「The next morning.」
Inside his small shop.
Lu Yuan sat before the television, his eyes glued to the screen, taking bites of a steaming bun in his hand.
A morning news show was playing on the TV in front of him.
"...Yesterday, the local police solved a kidnapping case, successfully apprehending eight members of a mafia Cult. The victim had been successfully rescued only two hours after the crime..."
A kidnapping case, not a missing person case?
Lu Yuan picked up a carton of pure milk from the small table beside him, gulping it down along with the meat bun in his mouth, frowning as he considered this.
He had deliberately turned on Burnt Rock City's morning news today, wanting to follow up on yesterday's incident.
But the information he gleaned from the news was not what he had expected.
It was just an ordinary kidnapping case, not the sensationalized missing persons case that had been causing a stir recently.
The people who got out of the van were members of what the news called a mafia Cult.
Mafia? Cult?
Lu Yuan didn't know how these two words were connected.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight... Exactly eight. Not one more, not one less.
Lu Yuan recalled the number of people he had downed last night. It matched the number of suspects reported in the news, which settled his nerves slightly.
At this moment, the TV showed images of the kidnapping victim.
Even though the images had been deliberately blurred, Lu Yuan could still recognize the schoolgirl in uniform he had saved last night.
It seems she really didn't mention me...
So far, his home hadn't received any calls from the police station, indicating the police hadn't traced him yet.
The minimum sentence for kidnapping in this world is ten years in prison. Even if they have accomplices, they might not find me...
The rain had been too heavy last night, and the alley where they fought was really dark.
Lu Yuan suspected that many people on the mafia side hadn't even gotten a clear look at his face.
I should keep a low profile for a while and not go out too often. Once the attention dies down, I should be fine.
Lu Yuan considered many possibilities because he was genuinely scared.
He was scared of getting into trouble himself and even more frightened of his family facing retaliation.
I'm still not strong enough. If I were more powerful, I wouldn't be afraid if they came for me! Lu Yuan picked up a meat bun and took a fierce bite. And I also need money. With money, I could hire bodyguards to watch over my family 24/7...
Lu Yuan felt an unprecedented craving for power and money, stronger than he had ever felt in both his lives.
"It's almost seven. Why hasn't your dad come back from the hospital yet? The delivery truck will be here soon. How am I supposed to unload it by myself?"
His mother, Zheng Qiuling, grumbled as she walked into the shop.
Hearing this, Lu Yuan immediately replied, "Mom, I'll help you."
"Don't you have your Martial Arts class today?"
"It's fine if I go a bit late!"
Zheng Qiuling nodded. She walked over, examined Lu Yuan's face, and suddenly asked with some distress, "Did you not sleep well last night because your injuries are hurting?"
Lu Yuan hesitated slightly, then nodded somewhat sheepishly.
"That'll teach you to fight with people again."
Zheng Qiuling was still fuming and couldn't help but scold him.
All Lu Yuan could do was listen obediently.
Actually, his injuries had improved significantly. Overnight, the bruises on his face and body had faded considerably, and the abrasions had scabbed over.
Only the two most severe injuries, on his back and ribs, still throbbed faintly.
The real reason Lu Yuan hadn't slept well last night... was mainly because of Imaginary Enemy!
Who could have known that Imaginary Enemy would be so taxing? I only fought three matches, and it felt as if I'd pulled several all-nighters in a row at a cybercafe. Even after a full night's sleep, I still felt drained...
Lu Yuan had initially thought that after choosing to major in Fighter, he wouldn't need to increase his Intelligence attribute much.
But unexpectedly, he realized he couldn't neglect this attribute after all.
I could always use more attribute points... Lu Yuan thought grimly. He only had one skill point left now and planned to save it for when it was absolutely necessary.
"Shouldn't you go to the hospital for a check-up? What if you've broken a bone and don't even know it?"
