Future Masters in Modern Times

Chapter 23: The Second Enhancement!

The suite on the top floor of this hotel was, of course, the finest accommodation available here. The top-floor facilities exuded luxury in every detail, showcasing just how exceptional this place was. Each suite here costs around ten thousand U. S. dollars per night—a price most people could never afford even once in a lifetime. So much had happened over the past two days that Adelaide was physically and mentally exhausted. With a look of exhaustion on her face, Adelaide was escorted directly into a presidential suite, while Catherine stayed in the room next door. As for the bodyguards, some went to rest, while others stood guard outside the door to ensure their safety. For these bodyguards, going several days without sleep is normal; they still maintained their high energy levels. A waiter approached Zhao Wuji. He was dressed head to toe in a pure white uniform, wore cotton gloves on both hands, and had a respectful smile on his face. Upon reaching Zhao Wuji, the waiter first bowed slightly and said with a smile, “Sir, your accommodations have been specially arranged. Please follow me.” Although the waiter was from Limes, his English was fluent and authentic. Zhao Wuji nodded and followed the waiter down the hallway. Along the way, one exquisite chandelier after another cast a soft, white glow, filling the entire floor with a warm atmosphere. After walking for a few minutes, they stopped in front of a suite. The attendant turned back with a courteous smile, opened the door, stepped aside, and extended his right hand to gesture for Zhao Wuji to enter. Everything that met his eyes felt incredibly familiar. Intricately carved beams and painted rafters gave the room an antique, classical charm. Zhao Wuji wasn’t sure if that was the right way to describe it, but everything in the room was distinctly Chinese in style. Zhao Wuji took a gentle sniff; a delicate fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose—subtle yet alluring. “It’s orchids,” Zhao Wuji said, taking another deep breath. “That’s very thoughtful,” Zhao Wuji said, thanking the attendant. “Esteemed guest, if these humble gestures bring you satisfaction, it is truly my honor.” The attendant’s smile remained constant, without a trace of artificiality; it seemed to come straight from the heart. Zhao Wuji thought to himself that there was clearly a reason this hotel enjoyed such a global reputation. The door closed softly. Zhao Wuji walked over to a large, plush bed, placed his hands beneath his forehead, and lay down. Given his current physical condition, he naturally felt no fatigue whatsoever, but he chose to treat this as a form of relaxation. After resting his eyes for quite a while, Zhao Wuji recalled the crystal he’d obtained in prison. He opened his eyes, took out the crystal, and under the soft lighting, it actually emitted a dazzling glow. “It’s time!” Zhao Wuji said. As the words left his mouth, his eyes flashed with intensity, and he clenched the crystal tightly in his hand. Zhao Wuji decided to begin his second enhancement; combined with the raw souls he had absorbed previously, he now had exactly what he needed to proceed. Sitting up from the bed, Zhao Wuji walked toward the suite’s shower. Since the enhancement process causes the body to expel a great deal of impurities, the shower was the perfect place to wash them away. Zhao Wuji stripped off all his clothes, revealing a body of well-defined muscles that glowed faintly under the light. He first spent some time absorbing the crystal’s energy into his body, and when the energy reached a critical point… Zhao Wuji’s muscles trembled all over—the enhancement had begun! “Hehe,” Zhao Wuji’s expression clearly showed he was enduring pain, yet a hint of a smile still lingered around his eyes and brows. “It still hurts just as much.” His muscles twitched repeatedly, and every pore expanded and contracted, expelling the viscous black impurities. The showerhead was already on; the water—neither too hot nor too cold—was just right as it washed over Zhao Wuji’s entire body. Whenever black impurities were expelled, they were washed away by the stream. At Zhao Wuji’s feet, the black water slowly flowed away; at first, it was very dark, but as time passed, its color grew increasingly pale… Finally, after an unknown amount of time, the water washing over Zhao Wuji was no longer tinged with black, and his muscles had stopped twitching. The second enhancement was a complete success. The crystal had already completely transformed the moment it finished absorbing the energy, becoming nothing more than an ordinary, pockmarked rock. Zhao Wuji gave it a gentle squeeze, and it immediately crumbled into a pile of dust, which was then carried away by the water and vanished. On the wall hung an ivory hook used to hang towels. Zhao Wuji reached for the towel and wiped the water droplets from his body. There happened to be a mirror on the wall, its edges inlaid with silver. Zhao Wuji walked up to it and examined his body after the enhancement. First of all, his muscles were as uniform and well-defined as marble, and his complexion had become even more luminous and fair. While the size of his muscles hadn’t changed noticeably, Zhao Wuji knew that their density and strength had risen to a whole new level—he now possessed a strength of exactly 4,000 jin in a single arm, which equaled two metric tons. Just imagine what that means! Take the small cars on the street, for example—they generally weigh just over one metric ton. If Zhao Wuji were so inclined, he