C1 Lin Hann and Lau Ruyan

"Lin Hann, the month is nearly up! It's about time to settle last month's rent. I get that you're strapped for cash, but who isn't these days? If you can't make the rent in the next couple of days, you'll need to move out."

"Absolutely, Brother Tie. Tomorrow, I'll definitely transfer the money to your account!" Lin Hann replied with a forced smile and hung up the phone. He sighed deeply, took out his keys, and unlocked his door. Stepping inside, he set down his Kansai instant noodles on the table and grabbed a cold Coke from the fridge, downing half the bottle in one go and letting out a loud belch. It was June, and the midday heat was sweltering. Lin Hann peeled off his T-shirt and slumped onto the sofa.

Having arrived in Hui City at fourteen, Lin Hann had weathered his fair share of life's ups and downs over the past eight years.

"I've got to figure out how to scrape together the rent. Brother Tie has been pretty decent to me since I moved in here three years ago," Lin Hann mused.

His apartment was in a building in Yanghu Town, Hui City, just a bridge away from the city center, yet the rent was a mere third of what you'd pay downtown—only 600 yuan a month. When Lin Hann left his live-in hotel job three years prior and found this place online, Brother Tie, the landlord, had cut him some slack, allowing monthly rent payments and occasionally waiving minor utility bills.

In the dead of night, Lin Hann was rudely awakened from his slumber by a series of loud thuds from next door. Irritated, he scratched his head, got up, and knocked on the neighboring door.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

"Who's there, at this ungodly hour?"

A crisp voice tinged with annoyance filtered through the door, which cracked open slightly.

"Oh, it's you? What do you want?" A small head peeked out.

"Miss Lau, I need my sleep, even if you're not tired. What on earth are you doing in there?" Lin Hann asked, his face etched with frustration.

"I'm just moving some tables around. Is it really that startling?" Lau Ruyan chuckled.

Lau Ruyan was Lin Hann's neighbor, having moved in about six months ago. To Lin Hann, she seemed enigmatic, mostly keeping to herself in her room. Their interactions were limited to brief encounters in the hallway, amounting to little more than polite nods.

Lin Hann had always lived in the easternmost room on his floor, which had been blissfully quiet due to the adjacent space being vacant. However, the tranquility vanished when Lau Ruyan moved in next door. She was a night owl, regularly staying up late with no regard for Lin Hann's need for peace. Although Lin Hann typically refrained from quarreling with women, and Lau Ruyan was undeniably attractive, he had reached his limit. Tonight, his frustration was compounded by resurfacing memories, prompting him to confront her.

"Miss Lau, let's be honest here. You've been noisy every night for the past six months. Have I ever complained? I need to wake up early to job hunt tomorrow, unlike you, who seems to have all the time in the world," Lin Hann raised his voice.

"Don't get worked up!" Lau Ruyan chuckled. "Lin Hann, are you looking for work again? Were you let go?"

Lin Hann wasn't close to Lau Ruyan and typically wouldn't discuss personal matters, but her comments made him realize she had been keeping tabs on him. With no family or friends in Hui City and feeling down, he found himself opening up to her.

Until today, Lin Hann had been working as a waiter at a bar for half a year. After a fallout with his boss the previous day, he was out of a job once more. He often felt out of place, as if he didn't belong in the same world as those around him, which made it hard for him to make friends.

"Haha! I never knew you were such an intriguing person! You must be thirsty after all this talking. Come in for a drink; consider it my way of making amends," Lau Ruyan said, holding the door open for Lin Hann.

Stepping inside, Lin Hann realized he had never spoken so freely before. It seemed that he and Lau Ruyan might actually belong to the same world.

"Sure!" Lin Hann accepted and entered as Lau Ruyan closed the door behind them.

"What would you like to drink?"

"I'll have a Coke, please."

While Lau Ruyan fetched the drinks, Lin Hann surveyed the apartment. Each floor of their building housed over ten rooms, all with a similar layout: a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. The decor, however, reflected the individual tastes of the occupants. Lin Hann's own room was sparsely furnished, but Lau Ruyan's place highlighted the stark differences between them.

"Here you go."

Lin Hann accepted it and took a sip. "Wow, I had no idea you were loaded!"

"Hah~ My dad's pretty well-off. Considering your situation, do you want me to lend you some cash to get through the next few months?" Lau Ruyan offered with a chuckle.

Lin Hann was inclined to decline, but somehow he found himself accepting the offer. Lau Ruyan got his number and sent 2000 yuan to his account. Glancing at his phone, Lin Hann said, "Thanks. I'll pay you back in a couple of months, I promise."

As they were talking, a black shadow burst through the window. Without a word, it lunged at Lau Ruyan with a sword gleaming with lethal intent. The abruptness of the attack took Lin Hann by surprise. He shoved Lau Ruyan out of harm's way, causing the assailant to pause, seemingly surprised by his quick reflexes. Yet, it quickly recovered and aimed another strike at Lau Ruyan.

