Mature Fantasy Power Invasion

Chapter 59

As Yan Huan's curious gaze drifted over certain words in the phantom text, those words shimmered with golden light and expanded into detailed explanations.

[When exercise efficiency increases significantly, the rate at which muscle fibers tear and regenerate will also rise substantially. This leads to more intense pain, higher nutritional demands, and other related effects.]

Reading the explanation, Yan Huan roughly understood the implications of this new effect.

Normally, muscle growth during fitness training occurs because exercise causes muscle fibers to tear. During the regeneration process, they become tougher and stronger, promoting growth.

Now that this process was being accelerated, the pain from muscle fiber tearing would naturally become more intense.

On top of that, there was also a curse that doubled the pain.

Yan Huan swallowed hard, a drop of cold sweat sliding down his cheek without him realizing.

'This might hurt a bit...'

On closer analysis, he realized this combination was actually quite synergistic—rapid regeneration could easily lead to severe damage if the muscle fibers weren’t strong enough.

But the skill “Naked Strength” compensated for that perfectly.

As long as he trained without clothes, his physical attributes would receive a 100% buff proportional to the efficiency—surprisingly considerate.

“Meow?”

Beside him, Meow-chan tilted her head at Yan Huan in confusion, seemingly sensing his hesitation.

But Yan Huan quickly made up his mind.

'This curse will weaken as my muscles grow. After all, muscles can't grow indefinitely—there's a limit. If I endure the pain early on, it'll get better later.'

He stood up, took off his shirt, and walked over to the restroom mirror.

In truth, his body wasn’t exactly skinny. He often worked part-time and exercised, and he had no bad habits.

Of course, he wasn’t particularly muscular either.

Yan Huan pinched his somewhat soft, sagging muscles. They almost seemed to whisper an eager wish to 'grow bigger, grow stronger.'

"..."

So he slid off his pajama bottoms and walked back to the bedside.

Choosing this path would not only make his body healthier, but also improve his strength, endurance, and other attributes.

He couldn’t be sure it would help solve the modifier issue, but becoming stronger certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Speaking of modifiers, there were still two remaining skill options—

[Flexible Finger Technique], [Demon Chef].

The first seemed like a joke—he still had no idea what benefit the buff provided.

Other than unlocking a few more defeat CGs, Yan Huan couldn’t think of any real use for it right now.

(*) Note: CGs (short for "Computer Graphics") often refer to special images/scenes in visual novels or games.

As for "Demon Chef," that one piqued his interest. He wasn’t a cooking expert, but everyone needs to cook at some point.

'If I could make tastier food, why not?'

Except… there was that minor curse.

Three meals a day—if he cooked all of them himself, that meant three curses a day. Nine in three days.

And if he kept cooking nonstop, the curses would multiply endlessly inside his body, generation after generation.

Thinking it through, Yan Huan ultimately chose the third reward.

*Buzz!*

As the black orb shattered and poured into his body, Yan Huan first felt a sudden soreness in his previously numb legs.

He furrowed his brows and quickly figured out the reason.

“No way. Walking all day today counts as leg training?”

'Makes sense.'

Soon after, he noticed his body felt slightly lighter. When he stretched his fingers, they were filled with strength.

"..."

'Ah, so that's how it works.'

Yan Huan looked at his short-sleeved top and pajama shorts, then quickly realized something.

As long as enough of his skin was exposed, the “Naked Strength” effect would activate.

'So what if I took off even more…?'

At that idea, Yan Huan immediately began experimenting. He unbuttoned his pajamas and tossed them behind him.

The pajamas landed on the bed, covering Meow-chan who had been sitting upright. She struggled beneath the fabric and let out a confused “meow.”

“Sorry, Meow-chan. I’m testing the effect of ‘Naked Strength.’”

He reached out his hand, but still felt unsatisfied—so he removed a bit more.

“Meow~”

Meow-chan had just wriggled out from under the pajamas when she caught sight of something she clearly wasn't meant to see—her tail shot straight up, and she quickly retreated back under the covers.

“Whoa, this feels insanely powerful.”

Yan Huan excitedly swung his fists through the air. They sliced through with a sharp *whoosh*.

And it wasn’t just strength—his endurance, vitality, and other attributes were clearly enhanced.

He suddenly felt the urge to sprint barefoot down a beach like Sun Wukong.

(*) Note: Sun Wukong is a legendary figure from the Chinese novel *Journey to the West*, known for his incredible physical powers.

'Hard to imagine how exaggerated this buff will become after some training and bulking up.'

Yan Huan swallowed again and, after some quick experimentation, put his underwear back on.

The moment he did, the lightness in his body dropped noticeably.

“?”

Yan Huan opened his mouth slightly, carefully assessing the change. He estimated about a 30% drop in the buff.

The problem was—he wore triangle briefs, not boxers.

'How much fabric could that even be? How much coverage does it provide?'

And yet, he lost that much of the buff?

'Is this thing really based on fabric coverage!?'

"..."

In disbelief, Yan Huan took off his underwear again—and in that instant, the final piece of the “Naked Strength” buff snapped into place.

