As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider.

Lin Chen raised his hand and pushed open the door to the photography studio. He had just taken a step when he stopped in his tracks.

The scene before my eyes has completely changed.

No longer are the familiar asphalt roads, convenience store neon lights, and scattered houses of Tokyo in the Faiz parallel world; instead, there is a dense forest.

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

The world shifted so suddenly, without any warning. Although he had known for a long time that photographic light could travel through the world, he hadn't expected it to be so silent. He subconsciously looked around, his mental energy spreading out silently in all directions like invisible ripples—an instinct he had developed at the Smart Brain Academy, a sense that no matter where he was, he would first perceive his environment, check for danger, and confirm his own safety.

Just then, a figure rode a bicycle slowly past on a forest path in the distance.

Lin Chen looked up and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Tsukasa Kadoya had somehow changed into a retro messenger uniform: a navy blue shirt and matching trousers, topped with a small round cap. His normally carefree and unrestrained demeanor was given a touch of seriousness by this attire, yet it also carried an incongruous sense of comicality. The bicycle wheels crunched over fallen leaves, making a soft crackling sound, and his figure quickly disappeared into the shadows of the trees.

"Shi! Wait for me! Don't ride so fast!"

Hikari Natsumi's voice followed closely behind. The girl lifted her skirt and hurriedly chased after her, quickly following in the direction of Kadoya Tsukasa.

At the vast entrance to the forest, Lin Chen was the only one left for a moment.

He didn't chase after them.

Tsukasa Kadoya has always acted as he pleased, and Natsumi Hikari's willingness to follow him was her choice, while Chen Lin is more accustomed to acting at his own pace.

Lin Chen withdrew his gaze, chose a direction opposite to that of Kadoya Tsukasa and the other person, and slowly stepped into the street that extended out from the forest.

He always maintained a state of full awareness.

After breaking through to 47 points of spirit, his perception range expanded significantly, and his perception ability also increased accordingly.

The air was so quiet that only the sound of footsteps could be heard.

Just as he reached a section of the road where the trees were less dense, a sudden, fierce, and savage energy surge crashed into his perception range.

Lin Chen paused, turning his head almost instantly to look in the direction from which the fluctuations came.

A dark figure suddenly darted out from behind the trees a hundred meters away.

It was a strange creature resembling an insect, its body dark green with a rough and hard exoskeleton. Its head had prominent compound eyes and serrated mouthparts, its limbs slender yet incredibly powerful, with sharp spikes at the tips of its fingers. It exuded undisguised killing intent. Clearly, it saw Lin Chen as its prey. Pushing off the ground, it charged towards Lin Chen like an arrow released from a bow, accompanied by a whistling sound.

"Evolution points delivered right to your door."

Lin Chen chuckled inwardly, showing no sign of panic.

If it were when he had just awakened his powers, facing such an aggressive monster, he would have immediately transformed into Tiger Orphnoch to crush it with overwhelming strength. But now, he simply put his hand in his pocket, took out the Earth Emperor's phone, and could transform and directly reap the monster. This was a change he deliberately made to prevent that thief, Hai Dong, from using the belt. "I've always worn this belt; try and snatch it from me if you dare."

But just as he was about to transform, something unexpected happened.

Four figures darted out from the trees on both sides like ghosts, moving with astonishing speed, and directly blocked Lin Chen's path.

Lin Chen paused, raised an eyebrow slightly, and sized up the four strange people who had suddenly appeared.

They are similar in shape, grayish-black in color, with obvious insect arthropod features on their bodies, heads that resemble ants with two long, thin antennae on their heads, limbs that are thick and powerful, and each holding a gleaming metal rod in its hand. Their aura is uniform and orderly, clearly indicating that they are mass-produced grunts of the same type.

Before Lin Chen could react, the four ant-like monsters had already moved.

They didn't look at Lin Chen; instead, they all turned their heads and rushed towards the insect-like monster that was pouncing on them. Their movements were perfectly synchronized and coordinated; the sticks in their hands were wielded with impenetrable force and precision.

"Bang, bang, bang—"

A series of dull thuds echoed.

The insect-like monster didn't even have a chance to fight back before it was surrounded by four ant-like monsters. Their clubs rained down on it, and its hard shell cracked inch by inch under the heavy blows. In just a few moments, accompanied by a shrill screech, the insect-like monster's body exploded, turning into a cloud of black mist that dissipated into the air.

The whole process took only a few seconds.

Clean and efficient, without any unnecessary delays.

Lin Chen stood there, hands in his pockets, watching the scene unfold with great interest.

It seems the strange creatures of this world aren't just wild raiders, but also mass-produced units with clearly defined roles, acting like guards. Were their actions just now intended to eliminate outcasts, or... did they see themselves as targets to be protected?

Clearly, the answer is the latter.

After dealing with the insect monster, the four ant-like monsters turned around in unison, their dark red compound eyes fixed on Lin Chen. They raised their weapons and charged straight at Lin Chen.

The ground trembled slightly under their heavy footsteps, their imposing presence and murderous intent palpable.

Seeing the four henchmen charging towards him, Lin Chen suppressed the thought of transforming that had just welled up in his mind.

Four mass-produced monsters, their auras faint, purely low-level grunts. With his current attributes, even without transforming or activating his Orphnoch form, he could easily deal with them using only his human body.

Perfect timing! He also wanted to see just how strong he was in his pure human form.

