"A story?"
Xu Lun raised an eyebrow, flipping to the next page.
Young Curly-haired Baboon, when you open this book, it means you will inherit my Workshop.
"You're calling me names again!"
How could he be a Curly-haired Baboon? This book must be wrong.
Page three.
I know you'll be surprised. Today, you are the luckiest Curly-haired Baboon in the world, after all, this is the Workshop of Darwin, the great Father of Evolution.
However, to prevent my path from influencing you, I have deleted the entire gene pool, retaining only some basic evolution technologies.
My genius might bring you a lot of pressure. Even if you can't surpass my achievements, don't be discouraged. As long as you live long enough, you'll always achieve something in evolution.
"As expected, he's quite narcissistic."
As the luckiest "Curly-haired Baboon" in the world, Xu Lun's expression was a bit hard to maintain.
He flipped further, finding there was nothing left. The text he had read quickly faded, leaving only the first page's sentence, which remained.
The entire book lit up, and the whole Workshop was no longer dim.
(Workshop energy storage: 3)
(Maintain basic Workshop operation: 1 / day)
(It is recommended to acquire energy as soon as possible to maintain Workshop operation)
"So, Banana, where does the Workshop's energy come from?"
Xu Lun looked at the still dazed Banana.
Banana snapped back to reality, looking at this severely depilated Curly-haired Baboon. He couldn't quite believe that he had inherited the Workshop just like that, becoming his master.
"We can decompose that Lizard."
"That Lizard?"
Xu Lun had already guessed the reason for the Workshop's sudden activation. Those 3 energy points were probably absorbed from the Lizard's fragments.
Upon arriving at the operating table, new information was displayed on the book.
(Low-level biological material detected. Can consume 2 energy points for one data retrieval. This data retrieval is estimated to take 0.2 seconds.)
(Low-level biological material detected. Can directly extract life energy. Estimated energy yield: 50.)
"Energy? Data retrieval?"
"Banana, what's the use of data probing?"
"It can check the unusual aspects of this creature. If there are excellent abilities, they can be extracted."
"Then let's start probing."
Xu Lun thought of the Lizard's invisibility ability. Come on, that's invisibility, which man wouldn't want it?
(2 energy points consumed. Data retrieval completed.)
(Lizard affected by unknown evolution)
(Extractable list: 1 - Epidermal reinforcement, 2 - Tongue reinforcement, 3 - special invisibility ability attachment, 4 - Life level evolution, 5 - Intelligence evolution)
(Recommended extraction: special invisibility ability. This action consumes 15 energy points, takes 1 second, and the cost can be offset by the Lizard's own life energy.)
Other abilities could naturally also be extracted, but there was no need, as these reinforcements didn't even reach Xu Lun's own level. Even if attached, they wouldn't be of any use.
The Lizard was decomposed and flowed beneath the operating table, leaving only a green seed.
(Ability Seed from special Lizard - Invisibility. Can be grafted onto a living body, consumes 5 energy points, takes 1 second.)
"Still need to consume?"
Xu Lun helplessly summoned his body inside. His soul returned to his body, instantly filling him with a sense of security, unlike the ethereal feeling his soul gave him.
"Attach special invisibility ability!"
There was no particular sensation; the ability grafting was already complete. Xu Lun couldn't wait to go out and try it.
"Goodbye, Artificial Stupidity."
"What, I'm not, I'm not..."
Banana looked somewhat dejectedly in the direction Xu Lun disappeared.
—
Back in his room, Xu Lun felt the sensation of entering the Workshop.
The soul entered very quickly, almost instantaneous with a thought, while the body entering clearly had a brief preparation time.
It seems difficult to use in combat, but it would probably be very useful for dodging Ultraman's charged ultimate moves, and it could also be used to escape pursuit.
And now, of course, was the time to test the invisibility ability. The Workshop's grafting was like turning this power into his instinct, like blinking or reaching out, effortless.
As the thought of invisibility arose, his fingers began to blur, then his arm, extending rapidly forward until his upper arm, where the power of invisibility stopped.
