Apocalypse: I Have One More Keyword Than Others

The next day.

When Feng Jiu came out of his room, he stank to high heaven.

Sweet, foul, sour, spicy – an array of odors blended together as though he'd been sleeping in a landfill for ten days without a bath. He was thoroughly marinated in the smell.

The two servant girls attending to him looked at him with inexplicable fear, wanting to cover their noses but not daring to do so.

They tried to keep as far away from Feng Jiu as possible. Both maintained the same posture, holding their breath and clenching their teeth, their faces turning bright red. When they couldn't hold it in any longer, they would suddenly take a deep breath, and then, a mask of agony would appear on their faces. In the presence of Feng Jiu, it seemed like breathing itself was a sinful act.

Feng Jiu, looking invigorated, paid no mind to the smell emanating from his body. He picked up the stone weights in the courtyard, used for strength training, and tossed them up and down to test his power.

The forty-pound stones felt as light as feathers in his hands.

Seeing Duge emerge from his room, Feng Jiu excitedly dropped the stone weights and ran towards him, like a child showing off his achievements to an adult, "Brother Qi, I did it, I've made it..."

A wave of pungent odor hit him, changing Duge's complexion in an instant. With a whoosh, he leaped far away, gripping his nose with one hand and stretching out the other in a stopping gesture, his voice echoing awkwardly, "Stop right there, don't come closer."

Senses, including smell, amplified – if the servant girls could just about tolerate Feng Jiu's stench, Duge couldn't bear it at all. To him, Feng Jiu's odor was akin to a biochemical weapon.

For the first time, Duge experienced the downside of heightened senses. If Feng Jiu was always going to smell like this, Duge would have to consider whether to abandon this little brother...

Gluttony was meant to be a Dragon Child, yet to have been tampered with to such a smelly extent by Feng Jiu!

What a talent!

Feng Jiu lifted his sleeve to sniff at it and gave an embarrassed laugh, stepping back two paces, "Brother Qi, it does stink a bit! I'll go take a bath in a moment. I just wanted to tell you, your method was correct. Taking laxatives while binge eating truly did help me grow. In just one night, my strength has more than doubled, and my senses have become sharper..."

Your senses are sharp?

You're nowhere close to me!

Duge paused, surprised, as his eyes widened, "You actually went through with eating and purging all night long?"

The servant girls must have thought of something, for their faces spasmed right then, and they involuntarily dry-heaved a few times.

"Mhm, you can't accomplish anything substantial without going mad for it," Feng Jiu said excitedly, "That saying really does make sense. Brother Qi, I've been thinking; my current condition isn't suitable for wandering the martial world. How about I stay and guard the house for you instead? If the Feng family really does bring in another Heavenly Demon from outside, I'll handle them..."

Upon hearing this, the servant girls outside Feng Jiu's room felt darkness descend before their eyes, nearly fainting right there and then. Their gazes towards Duge were filled with pleading; their eyes seemed to speak, begging, "Please take him away with you!"

...

If you're really going to eat and purge all the way, I certainly won't take you with me. First, it's too embarrassing, and second, I can't stand the smell, Duge ignored the servant girls' looks and fixed his gaze on Feng Jiu, his expression complex. He had to admit, this guy was tough as nails.

What a pity he has been misled by me and ended up down the wrong path.

When I first crossed over, fooling him must have been a stroke of genius!

If everyone in the training simulation was like him, then the number one rank I hold really wouldn't be worth a dime...

If 'Gluttony' were my keyword, I would probably focus on greed and ferocity...

But then again, Gluttony is indeed hard to master...

Duge didn't share the secrets of cultivating Gluttony with Feng Jiu. They were competitors, after all, and this guy had once tried to trick him. It was already generous enough that Duge spared his life; how could he possibly cultivate his growth in earnest!

Don't let the term "Brother Qi" fool you into thinking he'll show you his heart; he might just backstab you the next moment, kick you out of the simulation, and leave you clueless about who to seek revenge on. What if he has a couple of key words too?

Duge brought Feng Jiu along. Was he planning to slowly find out from him what the real world was like?

