Zhou Chen looked at the pale flame burning in his hand, then at the Corrupter writhing on the ground in pain, and couldn't help but feel a flicker of doubt.
'This... could I have done this?'
The young scholar's mouth fell open. Forgetting the tablet on the floor, he stared at the pale flame, lost in thought. "Could it be that your Extraordinary Ability has a special effect?"
The flame had clearly gone out and hadn't caused the slightest bit of damage, yet the Corrupter was in agony, as if being consumed by a Fiery Fire.
All signs indicated that the damage was most likely to its Spiritual Realm.
The heavy, scattered sound of footsteps rang out from behind as a security team, armed with live ammunition, rushed to the scene. Countless firearms were aimed at the Corrupter, ready to annihilate it at the slightest sign of trouble.
"It's fine, no need to be tense." The young scholar waved his hand, signaling the security team to relax. Then he said to Zhou Chen, "Try conjuring another Fireball and throwing it over there."
Zhou Chen did as he was told, conjuring a ball of fire and throwing it at the writhing Corrupter. Just like before, the flame burst into countless embers that scattered and died out.
But the Corrupter's screams grew even louder, as if someone had just added fuel to the fire.
"Just as I thought. Your Extraordinary Ability also involves the Spiritual Realm. My guess is that it can inflict a real burning sensation on a spiritual level." The young scholar's eyes lit up; such a unique Ability was truly rare.
He hastily picked up his tablet and reported the matter. In less than thirty seconds, he received a reply from his mentor: Arrange for Zhou Chen to undergo new tests.
And so, with the help of a few burly members of the security team, Zhou Chen was blindfolded yet again and led to a testing area.
「After a long series of tests.」
Professor Li An, the head of the Research Department, rushed to the scene despite his busy schedule. Looking at the report, he couldn't help but nod in praise:
"It's less a Fire Type and more like a Spiritual Element. This kind of special Ability is a rare sight indeed."
"Although its physical damage is pitiful, its lethality on the spiritual level is extremely impressive. It can burn one's spiritual consciousness... We just received news that test subject 1557 has died."
"Granted, 1557 was already on the verge of death from various experiments, but for a newly awakened Ascender to kill it in two hits... no matter how you look at it, that's still unbelievable."
The young scholar standing beside him widened his eyes. "Doesn't that mean this is a top-tier Ability?"
"Yes, but it's a shame." Professor Li glanced at Zhou Chen, who was sitting in the rest area. As if seeing the severely damaged Soul within the boy's physical shell, he said regretfully, "If this young man's Soul were complete, his Extraordinary Ability would be absolutely terrifying."
The Soul is the most important "source" for every living being in the world. Even Corrupters possess Souls, though theirs are nothing but evil, filthy things that are utterly nauseating.
Any Transformation in the Soul is reflected in the physical body. If a Soul is incomplete, a person becomes lethargic, frail, and sickly, with a shortened lifespan and emotional problems. If a Soul becomes diseased, the body will also Twist and deform. And if a Soul collapses, the person dies.
The "Essence" that Ascenders use to deploy their Extraordinary Abilities is a form of Extraordinary Power that originates from the Soul. And the strength of an Extraordinary Ability is, to a certain extent, linked to the strength of the Soul.
If a Soul is damaged, the Extraordinary Ability is affected, also becoming "damaged."
Right now, Zhou Chen had lost half of his Soul, yet the damaged Ability he displayed was already astonishing. If he possessed a complete Soul, just how powerful would his Extraordinary Ability be?
'His potential would be absolutely limitless.'
'What a pity...' Professor Li shook his head and sighed. If only a smaller part of the Soul were missing, it could be treated. But Zhou Chen was missing more than half—fifty-three percent, to be precise. It was a condition worse than any terminal illness. The chances of a cure were slim; it was a miracle he was even still alive.
Just as he was lost in thought, the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated. His brow furrowed slightly when he saw the caller's name.
Shortly after answering the call, he found himself instinctively looking over in Zhou Chen's direction.
...
「Rest Area.」
Utterly bored, Zhou Chen sat on a chair and played with his Extraordinary Ability. Pale flames danced back and forth between his hands at his command. Eventually, he even started juggling, tossing three balls of fire into the air, which drew cheers from several of the researchers.
'If I'm ever short on cash, I could get a part-time job at a circus... Street performers seem to make decent money, too...' He was in the middle of his game when he suddenly noticed the expressions on the spectating researchers' faces change. They hurried away, like students goofing off who had just spotted their teacher.
Zhou Chen turned his head and saw a middle-aged man in a white lab coat walking toward him, accompanied by the young scholar from before.
"Hello. I am Li An, head of the Jinzhu City Star Association's Research Department," Professor Li said, getting straight to the point. "For the next few days, we hope you'll continue to stay here at the Research Department for observation. During this time, the department will cover the cost of the nutrient solution you'll need."
'Nutrient solution...'
Zhou Chen knew what that was, of course.
After awakening as an Ascender, one entered an Extraordinary Development Stage. The body would experience another growth spurt, enhancing all of one's faculties and gradually developing physical attributes far beyond those of an ordinary person. During this period, one needed to consume a massive amount of food to supplement their nutritional intake.
—In novels, this would be the part about cleansing one's marrow and tendons, a complete metamorphosis of the body.
Since simply eating was too troublesome and could easily lead to nutritional imbalances, the Star Association had developed a nutrient solution. It was simple, convenient, and extremely effective—an undeniable necessity for Ascenders in their Extraordinary Development Stage.