Ling Cage, pick up Lu Mingfei at the start.

The small restaurant was steaming and bustling with noise. The greasy wooden square tables were full of people, and the sounds of bowls and plates clattering, laughter and shouts, and the sizzling of stir-frying in the kitchen mingled together.

Inside the Steel Restaurant, the atmosphere was lively with clinking glasses. The old lady in the kitchen was sweating profusely from the heat, while the only waiter bustled about, weaving through the crowd with ease, precisely delivering dishes to each anxiously waiting table.

Chopsticks clattered in the air, stories danced in the foam of the wine. A waiter, carrying a huge tray, nimbly moved between tables and chairs, loudly announcing the dishes: "Careful, it's hot! Your shrimp, crab, and mushroom rice noodles are here—"

Amidst the commotion, a nearly piercing scream echoed throughout the restaurant, instantly silencing all conversation.

"What! You're saying you learned how to return to the origin in just one day?"

Xu Tong stared wide-eyed at Lu Mingfei, who was grinning smugly, his voice filled with disbelief.

The surrounding noise seemed to be abruptly cut off; all the diners pricked up their ears and turned their gazes to Xu Tong's table. Learned the Return to Origin in a day? Who's so twisted?

Everyone looked over and saw that Lu Mingfei was sitting opposite Xu Tong, with Wulan Maiduo and Xia Dou beside him.

"To be precise, it was only a dozen minutes," Maido added with a proud and smug air, as if she herself were the genius.

She walked behind Lu Mingfei, placed her hands on his shoulders as if displaying a rare treasure: "I demonstrated it to him once, and then he sat on the rock and figured it out himself. I was practicing my shooting at the time, and suddenly I felt the person next to me 'disappear,' but he was sitting there motionless! That's when I realized that in just a short while, he had mastered it!"

"Holy crap!" The entire restaurant erupted in cheers. People could no longer contain themselves and rushed to that table.

"Really? Just over ten minutes? I practiced for three whole months back then!"

"Dude, where are we supposed to put our faces after all these years of training?"

"Genius! Absolutely a genius!"

The already stuffy restaurant became like a sauna with the crowd. Lu Mingfei was surrounded in the center, feeling sweat pouring down his back.

"Hey, why are you all crowding in here? Aren't you hot?" Maido shooed the crowd away impatiently, like a mother hen protecting her chicks. Many of those present had been trained by her father and naturally dared not contradict the instructor's daughter.

"Isn't this incredible?!" someone exclaimed, expressing the sentiments of everyone present.

"Lu Mingfei, why don't you demonstrate for everyone?" Xu Tong suggested, "otherwise they won't disperse."

Lu Mingfei looked around at the burning eyes and unconsciously swallowed. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. This time, he was skilled and at ease. With a slight thought, the active life essence quickly calmed down like a tamed wild beast, blending into the surrounding environment.

"Holy crap, it actually worked!"

"I can't feel it at all!"

"This kid is definitely cut out to be a fully-fledged enlightened being!"

Exclamations of amazement rose and fell. Some excitedly asserted, "With this talent, becoming an enlightened being is just around the corner!"

However, some people poured cold water on the idea: "Not necessarily. Of the three steps to awakening the source essence, generating willpower is the key. He's only been here a short time; how much sense of belonging can he possibly have? Without a strong will, where willpower come from?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water, slightly cooling down the lively atmosphere. The crowd looked at Lu Mingfei with more scrutiny. Indeed, was this young man from another land truly willing to give everything for the world?

Lu Mingfei was completely confused. Awakening of Origin Essence? That sounded much more difficult than Returning to Origin. As he was pondering this, a slight commotion came from the doorway.

"Boss Bai!"

Someone called out respectfully.

Bai Yuekui was already standing at the door, his short white hair still striking in the dim light.

She walked straight to Lu Mingfei's table, and the crowd automatically parted to make way for her.

Upon seeing this, the diners who had been watching tactfully returned to their seats, though their eyes still occasionally darted towards the scene.

Xu Tong deftly dragged a stool over from the side. Bai Yuekui nodded slightly, gracefully sat down, and looked directly at Lu Mingfei with her icy blue eyes: "Guiyuan, have you really learned it?"

"Yes." Lu Mingfei nodded honestly.

Even though he had heard it outside the door, a fleeting look of surprise still crossed Bai Yuekui's eyes when he confirmed it with his own ears.

"Lu Mingfei, you must really be a genius." She never hesitated to praise genuine talent.

"Haha, really?" Lu Mingfei scratched his head sheepishly. Being called a "genius" was a novel and unfamiliar experience for someone who had been a loser for eighteen years.

