C1 The Price of Strength!!

"Coca-Cola, Sprite, mineral water, hair ties, and Mello Yello. Hey! Don't pass up these deals!"

In the bustling night market, Qin Fen was decked out in a white track vest, standing on a plastic sheet and wielding a megaphone, relying on his booming voice to draw attention to his wares.

"Do you have any hair clips here?"

A group of stylish girls approached the stall, one of them inquiring in a voice as delicate as a mosquito's buzz. Yet, she hadn't glanced at the stall's offerings, her eyes fixated on Qin Fen's fairly handsome face.

"Absolutely, we've got black, white, and colorful ones, even Pikachu and SpongeBob! What are you interested in? Only the best quality here."

Qin Fen beamed, hastily rummaging through the stall to present an array of hair clips.

In his haste, however, he accidentally knocked over some bottles hidden beneath the hair clips, leaving him frozen in shock.

Who would stash these expired pills under the hair clips? Shouldn't such items be stored beneath ginseng leaves and dried seahorses?

"Jerk."

The girl stomped her foot and swiftly led her friends away from the stall, even spitting in Qin Fen's direction as they departed.

Watching the girls leave, Qin Fen was a mix of panic and frustration.

It had been days since his last sale. Where would he find the money for this year's tuition, rent, college entrance exam fee, and the five-dollar stall fee?

"I really dropped the ball today. I've got to be more careful about where I put things next time."

As Qin Fen was about to take a moment for some self-reflection, a man and a woman approached the stall.

"Well, well, if it isn't our class's very own genius, Qin Fen. What's this about selling knockoffs?"

Zhang Ning, donning an eccentric outfit and avant-garde makeup, her hair a rainbow of colors, clung to the arm of the young man beside her and taunted Qin Fen.

"Him? A genius? More like a con artist hawking fakes on a mat."

The young man, also in a track vest but with a physique that set him apart, his muscles bulging like those of a silverback gorilla, looked like he could take on ten Qin Fens without breaking a sweat.

It was a clear sign of his newly awakened psionic power.

"You're out of the loop. He's awakened Time-Space Distortions, just like Wen Zhao. You know of Wen Zhao, right? He's got the Time-Space Distortions too!"

Zhang Ning's words dripped with sarcasm.

Wen Zhao.

At the mention of that name, Qin Fen's gaze sharpened, and with a flick of his hand, he said impatiently, "If you're not buying anything, then please leave!"

"Wen Zhao, the legendary powerhouse who could demolish half a city with a single slap? And this guy has the same psionic power? How come he's such a failure, resorting to peddling knockoffs on the sidewalk?"

The young man glanced at Qin Fen with contempt.

"Sure, he awakened the Time-Space Distortions, but his talent for cultivation is bottom-tier. After Wen Zhao assessed him, he left, thoroughly disappointed, declaring that Qin Fen's destiny was nothing more than that of a street vendor."

Zhang Ning's loud proclamation caused Qin Fen's face to darken. As he was about to react, he saw the young man kick over the bottles of Coke, Sprite, and Mello Yello on the ground.

"I'll take all of these, wrap them up for me."

The young man looked down at the seated Qin Fen and commanded arrogantly.

"Qin Fen, do you even know who Liu Ergou is? He's a top student from the elite program at the university, and he's awakened the Lycanthropy psionic power."

Zhang Ning clung to Liu Ergou, boasting with pride.

"Oh."

Qin Fen stooped, his voice steady and unfluctuating, as he gathered the scattered bottles and picked up an expired pill from the ground.

"I never would've guessed that even Lycanthropy would need something like this. Liu, if you're too embarrassed to buy it, you could've just said so."

This thing?

Liu Ergou paused, his gaze fixating on Qin Fen's hand and the moderately-sized bottle of pills – a potent enhanced version, no less.

"You're asking for it!"

Liu Ergou's face twisted with anger as he swung his leg up, aiming a kick at Qin Fen's face. Qin Fen's expression shifted instantly, and he ducked.

What a joke – taking a kick from a Lycanthrope could leave him dead or severely injured!

But Qin Fen was half a step too slow, and Liu Ergou's kick landed squarely on his head, sending blood spraying and staining his cheeks as he toppled onto the makeshift stall.

In that moment, a voice suddenly echoed in Qin Fen's mind.

"Ding! The Strongest Fake System is now online, granting the host one lucky draw opportunity!"

The Ultimate Counterfeit System?

Selling counterfeit goods? No, selling these health pills that benefit society and families actually unlocked a system?

Qin Fen was momentarily taken aback, his head spinning from the kick, struggling to grasp what had just happened.

"Ding! Host, please hurry and take your lottery draw to avoid missing out on a free chance."

"Ding! Host, please hurry and take your lottery draw to avoid missing out on a free chance!"

What kind of system was this?

Why was it suddenly forcing him to enter a lottery draw?

Qin Fen opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter a word, a large golden roulette wheel materialized before him and started spinning on its own.

Seriously? It's fully automated?

"Congratulations to the host for winning the Nine-Taste Decoction, guaranteed to bolster cowards, sugar-free. After consumption, it temporarily enhances your physical condition."

Nine-Taste Decoction?

Without further ado, Qin Fen pulled out the Nine-Taste Decoction right in front of Liu Ergou.

True to its name, the Nine-Taste Decoction was a murky, milky-yellow liquid.

"Has he lost his mind?"

Watching Qin Fen guzzle down the yellow concoction, Liu Ergou stood frozen, eventually managing to ask in a feeble voice.

"I... I'm not sure."

Zhang Ning added with uncertainty.

After a few gulps of the Nine-Taste Decoction, Qin Fen felt an intense heat in his core, as a wondrous energy surged from his lower abdomen, sending waves of warmth throughout his body!

His physical fitness surged dramatically in mere moments!

Without a second thought, Qin Fen leapt up and delivered a punch to Liu Ergou's chin, his fist as heavy as a punching bag.

Thud!

The moment the blow landed, Liu Ergou's world turned upside down, his legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees!

Had he just taken down a Psychic known for his physical prowess with a single punch?

"Is this the might of the Nine-Taste Decoction?"

As Qin Fen reveled in his triumph, he noticed the odd looks from everyone around him, including Zhang Ning.

Curiosity, envy, and desire were all apparent in their eyes.

"Are they all captivated by my strength?"

With that thought, Qin Fen slapped his chest confidently and, following the onlookers' gazes, turned his attention to his stomach.

The Nine-Taste Decoction didn't just fill Qin Fen with terrifying strength; it also made his stomach bulge as if he were several months pregnant.

"Is this the price of power?"

Qin Fen swallowed hard and surveyed his surroundings. He silently mused, 'If I silence all these people, even with my system, I'd likely not avoid being caught.'