Chapter 67: Don’t Like Anyone Else, Only You
[Congratulations, host. You have discovered a piece of magic crystal marrow.]
[The energy collection system of the Demon Hunting System has been activated. The host has three free blind box draws. Good luck.]
Lin Jiu: ……
Lin Jiu: ……
Lin Jiu: ……
Lin Jiu: What is the energy collection system?
[The energy collection system is one of the many subsystems of the Demon Hunting System, created to collect the energy of magic crystal marrow.]
Lin Jiu: What is magic crystal marrow?
[Magic crystal marrow is born from the magic sea dimension, containing immense energy that is highly unstable and constantly dissipating. When this energy seeps into underground materials over time, it forms magic crystal mines. Magic essence crystals harvested from these mines contain stable energy, which lifeforms can absorb. However, the energy within the magic crystal marrow itself can destroy or alter living beings. The energy collection system serves as a stable container for this energy.]
[The energy collection system reminds the host that it has detected magic crystal marrow. Once collected, the energy can be converted into magic essence. Would you like to collect it?]
Lin Jiu: No, absolutely don’t touch it.
Lin Jiu felt something was off.
He asked the Demon Hunting System: You said magic crystal marrow can destroy or alter living beings, but it can also help humans awaken abilities.
[Only those with genetic potential can be enhanced. The energy from magic crystal marrow makes them stronger. For those without genetic potential, their genome is destroyed or altered, leading to death or mutation.]
Lin Jiu’s heart raced: What do you mean by mutation?
[When the genome is altered by the energy of magic crystal marrow, no one knows what kind of mutation will occur. In fact, the host has already encountered mutated creatures.]
Lin Jiu: ……
That strange creature that was supposedly a fish but managed to escape in City A!
According to the system, there are three possible outcomes from the energy of magic crystal marrow: those with genetic potential become enhanced humans, growing stronger from the energy; those without genetic potential face genome destruction and die; and the third possibility is mutation.
Currently, the ocean was suffering from severe energy pollution. Logically, not all marine creatures should possess genetic potential or mutate. There should have been reports of mass marine deaths, but Lin Jiu hadn’t seen anything of the sort. So where had all the dead marine life gone?
Lin Jiu could think of only one possibility.
—They were eaten by other marine creatures.
Lin Jiu thought about the enlarged octopus and bluefin tuna that Si Xu had captured. Aside from their increased size, they hadn’t changed much.
[The host’s assumption is correct. Besides awakening genetic potential, death, or mutation, living beings can also stabilize their genomes by consuming food containing magic essence, thereby avoiding damage from the magic crystal marrow energy.]
That’s why magic materials can prevent the worsening of radiation sickness caused by unknown energy.
Lin Jiu frowned. Since living beings can experience genetic enhancement, death, or mutation from magic crystal marrow, and marine creatures had already died or mutated, could there also be ocean lifeforms whose genetic potential had been activated?
[The host doesn’t need to doubt. There definitely are.]
Lin Jiu: ……
This is like a horror story!
Lin Jiu, trembling: Is there a mandatory collection task for the energy collection system? If there is, I’d rather not activate it.
Although he was tempted by the chance to draw from the blind boxes, Lin Jiu was very aware of the importance of magic crystal marrow to various nations. Was he risking his life by coveting it?
[The energy collection system can convert the energy from magic crystal marrow into magic essence, which in turn can be exchanged for magic points. With magic points, the host can buy anything—bloodline purifiers, genetic enhancers—nothing will be out of reach.]
Lin Jiu was unmoved: I only care if there are mandatory tasks. What’s the use of having magic points if I’m dead and can’t spend them?
[You don’t have to target the magic crystal marrow others have. Since it’s found in the sea, we can go out and find it ourselves…]
Lin Jiu: If there are mandatory tasks, I don’t want it.
[…]
Lin Jiu pressed: Are there?
[…No.]
Satisfied, Lin Jiu relaxed. With no mandatory tasks, the energy collection system could sit there unused. He’d just take the three free blind box draws.
