"Such magnificent power!" Huang Wen's fists clenched, the sound barely audible over the cheerful din of the bustling students below. He felt the terrifying, latent energy coiled within his tendons and muscles.
His raw physical strength had been instantly elevated to more than three times its previous capacity, but the most astonishing sensation was the profound, silent roar of the Internal Force circulating within him.
The Qi felt pure, ancient, and endlessly potent—a silent river of energy that filled him with unparalleled confidence.
Yet, his gaze was drawn to the system panel, specifically to the glaring number: Qi: 99 points.
He was at the precipice. He could clearly feel that his Internal Force had reached an absolute, unyielding peak, a solid, glass-like barrier that prevented any further accumulation. He knew, intuitively, that 100 points of Qi was the required threshold for him to shatter the Extraordinary realm and step onto the Legendary path. He was one point away.
However, a technical anomaly caught his attention. He currently possessed 105 points of Essence. Since the system explicitly stated that one point of Qi was roughly equivalent to ten points of Essence (Energy), logic suggested he could theoretically convert his excess Essence into that final point of Qi. By that calculation, he should already be well over the Legendary threshold.
"Could it be that Essence, Qi, and God are entirely separate metrics?" Huang Wen muttered, pacing his small room. He recalled the data from his first character draw: "Ip Man had 19 points of Essence and 1 point of Qi. If the attributes were additive, Ip Man would have possessed 29 points of energy, already placing him in the Extraordinary realm. Yet, the system firmly classified him as Mortal."
The conclusion was sobering: "The system does not recognize the additive attribute algorithm. Each metric represents a distinct, mutually exclusive threshold."
Huang Wen understood instantly. He could have 1000 Essence and 99 Qi, or 99 Essence and 99 Qi—he would still only be Extraordinary. Only when a single statistic—Essence, Qi, or God—surpassed its specific Legendary breakpoint could he be considered to have truly broken through.
He re-examined the numbers, processing the vast gulf between his current standing and the ultimate potential.
"So, Qi is the 'quality' path," he mused. "One hundred points to Legendary. I'm practically there with the help of Bai Zhantang. But look at Essence... it actually requires 1000 points of Essence to break through to Legendary!"
Huang Wen rubbed his chin, his brow furrowed. "That is utterly staggering. I'm currently at 105 Essence. The entire Extraordinary range spans from 20 points up to 1000 points. The magnitude of that required gap is absurd! It means relying purely on external physical training, like the Ip Man path, is a grind that could take centuries."
He quickly pushed aside the daunting numbers. The immediate issue was the system's silence.
"I've completed all three of the original host's core tasks. Does the system just... stop now? How am I supposed to secure those vital lottery chances for further upgrades?"
His expression turned serious. While his current power was immense—he could now confidently handle most low-level Mutants and enhanced humans—he knew the reality of the Marvel universe meant a true threat (like the Hulk or Iron Man) was just a single, tragic event away. He needed to get stronger, and he needed more lottery draws.
He opened the Task page again, reading the fine print he had previously skimmed:
Task Page Currently Available Tasks: 0/0
Note 1: Since you have completed the three tasks left behind by Huang Wen and completely settled the karma of the original host, you are now Huang Wen in this world. The system will not forcibly issue tasks.
Note 2: You can now add tasks for yourself on this page. The system will assess the difficulty of the task based on your current ability and then assign an appropriate reward.
Note 3: The system will not generate tasks or provide rewards for tasks that are overly simple or trivial. Please refrain from adding such tasks.
"This is incredible!" Huang Wen's eyes widened. "I am now the master of my own destiny, and my advancement is only limited by my own ambition!" He grinned, momentarily considering a frivolous test. If not for Note 3, he would have instantly posted a task for "eating three bowls of rice" just to check the reward.
He had to be strategic. He focused on a necessary piece of unfinished business.
"Deal with Inspector Yves." Huang Wen typed the task onto the page. The corrupt officer who plotted my father's murder and colluded with the Goren Gang.
Task being generated: Eliminate Inspector Yves, who colluded with the Goren Gang. Reward: One draw for a Rank 1 (Mortal) Item. Accept the task?
"A Mortal Item draw? That is ridiculously low," Huang Wen frowned. The risk of engaging a police officer, even a corrupt one, was high, as it would inevitably draw more SHIELD scrutiny, especially after the Goren gang incident.
"That Sheriff Yves not only knew the Goren Gang killed my father, but he actively encouraged them to kill or permanently disfigure me and frame me for the murder. He absolutely deserves to die a painful death," Huang Wen affirmed, the cold anger returning.
"However, the Goren Gang clean-up has already put Coulson's team on high alert. If I take out Inspector Yves now, especially if the collusion with the Goren Gang is revealed, the immediate suspicion will point straight back to me. The risk/reward ratio is terrible."
Thinking this through, Huang Wen decided to leave the task pending on the Task Page. Inspector Yves was marked for death, but he would wait for a safer, more opportune moment to collect that meager reward.
He quickly tried a high-level test: "Lift a two-ton weight with one arm." Unfortunately, the system returned a terse "No Response," classifying the task as either impossible at his current level or simply too unrealistic to be a legitimate task. So there are limits to the system's generosity, he noted.
He needed a long-term, low-risk task that offered tangible benefits and a guaranteed reward. He thought of his skinny student.
"Increase Zhong Qiang's body weight to 75 kilograms (150 jin)." Zhong Qiang was currently 55 kg (110 jin)—a healthy boy, but too thin for martial arts power. Gaining 20 kg of healthy mass would be a genuine, sustained effort.
Task being generated: Increase Zhong Qiang's body weight to 75 kg (150 jin). Reward: One draw for a Mortal-Level Item. Accept the task?
"Accept, accept immediately!" Huang Wen readily agreed. This was a perfect win-win. It was a clear, measurable goal, low-risk, and it would directly benefit his most loyal student, giving him a much-needed foundation for Internal Force training. It would require disciplined training and diet changes, making the reward justifiable.
He then briefly considered the opposite task: making Reece Fisk lose weight.
He quickly dismissed it. "Reece is different. His father, the Kingpin, is a mountain of flesh who turns his immense bulk into pure, terrifying strength. Who knows if the Fisk family has some strange genetic quirk, some predisposition where fat is actually converted into physical defense or raw power? For all I know, forcing Reece to lose weight could be disabling his future hidden superpower."
Huang Wen recalled the Blob from the X-Men comics and films—a Mutant whose immense, layered flesh provided near-invulnerability and great strength. It's better to let Reece develop naturally for now. I don't want to accidentally cripple a potential future powerhouse just to make him look better.
He put away the system panel, his mind buzzing with strategy. The next task was clear: train Zhong Qiang until he hit 75 kg, and keep honing his own 99 points of Qi.
The sudden peace of his inner chamber was shattered.
"Brother Wen! Brother Wen! You have a new challenger!" Zhong Qiang's urgent, slightly panicked voice rang out from the bottom of the stairs, confirming that the spectacle of yesterday was already bearing immediate fruit. The world was demanding an encore.