Chapter 2: A Dangerous World! Hand Over the [Celestial Appearance]!

Whether driven by a collector’s obsession or the sheer temptation of those 120 points of Fortune, Xu Ran had a burning desire to secure the "Celestial Presence" achievement.

If he failed to claim his first-ever Golden Achievement in this life, he feared that even at eighty years old, he would wake up in a cold sweat, regretting it so deeply he’d smack his own thigh in frustration!

But what could a tiny infant do? He was limited to a daily loop of smiling, eating, and "self-discipline."

Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, the tenth day arrived.

[You smiled at Mom and the "Bean-Brow" Nurse and received a response. Charisma +2. Current Charisma: 48 points...]

Ten full days of effort. His Charisma had climbed from a hideous 20 points to 48! Where did the extra 8 points come from? Naturally, from the attending physician and other nurses who would occasionally check on him or pass by. Xu Ran would seize every opportunity to flash a smile and earn those extra rewards!

Yet, even after exhausting every chance to charm others, he was still a full 52 points away from the "Celestial Presence" achievement. He was only halfway there! With only five days left, was there any hope of closing the gap? It seemed as difficult as ascending to heaven!

A look of great distress clouded Xu Ran’s tiny face. He couldn't find a solution! As an infant, he relied entirely on the Bean-Brow Nurse to carry him around. Even in his crib, he could only wave his limbs aimlessly; his spine wasn't fully developed, making even crawling a struggle.

What to do? What to do?

On the eleventh day of infancy, time was growing increasingly tight. The Bean-Brow Nurse came for her routine check-up. "Hi there, little genius."

"Huh? Little one, you’re only ten days old, but you aren't nearly as wrinkled anymore. Your skin is fair and rosy. How rare!" The nurse was quite surprised. Usually, it took a month for a baby to start looking good; Xu Ran’s progress in becoming fair and tender was truly rapid.

A baby with smooth skin, sharp eyes, and a smile for everyone—who could resist? The nurse couldn't help but tease him. Xu Ran laughed, embarking on his daily journey of farming stats.

[You smiled at the Bean-Brow Nurse and received a response. Charisma +1. Current Charisma: 49 points...]

"So smart. Come on, let's go get you fed." The nurse carried Xu Ran over to his mother.

[You smiled at Mom and received a response. Charisma +1. Current Charisma: 50 points...]

After his daily meal, the nurse prepared to place him back in his crib. However, Xu Ran, deeply obsessed with the "Celestial Presence" achievement, began to struggle. He lifted his tiny hands, strengthened by ten days of exercise, pointed urgently toward the door, and unleashed an infant’s most lethal weapon: crying.

"Waaah!"
"Waaah!"
"Waaah!"

Cry away, he thought. There was no shame in an infant crying. If he missed out on "Celestial Presence," he would regret it forever, so he had to make a scene to get outside and meet more people.

"Oh my, what’s wrong?"

"You want to go out and take a look? But you’re only eleven days old."

Xu Ran nodded while crying and struggling, stubborn as a mule. The nurse was stunned. "He’s even nodding? Mom, your baby is too smart. Only eleven days old and he can nod. He’ll surely be a genius in the future."

His mother laughed proudly. "Maybe it was just a coincidence? How about... we just take him for a walk outside?"

"Sure, I can help carry him."

"Then thank you, Nurse."

His plan a success, Xu Ran wiped his tears and turned his crying into a series of innocent laughs. By utilizing everything at his disposal, he had finally created an opportunity to interact with more people. For the sake of "Celestial Presence," the tiny infant began to sell his charm!

Whenever he saw a passerby, he immediately offered a pure smile and reached out his small arms, asking to be held.

"Wow, your baby isn't shy at all? How old is he?"
"Only eleven days."
"So beautiful at eleven days? That’s incredible!"

A passerby auntie was stunned. She wanted to hold him but worried he was too young.

[You smiled at the passerby and received a response. Charisma +1. Current Charisma: 51 points...]

"Ee-ya, ee-ya~" Xu Ran laughed at a passing grandmother.

[You smiled at the passerby and received a response...]

Just like that, from the room to the hospital exterior, even though they took the quietest back exit, Xu Ran charmed everyone he encountered!

