Chapter 252: It Wasn't My Talent That Failed Me, It Was This World That Failed Me!

—Really...

In recent years, it had become increasingly rare to see those two words appear.

Even the "minor auspicious" reading had become extremely scarce.

The events of these past few days, that suffocating pressure weighing on her chest, made it hard for her to breathe.

Someone even Wu Nuo acknowledged... could he truly be the pivotal turning point?

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School let out.

A boy and a girl walked side by side.

"You really had nothing going on these past few days?"

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Then why was there no sign of you for so many days?"

The boy carried the groceries she'd brought over, and for once, he paused thoughtfully before speaking seriously: "Because I went off to save the world."

Xia Yao couldn't hold back a sigh: "You just say whatever comes to mind from your dreams, don't you?"

On the second day of Lin Guang's return to school, someone finally couldn't resist sidling up to him.

Today, Xia Yao wore a cream-colored knitted cardigan, paired with the simplest plain white cotton tee underneath, and high-waisted light blue straight-leg jeans that accentuated her long, perfectly straight legs.

The outfit was simple, yet carried an indescribable sense of coordination and refinement. Combined with the light makeup on her pretty face and her sleek, jet-black long hair, she turned heads wherever she went.

But the boy beside her didn't seem to pay it any mind at all, as if she were just ordinary, nothing special in his eyes. It made Xia Yao's teeth itch with frustration.

—Is this blockhead getting even more dense?! A gorgeous girl like me is right here beside him and he acts like he can't even see me!

—But then again, come to think of it...

The black-haired girl's gaze did settle on the boy's face.

For some reason, although Lin Guang's face was as cold and handsome as ever, his eyes now carried a certain indescribable quality that hadn't been there before.

"..."

Xia Yao's face suddenly flushed almost imperceptibly.

"You always act like this, you jerk."

In the glow of the setting sun, the giant windmill in the city center turned slowly in the background like a scenic backdrop.

The two of them arrived at the entrance of the Sea Moon Residence. Just as they were about to step into the compound, Lin Guang suddenly seemed to sense something and turned his head.

Naturally, Xia Yao turned to follow his gaze.

Together, they watched a sleek black luxury sedan approaching slowly from the distance.

That was Xia Yao's family car.

The girl froze for a moment, then let out a sigh.

"Ugh."

Her expression looked both defiant and resigned. She waved at Lin Guang and said, "Alright, I won't make you cook today. I need to head back."

Lin Guang studied her face, seeming somewhat surprised.

The girl sighed again: "Ah, my family recently said I'm not allowed to stay out too late."

"Saying something about how it's been chaotic outside lately, and for safety's sake I have to be home by seven... What kind of feudal household am I living in? They're all basically never home themselves, and now they're trying to restrict me?"

"No matter how much Uncle An and I begged, it was useless. I'm so mad."

The next moment, the sedan pulled up in front of them.

The window rolled down, revealing the smiling, weathered face of the butler, Uncle An.

"Mr. Lin Guang."

Uncle An greeted Lin Guang warmly first, then looked at Xia Yao: "Miss... this is the young master's formal order. I have no choice but to comply."

"Tch, I know, I know."

Xia Yao was clearly throwing a bit of a tantrum, not even bothering to look her butler in the eye, which drew a wry smile from him.

Still, she obediently opened the door and got into the car.

Watching the sedan drive off into the distance, Lin Guang held the bag full of ingredients Xia Yao had given him, a flicker of thoughtful red light passing through his eyes.

—So that's how it is.

His past self had been that close to that world, just without ever realizing it.

A moment later.

On the living room coffee table, an old-fashioned transistor radio crackled softly, broadcasting brief news from the Wind Capital.

"Yanxia Group's 'Life No. 1' health supplement, launched last week, has received an enthusiastic response in the international market. Buoyed by this positive news, Yanxia Group's stock closed up 15% today, once again leading the Wind Capital stock market..."

"Around three o'clock this morning, a gas explosion occurred on the fifth floor of a residential building on Cuiping Road in the southern district of the city. The accident resulted in three deaths and two injuries. The specific cause is currently under investigation..."

"Yesterday afternoon, a middle-aged man fell from the twelfth floor of an office building in the western district of the city and died on the spot. Police stated that the specific cause is still under investigation..."

Accompanied by the slightly static-laden male voice from the radio, in the middle of the living room floor, Lin Guang, who had already finished dinner, was carrying out his daily physical training.

He was bare-chested, supporting himself with one hand on the ground, doing push-ups.

He hadn't been training for long, yet sweat was already dripping from his well-defined muscles onto the floor.

However, if one looked closely, they would see that a faint layer of red light seemed to cover the surface of his skin.

For him, ordinary push-ups obviously held no meaning.

But if it was self-against-self resistance, that was a different story.

Simulating a Spirit Outfit field and using powerful micro-manipulation to put himself through high-pressure refinement was certainly beneficial for his mastery of magic power.

Still, this was more of a habit.

After all, his current cultivation had also reached a bottleneck. In the real world, just like Wu Nuo, he was stuck at the ceiling.

D+ capacity was indeed the normal upper limit this world permitted.

It wasn't that he couldn't break through that barrier.

Lin Guang could sense that if he got serious, relying on his embryonic Domain, he could indeed push his magic intensity into the C-Rank territory under this pressure, and it wouldn't even be difficult.

But that wasn't a sustainable state, nor could it be maintained for long. It would be suppressed with extremely severe force, and he would eventually fall back down, wasting magic power and existence force for nothing. That was why it was called a Transcendent Means.

Before the broader environment loosened up, no matter how amazing you were, everyone was treated the same.

—It wasn't my talent that failed me, it was this world that failed me!

If he wanted to accomplish this, he'd likely have to wait until the next time the Game began, and find a way in another world.

He exercised while pondering all sorts of things.

At that very moment.

Lin Guang suddenly heard the sound of a text message coming from his phone.

He stood up, picked up the phone, and his eyes suddenly widened slightly.

—That thing is being delivered?

…………………

The sun set in the west, and the entire world fell into night.

Neon lights streamed ceaselessly through the city's streets, like fluorescent blood surging through veins.

A golden-haired girl carrying a silver briefcase leaped and sprinted rapidly across the rooftops of buildings, as nimble as a bird in flight.

Her movements were incredibly fast and light, every jump and landing utterly silent, like a graceful young wolf.

That bright red dress didn't flutter wildly in the wind. Instead, it seemed held in place by some peculiar force field, spreading slightly open with an elegant, anti-gravity beauty.