Chapter 46: Encountering the Rusty Iron Again

“System component… Is it referring to this rusty iron?” Lin Yun eyed the rusty iron dubiously. Something occurred to him, and he became excited all of a sudden.

“Rusty iron! There’s one in my brain. I also obtained a similar one the very night my vision improved. Does this mean that the origin of all these strange events is this kind of rusty iron?”

Lin Yun clutched the rusty piece of iron tightly. With his current strength, a piece of iron would certainly bend and change shape, no matter how hard it was.

However, the rusty iron remained unchanged.

“It’s this type of rusty iron, indeed. An ordinary iron, but it possesses an extraordinary hardness. From that notification, it seems that this type of rusty iron is a system component. In other words, it’s a virus component of the Skynet. Yet, why does it appear in the form of a piece of rusty iron?”

The most logical explanation Lin Yun could come up with for what happened to him in the Skynet was a virus embodied by the female notification voice. Such a virus could bypass the restrictions in the Skynet, search through the Skynet’s data, and even make use of ways, including missions, EXP, and leveling up, to increase one’s strength.

This virus seemed to exist within these rusty iron pieces, in which one of them had merged with Lin Yun’s brain. As a result, he could use this virus to obtain various bizarre aid from the Skynet and increase his strength rapidly. However, wasn’t the Skynet something existing only in one’s Skynet? How then did it become linked with a material object?

“Regardless, this virus has yet to cause me any harm. Rather, it has rapidly increased my strength. Let me see how my strength will increase if I install this piece of rusty iron.”

As soon as he thought of that, Lin Yun lifted the piece of rusty iron and closely examined it.

How could he install it? Did he have to split his brain into two and install it inside?

Lin Yun carefully thought back on the time when he obtained the rusty iron at the Clearwater City’s garbage dump. Upon recalling how the piece of rusty iron sliced his right hand, he wondered. “Can it be that blood is required to install this piece of rusty iron?”

Then, he squeezed out a drop of blood from the wound on his right arm and dripped it onto the piece of rusty iron. It started emitting a faint light.

In the next moment, a chain of electronic prompts sounded in Lin Yun’s mind:

“Installing component. Please wait…

Component installation completed. Activating functions…

Components incomplete, only some functions can be activated…

Activation completed. Growth Point increased by 1. A part of the skill has evolved.

Character attributes:

Lin Yun

Level 9

EXP: 20/2560

HP: 315/315

Spirit Points: 208/208

Physical Attack: 48

Spiritual Attack: 26

Physical Defense: 43

Spiritual Defense: 26

Speed: 37

Sensory: 40

Luck: 18

Active Skill: Stacking Art

Passive Skill: Sensory Elevation, Spiritual Elevation”

A strange current spread through Lin Yun’s body. He could clearly sense that every single cell of his muscles, bones, and veins were swiftly enhanced. Even his Spirit was being enhanced at a rapid speed, breaking through the Level 4 bottleneck instantly.

No, that wasn’t right. Lin Yun didn’t sense that he had broken through a bottleneck. It seemed as though everything occurred naturally, and there was no bottleneck to speak of.

Lin Yun clenched his fists, sensing that the weight behind his fist had reached nearly half a ton. His body had reached the standard of a Level 5 Physical Strength but had actually yet to surpass Level 4 itself. This meant to say that the increase in strength brought by the rusty iron piece ignored all bottlenecks.

Lin Yun fell into deep contemplation. “According to Xiao Leng’s strength evaluation, Level 3 Physical Strength means 100 HP, 10 Physical Attack, and 10 Physical Defense. Then, Level 4 Physical Strength is twice that of Level 3, which is equivalent to 200 HP, 20 Physical Defense, and 20 Physical Attack. Since Level 5 Physical Strength will be twice of Level 4, it will be 400 HP, 40 Physical Attack, and 40 Physical Defense.

“In that case, my Physical Attack and Defense have reached Level 5 Physical Strength, but my HP is still far inferior to that. In other words, my current strength is imbalanced.”

Lin Yun was puzzled by this imbalance. After all, an increase in strength by the average person usually revolved around aspects like Strength, Speed, and Sensory. Yet, for Lin Yun, he possessed Level 4 Physical Strength, but his body was actually at the Level 5 standard.

Lin Yun shifted his attention to Stacking Art.

“Stacking Art (Able to evolve): Choose certain attributes to temporarily multiply. Duration: 10 seconds. This skill is evolved from Stacking Skill.

Current level: 1. 30% chance to launch a Double Attack. 20% chance to launch a Triple Attack. 50% chance of failure.

Skill Cooldown: 5 minutes.”

That increase in attribute brought by “Growth Point increased by 1” only surprised Lin Yun slightly. Now, however, he was shocked upon seeing the Stacking Art.

What did the 10-second attribute multiplication mean?

It implied that, when activated, Lin Yun’s triple fist attack could last 10 seconds. During that duration, he could throw more than 100 punches!

