[Question: Would you like to use three "Split Points" to immediately create the next game character? (Please use this function when confirming both body and character are free of entanglements. After selecting "Confirm," your consciousness will enter the "Character Creation Space.")]
[Tip 1: Each game character has a unique task design. Creating and developing characters in advance can effectively enhance your overall strength.]
[Tip 2: However, the more you understand and know about the superhuman species, the stronger the game characters generated in the "Character Creation Segment" may become. Whether to immediately generate characters depends entirely on your decision.]
Looking at the series of words on the panel, Ji Minghuan raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself, "This way the short-term goal is achieved: as long as the next game character is created, there's room for error in actions, so I'm not completely helpless if one character dies. Next, I can send one character to the Welfare Institute to scout and see if they can find any clues about that research facility."
If it were the older Ji Minghuan, he might never have imagined that returning to that Welfare Institute would be such an arduous and careful endeavor...
But so far, the only clue related to that research facility is the matter of "him and Kong Youling being kidnapped from the Welfare Institute."
However, Ji Minghuan couldn't possibly create a game character directly at this point, that would be too hasty.
To be cautious, he closed the prompt panel.
"The current understanding of the other two superhuman species isn't sufficient, creating a character is like opening a blind box... Hmm, I'll get some intel from the Mentor first."
As far as Ji Minghuan's understanding of his own superpower is concerned, creating game characters is naturally an incredibly crucial segment, and it can directly determine whether he can escape alive from the research facility. This must be considered carefully.
Currently, his understanding of the two superhuman species, "Anecdote Envoy" and "Exorcist," is still just a surface-level symbol.
The Mentor promised to come tomorrow and explain the matters of the other two "superhuman species."
So before creating the second game character, it wouldn't hurt to listen to what the Mentor has to say.
Once he has a certain understanding of this aspect, during the character creation segment, Ji Minghuan will be able to easily discern, among the "character files," which superhuman species category has higher potential, thus making a rational choice.
Like an old man taking a post-dinner stroll to aid digestion, he walked with a turtle's pace and finally arrived at Gu Yima Park.
This is where Su Zimai's footsteps stopped.
Standing at the entrance of the small park, Ji Minghuan slipped his hands into his school uniform pockets, his first glance catching Su Zimai sitting alone on the swing with her backpack, bathed in a ray of moonlight that fell upon her expressionless face.
Ji Minghuan entered the empty park, silently sitting on another swing beside her, gently swaying like a grade schooler. The swing rocked him up and down.
Although Su Zimai noticed him, she did not speak.
The two remained silent for a while, quietly swinging in the moonlight, just like when they were little.
After a long pause, she spoke, "Didn't I tell you guys not to bother me?"
"I thought by 'you guys,' you meant my brother and dad, not including me."
Ji Minghuan shrugged as he swayed on the swing, speaking indifferently.
Su Zimai still didn't turn her head.
"Oh, then I disappointed you." She paused, "Your hand... does it still hurt?"
Ji Minghuan lowered his eyes, looking at his wrist plastered with a band-aid, jokingly said, "You have quite the sense of humor. Getting grabbed by Dad wouldn't cause any real harm. I'm a high school student; do I really have such tender skin? In Japan, high schoolers my age are out there saving the world."
Though he spoke this way, what he believed internally was different: if Dad had exerted even a little more force then, it wouldn't just be a wrist injury; he'd probably have half his body torn off.
"Then go home; I don't want to."
"I don't want to go home either; I'm not here to persuade you to go back."
After a pause, Ji Minghuan suddenly lowered his voice, "Sometimes... having a home to go back to is pretty nice. Some people have nowhere to return to. She's trying hard and only wants someone to wait for her at home."
At this moment, a recalled image of Kong Youling hugging her knees, sitting on the roof's edge, came to mind; the moonlight was just as clear and bright that day.
"What did you say?"
The voice was too light, and Su Zimai didn't catch his latter sentence.
He shook his head.
"Nothing."
Su Zimai lowered her head, staring at the soft sand under her feet, and softly said, "You've changed a lot."
"In what way?"
"I haven't seen you care about people like this before."
"That's your misunderstanding; I'm just a bit of a brooder, actually still care about my family... Of course, there's a possibility I just finished watching 'The Godfather 1' and got influenced by Marlon Brando's line 'A man who doesn't care about his family isn't a good man.'
"Good at brooding, you? Godfather? You'd be the first to get shot in a gang film."
"Is someone coming to pick you up?"
"Yeah, I called a friend."
Ji Minghuan zeroed in on this word and asked, "Didn't you say classmate just a moment ago?"
"No, I don't have classmates I'm that close with. I just said it casually earlier; will you keep it secret for me?" Su Zimai said, catching his gaze with a sideways glance.
"Alright, I'll tell them you went to a classmate's house."
"Thanks."
"We're buddies."
"You mean bros."
"We're sisters."
"Okay, sister." As soon as the words left her lips, Su Zimai momentarily held back, then her cheeks puffed slightly as she couldn't help but laugh.
The next moment, she suddenly turned and saw a silhouette entering the park entrance.
Ji Minghuan followed her gaze, examining the person entering the park.
What he saw was a girl of about eighteen or nineteen, wearing a khaki trench coat paired with a white shirt underneath.
Her lower half adorned with form-fitting light green straight-leg pants, a camel-colored beret on her head, and a monocle hanging from her left eye with a chain looped over her ear and fastened at the trench coat collar.
She sported shoulder-length medium black hair, a high-bridged nose, and her cold eyes subtly slanted upwards—like a mixed-race model.
"Sis, is she your girlfriend?" Ji Minghuan tilted his head, speaking to Su Zimai, "Isn't this type—the well-educated, stylish big sisters—the kind the community online says lesbians tend to like? I get it... this is what they call 'high-intellect vibe'.'
"Quit it, my sexuality's normal, though I've had girls confess to me before," Su Zimai said, subtly showing off at the end.
"Then who is she?"
"She's kind of my teacher."
Exorcist field teacher? Ji Minghuan raised an eyebrow, thinking mentally.
During their conversation, the mixed-race girl, hands tucked in trench coat pockets, slowly approached the swings, giving them a glance.
She tilted her head slightly, asking Su Zimai, "...Who is he?"
"My brother," Su Zimai replied frankly, "No need to treat him as human."
Upon hearing this, the beret-wearing girl quietly pulled out a hand from her pocket, extending it towards Ji Minghuan for a polite introduction:
"Hello, I'm Ke Qirui, a friend of Su Zimai's. I've often heard her mention you."
"I'm Gu Wenyu, is there such seriousness needed? I've never shaken hands with anyone."
Ji Minghuan said while stretching a hand from the swing to meet her distinctly articulated right hand.
At that moment, he released the Pitch Black Restraint from his palm, allowing it to lightly touch Ke Qirui's hand like a dragonfly skimming water, before swiftly pulling it back within his skin.
[Condition met: Touch the target's body, passive skill "Restraint Detection" activated.]