13. Promise on the Birthday

"You two, why did you come home later than usual today?"

"We stayed in the classroom for a while, so we came back late."

At Shen Qinghan's doorstep, Lin Zichen explained to Xu Meng, who had come out to open the door.

Xu Meng nodded her head and didn't ask further, telling him to go home early and not to worry his parents.

Before leaving, Lin Zichen glanced at Shen Qinghan.

Seeing that the little girl was much better, he turned around and headed back to his own home with relief.

About today's incident in the alley, he had already agreed with Shen Qinghan that it would remain a secret between the two of them, not to be shared with a third person.

The giant mutant rat was one matter.

Primarily because the combat power he demonstrated when he severely injured that malicious couple was excessively exaggerated and totally inconsistent with his age.

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

At this stage, Lin Zichen only wanted to maintain an image of a little genius.

That way, he could gain certain privileges and a tilt in educational resources in school, and make his parents proud.

And that was about enough.

Anything more would be inappropriate.

It would greatly disrupt his current life rhythm, making it impossible for him to evolve peacefully.

...

Back at home.

After dinner.

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

He hoped that the security forces could be effective and announce the day's incidents in the alley tonight.

About fifteen minutes later.

Lin Zichen finally got the news report he had been eagerly awaiting—it was about the giant mutant rat that had appeared in the alley that afternoon.

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

Two different angles of video were released.

One was a third-person view shot from a drone above.

The other was a first-person view recorded face-to-face during the close-quarter combat between the mechanically modified human and the giant mutant rat.

Lin Zichen watched the videos combining both perspectives.

The mechanically modified human, at first, barely took the initiative to strike, just keeping distance and managing the giant mutant rat.

It didn't enter the giant mutant rat's range of attack nor allow it to escape the purple-blue smoke.

Before long, the once agile giant mutant rat gradually moved more slowly, appearing as though it had been anesthetized.

Clearly, the purple-blue smoke could reduce the combat ability of the giant mutant rat.

Once the giant mutant rat's combat ability had decreased significantly, the mechanically modified human's arm sprouted sharp blades, beginning to actively engage and wrestle closely with the giant mutant rat.

The battle lasted nearly seven minutes.

In the end, the giant mutant rat was finally slain with a cut to its throat, its heart pierced, and it lay gasping on the ground.

"This mechanically modified human's level must not be high."

After watching the video, Lin Zichen came to this conclusion.

He had previously searched for videos of mechanically modified humans in combat, involving artillery bombardments and destructive laser clearings, both spectacular and ferocious in power.

However, the mechanically modified human he saw on the news station was wrestling its enemy with poison for a long while, slowly grinding it to death, which seemed considerably weaker in performance.

As he pondered these things, his parents, who had just cleaned up the dining table and washed the dishes, also came over to sit in the living room.

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

"What's going on? Isn't this the same kind of giant mutant rat that attacked Sakura Sea Country a while ago? Why do we have them domestically now?" Zhang Wanxin said worriedly.

Lin Yansheng also frowned and turned to Lin Zichen, saying, "Chen, don't walk to and from school by yourself during this period. Dad will take you there and back."

No sooner had he finished his sentence than Zhang Wanxin said, "That won't be necessary. The school just sent a message, saying that because of the giant mutant rat appearing in the old city district, they will suspend classes for half a month."

Suspending classes for half a month?

Hearing this, Lin Zichen furrowed his brows slightly.

He realized that the matter of the giant mutant rat might be more complicated—there were probably other giant mutant rats in the old city district or nearby areas.

Otherwise, they wouldn't suddenly suspend classes for half a month.

Lin Zichen carefully reconsidered it, finding yesterday's incident in the alley somewhat peculiar.

The mechanically modified human had appeared too quickly.

Not long after the giant mutant rat emerged, the mechanically modified human arrived at the scene to exterminate it.

It was as if he knew beforehand that the giant mutant rat was in the old city district, or he was constantly tracking it, able to quickly reach the scene at any disturbance.