Lin Jiu was a little impatient. He wanted to try his luck with the blind boxes.
After failing three times before, surely he wouldn’t fail again this time, right? The odds seemed pretty good!
The system kept urging Lin Jiu to search for magic crystal marrow in the sea, but Lin Jiu had no intention of doing so. Lying flat like a salted fish, he wasn’t about to be tricked into searching the vast ocean. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. He’d have to be crazy to fall for it—he was absolutely not going.
The system, irritated by Lin Jiu’s refusal, fell silent, leaving Lin Jiu with a rare sense of victory.
When Lin Jiu finished his mental battle with the system and looked up, the training room was completely empty. Not a single person was left.
Lin Jiu: “…”
He had nothing with him and no idea how long he had been inside.
Outside the training room, Si Xu and Shi ShuQing walked into the training ground. As soon as they entered, they saw everyone crowded around the screen, intently watching something.
Si Xu scanned the crowd, but he didn’t see Lin Jiu. However, he did spot Zhao Cheng, who had gone to work as a server that day. Since Zhao Cheng had returned, Lin Jiu should have come with him as well.
Si Xu walked over and noticed that Lin Han was holding a familiar thermal box. “Where’s Xiao Jiu?”
Lin Han nervously pointed toward the training room. “I-Inside.”
Si Xu paused. “How long has he been in there?”
Lin Han became even more nervous. “A-Almost an hour.”
Si Xu quickly turned and walked toward the surveillance screen. The crowd parted for him. On the screen, Lin Jiu, dressed in black training clothes with a black mask still covering his face, was sitting on the ground, looking around, clearly puzzled by the sudden absence of people, his eyes full of confusion.
Seeing that Lin Jiu was unharmed, Si Xu finally relaxed. Lin Jiu sat properly, showing no signs of strain. The energy radiation that was unbearable for others didn’t seem to affect Lin Jiu at all.
“You guys are all monsters, aren’t you? How does radiation not seem to affect either of you?” Shi Shu Qing asked jealously.
Si Xu replied, “Maybe we’ve eaten too much energy food.”
Shi Shu Qing: “…”
Everyone else: “…”
Si Xu stared at the screen, his gaze darkening. The training clothes Lin Jiu wore were obviously too big for him—they weren’t new and seemed to belong to someone else. Whose clothes was he wearing?
The thought of Lin Jiu wearing someone else’s clothes made Si Xu want to rush over, strip them off, and throw him into the bathtub to wash him clean, erasing any trace of someone else’s scent.
Inside the room, Lin Jiu sat idly, while everyone outside was watching him.
After a while, Lin Jiu continued sitting, staring blankly at a spot in front of him. His eyelids began to droop, and he struggled to keep them open. After several attempts to stay awake, they finally closed completely, and his head slowly drooped.
Everyone outside: “…”
Wait, is this a place to take a nap? Each one of them had entered that room only to endure unbearable pain, their cells on high alert, but here Lin Jiu was, bored to the point of falling asleep.
Lin Jiu jolted awake as his body swayed from the feeling of weightlessness, and he looked around, dazed.
Si Xu sighed and walked over to open the heavy metal door of the training room.
Hearing the sound, Lin Jiu turned his head and saw Si Xu standing at the door, and his drowsiness disappeared in an instant.
He jumped up from the ground and hurried over. “Are you done with work?”
“Yes, I’m done. Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?” Si Xu’s eyes fell on Lin Jiu’s training clothes.
Lin Jiu’s pale skin looked even fairer against the black outfit.
Lin Jiu shook his head. “No discomfort, just bored.”
It was hard to imagine how they managed to sit there in silence for so long—it was torture.
Noticing Si Xu’s gaze lingering on the training clothes, Lin Jiu’s face flushed. “S-Sorry, I wore your training clothes without asking…”
Si Xu froze for a moment, his eyes darkening as his Adam’s apple bobbed.
“It’s fine. You look good in them,” Si Xu said in a hoarse voice, sounding somewhat restrained.
Si Xu realized that he couldn’t stand it when Lin Jiu wore someone else’s clothes, and it was even worse when Lin Jiu wore his own.
