The King of Black Fog

[Three Sisters]

"Qian Xia: Brother, you saved it, didn't you?" (Cold, disdainful look)

Li Changzhou was about to deny it, but then he thought, what's the big deal! Yang Qinglan likes me!

"Changzhou: ...um."

"Qing Lan: (Smiles)"

"Qian Xia: You actually saved a photo of your sister's chest! Disgusting! Disgusting!" (A flurry of punches like an anime girl)

"Changzhou: ?????? (Catches all the punches like an anime girl with a perfect score)"

"Qing Lan: (Covering mouth, laughing)"

"Qian Xia: Forget it, just buy me three sets of autumn clothes."

If Li Changzhou remembered correctly, it seemed that the plan was for her to buy clothes for himself.

He sent an emotion packet of (A flurry of punches like an anime girl), only for Yang Qinglan to reply with (Catching all the punches like an anime girl with a perfect score).

Did she just save that on the spot? Li Changzhou's lips curved into a smile.

"Qian Xia: You're stealing my emoticons! (Anime girl licking a bloodied dagger)"

"Changzhou: (Kneeling and shouting 'boss')"

"Qing Lan: Come back soon."

Rule-breaking Player matters couldn't be discussed over WeChat, but it sounded like a wife worrying about her husband—at least that's how Li Changzhou felt.

"Changzhou: Yeah, I'll come back after the run."

"Qian Xia: You mean 'use up,' right? (Yellow dog madly licking a photo)"

"Changzhou: Be careful of slandering others or you might get struck by lightning!"

Li Changzhou exited WeChat, opened the photo album, and studied it carefully, zooming in and out, looking up and down, left and right.

He sighed with satisfaction.

Ah, it's lovely, no wonder Madame Curie said that photographs are the spiritual food of humans; he felt utterly spirited now.

Putting away his phone, Li Changzhou began to jog slowly.

After a lap, he finally managed to drive the image of Yang Qinglan out of his mind (after fantasizing about some messy things, such as breastfeeding children in the future).

Once he calmed down, he began to experience the changes brought about by this "Physical Enhancement."

Strong, indeed, unparalleled strength, but he always had an uncomfortable feeling, as if something was constraining him.

Was it the game's lock-on?

Upon closer inspection, it didn't feel quite right, but more like... as if the current strength was all in preparation for the next stage.

After finishing his run and returning to Yanhe Road, without waiting for the two to speak, he shared all his sensations.

"The next stage?" Li Qianxia pondered, her high ponytail swaying.

"Metamorphosis?" Yang Qinglan suggested.

"I—" Li Changzhou started to say something but stopped, eventually explaining reluctantly, "I admit I saved your photo, but I definitely didn't lick it, neither did I use it!"

"Yep, definitely a pervert." Yang Qinglan nodded with certainty, not waiting for Li Changzhou to speak further, she continued, "I was referring to the 'complete metamorphosis' of insects."

Li Changzhou understood, he knew about 'complete metamorphosis.'

It's a biological term meaning: development through four stages including egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

In the larval stage, insects that undergo complete metamorphosis accumulate a large amount of nutrition, then transform into pupae, where they disintegrate into a mass full of life force, the "paste," and finally emerge as adults.

The complete metamorphosis of insects sees a striking difference between larva and adult in shape and lifestyle—almost like two different creatures, like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.

This mode of evolution is utterly amazing, comparable to various fantasy works.

"So, you're saying I'm like a pupa?" he asked.

"Speculation," Yang Qinglan nodded.

"Then what will I become in the future?"

"You'll only know once you break out of the cocoon."

"Wait a minute!" Li Qianxia interrupted, "After my brother's complete metamorphosis, will he still be my brother?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Li Changzhou said, completely subjective.

Yang Qinglan analyzed objectively, "Don't you two have the 'Twins' instinct? Even if your brother goes through a leap of life and becomes something else, you'll follow suit. If he undergoes complete metamorphosis, you'll at least go through 'incomplete metamorphosis.'"

"Oh," Li Qianxia nodded relievedly.

Then she suddenly remembered something else, "Then will you two end up being reproductively isolated in the future?"

What a good sister!

Indeed, his own little sister!

Big brother, I'll take you flying and buy you ten pieces of clothing!

Yang Qinglan looked at Li Changzhou, and Li Changzhou was thrilled. This was double happiness knocking at his door.

"Let me see your Identity Card?"

"Identity card?"

