Chapter 7: Unlocking Superpowers

Wang Yanfei sat there for a few seconds, staring at his wristband like it was suddenly going to give him the answer to life's mysteries. Then he looked up at Lin Yi, his face serious for once.

"So you're saying... the AI might not be on our side?"

Lin Yi nodded, eyes sharp. "The black box's final message wasn't just some random note—it was a warning. If the AI was involved in the downfall of the Eastern Federation, then telling it anything would be like handing a wolf the keys to the henhouse."

Wang Yanfei exhaled loudly, slumping against the couch. "Alright, let's assume you're not crazy and everything you just said is true. What the hell do we do now? You mentioned something about '625 being the root cause'—so what does that mean?"

Lin Yi rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "The black box mentioned the war between East and West. The AI systems in the East were hacked, then completely wiped out by an electromagnetic attack. This wasn't just bad luck—somebody set this up. And right now, we're sitting at ground zero, right before it all begins."

Wang Yanfei frowned. "You're telling me we're in the middle of some sci-fi doomsday prequel? And we have to stop it?"

"Exactly." Lin Yi's voice was firm. "But before we do anything, we need to figure out who's pulling the strings. And more importantly—" He stared directly at Wang Yanfei. "Why the black box specifically mentioned you."

Wang Yanfei blinked. "Me? What did I do? I'm just an average guy who happens to be slightly harder to kill than most people."

Lin Yi nodded, choosing his words carefully. "In the future, you're not just 'slightly harder to kill'—you're the strongest superhuman in the East. You were the last line of defense. But right now? You're still figuring out how to punch through drywall. That means something's going to happen that pushes you to your absolute peak."

Wang Yanfei scratched his head, laughing awkwardly. "Sounds cool and all, but I don't feel that powerful yet. Right now, I'd probably lose a fight against a particularly aggressive house cat."

Lin Yi smirked. "Then let's fix that. Tell me exactly what your powers are."

Wang Yanfei hesitated before raising his hands. A faint green glow shimmered over his skin, like polished jade under the sunlight. He clenched his fists, and the glow grew brighter.

"Looks cool, right? But all it really does is make me hard to hurt." He grinned. "I'm basically a walking, talking, human punching bag."

Lin Yi leaned forward, eyes narrowed. "That glow isn't just some fancy visual effect—it's raw energy. Try moving it somewhere else. Instead of keeping it in your hands, push it through your whole body."

Wang Yanfei sighed. "Man, that sounds easy when you say it."

He closed his eyes, concentrating.

…Nothing.

He gritted his teeth, focused harder.

…Still nothing.

After a full minute, he let out a dramatic sigh. "Nope. It's stuck."

Lin Yi frowned. "Alright, if you can't move it, let's at least see how tough it is."

His eyes scanned the room before landing on a kitchen knife. Picking it up, he handed it over.

"Here. Try cutting yourself."

Wang Yanfei stared at him. "Dude. What the hell."

Lin Yi rolled his eyes. "Not like that! Just test your limits. See if your ability can actually block a sharp object."

"Fine, fine." Wang Yanfei took the knife and pressed it against his forearm, where the glow was strongest.

"Snap!"

The blade chipped immediately.

Wang Yanfei gawked. "Whoa. That was a brand-new knife."

Lin Yi nodded. "Okay, so your ability isn't just skin-deep—it's creating some kind of force resistance."

"Alright, next test." Wang Yanfei smirked and stabbed himself—this time with actual force.

CLINK!

The blade shattered like cheap plastic. Shards flew off in different directions, but Wang Yanfei's skin remained flawless.

He looked at the broken knife.

Then at his uninjured arm.

Then back at the knife.

Then at Lin Yi.

"Bro. What."

Lin Yi grinned. "Congratulations. You're officially immune to amateur knife attacks."

Wang Yanfei punched the edge of the wooden table. The wood cracked slightly, but his fist? Perfectly fine.

"So I can't break stuff, but I can't be broken either." He raised an eyebrow. "Alright, I'll admit—that's kinda cool."

Lin Yi, however, wasn't satisfied. He had noticed something earlier—the glow wasn't static. Even when Wang Yanfei relaxed, the energy was still circulating in subtle waves.

"Hold up." Lin Yi leaned forward. "That energy—you feel it moving, don't you?"

Wang Yanfei closed his eyes and concentrated.

"…Yeah." His voice was laced with surprise. "It's like a slow current, flowing through my body even when I'm not using it."

Lin Yi's grin widened. "That means you're not just passively tough. You can control it."

"How?"

Lin Yi pulled up a martial arts guide on his wristband, flipping to a page about energy circulation.

"Check this out." He pointed at the screen. "These old martial arts techniques talk about controlling internal energy. If your ability works like that, maybe you can channel it properly."

Wang Yanfei squinted at the ancient-looking diagrams. "Bro. This looks like something straight out of a cheap wuxia novel."

Lin Yi smirked. "Got a better idea?"

"…Touché."

Taking a deep breath, Wang Yanfei sat cross-legged on the couch, focusing on the energy inside him.

At first, nothing happened.

Then—slowly—the jade glow started shifting.

It moved from his hands to his forearms.

Then to his shoulders.

Then—his entire torso shimmered faintly.

Wang Yanfei's eyes snapped open.

"Holy crap. It worked!"

Lin Yi grinned. "Now cycle it back—complete the loop through your body."

Following the guide, Wang Yanfei directed the energy through his spine, chest, and limbs, before bringing it back.

Thirty minutes later, he opened his eyes.

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow. "Feel any different?"

Wang Yanfei clenched his fists—then paused.

"Whoa."

His body felt lighter. Stronger. Like he had just woken up from the best nap of his life, but with extra power-ups.

Then—his stomach rumbled.

Lin Yi burst out laughing. "Guess energy circulation burns calories."

Wang Yanfei scowled. "Great. So now I'm a superhuman who needs to eat twice as much."

Lin Yi crossed his arms, smirking. "Your ability isn't just defense. If we refine this, you could become an absolute tank on the battlefield."

Wang Yanfei flexed his glowing hands, grinning. "Yeah, yeah. Just make sure I don't turn into some immovable rock."

Lin Yi's eyes glinted.

"You won't. We're gonna turn you into something better—something unstoppable."