Chapter Two

The leader was a guy wearing a gas mask. His sharp eyes stared at Shi Lingxi for a couple of seconds before ordering his subordinates to put down the guns pointed at Shi Lingxi. "Take him for an inspection."

After a few moments of silence, Shi Lingxi spoke again, "I have awakened my ability three hours ago."

The treatment for ability users is completely different from the treatment for ordinary people. To the former, they are somewhat rude while they are more courteous to the latter. After three years, the status of the ability users has been generally recognized.

As long as an ability user survived, they will basically become a prince-like existence. In Beicheng, they are gathering forces of all sizes. The emergence of new ability users is the focus of these forces so the courtesy is affirmed.

When Shi Lingxi's words fell, the attitudes of the people around noticeably eased. One of the leading soldiers beckoned him with a hand, "Please."

Shi Lingxi nodded and followed him. He was still somewhat nervous. He asked System A236 if it's possible for its existence to be exposed. System A236 affirmed that there was no chance for that to happen, before disappearing again.

Shi Lingxi was taken to the accompanying military medical department, where they conduct special tests and examinations for ability users. First, the basic data of the body. His physical fitness has reached the E-level.

Existing abilities are divided into E-level, D, C, B, A, and S-level. There are three levels of difference in one level—Primary, Intermediate, and Advanced. But more often, it's represented by E, EE, and EEE.

Recently, there has been another level of subdivision in a junior level. E1, E2, E3 are primary E; E4, E5, E6 are intermediate EE; and E7, E8, E9 are advanced EEE.

Shi Lingxi's physical fitness rating is E1. Because of extreme malnutrition, his increase in strength is hardly noticeable. But his physical coordination is much stronger than that of ordinary people. From this perspective, he can already be determined to be an ability user.

There are many types of abilities, but most of them have been subdivided into categories. The most powerful one is the natural system. These are the gold, wood, fire, earth, wind, ice, thunder and light, and the number of ability users in this category is extremely scarce.

The overall performance is chicken ribs[1] in the early stage but it will become explosively powerful in the later stage. Like the second leader of the Beicheng base, Wang Mu, who has thunder ability.

(([1] chicken rib— things of little value or interest; something one is reluctant to give up though it is both tasteless and meaningless))

Then there is the amplitude system, which refers to the mutation of certain skills of the body, such as vision, smell, touch, strength, speed, etc. These all belong to the system which is also more common among abilities.

In addition to this, there is also a relatively common one—the beastification, which is also called the ancestral system. It refers to some animal signs that appear in the body when the ability is activated, such as pair of human legs turning into hind legs, the whole body being covered with thick fur, etc.

Aside from these abilities, there are also special abilities that cannot be classified, such as Lou Yuan's murderous invisible psychic ability, the C City's third leader's hallucination ability, etc.

"Launch your ability. If you can't control it, then just attack." A man in a white coat said to Shi Lingxi. His attitude was a little sloppy, but not embarrassing.

The place where he stood was relatively far away from Shi Lingxi, which isn't really surprising. Not to mention the fact that Shi Lingxi hasn't bathed for more than half a month, the system has also detoxified his body and the waste and toxins emitted by him created an unspeakable stench.

Shi Lingxi was accustomed to the smell on his body so he didn't feel much. But the man is a medical staff who has always been protected, he can't bear it.

Shi Lingxi closed his eyes slowly according to the method instructed by the man in the white coat, and tried to feel the energy in his mind. It lasted for three minutes and the moment Shi Lingxi opened his eyes, his pupils rolled back and he directly collapsed on the ground.

"The ability was successfully launched, and the host acquired olfactory skills: Beast-like (smell), tenfold the amplitude (primary) with 1% proficiency."

"What... what's wrong with him?" The soldier who led Shi Lingxi over was stunned, and asked the medical doctor Cheng Mu, "did the ability launch failed and backfired?"

This is not impossible, since Shi Lingxi told him awhile back that he had just awakened his ability two or three hours ago.

"No, judging from the way his eyes rolled back, he should have fainted by himself ... Hehe," Cheng Mu laughed. This is the first time he encountered such a little guy who fainted because of his own ability.

"The olfactory amplitude, it belongs to the amplitude system ..."

The soldier Meng Fang's voice has a little trace of disappointment, but he quickly turned normal again. It was already good to have one of the 1,000 ability users. Acquiring natural and special users, they don't have that luck.

Shi Lingxi woke up in a small room, which should be located near the military station in the town. When he opened the door, he came face to face with a woman outside who looked back at him in shock.

"Water ... the water is already boiled. It can't be drunk , but there's no problem using it to take a bath ..." Beicheng has already used technology to purify tap water, but the surrounding small towns are not able to do so and can only boil it.

"Thank you," Shi Lingxi thanked her. He came over and carried the water to the bathroom. He washed his body twice from head to toe. Then he recalled how he fainted earlier. It must never happen again. Never.

Shi Lingxi changed into the clothes given by the woman and came out. The woman had to look at him several times before she could recognize Shi Lingxi. After all, from a dirty beggar to a clean and beautiful youth, the difference is not trivial at all.

