Lin Qiye stood by the window, his fingers brushing against the glass.
For several consecutive nights, he had been earnestly experiencing the power of the Starry Night Dancer. That sensation of merging into the darkness was like water blending into the ocean—natural and comfortable. At night, he seemed to enter a completely different state.
During the day, the buff icons on his MC Interface would disappear, but even so, his basic physical fitness far exceeded that of an ordinary person. The typical athletic rivalries among adolescent boys during PE class were mere child's play to him. And when night fell and the buff icons reappeared on the interface, Lin Qiye could once again transform into an elf of the night.
What shocked him most was the Inventory function of the MC Interface.
Lin Qiye reached out toward a textbook on his desk, the thought of putting it into his inventory surfacing in his mind. The textbook immediately turned into a cluster of light particles and vanished into his palm; simultaneously, a pixelated book icon appeared in his Inventory.
"This is too powerful!"
He then took out a bag of apples his aunt had just bought and tried to put them into the inventory. The entire bag vanished instantly, turning into a small red icon in a slot with the number "8" displayed on it.
Lin Qiye looked around his room, taking items into his inventory one by one: the desk lamp, his watch, clothes, stationery box... Watching his originally cluttered room become empty and spacious, he experienced for the first time how convenient this unscientific storage ability truly was.
To his further surprise, items of the same type could stack automatically. He collected a pile of small pebbles and found that they could stack up to 64.
He also began to study the four small slots in the upper right corner of the interface. These slots seemed to have a special purpose. Lin Qiye tried placing four small stones he had picked up into them; the stones immediately fused together, turning into a larger piece of "Cobblestone."
"There's even a crafting system?"
He excitedly tried other combinations—sticks with stones, paper with sticks—but most attempts ended in failure. After all, there was no tutorial; he had to rely entirely on his own exploration.
Finally, Lin Qiye researched the most important system: Health. What exactly did that row of red hearts represent?
A bold idea formed in his mind. He picked up a kitchen knife and gave his arm a light scratch. There was no pain, no bleeding; only half of a red heart on the interface disappeared. Shockingly, that missing half-heart restored itself within a second.
"Am I practically immortal now?"
He also tested the Hunger system—the row of chicken drumsticks. When the drumsticks were full, Lin Qiye found that not only could he not eat anything more, but he would also gain an effect similar to being "energetic." Running and jumping became faster, and his stamina seemed inexhaustible. Conversely, when the hunger value dropped below three bars, an intense hunger would strike, and his movements became sluggish and weak.
This abnormal change in appetite caught his aunt's attention.
"Your appetite has become so large lately. Are you still hitting a growth spurt?" His aunt looked in surprise as Lin Qiye polished off his third bowl of rice.
"Yeah, maybe it's the academic pressure lately, and my body is in a developmental stage," Lin Qiye fabricated an excuse, barely managing to brush it off.
Another thing troubling Lin Qiye was Zhao Kongcheng's persistence. That Night Watchman blocked the school gate almost every day after school like a clockwork salesman, lobbying Lin Qiye to join the Night Watchmen.
"The Night Watchmen are heroes who protect the country and the people, you know?"
"Our benefits and treatment are excellent. The monthly stipend is enough for you and your aunt to live a good life."
"And you can protect the people of this city, become a hero..."
From grand ideals to practical interests, Zhao Kongcheng's pitches came in endless varieties. Lin Qiye was annoyed by the harassment, but he had to admire the man's dogged persistence in never giving up until he reached his goal.
Today, as school let out, a drizzling rain began to fall. Lin Qiye walked out of the school gate and opened his umbrella, only to find to his surprise that Zhao Kongcheng hadn't come. For a moment, he felt a secret joy.
"Finally, a day of peace."
But on second thought, given Zhao Kongcheng's tenacious character, this light rain shouldn't have made him back down. A trace of an unusual feeling quietly took root.
"Strange, could something have happened to him?"
"Well, maybe he just has something else to do today!"
The rain grew heavier, and Lin Qiye quickened his pace to return home.
After dinner, Lin Qiye returned to his room. Outside the window, the rain continued unabated, droplets tapping against the glass with a crisp sound. He turned on his desk lamp and took out his textbooks to prepare for tomorrow's lessons. The rain murmured, and the room was warm and quiet.
Suddenly, a faint fluttering sound came from the window. Lin Qiye looked up and saw a small, pitch-black bat squeeze through the gap of the half-open window, landing steadily on his desk. The bat's sodden wings were still dripping with water, its small red eyes staring intently at Lin Qiye.
"Hmm? Little guy, why are you here?"
Lin Qiye's heart stirred. The Starry Night Dancer ability allowed him to communicate with nocturnal animals, and this was one of the little creatures he had been communicating with over the past few days. He concentrated, trying to establish a conscious link with the bat.
Then, a blurry but clear thought was transmitted directly into his mind. The gist of it was: "Danger... a frenzied and powerful monster is heading toward the Old Town, and its route passes right through this house."
Lin Qiye stood up abruptly, looking at the bat in shock. "What monster?"
The bat's thought came again: "A terrifying thing. It radiates an aura that frightens all living beings. I didn't dare get close at all."
Lin Qiye frowned and walked quickly to the window. The rain-slicked street was empty; the streetlights appeared blurry and distant through the curtain of rain.
"How soon will it arrive?"
"Soon, very soon. Its movement speed is staggering. I had to fly at full speed just to get here in advance to warn you."
The bat shook its wings, as if emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
Lin Qiye's heart rate accelerated. His aunt and cousin were in the next room; if a powerful monster really passed through here, they would be in danger. He quickly opened his MC Interface to check his equipment and status. In the inventory, besides daily items, there were no weapons available for combat.
"No, I have to find a way."
Lin Qiye quickly rummaged through his wardrobe and took out a baseball bat from the bottom layer. This was something he had accidentally picked up a while ago; it was originally just meant for self-defense, but now it seemed it had to be put to use.
"What do you plan to do?" The bat's thought carried confusion.
"Protect my family," Lin Qiye replied briefly.
He opened the window, and rain immediately dampened his face. Borrowing the power of the Starry Night Dancer, Lin Qiye leaped out of the window, landing lightly on the wet ground.
In the night rain, his perception was slightly weakened, but it was still far sharper than a normal person's. He could feel an abnormal fluctuation coming from the distance—something was moving fast out there.
Lin Qiye dashed in that direction without a second thought. He had to intercept the monster before it got close to his front door. Rain lashed his face, blurring his vision, but he charged forward resolutely.
At this moment, he had only one thought: no matter the cost, he had to protect the safety of his aunt and cousin.