Strength

A mix of emotions washed over Lin Xiao. This new ability was powerful, but it also came with great responsibility.

The potential to misuse it was immense, and he was already painfully aware of the consequences of tampering with someone's mind.

However, he couldn't deny the possibilities it presented. With careful use, he might be able to rectify some of the damage he had caused and perhaps even prevent future threats.

Wanting to test his new powers, Lin Xiao decided to experiment on his cats.

He realized that with the Memory Manipulation skill, he could bypass the tedious process of teaching them language and common sense. Instead, he could simply instill his memories into them.

First, he turned to Xiao Bai, who was sitting beside him on the bed. Concentrating on the new skill, he focused on transferring his memories.

[Memory Manipulation Activated]

"Alright, Xiao Bai, let's see what this can do," Lin Xiao said, placing his hand gently on the cat's head.

Focusing on the skill, he felt his consciousness merging with Xiao Bai's. 

Suddenly, Lin Xiao found himself in a vast, ethereal space. It was like standing in the middle of a boundless universe, where thoughts and memories floated like stars.

He felt a surge of power and control, an intoxicating sensation that made him laugh with exhilaration.

He could create and alter memories at will, shaping them like a sculptor with clay.

"This is incredible," he muttered to himself, feeling a rush of power. "I finally have a superpower. I feel like a god."

Carefully, he began to instill his knowledge of language and common sense into Xiao Bai. It took intense concentration, but he could see the memories embedding themselves into the cat's mind.

In the real world, Xiao Bai's eyes widened momentarily, then blinked a few times as the new knowledge settled in.

After he finished with Xiao Bai, Lin Xiao felt a wave of fatigue. Checking his mana, he saw it had drained significantly. "30 mana each... No wonder I'm feeling so tired," he said, shaking his head. "This skill is powerful, but it comes at a high cost."

Next, he called Lil' Blackie and repeated the process, instilling common sense and language into the cat.

The experience was just as exhilarating the second time, but Lin Xiao was careful not to get carried away.

When he finally finished, Lin Xiao sat back, exhausted but satisfied. He watched as his cats blinked and seemed to process their new knowledge.

"Xiao Bai, Lil' Blackie, do you understand me?" he asked.

Xiao Bai meowed and nodded, while Lil' Blackie tilted its head, then nodded as well. Lin Xiao couldn't help but laugh. "This is amazing. I don't have to teach you everything from scratch now."

However, he couldn't ignore the significant mana cost. "I'll have to be careful with this skill," he thought. "It's useful, but I can't overuse it."

Lin Xiao, still feeling the exhilaration of his new skill, suddenly remembered his Strength stat had also surpassed the 10 mark. His excitement reignited, he opened his status window to see if any new skills were available.

There it was: the word "unlockable" next to his Strength stat.

With a mix of anticipation and curiosity, he pressed the button. Immediately, a notification popped up:

[Power Burst (lvl 1) unlocked - 2x your regular strength for 15 seconds]

Lin Xiao's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow," he muttered to himself. The idea of doubling his strength, even if only for a short time, opened up a realm of possibilities.

"How do I level up this skill?" he asked aloud, hoping the system would respond.

[Use it more, and it will level up on its own.]

A smile spread across Lin Xiao's face, grinning ear to ear. "Alright then, I'll definitely find ways to use this."

He decided to test out his new ability. He moved over to a sturdy piece of furniture—a heavy wooden table in his room. "Let's see what this can do," he said, activating Power Burst.

Instantly, he felt a surge of energy course through his muscles. He lifted the table effortlessly, something that would have required much more effort before. After 15 seconds, the effect wore off, and he set the table down gently.

"This is amazing," he thought. "With Power Burst, I can handle situations that require more strength, even if it's just for a short period."

Just then, another notification appeared.

[Power Burst is now on cooldown. Please wait 10 minutes before using it again.]

Lin Xiao nodded, understanding the necessity of the cooldown. "Makes sense," he said. "Can't be too overpowered all the time."

Feeling exhilarated by his new abilities but also realizing he needed to be strategic about using them, Lin Xiao took a deep breath and sat down on his bed.

....

Meanwhile, Li Jing finally arrived at the abandoned building where Wang Lei was last seen. She stepped out of the car, flanked by a few police officers, and began the search.

The building was decrepit, with broken windows and graffiti-covered walls.

After a thorough search of the ground floor, she moved upstairs, her steps echoing in the empty space.

In a corner of a dimly lit room, she found Wang Lei, huddled and shaking. As soon as he saw her, he started to cry, his sobs echoing through the desolate building.

"I'm sorry," Wang Lei stammered through his tears. "I didn't mean to push him."

Li Jing approached him calmly, her voice steady. "What happened, Wang Lei? I need to know everything."

Wang Lei took a deep breath, his voice trembling as he began to recount the events of the previous day. "I fought with Zhang Wei yesterday. It was about Li Na. We were arguing, and it got out of hand. I pushed him... I didn't realize it would hurt him so badly. I didn't mean to... I swear."

He broke down into heavier sobs, his guilt and fear overwhelming him. Li Jing knelt down beside him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Wang Lei. I need to see what happened. Stay still."

She activated her memory manipulation powers, her mind delving into Wang Lei's recent memories.

The scene played out vividly: Zhang Wei and Wang Lei arguing heatedly, the confrontation escalating until Wang Lei pushed Zhang Wei, causing him to fall and hit his head.

Li Jing withdrew from Wang Lei's mind, the truth clear.

Wang Lei's actions were violent, but it was an accident, driven by anger and jealousy over Li Na. There was no malice or premeditation.

She stood up, signaling to the officers to take Wang Lei into custody for further questioning, though she knew his involvement in the memory manipulation was unlikely.

Wang Lei was too distraught and unaware to have been involved in such complex acts.

As Wang Lei was escorted away, Li Jing's mind turned back to Lin Xiao.

He had lied to her, and his connection to Zhang Wei was now more suspicious than ever. She needed to dig deeper into Lin Xiao's actions.