Chapter 39: Five Categories of Evolution
Cheng Qisheng was genuinely delighted by the discovery.
At first, she had assumed her ability was something like a Anywhere Door—the kind from cartoons where you open a door and can step through to any place in the world.
But after several days of experimentation, she discovered that she couldn’t do anything that powerful—not yet.
The destination of any door she opened could only be her own home, and even then, the ability wasn’t under her control.
Sometimes, during her tests, she would deliberately try to open a door leading home, only to find an ordinary room or hallway on the other side.
Other times, she’d simply open a door as usual, only to discover that it unexpectedly led back to her home.
Cheng Qisheng accepted this quite readily.
“Psychic -type ability users usually aren’t very useful in the early stages. In most cases, it’s only after reaching Tier 5 that their abilities truly begin to reveal themselves.”
That was all Aether’s database had to say on the subject. Unfortunately, it didn’t contain any more detailed information.
So Cheng Qisheng spent five hundred crystals to purchase everything Gu Gaga knew about ability users.
Both Meow Meow and Blue Sea had bought the same information before, and both agreed it was well worth the price.
Gu Gaga had long been determined to make a career as a merchant serving city lords. A seasoned veteran in the trade, it had collected an impressively comprehensive body of knowledge on ability users.
As soon as Cheng Qisheng made the payment and signed a non-disclosure agreement, Gu Gaga immediately organized the information into categories and explained everything in detail.
“Evolution is, at its core, a form of advancement. It is broadly divided into five major categories: Physical, Elemental, Mechanical, Psychic, and Law.”
“The Physical category is the easiest to understand. It generally involves enhancing the body—for example, increased speed, greater strength, and the like. Some ability users also undergo other kinds of transformations, such as turning into beasts or enlarging their bodies until they’re as big as a house.”
Taking notes as she listened, Cheng Qisheng nodded in understanding.
So Qu Tianming, who had grown a mermaid tail, had apparently evolved along the Physical path.
Gu Gaga continued typing:
“The Elemental category is even simpler. Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Light, Darkness, and Plants. In general, an ability user can only control a single element.”
“Those first two categories are the most common among ability users. Next comes the Mechanical category. It’s relatively rare, but extremely useful. Some Mechanical ability users can transform parts of their own bodies into machines.”
“Others can manipulate machinery itself. For example, if you hand one of them a pile of scrap metal, they can assemble it into a highly combat-capable mech in a very short amount of time.”
“I’ve never personally met a Mechanical ability user, but I’ve heard that high-tier ones can even fly directly through outer space.”
That sounds ridiculously overpowered, Cheng Qisheng thought as she recalled the ability users who had awakened in Blue Sea.
Well… there weren’t any Mechanical-types yet.
Blue Sea Safe City: So does that make the Mechanical category the strongest?
Gu Gaga quickly replied:
“No, no, no. Mechanical ability users are incredibly useful, but when it comes to destructive power, the Psychic category is far stronger.”
Finally—they were getting to the important part.
Cheng Qisheng, who had been lounging on the sofa, immediately sat up straight, signaling just how seriously she was taking the next part.
“No matter how powerful the other categories become, they’re ultimately manipulating matter. The Psychic category is different—it can manipulate consciousness itself. It also encompasses time and space. I’ve even heard that once a Psychic ability user becomes powerful enough, they can reverse time itself.”
Cheng Qisheng’s mood improved even further as she read.
Blue Sea Safe City: It’s really that powerful? =v=
These days, the moment Gu Gaga saw that “=v=” emoticon from her, its branches started aching.
Not from fear—but from heartache.
It had fled from Blue Sea without stopping for even a moment, terrified out of its wits.
Only to find out later that Blue Sea hadn’t eaten the three remaining “little sweet treats” at all. Instead, it had cooperated with the three city lords—and had even successfully formed an alliance with them.
In the end, not only did the other three city lords each receive a share of the crystals, they also managed to climb aboard Blue Sea’s “big ship.” The four Safe Cities joined forces to wipe out Mianyan City, earning yet another windfall of crystal cores.
