Chapter 21: Shedding Skin

Chapter 21: Shedding Skin

The entire transformation lasted more than ten minutes before the intense heat in his body gradually subsided.

His attributes had now become:

Strength: 12.6 (10)

Agility: 12.8 (10)

Constitution: 13.5 (10)

Intelligence: 12.3 (10)

Perception: 10.8 (10)

Willpower: 11.4 (10)

Apart from Willpower and Perception, which remained unchanged, the rest of his attributes had increased significantly—some even by two whole points.

He clenched his fist tightly, feeling a surge of immense power coursing through his body.

Not only that.

His senses had sharpened, his mind had grown more agile, and even the exam problems that had stumped him during yesterday’s monthly test now seemed effortlessly solvable with just a passing thought.

Even time itself appeared to slow down in his eyes.

…

The triple gravity now felt barely heavier than Earth’s. He was certain he had gained enough strength to protect himself.

He stood up, ready to explore the area.

Leaning on his wooden staff, he walked with uneven steps, struggling along the mountainside.

His newly enhanced strength was still difficult to control.

His previous muscle memory clashed severely with his current powerful physique—sometimes he exerted too much force, other times too little, nearly stumbling several times.

Fortunately, after carefully walking for over ten minutes, he gradually began to adapt.

This was a desolate island, roughly one square kilometer in size.

Aside from a central mountain, the surroundings were all ocean. The island had no animals, though small ant-like insects thrived in the grass. Other than that, there were no other living creatures.

This realization made him breathe a sigh of relief—it meant this place was relatively safe.

After making a rough observation around the mountainside, he estimated it was nearly 2 a.m.

He began his return.

When he passed through the spatial gateway back to Earth, his entire body felt so light it was as if he might float away. His steps were unsteady, almost weightless.

At first, he walked slowly, then he started to run.

He fell several times but quickly got back up and kept sprinting.

On the empty, deserted streets, Chen Shouyi ran wildly, laughing as he went. His speed increased until he was like a gust of wind, weaving through alleys and lanes before finally arriving home.

He opened the door and tiptoed back to his bedroom.

After closing the door, he collapsed onto the bed, rolling around a few times. Today’s extraordinary encounter left him exhilarated and thrilled.

He chuckled silently a few times before he couldn’t resist opening his Attribute Panel again.

The increased attributes hadn’t reverted, and the talent ability option was still there—only "Natural Healing" had been replaced by "Primary Regeneration."

He clenched his fist, the skin of his palm creaking under the tight friction.

Everything was undeniably real.

He had truly grown stronger—far beyond what he had ever imagined.

Then, a sudden thought dampened his excitement.

"Should I report this spatial gateway?"

Chen Shouyi hesitated. Deep down, he absolutely didn’t want to—no one would.

It is said that martial apprentices from the martial arts academy enter hidden spatial gateways for training, indicating that the unique environment of the Otherworld can greatly enhance their strength.

His current attributes already surpass the standards of a martial apprentice, even approaching those of a full-fledged martial artist. For example, the male martial apprentice examination requires a bench press of 200 kilograms, but based on his attributes, he can now reach 290 kilograms—just a step away from the 300-kilogram standard for martial artists. His agility is even higher than his strength by 0.2 points, fully meeting the martial artist standard. As for constitution, it is currently his strongest attribute, reaching an astonishing 13.5.

However, he still hasn’t passed the martial apprentice examination, and even if he does, he’d have to wait over five months before entering the martial arts academy. During this time, a spatial gateway accessible only to him holds a strong allure. He can sense that training under threefold gravity would undoubtedly further elevate his strength.

Yet, an unguarded spatial gateway located within the city still carries some risks. That night, he tossed and turned, wrestling with his thoughts, and only managed to fall into a light sleep as dawn approached.

He hadn’t slept long before his biological clock woke him up on time. Despite the short rest, Chen Shouyi felt refreshed, with no trace of exhaustion from staying up all night. He grabbed his phone to check the time, only to find the screen black. He quickly pressed the power button, relieved when it lit up again—apparently, the Otherworld’s environment hadn’t fried it.