His brain, recently enhanced by the Intelligence Fragment, began operating at full speed. Soon, he wore the same bright-eyed expression as Tong Tingting, as if infected by her energy.

(*) Note: Tong Tingting is likely a character known for her energetic or inspired demeanor.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea!”

He rushed to the bedside, opened the nightstand drawer, and grabbed a mask.

Once he put it on, most of his face was covered—making it nearly impossible to recognize him.

*Snap!*

He instantly lost another 30% of the buff.

"..."

Yan Huan silently removed the mask, his expression darkening.

'Fine, fine.'

'So this is how we’re playing it?'

With a sigh, Yan Huan began putting on his clothes and pants one by one.

All things considered, “Naked Strength” was nearly impossible to fully benefit from unless he was completely alone—he lost too much otherwise.

Outside of special places like pools or water parks, the best you could do was go shirtless—and that was especially awkward when you hadn’t built any muscle yet.

Shirtless with a pair of above-the-knee sports shorts—that outfit probably gave about a 55% physical attribute buff.

After testing everything, Yan Huan finally picked up the pajamas from the bed and uncovered Meow-chan.

“Meow?”

"..."

Looking at the incredibly cute Meow-chan beneath, Yan Huan almost lost it. But then he suddenly remembered—Meow-chan had helped him plug in the USB earlier and had delivered the Bluetooth earpiece to Bai Yi.

'Wait, where’s my earpiece?'

'Did Bai Yi still not return it?'

Yan Huan slapped his forehead, only now realizing that the Bluetooth earpiece he’d taken from the Shao Shao group was missing again.

Last weekend, his school uniform had been lent to Ye Shiyu. She only returned it on Friday, covered in those horrifying “You’ve been marked” symbols.

Now this week, the earpiece was gone again—who knew when Bai Yi would return it…

“Forget it. I already invited her to the study group next week. If it comes to it, I’ll just ask.”

Yan Huan lay down on the bed with a sigh and turned off the light.

In his arms, the warm, fluffy furball snuggled up again, blinking its clear blue eyes at him.

Yan Huan looked at her, then rubbed her head and said,

“Good night, Meow-chan.”

Meow-chan tilted her head, then gave him a cute look.

“Meow~”

And just like that, another week passed.

“Morning, President.”

Monday morning, on the school bus from the southern district, Yan Huan glanced at Yaqiao Mu sitting beside him. Noticing the dark circles under his eyes, he asked,

“Didn’t sleep well last night?”

Yaqiao Mu nodded weakly and said,

"Last night after I got home, I looked up some exorcism rituals and ways to accumulate merit online and tried a few. Then I played the new galgame I bought at the convention yesterday—'Loli Heroine Little Sister Love,' hehe. The heroine is super cute. I love her."

(*) Note: Galgame is short for "gal game," a Japanese-style dating simulation game that often features anime-style female characters.

"."

'Yaqiao, I feel like whatever merit you earned from those rituals got instantly wiped out by playing that game. You might even be in spiritual debt now.'

However, Yaqiao Mu didn’t notice the disapproving look in Yan Huan’s eyes beside him.

He was about to put on his Bluetooth earpiece and tend to his digital potted plants when he noticed Yan Huan watching a beginner fitness tutorial on a video site.

Glancing at Yan Huan, who was reading the subtitles without wearing an earpiece, he asked curiously,

"President, why are you suddenly working out? Not busy lately?"

"Ah, I might be cutting back on part-time jobs soon, so I figured I'd try something new."

"I see."

Hearing that, Yaqiao Mu quickly closed the bishoujo game he had just opened, pulled up Plane, and said,

"Speaking of working out, President, I'll send you Teacher Jiaotan’s Plane. He's kind of well-known in the fitness community. Maybe it'll be easier if he trains you."

(*) Note: Plane refers to a Chinese social media app similar to Twitter or Instagram.

"Oh right, I forgot you said yesterday that he's also a fitness influencer."

Yan Huan recalled Teacher Jiaotan’s muscular physique from the day before—clearly the result of years of dedicated training.

With the modifier cheat, he couldn’t achieve that level quickly, but losing fat and gaining some muscle was definitely within reach.

"Send it to me then. I’ll talk to him later."

"OK, I’ll give him a heads-up too."

Not long after, Yaqiao Mu forwarded a user with a charcoal block avatar.

The Plane username matched the stage name: Jiaotan.

Yan Huan added him, but the request hadn't been accepted yet. It was still early, so the guy probably hadn’t woken up.

Since Yan Huan was already awake today, no girls came by to deliver him gifts. The two of them made their way to school in peace.

The school entrance was bustling with people. The new teaching building next to them, though still under construction, was nearly finished—it should be done within a week or two.

"Ah, finally almost done. It’s been so noisy. Especially when I go to the club in the afternoon. The club building is nearby, and even with headphones on, all I can hear while gaming is the sound of drills."

Yaqiao Mu looked at the building with deep resentment.

Don’t be fooled by Yaqiao Mu’s strong otaku aura—he was actually part of the computer club.

Yuanyue Academy had a strange dynamic: the anime club was filled with normies, while true otaku hid out in places like the computer club and math club.

