Chapter Thirty-Eight: Resonance of Life

Boom!

The gene pod opened with a roar, a wave of air sweeping out and scattering the heavy raindrops into finer particles, like mist and dust. Ji Cheng strode out, exuding a formidable aura.

The ability users who hadn't left Nanport New City rushed over.

"Amazing, Brother Ji! It's the first time someone has taken so long to unlock the gene lock."

"Congratulations, congratulations! Don't forget to look after us in the future."

"Unprecedented!"

"Ji Cheng, you're so handsome! Can I have your number?"

Even those who hadn't known Ji Cheng before now recognized his extraordinary potential and eagerly approached to strike up conversations and establish connections.

Standing in the rain, Lei Junming breathed heavily, watching Ji Cheng surrounded by Nanport's ability users. He silently marked him as a formidable rival and turned to leave.

Ding Wei's face was full of resentment; he regretted his decision so much it felt as if his guts were twisted. He had waited just to see how much potential Ji Cheng truly possessed, and now the result was worse than if he had never seen it at all.

He snapped at Li Ying, "Didn't you register everyone before the selection? How high is Ji Cheng's assimilation rate?"

"I don't know," Li Ying replied, head lowered. "There was a name, Ji Cheng, but the information was classified. It must be him."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Ding Wei spat, refusing to give up as he looked toward Ji Cheng again.

Had he known Ji Cheng's assimilation rate was so high, he would have fought to recruit him even if it meant offering five billion. Damn Nanport—this must be why they hid Ji Cheng's assimilation rate!

Fuming, Ding Wei dragged Li Ying away.

Ji Cheng was trapped in the crowd, unable to move, while Liang Wu smiled broadly. "Congratulations, Brother Ji!"

Please, you're almost twice my age, Ji Cheng thought privately, but outwardly he smiled.

"Thank you, Brother Liang, and congratulations to you as well."

Lu Shangbai, in high spirits, laughed heartily and suggested, "Let's not stand here in the rain! Today is a day to celebrate—two new ability users in Nanport New City, and we took first place in the selection. We must have a proper feast!"

"Absolutely, I'm all for it," Ji Cheng replied without hesitation.

"Good," even Zhou Ze nodded in agreement.

"Let's go, let's go," Huang Long said, grinning.

Zhou Ze and Huang Long, both council members, brought their eight subordinates each, along with Ji Cheng and Liang Wu—twenty ability users in total. Together they chose a high-end restaurant to celebrate.

They didn't leave until the rain stopped, the owner trembling as he bid them farewell.

After saying goodbye, Ji Cheng tightened the packed food, took a deep breath, and darted off, racing through the streets like a blazing meteor.

This time, the sensation was entirely different from before.

"After becoming an ability user, my speed and explosive strength have soared. Every muscle cell's contraction is utilized to the utmost, not a single bit wasted."

Muscle cells, also known as muscle fibers, differ from other tissues in that they contain abundant myofibrils and are capable of contraction. Humans and higher animals accomplish movement through the contraction and relaxation of muscle cells, working in concert with bones and joints.

But because of their spindle-shaped structure, muscle cells must be bundled and connected to tendons, which means a large angle of force and low efficiency—they can't contract all in one direction. Studies show that if a normal adult has an arm strength of 120 kilograms, the total force generated by their muscle cells is at least five tons, enough to pull a fully loaded truck. But most of that strength is wasted.

After unlocking the gene lock, however, the muscle cells expressed by the reinforced core gene are fully fibrous, with negligible loss—meaning his punching power could easily surpass ten thousand pounds.

"As for running speed, even with wind resistance, it's probably over seventy meters per second."

Ji Cheng was exhilarated, recklessly speeding through the streets.

"Might as well experience the life resonance of the mountain cat."

Different gene templates bring different life resonances, which can be understood as unique traits.

In the game "Galactic Odyssey," most players liked to call these passive skills.

Ji Cheng kept running, the buildings speeding past him and gradually transforming in his eyes into mosses, lichens, shrubs, permafrost, and wild plains. He began to sense something.

He sensed the land itself.

"People often only see what they want to see—the city... creations... possession... and appearances—not blending into the land, breathing with it."

Ji Cheng vaulted over a wall with a few quick steps, nothing seemingly able to stop him.

His breathing carried a strange rhythm, merging into the land's breaths. Its darkness and dampness, the thin moonlight above, the radiant and mysterious starry sky, and the wild winds all felt intimately familiar to Ji Cheng.

This vast land, this living planet, harbored dangers as deep as the ocean. It was more stubborn than the desert, more straightforward than the plains. It never hid its likes and dislikes, never compromised. Yet it welcomed all who walked its surface with the openness and sincerity of a newborn.

It nourished everything upon it: the boundless deserts and waters, canyons and mountains, the endless swamps, mineral deposits, night, silence... Its gifts were countless.

Ji Cheng was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of perfection, a primal harmony that made his heart tremble.

This was life resonance.

Life resonance from the mountain cat gene template.

"If I remember correctly, this resonance is called 'Instinct,'" Ji Cheng murmured, humming softly in the wind.

The 'Instinct' of the hunter, the 'Instinct' of nature.

Specifically, it meant he now possessed powerful combat instincts and environmental awareness, just like wild animals.

When he stood upon the earth, he was a true apex predator.

"Not bad, this resonance feels far more authentic than in the game."

Passing a corner, he suddenly twisted his body, ducked, and leapt.

The clothesline jutting from a window, the tipped-over trash bin—all failed to impede him.

With a swish, he pressed forward.

Ji Cheng seemed to anticipate every obstacle, deftly avoiding them as he merrily hurried home, his steps light.

Tap.

He jumped down from the rooftop of a low building, landing gracefully—he had arrived at the fourth shed district.

Ji Cheng followed the small path inward, and before even entering, he heard Luo Rao humming through the door.

"Mmm-hmm-hmm, stash a little more, stash a little less, always gotta stash a bit~"

What was she up to?

Click.

Ji Cheng crept in quietly and instantly saw his standard tool module on the table. The centrifuge had been dismantled, and Luo Rao was smoothly slipping the newly replaced nuclear vibrating motor into her pocket.

"So it was you! No wonder the motor disappeared earlier—confess, did you use it as a fun egg?" Ji Cheng put on an indignant face, slapping the door loudly.

"Ah!"

Luo Rao was clearly startled, her messy hair and flushed face making her look less innocent and more breathtakingly beautiful.

"You finished the ability user selection and came back so quickly?"

She coughed a few times, feigning composure, her delicate lashes trembling, "A Cheng, so you've become an ability user?"

"Of course! Your brother is impressive, isn't he? Tomorrow we can move to our new home."

"Tell me all about it, so your sister knows just how amazing her little darling is," Luo Rao instinctively leaned closer to Ji Cheng, her bright eyes sparkling.

Touched by her curiosity, Ji Cheng began recounting everything in detail.

"So impressive, you even took out a council member's son," Luo Rao exclaimed in awe after hearing the story, "When will you deal with his father too?"

"You have too much faith in me—I could be exposed at any moment," Ji Cheng rolled his eyes, sighing deeply.

"If the guards come to arrest me, don't admit you're my sister."

"I'll say you're my son," Luo Rao teased, kicking Ji Cheng.

The siblings chatted for a while longer, watching as she finished the packed supper. Ji Cheng washed up briefly, then lay his head on the pillow and drifted off to sleep.