Chapter 1: Survival in Desperation, Awakening of Supernatural Ability

Late at night, the cold wind felt like a knife, cutting into his face. Ji Chen felt as if his skin were being rubbed repeatedly with sandpaper; it stung intensely.

He was cornered deep in a small alley. In front of him was the leader of a gang of thugs holding a dagger; the blade glinted under the dim streetlights, the cold light reflecting off it like ice spikes stabbing directly into his eyes, making him dizzy. Behind him were several thugs posturing and baring their fangs. This scene was a literal, real-life version of "survival of the fittest."

He was just an unremarkable office worker in this city, exhausted like a dog from the 996 work schedule every day, unfairly blamed by his boss, having his wages docked, and often having colleagues dump their work on him. He just wanted to go home and lie flat. Who could have imagined that he would run into this kind of trouble on the way home?

"Yo, isn't this our little pathetic friend?" The gang leader swung the dagger in a slovenly manner, the blade cutting through the air with a faint "shoo-shoo" sound, a playful smile on his face. "What's the matter? Didn't bring enough protection money today?" The lackeys around him burst into laughter, the harsh sound piercing Ji Chen's eardrums like countless needles, his ears ringing with a buzzing sound.

Looking at their arrogant faces, Ji Chen felt like a fish thrown into a wok of hot oil, his whole body filled with an overwhelming sense of powerlessness, as if they were mocking his weakness.

The thugs closed in step by step. He could hear their chaotic footsteps, like the rhythm of death approaching. The blades in their hands drew closer, the icy chill creeping into Ji Chen's skin like a venomous snake; he could even feel the faint coldness spreading through his pores.

Ji Chen's pupils dilated, then suddenly contracted sharply.

"This kid... is something not right?" The thugs looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion, and the atmosphere suddenly turned eerie.

Suddenly, Ji Chen felt a force surging within his body, like magma before a volcanic eruption, galloping and roaring, wanting to break through all restraints.

Just at this moment, in a trance, he saw a flickering mark on the alley wall. The shape of the mark looked like an ancient rune, emitting a faint blue light, but it vanished in an instant. Ji Chen thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Holy crap!

Could this be the legendary supernatural ability?

He felt every cell in his body cheering and leaping with joy, as excited as if he had won the lottery. It felt like countless tiny fireworks were blooming inside his body, every cell filled with vitality.

This feeling was even more intoxicating than eating snail rice noodles for the first time!

He felt this energy coursing through his body, his eyes flashing with excited light, as if he had opened the door to a new world. That light was like stars twinkling in the night sky.

He clenched his fists, feeling the power gathering in his hands. The surrounding air seemed to begin to distort, and an invisible aura slowly expanded with him at the center. He could feel the flow of air like a gentle breeze brushing against his skin.

Ji Chen discovered that he actually possessed a special ability to rapidly absorb and convert supernatural energy!

This was simply a life with a cheat code!

The weak supernatural energy drifting in the surrounding air, as if attracted by something, surged madly into his body, quickly converted into his own power.

He felt his strength constantly increasing, his muscles becoming firmer, as if he had an inexhaustible primordial power. His muscles were taut, like springs full of elasticity.

He looked at his hands, which were full of power, and a confident smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

This feeling was just too good!

The thugs were startled by his sudden change, each of them widening their eyes as if they had seen a ghost, their eyes full of terror.

How did the little lamb that was trembling just a moment ago suddenly turn into a fierce tiger?

The style of this scene changed way too fast!

They retreated in a panic for a few steps, the knives in their hands becoming unstable, the blades shaking and making faint metallic clashing sounds.

"This... this kid..." the gang leader stammered, his eyes filled with fear.

"Boss, it's like he's mutated..." one thug said timidly.

"Nonsense, how is that possible? Get him!"

The thugs reacted quickly and lunged at Ji Chen again.

Ji Chen smiled lightly, his body seeming to merge into a wisp of smoke in the darkness, instantly disappearing from the thugs' sight.

The thugs lunged into empty air, and before they could react, Ji Chen had already appeared behind them.

Like a phantom, he tapped his finger lightly, and a faint beam of supernatural light shot from his fingertip. The light flashed with a blue-purple halo, hitting a thug's knee. The thug fell to his knees on the ground like a puppet with cut strings, a sharp pain coming from his knee, causing him to howl in agony.

The other thugs were stunned for a moment. "Damn, when did this kid become so powerful?" one thug said, trembling, his voice filled with a fearful tremor.

Ji Chen continued to dodge attacks flexibly, every counterattack clean and swift. The surrounding air seemed to be cheering for him, emitting faint whistling sounds, the wind whispering encouragement in his ears.

He felt like the protagonist in a movie, every punch and kick carrying an invincible momentum. He could clearly hear the dull thudding sounds when his fists and feet made contact with the thugs' bodies. Every time he hit an opponent, he could feel a feedback of power, as if he had hit a sandbag filled with sand.

The thugs began to get scared, and some even turned around, wanting to run away.

"Don't run!" Ji Chen shouted, his voice like thunder, making the thugs' hearts tighten; they felt as if their hearts had been heavily struck.

He quickly caught up to a thug who was trying to escape and knocked him to the ground with one punch. Dust rose as the thug fell, and he could smell the scent of the dust.

Then he knocked down the other thugs one by one. The thugs lay on the ground begging for mercy. Looking at the miserable state of these people who used to bully him, his heart was filled with satisfaction. This satisfaction was like drinking a glass of iced cola on a hot summer day, feeling refreshed from the bottom of his heart.

"You... are you crazy?" the gang leader screamed in pain, but Ji Chen stepped on his hand, and he could feel the hardness of the bones under his foot, making the leader cry out in tears.

"This is what you owe me," Ji Chen said coldly, his tone filled with unquestionable firmness.

He felt the surging power within his body, and the fear and helplessness in his heart had long since vanished, replaced by unparalleled confidence and pleasure.

He finally turned and left the alley with a swagger, his back appearing tall and mysterious.

Just then, he suddenly saw a mysterious figure flash by. The figure was somewhat familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.

Ji Chen's heart stirred. Could this mysterious person be a new challenge on his journey of supernatural abilities?

Ji Chen took a deep breath, took a step, and walked toward the unknown future. ===== CHAPTER 2 =====