Chapter 16: Abnormal Ability Department
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
In the first three years of the Spirit Energy Revival, all abnormalities caused by the spirit energy had been managed by this department, and all the geniuses also had to be registered there. Those who did not register would be arrested on the basis of committing crimes against humanity.
This was necessary. In the beginning, talents had suddenly been awakened and no one had been around to stop them. Trouble would ensue if nothing was done to control them. Back then, it had been mandatory for geniuses to register, and all the geniuses had initially had to join the Abnormal Ability Department, which was considered a civil service establishment.
Later, due to the intensification of the Spirit Energy Revival and the emergence of martial artists, ordinary people had also started mastering extraordinary powers to fight the geniuses who went out of control. That was when they’d gradually loosened their control on the geniuses.
At the same time, the Abnormal Ability Department had been slowly divided into other departments due to its excessive power.
However, even though it was no longer the only department that managed abnormal powers, the Abnormal Ability Department was still considered one of the big players in the country. There was no other way. Right now, the Abnormal Ability Department specialized in managing these geniuses. Although there were very few of them, they could easily become powerhouses. Those who had power would naturally obtain corresponding rights.
Lin Yao sighed upon thinking of the situation the Abnormal Ability Department was in. The geniuses were not as valuable as he’d thought.
‘Three people have come to register in a short period. How many would there be in a day or a year? Only rare things are dear. Now that there are so many geniuses, it seems that it will be difficult to get resources from them.’
Lin Yao was sighing, but the other two were extremely excited. Obviously, they were excited about their awakened talents.
The three of them were not forced to wait for too long. Soon, someone called them into an empty hall. There were already a dozen people overlooking Lin Yao and the others from a higher point.
When he saw the three of them, a strong aura radiated from one of the iron-blooded soldiers. The soldier was not tall, but as his aura burst forth, Lin Yao sensed a blood-colored giant clad in battle armor crashing in. At the same time, although the giant remained still, Lin Yao could sense tens of thousands of bones of alien races that formed a mountain of bodies and a sea of blood.
Lin Yao and the rest felt daunted by the aura and collapsed on the ground, unable to move.
Upon seeing this, the soldier retracted his aura.
“It’s good that you were all able to awaken your talent. However, don’t think that you can be the top dog or powerhouse just because of your talent. It is not that easy.”
“Alright, Colonel Zhang, don’t scare these kids.”
When the oppressing aura of the military colonel dissipated, a gray-haired old man walked out with a smile, easing the tension caused by Colonel Zhang. The old man smiled and told Lin Yao and company, “All of you are already pretty good. Anyone who can awaken is a genius. However, Colonel Zhang is right. You can’t become a genius based on talent alone. Remember, you must not be arrogant…”
While the old man was sharing his guidance, Lin Yao finally understood what was going on. This was an opening gambit. Or rather, their purpose was to make sure that no one would be arrogant upon becoming a genius and they would not consider themselves to be one notch higher than others.
Of course, it was not the government’s intention to destroy Lin Yao and the others. It had to be a routine for Colonel Zhang to first give them a stern warning before the elderly comforted them.
This way, they would not be arrogant upon becoming talented people and they would understand that those without talent were extremely powerful as well. At the same time, they would not be overly daunted by the colonel.
Lin Yao had no objections to this. He wanted to keep improving and he would not bully others. However, it was indeed true that after awakening, many talented people could no longer identify with their human ident.i.ty and considered themselves superior.
“I am an immortal. You mortals should listen to me.”
In the face of such geniuses, the best solution for an iron-blooded soldier who was an ordinary person was to give them a form of warning, thus making sure they would not get arrogant right from the start.
After making sure that they understood the situation, the old man introduced everyone to Lin Yao and the others.
Based on the introduction, Lin Yao quickly understood that among the crowd were people from the Abnormal Ability Department, military personnel, armed policemen, the office employees of the public prosecutor, and representatives from the city… Lin Yao was overwhelmed by the various departments. There seemed to be too many people there.
In fact, this was normal. Talented people were geniuses. Every talented person who could mutate was compatible with spirit energy. They themselves could absorb two or three times more spirit energy than others, not to mention that they had different types of talents. Therefore, these talented people were geniuses who would be funded by the state and would be highly sought after by many departments.
Moreover, the funding that the talented people would receive was also related to their rating. This rating would decide the amount of funds allocated by the state, and the evaluation team would also need to identify some special situations. Therefore, the evaluation would naturally not be handled by a single person. This was why many different departments came together for the evaluation and rating.
Of course, Lin Yao did not care about the various policy considerations. What he cared about was the amount of resources he could get after the test and registration.
‘I hope they will give me more resources. At the very least, I must be able to break through and become a martial artist when the Spirit Energy Festival ends.’
The talent test started while Lin Yao was still lamenting about the situation. However, before that, there was one thing that Lin Yao and the others had to decide, and that was whether they would make their talent public.
All three of them chose to make it public.
“It’s impossible for a talented person not to use their talent. Apart from some special hidden abilities, there is no need to hide talent.”
“Student Jia Shi, you shall start first.”
“Okay. My abnormal ability is my hair, which can grow longer and harder.”
Upon saying that, the young man named Jia Shi immediately activated his own ability. After a special fluctuation, Jia Shi’s hair started growing rapidly, and the roots stood up after it grew longer. In the end, Jia Shi’s hair was nearly half a meter long.
Lin Yao was stunned by the hair, which rose into the sky.
“I didn’t know there was such an ability.”
Lin Yao might be stunned, but the big bosses were not surprised by Jia Shi’s demonstration. They had obviously seen such odd talents before.
After Jia Shi’s demonstration, the evaluators cut off a few hairs, studied them, and asked Jia Shi some questions. Finally, after some discussion, the big bosses announced that Jia Shi would be given an iron rating and his potential would be graded as silver.
The country gave Jia Shi 1,000 yuan on the spot, while the city gave him 2,000 yuan. As for the other departments, they made no move to offer more resources.
Lin Yao understood now that this was the treatment a talented person with an iron rating deserved.
‘Getting 3,000 yuan per month is pretty good.’
As this thought, Lin Yao got upset. 3,000 yuan might be a pretty large sum, but a bottle of low-level nutrient drink already cost 10,000 yuan.
‘My ability is not as straightforward as Jia Shi’s hair ability. There is no way I will get nutrient drinks here. I have been thinking too much.’
While Lin Yao was sighing, the second person was tested and evaluated by the evaluation team above them.
What drew Lin Yao’s attention was that this person’s ability was also related to the body. He could lengthen a certain body part. During the demonstration, he lengthened his fingers and feet.
Unfortunately, the rating for this ability was bronze, and the potential was graded silver.
Of course, Lin Yao was no longer interested in this. He was more curious to know whether a certain body part could also be lengthened.
“Hey, buddy, can you lengthen that body part?”
Lin Yao had that question in mind, but it was Jia Shi who asked it.
Although Lin Yao was left speechless by his question, he was indeed curious about the reply. In the end, he was full of envy upon hearing the answer.
“Everything can be lengthened. After blood congestion, it will be as hard as before.”
“d.a.m.n, you have a G.o.d-level ability.”
“Of course, I—”
“Humph!”
That person was still showing off when a female member of the evaluation team above them snorted coldly. The two of them, who had been cracking dirty jokes, shut up right away, not daring to speak anymore.
As for the person who could lengthen his body parts, his final evaluation was bronze and his potential was graded silver.