation.

Luo Li ultimately received 1,520 contribution points. Together with his previous savings, he could already see a glimmer of hope for making a down payment somewhere relatively safe in Jiangcheng.

As for the spoils, the water ghosts' acid sacs and certain special shell materials were worth a fair amount too, and were distributed in the same proportions.

"Come on, come on! Let's eat out! My treat today! Nobody's fighting me over the bill!"

Brimming with generosity, Yang Shan grabbed Luo Li, Lin Wei, and A Tu and was about to head outside.

Just then, a composed middle-aged man wearing a guild deacon's uniform walked over, his gaze falling directly on Luo Li.

"Mr. Luo Li, correct?"

Luo Li stopped and looked at him. "That's me. Is there something you need?"

"I'm a guild deacon. My surname is Wang."

Deacon Wang spoke mildly, though his eyes held a hint of scrutiny.

"The guild would like to learn a little more about your recent rapid increase in strength and the B+ decapitation mission you just completed.

"If it's convenient, could you come to my office for a talk shortly?"

Here it comes.

Luo Li thought to himself.

The tallest tree catches the wind. Sure enough, I've drawn attention from above.

His expression unchanged, he nodded. "Of course, Deacon Wang. I'll be there shortly."

Seeing this, Yang Shan blinked and gave Deacon Wang an ingratiating smile. "Deacon Wang, we'll leave our buddy in your hands, then? We'll wait for him outside?"

Deacon Wang nodded slightly.

Yang Shan gave Luo Li a look that said, "You're on your own," then left with the still somewhat bewildered Lin Wei and A Tu.

Inside the guild deacon's office.

The furnishings were simple: just a desk, a few chairs, and a filing cabinet.

Deacon Wang invited Luo Li to sit and got straight to the point. "Mr. Luo Li, there's no need to be nervous. These are just routine questions.

"Your registered ability is [Deep Information Perception and Traceback], classified as support.

"But according to Advisor Lei Zhen's assessment report and your recent mission records, your actual combat abilities, particularly your close-quarters fighting and killing efficiency, seem to... differ somewhat from your ability description?"

His wording was cautious, but the meaning was clear-your performance did not add up, and he needed an explanation.

Luo Li had already prepared his story.

He gave a slightly embarrassed smile and explained, "Deacon Wang, my ability may actually have been misjudged before.

"[Deep Information Perception] doesn't just read objects' memories. It also seems able to 'pre-read' an opponent's attack intentions and energy flow to a certain extent. That greatly improves my reaction speed and insight in combat."

He paused, then continued, "As for close combat... I did mainly rely on my reflexes to play games before, but my physical condition wasn't all that bad to begin with.

"Recently, I've been doing intensive combat training privately to improve my ability to protect myself. Maybe... I have a bit of talent? Along with Senior Lei's 'guidance,' I feel like I've improved quite a lot."

He deftly attributed everything to "underestimated ability traits," "hard training," and "natural talent," while also bringing out Lei Zhen's prestigious name.

Deacon Wang listened quietly, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk.

Luo Li's explanation sounded reasonable.

Abilities came in all sorts of strange forms. Misjudgments and hidden traits were hardly uncommon.

There had also been examples in the guild's history of rapid improvement through hard training, a little talent, and guidance from an excellent teacher.

Most importantly, Luo Li had a clean background. He was born and raised in Jiangcheng, had simple social connections, and had no prior record of misconduct.

The strength he had displayed would help bolster Jiangcheng's defenses.

After a moment of silence, the stern expression on Deacon Wang's face eased somewhat, and he nodded. "I see. It seems our earlier assessment wasn't comprehensive enough.

"Your rate of growth really is surprising. That's a good thing."

He changed tack, his tone carrying a reminder. "However, the faster your strength grows, the more you need to consolidate your foundations. Never rush ahead recklessly.

"The guild pays attention to promising young people, but we also hope you'll keep your feet on the ground."

"I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Deacon Wang," Luo Li replied respectfully.

"Mm."

Deacon Wang took a document from his drawer.

"Since your practical combat ability meets B-rank standards, the guild will update your official file as soon as possible.

"Also, here's a list of missions better suited to your current capabilities. Take a look. If any interest you, you can accept them directly."

This counted as acknowledging his newfound strength and extending an olive branch.

Luo Li accepted the document and skimmed it. Sure enough, it contained B-rank and even A- missions that offered more contribution points, with correspondingly higher difficulty.

"Thank you, Deacon Wang. I'll consider them carefully."

"Good. Off you go. Your friends are still waiting."

After leaving the deacon's office, Luo Li let out a breath of relief. He had cleared this hurdle for now.

Although the guild had its suspicions, his reasonable explanation and clean background had kept it from digging deeper.

As long as he did not reveal too much of his [Spacetime] Path trump cards in the future, there should not be much of a problem.

Yang Shan and the other two, who were waiting outside the guild, immediately gathered around him.

"Well? How'd it go? The guild didn't give you a hard time, did they?"

Yang Shan asked with concern.

"Nothing happened. Just some routine questions and an update to my file."

Luo Li spoke casually.

"That's a relief!"

Yang Shan let out a relieved breath, then grew excited again.

"Come on, come on! Time to celebrate! Nobody goes home sober tonight!"

The four of them went to a well-regarded barbecue restaurant.

A few glasses of beer later, the atmosphere grew even livelier.

Holding his glass with one arm around Luo Li's shoulders, Yang Shan said wistfully to Lin Wei and A Tu, "You have no idea! This guy really wasn't this strong before! Back in school, I was the one looking out for him in fights! Now look at him-he's carrying me instead! Times really have changed!"

Lin Wei looked at Luo Li. He had put away the sharpness he showed in battle and seemed to have become that somewhat lazy young man again, but the flashes of confidence that occasionally appeared in his eyes were completely different from before.

She raised her glass and said earnestly to him, "Luo Li, if we get the chance, let's go on another mission together."

A Tu silently raised his glass too.

Luo Li smiled and clinked glasses with them. "No problem."

Looking at the lively scene before him and listening to Yang Shan's endless boasting and reflections, Luo Li took a sip of cold beer and felt more at ease than ever.

The respect and recognition his strength brought, the banter between friends, the hefty contribution point balance on the ID card tucked against his chest, and the figure waiting for him at home... all of it made him feel that working hard to grow stronger, desperately earning money, and all the hardship and danger involved were worth it.

He looked out the window at Jiangcheng's perpetually dark-red night sky. His hopes for that future together with Castorice grew ever clearer and firmer.

Soon.

Very soon.