"Hmm, only about ten minutes late."

He dressed swiftly and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. Chen Xingyue was already there, brushing her teeth with drowsy eyes.

"Morning!" Chen Shouyi greeted her before grabbing his toothbrush and joining in.

Chen Xingyue rinsed her mouth, spat out the toothpaste, and glanced at him in the mirror. Suddenly, she said, "Bro, you’re peeling."

"Oh, really?" He examined himself closely and realized it was true. His face was inexplicably covered in patches of dead skin. Too distracted to keep brushing, he clamped the toothbrush between his teeth, pinched a piece of peeling skin with his fingernail, and pulled—only for a large patch to come off with a tearing sound.

He froze, noticing the newly revealed skin beneath was as fair and tender as a baby’s. Regaining his composure, he met Chen Xingyue’s stunned expression and said calmly, "Must’ve gotten too much sun yesterday."

"Weren’t you taking exams yesterday?" she immediately challenged.

"At noon. The faucet in the restroom was too strong, and my pants got wet, so I had to dry them in the sun," Chen Shouyi replied matter-of-factly. He realized his mind was unusually sharp now—lies came effortlessly.

"Bro, that’s disgusting."

Chen Xingyue wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"Who told you to be so nosy? Besides, it wasn’t pee, just water. What’s so gross? Remember in elementary school when you had to pee so badly you—" Chen Shouyi fired back without hesitation.

Seeing Chen Shouyi about to bring up her childhood embarrassments, Chen Xingyue's face flushed red, and she immediately snapped in shame, "Brother, if you mention this again, I’ll never speak to you again!"

As for her earlier suspicions, they had long since vanished without a trace.

Watching Chen Xingyue flee in disarray, Chen Shouyi felt immensely pleased with himself—this was the first time he had ever bested his sharp-tongued little sister in a war of words.

After Chen Xingyue left, he quickly shut the bathroom door and vigorously rubbed his face in front of the mirror, only to have his entire layer of skin peel off in his hands.

Staring at his reflection, he barely recognized himself.

He now looked strikingly handsome—his lips red, teeth white, skin so fair and smooth it seemed as if coated in fine jade. Beneath his thick brows, his pitch-black eyes gleamed with vitality.

Compared to his formerly tanned and ordinary appearance, it was as if he had become an entirely different person.

Yet instead of joy, Chen Shouyi felt only shock.

"How am I supposed to face anyone like this?"

"If Mom and Dad see me and start questioning, can I really convince them it’s just from sun exposure?"

He glanced at his arm and gave it a light rub, immediately dislodging another large patch of dead skin. It seemed his entire body had undergone a complete shedding.

Panicked, he stripped off his clothes and took a shower, scrubbing away every last bit of dead skin.

Back in his bedroom, he sat on the bed, utterly distressed.

How could he possibly explain this?

He couldn’t hide in his room forever, and even if he did, he couldn’t avoid his family indefinitely.

Then his gaze fell on the bedroom window. An idea struck him, and he walked over to open it, peering down at the alley below.

The drop was about 4-5 meters to the ground. Given his current physical condition and strength, Chen Shouyi figured he could jump down without injury. As for explanations… he’d deal with those later tonight.

Maybe after a day in the sun, his skin would darken again!

Watching as the pedestrians ahead gradually walked away and the path behind remained empty, he took a few deep breaths, steeled himself, then pushed off the windowsill and leaped down.

Thud!

Chen Shouyi landed with only a slight bend in his knees, standing firm as if he had merely hopped down from half a meter up.

A passerby who had heard the noise turned around, puzzled, thinking something had fallen from above. But aside from the sudden appearance of a person behind him, there was nothing unusual.

Chen Shouyi flashed him a smile before walking toward the restaurant and calling out from a distance, "Mom, I’m heading out with some friends. I’ll be back tonight!"

"Got it. Be careful," Chen Mu replied instinctively while mopping the floor.

But the moment the words left her mouth, she realized something was off—when had he even left the house?

By the time she reached the doorway, Chen Shouyi had already vanished without a trace.