Evolving infinitely from ground zero Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The two mothers were out for a shopping spree, and it wasn't long before they stepped into a boutique specializing in women’s fashion.

They went through a cycle of trying on various dresses, offering each other constant streams of admiration.

Xu Meng made sure to exaggerate just how stunning Zhang Wanxin appeared in a short skirt, pointing out her long, pale legs and the sexy vibe she gave off.

In return, Zhang Wanxin complimented Xu Meng’s appearance in a spaghetti strap gown, noting how her delicate collarbones and smooth, supple shoulders looked particularly alluring.

As he listened to the two mothers trade flatteries, Lin Zichen couldn't help but observe them.

One had to admit that both young mothers were exceptionally captivating.

With top-tier figures and facial features, they would easily score at least an 8 out of 10.

Being in the prime of their twenties, they possessed a unique blend of youthfulness and maturity, radiating feminine charm from every pore.

Lin Zichen gave them only a cursory look before turning his attention toward Shen Qinghan, who stood beside him.

She had a classic melon-seed face, wide eyes, a cute button nose, and cherry-red lips. Her skin was fair and refined; she had clearly inherited Xu Meng’s beauty and was destined to be a stunning woman in the future.

After they finished at the boutique, the mothers headed to the mall's upper floor.

They entered a toy store, intending to pick out some gifts for the children.

Shen Qinghan scanned the shelves but showed no interest in the toys; her eyes were fixed on the treats in the snack shop across the hall instead.

Lin Zichen was equally indifferent to the toys. He expressed a desire to visit the bookstore next door, hoping to find books that would help him better grasp the intricacies of this world.

The two mothers were baffled. Usually, children their age were obsessed with toys—why were these two so unusual?

Despite their confusion, the mothers gave in to their children's wishes and bought what they requested.

For his selection, Lin Zichen picked out volumes regarding Exotic Beasts, Genetic Integrators, and Mechanically Modified Humans.

"Zi Chen, I’m not sure these are suitable for a child. Why don't we go look at the picture books with Han Han?" Zhang Wanxin suggested, gesturing toward the children's section.

Opening one of his choices, Lin Zichen replied, "These have pictures too, and I find these illustrations very interesting."

Zhang Wanxin glanced at the pages, seeing sketches of terrifying Exotic Beasts, mutated Genetic Integrators, and high-priced components for Mechanically Modified Humans.

Though she felt her son should be looking at colorful cartoons rather than such things, she bought them for him anyway since he liked them.

...

Once they arrived back home, Lin Zichen wasted no time and began devouring the new books.

[You are reading, Spirit +1, Comprehension Ability +1, Knowledge +1]

[Achievement: Cumulative reading of one hundred million words]

[Reward: Acquired Biometric Attribute—Innate Wisdom]

[Current Progress: 10,086/100,000,000 words]

While he was deeply immersed in his reading, several rows of floating text suddenly appeared before his eyes.

He scanned the notification, a surge of excitement bubbling up within him.

Following his previous achievement for kicking, a new task had finally been triggered.

Now, in addition to his tedious daily physical exercises, he would have to dedicate time to reading for pleasure.

...

Time passed steadily.

Soon, it was time for Lin Zichen and Shen Qinghan to start kindergarten.

After some discussion, the parents chose Rainbow Kindergarten. It was the closest facility to their homes, making it easy for them to manage the daily commute together.

The fees for this school were quite high.

However, the price was justified by a curriculum that was far more diverse than standard kindergartens.

It offered outdoor activities, foreign language instruction, and classes focused on intellectual growth.

The day before the term started, Lin Zichen’s parents had to leave for a trip. They left him in the care of Shen Qinghan’s family so they could handle his school registration the next morning.

At the neighbor's house, Xu Meng spoke softly, "Zi Chen, your parents won't be back until tomorrow evening. You’ll stay with Auntie Meng tonight, and I’ll take you and Han Han to school in the morning."

"I understand. Thank you, Auntie Meng," Lin Zichen replied with a nod.

Watching this, Shen Jianye couldn’t help but chime in, "Zi Chen is such a polite boy, always remembering his manners. He acts like a little adult. I wish Han Han was half as sensible as you."

That evening, after sharing a bath, Lin Zichen and Shen Qinghan settled into their room to sleep.

Shen Qinghan was thrilled to be sharing a bed with him.

She chatted incessantly, talking about her excitement for school and her hopes of making many new friends.

Lin Zichen gave the occasional short reply, but he spent most of the time propped up against the headboard, focused on his book.

[You are reading "Exotic Beasts Illustrated," Spirit +1, Comprehension +1, Exotic Beast Knowledge +1]

[Current Progress: 43.96 million / 100 million words]

To hit this target, Lin Zichen had maintained a rigorous pace of 300,000 words a day for nearly five months.

Even so, he wasn't even halfway through the requirement.

This reading achievement was proving to be ten times more difficult than his previous physical task.

After reading a bit longer, he decided it was time for rest and closed his book.

By then, the talkative Shen Qinghan had already drifted off. She looked incredibly peaceful, though a bit of drool was escaping the corner of her mouth.

Lin Zichen used a tissue to clean her face. As he did, his eyes briefly caught sight of her diaper.

Despite being four years old, Shen Qinghan still struggled with bedwetting.

Her parents had taken her to various specialists, but no medical cause had ever been identified.

...

The following morning.

Xu Meng rose early to prepare porridge and call the children for breakfast.

Lin Zichen was already awake; he had been performing his morning exercises for over an hour by the time she walked in.

Shen Qinghan, however, was a different story. She struggled to leave the bed and had to be practically dragged into the dining area by her mother.

At the table, Lin Zichen finished his meal quickly and even took the initiative to wash his own bowl.

Meanwhile, Shen Qinghan was in a daze, mindlessly spooning porridge into her mouth while her eyes kept fluttering shut—caught in that awkward state of being too tired to eat but too hungry to sleep.

While he waited for her to finish, Lin Zichen sat quietly and continued his reading, absorbing more information.

He learned that biological rankings were categorized into six tiers: Ordinary, Advanced, Rare, Epic, Legendary, and Mythical.

Each tier was further segmented into nine distinct ranks.

These classifications had been adopted by humanity centuries ago after being discovered on ancient tablets within mysterious ruins.

However, through years of study, humans had discovered a grim reality.

Due to the limitations of their biology, the natural evolutionary peak for a human was capped at the Ordinary Ninth Rank.

To break past this ceiling, one had to integrate the genes of powerful Exotic Beasts.

Alternatively, one could undergo mechanical modification to gain strength comparable to Advanced, Rare, or even Epic Level creatures.

An Epic Level entity was said to be powerful enough to survive a direct nuclear blast.

"Withstanding a nuclear bomb with just a physical body... is that truly possible?" Lin Zichen wondered, finding the concept hard to wrap his head around.

...

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