"What would you like to eat? This meal is on me." Bai Yuekui took the menu from Xu Tong and pushed it in front of Lu Mingfei. "Consider it a reward for setting a record. Your speed is unprecedented in Dragon Bone Village. Hmm... you guys join us too." She glanced at Mai Duo and Xia Dou.

"Ah?" Lu Mingfei picked up the menu, flattered, his gaze shifting between the dishes and Bai Yuekui. Bai Yuekui leaned back in his chair, looking up at him with a rare, almost mocking smile in his eyes.

"What's there to hesitate about? You weren't this polite when you were eating at my place," Bai Yuekui teased.

Lu Mingfei's face flushed, and he stopped refusing. He glanced at the menu; this was his second time here, and he wasn't familiar with the dishes yet.

Speaking of which, Boss Bai treated us last time too. He checked off his signature stir-fried black ox liver and coral mushrooms, then handed the menu to Maiduo and Xiadou.

After ordering, Bai Yuekui handed the menu to the waiter who was waiting nearby.

While waiting for the food, she spoke again, her tone casual yet carrying an undeniable air: "I didn't expect you to have mastered the Return to Origin so quickly. It seems the plan can be moved up."

"What plan?" Lu Mingfei's heart skipped a beat.

"You have a good talent for shooting, and now you've learned the life-saving technique of Returning to Origin. It's time for you to make some contributions to the village," Bai Yuekui said casually.

"So fast? Boss Bai, he doesn't have much experience yet!" Xu Tong realized something and couldn't help but interject, looking at Lu Mingfei's delicate skin and tender flesh, she was really worried.

"Is it... an outing?" Lu Mingfei realized it too, he had already told him, and his voice trembled slightly.

The relatively peaceful life he had enjoyed for more than ten days here had almost made him forget the fear of being chased by the Devouring Beasts.

But at this moment, the thought of going out brought back those horrific images to my mind, and a chilling fear crept up my spine.

He wanted to refuse, he wanted to say that he wasn't ready yet. But Bai Yuekui's words from yesterday still echoed in his ears—without eliminating the Mana ecosystem, Dragon Bone Village was not absolutely safe.

He couldn't hide here forever. A strange impulse, perhaps a young man's pride that didn't want to be looked down upon, made him grit his teeth: "When?"

Bai Yuekui's lips curled slightly: "Next week. The target is an abandoned medical research institute; we'll bring back some usable medical supplies. It's not dangerous."

"Don't worry, Lu Mingfei, our team will go too." Mai Duo saw the fear hidden beneath his composure and gently patted his shoulder, conveying silent support.

"Exactly, as long as you maintain your original state, those brainless Devouring Beasts won't be able to detect you at all." Xu Tong patted his chest to assure him, trying to ease his tension. "Besides, even if you are exposed, don't you still have that 'Three-Step Forbidden Zone' skill? Don't worry!"

Xia Dou nodded vigorously, her big eyes blinking: "Yes, yes, it's okay even if the Returning to Origin Break is broken. I'd love to see for myself just how powerful your 'Three Forbidden Zones' really are!"

His friends' words were like a warm tide, slightly dispelling the chill in Lu Mingfei's heart, and his wildly beating heart gradually calmed down.

At this moment, the fragrant dishes were served one after another. Bai Yuekui took the first bite, and everyone tacitly stopped talking about the mission and focused on enjoying the sumptuous dinner.

After the meal, Bai Yuekui got up and left, calling Xu Tong away as well, seemingly with other plans.

Xia Dou watched them walk away, then immediately turned around, her face beaming with excitement, and said in a low voice, "Hey, you two, want to do some exercise? Play some games?"

……

Lu Mingfei was completely powerless against games, especially when he needed to distract himself. Mai Duo originally wanted to go back and practice her shooting skills, but she was persuaded by Xia Dou's words, "You need to relax your mind before a real battle," and reluctantly followed them to the village's recreation room.

Although it was called an entertainment room, it was more like a small warehouse converted into a game hall. Several old-world arcade machines shone with a nostalgic glow, but what was more eye-catching was the VR equipment occupying the corner. Xia Dou skillfully turned on the equipment and handed Lu Mingfei a headset.

"Come on, Master Lu, let me admire your skills once more!"

Lu Mingfei put on the helmet, picked up the controller, and instantly entered a bizarre virtual world. He chose a high-speed mech fighting game. The complex controls became second nature to him. Under his control, the mech performed all sorts of unbelievable maneuvers, accurately dodging attacks, and then defeating his opponents one by one with gorgeous special moves.

Xia Dou was shouting excitedly from the sidelines, even more excited than if she were on stage herself.

Maido leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, watching the two who were completely absorbed in the game, and initially felt a little bored.