Grabbing Lin Jiu’s wrist, Si Xu led him quickly toward the changing room.
The door slammed shut, and Lin Jiu was pressed against it, the back of his head cushioned in Si Xu’s palm. His mask was pulled off, and warm lips pressed down on his. The kiss wasn’t gentle at all, filled with intense possessiveness. It was a deep, conquering kiss. Lin Jiu’s scalp tingled, and his instincts made him want to pull away, but behind him was the door, and in front of him was Si Xu, who held him tightly, leaving no room for escape. His slight retreat only made Si Xu kiss him even deeper.
Dizzy, short of breath, and with his legs weak, Lin Jiu almost collapsed, but Si Xu held him firmly.
Both of their breathing was ragged as Si Xu buried his head in the crook of Lin Jiu’s neck, inhaling his scent and planting soft kisses on his skin. Lin Jiu trembled slightly, holding his breath.
“Don’t be afraid, just let me hold you for a while,” Si Xu whispered in a low, husky voice.
Lin Jiu stood still, letting Si Xu hold him, while in his mind, a little version of himself was kicking down doors. Psychological trauma? This was lucky only because of the location! If it had been the right place, he would have been done for!
In Lin Jiu’s mind, the system’s annoyed voice rang out.
[No premarital sex! Be careful, or you’ll be thrown into a pig cage! Hmph!]
Lin Jiu: “…”
[You refuse to go look for magic crystal marrow, and all you think about are these shameful things! Hmph!]
Lin Jiu: “…”
[You don’t want all those magic points? Let’s see how long it takes you to draw a mid-level gene enhancer! I curse you never to get one! If you don’t, you’ll never have a marriage contract! Hmph!]
Lin Jiu: “…”
This system was too venomous.
Lin Jiu rubbed his aching head: “Stop complaining. Take back that curse, and I’ll go check out the explosion zone for a chance to find something.”
The system immediately perked up.
[I’ll take it back! When are we going?]
The system stopped nagging him but started pestering him about when they would search for magic crystal marrow.
Lin Jiu felt exhausted: “Can I turn you off? Just give me a moment of peace.”
[…]
The system fell silent, sulking.
Finally, Lin Jiu had some quiet.
The two of them held each other for a long time before separating, their emotions having calmed down.
Si Xu glanced at Lin Jiu’s training clothes, feeling regret.
The training uniforms at the base were all the same, with the owner’s name printed on the back of the collar. Si Xu thought it would be better if the name were printed on the chest. That way, when Lin Jiu wore his clothes, everyone would know that Lin Jiu belonged to Si Xu.
The two of them had been in the changing room for too long, and someone came knocking on the door to find Si Xu.
Before leaving, Si Xu kissed Lin Jiu’s forehead, brushed his thumb against the corner of Lin Jiu’s mouth, and, seeing his slightly swollen red lips, couldn’t resist leaning in to kiss them again. Only after that did he help Lin Jiu put his mask back on.
“Change your clothes, I’ll wait for you outside.”
Si Xu opened the door and saw that it was Zhao Cheng knocking.
Lin Han was hiding behind Zhao Cheng, his eyes landing on the captain’s slightly reddened lips. He could already guess what had happened in the changing room, and Lin Han felt his face heat up with embarrassment.
This… this was way too intense! They actually dared to do this at the base!
Si Xu’s expression was calm as he asked, “What’s up?”
Zhao Cheng was there to talk about Zheng Yumo challenging Chang Beimu, and Si Xu’s face darkened.
Lin Jiu, feeling a bit dazed, finished changing and opened the door to see Si Xu waiting outside. The insulated container was already in Si Xu’s hand.
Si Xu asked, “Have you eaten?”
Lin Jiu replied, “Yes, I have.”
Si Xu: “Join me for a bit more.”
Lin Jiu: “Okay.”
Si Xu: “Let’s go, we can eat while we watch.”
Lin Jiu: “???”
