Restricted Fantasy Invasion

Chapter 15
"We're home, meow."

"Meow~"

On the sixth floor of an old apartment building in the neon-lit nightlife of the southern district, at the door of an east-facing room.

Yan Huan opened the door with his key, revealing a small forty-square-meter apartment with one bedroom and one living room.

When he turned on the hallway light, the somewhat cramped but tidy space inside came into view.

On one side of the hallway near the door was the kitchen counter, and on the other was a bathroom with separate wet and dry areas.

It was almost ten o'clock; mainly because the bus didn't go straight to the apartment, Yan Huan had to transfer to the subway on the way, so he arrived late.

Meow-chan, tail held high, was running around the living room, inspecting Yan Huan's own little Mickey Mouse clubhouse.

Meanwhile, Yan Huan unpacked his things from his backpack, hanging up the clean clothes and tossing the dirty shirt into the laundry basket.

He took out his phone; just now, Ye Lan had messaged him to ask,

"Are you home yet, Xiaohuan?"

Yan Huan smiled helplessly, looked at the chat window with the banana milk avatar, and typed his reply,

"I'm home, Auntie."

"Good, then get some rest early."

"You too, Auntie."

Yan Huan put down his phone, brought Meow-chan to the bedroom, and started packing tomorrow's books and computer into his bag.

After tidying up the place, taking a shower, blow-drying his hair, and changing into pajamas, he finally relaxed and lay down on his own bed.

By the time he finished all this, it was already past eleven.

"Creak, creak."

Compared to the high-end mattress at Ye Lan's place, the mattress in this rental apartment felt stiff and not very comfortable.

What's more, even a slight movement on the bed made the frame creak; if he did anything vigorous, the thing would probably turn into a musical instrument.

Fortunately, the soundproofing here was pretty good.

"A golden nest or a silver nest is still not as good as my own doghouse."

Lying on his own bed, Yan Huan sighed, staring blankly as he plugged in his phone to charge and opened a video website.

Next to him, Meow-chan, having finished patrolling its new territory, walked to the edge of the bed and then jumped up onto it.

Yan Huan rubbed its cat head and asked,

"So, Meow-chan, how's the new home? Is it okay?"

"Meow~"

Meow-chan wasn't picky at all. Instead, it lifted its head, tail straight up, and looked at Yan Huan with an excited gaze,

"Yan Huan, you really are the best candidate to counter those modifiers."

Yan Huan blinked while scrolling on his phone, not understanding why it suddenly praised him,

"What's going on? Why the sudden compliment?"

"I just swallowed part of the fragments dropped by Ye Shiyu's modifier."

"Fragments?"

Yan Huan became interested, put down his phone, and hurriedly asked,

"What's the story?"

"Do you remember what I told you on Friday?"

Yan Huan thought for a moment and said,

"The invasion of modifiers from another world, how they're looking for hosts, and then you gave me a modifier. You said the modifier's rewards would get stronger as I dealt with more modifiers, right?"

"Exactly. The way the rewards get stronger is by letting me devour the fragments dropped by other modifiers. And since it'll be a new week after midnight, we'll soon find out what's been enhanced-are you excited?"

Yan Huan looked at Meow-chan. His face didn't show excitement; instead, he rubbed his chin and pondered,

"Rather than the rewards, why don't you tell me the principle behind all this? Why did Ye Shiyu's modifier drop fragments, and why does my modifier get stronger when you eat them?"

Meow-chan gave Yan Huan a look of approval, then sat down properly, raised a paw like a beckoning cat, and explained,

"I said before, the way to resolve modifiers is to make them willingly give them up. In other words, the host's strong desire to use the modifier is the pillar holding up this castle in the air.

"Just now, because you made Ye Shiyu feel genuine regret inside, making her start to question the correctness of using her modifier, that kind of thinking is obviously harmful to the desire to use the modifier. And once the castle in the air wobbles because the desire is damaged, fragments fall off.

"Modifier fragments containing power from another world are within my domain of intervention. Through my divine transformation, I can turn them into fertilizer for your modifier, and your modifier's effect will be enhanced!"

So, Meow-chan, you've evolved!

Looking at the glossy, shiny fur of Meow-chan in front of him, Yan Huan felt like he was leveling up a Pokémon in a game.

Yan Huan sat up straight, displaying the kind of anticipation you'd see from someone rubbing their hands together like a fly.

All right, all right, let's see what surprise Meow-chan has brought me.

But since there was still a while before midnight, he had to wait a bit longer. Yan Huan happened to think of another question and asked,

"Wait, if Meow-chan, you get stronger by eating fragments, does that mean their modifiers get weaker after losing fragments?"

"Mmm, unfortunately, that's not the case, meow."

"Why not? Doesn't that violate the law of conservation of energy?"

