Chapter 20: Superpower Awakening, Teacher Liu Ruojiu

Amidst the shattered insect corpses piled throughout the corridor, Liu Yueqi swallowed hard. She quickly sheathed her knife and hurried to support Lin Feng.

A warm, almost burning sensation radiated through her palms as she touched his arm, confirming the high cost of his actions.

Lin Feng's arms were severely injured, but after quelling the insect swarm, he immediately initiated his Lv7 upgrade. A surge of energy flowed from the Divine Handgun into his body.

This upgrade, akin to the leap from Lv3 to Lv4, intensified his entire being while leaving a surplus of energy coursing through him.

To ensure the effective use of Metal Storm in the future, Lin Feng channeled this power into his arms, alleviating the strains from overexertion and enhancing his arm strength.

As Liu Yueqi supported Lin Feng, she felt her hands immersed in hot springs, the temperature reaching forty to fifty degrees Celsius.

With concern, she asked, "Is this a side effect? The price of using your ability too much?"

"Let's get you up there. My aunt's a medical school teacher. She has a first aid kit and can bandage your hands..."

Ignoring the latter part of her sentence, Lin Feng, with a frown, focused on her earlier words: "Overexerting abilities? What do you mean? Has someone here awakened superpowers?"

Liu Yueqi looked surprised at the man beside her. "You didn't know? Ah? So the bullet barrage wasn't your superpower?"

Lin Feng coughed lightly, his face slightly flushed from the energy surge. "I suppose you could say it's my ability..."

Recalling their journey, Liu Yueqi nodded in understanding. "Right, you escaped from the city and missed outside news. Haida's engineering professors set up a temporary communication base on the rooftop, linking to the military district, gathering the latest intel."

She clenched her fist proudly. "Killing those worker bugs grants slight power boosts. They say it's some kind of energy transfer. Anyway, killing bugs makes you stronger. You can enhance nine times, needing more kills each time."

"After the sixth enhancement, there's a chance to awaken special abilities, like yours."

"Hey, I also killed some bugs, completing my fifth enhancement. I'll awaken soon!"

She looked at Lin Feng with admiration and respect. "You're strong; you must've killed many worker bugs. Have you encountered soldier bugs?"

Lin Feng's frown eased, and he smiled. "Not that many. I was lucky to find a handgun and managed to kill a few early on."

"You mean those red giants are worker bugs? What are soldier bugs, then? Even larger bugs?"

Mentioning this, Liu Yueqi's face showed fear. "These are just tentative names. Official definitions and names aren't out yet."

"Professors think these alien bugs resemble Earth's ants and bees, with clear division of labor within the colony."

"The ones attacking cities are worker bugs, numerous, gathering food and building nests."

"The massive black bugs facing the Federation army are soldier bugs."

Lin Feng listened intently. Information from the outside world was crucial, and he needed a detailed briefing from the professors once on the rooftop.

The two made their way to the rooftop window, where Zhang Yuruo and Chen Yanyan waited for Lin Feng's return.

Seeing him, they exhaled in relief.

Noticing the blood on his hands, their concern surged. They quickly bent down, helping him up with a rope, then brought Liu Yueqi up as well.

The moment Liu Yueqi was on the rooftop, her aunt pulled her aside, anxiously checking her for injuries.

"Are you crazy?! Running off on your own again! It's dangerous, and you're trying to be a hero! Do you want to die?!"

Amidst Liu Ruojiu's frantic scolding, Liu Yueqi nonchalantly picked insect fragments from her ears, replying impatiently, "Okay, okay, I'm fine. See, I'm jumping around without a scratch. Let me tell you..."

Seeing her aunt's tear-filled eyes, about to cry, Liu Yueqi stopped her complaints, taking her hand reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Aunt, I'm okay."

"But Mr. Lin's hands are injured; he needs your help."

"Mr. Lin's actually a super powerful awakened being. You didn't see him take out a hundred bugs with that little handgun..."

Dragged by Liu Yueqi, Liu Ruojiu suppressed her tears, wiping her eyes, calming her emotions.

Meanwhile, Lin Feng faced concerned inquiries from the two women. Zhang Yuruo lifted his arm, revealing a deep three-centimeter gash in his palm.

