The Extraordinary Quasi-Warrior

"A gathering of slackers?"

Creak!

Footsteps sounded as the rusty iron door of the security office was pushed open, revealing Old Hu's exasperated face.

"Dammit, you brat! Here to mess with me again?" Seeing that it was Shen Qian, Old Hu immediately cursed.

Despite the scolding, Shen Qian squeezed past him into the room without hesitation.

The security office wasn't big, but it had two sections. The inner room, pitch-dark, was where Old Hu slept, but Shen Qian had no interest in checking it out.

On the table in the outer room, steam was rising from a hotpot placed on an induction stove. Inside, slices of meat, cabbage leaves, and instant noodles boiled away. A fruit platter and a few cans of beer sat beside it, making Shen Qian's eyes light up.

"Living the high life, huh, Grandpa Hu?"

Shen Qian plopped down and noticed two sets of tableware. He blinked in surprise before exclaiming, "Did you know I was coming?"

"I saw you sneaking around outside my window just now." Old Hu lit a cigarette and grumbled, "I only eat something this good once a month, and somehow, you always show up. What the hell."

Ignoring him, Shen Qian focused on devouring his meal.

"I saw an ambulance at your place earlier. Your mom?"

"You make it sound like an insult."

"Cut the crap. What happened?"

Old Hu watched Shen Qian wolf down food at an alarming rate. Glancing at his still-burning cigarette, he cursed under his breath, then quickly took two deep drags before stubbing it out and grabbing his bowl.

"Same old problem." Shen Qian spoke through a mouthful of rice.

"Oh… is it handled?"

"More or less."

Shen Qian was already finishing his first bowl and reaching for a second when Old Hu put down his chopsticks in despair.

"Since when did you eat so much?"

"I'm about to advance to a warrior."

"Tch, you think you're me? You haven't even grown all your hair, and you're dreaming of becoming a warrior?" Old Hu scoffed, but then, noticing Shen Qian's silence, he froze. "Wait… seriously?"

"Now you know what true genius looks like, huh?"

Since acquiring the system, Shen Qian had been keeping a low profile. But now that he had a chance to show off, he proudly thumped his chest.

He grabbed a piece of cabbage and chewed it down. When Old Hu didn't respond, he looked up—only to find the old man in a daze.

"Grandpa Hu, did I scare you silly?"

"Hell no!" Old Hu snapped out of it, took a swig of beer, and sighed. "I've watched you grow up, you know. Ten years… How many 'ten years' does a person have?"

"Why are you getting all sentimental? Don't tell me Grandma Zhang rejected you again?" Shen Qian raised a brow.

"I'M the one rejecting HER, got it?"

Old Hu's face turned red when he saw Shen Qian's smirk. He harrumphed, "Kid, don't think becoming a warrior is a big deal. There are plenty of warriors out there. But how many can truly reach the peak?"

"I'll be one of them." Shen Qian grabbed Old Hu's beer and poured himself a glass.

Old Hu gave him a meaningful look. "Not all warriors are the same."

"What do you mean?"

"Ever heard of the Extraordinary Quasi-Warrior?"

Ever heard of my dear system, old man?

Shen Qian almost blurted it out but held back. Instead, he raised an eyebrow. "What's an Extraordinary Quasi-Warrior?"

"Everyone knows that once your strength reaches 149 kg and your speed reaches 10 seconds per hundred meters, you can start searching for 'qi sense.' But have you ever wondered… why these numbers, exactly?"

Shen Qian frowned, recalling his martial theory lessons. "Because the body needs a certain level of strength to accommodate the world's spiritual energy. These numbers are the theoretical threshold."

"Exactly. But does strength really stop there?" Old Hu chuckled.

Shen Qian's chopsticks paused mid-air. A thought flickered through his mind, but he couldn't quite grasp it.

"You mean…" He hesitated.

"This so-called threshold isn't because the human body can't go beyond it. It's because most people can't handle going beyond it." Old Hu took another sip of beer and spoke slowly.

"So an Extraordinary Quasi-Warrior is someone who breaks past that limit?"

Shen Qian seemed to understand, though he was still skeptical. "Then why have I never heard of it before?"

"Hah. Do you think just anyone can attempt it?" Old Hu sneered. "Forget talent and resources—just the sheer danger of it is enough to kill people. You think they'd put that in martial arts textbooks?"

"Dangerous? What happens if you fail?"

"If you don't make it, best case? You're crippled. Worst case? Dead."

"Then forget it. Not interested."

Shen Qian shook his head instantly.

Old Hu didn't argue.

After a moment of silence, Shen Qian couldn't resist asking, "Then what's the benefit of becoming one?"

For once, Old Hu didn't mock him. Instead, he answered seriously, "The word 'Extraordinary' says it all."

"Once you reach your true limit, you'll realize… most warriors at your level are nothing special."

Shen Qian got the message loud and clear—invincible among his peers.

"But how do you know where your true limit is?"

"It varies for everyone. When you try, you'll know."

---

"Zhou Xu, ever heard of the Extraordinary Quasi-Warrior?"

"The hell is that?" Zhou Xu blinked in confusion.

"Never mind." Shen Qian waved it off and exhaled deeply.

It was already the next afternoon.

He had to admit, Old Hu's cryptic words last night had left a lasting impression. Though the old man had lost all his mystique when Shen Qian stole his fruit platter on the way out—causing him to trip and fall in his hurry to stop him—Shen Qian still remembered those five words: Extraordinary Quasi-Warrior.

Too bad, even after searching online, he found nothing.

"Forget it. I haven't even reached the 149 kg threshold yet. No point overthinking. At best, it's something to consider in a week or two."

The school bell rang. Shen Qian closed his Fundamentals of Physics textbook and ignored Zhou Xu's invite to an all-night VR gaming session. Instead, he headed toward the back of the school.

Today was Wednesday—the first official training session for the Seventh High Martial Youth Elite Group. Chen Feng had already announced in the group chat last night: no one was allowed to skip.

By the time Shen Qian arrived at the old training hall, seven or eight students were already there.

As soon as Huo Ling'er spotted him, her eyes lit up and she ran over. "Shen Qian! Let's organize a team-building event!"

"A what?"

"Since Director Zhao had me set up this group, I feel it's my duty as the leader to strengthen our bonds! So I've planned a group outing this Saturday. I'll send you the details later!"

Before Shen Qian could respond, she had already dashed off to pitch her idea to Zheng Shaoyang.

Shen Qian opened his mouth, then glanced around at the others, who looked just as bewildered. He shook his head inwardly.

This girl is either too naive or way too optimistic. Given how little everyone knew each other, this was going to be an awkward mess.

Regardless of their thoughts, Huo Ling'er remained enthusiastic. Among the newcomers, only Zhou Xiaoguang outright declined, though Shen Qian figured the others just hadn't processed it yet.

Just as he debated whether to subtly warn her, Chen Feng strode in.

"Line up!"

Once everyone stood in formation, he scanned the group. Seeing no one absent, he nodded slightly and said without preamble, "Last time, I told you that pushing your limits is the fastest way to improve. Today, we'll try the first method."