"Gone?"
Xu Lun's face darkened. He felt that after covering one arm, the invisibility ability seemed to have reached its limit. The act of trying to extend it further was as powerless as trying to lick his own nose with his tongue.
"So, after all that, the invisibility ability extracted can only cover its original size."
The Lizard's ability could obviously only cover itself. The Workshop extracted this ability and grafted it onto Xu Lun. Although it became Xu Lun's ability, its essence was still that of the Lizard, so the effect naturally remained unchanged.
Then what's the use?
Pretending to have a severed arm and suddenly punching someone in a fight?
After a moment of thought, he removed the invisibility from his arm. He suddenly had an idea.
The ability converged on his face, and his head disappeared.
Xu Lun touched his head, confirming it was still there, just invisible.
"Possibly, maybe, probably."
"Making my face invisible seems to have little difference from full-body invisibility."
After all, both allow him to shed his inner mask. If he ever needed money, he could even cosplay as a headless knight.
This invisibility ability was very strange. It seemed to turn the invisible part transparent. Xu Lun looked in the mirror and found a void above his neck. Blood was still flowing to his invisible head, which looked even scarier.
"Xu Lun, dinner is ready. Have you rested well?"
Saeko Busujima's voice came from outside, making Xu Lun stop exploring his abilities.
"Coming."
Coming outside, the food was already on the table. Shizuka Marikawa looked at him pitifully, seemingly having waited for a while.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Xu Lun sat at the table, looking at the spread of dishes. Saeko Busujima had prepared some simple Japanese cuisine: tempura, tonkatsu, and salad, along with a steaming bowl of miso soup. The enticing aroma made the already hungry Xu Lun's appetite soar.
He eagerly tasted each dish. The tempura was crispy outside and tender inside, the tonkatsu was crunchy and delicious, the salad was refreshing and cut through the richness, and the miso soup was rich and flavorful.
It reminded Xu Lun of the extra-large tonkatsu bowl from the shop near his home.
He wondered if it was just his imagination, but Xu Lun felt like he had forgotten something.
—
At this moment, Mafuyu Kirisu had just finished dealing with school matters and returned to her apartment, feeling a bit tired. "I guess I'll have cup noodles tonight."
Walking to her door, she took out her key and saw 202 next door, suddenly remembering the message Xu Lun had sent today.
"Little Mafuyu, want to come to my place for sukiyaki tonight?"
Automatically filtering out the nickname, Mafuyu Kirisu touched her empty stomach at the mention of sukiyaki, feeling a little tempted.
"But going to a student's house for dinner..."
As a teacher, Mafuyu Kirisu wanted to maintain a flawless image.
But she thought about the difference between cup noodles and sukiyaki.
Anyway, her image had already been completely used up in front of Xu Lun. Going today would be a good opportunity to persuade Xu Lun about his studies. Yes, that's right.
Mafuyu Kirisu convinced herself.
She returned to her room, changed into casual clothes—a red tracksuit—and grabbed two cans of soda. Although her expression remained calm, her slightly faster footsteps than usual betrayed her excited inner state.
Thump!
Mafuyu Kirisu knocked on the door of 202, her mind already fantasizing about the scene that would unfold.
The door opens, and Xu Lun, wearing an apron, greets her from the kitchen: "You're back, Kirisaki-sensei?"
"Sukiyaki is ready. Shall we eat now? Or do some pre-meal warm-up exercises first?"
She walks to the wooden table and sits down. Xu Lun stands behind her, gently but firmly massaging her sore shoulders.
Then, she would lie on her side on Xu Lun's lap, allowing Xu Lun to gently insert an ear pick into her ear, completing a meticulous ear cleaning.
But why hasn't the door opened yet?
The door that remained unopened for a long time pulled Mafuyu Kirisu out of her fantasy, feeling a bit confused.
Thump!
Thump-thump!
Thump-thump-thump!
Finally, Mafuyu Kirisu calmly returned to her own small room, only to find two buckets of miso-flavored tonkotsu cup noodles, and they had already expired.
"Humiliation!"