Dimensional Storekeeper

Chapter 194: Caught the Boss Lacking

That was only a tiny pulse of solar qi. Just a fraction of a proper burst, yet it already shot his hands forward with startling force, snapping them together faster than his muscles alone could manage.

Even without full power, the technique’s explosive acceleration was easy to feel.

The back of his hands vibrated faintly, still tingling – as if someone had secretly installed turbo boosters on his joints.

It reminded Hao of those arcade racing games where you hit the nitro button and the whole screen blurs.

Except this time, it was his palms doing the boosting… and also suffering the consequences.

He flopped back onto the bed, flexing his fingers as he ran through the basics of the Burning Drive Art in his head.

The First Core Movement was called Blazing Leap.

Simple idea.

Condense solar qi into your feet.

Burst it downward.

Launch into the air like a rocket with legs.

Hao blinked twice.

’Absolutely not doing that in this room.”

The Second Core Movement was Turnburst Vault.

Condense qi into one shoulder.

Detonate it to twist and push your upper body sideways – great for dodging!

Mastery level? You could chain it mid-spin, launching in zigzags.

Hao stared at his wall.

’Yeah, no. Definitely gonna eat drywall if I mess that up.’

His room was decently spacious.

But not ’oops I just became a flaming pinball’ spacious.

If he even accidentally pumped a bit too much solar qi into the burst?

There’d be a Hao-shaped hole in the wall.

Possibly followed by a Hao-shaped splat outside.

So instead, he just spent the next ten minutes on his bed.

Visualizing.

Every step.

The buildup. The qi flow. Where it pooled. Where it had to release.

And most importantly – how not to roast his knees off.

By the end of it, he wasn’t sure if he was confident… or just excited enough to pretend he was.

Either way, he stood up.

Time to test it out for real.

He stretched once, shook his arms out, then headed for the stairs.

As he passed by the lounge, he paused.

The four of them were still sitting together – Mo Xixi, Tian Lu, Kurome, and Yan Zhi – all leaning back in different comfy positions, still wearing their AirBuds and chatting away through the network.

Hao blinked.

’Do these guys know the AirBuds work in their rooms too?’

But they didn’t even glance his way.

Hao scratched his head.

Well. If they were having fun, who was he to stop them?

Let them vibe.

He turned and walked on.

In his head, he laughed.

It wasn’t a massive thing or anything.

Sure, AirBuds were super high-end, ultra-functional dimensional tech, but still.

He didn’t realize…

For the four of them, it was exactly the same feeling as finally unwrapping that long-awaited Christmas gift.

The one you wrote a list for.

Prayed for.

Talked about all year.

And when you finally got it?

You didn’t even want to put it down.

Just hold it in your hands a bit longer.

The kind of worthy companion you’d keep right beside your bed when you sleep.

Hao now stood in the middle of the storage area.

He cracked his knuckles. Rolled his shoulders.

Time to try the first core movement.

He closed his eyes for a breath.

Solar qi gathered. Slowly. Carefully.

This time, instead of blasting his palms forward, he sent it to his legs.

Just a little. Just enough.

Boom.

His right foot skipped across the floor with a sharp snap, pushing his body diagonally.

Hao staggered but didn’t fall.

A second breath. Left leg.

Boom.

He zipped forward and almost spun himself into a box of cola cans.

Hao steadied himself, panting lightly.

That… was better. Not perfect. But decent.

Then the sting came.

He looked at his ankle. A little red. A faint burn mark.

’This is the safer version?’

He stared at the faint smoke rising from his leg.

He couldn’t even imagine what the original version was like.

Did Chen Wu have some kind of damage-blocking bloodline?

Or did he just have an underdeveloped pain receptor system?

Like, did his nociceptors just not fire signals to his brain? Was his somatosensory cortex asleep the whole time?

Or was he just… built different?

What kind of person cooks their own leg, sees it bubbling, and goes.

“Yeah I’ll do that again.”

“…What a man.” Hao muttered.

He limped over to the storefront, grabbed one Tuna Mayo Onigiri, and bit into it like a soldier patching up mid-battle.

Light injury instantly recovered.

He tossed the wrapper into the bin, reached for a Lime Fizz, and cracked it open.

A sharp citrus fizz hit his tongue.

He gulped it down.

Not Cola – he didn’t need enhanced reflexes right now.

Lime Fizz was better.

Sharper mind. Calmer nerves. Good for focus. Good for learning.

Now, fully refreshed…

Time for round two.

Hao took another step forward, knees bent, heels lifted slightly.

Focus. Control. Burn less this time.

But what Hao didn’t know…

Was that on the second floor – right between the stairs and the landing above the storage area –

Four pairs of eyes were peeking down.

Barely.

Just the edges of their faces visible over the stair rail.

Group Channel: “Boss Is Up To Something”

’He’s doing it.’

’That’s definitely solar qi.’

’…He’s trying a technique, right?’

’Should we be watching this?’

It had started as a harmless chat.

Mo Xixi casually asked.

’Where do you think the boss is going?’

Tian Lu answered. ’Storage.’

’Such firm footsteps… Our Master clearly has a goal in mind.’ Kurome added.

And that was enough for them to all assume one thing:

He’s going to test something. Might even be dangerous.

They crept to the railing.

One by one.

No one stopped it.

Until now.

Yan Zhi fidgeted, crouched uncomfortably, both hands gripping the stairs.

’I-Isn’t this kind of bad…?’ he whispered through AirBuds.

’We’re, um… spying on Brother Hao.’

Tian Lu nodded solemnly beside him.

Kurome’s ears twitched once.

Mo Xixi scoffed, whispering back.

’It’s not spying. It’s… situational awareness, Junior Zhi.’

’But if he catches us, wouldn’t he be mad?’ Yan Zhi murmured, worried.

’It feels sneaky…’

His tone. His nervous face.

It made the others feel it too.

Suddenly, all four of them – elite, deadly, brilliant in their own ways –

Were crouched there like naughty kids hiding behind a couch.

’…He won’t find us, right?’

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