"Identity Card." Yang Qinglan smiled.

Li Changzhou listlessly handed over his white card to her and then gave the black card to his sister, letting them research it.

Actually, there wasn't much to research, just some attribute enhancements.

Li Qianxia also gave him her Identity Card.

[Nickname: "Mosquito"]

[Name: Li Qianxia]

[Value: 3 (236/400)] (Twins)

[Instinct: Physical Enhancement] (Source: Li Changzhou)

[Instinct: Twins] (Value completely shared, instinct effect halved, backpack fully shared, Value Coins fully shared) (No one loves Big Brother more than you) (Source: Li Qianxia)

[Skills: "Wolf Howl" (C-level), "Double Stab" (D-level), "Thunder Roar" (C-level), "Loach Moth Style · Transformation" (C-level), "Unlearned", "Unlearned"]

[Strength: 9] (Final Step)

[Agility: 10] (Limit)

[Intelligence: 6] (Smart)

[Constitution: 9] (Final Step)

[Perception: 5] (Above Average)

[Charm: 8] (Unparalleled)

[Equipment: None]

[Backpack Slot: "Mosquito Style Blood-sucking Gun", "Horned Robe", "Empty" (Li Changzhou: "Snow Mountain Water Bottle", "Heavy Machine Gun", "Empty")]

[Money: 10 coins (Li Changzhou: 0 coins)]

While only sharing half the effects, her attributes had all increased by two points—whereas Li Changzhou had only gained three points.

Yet according to Li Qianxia's description, the changes in her body were not as drastic as Li Changzhou's, and she didn't feel like she was turning into a cocoon.

"I just have to level up once more, and I'll have maxed out three attributes!" Li Qianxia was already very pleased with this outcome, saying cheerfully.

Moreover, the game officials had certified Big Brother as unbeatable, so leveling up would be a piece of cake, easy peasy.

"I worked tirelessly all night for both of us, yet you didn't even make a single call to check on me last night," Li Changzhou sighed.

"I wanted to, but Qing Lan said there was no need," Li Qianxia shrugged, "Besides, with 'Twins', if you died, I'd definitely know, and you were training, I couldn't disturb you."

"Also!" she continued, "Do you even know how long I queued up last night? Over a thousand people, and I was the last one! Buy me clothes!"

Li Changzhou thought her reasoning was sound; he really should buy her clothes.

"Oh, right," he remembered something, "What did Master Huang say?"

"He's got no idea either, said we should pay attention to medicinal herbs, seems the nation is researching that too," Li Qianxia replied.

"Medicinal herbs." Li Changzhou thought of the Dragon Brain Tree used for opening the senses.

He had gone abroad only to bring back several meaningless Identity Cards, and instead, he had helped the Special Warfare Bureau get some good stuff. It was like losing a watermelon to pick up a sesame seed.

"Was your breakthrough last night because of the 'Thunder Book'?" Yang Qinglan asked.

Li Changzhou came back to his senses and answered, "Not sure, but it might be part of the reason, and perhaps mindset too."

He then recounted everything from last night, including his repeated failed attempts and his peaceful and joyful state of mind.

After hearing it, Li Qianxia couldn't help saying, "Bro, I know why your body had to completely transform—it's because it felt like it couldn't keep up with your mentally deranged state."

"We're twins, our spirits and bodies are one—if I'm a freak, you're a freak too."

"Rebound!" Li Qianxia crossed her slender arms in front of her chest.

"Speaking of rebound, then it's—you're a freak, so I'm a freak." Li Changzhou said.

"Alright." Yang Qinglan cut off the bickering siblings and asked Li Changzhou, "So, players who haven't broken through the limits really can't learn the 'Thunder Book'?"

"Most likely can't, but based on the notion that the better the attributes, the higher the birth, the stronger the talent, my talent is now at a rule-breaking level, so I might give it another shot."

Just as Li Changzhou was about to try meditating on the Thunder Map, Yang Qinglan stopped him, "Go to Honey Pot World, it's safe over there, and you haven't milked the cows today either."

"I forgot about that." Li Changzhou lightly slapped his own forehead.

With a single thought, the three disappeared from the underground warehouse.

"Honey Pot World" was ablaze with brilliant flowers, butterflies fluttering about, the giants trees lush and dripping, the large lake crystal clear to the bottom, silver fish frolicking, the surface of the water shimmering.

The vegetables that should have taken a month to mature were already bearing plentiful fruit.