Meanwhile, Gu Gaga, thanks to fleeing quickly enough and possessing such a strong sense of self-preservation, not only missed the opportunity to board that “ship,” but also lost the 1,000 crystals it had spent relocating.
Gu Gaga: Absolutely heartbroken!
To be fair, it didn’t regret running away.
After all, if your own combat strength was lacking, yet you had a neighbor who looked capable of twisting your head off at any moment, anyone would be living in constant fear.
Meow Meow and Blue Sea hadn’t run because they were both Tier 3. Their strength and foundation spoke for themselves—even if they couldn’t win, they could at least escape.
As for Withered Star…
That guy had something wrong with his head!
A reckless brute! Never thinks! Lives entirely on luck!
Gu Gaga was so jealous it felt like tree sap was about to ooze out of its trunk.
The good news was that, judging by the experiences of the other three city lords, Blue Sea clearly preferred mutually beneficial cooperation. That meant Gu Gaga still had a chance to build a good relationship with Blue Sea.
Now was the perfect opportunity!
Noticing Blue Sea’s obvious interest in Psychic ability users, Gu Gaga immediately extended its originally planned explanation of the Psychic category, enthusiastically rattling on at great length.
“Psychic ability users may have some minor issues in the early stages—they often struggle to control their powers properly. But once they reach Tier 5, they’re noticeably stronger than other ability users of the same tier.”
Gu Gaga guessed that Blue Sea’s keen interest in the Psychic category meant one of two things:
Either Blue Sea herself was a Psychic ability user…
Or one of her residents had been lucky enough to awaken as one.
Heavens…
Tree sap started welling up again.
A psychic ability user!
Such an incredibly rare ability!
Blue Sea Safe City had only just advanced to Tier 3, yet it already possessed an ability user with such a scarce and extraordinary power?
Feeling increasingly envious, Gu Gaga kept “weeping tree sap” while continuing to lavish praise on just how overwhelmingly powerful Psychic ability users became once they had fully developed.
“I’ve heard that a powerful Psychic ability user doesn’t even need to get close to an enemy in battle—they can simply scramble the enemy’s brain from afar.”
“Psychic ability users are extraordinarily rare. The odds of one appearing are probably around one in several hundred million.”
“And truly powerful Psychic ability users can remain standing in one place while extending their psychic power across an entire city. Can you believe that?”
Gu Gaga spared no effort in extolling the might of the Psychic category.
But to its surprise, Cheng Qisheng didn’t seem especially thrilled.
Looks like I guessed wrong, Gu Gaga thought.
The Psychic ability user wasn’t Blue Sea herself.
Otherwise, upon hearing something like “your psychic power can cover an entire city,” even the most composed city lord would have had trouble hiding their excitement.
If the Psychic ability user wasn’t Blue Sea, then her calm reaction made perfect sense.
Everyone knew that a Safe City’s lord could be replaced by one of their own residents.
A certain unnamed Mr. Withered, who had successfully killed the previous city lord and taken the position for himself, was probably the most qualified person to comment on that.
If one of your residents possessed abilities far beyond your own, then instead of feeling delighted, a city lord ought to be worrying about whether that resident might kill them and seize the lordship.
Gu Gaga instantly realized it had made a tactical blunder.
It shouldn’t have praised Psychic ability users so extravagantly.
Although it posed no threat to Blue Sea itself, who ever liked the bearer of bad news?
With that thought, the treant abruptly stopped singing the Psychic category’s praises and changed the subject.
“That said, while the Psychic category is powerful, there’s an even more terrifying type of evolution above it.”
Cheng Qisheng, who had been lounging comfortably on the sofa again with a cushion in her arms, slowly sat upright once more.
Four of the five categories had already been explained.
That meant only the last one remained.
Blue Sea Safe City: The Law category?
Gu Gaga Safe City: “That’s right—the Law category. I only know that such a category exists. In fact, I only learned about it from other civilizations. As far as I know, none of the civilizations I’ve encountered have ever seen a Law-type ability user.”