Now he had completely abandoned that idea. He nodded at Feng Jiu, "That's fine. You stay at the Feng family's mansion where resources are more plentiful. It's indeed not quite suitable for you to follow me. You go freshen up, and come find me later. We'll discuss the future arrangements."

"Hmm, I also have something to discuss with you," Feng Jiu said with a smile. Having said that, he bid Duge farewell and turned to find a maid to arrange for his hot water bath.

Duge then went to find Feng Yunjie. Martial arts couldn't be mastered in a moment, and he felt the need to prepare some throwing knives to compensate for his inability to deal with qinggong masters. At the same time, he instructed the people of the Feng family to keep an eye on Feng Jiu, to not let him get too out of line. Another backstab would provide an opportunity for him to gain some experience.

Maintenance had to be done, but backstabbing couldn't be neglected either.

Even a mosquito's leg is still flesh.

...

Half an hour later.

Duge and Feng Jiu met in the back garden of the Feng family's mansion.

Both had changed their clothes.

A man relies on his clothes as a horse relies on its saddle.

Duge wore a dark blue robe with a longsword slung on his shoulder and a pouch full of throwing knives hanging at his waist. With ordinary looks, Duge's contemporary demeanor stood out, exuding confidence and boldness. At first glance, he had the air of a young swordsman, a stark contrast to his tattered practice partner appearance from the day before.

Feng Jiu was dressed in a pure white robe, looking slightly dashing. His youth and handsome features made him resemble a young master from a wealthy family.

But his image was significantly downgraded by a large cloth bag filled with food, bulging in size like a foolish young master from a landlord's house.

By this time, Duge held a distinguished position as a guest of the Feng family. Without his orders, there would be no foolish people following and spying on him as they did yesterday.

"Brother Qi, want some?" Feng Jiu took out a roast chicken from his big cloth bag, tore off a chicken leg with a hehe and a grin, and offered it to him.

"No need, I've eaten already," Duge shook his head and decisively declined. Just the sight of Feng Jiu made his brain involuntarily flash back to the image of him eating and defecating, which spoiled his appetite.

"Brother Qi, you were right," Feng Jiu glanced at Duge, smiled, stuffed the chicken leg into his mouth, tore off a piece of meat, and chewed with bulging cheeks. As he chewed, he said, "Yesterday, I truly overstuffed my stomach to the point of bursting. I was rolling on the ground in pain, thinking I was going to die. But then, enduring the pain, I continued stuffing food into my mouth, and the torn stomach healed itself. My physical fitness improved tremendously. In that moment, I understood the true meaning of Gluttony; to be greedy, truly greedy, to the point of bursting and then you've succeeded."

"Congratulations," Duge saluted with a fist and casually asked, "Being so harsh on yourself, you must have awakened an advanced skill, right?"

"It's not that easy. It's good if one in ten people can awaken an advanced skill," Feng Jiu continued chewing, tossing chicken bones into his mouth and crunching them up, "But it's you, Brother Qi, who've made rapid progress. You must've awakened a skill, right?"

The frequency of his chewing slowed for a split second, his eyebrows subconsciously twitched, and his pupils dilated slightly...

Feng Jiu had managed to disguise it well, but still couldn't escape Duge's keen observation. This guy definitely had awakened an advanced skill!

Duge looked meaningfully at Feng Jiu and said, "I haven't either. Perhaps the maintenance is just superficial and hasn't led to action. Really, I wonder what kind of advanced skill might awaken from maintenance, especially if it's just a support skill, that wouldn't be fun."

Feng Jiu laughed, "Brother Qi, even without an advanced skill, with your physical fitness and brains, breaking into the top ten shouldn't be a problem. Brother Qi, I've been meaning to ask, what's your current rank?"

Duge opened his personal profile, glanced at the glittering first place, and offhandedly said, "Forty-nine."

Feng Jiu paused, looking at Duge with envy and a bitter smile, "As expected, into the top fifty. Ah, comparison really is the thief of joy! I struggled all night eating, tossing and turning between life and death, and only managed a rank in the two hundreds. With just a few casual words of persuasion from you, you broke into the top fifty. We ordinary college students can't compare with you elites; the starting point is too far behind, it's really not something that can be caught up with just effort..."