Lin Jiu soon understood what “eat while we watch” meant. Si Xu was talking about Zheng Yumo’s challenge to Chang Beimu.
When Lin Jiu saw Chang Beimu, he was stunned. Her long, straight black hair was gone, replaced by a short, uneven haircut that no hairdresser could possibly have given her. This chaotic hairstyle could only have been cut by herself.
Lin Jiu wasn’t sure what had happened. She had been fine when they left, but now she looked completely different. However, with such a beautiful face, it seemed like she could pull off any hairstyle.
The onlookers were also surprised by Chang Beimu’s hair.
Chang Beimu stood in the center of the field, wearing black training clothes, coldly scanning the crowd.
When Zheng Yumo saw Si Xu, her eyes lit up, and she quickly ran over. “Captain Si, Chang Beimu has accepted my challenge. If I win, she’ll give me her spot in Team Seven.”
Si Xu’s face remained expressionless as he waved for two chairs, and said to Lin Jiu, “Sit and watch.”
Once they were seated, Si Xu finally spoke, “Your challenge to her is your business. If she accepts and loses, leaving Team Seven is her choice. But whether you join Team Seven is my decision.”
Zheng Yumo’s face froze. She had thought that as long as she defeated Chang Beimu and showed Si Xu her strength, he would choose her. She hadn’t expected him to say that.
Her gaze fell on the open insulated container.
Inside were two food trays. One held a beautifully colored seafood rice ball—half purple, half pomegranate red. The other tray had a golden pan-fried silver-row fish fillet on one side and thinly sliced blue magic tentacle meat on the other.
These were magical meals specially prepared for Si Xu.
Si Xu handed a pair of wooden chopsticks to Lin Jiu and used a wooden spoon to eat his seafood rice ball.
Lin Jiu picked up a slice of blue magic tentacle meat, dipped it in some soy sauce and coral green lettuce, and ate it. When he looked up, he saw a circle of people staring intently at the food.
Lin Jiu: “…”
Lin Jiu: “Cough, cough, cough…”
He immediately started coughing.
Si Xu put down his spoon and patted his back, “Be careful.”
His gaze swept across the crowd, and only when they looked away did he stop.
Zheng Yumo, watching their interaction, stared at Lin Jiu with a strange expression. She turned and walked back to the center of the field. No matter what, she had issued the challenge, and there was no turning back. She had to show Si Xu her strength!
The two stood ready, and Zheng Yumo said, “I hope you’ll stick to the agreement.”
Chang Beimu replied, “I will, but if you lose, what about you?”
Zheng Yumo glanced in Si Xu’s direction. “If I lose, I won’t ever mention joining Team Seven again.”
Chang Beimu’s eyes were cold, “Isn’t that too light of a bet? Add one more thing—if you lose, you’ll shave your head.”
Zheng Yumo: “…”
Everyone: “…”
Lin Jiu almost choked for a second time.
Si Xu frowned, now doubting if his decision to watch this while eating was a good idea.
Zheng Yumo didn’t believe she could lose to a reservist. She was an empowered person with enhanced abilities—how could she possibly lose?
Zheng Yumo gritted her teeth, “Let’s do this!”
As soon as she spoke, Zheng Yumo leaped into the air. Her feet seemed to have springs attached, propelling her from the ground to the ceiling, and she launched herself at Chang Beimu with great speed.
Everyone thought Zheng Yumo would land a hit, but Chang Beimu suddenly performed a backflip, moving just as fast, and dodged the attack. Zheng Yumo pushed off the ground and attacked again, bouncing and jumping around Chang Beimu. Chang Beimu dodged as best as she could, but still got hit a few times and was kicked back several steps before regaining her stance.
Lin Jiu was mesmerized. It was his first time seeing someone jump around so much.
Si Xu, noticing how focused he was, leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Do you think she’s good?”
Lin Jiu’s ear tingled, and he immediately turned his head to look at Si Xu.
Si Xu whispered again, “Is she good-looking or am I better looking?”
Lin Jiu: “…”
Suddenly remembering what Jiang Ge had said, Lin Jiu blurted out without thinking, “Who’s better looking, a mixed-race beauty or me?”