[You smiled at passersby x14 and received responses. Charisma +14. Current Charisma: 65 points...]

Excellent. He had gained 16 points of Charisma today. A bountiful harvest. Absolutely perfect!

"Four days left; this is more than enough. Come to me, Celestial Presence!" Xu Ran was ecstatic. Unfortunately, he soon grew exhausted and fell into a deep sleep in the nurse's arms, otherwise, he would have farmed even more.

...

The next day, the twelfth day of infancy.

[You smiled at Mom and the Bean-Brow Nurse and received a response. Charisma +2. Current Charisma: 67 points...]

[You were carried outside by the Bean-Brow Nurse, smiled at passersby, and received 20 responses. Charisma +20. Current Charisma: 87 points...]

He had gained 22 points of Charisma today! It felt great! Everything was falling into place! With a sweet smile, Xu Ran drifted off to sleep.

...

The thirteenth day of infancy.

[You smiled at Mom and the Bean-Brow Nurse and received a response. Charisma +2. Current Charisma: 89 points...]

[You were carried outside by the Bean-Brow Nurse, smiled at passersby, and received 20 responses. Charisma +20. Current Charisma: 100 points...]

[You have achieved the Golden Achievement—Celestial Presence!]

Finally hearing the crisp, pleasant notification sound, Xu Ran was satisfied and fell into a deep, tired sleep.

When he woke up, he was back in his familiar stroller. Xu Ran immediately checked the "Golden Achievement."

[Celestial Presence (Golden Achievement): Fortune +20 points; for every year you grow, your Fortune increases by +5, until age 20. (Negative effect: You will encounter two kidnapping attempts during your childhood.)]

"Equip!"

Streaks of golden light merged into Xu Ran’s body. On the system interface, his Fortune surged to 23, seven times higher than his previously pathetic score of 3.

"That’s the stuff!"

It had taken him only thirteen days to overachieve his goal and claim his first Golden Achievement. How thrilling!

"Even though I'll be kidnapped twice during my childhood, I have the system on my side. What is there to fear?"

"Regardless, keeping up with my self-discipline is never wrong!"

"When the time comes, I’ll transform into a 'Giant Infant' and give those kidnappers a little surprise."

Xu Ran chuckled to himself and began waving his arms and legs.

[Current 'Strong Baby' progress: 13/30...]

Time flew as he practiced his self-discipline. In the blink of an eye, another seventeen days passed. The thirtieth day had arrived. At ten in the morning, the hospital staff and security transferred Xu Ran and his mother to a postpartum recovery center one kilometer away.

By then, Xu Ran finally had a preliminary understanding of the world.

This was the Blue Star, in the Xia Kingdom—a completely different space-time. Two hundred years ago, the Crystal Beast Planet invaded the Blue Star through a spatial node, bringing with it disaster and the resurgence of spiritual energy. Initially, humanity collapsed like a mountain, relying on conventional weapons to barely survive the extinction crisis and gain a chance to catch their breath.

After recovering, the first-generation leader of the Xia Kingdom, Chen Fan, emerged and established a cultivation system based on refining blood essence: the Stele Realm, Hill Realm, Mountain Realm, Peak Realm... Guided by this system, human powerhouses began to emerge, battling the Crystal Beasts for two hundred years. Although humanity had reclaimed the land, the oceans remained occupied.

Before they could win the war, twenty years ago, another planet, the Resentful God Planet, located the Blue Star and launched an invasion, bringing terrifying spiritual pollution!

Xu Ran’s grandparents had all died at their posts while dealing with the pollution brought by the followers of the Resentful God. His father, while leading a team to defend against the minions of the Resentful God, had perished along with his entire squad.

Xu Ran’s family was a lineage of martyrs. The fact that he could enjoy the care of the Bean-Brow Nurse in the hospital for a month and then move to a postpartum recovery center with his mother was all due to the legacy of his family’s sacrifice.

"Crystal Beast Planet, Resentful God Planet, spiritual pollution... terrifying!"

Xu Ran shivered, his determination to grow stronger becoming even more resolute.

"One more day of hard work and I’ll earn the 'Strong Baby' title. Keep striving!"