Meow-chan gave him a look like he was an idiot, but still explained,

"Don't forget, their modifiers come from the lewd world, so their principles are totally different from mine, meow! Their modifier's effect is closely tied to the host's desire. As long as the host's desire doesn't fade, their modifier won't get weaker."

"So, even if they lose a bunch of fragments, their modifier's effect won't weaken at all?"

"That's right, meow."

"Well, never mind then."

Yan Huan lay back down, speechless, but Meow-chan meowed and nudged him with its paw, saying,

"Don't be discouraged, meow. If a lot of fragments have dropped, it means the host is already seriously doubting using the modifier. At that point, they're not far from giving it up willingly!"

That's true.

All in all, it's only been two days since this started, and Meow-chan already got the first fragment before the first weekend was even over. That's actually pretty good progress.

No wonder it praised Yan Huan as the chosen one to resolve modifiers.

But Yan Huan didn't care about these abstract things; he was much more interested in the enhanced rewards.

Originally, he planned to just watch some videos and go to sleep-after all, he had to get up early for school tomorrow-but now he was interested and decided to wait until after midnight to get his reward before sleeping.

Watching videos and petting the cat, time quickly ticked to midnight.

When he saw the clock on his phone jump to twelve, he sat up and looked at Meow-chan, who also sat up, and said expectantly,

"Time's up, come on, let me see."

"Meow~"

Meow-chan meowed, and suddenly spat out a stream of illusory golden light.

That stream of light expanded in front of Yan Huan, gradually forming lines of phantom text.

[Modifier level change: 1→2]

[Prize pool level upgraded to 2, which means you'll randomly unlock even stronger rewards]

[Modifier evolution count +1, random attribute fragment +1]

[Please choose your preferred evolution path from the two branches below]

What's going on?

Modifiers can choose evolution paths now?

Yan Huan raised his eyebrows and continued reading.

[Evolution Path One: Bulk Deal]

[You get one more reward per week, but two out of the three rewards will come from a prize pool one level lower.]

[Evolution Path Two: Devil's Contract]

[In each week's set of three choices, one reward comes from a lower-level prize pool, and one from a higher-level prize pool. If you pick the higher-level reward, it comes with a minor time-limited curse.]

Yan Huan blinked, then grabbed Meow-chan's chubby face and, with a dark expression, demanded,

"Wait, this is a gamble too? What the heck is a prize pool? And what's with these evolution paths?"

"Once a modifier is born, I can't directly intervene in its effects anymore, meow! No matter the form, it's all to help you, nya!"

Getting no answers from Meow-chan, Yan Huan had to turn his attention back to the two options in front of him.

Obviously, the three rewards he got on Friday all came from the level one prize pool.

Two were junk, and one was actually pretty useful.

So, the stuff in the level one prize pool must be really hit or miss; picking from it is like choosing the tallest dwarf.

The main thing is, he didn't have a clear idea of what level two or higher rewards were like, so he couldn't make a snap decision.

But even if the level is high, it probably wouldn't be too outrageous-there wouldn't be things like Superman or Doctor Strange. After all, Meow-chan's goal was to maintain the reasonable operation of the world-line, and these rewards were to help him complete his mission and have a better life afterward, not to create another superhero.

With that in mind, Yan Huan actually felt pretty confident.

He decided to have a little dessert before the main course.

So, instead of choosing an evolution path first, he looked up at the [random attribute fragment].

As the name suggests, no need for much explanation.

All right, time to gamble!

[Charm Fragment-slightly increases your attractiveness to your own kind]

[Kid, this world is all about looks.]

[Reproduction Fragment-slightly increases your abilities related to reproduction]

[There was once a gentleman who used this as an excuse]

[Stamina Fragment-increases your stamina slightly]

[Hmm, maybe quitting staying up late would be more effective.]

Yan Huan pressed his lips together and decided to choose the first one.

The third one goes without saying-there's no need to waste a modifier on something you can get through hard work and training.

As for the second one...

How should I put it, in the current situation where you're walking a tightrope against the modifier, and failure would unlock a restricted defeat CG, picking this thing is a bit like paying to go to work.

The first and second are kind of similar, but in terms of versatility, the Charm Fragment is more suitable.

That golden light transformed from the Charm Fragment gradually faded away, flowing into Yan Huan's body. He picked up the front camera to check, but didn't notice much change.

Slightly.

Yan Huan recalled the description of the Charm Fragment just now.

Isn't this a bit too slight?!

It's so slight you can't even tell if it's working!

Yan Huan shook his head and finally set his sights on the heavyweight evolution path selection.

In the end, he chose the latter.

He didn't know what high-level rewards might offer, but the low-level ones made him feel awkward-no matter how many he got, they didn't seem useful, so he might as well take a gamble.

Go big or go home.

"Bzzz bzzz bzzz!"

As Yan Huan made his choice, the golden light surged quickly, and finally, three golden orbs of varying sizes burst out from within Meow-chan.

From left to right, the size increased in order, corresponding to their reward pool level.