With a thud, the shadowy figure crashed to the ground, revealing a gaunt man clad in tight black attire and a matching mask. His legs were ensnared by vines, which caused his fall. But it didn't stop there; the vines grew, wrapping the man into a cocoon and suspending him upside down.

"Not even at the Acquired Stage, and you dare to come after me alone?" Lau Ruyan said icily.

"Now what? Lin Hann witnessed everything. How am I going to handle this?" Lau Ruyan wondered anxiously.

While Lau Ruyan was preoccupied, the man swiftly drew a scimitar and severed the vines. In an instant, he was free, and knowing he was no match for Lau Ruyan, he decided to flee. He shot a dagger from his sleeve at Lin Hann, then without looking back, he leaped out the window and vanished into the night.

Distracted, Lau Ruyan reacted too slowly. The dagger, driven by formidable force, pierced Lin Hann's right chest, knocking him to the ground.

Rushing to his side, Lau Ruyan lifted Lin Hann, who had lost consciousness. Setting aside all other concerns, she summoned a jade-green glow in her hand and pressed it against Lin Hann's wound.

Half an hour later, Lau Ruyan slumped onto the couch, exhausted. Lin Hann's breathing had steadied. The wound, once the size of a ping-pong ball, had vanished, leaving only the large hole in his shirt as evidence of the ordeal.

"Thank goodness this kid is resilient, or he would have worn me out completely," Lau Ruyan exhaled deeply. "If anything had happened to him, how would I ever explain it to his aunt and everyone else?"

The next morning, blinding sunlight streamed through the window. Lin Hann struggled to open his eyes and managed to sit up. "Was it all a dream?" he wondered, shaking his head to clear the fog. Attempting to stand, his legs gave out, and he collapsed back onto the bed.

"Don't move! You're still very weak!" Lau Ruyan admonished, approaching with a bowl of porridge.

Lin Hann paused, the reality of the previous night's events sinking in as he noticed the gaping hole in the front of his shirt.

"Have some porridge first. I've added ginseng to help you regain your strength," Lau Ruyan said, spooning the warm porridge and blowing on it before bringing it to Lin Hann's lips.

After finishing the porridge, Lau Ruyan was about to leave when Lin Hann called out to her, "Shouldn't you explain what happened last night?"

Returning from the kitchen, Lau Ruyan sat beside him and invited, "Go ahead and ask any questions you have."

"Who are you?" Lin Hann asked, voicing his most pressing concern.

Lau Ruyan understood he was referring to her and the man from the night before. "We're paranormals. The world is far more complex than you might imagine. Ordinary people live their lives without ever encountering our kind."

With that, Lau Ruyan extended her hand, and a vine as thick as a thumb began to grow from the floor, reaching the ceiling and then draping down to form a swing. She sat on it, gently swaying as she explained, "This is my power: Elemental Wood. I can generate and control plants. With enough energy, they can grow indefinitely. I also possess a potent healing ability," she said, glancing at Lin Hann's chest.

"However, most people with paranormal abilities simply enhance their physical fitness, significantly boosting one aspect of their bodies. Take the man in black from last night; he had amplified his speed, but his skills were not fully developed."

Lin Hann rolled his eyes at Lau Ruyan's slightly smug look. "If that person wasn't so formidable, why did you let them escape and rough me up in the process?"

Lau Ruyan's cheeks flushed with a touch of embarrassment as she replied in a soft voice, "I was caught off guard, okay? And I did heal you, didn't I? I even got up early to make you porridge this morning!"

"By the way, are you still feeling any discomfort anywhere?"

"Well, there's this cool sensation in my head."

Lau Ruyan, who had been about to steer the conversation elsewhere, suddenly widened her eyes in surprise. She hadn't anticipated that Lin Hann would awaken a superpower following the life-or-death ordeal they had faced the night before.

"Anything else? Tell me more!" Lau Ruyan pressed, her voice laced with urgency.

"No, that's the only new sensation."

"Oh," Lau Ruyan sighed, a hint of disappointment in her tone. "You've awakened a superpower, but it seems to be a type that enhances your abilities. It's not showing any other effects just yet."

Lin Hann was puzzled, sensing Lau Ruyan's excitement surpassing his own, and wondered what was driving her enthusiasm.

"Give me a hand; I need to get back to my room," Lin Hann requested.

As soon as he touched Lau Ruyan, Lin Hann felt a clear stream of information flow into his mind:

Elemental - Wood Copy at 1%... 58%... 100% Copy complete!

Lin Hann's mind seemed to have transformed into a storage space, albeit a very small and empty one, with the words 'Elemental - Wood 100%' floating in a corner. He attempted to interact with it using his consciousness, but there was no response.

"Could it be that my power isn't sufficient?" Lin Hann pondered.

Returning to his room, Lin Hann felt the physical enhancements from his newly awakened superpower. His previously nearsighted vision was now crystal clear. Taking in the sharper world around him, Lin Hann allowed himself a slight smile.

"Hello, new world!"