Gu Gaga Safe City: “But according to the rumors, the Law category is both the most powerful… and the most terrifying.”
Cheng Qisheng asked: “If no one’s ever seen one, then why is there a rumor that Law-types are the most terrifying?”
Gu Gaga Safe City: “Because there’s a legend that the Safe Cities were created by a Law-type ability user.”
Cheng Qisheng replied: “All of the Safe Cities?”
Gu Gaga Safe City: “Yes—all of them. Think about it. Across so many universes and so many worlds, whenever a planet reaches the conditions of planetary destruction + a surviving civilization with more than 10,000 inhabitants, a Safe City descends. Just imagine how incredible an ability that must be.”
Cheng Qisheng thought:
Wow.
Now that’s truly powerful.
If the rumor was true, then wouldn’t a Law-type ability user be… essentially a god?
The thought slightly tempered the excitement she’d been feeling over her newly acquired “open a door and return home” ability.
Above the Psychic category stood the even more powerful Law category.
Although, to the current generation of city lords, Law-type ability users were little more than legend, she still needed to stay cautious. She couldn’t let herself become overconfident.
Besides, she had only just reached Tier 3.
She still had a long way to go before she could truly become powerful.
After finishing Gu Gaga’s little lecture and leaving their private chat, Cheng Qisheng immediately decided to resume her fitness training.
She had been so absorbed in experimenting with her new “magic door” trick over the past few days that she’d completely neglected her workouts.
Ah…
The ability to return home whenever she wanted had simply made her a little too excited.
After all, ever since she was a child, Cheng Qisheng’s greatest wish had been to have a home that truly, completely belonged to her.
And now, not only did she finally have one—
She could return to it whenever she wished.
Although she still wasn’t very proficient with the ability, she would continue advancing through the tiers. With more practice, she’d only become better at using it.
Just imagine it.
In the future, she could be traveling—standing atop a snowy mountain one moment, then finding a nearby door, opening it, and instantly returning to her cozy home. She could soak in a hot bath before climbing into her warm, comfortable bed.
Or when she needed to go out to run errands, there’d be no more squeezing onto crowded subway trains or sitting in traffic jams with everyone else. Just find a door, and the problem would be solved.
Once her ability grew even stronger, perhaps she’d even be able to open a door from inside her home that led directly to somewhere else.
She had a feeling that one day, she really might be capable of doing that.
For someone who hated spending the night away from home, it was practically the perfect ability.
Cheng Qisheng reluctantly suppressed her excitement.
It was time to get back to work.
Over the past few days, she’d been busy experimenting with her new ability. At the same time, Blue Sea’s Ability users had also been conducting all kinds of experiments with their own powers, while the Blue Sea government had been carrying out aerial reconnaissance across every region of Yunbula.
As for the zombies scattered across the island, they had mostly been left for the residents to deal with.
After living in Mianyan City, where people had become accustomed to spending their contribution points lavishly, the residents genuinely appreciated this opportunity to earn more.
The Blue Sea government’s main focus was gathering intelligence on the areas surrounding the grain depot, as well as the large survivor settlement and the various medium- and small-sized settlements nearby.
There really were a great many human settlements throughout Yunbula.
Most of them had been built along the coast, following much the same idea as the small fishing village Blue Sea had encountered before.
However, Blue Sea still hadn’t made contact with any of the local settlements.
The whole reason the Safe City had relocated to Yunbula was to secure that massive grain depot.
Everything else came second.
The settlements weren’t going anywhere. It would be just as easy to establish contact with them after the grain had been secured.
Right now, everyone in the Blue Sea government had only one goal:
Get that grain depot into their own warehouse as quickly as possible.
The question was…
How should they make their move?
Should they simply launch a direct overland advance, crushing everything in their path?
Should they instead airlift troops directly to the grain depot?
Or should they find a location close enough to the depot that also met the conditions for a Safe City’s descent, then spend another 1,000 crystal cores to relocate once more?