Yaqiao Mu stared darkly at the building and pushed up his glasses.

"If our computer club wins the [Club Wars], I’ll make the Principal tear that building down."

"So you've already accepted that the computer club isn’t going to win?"

Yan Huan smiled slightly, just about to respond, when several sweet, chirping voices called out from behind.

"President Yan~"

"President~"

Yan Huan turned around to see several beautiful girls walking toward him with smiles on their faces.

The one in front was still a high schooler, but her mature charm made her stand out.

Her long black hair cascaded down, carrying a pleasant fragrance that accentuated her curvaceous figure.

Seeing this, Yan Huan quickly greeted her.

"Good morning, Senior Meiyue."

"Aiyo, President Yan, why didn’t you reply to our messages last week?"

Yingji Meiyue, president of the Mahjong Club at Yuanyue Academy.

"Yeah, yeah! You didn’t come to the club to play mahjong last week—we were dying to play!"

The two girls behind Senior Meiyue were the Mahjong Club's vice presidents, Long Ting and Yasa Yinwu.

"I had something to take care of last week, so…"

Before Yan Huan could finish, Yingji Meiyue smiled and said,

"Then how about coming to the club to play today? We’re one short, just one short!"

"We’re just missing you, President. You have to come today~"

One of the vice presidents seemed about to say something else with a smile, but her peripheral vision caught something.

The expressions of the older Mahjong Club girls subtly changed. Without waiting for Yan Huan’s reply, they waved and walked toward the teaching building.

"It’s settled then, President!"

'Mahjong, huh…'

'*Hiss*... Honestly, after not playing all break, I’m kind of itching for it.'

'It’s got nothing to do with those older girls—I just really want to declare a ready hand!'

Watching the girls walk away, Yaqiao Mu chuckled and nudged the President with his shoulder.

"President, want to go play mahjong this afternoon?"

"Hmm, I’ll think about it."

"Eh? Don’t tell me it’s because of Vice President Yinggong?"

"What do you mean?"

Yan Huan raised an eyebrow, looking at Yaqiao Mu beside him.

"Heh, everyone knows Mahjong Club President Yingji Meiyue and Vice President Yinggong don’t get along. They’re both from the Saku Nation, and word is they’ve known each other forever. Rumor has it the Yingji and Yinggong families are locked in a power struggle overseas. But, President, I’ve got insider info."

(*) Note: Saku Nation is likely a fictional or alternate name for Japan within the story's universe.

"Insider info?"

"Yeah, actually, the Yingji family can’t even compete with the Yinggong family. Their feud isn’t about family politics at all. The real reason is just one thing..."

Yan Huan was genuinely curious. Yinggong Tong rarely talked about her family, and he only had a vague idea of their background and influence.

"Hmm?"

So when Yaqiao Mu spoke so seriously, Yan Huan couldn’t help but listen closely.

But just as he turned to look at Yaqiao Mu with interest, something caught his eye.

His expression changed, and he was about to shout a warning—but it was too late.

"Ya—"

"It’s about the body, President! Her figure!! Senior Yingji’s figure is top-tier, but our Vice President Yinggong, tsk tsk... I heard that at a banquet in the Saku Nation, it was just—"

Yaqiao Mu was enthusiastically sharing gossip of questionable origin, but in that moment, whatever merit he had earned flickered like a candle in the wind.

Because behind him, a bone-chilling cold was spreading—

"Yaqiao-kun."

"."

Yaqiao Mu’s excited expression slowly stiffened as he turned his head.

Standing behind him was Aishili in her Discipline Chair uniform, a red armband on her arm.

Beside her stood Yinggong Tong, dressed in a black chiffon dress, smiling sweetly.

Just as Yaqiao Mu had said, Yinggong Tong was petite—and completely flat.

"Oh my, I didn’t expect a student who loves spreading rumors so much to be from our student council. What a headache. I have no choice but to let Yaqiao-kun reflect on his behavior in the Discipline Committee office."

Yet at that moment, her petite frame cast a terrifying shadow, making Yaqiao Mu even more certain—

'She’s a demon! There’s definitely a demon hiding inside Vice President Yinggong’s body!'

Aishili rubbed her brow, then turned to the Discipline Committee members behind her and gestured, "Take him."

Yaqiao Mu quickly turned to Yan Huan, hoping to plead for help.

"Presi—"

But when he looked, he realized Yan Huan had already backed away, watching him with an expression full of pity.

'You’re on your own, Yaqiao.'

"*Siiigh!*"

The next second, the tearful Yaqiao Mu was grabbed by two Discipline Committee members and dragged away under Aishili’s lead.

And so, on this Monday morning at the teaching building, only the ever-paired handsome boy and beautiful girl remained in the spotlight.

Yinggong Tong gently brushed her black hair and walked up beside Yan Huan.

"Morning, President."

"Ah, morning, Yinggong."

Just then, a pleasant female voice came from beside Yan Huan again.

"Morning, Yan Huan."

Both Yinggong Tong and Yan Huan blinked in surprise and turned to look.

What they saw was a beautiful girl wearing a mask, her curved eyes sparkling like stars.

It was Bai Yi.

[End of this chapter]

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