His mother, Zheng Qiuling, was still worried. She couldn't help but sigh. "If only your older sister were home. With her looking after you, I'd have much less to worry about."
"Mom, didn't you used to always say that she's the one who gives you the most headaches?"
"She's still better than you! At least she doesn't go around getting into fights like you do now!"
Zheng Qiuling glared at him, and Lu Yuan immediately fell silent.
At 7:23 AM, the delivery van for Lu Yuan's family shop arrived.
To prove that his injuries weren't serious, Lu Yuan exerted extra effort.
With his Strength attribute reaching 11, his physical power had increased significantly.
He could easily lift sacks of rice weighing dozens of pounds with just one hand.
Lu Yuan unloaded the entire vanload of goods in less than ten minutes.
While washing his hands, Lu Yuan overheard the delivery driver pressing his mother to settle the payment for previous deliveries.
His mother, Zheng Qiuling, slipped him two packs of cigarettes and spoke placatingly. After a lengthy back-and-forth, she finally persuaded the reluctant driver to leave.
Lu Yuan watched all this in silence.
I must pass the test to become an official disciple of the martial arts hall today!
At 8:05 AM, Lu Yuan arrived at Origin Martial Arts Hall.
When he ran into Cheng Peng in the locker room, Cheng Peng immediately exclaimed in surprise at his appearance. "Lu Yuan, what happened to your face?"
"The rain was too heavy last night. I slipped and fell while running."
Are you sure that's what happened? It doesn't quite look like it...
Cheng Peng eyed him skeptically. Lu Yuan, not wanting to elaborate, quickly changed into his martial arts uniform and left the locker room.
Because he had helped his mother unload the goods, he was ten minutes later than usual and technically tardy.
However, being late wasn't a big deal. When Lu Yuan reached the training room, he discovered he was still relatively early.
The turnout is getting lower...
A glance around the training room revealed that only about two-thirds of the students from when the class first started were present.
Over the past month, many students had begun to skip classes sporadically. Initially, they'd claim to be taking leave, but eventually, they'd disappear altogether.
For instance, the boisterous girl with hair buns and her friends, quite noticeable when the class started, had mostly vanished by the third week.
One of them was still present last class, but even that last remaining one was gone this time.
The behavior of these students reminded Lu Yuan of his former self.
Whenever he tried to learn something new in his past life, his enthusiasm would be fleeting. Once the novelty wore off, he'd abandon it, never to pick it up again.
Without the Profession Panel and the enhancement from Absolute Focus, would I still be the same in this life? Lu Yuan silently questioned himself.
Perhaps. But at least things are different now.
"Lu Yuan, you're here!"
Liu Yue, the round-faced girl Lu Yuan considered his only friend in the Martial Arts class, attended every session without fail.
Upon seeing Lu Yuan, she immediately greeted him cheerfully.
"Morning!"
Lu Yuan nodded at her. She quickly noticed Lu Yuan's face and let out a small "Ah!" before asking the same question Cheng Peng had.
"Lu Yuan, how did you hurt your face?"
"It was raining hard last night. I fell while running home."
Lu Yuan used the same excuse yet again to fend off the question.
Fortunately, Liu Yue didn't press further. She kindly offered to get him some medicine, as she always carried ointment for bruises and scrapes, bandages, and adhesive plasters to every class.
Declining Liu Yue's kind offer, Lu Yuan began his warm-up.
As the students' initial enthusiasm waned, Instructor Lin Zhiquin also seemed to have become 'lax'.
For the past few classes, he had started arriving after eight-thirty, leaving the students to warm up on their own for the first half hour.
Lu Yuan focused on practicing the Basic Leg Skill.
Having sparred with the middle-aged man in the Consciousness Space all night, he had gained some valuable insights.
This was the perfect opportunity to internalize them.
Entering the state of Absolute Focus, Lu Yuan unconsciously began to mimic the way the middle-aged man from his memory moved and executed his kicks...