While the Great Creator God was happily absorbed in her little game of “Open the door.” “Close the door.” “Open it again.” “Close it again.”…
Blue Sea’s senior leadership had once again reached the point where everyone was surviving on coffee and starfruit juice.
Centered around the Supreme Command Center, the Crisis Response Department, the various divisions of the military, the Ministry of Land and Survival Resources, and the Department of Fiscal Resource Assessment were all either huddled together in constant meetings or working nonstop, each one busy beyond belief.
That was also one of the reasons Cheng Qisheng had been able to devote herself entirely to experimenting with her new ability.
The Great Creator God wasn’t particularly interested in the discussion process.
She only cared about the final result.
She trusted that Blue Sea’s most brilliant minds—her believers—would arrive at the plan best suited to Blue Sea’s current situation.
Turning her attention toward Blue Sea Safe City, Cheng Qisheng was pleased to find that they had indeed reached the conclusion that best served Blue Sea’s interests.
Their plan was simple:
First, select a location relatively close to the grain depot.
Then dispatch combat personnel by helicopter to clear the area.
Finally, relocate the Safe City to that location.
After that…
They would simply advance all the way through by force.
Rather than going to the trouble of finding and clearing a densely packed urban area full of zombies, it would be easier to use a place that already existed.
Blue Sea had set its sights on a medium-sized survivor settlement located near the grain depot.
Now all they needed was the Great Creator God’s approval.
As soon as Cheng Qisheng gave the nod, Blue Sea would immediately send representatives to negotiate with the settlement.
In truth, Cheng Qisheng barely glanced at the proposal, which covered topics such as strategic assessment, military feasibility, resource logistics, survival and security, risk analysis, and cost-benefit evaluation.
Haha… I wouldn’t understand any of this anyway.
The Great Creator God didn’t need to understand every technical detail.
All she needed to do was deliver a divine decree:
“My children, proceed according to your plan. Go forth without hesitation.”
And so, all of Blue Sea sprang into action once again.
——
Gu Gaga Safe City—
Gu Gaga had just finished writing its “Behavioral Analysis Report: Blue Sea.” After carefully reviewing it one last time, it finally nodded in satisfaction and filed the report away in its archives.
It was a merchant.
A merchant who wanted to stay alive—and make as many crystals as possible.
An analysis of the behavior of a powerful Safe City lord could easily become a valuable commodity.
Just like the “Behavioral Analysis Report: Cosmic Lord ” it had previously sold to Blue Sea.
In this new report on Blue Sea, Gu Gaga went to great lengths to describe Blue Sea’s overwhelming strength, friendliness, and exceptional emotional self-control. It also documented the entire course of events surrounding the Four-City Alliance in meticulous detail.
At the moment, no one had bought the report.
Those who couldn’t afford it were too poor…
And those who could afford it had already dealt with Blue Sea personally and had formed their own conclusions.
Still, Gu Gaga had a feeling.
Judging from the potential Blue Sea had displayed, perhaps one day this report would become a bestseller.
After filing the document away, it casually browsed through some of its other records.
Today’s discussion had touched on the Law category, so Gu Gaga pulled out the rather thin file labeled “Law-type.”
Ah!
That’s right.
It suddenly remembered that one of the notes inside contained a certain city lord’s speculation:
A Law-type ability user might effectively be every type of ability user at once.
Because a Law-type could alter the rules themselves, the rules governing the other evolution categories simply wouldn’t apply to them.
That city lord had theorized that a Law-type might appear to possess the abilities of any evolution category…
Yet whatever ability it displayed would be vastly stronger than what that category’s actual rank should allow.
For example, a Tier 1 Water-type ability user could at most create a few balls of water.
But if a Law-type decided that it was a Water-type…
It might casually create an entire pond.
That…
Was law.
The rules that stood above every other category.
Gu Gaga looked at the page for another moment before closing the file again.
After all…
It was only a hypothesis.
There wasn’t a shred of concrete evidence to support it.
According to all the records Gu Gaga had managed to collect, not a single Law-type ability user had appeared in tens of thousands of years.
