Zhào Wǔ was truly panicked, feeling like he was about to be burned to death by the lump of flames he had created, a case of self-immolation.
Hearing Lù Tiān's words, his heart found an anchor.
"Disappear! Disappear! Disappear!"
He not only willed the flames to vanish in his mind but also shouted it out madly.
At the same moment, the flames truly dissipated.
Zhào Wǔ stared, dumbfounded, at his empty palm where the flames had been. Large beads of sweat still trickled down his forehead. Calming himself, he looked at Lù Tiān and said gratefully, "Classmate Lù Tiān, thank you. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be finished."
Lù Tiān waved his hand, feeling a bit embarrassed himself. "It was my oversight. Abilities from the Five Elements System are quite special. I should have explained the basic operational methods more systematically before letting you try to use your ability."
"..."
After a round of explanations, Zhào Wǔ and Zhèng Cōng listened intently and finally understood. Humans who awaken abilities, whether it's strength or the Five Elements System, their subjective initiative is still controlled by the brain. The brain must issue a command first before the body can take corresponding action.
Both were very grateful for Lù Tiān's explanation. Had it not been for him, who knew how long it would take them to figure out a systematic summary.
"Lù Tiān, thank you!"
Zhào Wǔ and Zhèng Cōng formally bowed deeply to him.
Lù Tiān quickly helped them up, saying humbly, "It was just a small gesture, no need for thanks. I am also human!"
Lù Tiān emphasized the last five words, speaking them with great seriousness.
After a few more pleasantries, the two bid farewell to Lù Tiān. They had already spent considerable time here, and the information Lù Tiān had shared was vital. They had to hurry back to inform their company commander.
And once communications were restored, they would report this summary to higher-ranking officers, spreading the news nationwide.
This would allow more awakened humans to avoid detours and gain the power to fight back against monsters.
For Lù Tiān, it might have been just a few words, but nationwide, at a time when no one understood what awakening abilities meant, it could be considered a world-saving contribution!
The Orphanage returned to silence.
Zhōu Tōng lay on the sofa, Old Man Liú was still sensing his flame power, and Liào Kǎi sat beside him, chin propped in his hands, lost in thought.
"Xiao Tiān, you won't abandon me in the future, will you?"
Suddenly, Liào Kǎi's voice sounded in Lù Tiān's ear.
Damn it!
It was like asking him, "Bro, you wanna hook up?" The implication made Lù Tiān's hair stand on end.
"Kǎizi, did you hit your head?"
Liào Kǎi didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with his words. Instead, he said more earnestly, "It's the Apocalypse, monsters are everywhere, Old Man Liú is even awakening. What about me? I can only rely on you to feed me."
Lù Tiān's mouth twitched. So that was it, he had scared himself for nothing.
"Ahem, Kǎizi, awakening depends on physique. I've told you before, there will be opportunities. I promise you."
Liào Kǎi clearly didn't believe him, and his mood shifted from the seriousness of seeking sustenance to dejection.
"Don't lie to me, I'm not an idiot. At first, I even dreamed I was the chosen one, but I turned out to be a weakling with trash power. Who knows when I'll become monster poop."
"Don't lose heart. Haven't you read enough stories about underdogs making a comeback in novels?"
"Heh, I'm not brainless. Those stories in novels are clearly just to fool people."
"Uh..."
His clear-headedness left Lù Tiān speechless.
He stood up, patted Liào Kǎi's shoulder, and stopped trying to talk. Based on his understanding of Liào Kǎi, comforting him now would be completely ineffective. It would be more satisfying to just overwhelm him once he reached level 2, as a surprise for his good brother.
Lù Tiān touched his stomach. It felt like a bottomless pit that could never be filled.
He habitually glanced at the rhombus tattoo on the back of his hand. Four remained.
Maybe...
Eat some monster meat?
Replenish the rhombus tattoo to ten?
Barbecue sounds like a good idea!
He thought to himself; it was a good way to pass the time.
The surface of Blue Star still retained considerable magnetic radiation. Although the walkie-talkie could barely be used, he was unwilling to risk opening the tin box. If the electronic devices inside were damaged, replacements would be hard to find. Moreover, the more complex the electronic device, the more fragile it was.
It wasn't Lù Tiān bragging, but after the magnetic radiation subsided, probably only the equipment in his tin box in Linhai City would still function normally. It would be one of a kind.
Later, when he had free time at home, he could start the diesel engine to generate electricity, hook up the big TV, and play some single-player games. That would be quite enjoyable.
Thinking about this, Lù Tiān felt a sense of contentment. The difference between his two lives was immense. In his previous life, he was constantly struggling to get enough to eat and to survive under the fangs and claws of monsters. In this life, he could finally have some leisure.
Even if it was a bit lazy, life is lived regardless of how it's lived.
As long as it didn't interfere with his monster hunting and leveling up, he would naturally pursue a more comfortable way of life.
Lù Tiān walked to the rooftop of the three-story building. The rooftop was a flat surface with a tin shed built overhead, but the surrounding walls were not enclosed.
Originally, the plan was to demolish it, to get more compensation area. After all, demolition compensation for houses was based on whether they were topped out, calculated by the projected area of the roof. This way, the investment cost would be minimized. With the Apocalypse descending, demolition was meaningless.The rooftop was usually used to store some non-essential sundries/miscellaneous items, but now it had become a place to store monster meat.
