The night was still, broken only by the whisper of the wind brushing against the worn wooden planks. Li Hao cradled his child tenderly in his arms, then bent down and gently placed him on his exhausted mother's chest. The moment her warm body touched the tiny infant's, her breathing calmed, and she drifted into sleep with a faint smile, as if she had finally found the peace she had been denied for so many long hours.
Li Hao sat for a moment, watching them. His heart overflowed with emotions too complex to describe… joy, fear, and an overwhelming desire to protect them. And then, a voice echoed deep within him.
[Ding!]
Mission One Completed: Choose a Name for Your Child
Reward: Your child has received the Celestial Dragon-Elephant Body
Li Hao quickly pressed to claim the reward.
[Ding!]
Reward Received
A strange golden light began to shine from Li Tian's tiny sleeping body for a short while, making Li Hao think that what he saw was nothing more than a dream. He rubbed his eyes and stared again at his son, surprised that there was no visible change, unlike what he used to read about in novels from his previous world. He continued to observe carefully until he sensed something mysterious surrounding the boy—his breathing had become slightly heavier and deeper. Puzzled, he did not give it much thought.
Li Hao smiled faintly, reached out to stroke the child's forehead, then rose slowly. He looked at his wife and son sleeping peacefully, a wave of serenity washing over him. But he knew that this was far from the end.
He quietly opened the door and stepped out into the hut's yard. The moon hung high, pouring its cold light onto the soil. Taking a deep breath, Hao murmured to himself:
"Then let's begin claiming the special rewards."
[Ding!]
Rewards Awaiting Claim:
[Reward: +100 Years of Lifespan]
[Reward: Technique "Parental Protection Fist" (Temporary Power: Innate – Second Grade)]
Hao's eyes shone with delight as he read the glowing words before him. At last, fortune smiled upon him—immortality was now within reach.
He pressed to claim the first reward.
[Ding!]
+100 Years of Lifespan Received
Li Hao felt his body changing in a strange way. A vast vitality surged through him, making him feel as though he were a newborn child. Yet, despite the sensation, his body remained outwardly the same. When the exhilarating feeling faded, he continued to claim his second reward.
[Ding!]
"Parental Protection Fist" Received (Temporary Power: Innate – Second Grade)
Suddenly, Li Hao's mind filled with information about the Parental Protection Fist, rushing in so quickly that it brought him unbearable pain, almost making him lose consciousness. Clutching his head, he collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by the violent headache that gripped him in that moment. Though it lasted only briefly, it felt to him like an eternity.
He pushed himself up with difficulty, brushing off the dirt from his sweat-drenched clothes, and began to process the knowledge now engraved in his mind:
"So, this is how it works… Once activated, it consumes a whole month of my lifespan to grant me the power of a second-grade innate fighter for ten minutes."
Leaping into the air with joy, Li Hao laughed loudly:
"Finally… finally, I too have a combat ability! And not just any ability—an innate fighter's strength of the second grade!"
At that moment, fragments of Li Hao's past resurfaced in his mind, memories of the pain he had endured just to become a fighter in the Jianghu.
