On the screen, the low-health Mai Shiranui unleashed a dazzling combo—her Super into a Critical Art finisher—defeating the android fighter before her and winning the Street Fighter 6 EWC World Cup.
Watching this, Lin Yi erupted with joy—his gaming chair launching back like a rocket. He did a 360° backflip, tore his T-shirt in one motion, and let out a primal roar like a werewolf transforming under the full moon!
For a moment, it was as if he had won the championship.
"Kid! You're amazing, Kid! So what if you're a sixteen-year-old prodigy? Who isn't a genius at sixteen?! I'm sixteen too! Next year, I'll be the one standing on that EWC stage!"
"Just you wait! Playing games professionally? At sixteen, if Blaz can do it, why can't I?! Street Fighter 6—let's gooo!"
He jumped back into his seat, slammed open his Steam library, clicked on Street Fighter 6 at lightning speed, and instantly selected Mai Shiranui again.
A ranked promotion match—his moment to prove himself!
But just then, the quiet night outside turned chaotic. The once calm, dark sky suddenly exploded with thunder and torrential rain, just like a scene out of Lolo's Adventures. Wind howled, rain pounded, and lightning tore across the heavens in a furious display.
"Ahhhhhh!!!"
"Is Zangief a poet or something?! My combo does less damage than his grab! Damn you, Capcom!"
Lin Yi, unsurprisingly, lost the match. But that wasn't what mattered.
Because at that moment—every hair on his body stood upright. Electricity surged through his brain like wildfire!
Instinctively, he leapt out of his chair in a spinning dodge—
BOOM!!! ⚡
A bolt of lightning smashed through the roof and struck the very spot he'd been sitting in!
"If only I had those reflexes in-game…"
Despite almost dying, Lin Yi stayed eerily calm—his expression tranquil, as if this was all part of his daily routine.
But the storm wasn't done with him yet.
Rumble!!!
Another thunderous crash shook the building. Roof tiles shattered and fell as Lin Yi dodged left and right, weaving between the collapsing debris like a real-life fighting game master. His agility in reality easily outclassed his in-game skills.
The floor began to crack beneath him. He knew his cozy little home wouldn't last. With one final glance at his beloved gaming rig—his ASUS TUF RTX 5080 and 9800X3D CPU—he did a perfect backflip out the second-floor window just before the building collapsed.
Swoosh!
Rain drenched his body as he landed in the street, watching his home crumble into ruins under the raging storm. His fists clenched tightly, jaw set.
But the night wasn't finished with him yet.
Whoosh!
A blinding pair of headlights flashed from the right—a speeding truck. The legendary "Truck of Great Fortune."
"You've got to be kidding me… Am I really going to die tonight?"
He muttered under his breath, then leapt aside just in time to avoid being flattened, rolling safely onto the slick pavement.
Heart pounding, Lin Yi's instincts screamed that something was off.
It felt as though the entire world was trying to kill him—pushing him to die and reincarnate like one of those cliché web novel protagonists destined to "start over" in another world.
But Lin Yi wasn't having it.
He had a dream—to stand on the Street Fighter World Championship stage, under the blinding lights, showcasing his skill and passion. He wanted to be the next Kid.
Why would he give that up to become some Dragon-Blooded Heavenly Emperor in another world?
"Being a Dragon Emperor sounds less fun than playing Street Fighter!"
Determined to survive, Lin Yi raised his head defiantly into the storm, rain dripping down his face. Without hesitation, he lifted his hand—
—and flipped off the sky.
"You think you can kill me that easily?!"
But fate had a twisted sense of humor.
BOOM!!! ⚡
Lightning struck him dead-center between the eyebrows. In an instant, Lin Yi's body vaporized into a fine mist—disappearing into the stormy night.
From an outsider's view, he was gone. But from Lin Yi's perspective—he never even blinked. The dark, stormy world suddenly turned bright, vivid, and alive.
"What… the hell…?"
Lin Yi blinked. His body was no longer wet. His surroundings—no longer his familiar street—but a bustling city filled with skyscrapers, neon lights, and honking traffic.
Then—
Binding in progress... 20%... 50%...
A cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind. Lin Yi froze.
"Oh, come on! Transmigrating is one thing, but getting stuck with a system too?! What am I, a low-rent web novel protagonist?!"
Sweat dripped down his face. His heart pounded as if Super Vegeta had just teleported behind him, ready to end his existence.
And then—
Whoosh!
"Look out!"
A sharp voice shouted. Lin Yi turned just in time to see a bus—yes, a bus—hurtling straight toward him.
"Seriously?! First a truck, now a bus?!"
He braced himself for impact—
—but a silver-white web shot out, latching onto him.
"Hmph!"
A girl in a black, white, and pink Spider suit swung in, yanking Lin Yi out of harm's way just before the bus slammed past.
Suspended midair, Lin Yi twisted his body and landed gracefully on the wet pavement, sliding slightly but keeping his balance. He turned toward his unexpected savior—
She crouched in the classic Spider-Man pose—one hand on the ground, one raised, one leg bent, eyes locked ahead in fierce concentration.
Her opponent: a massive Rhino Man, rampaging through the street, flipping cars like toys, eyes blazing with fury.
"A monster that can toss a bus like that? Okay… this is actually kind of awesome."
Just as he processed what was happening—
Binding complete! Genius System activated!
"Wait, wait—what did you just call it?"
The voice in his head spoke again:
"As a genius, you possess supreme reaction speed and predictive ability. You have received your novice reward—Sixteen-Year-Old Reflexes!"
(Active): Briefly enter Time Stop for 0.5 seconds. (Cooldown: 3 seconds)(Passive): After fighting an enemy for at least 10 seconds, automatically detect their weaknesses every 3 seconds.
Hitting a weakness deals 1% true damage of the enemy's max HP, restores equivalent stamina and energy, and grants +25% movement speed for 3 seconds!
"Holy crap—bro! No way!!!"
Lin Yi's previously grim face broke into a huge grin as excitement surged through him.
"Now this... this is what it means to be a true genius!"
And so—
The legend of Lin Yi, the Transcendent Street Fighter Genius, officially began!