Pieces of monster meat were suspended in the air by steel wires. Salt had been applied to the meat, making it wind-cured preserved meat. However, not enough time had passed, and the meat still retained a certain freshness.
Lù Tiān took down a piece of meat, about the length of an arm, and weighed it in his hand. It was substantial. He then went downstairs.
He took out the barbecue grill, placed some pre-purchased charcoal, and lit a fire. Then, he sliced the monster meat.
Before long, oil began to sizzle on the surface of the monster meat, and a delicious aroma filled the air.
The texture of the monster meat was different from Blue Star's native beef and mutton, giving it a unique flavor and excellent mouthfeel. With the addition of five-spice powder, chili powder, and various other seasonings, it was undoubtedly comparable to the skillfully prepared dishes of a master chef.
Lù Tiān picked up a slice of meat and put it in his mouth. After chewing, it was rich in oil but not greasy, leaving a lingering fragrance.
However, Lù Tiān still felt something was missing. His gaze shifted to the small vegetable patch in the yard, and his eyes lit up.
Old Man Liú had built a small plastic shed over the vegetable patch, where lettuce was planted. He had looked at it just yesterday; the lettuce had grown quite large. That was precisely why the area hadn't been cleared to store the purchased supplies.
He pulled out two clumps of lettuce from the vegetable patch and washed them with clean water. Eating them wrapped around the grilled monster meat, the mouth was filled not only with the aroma of meat but also with the fresh scent of vegetables, further enhancing the taste.
"Holy crap, Xiao Tiān, you're too much! You're eating barbecue without calling me? Doesn't your conscience hurt? Didn't you say you'd take care of me? Is this how you take care of me?"
Liào Kǎi approached, his eyes gleaming as he smelled the aroma.
Lù Tiān glanced at him and said irritably, "Are you sure you can still eat?"
Liào Kǎi looked miserable, touching his stomach. He said without a doubt, "If I keep eating monster meat, I'll explode."
"I'll just smell it then. It's okay to watch you eat, right?"
This remark made Lù Tiān laugh heartily.
On the second floor, Xiǎo Yǎ and Xiǎo Lín, who had been sleeping since noon, about eight or nine hours, had just woken up and smelled the strong aroma of grilled meat. Their empty stomachs made them swallow uncontrollably.
"It smells so good, I'm so hungry. Is Little Brother Xiǎo Tiān making barbecue?" Xiǎo Yǎ murmured in confusion.
Xiǎo Lín got out of bed and ran to the window. She saw Lù Tiān and Liào Kǎi downstairs, and indeed, there was a barbecue grill in front of Lù Tiān. She nodded excitedly. "Xiao Ya, you were right! Little Brother Xiǎo Tiān and Brother Kǎizi are grilling skewers downstairs, let's go down quickly."
The two girls put on their slippers and hurried downstairs.
As they passed through the main hall, they saw Old Man Liú sitting on a stool in a seated position, looking as if he were asleep. They found it rather strange.
However, tempted by the delicious grilled meat, they decisively rushed into the yard.
"Little Brother Xiǎo Tiān, we want to eat barbecue too."
Xiǎo Yǎ and Xiǎo Lín said, swallowing continuously. Their stomachs rumbled, clearly indicating they were very hungry.
Lù Tiān beckoned them to sit on the stools nearby and said with a smile, "You can eat as much as you want."
As he spoke, he handed them slices of monster meat, sizzling with oil, wrapped in emerald green lettuce leaves. "Try it, see if you like it."
"Thank you, Little Brother Xiǎo Tiān."
The two girls took them happily and popped them into their mouths, their beautiful big eyes filling with happiness.
"Wow! It's so delicious, Little Brother Xiǎo Tiān, I've never eaten such delicious barbecue before. Is this grilled with monster meat? I want more!"
"Mmm, mm, it's so good, so fragrant, Little Brother Xiǎo Tiān, I want more too."
Seeing the two girls with oily mouths, Lù Tiān couldn't help but laugh heartily. "There's plenty of meat, grill it yourselves. I don't even have enough for myself. Do it yourself, and you'll have plenty to eat."
"Okay, Little Brother Xiǎo Tiān, why don't you give us one more piece each?"
Xiǎo Yǎ stared longingly at the two other slices of sizzling grilled meat on the barbecue grill.
"Yeah, Little Brother Xiǎo Tiān, at least let us have something to fill our stomachs first. We're really going to starve."
Xiǎo Lín chimed in, but her eyes were glued to the grilled meat, not daring to move even half an inch.
Lù Tiān felt helpless and had to agree. It seemed he had grilled several slices, but had only eaten one so far, spending the rest of the time busy. Oh well, he was the older brother, after all.
"Let's agree on this first: just this one slice. Don't you dare eye my grilled meat again later."
"Hooray! Long live Little Brother Xiǎo Tiān! Don't worry, we're not like that!"
"Mmm, mm, yeah, we'll grill ourselves later."
Lù Tiān snorted inwardly. It would be strange if they weren't like that.
Just then, an intense heat emanated from the main hall. Even from outside, Lù Tiān felt his scalp being scorched by the flames. He suddenly turned his head, thinking, "Holy crap, the main hall is on fire!"
"Not good! Old Man Liú has lost control!"
Lù Tiān glanced around, grabbed the fire extinguisher that the firefighters had placed by the door, pulled the pin, and rushed towards the main hall.