These virtual battles and killings, in her opinion, were far less satisfying than actually practicing a set of marksmanship. But as she watched, her gaze gradually became drawn to Lu Mingfei.

The mecha on the screen was like an extension of his will, and every movement carried an indescribable sense of rhythm and predictive ability.

This bears a striking resemblance to the state of "man and gun as one" that she pursued when practicing shooting.

She noticed that Lu Mingfei was incredibly focused when he was operating the machine; his usual lethargy and laziness had vanished without a trace, replaced by an almost sharp calmness.

"Hey, Maiduo, don't just watch, why don't you give it a try!" Xia Dou noticed her gaze and urged.

"Me? I don't know how to play this." Mydo instinctively refused.

"Give it a try, Mydo," Lu Mingfei said, taking off his helmet and looking at her with bright eyes. "This is very interesting, and... in a way, it's also a kind of reaction and prediction training?"

Looking into his expectant eyes, Maido suddenly found herself unable to utter the refusal that was on the tip of her tongue. She hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded: "...Okay, I'll give it a try."

Lu Mingfei immediately and enthusiastically helped her set up the equipment, choosing a relatively simple flight shooting game as her first game.

He stood behind Maido, leaned slightly forward, and pointed to the buttons and joysticks on the helmet: "This is for propulsion, this is for firing, and the left joystick controls direction..."

His voice was right next to her ear, and his warm breath occasionally brushed against her hair. Maido shifted her shoulders uncomfortably, feeling as if the temperature inside her helmet had risen a little.

She had never been so close to a man before, except when she was sparring with her father and brother. But Lu Mingfei smelled clean, without any sweat, only a faint scent, like clothes dried in the sun.

"Give it a try, take off smoothly first," Lu Mingfei instructed.

Maido followed the instructions, and the fighter jet on the screen took off erratically, like a drunken bird. She subconsciously tensed up.

"Relax a bit, don't stiffen your wrist," Lu Mingfei's voice was very patient. He even reached out and lightly covered Mai Duo's hand holding the control stick, gently adjusting her posture. "Yes, just like that, feel its inertia, just like you control the center of gravity of a spear..."

His hand didn't actually touch her, but the warmth and guidance so close made Maido's heart skip a beat. On the screen, the fighter jet stumbled, nearly crashing into the mountainside.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed softly, her cheeks burning slightly, but thankfully she was wearing a helmet and no one could see.

"It's okay, take your time." Lu Mingfei's voice was filled with laughter, still patient.

Maido took a deep breath and forced herself to concentrate. She tried to imagine controlling the fighter jet as wielding a long spear, searching for the feeling of smooth, powerful movements. Gradually, the fighter jet on the screen became more stable, and she was even able to perform a few simple evasive maneuvers.

"See? I told you you could do it!" Lu Mingfei encouraged.

A subtle sense of accomplishment, different from the one she felt when she mastered marksmanship, welled up inside her. She secretly turned her head to see Lu Mingfei's expression, but met his smiling gaze.

At that moment, time seemed to slow down, and the noisy game sound effects around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the small space between the two of them and an indescribable, quietly growing sense of closeness.

……

As night deepened, the three parted ways.

Lu Mingfei walked alone back to his residence, the evening breeze carrying the unique fresh scent of Dragon Bone Village, a blend of plants and dust. He looked up at the sky; the post-apocalyptic night was exceptionally clear, with countless stars scattered across the heavens like shattered diamonds.

He thought of Chen Wenwen, the girl who existed in another peaceful world. Would Chen Wenwen miss me?

Lu Mingfei asked himself, recalling Chen Wenwen's sweet smile. In the literary society, Chen Wenwen leaned against the window, the sunlight outside shining through the curtains and becoming a warm light that shone on Chen Wenwen. She was so beautiful.

Lu Mingfei sighed, but she probably wouldn't remember him... He was just an insignificant figure, and Chen Wenwen would only contact him when the literary society had something to do.

As I walked, the image of the literary society in my mind was replaced by new scenes: Mai Duo's agile figure as she wielded the gun, her clumsy yet earnest profile as she tried the game, Xia Dou's lively shouts, Xu Tong's cheerful arm around my shoulder, and Bai Yuekui's seemingly indifferent yet expectant gaze.

Next week's tasks weighed heavily on my mind, but strangely, besides the fear, there seemed to be a hint of... anticipation?

He touched his chest, which remained calm. He still had no clue about the so-called "power of will."

But at least, he was no longer a mere bystander.

He quickened his pace, blending into the night of Dragonbone Village, his figure becoming more resolute. The stars in the night sky twinkled quietly, and even the stars of this unfamiliar world seemed to have become familiar.