could lift one in each hand and swing them around. If he used the cars as weapons to strike someone, he could send them flying out of sight. Some might ask: with such immense strength, wouldn’t he accidentally harm innocent bystanders in his daily life? There’s absolutely no need to worry about that, because Zhao Wuji’s control over his strength is unmatched in this world—and that is what truly makes him terrifying. I doubt anyone would ever imagine that a being resembling a primordial beast exists right beside them! After undergoing two rounds of enhancement, Zhao Wuji considered himself capable of defending himself in this world; from now on, as long as nothing particularly out of the ordinary happened, he would generally be safe. The shower door swung open, and billowing steam poured out, blurring one’s vision. Zhao Wuji’s figure appeared and disappeared within the mist. Having finished his enhancement, he stepped out of the shower and turned on the light outside—only to hear a gasp. From the sound of it, it was clearly Catherine. Catherine’s face flushed red, a hue that made her cheeks look even more radiant and alluring. She turned her head away, trying hard not to look at Zhao Wuji’s athletic physique—which set her heart racing—and stammered, “Zhao, um, it’s time for dinner. I set aside a few steaks for you. Would you like to eat?” Catherine looked expectantly at him, tilting her head slightly to catch Zhao Wuji’s reaction, but when he looked her way, she turned away again, instantly overcome with shyness. Come to think of it, as a Western girl, Catherine shouldn’t have this kind of personality. However, because she had received a different upbringing from others since childhood, her personality had, in a way, come to resemble the reserved and shy nature of Eastern people. “Oh, thank you, Miss Catherine. Wait for me a moment while I get dressed.” Zhao Wuji accepted Catherine’s suggestion and prepared to get dressed. “Oh, sure. Go ahead and get dressed. I’ll wait,” Catherine said, feeling a surge of joy inside; she was delighted that Zhao Wuji had accepted her invitation. Zhao Wuji nodded, reached out to pick up the clothes scattered on the bed, and casually untied the bath towel wrapped around him. To his surprise, Catherine was still standing in the room and hadn’t left. Didn’t she know she should avoid giving the wrong impression? Just as Zhao Wuji was changing, Catherine—who had been facing away from him—quietly turned around and stole a glance at him as he dressed, her face flushing in waves, the blush growing even more pronounced. How could Zhao Wuji possibly have failed to notice her gaze? He chuckled to himself inwardly—Catherine was too shy to look directly at him as he changed, yet in the end, she couldn’t resist her curiosity and ended up peeking at him surreptitiously. Zhao Wuji didn’t call her out on it and continued changing, unaware that a storm was already raging inside Catherine’s mind. Zhao’s physique was truly stunning! After secretly watching Zhao Wuji change, Catherine was left reeling from wave after wave of visual impact. In her heart, now filled with a flutter of excitement, only a few straightforward words remained: “handsome,” “perfect,” and so on. “Miss Catherine, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.” Zhao Wuji slipped on the last piece of clothing, stretched his body, and felt quite comfortable. “Zhao, you can just call me Catherine—it feels more natural that way, doesn’t it?” Hearing Zhao Wuji persist in addressing her as “Miss Catherine,” Catherine furrowed her brow and said to him. Zhao Wuji raised an eyebrow. “Of course, no problem. Catherine, right?” Catherine beamed and said to Zhao Wuji, “Well then, let’s go!” With graceful strides, Catherine led Zhao Wuji down the hallway, guiding him to her suite. A few minutes later, Zhao Wuji and Catherine finally arrived at her suite. The interior of Catherine’s suite was entirely European in style, yet exuded a soft, gentle ambiance—perfect for Catherine’s taste. A subtle, elegant fragrance filled the room, not at all overpowering. A serving cart stood in the center of the room, with three semicircular metal lids covering silver platters. Next to the platters was a bottle of Bordeaux red wine filled with amber-colored liquid; under the lighting, the wine shimmered with an alluring glow. Beside the wine were several pristine white tablecloths, with knives and forks neatly arranged upon them. “Zhao, please have a seat,” Catherine said to Zhao Wuji as she sat down in the chair in front of the dining cart. Zhao Wuji nodded, but stepped forward to pull out Catherine’s chair first, smiling as he said, “Ladies first.” An enchanting smile immediately lit up Catherine’s face. “Zhao, you’re such a gentleman,” she said, then sat down herself. Zhao Wuji then sat down and lifted the lids off the three semicircular metal trays for Catherine. As the lids were lifted, a fragrant aroma mixed with steam wafted toward them. On the silver platters, three steaks sizzled as fat bubbled up, and a rich black pepper sauce was evenly drizzled over them. The aroma of the steaks, mingled with the scent of black pepper, filled the air, whetting everyone’s appetite. Catherine picked up one of the silver platters, took her knife and fork, and began to enjoy her dinner. Seeing this, Zhao Wuji didn’t stand on ceremony; he took a silver platter of his own and began to savor the steak to his heart’s content. The candlelight cast a soft glow on Catherine’s face, and she found herself lost in thought. The atmosphere between the two was somewhat ambiguous.