Chapter Nine: Rare Powers

Chapter Nine: Rare Superpower

“How do you want to test it?” Chu Yan asked.

“Combat,” Xia Zheng replied. He felt his superpower was rather complex; if he only tested it in a controlled environment, it might not activate. So, he wanted to try a more extreme scenario—like actual combat.

His suggestion immediately made the people around him look at him differently. Quite a few admired his courage. Real combat carried risks; just like in a martial arts match, things were supposed to stop before getting out of hand, but tempers could flare and accidents happened—even more so when those involved wielded powerful superhuman abilities.

Everyone looked to Chu Yan. Normally, this phase was part of the interview process, but only after one had qualified as a superhuman, at least at D-rank. No candidate had ever been allowed this stage before qualifying, and the Celestial Blade Squad never accepted such untested rookies.

But Xia Zheng’s situation was special. Chu Yan saw great potential in him and hoped he would also prove to possess superhuman abilities. Missing out on talent like Xia Zheng would surely be a regret, so even after three different machines failed to detect anything, Chu Yan was unwilling to give up.

“Are you sure, Xia Zheng? There are risks in combat,” Chu Yan reminded.

Xia Zheng nodded. “Captain Chu, my superpower is rather unique, and I’m not familiar with how to activate it. I don’t really know how to demonstrate or wield it, so I suggest we test it under combat conditions.”

Chu Yan closed his eyes, thinking for a moment. Then he glanced at Zhang Ziqi. “Ziqi, you’ll be Xia Zheng’s opponent.”

“Oh…” Zhang Ziqi nodded. Of everyone present, she was the only one who knew Xia Zheng, and her superpower was not particularly advanced—she was only at mid C-rank, while the others were higher, making her a suitable sparring partner.

However, this time Xia Zheng shook his head and pointed at Cedric instead. “Captain Chu, let him be my opponent.”

“Why?” Chu Yan and Zhang Ziqi asked in unison, while Cedric’s expression darkened. What did this rookie mean by singling him out—was he being looked down on?

Though he was also C-rank, he was further along than Zhang Ziqi, already late-stage, and might soon be eligible for a “rank-up mission” to reach B-rank.

As he set his jacket aside, Xia Zheng explained, “Sister Ziqi might hold back against me, which would make it harder for me to activate my ability. Cedric is the better choice.”

“Bastard!” Cedric surged forward impulsively, but was blocked by other team members—he really was a hothead.

Xia Zheng ignored the outburst and began warming up, stretching his limbs. He didn’t have any formal training, so he fell back on the exercises he’d learned in school PE classes. To Cedric, however, it looked like blatant provocation.

Chu Yan watched Xia Zheng’s calm expression and finally gave his consent.

“Captain Chu, are you crazy? Cedric doesn’t know how to pull his punches—Xia Zheng will get hurt,” Zhang Ziqi protested.

“Ziqi… be quiet!” Chu Yan cut her off with rare severity, leaving Zhang Ziqi to lower her head in dejection.

With Chu Yan’s approval, the others cleared the area as Cedric strode up to Xia Zheng. This time, he didn’t put on his alloy gloves, but even barehanded, his strength would not be diminished.

“Begin!” Chu Yan called. He didn’t ask Cedric to hold back; knowing his personality, it would be pointless and only breed resentment. Still, he resolved to intervene at the first sign of real danger.

“Rookie… I won’t injure you, but I’ll give you a beating,” Cedric sneered, adopting a boxing stance.

Xia Zheng didn’t assume any special posture—he simply raised his fists defensively and bounced lightly from foot to foot.

“Empty showmanship!” Cedric scoffed, then lunged forward with a punch. Though he didn’t use his superpower, his speed was remarkable; the blow sliced through the air with a sharp whistle.

Xia Zheng saw the fist coming at blinding speed, closing in on his face. The imminent danger sparked something within him; on impulse, he focused his will and applied force to the left side of his body.

Whoosh!

Cedric’s punch missed its target. He was visibly surprised, and so were the onlookers.

“He dodged it!” several team members exclaimed in astonishment.

“Incredible—he’s fast.”

“What kind of superpower is this? I can’t tell.”

“Is it some sort of physical enhancement?”

“Doesn’t seem like it. There’s no energy fluctuation from his body.”

Chu Yan’s eyes lit up, thoughtful. Zhang Ziqi, too, was startled—she hadn’t expected Xia Zheng to evade that blow. Even without Cedric’s full strength, it wasn’t something an ordinary person could dodge.

