BOOM!

  Lance punched, and the air detonated.

  The furniture in his tiny room rattled violently, as if hit by a localized earthquake.

  Thud-thud-thud!

  Every strike he threw now carried a terrifying weight. The sonic booms echoed like thunderclaps inside the cramped apartment.

  Thank god for future-tech soundproofing. If the walls weren't reinforced to handle domestic disputes involving plasma rifles, Lance would have been slapped with a noise complaint and a visit from the sector police five minutes ago.

  He finished the final form and exhaled slowly.

  Whoosh.

  A stream of condensed white vapor shot from his lips like an arrow, piercing the air for half a meter.

  Ding.

  Skill Progression Update.

  [Basic Military CQC] mastery has reached: [Perfect].

  Bonus Effect: Training Efficiency +150%.

  Lance nodded, satisfied.

  Perfect Rank.

  Fifty percent efficiency boost. And that was just from grinding the unpatched version. Tomorrow, once he fixed the theoretical exploits, this basic manual was going to evolve into something monstrous. His leveling speed would go vertical.

  Hm? Is it that late already?

  He noticed the window. The sky had turned pitch black.

  Three massive silver moons hung in a triangle formation above the skyline, casting a cold, alien glow over the slums.

  Lance stared at them. Silence filled the room.

  I'm really not on Earth anymore.

  A wave of mixed emotions hit him. The high-tech city, the weird food, the System—it was all distracting. But looking at those three moons... that was the reality check. He was a long, long way from home.

  Humanity is still here 100,000 years later. That means Old Earth is probably a holy site or a museum by now, he reasoned. Once I'm strong enough to cross the galaxy, I'll go back. Just to see it.

  He shook off the melancholy. As long as Earth existed, he had a destination.

  He looked down at himself. He was covered in black, sticky grime—the toxins expelled from his gene repair. It smelled terrible.

  Shower time.

  He walked into the bathroom.

  "Activate Full Body Purification Mode."

  "Beep. Command confirmed. Initiating Deep Clean Protocol." The home AI responded with a soft, synthetic voice.

  Hiss.

  Nano-foam erupted from vents in the walls, instantly engulfing him in a cloud of white bubbles.

  Despite being covered head-to-toe, he could breathe easily. The intelligent foam went to work, scrubbing his skin and diving into his pores to extract the grime.

  Within seconds, the pristine white foam turned jet-black as it dissolved the impurities. It sloughed off into the drain, taking the dirt from his cheap training uniform with it. He came out clean, dry, and with his clothes smelling like they were fresh from the factory.

  "Civilian tech in this era is unmatched," Lance muttered, stepping out of the bathroom feeling reborn.

  "Lance? You're done training?"

  A crisp, cheerful voice called out from the living room.

  Lance looked over. A girl, maybe thirteen or fourteen, was standing by the dining table, her face brightening as she saw him.

  Silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing a face that looked like a porcelain doll. Lance had to admit—while his new body was just average-looking, his sister had won the genetic lottery. She was going to be a stunner when she grew up, easily rivaling the heiress Lorraine.

  "Lillian," Lance sighed, shaking his head. "Waiting for me again? I told you, if I'm training, just eat. Don't starve yourself."

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  The food on the table was cold, but there was plenty of it. He felt a pang of guilt mixed with warmth.

  " Food tastes bland when I eat alone," she said, flashing a brilliant smile. She didn't seem fazed by his scolding at all.

  " Come on, let's eat."

  He ruffled her hair affectionately and sat down.

  In this era, rich kids chugged high-efficiency Alchemy Potions—one tube covered a day’s energy needs and boosted growth. But those cost a fortune. Poor families like theirs stuck to traditional meals.

  It was one of the biggest walls between the classes. You literally couldn't eat enough normal food to keep up with the rich kids' growth spurts.

  "By the way, Lance..." Lillian put down her spoon halfway through the meal. She looked at him cautiously. "We did a body test at school today. My base strength hit 320 kilograms. The Dean said I'm being transferred to the 1st Preparatory War Academy tomorrow."

  She watched his reaction carefully, clearly worried she might hurt his feelings. After all, her brother had always been the "struggler" of the family.

  "What?" Lance froze, his chopsticks hovering in mid-air. "320kg already?"

  He stared at her. He had fully integrated his predecessor's memories, so he loved this girl like his own blood.

  She was thirteen. Just thirteen.

  Orphans like them only started systematic training at twelve. In one year, she hit 320kg?

  That wasn't just good. That was prodigy level.

  Give her two more years, and she’d hit 900kg before the Unified Exam. That was elite territory. She could aim for the Imperial Royal War Academy directly.

  My sister is a genius, Lance realized.

  As for him? He wasn't worried about being overshadowed. His base strength was currently sitting at over 3,000 kilograms.

  In two days, at the Unified Exam, he wasn't just going to pass. He was going to make the Deans of the top academies beg him to join.

