13. The Agreement Made on the Birthday

Translator: 549690339

“You two, why did you come back later than usual today?”

“We stayed in the classroom for a while, so we came back a bit late.”

At the entrance of Shen Qinghan’s house, Lin Zichen explained to Xu Meng who had come out to open the door.

Xu Meng nodded and didn’t ask any further, telling him to go home early so as not to worry his parents.

Before leaving, Lin Zichen glanced at Shen Qinghan.

Seeing that the little girl was feeling much better, he felt relieved and turned back to go home.

Regarding the incident that took place in the alley today, he had already made a secret agreement with Shen Qinghan, to keep it between them and not let a third person know.

The affair with the giant mutant rat was still manageable.

What was mainly concerning was that his combat ability, as demonstrated when he severely injured that male and female with ill intentions, was excessively flamboyant and did not match his age at all.

If others were to find out, it could potentially bring a lot of trouble.

At this stage, Lin Zichen simply wanted to maintain his persona as a mere prodigy.

That way, he could gain certain privileges and a tilt in the distribution of educational resources at school, as well as make his parents proud.

And that would be sufficient.

Anything more would be inappropriate.

It could significantly disrupt his current life rhythm, rendering him unable to evolve in peace and quiet.

…

After he got home,

and had dinner,

Lin Zichen did nothing but sit in front of the TV waiting for the evening news.

He hoped that the security team would be efficient and reveal today’s event happening in the alley tonight.

About ten minutes later,

Lin Zichen finally got the news report he had been eagerly anticipating, regarding the giant mutant rat that had appeared in the alley in the afternoon.

The content of the broadcast was more detailed than he had expected.

Two different angle videos were released.

One was a third-person perspective shot from a drone hovering above.

The other was a first-person perspective recorded face-to-face by a Mechanically Modified Human while grappling with the giant mutant rat at close range.

Lin Zichen watched the videos from both perspectives together.

The Mechanically Modified Human initially rarely took the initiative to strike, simply maintaining distance and sparing with the giant mutant rat.

He didn’t step into the giant mutant rat’s attack range, nor did he allow it to leave the purple-blue smoke.

It wasn’t long before the previously swift-moving giant mutant rat began to slow down significantly, as if it had been anesthetized.

Clearly, the purple-blue smoke could weaken the giant mutant rat’s combat ability.

When the giant mutant rat’s combat ability had sufficiently decreased, the Mechanically Modified Human’s arms sprouted sharp blades and he began to actively engage and grapple with the giant mutant rat.

The battle lasted nearly seven minutes.

In the end, the giant mutant rat was subdued with a fatal slash to the throat, and its heart was pierced, leaving it lying on the ground, struggling for life.

“The level of this Mechanically Modified Human shouldn’t be very high,”

Lin Zichen concluded after watching the video.

He had previously searched for and watched videos of Mechanically Modified Humans in combat, which featured bombardments that blanketed the ground, laser clearing, and a destruction capability that was both spectacular and fierce.

Yet, the Mechanically Modified Human he now saw on the news broadcast depended on poisoning the enemy and slowly grinding it down, appearing much weaker in performance.

While he was contemplating these things, his parents, who had just finished tidying the dinner table and washing the dishes, came to sit down in the living room as well.

The couple were instantly filled with surprise upon seeing the news on the TV.

“What’s going on? Isn’t this the same kind of giant mutant rat that attacked Sakura Sea Country a while back? How come we have them in our country too?” Zhang Wanxin asked with concern.

Lin Yansheng frowned and turned to Lin Zichen, saying, “Zi Chen, don’t walk to and from school by yourself for now. Daddy will take you to and pick you up from school.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhang Wanxin interjected, “There’s no need, the school has just sent a message saying that due to the appearance of the giant mutant rat in the old city district, classes will be suspended for half a month.”

Suspended for half a month?

Upon hearing this news, Lin Zichen’s brows slightly furrowed.

He sensed that the issue with the giant mutant rat might not be so simple; it was highly probable that other giant mutant rats still existed in the old city district or nearby areas.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t suddenly suspend classes for such an extended period of half a month.

Lin Zichen thought carefully and realized there was something off about yesterday’s incident in the alley as well.

The Mechanically Modified Human had arrived too quickly.

Barely any time had passed after the giant mutant rat appeared before the Mechanically Modified Human reached the scene to exterminate it.

It was as if he already knew the giant mutant rat was in the old city district, or perhaps he had been tracking the giant mutant rat all along and could rapidly arrive at the scene to handle any disturbance.