Shi Lingxi wasn't old, right now he's just 19 years old.

After the system's reformation and ability transformation, his skin turned whiter than it was before the end of the world. He inherited his eyes from his mother who has the standard fox eyes, and because of the three years of endurance and hunger, his height is average and he looked relatively thin and small.

Even if he lie and say he's just 16 years old, nobody would question him.

Shi Lingxi wandered in the yard for a while, then went back to the house again before putting on the worn out cloak that he brought with him in his backpack.

Although he's an ability user, right now he's still as weak as a chicken. Any ordinary people with guns can easily kill him.

In the apocalypse, if you don't have the strength and qualification then you won't have a good life. The rules of the past three years of apocalypse have already penetrated deeply into Shi Lingxi's heart.

He pinched his nose uncomfortably. Although right now his ability is still weak, the ten-fold amplitude of his sense of smell was still much higher than normal.

The smell that can be tolerated just felt very piercing at the moment.

　　 "Guru..." Shi Lingxi's stomach grumbled. He has not eaten for two days. Not just that, but his body has also been reformed by the system so he feel so hungry at the moment.

"The person who brought me here, did they say anything?" Shi Lingxi asked a middle-aged woman surnamed Huang.

　　 "Oh, yes, yes, they said when you wake up, come over..."

Aunt Huang responded to Shi Lingxi's words, but still kept her distance cautiously. She didn't want to please Shi Lingxi, but her experience over the years made her well acquainted with the fact that ordinary people and ability users are two distinct classes.

　　 Ordinary people like her just need to be respectful and fearful.

Shi Lingxi glanced at her and nodded gently. He pulled up the hood of the cloak and went out. It was easy to find the military station. He didn't even need to knock for someone to take him in. .

　　 "My name is Meng Fang, please sit down." Meng Fang raised his eyes and looked at Shi Lingxi. His eyes are not as vigilant as before. In this era, zombies and mutant beasts are the common enemy of all survivors.

"Thank you," Shi Lingxi sat down. He also pulled down his hood to show courtesy. His fresh and tender appearance made Meng Fang raise his eyebrows, but the routine questioning still has to be carried out.

"Are you from Beicheng?"

There were originally not many residents in Beicheng. Now most of the people living in Beicheng are from the surrounding areas and some local base cities. After all, Beicheng, as the original capital, has the strongest military strength and was one of the first cities to build a base city.

　　 "Yes, both of my parents are from Beicheng. My father is Shi Jing, a former biology professor at Beicheng University and my mother is Hu Yijun, a professor at the Medical department of Beicheng University. Do you know them? Are they still alive?"

Shi Lingxi leaned forward slightly, his eyes were fixed on Meng Fang, and there was a slight tremor in his voice. He chose to study at Xiamen University which was far away from home. After the end of the world, he regretted this decision of his for countless of times.

He traveled all the way from Xiamen to Beicheng, holding the belief that his parents were still alive. But in the apocalypse, all kinds of accidents can happen, and all kinds of dangers exist. The closer he got to Beicheng, the more nervous he felt.

　　 "You... you're the son of Professor Shi and Professor Hu?"

Meng Fang stood up all of a sudden, shocked. He didn't answer Shi Lingxi's question and just went out directly, running so fast until his shadow disappeared. After ten minutes, Meng Fang came back accompanied by a man who's two heads taller than Shi Lingxi.

　　 He is Meng Fang's superior and a person who can answer Shi Lingxi's question more accurately.

"You're Shi Lingxi?" He asked while staring at Shi Lingxi's facial features. After a while, he said, "You resemble Professor Hu ..."

"My mother... is my mother okay?" Shi Lingxi blinked. After three years, his mind has already hardened and he will not cry easily. But he still cannot stop feeling emotional.

"Professor Shi and Professor Hu are two important people in the base and have always been protected by S-level ability users. They are very safe and are currently in the base research center."

He continued on, "Three years ago, our boss went to Xiamen to carry out the mission of bringing you back, but we couldn't find you even until we evacuated from Xiamen."

"Hahaha, the boss will come back later, I must brag!" Xiong Kun laughed loudly. Meng Fang looked at him, saying that it was his credit to find Shi Lingxi.

Shi Lingxi was relieved. His heart was still shaking, but it wasn't obvious on face. His parents are still alive.

Shi Lingxi was about to ask something when the mechanical voice of System A236 suddenly resounded in his mind, almost shocking him.

"System A236 reminds the host that the mission target is approaching. 1km, 900m, 800m... 300m, 200m, 100m... 50m. The mission target is no longer moving, asking the host to actively pursue."

What actively pursue? Did he has to let Lou touch his head? Black lines appeared on Shi Lingxi's forehead. He raised his eyes and looked at Xiong Kun who was giggling, then walked towards the window. He saw a man from a distance, the man's back is facing him.

But what caught his attention isn't this, but the pink hearts floating on top of the man's head. Shi Lingxi felt his eyes sting.

He suddenly had a sense of crisis, and he felt that the strangeness of his system wouldn't end here.