Chapter 3: First Roar of the Nine Heavens Thunder Prison

"The commotion from awakening the Nine Heavens Thunder Prison was too intense..." Lin Ye retracted the lightning aura around him, tactical boots crunching over crystallized glass fragments.

The living room looked as though it had been bombarded by missiles. The remains of a smart refrigerator still emitted faint smoke, while the holographic TV screen had melted into an abstract metal sculpture. Countless arc-shaped craters pockmarked the walls and floor.

"Thankfully I realized something was wrong during the transformation and restrained my power. Otherwise, more than just this living room would've been destroyed."

Surveying the devastated space, Lin Ye felt a trace of fear.

The Nine Heavens Thunder Prison - originating from Eastern mythology, one of the Ten Primordial Thunders from ancient times. When perfected, it held the power to slay immortals and deities.

Though he'd just comprehended this power, Lin Ye knew unleashing it recklessly could easily blow through entire floors. The entire building might collapse, dooming all its residents. Only through desperate restraint had he prevented such tragedy.

"It seems the energy surge tempered my body instead." He stared at the violet lightning dancing across his palm, recalling a line from a novel in his previous life: True thunder should stand as deep as abysses and steadfast as mountains.

"I still underestimated the Nine Heavens Thunder Prison's destructive power. Had I known, I would've claimed the newbie package in some remote郊外 area. At least my home wouldn't be ruined like this."

Despite his complaints, Lin Ye felt satisfied. This was truly worthy of an S-class special ability. Such power at initial awakening - imagine its apocalyptic potential when fully mastered!

"Wait, the newbie package also gave 200 Special Energy Points. What are those for?"

The Vast Heaven System's prompt echoed in his mind:

"Special Energy Points can be obtained by eliminating mutated beasts. They may be consumed to upgrade levels and skills. Check your system panel to view current points and upgrade options."

Understanding dawned. These were essentially experience points from online games. "The monster-slaying leveling system. Familiar territory."

Lin Ye waved his hand, absorbing residual thunder energy lingering in the apartment. The system's data stream unfolded before his eyes:

Name: Lin Ye

Grade: Awakener

Special Ability: Nine Heavens Thunder Prison (S-class)

Physique: 158 Qi Blood (+)

Energy: 182 Hertz (+)

Special Points: 200

Martial Arts: Fist Technique (Beginner +)

Combat Skills: Thunder Fist (Beginner +)

The minimalist interface showed plus signs indicating upgradable options - identical to games from his past life.

Physique and Energy represented an awakener's two foundational attributes, roughly equivalent to health and mana. His current stats were decent, as most awakeners only possessed around 100 points in each.

Special ability users typically chose weapon-based martial arts like swords or spears. Fist technique was considered niche, explaining why his original self - burdened with an E-class Static Control ability - remained stuck at Beginner level after years of practice. The Thunder Fist manual had cost 250,000 Great Xia dollars on the black market.

"With 200 points, what should I upgrade?" Lin Ye pondered.

Having endured countless deaths in soul-crushing games like "Elden Ring" (whose creator was globally known as "Miyazaki Old Thief"), he'd learned one truth: Prioritize health. Following this philosophy had eventually let him conquer even the toughest challenges.

Decision made, Lin Ye commanded: "Vast Heaven, allocate all 200 points to Physique."

"Confirmed. Physique increased by 200 points."

His blood energy surged violently, roaring through veins like turbulent rivers. Surprisingly, his control over the Nine Heavens Thunder Prison also improved. The system's Physique enhancement affected both vitality and ability mastery - an unexpected bonus.

 lenching his fist, Lin Ye savored the coursing power and ever-ready thunder. His satisfaction grew as he examined the updated panel:

Physique: 198 Qi Blood (+)

A 40-point increase. The current exchange rate appeared to be 5 points per 1 Qi Blood. He wondered if this ratio would worsen later, recalling progressive difficulty curves from gaming.

"The system's 200-point gift feels insufficient. I'll need to complete missions and hunt monsters aggressively. But with current strength, passing the martial college entrance exam shouldn't be difficult."

Possessing an S-class ability already placed him among Qingyang City's - perhaps even Yun Province's - top examinees. Yet with over 30 million provincial examinees, including scions trained since childhood with elite resources and real combat experience against wilderness beasts, complacency was dangerous.

He needed combat practice urgently. Mastering both the Nine Heavens Thunder Prison and Thunder Fist would be crucial for securing a top-tier special ability university spot.

His thoughts shattered as violent knocking erupted.

"Who'd visit this late?"

Before he could react, the door exploded inward with a thunderous crash.