Both of them froze for a moment, then Si Xu let out a low laugh.
Lin Jiu’s face flushed with embarrassment and irritation, “You had a good time going on dates with a beauty, didn’t you?”
Si Xu quickly stifled his laughter and said seriously, “There was no date, just work. She took me to meet her mixed-race friends.”
Lin Jiu felt even more uncomfortable, his face burning. Si Xu was probably laughing at him for getting jealous for no reason.
Si Xu spoke earnestly, “I already have you. Why would I care about anyone else?”
Lin Jiu held back for a while before mumbling, “Why do you like me? I’ve never heard that you liked guys before…”
… Or that you had some kind of trauma.
Si Xu looked at him, “I don’t like other guys. I only like you. You’re exactly my type in every way. Whether it’s your face, your body, your personality, your voice, your hair… everything about you, I love it all.”
Lin Jiu’s face flushed bright red, and he quickly glanced around. Thankfully, everyone’s attention was still on the fight in the arena, and no one had heard Si Xu’s words. Otherwise, Lin Jiu wouldn’t have been able to sit still.
“I-I get it.” Lin Jiu didn’t dare to look at Si Xu and could only focus on eating.
Si Xu was in a good mood. The little guy getting jealous was a good sign—it meant he held an important place in Lin Jiu’s heart.
Si Xu had always known that Lin Jiu viewed him through the filter of idolization. Lin Jiu’s “love,” Si Xu believed only halfway; the other half likely stemmed from his admiration of his idol. Si Xu knew he would eventually retire from the public eye. He hoped that by the time he announced his retirement, Lin Jiu’s affection would be entirely genuine.
Suddenly, cheers erupted from the crowd, and both Lin Jiu and Si Xu looked up. Chang Beimeng stood in the arena, still holding her posture from the attack. Zheng Yumo lay at the edge of the field, clutching her stomach, her hair disheveled, looking quite defeated.
Zheng Yumo pushed herself up with her arms, her face also bearing cuts. Her condition wasn’t much better than Chang Beimeng’s.
With a fierce look in her eyes, Zheng Yumo leaped up again, launching herself at Chang Beimeng.
She couldn’t lose. She absolutely couldn’t lose to a mere reserve soldier!
However, just as she jumped mid-air, her strength suddenly gave out, and she fell, curling up in pain and trembling uncontrollably.
“She’s out of energy! Quick, someone get energy water!”
Someone at the edge of the field rushed over with a cup of green, murky liquid, helping Zheng Yumo sit up and drink it. Only after finishing the energy water did she stop shaking.
Chang Beimeng remained standing in the arena. “You’ve lost!”
Zheng Yumo pushed away the person helping her. “I haven’t lost! I’m not dead yet, so I haven’t lost!”
“Enough!” Shi Shuoqing scolded, his gaze turning to Si Xu.
With Lu Yu absent from the base, though Shi Shuoqing was a veteran of the base, he was only the vice-captain. Si Xu held the highest position there.
Without even raising his head, Si Xu said, “Zheng Yumo, you’ve seriously violated discipline: leaving the base without permission, challenging a reserve soldier on your own, spreading false rumors around the base, and refusing to listen or comply with orders. I’ll report your behavior truthfully. Starting now, you no longer need to train with the others.”
Zheng Yumo froze in place. After a moment, she angrily got up and left.
In the past, enhanced individuals were indeed rare, and every one of them was a valuable resource because it was so difficult to cultivate an enhanced person.
But the world had changed. Enhanced individuals were becoming more common. Where once the “Special Security Department” actively recruited those with potential, now enhanced individuals had to go through rigorous evaluations and only those who passed were accepted.
Zheng Yumo had passed the tests to enter the Special Security Department. Shi Shuoqing hadn’t expected that someone with good test scores would cause so much trouble once inside—or more accurately, she became restless after seeing Si Xu and finding out he was forming a new team without choosing her. That’s when she started acting out.
The next time they recruit new members, the evaluations would need to be even stricter.
—