Lin Chen remained still, his feet slightly apart, stabilizing his center of gravity, his muscles subtly tensing.

With a physique of 53 points, more than ten times the limit for an average human, his physical strength, defense, and recovery abilities have all reached inhuman levels. The power of his punch and kick is beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

The first ant-like monster rushed forward, its metal club whistling through the air as it slammed down towards Lin Chen's head.

Lin Chen's eyes remained calm, his body slightly shifted to the side, his movements light and casual, as if he were strolling leisurely, easily dodging the heavy blow.

The stick slammed into the ground with a loud "bang," leaving a shallow dent in the concrete and sending gravel flying.

Before it could retract its weapon, Lin Chen had already moved to the side and closed in, his right fist clenched. Without any fancy moves, he delivered a simple straight punch, slamming it hard into the ant monster's chest.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud.

The ant-like monster was hit head-on by a speeding car. Its massive body was sent flying backward, arcing through the air before crashing heavily to the ground ten meters away. It struggled for a moment before becoming still.

Lin Chen didn't stop. He took a step and moved his body smoothly.

The remaining three ant-like monsters attacked from three directions, brandishing their weapons and blocking all his escape routes. An ordinary human would have been knocked down by now, but in Lin Chen's eyes, their movements were ridiculously slow. His agility of 46 points granted him extreme reaction speed and movement speed, allowing him to weave nimbly through the dense attacks like a leaf in the wind, the clubs barely touching the hem of his clothes.

He moved around, looking for openings, and his attacks were swift and decisive, each strike aimed at the monster's vital points.

Elbow strike, side kick, straight punch, chop...

There were no fancy moves, only the most practical and direct fighting techniques, instincts honed through countless late-night training sessions at Smart Brain Academy. Every punch and every kick contained brute force far exceeding that of ordinary people, powerful enough to easily shatter the armor on a monster's body.

"Bang, bang, bang—"

Three muffled thuds followed.

The second, third, and fourth ant-like monsters were struck in vital areas by Lin Chen one after another, their bodies crashing to the ground. They struggled to get up, but under the extreme force of the impact, their bodies gradually disintegrated, turning into specks of pale golden light that drifted away in the wind and disappeared completely.

In just one minute.

All four charging soldiers were wiped out.

Lin Chen stood still, slowly withdrawing his fist, his palm slightly open, feeling the lingering force at his fingertips.

[Ding! Defeat 4 mass-produced monsters (ant-like minions), gaining 4 evolution points.]

The system notification sounded in my mind right on time, cool and calm.

Lin Chen looked down at his hands, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

The power is indeed sufficient.

In his human form, he was more than capable of dealing with these mass-produced minions; a single punch or kick could inflict fatal damage, and his physical strength was enough to crush these low-level monsters.

However, its drawbacks are also very obvious—its lethality is too low and its efficiency is too poor.

He killed all four henchmen by brute force, through shockwaves, or by severe injuries. The process was tedious, time-consuming, and laborious, far less efficient than tearing them apart with a single claw when he transformed into Orphnoch or activating his Rider Belt for a decisive blow. Moreover, his human form couldn't unleash energy over a wide area. It was fine for dealing with a single henchman, but when surrounded by a group of monsters, he would easily get bogged down in a prolonged battle.

"As expected, I still have to rely on transformation to end the battle."

Lin Chen shook his head slightly, dismissing the idea of ​​fighting enemies in his normal human form in the future.

Efficiency is the key to reaping evolution points.

He didn't linger, continuing along the street, his mental energy still at full power, not missing a single trace of the strange creature's aura. Now that it was confirmed that mass-produced strange creatures existed in this world, it meant there were bound to be more targets waiting for him to harvest. Evolution points, attribute upgrades, and lifespan extensions—all depended on these strange creatures.

However, to his disappointment, the surroundings remained calm from daytime until dusk and nightfall.

Apart from the initial group of insectoid monsters and four ant minions, he sensed no other strange presences. This made him feel somewhat regretful.

He returned to the Guangzhao Photo Studio.

As soon as I entered, I sensed that the atmosphere was a bit strange.

The museum was much quieter now, with the daytime laughter and merriment gone.

Yusuke Onodera, carrying a simple canvas backpack, stood in the center of the living room, his expression calm and resolute, bidding farewell to Natsumi Mitsunari and Jiro Mitsunari.

Lin Chen did not interrupt, but stood quietly at the door, listening to their conversation.

He heard the fragmented words and quickly understood the reason.

Yusuke Onodera decides to stay.

In this world, he found someone who looked exactly like his sister. Although he knew that she was not his real relative, his obsession and longing made him make a choice—to stay in this world, to stay by the side of that "sister," and no longer travel the world with the Decade team.

After hearing all this, Lin Chen showed no surprise, but rather a greater sense of understanding.

He understands this feeling all too well.

Fifteen years have passed, and he has struggled alone in a world without a hometown or family. What has kept him alive has never been any powerful force, but rather the unwavering desire to return home carried by that five-cent coin—a longing for his family and homeland. If one day he learns that his family from his original world is long gone, perhaps he will make the same choice as Onodera.

Find a peaceful world and live out your life quietly.

That is also a kind of happiness.

Onodera quickly slung his backpack over his shoulder, bowed deeply to everyone, and then turned and left.

The museum has returned to quiet.

Hikari sighed softly, her mood somewhat downcast: "Onodera... in the end, he still chose to stay."

"Everyone has their own choices, there's no need to be sad," Koeijiro gently comforted him.