Chapter 035: The Monk's Flesh

“Beyond the possibility of mutual slaughter among paranormals, there is also a predatory relationship between paranormals and extraordinary creatures,” the explanation continued. “Some creatures, mutated by X-particle contamination and known as ‘Native Variant Entities (EN-UMA),’ and those emerging from dimensional rifts called ‘Multidimensional Space Entities (MS-UMA),’ both instinctively pursue and prey upon beings carrying pheromones and extraordinary vitality, and they are all extremely aggressive by nature!”

“This makes the entire paraworld resemble a perilous ‘black forest’: between strangers with extraordinary powers, and between those individuals and extraordinary creatures, all are each other’s mortal enemies—constantly devising ways to hunt or conceal themselves from one another…”

A cold shiver ran down Bai Yuxi’s spine; his throat involuntarily tightened as he realized just what kind of dangerous environment he had fallen into. For ordinary people, acquiring extraordinary abilities was not necessarily a blessing; it could also herald impending peril!

The moment one became a part of the extraordinary, gaining abilities also made one a link in a unique food chain. Whether they wished it or not, they were forced to survive amid the brutal law of the jungle—struggling through natural selection, survival of the fittest, and the tyranny of the strong.

What was most terrifying was that the threats posed by “predators” were not limited to dangerous native and multidimensional creatures. Some paranormals, having tasted the thrill of hunting, became accustomed to preying on others of their kind to bolster their own power—these were the truly fearsome foes!

Anyone passing by—be it a well-dressed businessman, a youthful and beautiful woman, or a fruit vendor at a street stall—could, at any moment, strike you down. And before that, you might have been complete strangers, with no grudge or grievance; yet, just to seize the “multidimensional high-active bioenergy” within you, they might attack without the slightest hesitation.

Cold sweat trickled soundlessly down Bai Yuxi’s back. He was fortunate, he thought, to have encountered the officially registered Seventh Squad, bound by the regulations of the extraordinary management agency. Had he run into those “predators” lurking in the shadows—like the Blackfire Society members earlier—he would likely already be another corpse on the roadside, his cause of death inexplicable.

In the end, just as Willy had said, for an ordinary person transformed into a paranormal, survival and peace could only be assured by making the right choice.

The best option was to join an official paranormal organization, or at least find shelter within a large, powerful group. At the very least, when “food is plentiful,” those greedy predators usually avoid targeting those under the protection of major organizations, lest they provoke retaliation.

A deluge of complex information, especially the string of technical terms, made Bai Yuxi’s head throb and his temples pound. Pressing a cold beer can to his burning forehead, he tried to clear his thoughts.

“So, the abnormal changes in my body…” After a long pause, Bai Yuxi finally glanced up at the members of the Seventh Squad, who had quietly given him space to think. “Are they because I was contaminated by the so-called ‘Multidimensional Zero Energy Substance X-particles’ and mutated?”

“That’s probably the case,” came the reply. “But, based on what we learned from Maya and your current condition, it seems that during your awakening, you also absorbed all the high-activity energy and X-particles from that level 6 MS-UMA. You might have even devoured its ‘origin substance’!”

“That’s the only way you could have reached your current astounding level of power in such a short time after awakening. Though we’re still unclear how you entered the barrier, or how you ignored the spatial rift’s damage, you managed to rapidly evolve to the level of a high-grade overlimit warrior. This suggests, Bai, that you might possess the potential of a ‘supernova individual,’ which brings us to another matter…”

The captain of the Seventh Squad, Loffey, shifted her relaxed posture on the sofa, set her drink bottle on the coffee table, and looked at Bai Yuxi with grave seriousness. “What are your plans for the future?”

Bai Yuxi, hearing the new term “origin substance,” was about to inquire when he was caught off guard. “What do you mean, what are my plans for the future?”

“Don’t tell me you still think you can go to class every day like before, and go home for the holidays, living a peaceful life?” Loffey retorted.

Summer, the petite beauty, curled up on the sofa like a kitten, rolled her eyes at Bai Yuxi playfully. “Your identity as a ‘supernova’ is a huge trouble!”

“What the ladies mean is, you’re like a piece of ‘sacred meat’ right now,” Willy interjected helpfully. “Your supernova potential will not only attract the attacks of countless extraordinary creatures and hunters, but will also draw the attention of major supernatural organizations. Not all organizations are as disciplined as the ‘LDH Overlimit Management Bureau,’ not to mention the so-called ‘Black Paranormal World.’”

“In short, there’s no way you can return to your ordinary life anymore. You have to start thinking about your future path,” Willy concluded.

“What exactly is this so-called ‘supernova individual’?” Bai Yuxi frowned. He had heard hints from the axe-wielding man about “supernova individuals” and the suspicion that he might be one, but he did not really understand what it meant.

Now, hearing the Seventh Squad call him a “supernova individual” as well, he couldn’t help but wonder how they had come to that conclusion.

“To be honest, we don’t actually know what a ‘supernova individual’ is,” they replied. “It’s just a legend in the paranormal world. Among the fourteen billion people of the Flame Nation, only eight supernovas have ever been born. Each of their identities and abilities is classified at the highest level.”

The members of the Seventh Squad glanced at each other, and Loffey shook her head. “At our level, we don’t have access to such high-level information…”

Bai Yuxi asked in confusion, “Then how did you determine that I’m a ‘supernova individual’?”