  "That's amazing, Lily!" Lance grinned, his pride genuine. "The 1st Prep Academy? That's huge. You're going to be a star. I support you 100%."

  Lance smiled, a genuine warmth spreading through his chest.

  "Yeah," Lillian continued, puffing out her chest. "Those old professors didn't believe the data. They made me test three times before they stamped the papers! Actually, on the first try, I hit 400kg. But when I saw their eyes bugging out, I held back about twenty percent for the next two tests. Just to be safe."

  She grinned like a little fox. "If I go by my real 400kg limit, getting into the Imperial Academy in two years should be a cakewalk."

  "Wait." Lance laughed, shaking his head. "You learned to sandbag your scores? Where did you learn to be so sneaky?"

  He remembered his own tests—gritting his teeth, straining every muscle just to hit a mediocre score. And here she was, playing 4D chess with the instructors. That was the gap between a "mortal" and a "genius."

  "Hmph! You taught me that!" Lillian retorted, looking indignant. "You always say, 'The tall tree catches the wind.' You told me to keep a low profile. Now you're blaming me for listening to you?"

  Lance opened his mouth, then closed it. She had him there.

  It was his mantra. For war orphans with zero background, standing out was dangerous. If you shined too bright without protection, you ended up as a pawn—or prey—for some bored noble.

  "Alright, alright. You win. Lady Lillian is wise beyond her years," Lance said, raising his hands in surrender. "Tell you what. Tomorrow, I'll walk you to the 1st Prep Academy myself to register."

  It was a study holiday anyway. Missing an hour of training wouldn't kill him. Plus, he wanted to see what kind of snobs attended this "elite" school.

  "Really? Thanks, Lance!" Lillian’s eyes widened in delight. But then her face fell.

  "Wait, no! You can't!" She looked panicked. "The Unified Exam is in two days! That's the most important day of your life! You need to do a final sprint. I can take the bus. I already looked up the route."

  She was genuinely anxious, terrified she might ruin his future.

  "The Exam..." Lance leaned back, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. "I don't really need to prepare for that anymore."

  Lillian froze. Her eyes went wide, staring at him like he’d grown a second head.

  "Lance... did you... did you Awaken?" Her voice trembled.

  "Bingo." Lance casually dropped the bomb. "It's just an F-Rank support talent, but under Federal Law, I'm a registered Awakened now. Even if I hand in a blank paper for the written and combat tests, I get a free ride into a decent Advanced Academy."

  "Whoa!!"

  Lillian shrieked and launched herself out of her chair, tackling him in a hug like a koala.

  "You're amazing!!"

  "Of course I am. When have I ever let you down?" Lance laughed, ruffling her silver hair. "But I'm still not as impressive as you, you little monster. When you become a Valkyrie, don't forget to protect me."

  "Mm-hm!" Lillian nodded vigorously, her small fists clenching. "If anyone bullies you, I'll punch them into orbit!"

  Lance looked at her, his heart melting.

  In his past life, he was alone. In this one, the world was cold and cruel, but he had Lillian. She was his only weakness. And his only anchor.

  Wait. Just how high is her potential?

  Curiosity spiked. He focused his gaze on her.

  System. Scan.

  Ding.

  Target: [Human Female (Adolescent)]

  Scanning...

  12.4 Million Genetic Defects & Blueprint Exploits Found.

  Execute Repair Protocol? [Y/N]

  [System Alert]: Daily Patch Limit Reached. Please wait for reset.

  12.4 million? Lance blinked. That's almost the same as mine. Is it because we're both pure-blooded humans?

  The numbers were in the same ballpark.

  As for fixing her? Not yet. He had zero charges left today, and honestly, he was too weak. He had the [Undying God-Body] to tank any side effects. Lillian didn't. If the energy surge went wrong, it could kill her.

  He needed to be stronger. Strong enough to control the process perfectly.

  I'll wait. There's no rush.

  Only when he was a powerhouse could he truly protect a genius like her.

  After dinner, Lance retreated to his room. Back to the grind.

  Thanks to the [Master] rank CQC, his efficiency was insane. Every seventy-five minutes, his Constitution went up by +1.

  If he kept this up until morning, he'd easily hit [Bronze Rank · 2-Star].

  But he was waiting for something else.

  Midnight.

  He trained patiently for another thirty minutes.

  Ding.

  System Log Update: New Day Detected.

  Patch Limit Reset.

  Current Charges: 2.

  The sound was better than any symphony.

  Lance didn't hesitate. He pulled up his interface and locked onto the skill line.

  Ding.

  Skill Detected: [Basic Military CQC]

  Theoretical Model Exploits: 1,254.

  Execute Repair Protocol? [Y/N]

  "Fix it immediately," Lance commanded, his voice steady.

  [System Command]

  Command Confirmed.

  Initiating Battle Art Reconstruction...