NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14: this matter is to be treated as top secret
It's common knowledge that a C-level support espers might struggle to beat a D-level combat espers in a direct fight. After all, their abilities are fundamentally different.
But with this rare X-ray vision, Anthony's ability talent was rated as C+.
In certain situations, this ability could be incredibly useful.
Not all espers are just about fighting. For instance, there's a high-ranking brain-type espers in the military who has the ability to enhance memory. Despite having a C-level talent and currently only reaching B-level in power, his status in the military is so high that even many A-level officers look up to him.
While the main combat force in an espers team is crucial, other roles are just as important.
Iris gazed out the window, feeling a bit envious of Anthony's ability.
If she had X-ray vision, wouldn't she be able to sneak a peek at the captain's body?
In the afternoon, a bus left the camp, heading toward the seventh main city.
The bus was noisy, filled with espers who were talking loudly, their voices echoing throughout.
Having lived in the danger zone since he was ten, Anthony was used to a quiet life. The sudden hustle and bustle made him a bit uncomfortable.
He sat by the window, quietly admiring the scenery outside.
After being trapped for seven years, everything seemed fresh and fascinating to him.
As the bus crossed a large bridge, Anthony was captivated by the pristine ice and thick snow.
The frozen lake, covered with snow, looked like a vast, giant mirror, giving him a feeling of comfort.
It represented freedom.
But as he continued to watch, Anthony suddenly froze. He thought he saw a figure on the lake.
Focusing his vision, his eyes pierced through several hundred meters and landed on the figure on the lake.
It was an old man dressed in white, with white hair, looking somewhat thin and wearing very light clothing.
Such attire seemed out of place in the cold, snowy landscape.
But what was even more peculiar was that the old man was riding a gray-white donkey.
A donkey?
Anthony was stunned.
Seeing a donkey in these chaotic times was quite unexpected.
At this moment, the donkey was carrying the old man across the ice. Despite the cold and snow, the old man was fanning himself, looking completely out of place.
As Anthony stared in curiosity, he noticed the old man on the donkey turning to look in their direction.
The next moment, Anthony was startled.
He realized that the old man was looking directly at him.
Even though they were separated by several hundred meters and a layer of glass, Anthony was certain that the old man was looking right at him.
Could this old man also be a vision-type espers?
Anthony wondered.
He looked again, but then he was stunned.
The donkey and the old man had suddenly vanished from the lake.
Not only that, but even the footprints they had left behind were gone.
It was as if they had never existed.
Anthony rubbed his eyes and focused his ability to observe carefully, but found nothing.
Was he seeing things?
Soon, the bus crossed the bridge and continued westward.
After the bus left, the donkey and the old man reappeared on the lake.
The old man looked in the direction where the bus had gone and smiled faintly. The donkey below him suddenly shivered, sensing that something bad was about to happen.
…
The rest of the journey was peaceful, without any monster attacks.
This road was traveled daily by espers, so even if monsters appeared, they were quickly dealt with.
By dusk, the bus finally arrived at the seventh main city.
From a distance, Anthony gazed at the towering buildings, each over a hundred meters tall, the vibrant neon lights, and the bustling crowds, feeling a bit lost.
Is this the seventh main city?
Two hundred years ago, when the White Mist Zones first appeared, the Normandy Kingdom made some adjustments. To better protect the people, the nation began to abandon rural areas, focusing instead on densely populating urban centers. After two centuries of development, this has evolved into a structure of ten main cities and over a hundred towns. Each of the main cities houses a population of over ten million, with these ten cities alone accounting for more than a third of the Normandy Kingdom's total population. It's said that each main city is guarded by an S-level superpowered individual.
...
The next day, in the temporary camp, Irvin was lying in bed, reviewing the materials collected over the past few days. Suddenly, the door burst open, and Iris rushed in, grabbing Irvin's only movable right hand and shaking it vigorously. "Captain, I have good news! We've found Bob!"
Irvin's spirits lifted immediately. He hurriedly asked, "Where is Bob? Is he okay?"
"Don't worry, Bob is in Kasnia Town. Although he's severely injured, he's been saved. But there's a bit of an issue with the ability crystal."
"Let it be lost, as long as he's okay," Irvin sighed in relief. Though ability crystals are valuable, for him, Bob's survival was the best news.
"Hehe, who said it was lost?"
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"The ability crystal wasn't lost, but it was accidentally fused by someone."
Although Iris was usually playful, she never joked about serious matters. She then recounted the information she had just received from the Kasnia Town military district.
While fleeing, Bob encountered some ordinary people escaping as well. Seeing that he couldn't shake off his pursuers, he handed the ability crystal to a girl in a vehicle, intending to hold off the monster himself. However, the girl unexpectedly fused with the ability crystal, and it turned out to be an extremely rare elemental ability. Due to the monster's attack at the time, the ability crystal actively protected her by encasing her in ice."
"Encased in ice? Different ability crystals have different attributes. It seems the one she fused with is related to ice. Elemental abilities generally have a minimum talent rating of B+, with a high likelihood of reaching A-level!" Irvin mused. "Have Bob stay in Kasnia Town to recover. Wait until the girl fully fuses with the ability crystal, and then we'll proceed. Also, notify the military district—this matter is to be treated as top secret. No one is to disclose it!"
The rating of an ability isn't based on its rarity but on its inherent power. Like ability levels, talent ratings are divided into six tiers: S, A, B, C, D, and F. F-level is considered a negative ability; some people awaken abilities that have more drawbacks than benefits, such as constantly shedding hair or rapidly digesting food—about 1.4% of the population has this. D-level abilities are considered trash talents, like mild skin shedding or slight physical enhancement, or abilities with little to no practical use. These account for 47.2% of espers, nearly half. Ordinary C-level talents, such as enhanced vision, hearing, perception, or some relatively weak Beastial abilities, make up 37.2%, with both categories comprising over 80% of espers. B-level talents are much rarer, accounting for 13.74%. Achieving a B-level talent is already quite challenging and forms the backbone of today's espers.
A-level talents are extremely rare, making up only 0.44%! In some years, not even one A-level talent appears. Such talents, once fully developed, have enormous potential, so the state always invests heavily in nurturing them whenever they appear.
Iris grinned. "Don't worry, everything's already arranged. Oh, and I have more good news for you."
"What?"
Just then, several espers walked in from outside, and one of them smiled. "Captain Irvin, long time no see."