Never mind, this isn’t something I should be worried about.

I should be undisturbed by the world outside, focused solely on evolving at home. This is what I need to do.

However, it wouldn’t hurt to learn a bit about the giant mutant rats…

Thinking this, Lin Zichen left the living room and entered his parents’ writing room, where he searched for information about giant mutant rats on the computer.

He discovered that adult giant mutant rats can grow up to three meters in length.

And once mature, their biological level averages a Common Tier Five.

Common Tier Five?

Luckily, my first instinct upon encountering a giant mutant rat in the alley yesterday was to run away, not foolishly fight it, or I might have had my head bitten off by now…

Lin Zichen felt a wave of relief wash over him.

“No, I’m not training hard enough, I need to increase the intensity of my workouts…”

He became urgent once again, quickly leaving the writing room to start high-intensity training in his room upstairs.

[You are doing weighted push-ups, Qi-Blood +2, arm muscle strength +2, chest muscle strength +2, push-up proficiency +1]

[You are doing weighted squats, Qi-Blood +2, leg muscle strength +2, squat proficiency +1]

[You are doing weighted sit-ups, Qi-Blood +2, abdominal muscle strength +2, sit-up proficiency +1]

…

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed.

Lin Zichen and Shen Qinghan, childhood sweethearts, approached their ninth birthdays together.

More precisely, it was Shen Qinghan’s own ninth birthday.

Their birthdays were one day apart, and both sets of parents had arranged to celebrate the other’s birthday alternately each year, so their children could always celebrate together.

Last year was Lin Zichen’s birthday, so this year, it was Shen Qinghan’s turn.

In the evening.

Both families gathered for dinner at Shen Qinghan’s house to celebrate.

The two birthday kids had both prepared birthday gifts for each other with great care.

Knowing that Lin Zichen liked reading, Shen Qinghan bought him a set of books related to Mechanically Modified Humans, Genetic Integrators, and Exotic Beasts.

Lin Zichen gave Shen Qinghan a hairpin he had handcrafted.

Made of pure wood, hand-carved and polished, it bore Shen Qinghan’s name and a dandelion she liked, looking exquisite.

“Xiao Chen, this hairpin looks so beautiful, I love it!”

Shen Qinghan was very surprised, not expecting to receive a gift made by Lin Zichen himself.

She quickly put on the hairpin, looking at it in the mirror with delight, finding it more and more appealing. It made her think that the books she gave him seemed a bit cheap in comparison.

A gift made by hand holds more meaning and value than something bought with money.

“Xiao Chen, how about we agree to give each other handmade gifts for our birthdays every year?” Shen Qinghan suggested to Lin Zichen.

Lin Zichen smiled and responded, “Sure.”

“Xiao Chen, when did you learn woodworking, and how come Mom had no idea?”

Zhang Wanxin felt a pang of jealousy as she looked at the beautiful wooden hairpin Shen Qinghan had on.

Lin Zichen explained, “I usually stay in my room a lot and don’t come out, and I spend a lot of that time crafting.”

That was a lie; he spent his time hidden in his room doing high-intensity physical training.

As for the woodworking skill, he just casually watched an online video last week, paid attention, and then learned it.

That is the power granted by “Heavenly Roots.”

“Mom, I’ve also made a wooden hairpin for you. After we celebrate the birthday and return home, I’ll give you a surprise,” Lin Zichen whispered to Zhang Wanxin, noticing the bitterness in her heart.

Upon hearing this, the bitter feeling in Zhang Wanxin’s heart vanished, replaced by a sweet smile. Her precious son still knew how to honor his mother.

…

After the birthday celebration.

Lin Zichen returned home, turned off the lights, and lay in bed, not hurrying to sleep. Instead, he gazed quietly at the ceiling in the weak moonlight filtering through the window, lost in thought.

He had been following up on the incident with the giant mutant rat that happened last month, curious why such a creature would appear out of nowhere in the old part of the city.

However, the officials had yet to provide a clear explanation, and it remained a mystery.

Fortunately, the giant mutant rat only appeared once, and there had been no further sightings, allowing life to return to normal.

“Hopefully, the appearance of the giant mutant rat was just an accident and not part of some conspiracy.”

This world was not as peaceful as his former life; with Exotic Beasts lying in wait outside and the Heretical Sect stirring trouble within, Lin Zichen found it hard not to be concerned.

…

PS: I bow and ask for your monthly and recommendation tickets!