Forget it, this isn't something I should worry about.

With no concern for the world outside, I immersed myself in training and evolution at home—this was what I should focus on.

However, it was appropriate to learn a bit about the giant mutant rat…

Thinking this, Lin Zichen left the living room and entered his parents' study room, where he searched the computer for information related to the giant mutant rat.

He learned that the giant mutant rat, once adult, could grow up to three meters long.

And upon reaching adulthood, its biological level was typically as high as common tier five.

Common tier five?

It was a good thing that his first reaction when he encountered the giant mutant rat in the alley yesterday was to run away rather than foolishly try to fight it. Otherwise, his head might have been bitten off by now…

Lin Zichen felt a surge of fright.

"No, I'm not training hard enough, I must increase the intensity of my workouts…"

He became urgent again and quickly left the study room, running upstairs to his room to begin intensive training.

[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.

Before he knew it, a month had passed.

Lin Zichen and Shen Qinghan, childhood sweethearts, celebrated each other's ninth birthday.

To be precise, it was Shen Qinghan's own ninth birthday.

Their birthdays were one day apart, and in order for them to celebrate together every year, their parents had deliberately arranged to alternate celebrating each other's birthdays.

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

That evening.

Both families gathered at Shen Qinghan's house for a birthday dinner.

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

Knowing that Lin Zichen liked books, Shen Qinghan bought him a set related to mechanically modified humans, genetic integrators, and exotic beasts.

Lin Zichen gave Shen Qinghan a handcrafted hairpin.

Made of pure wood, hand-carved and polished, it bore Shen Qinghan's name and a dandelion she liked on it, making it exquisitely beautiful.

"Xiao Chen, this hairpin is so beautiful, I love it!"

Shen Qinghan was extremely surprised, not expecting a handmade gift from Lin Zichen.

She eagerly put on the hairpin and, looking in the mirror, grew fonder of it by the second, so much so that she felt the books she gave him seemed somewhat cheap in comparison.

Compared to gifts bought with money, those handmade held more meaning and value.

"Xiao Chen, how about we give each other homemade gifts every year for our birthdays?" Shen Qinghan proposed as she looked at Lin Zichen.

Lin Zichen smiled and said, "Sure."

"Xiao Chen, when did you learn the craft of woodworking, and how come Mom didn't know about it?"

Zhang Wanxin, looking at the exquisite wooden hairpin on Shen Qinghan's head, felt a bit of jealousy.

Lin Zichen explained, "I often stay in my room and don't come out, and I spend a lot of that time working on handicrafts."

This was a lie; he often stayed in his room to exercise intensely.

As for the woodworking skills, he had casually watched a video online last week, paid close attention, and then learned it.

This was the power of the "Divine Human Wisdom Root."

"Mom, actually, I also made a wooden hairpin for you. I'll give you a surprise after the birthday celebration when we get home."

Lin Zichen noticed the bitterness in Zhang Wanxin's heart and whispered these words in her ear.

Upon hearing this, the bitterness in Zhang Wanxin's heart was swept away, and a sweet smile appeared on her face. My beloved son still knows how to be filial to his mother.

…

After the birthday celebration.

Lin Zichen returned to his home, turned off the lights, and lay on his bed, but he didn't rush to sleep. Instead, he quietly stared at the ceiling, bathed in the faint moonlight coming through the window, lost in thought.

About the giant mutant rat incident that happened last month, he had been keeping up with it, wanting to know why a giant mutant rat suddenly appeared in the old city area.

However, the authorities hadn't provided a clear explanation, leaving it still a mystery.

Fortunately, there had been only that one appearance of the giant mutant rat, and it hadn't shown up again, allowing life to return to normal.

"I hope the appearance of that giant mutant rat was just an accident, not part of some conspiracy."

This world wasn't as peaceful as in his previous life, with exotic beasts and traitors from the Heretical Sect wreaking havoc both outside and inside, it was hard for Lin Zichen not to overthink.

…

PS: Putting out a bowl, seeking monthly pass recommendation tickets!