“Hah!” Humiliated, Cedric spun and unleashed a flurry of punches, now using seventy or eighty percent of his power. His arms lashed out like whips.

Xia Zheng could feel Cedric’s anger and the increase in speed. He sensed his mind heating up—not with fever, but with the energy of accelerated thought. His reflexes sharpened, his perception heightened, and his evasion quickened.

Whoosh—

A series of rapid shifts let Xia Zheng slip out from under Cedric’s fists again and again, each time moving faster. At first, the other team members only needed to watch casually, but soon their eyes began to ache, even though little time had passed.

The human eye can easily track stationary or slow-moving objects for long periods, but fast-moving targets quickly tire the eyes and strain the mind.

Cedric, shocked and angry, thought his opponent must be an experienced superhuman pretending to be a rookie just to embarrass him—classic wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing. Damn it, does he take me for a fool?

This time, Cedric went all out, not just increasing speed but unleashing full power. The resulting wind pressure left Xia Zheng with no room to dodge—he had to brace himself.

Zhang Ziqi, alarmed, tried to intervene, but Chu Yan stopped her. “Wait a little longer.”

At that moment, not just Zhang Ziqi, but the whole team witnessed something astonishing.

A resonant hum vibrated in everyone’s eardrums, like a magnetic field generated by a current. With no way to evade, Xia Zheng’s mind released a burst of power, conjuring a “shield” before him that blocked Cedric’s punch.

Bang!

Cedric’s blow struck the shield with explosive force, forcing him back several steps. He stared at Xia Zheng, eyes narrowed.

“That’s a superpower, isn’t it?”

“Can anyone tell what kind?”

“No, I still don’t feel any energy coming off him.”

“How odd—what kind of power is this? It lets him dodge effortlessly and also blocks attacks.”

Zhang Ziqi covered her mouth in delighted surprise, glancing at Chu Yan. Chu Yan nodded. “We’ve struck gold.”

Though he couldn’t be sure exactly what type of power Xia Zheng possessed, his performance alone warranted cultivation. Now, Chu Yan was eager to see just how far this rare ability could go.

“Heh heh… very good. Since you’re a superhuman, I won’t hold back—right, Captain Chu?” Cedric asked as someone brought him his alloy gloves. He slipped them on and looked to Chu Yan for confirmation.

Chu Yan considered it. “Just don’t overdo it.”

Cedric grinned. “No problem. After all, a moving target’s more fun than a lifeless punching bag.” His demeanor shifted from cocky to coldly terrifying, like a rattlesnake rattling its tail before striking.

Cedric’s shoulders sank as he lowered his stance, moving like a stalking leopard. The other team members grew tense—Xia Zheng had done well so far, but Cedric hadn’t been serious before. Now, unleashing his superpower, his strength would multiply.

Xia Zheng felt the change and didn’t dare relax. His mind accelerated again, the warmth rising to a fever, skin flushing red, wisps of steam curling from his head.

“Pierce!” Cedric shouted, his body hurtling forward like an arrow, a punch whipping out, his arm sheathed in blue energy.

“Shield!” Xia Zheng focused on the concept of a barrier. Cedric’s speed was now overwhelming; dodging was no longer an option, only blocking.

Boom!!!

The collision felt to Xia Zheng like a battering ram slamming into his shield, knocking him back—yet the shield held.

With hands crossed before him, his mind focused, Xia Zheng continually repaired the “shield” as Cedric, now exhilarated, hammered away with blow after blow, dozens in quick succession.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

The relentless barrage left Xia Zheng straining under immense pressure, his nerves taut. The unleashed powers shook the entire training room, threatening its limits.

“Ziqi, turn up the defenses,” Chu Yan ordered. Level 1 training rooms could withstand a C-rank superhuman’s full force, but Cedric was now close to maximum output—defenses had to be increased.

“Understood.” Zhang Ziqi went to the control panel, raising the protection to level three out of six, up from only one.

With defenses boosted, Zhang Ziqi expected things to stabilize, but to her shock, the room only shook more violently. The walls and windows visibly trembled, hairline cracks appearing in the plaster.

“Damn Cedric, can’t rein himself in,” she muttered, cranking defenses up two more levels to five. Things improved, but only for about ten seconds before more tremors came, the cracks spreading. Fighting down her anxiety, she set the shield to the maximum of six.