C5 I'm Afraid I'm a Fool

After much coaxing, Huang Xiu finally set her phone aside.

The main reason was Lee Yu's appearance—it was quite a sight. His face was pitch-black, topped with an afro, and his clothes were partially charred, with a wire snaking behind him.

The instant Huang Xiu pushed open the door, she was startled by the scene before her, fumbling with her phone as she made a call, her voice tinged with tears.

"Are you really okay?" Huang Xiu asked, her eyes brimming with concern.

"I'm totally fine!" Lee Yu reassured her, thumping his chest to demonstrate his vitality.

"Okay, okay. You go ahead and eat. I'm going to take a quick shower and I'll be right back!" Lee Yu said, tugging at his tattered clothes. Realizing his disheveled state, he grabbed a fresh set of clothes and darted into the bathroom.

Soon, the sound of a steady stream of water reassured Huang Xiu, who then relaxed and took a seat at the dining table.

Inside the bathroom, as the water cascaded over him, Lee Yu questioned, "System, why can't I feel the Thunder Bloodline anymore?"

...

The system's silence was telling. Lee Yu's brow furrowed in frustration, but despite his efforts, he detected no trace of the power.

It was as if his body had remained unchanged, yet he distinctly remembered the overwhelming force that had surged within him upon receiving the Thunder Bloodline.

"Thunder... that's just another word for lightning, right?" Lee Yu mumbled to himself, eyeing the wall socket.

"Yikes!"

A sudden groan echoed from the bathroom. Huang Xiu, who was seated at the dining table, blushed at the sound.

That peculiar noise...

Coming from the bathroom, no less...

Rumors had it that boys sometimes engaged in secretive activities, necessitating a second round of cleaning afterward.

Huang Xiu's ears perked up as she heard the water resume. Recalling the embarrassing topics her classmates sometimes discussed, she nodded knowingly. It made sense for Yu, at his age, to indulge in such behavior when alone.

So, the incident with the electricity in the room—could it have been deliberate, rather than an accident? Was Yu seeking a thrill?

"This is too risky. I need to have a word with Yu," Huang Xiu mused to herself.

"What's the matter? You've stopped eating halfway through your meal?" Lee Yu inquired, toweling off his hair.

"Ah?"

Huang Xiu, who had been talking to herself, suddenly noticed Lee Yu had emerged from the bathroom. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she quickly bowed her head to focus on her food.

She's acting so oddly. Could she be in a relationship at school?

"The Thunder Bloodline really does work, though it seems to be dormant," Lee Yu pondered while eating, "I didn't feel any discomfort when I got shocked earlier. That must be the bloodline's doing."

In the bathroom, Lee Yu had eyed the electrical outlet on the wall. Knowing the voltage wasn't high enough to cause harm, he boldly reached out to get shocked.

Just as he anticipated, his latent bloodline provided resistance to the electricity.

But now his hair looked like a wild explosion, forcing him to wash it once more.

"What's gotten into her?" Lee Yu wondered, watching Huang Xiu dash off after her meal. He shrugged it off and continued eating.

With the Thunder Bloodline now a part of him, his energy consumption had increased significantly. He didn't stop until he had polished off three bowls of rice and let out a satisfied burp before heading to wash the dishes.

"Just as they say, such activities really do burn through energy," Huang Xiu observed as Lee Yu cleared the bowls to the kitchen. "Yu ate three whole bowls today!"

Little did Lee Yu know, Huang Xiu's behavior was all because she thought he was up to something peculiar in the bathroom.

...

"There's a human society... basic public amenities..."

That afternoon, Lee Yu meticulously strategized on how to adapt to the new environment, even scouring the internet for top-notch advice.

Come evening, after a quick dinner and dishwashing, he retreated to his room.

"Off to the Otherworld!"

In an instant, Lee Yu vanished from the room.

Reappearing in the bathroom, Lee Yu swiftly surveyed the area. He had previously departed not far from the door, and if someone happened to be there now, his sudden appearance would surely be noticed.

The public restroom was empty!

Assured of his privacy, Lee Yu was about to exit when a light source on the wall caught his attention.

"Holy moly! Am I seeing things?" Lee Yu gasped in astonishment.

The wall was inlaid with enormous, glowing pearls.

Lee Yu's gaze flickered with uncertainty.

After what seemed like an eternity...

"Squeak~"

The bathroom door creaked open, and a head peeked out from the dark crevice, scanning the surroundings before stepping out nonchalantly.

"Why isn't anyone here?"

Lee Yu strode down street after street, his brow furrowing deeply.

Every few feet, a light source illuminated the street, yet every door was shut tight, and not a soul was in sight.

Lee Yu scoured several more streets until, just as he was about to give up and investigate the interiors of the houses, a shout caught his ear.

"Let's check it out."

Without hesitation, Lee Yu sprinted towards the source of the noise.

...

Atop the high platform, the elder's hand grazed over a young man's head, while his other hand rested lightly on a massive stone, revealing nine stripes.

"Ninth Grade Bloodline!" The elder's voice quivered slightly as if he were on the brink of the grave, yet it boomed powerfully.

The platform, crudely erected in a corner of the square, overlooked a throng of people who erupted in jubilant cheers.

Lee Yu, at the back of the crowd, could barely make out the stage with his normal vision, but the sheer size of the square was unmistakable!

And when the elder's voice rang out, Lee Yu's face flushed with excitement. Without any sound amplification, the elder's voice still overpowered the square's cacophony!

This Otherworld was undeniably a realm of fantasy!

"If I could just get my hands on a cultivation technique or something..." Lee Yu mused.

Many young men and women had already been tested on the platform.

The elder's voice remained strong. Most had no grade, but one girl revealed eight stripes on her stone, making the elder's voice waver as he announced it.

The square was alive with people screaming at the top of their lungs, cheering for the girl.

Though Lee Yu didn't grasp the significance, he joined in the raucous shouting to blend in.

"System, did I say that right?" Lee Yu inquired.

The host's pronunciation was spot-on. The electronic voice echoed in his mind.

Upon hearing those words, Lee Yu's worries dissipated. He also marveled at the system's thoughtfulness, impressed by its handy language translation feature.

While Lee Yu was echoing the confused but vocal crowd, a tap on his shoulder caught his attention.

"Why haven’t you tested your bloodline?"

He turned to see a young woman, likely in her early twenties, clad in pristine white armor.

"Ah?" Lee Yu feigned bewilderment. "Aba, ba, ba?"

Despite the system's real-time translation, the combination of words left Lee Yu clueless about the woman's meaning.

His ability to refrain from any rash actions stemmed from his confidence that he hadn't slipped up. He had been discreetly sizing up the situation for a while, certain there was little to distinguish him from the others, even his clothing style was similar.

"Is he an idiot? Doesn't look like he's from around here," the woman mused, her eyebrows knitting together. Yet, the compact device at her waist emitted a light towards Lee Yu. After a brief hesitation, she lifted him up. "Well, since you seem to fit the bill, let's get you tested too."