The budding partnership between Lin Ming and Su Quyen became a quiet fixture of their school life.
They would meet in the library after classes, poring over her research notes.
For Su Quyen, it was a godsend. She finally had someone who didn't just nod politely but asked insightful, probing questions.
For Lin Ming, it was a glimpse into the strategic mind he had adored in his past life, now sharper and more brilliant than ever.
"Look at this," she said one afternoon, pointing to a diagram of the Madakaros energy circulatory system. "Their bodies are designed to refine crude oil into what they call 'Linh Nguyen' or Spiritual Essence. But the process is inefficient. My hypothesis is that our planet's specific blend of hydrocarbons is like a 'dirty' fuel for them. It gives them power, but it also creates impurities in their system."
Lin Ming's eyes lit up. This was information he never knew. "Impurities? What kind?"
"It affects their cultivation stability, especially during breakthroughs," she explained excitedly. "I suspect it causes a slight-to-severe manic aggression. It could explain why the Madakaros forces on Earth are so mindlessly violent and less disciplined compared to the scant reports we have of the 'Maka Legion' in deep space."
This was a revelation. He always thought their brutality was just part of their nature. But if it was a side effect of their power source... that was a weakness. A psychological one.
"You're a genius," he said, the words slipping out with heartfelt sincerity.
Su Quyen blushed a deep crimson. "I-It's just a theory. I don't have enough data to prove it."
"Then we'll get it," Lin Ming said with a conviction that startled them both.
Their study sessions were occasionally interrupted by the lingering glares of Trinh Tuan and his cronies, who watched from afar with impotent rage.
Lin Ming's public victory and Su Quyen's open preference for his company were a constant, grating humiliation for them. But after the "drone incident," none of them were stupid enough to confront him directly.
They just simmered, which, thanks to his [Face-Slapping Expert] title, probably dripped a few passive Battle Will Points into his account every day.
One Saturday, Su Quyen proposed a trip. "My research is stalled on pre-invasion history. There are records that certain locations on Earth had unusual energy readings even before 1998. The top of the list is here in Hanoi: Hoan Kiem Lake."
Hoan Kiem Lake. The Lake of the Returned Sword. The very heart of Hanoi's folklore. In his past life, the lake had been vaporized in the final battles. The memory sent a pang of sorrow through him.
"What kind of energy readings?" Lin Ming asked, his interest piqued.
"Anomalous geothermal and electromagnetic spikes. They were dismissed as sensor malfunctions at the time. But the patterns... they're not random. I want to take some readings with my new portable scanner."
"I'll go with you," Lin Ming said immediately.
They met at the lake the next morning. The air was cool, and the ancient Turtle Tower stood serene in the middle of the water. It was a picture of peace, a painful contrast to the war-torn future he remembered. Su Quyen set up her equipment, a compact device humming with quiet energy.
"See?" she pointed to her screen. "There it is. A steady, low-level energy emission from the center of the lake. It's not geological. It feels... different. Almost organic."
Lin Ming closed his eyes, extending his [Qi Sense]. In his Mid-Stage Qi Refining Realm, his senses were far more potent than Su Quyen's scanner. He ignored the faint auras of the tourists and focused on the lake. He felt it immediately. It wasn't a geothermal spike. It was a vast, dormant life force. A consciousness, ancient and slow, sleeping deep beneath the water. It was incredibly powerful, yet peaceful, like a sleeping giant.
He had felt something similar once before, in his past life. From a dying Madakaros Void Comprehension master who had spoken of "World Wills" and "Planetary Guardians." He had dismissed it as the ramblings of a dying alien.
Could it be...?
Just as he was processing this, a commotion broke out nearby. Trinh Tuan, flanked by Vuong Bach and a few other well-dressed lackeys, had appeared. They weren't just passing by; they had followed them.
"Well, well. Look what we have here," Trinh Tuan sneered, his eyes fixed on Su Quyen's scanner. "Playing with toys, Quyen? I always knew you were a nerd. And you," he spat at Lin Ming, "still hiding behind a woman?"
"Go away, Trinh Tuan," Su Quyen said, her voice sharp. "We're busy."
"I don't think so," Trinh Tuan said, a nasty glint in his eye. "My father is very interested in 'anomalous energy sources.' That device looks expensive. I think it should be handed over to the authorities for 'safekeeping'."
It was a blatant attempt at theft, disguised as civic duty. His lackeys stepped forward, intending to snatch the scanner.
Lin Ming moved. He didn't rush. He simply stepped in front of Su Quyen, his body a calm, unshakeable shield.
"Touch her equipment, and I'll break your arms," he said, his voice dangerously quiet.
Vuong Bach, still nursing a grudge, scoffed. "There are five of us and one of you, slum rat!"
[New Side-Quest: The Lakeside Rumble!]
[Objective: Defend your research partner's honor (and her expensive equipment).]
[Bonus Objective: Utilize the environment for maximum comedic effect.]
[Reward: A healthy dose of Battle Will Points and increased affection from Su Quyen.]
"Five of you?" Lin Ming glanced at them, then at the lake, then back at them. A slow, wicked grin spread across his face. "You're right. That's not a fair fight."
He clapped his hands together once, a sharp, loud CRACK that echoed over the water. He infused the sound with a minuscule thread of his Qi, not aimed at the thugs, but down, into the water. It wasn't an attack. It was a call. A sign of respect. A ripple.
For a moment, nothing happened. Trinh Tuan laughed. "What was that? Are you trying to scare us?"
Then, the surface of the lake began to bubble.
The ancient, dormant consciousness that Lin Ming had sensed stirred from its slumber. It wasn't waking up fully, more like swatting a fly in its sleep.
From the depths of the lake, an enormous, moss-covered head broke the surface. It was a turtle, but a turtle of impossible size. Its eyes, ancient and wise, blinked slowly in the morning sun. It was Cu Rua, the legendary Great Turtle of the lake.
The tourists screamed, a mixture of terror and awe. Trinh Tuan and his cronies froze, their faces turning pale. They were rich kids who had heard the stories, but to see the myth made real... it was paralyzing.
The great turtle opened its mouth, not in aggression, but in what could only be described as a world-weary sigh. A blast of air, smelling of deep water and ancient moss, washed over the thugs. It held no real force, but it was enough to make the five bullies lose their balance and tumble backward into the shallow, muddy water near the bank with a series of comedic SPLASHES.
[Environmental bonus achieved!]
[+500 Battle Will Points for humbling five morons with the help of a legendary creature.]
[System Applause: 10/10. Absolutely magnificent. Invoking a national cryptid to win a fistfight is a new high score.]
The giant turtle gave Lin Ming a slow, deliberate nod of acknowledgment, then sank back beneath the waves, leaving a stunned silence in its wake.
Lin Ming turned to the drenched and shivering thugs. "I believe you were leaving," he said calmly.
Trinh Tuan and his crew scrambled out of the water, covered in mud and weeds, and fled without another word, utterly humiliated.
Su Quyen was staring at the spot where the turtle had disappeared, her scanner whirring frantically as it tried to process the impossible energy readings. She then looked at Lin Ming, her eyes wide with a question she didn't know how to ask.
"How... how did you do that?" she whispered, a new level of awe in her voice.
Lin Ming just shrugged, looking out at the serene lake. "I guess... I'm a good clapper?"
Deep in his heart, he knew this was a turning point. The old tales were not just myths. There was real power hidden within the Earth, ancient guardians who had watched over this land for millennia. And one of them... had just acknowledged him. The path of his cultivation was tied to this world in ways he was only beginning to understand.