And the last, slightly larger one, was even shrouded in a bit of black mist.

[Skill: Ventriloquism. As the name suggests.]

[There is a master of ventriloquism in the capital.]

[Ability: Unrestrained Vitality. Your stamina and energy recovery speed will be moderately enhanced, but your appetite will also increase greatly.]

[The greater the ability, the greater the appetite.]

[Ability: Learning Conqueror. When you do anything related to learning, you gain one stack for every half hour of focus, up to 10 stacks. If you stop focusing for 10 minutes, stacks reset. Each stack increases learning efficiency by 15%. At max stacks, you also gain a significant intelligence boost.]

[I will conquer all unknowns until I become nothing but bones.]

[Curse: When not focused, you will inevitably feel mildly drowsy for 5 days.]

Looking at the text bursting from the third golden orb, Yan Huan couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

Although it wasn't unexpected that the abilities given wouldn't be earth-shattering, the level 3 reward pool effects were indeed impressive.

At max stacks, your learning efficiency is 250% of normal, plus a significant intelligence boost. You can max out in just five hours.

And mild drowsiness-

That doesn't sound too hard to overcome.

Yan Huan nodded repeatedly at the rewards before him and decided to pick the Learning Conqueror with the curse attached.

In terms of daily life, this ability would greatly improve his learning efficiency, which would be very helpful for his future development.

As for dealing with the modifier, this ability would also save him time on coursework, so he could spend more energy on modifier-related matters.

All in all, this was a very useful reward.

The golden orb suddenly burst, and the golden light and black mist within all surged into Yan Huan's body.

Yan Huan blinked. Before he could experience the effects of Learning Conqueror, the drowsiness hit him first.

He felt his eyelids grow heavier. If he relaxed and didn't force himself to stay awake, he'd probably doze off in no time.

Yan Huan was willing to call this his "anti-insomnia artifact."

Yawning, Yan Huan finally finished everything and could go to sleep.

But it felt a bit like staying up late to watch a BO3 esports match, only to see your favorite team lose 1:2 after giving it their all.

The match was exciting, but it was hard not to feel a little disappointed.

He set an early alarm for school the next morning, turned off the bedside lamp, and then scooped Meow-chan into his arms.

"Meow~"

Meow-chan obediently tucked its paws in and lay on his chest. Yan Huan pulled the blanket over both of them, so in the darkness, only its cat head with big green eyes stared back at him.

"Meow-chan, I thought you were going to fully power up, sweep everything, and be yourself again. But after super-evolving, you still feel so much weaker than the other modifiers."

Yan Huan squinted, sighed, and said so.

Bai Yi's Indifference, Ye Shiyu's Hypnosis, and that golden-haired woman's unknown superpower...

Just thinking about it still gave him a headache.

"Meow?"

But Meow-chan just tilted its head.

Staring at the lying Yan Huan, Meow-chan suddenly spoke to him in his mind,

"Yan Huan, do you really think those modifiers came here to help their hosts fulfill wishes?"

"...I know, they're here to invade and destroy the world-line. But those modifiers are so powerful, helping their hosts fulfill wishes is probably just a side effect, right? Even if those desires are a little dirty..."

Meow-chan shook its head at Yan Huan, and said very seriously,

"I always call those things modifiers, not cheats, plugins, or systems, because they're not harmless cheat tools. On the contrary, they're tumors that will destroy their hosts along with everything else."

In the darkness, its crystal-clear green eyes stared at Yan Huan, emphasizing every word,

"Using those modifiers comes at a terrible price, Yan Huan."

"..."

Yan Huan stroked Meow-chan's warm body and said thoughtfully.

"Don't tell me the so-called price is divine retribution, fate's cycle, or some moral trial. I don't buy that."

"No, Yan Huan, the price I'm talking about is something real. Even if I don't know exactly what it is now, I know for sure there will be one."

Staring at Meow-chan in the darkness, Yan Huan blinked, then let out a long sigh and finally closed his eyes.

Then, he smiled a little and said,

"Well, whatever it is, at least I feel at peace now."

"Meow~"

Meow-chan obediently snuggled in his arms and made a little hum.

The bedroom quieted down, looking like the prelude to sleep.

But the next moment, Yan Huan suddenly remembered something. He quickly opened his eyes and looked at Meow-chan in front of him,

"So, does using your modifier come with a price too? Even if it's not as serious as theirs..."

"Meow~"

Meow-chan lifted its head to look at him, as if to say: "I'm a cat, how could I talk like a human?"

"So is there a price or not?"

"Meow~"

Meow-chan blinked cutely, looking like the most adorable little cat in the world.

But Yan Huan could tell at a glance that this guy was sulking because he'd just said it wasn't as good as those other modifiers, so now it refused to talk.

Yan Huan's face darkened. He pinched its chubby cheeks and shook it,

"Meow-chan!"

"No, no! Don't pinch my face, meow!"

(End of this chapter)