Though the bleeding had stopped, the tear wouldn't heal quickly.

"Was this from shooting earlier?"

Lin Feng nodded, smiling. "It's nothing, just a lapse. Besides, the effect of my rapid-fire was worth the cost."

"I took down nearly 150 bugs, leveling up now, and I'll recover soon."

Zhang Yuruo nodded, feeling the unusual heat from his arm, likely from the upgrade after killing bugs. But seeing the serious injury, she couldn't help but caution:

"Don't take such risks again. You weren't guaranteed to return safely. If you keep gambling with your life, how can I trust you'll come back?"

"Lin Feng, look at me. I need your promise."

Lin Feng met her gaze, nodding solemnly. "I understand. Don't worry, sister-in-law, I promise I won't do it again."

Sighing, Zhang Yuruo felt Lin Feng wasn't mature enough, a bit reckless. She turned to the other woman, her gaze speaking volumes.

Chen Yanyan nodded slightly, signaling her understanding to keep an eye on Lin Feng.

At that moment, Liu Yueqi brought her aunt over, pointing to Lin Feng's injury:

"Make way, the doctor's here!"

The women stepped aside, and Liu Yueqi led her aunt to Lin Feng.

He regarded the Haida teacher, who seemed young, wearing a turtleneck sweater and dark skirt, embodying traditional, conservative teacher vibes.

But she was attractive, a classic beauty that grew on you. Lin Feng guessed she was just over thirty, exuding a mature charm akin to his sister-in-law.

"This is my aunt, Liu Ruojiu, a medical student. She'll help you."

Liu Yueqi introduced her.

Liu Ruojiu tucked stray hair behind her ear, retrieving a small rectangular kit from her bag, unzipping it to reveal iodine, powder, and bandages.

Lin Feng smiled gratefully. "I'm Lin Feng. Thank you, doctor."

Blushing, Liu Ruojiu shook her head, replying softly, "No, don't mention it. I should thank you for saving Yueqi. Thank you, Mr. Lin."

"I'm just a theoretical professor, not experienced in practice, so don't call me a doctor..."

She took Lin Feng's hand, carefully cleaning it.

"The wound's deep, but fortunately, the bleeding's stopped. We can't do much now, so it must heal naturally. Avoid straining it."

She dressed the wound, her hands smooth and delicate, never having done hard labor, contrasting Lin Feng's rough hands like a work of art.

Observing Liu Ruojiu, Lin Feng, much taller, found her just over 160 cm, shorter than her niece Liu Yueqi.

From his perspective, he glimpsed her figure beneath the sweater.

Her skin was alabaster, her ample assets well-concealed, with proportions indicating an exceptional figure, hidden beneath loose, old-fashioned clothes.

Only Lin Feng, through a lucky angle and his Eagle Eye, noticed this inadvertently.

As he enjoyed the wound care, Chen Yanyan noticed his expression change, following his gaze to understand why.

She then looked at Zhang Yuruo.

Zhang Yuruo lifted her bag, leading Chen Yanyan to the other side of the rooftop, sorting supplies.

"Do we need to be cautious?"

Chen Yanyan whispered, the wind loud and the insects below noisy, ensuring they weren't overheard.

Surprisingly, Zhang Yuruo shook her head, watching Liu Ruojiu with interest:

"Be cautious of whom?"

"Liu Ruojiu knows some medicine. They said she's engaged to the assistant professor you know, just short of marriage."

"This might be an opportunity."

Chen Yanyan was puzzled by her sister-in-law's meaning. "An opportunity for what? To break them up?"

Zhang Yuruo gestured subtly toward Liu Yueqi, sheathing her Thousand Slash Blade:

"See? We're not the only ones thinking it."

Her lips curled slightly.

"Lin Feng's young, reckless, prone to injury. Your group needs a doctor for emergencies."

"And this person must be trustworthy, loyal to Lin Feng..."

"You understand, right?"

Chen Yanyan, frowning, felt confused but grasped the last part...

Gazing at Liu Ruojiu tending to Lin Feng, she felt a twinge of guilt, mixed with inexplicable excitement.