Moreover, the attribute multiplication was more than a Physical Attack!

How fast could one run if their Speed multiplied? How far could one see if their Sensory multiplied?

Armed with this wondrous skill, there was still some hope that Lin Yun could escape the Blue Snow Planet.

“This is the food I’ve prepared, sir. Please enjoy it.”

Ma Li’s timid words broke Lin Yun from his deep contemplation. He looked up and saw that Ma Li was carrying a wok of boiling porridge. Some unknown vegetables were cooked inside the porridge, with some noodles and rice. He didn’t know what it tasted like, but his appetite was boosted.

“Thank you!” Lin Yun accepted the small wok and started eating.

In all honesty, the porridge tasted very bland. However, Lin Yun was extremely hungry after running around for an extended period of time. When he gobbled the porridge down, he realized that Ma Li had always been staring at him.

“Please drink some water, sir.” Ma Li handed over a gold cup, with some steam emitting from the cup.

“Thank you. Miss Ma Li, don’t be so polite.” Lin Yun accepted the cup, drank from it, and smelt a light fragrance from the mouth of the cup. It appeared that Ma Li had just used it.

“How do I address you, sir?” Ma Li bent down and refilled the cup to the brim with water again.

“My name?” Lin Yun hesitated for a short moment before saying, “You can call me Mu Mu[1].”

“Mr. Mu Mu, do you have any other orders for me?” Ma Li looked at Lin Yun gently, but the lack of friendlessness in her eyes was extremely obvious.

“Uh…”

Lin Yun was dumbfounded, having just realized that he was an unwelcome guest. Since he had his fill, he should leave. Or was he intending to stay at Ma Li’s house overnight?

“I shall take my leave now since there’s nothing else,” Lin Yun said helplessly with a smile.

He stood up slowly and said, “Thank you for the meal.”

Lin Yun had just walked out of the dilapidated hut when Ma Li caught up to him from behind.

“Please hold on, Mr. Mu Mu.”

Ma Li looked slightly ashamed, which made Lin Yun recall the rusty iron piece he took.

Lin Yun took out the rusty iron piece in embarrassment and explained apologetically, “This piece of rusty iron is extremely useful to me, which is why I took it away without asking for your permission. Can you sell it to me? But I don’t have any money now. I will pay you when I have some.”

Befuddled, Ma Li looked at Lin Yun and said, “Mr. Mu Mu, that piece of rusty iron is worthless. You can take it since you like it so much. I’m inquiring about another matter.”

“What would that be?” Lin Yun asked softly, relieved.

“Do you have any place to stay tonight, Mr. Mu Mu? Why don’t you stay with me for one night, if you don’t mind living in my simple house? I can sleep at Aunty Wang living next door,” Ma Li said with a smile.

“Thank you, then.” Lin Yun didn’t reject the offer and entered Ma Li’s small hut once more.

Ma Li smiled in response. “I need to apologize to you in advance.”

Puzzled, Lin Yun asked, “What are you apologizing for?”

Ma Li blushed and stammered. “I cannot guarantee that you have no ill intentions toward me, even though you saved me, sir. Therefore, I added some sleeping herbs into the water I served you just now. You will fall asleep if you have any ill intentions.”

“What?” Lin Yun was shocked, having fallen into this trap despite being cautious. He reprimanded himself. “Lin Yun, Lin Yun. This is the Demon Race’s territory, and yet, you are so careless. Would you have been poisoned to death if Ma Li added poison to the water?”

With a regretful look on her face, Ma Li explained loudly, “I’ve lived in this chaotic environment since young, sir. I would have died a long time ago if I was not cautious in everything I do. Originally, I had thought that you were after my body, for I refuse to believe that anyone would oppose the Blue Dragon Gang for a poor woman like myself. However, I didn’t know that you are actually such a good person. I know that I have misunderstood you, sir, when you walked out of the hut so calmly.”

Ma Li suddenly knelt on the ground and exclaimed, “I’m sorry!”

I see.

Upon hearing Ma Li’s explanation, Lin Yun was enlightened. He hastily helped her stand up from the ground and told her, “This is unnecessary. In truth, I’m also a wanted criminal. Therefore, we won’t see each other again after I leave tomorrow. I advise you to leave this place since the Blue Dragon Gang might come to find you again. If this happens again, there might be no one to save you.”

Ma Li nodded and said softly, “Yes, I will be leaving this place tomorrow. You may rest on my bed, sir. I will head over to Aunty Wang’s house for the night.”

When Ma Li left, Lin Yun laid down on the wooden bed. As the bed was too short, he had to curl himself in a fetal position, lie on his side, and place his head on a soft pillow.

A faint feminine fragrance emitted from the pillow. Lin Yun closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep as he thought of Ma Li.

[1] Mu Mu (木木) is a word play on Lin Yun’s surname (林).