Chapter 112: Beings Under Rules

Jiang Yue City.

Chen Fei had remained low-key for some time.

He slowly grasped how his golden finger worked. By making offerings of special mysterious items, he could instantly master superpowers. While others needed decades to cultivate abilities, he simply had to find items of equivalent value to gain perfect mastery overnight.

This illogical power progression felt as natural as eating rice.

Through this method, Chen Fei’s strength grew unnoticed. What once required great effort – dealing with ability user gunmen – now took mere slaps. His rapid growth left ordinary mysterious items useless for further progress, pushing him toward bolder actions.

“Time to emerge.”

Concealing his aura beneath a gray coat and hat, Chen Fei left his home.

The guardians’ conflict with raiders remained unresolved. Rather than investigate, Chen Fei kept building strength quietly. Wu Qiuyue visited several times appearing unharmed. Avoiding direct questions, he maintained his ordinary people facade during their interactions.

“Chen Fei?”

He encountered Wu Qiuyue at his doorstep.

“I was coming to find you.”

Chen Fei approached smiling. Acquiring mysterious items required ability users’ help, and Wu Qiuyue remained his only reliable contact. Noticing she wanted to talk privately, he agreed when she suggested relocating.

“The riverside’s quieter.”

“Agreed.”

Their taxi reached the riverside park.

Few wandered here at night. Under amber streetlights, they resembled college sweethearts. After brief strolling, Wu Qiuyue broke the silence.

“You saw it at the hospital, didn’t you?”

Having observed Chen Fei’s uniqueness, she decided honesty served best after their long acquaintance.

“That monstrous entity?”

Seeking help, Chen Fei abandoned pretense. His current power made secrecy unnecessary.

“So you did witness it.”

Wu Qiuyue’s expression confirmed suspicions.

“Was that you at Western Suburbs warehouse?” The guardians dominated Jiang Yue City’s underworld. Despite Chen Fei’s caution during that incident, their special investigators had traced clues back to him – slower than expected, but inevitable.

“I meant to resolve your problem, but enemies proved stronger.”

Chen Fei acknowledged this, leveraging past aid to ease future requests.

“Too reckless.”

Gratitude flickered in Wu Qiuyue’s eyes as she misinterpreted his motives.

“What superpower awakened in you?”

Superpower?

Chen Fei understood her assumption. Explaining “inner strength” from his world would complicate matters. Letting people mistake it for superpower suited him better.

“My superpower enhances everything—speed, strength, agility.”

Chen Fei vaguely described his inner energy’s effects. Though it actually did far more, he wasn’t foolish enough to reveal all his cards, even to Wu Qiuyue.

“Stamina boost?”

Wu Qiuyue struggled to grasp his meaning, settling on this closest comparison.

“Your power’s attributes aren’t strong enough. It’s only third-tier.”

Superpowers ranked across five tiers. Single-attribute boosts counted as weakest fifth-tier. Dual or triple attributes made fourth-tier. All-round enhancers like Chen Fei ranked third-tier. Second-tier powers like fire, ice, or electromagnetic control exceeded ordinary humans’ reach. First-tier involved intangible forces—wishes, time, space. Rumors spoke of something beyond first-tier: taboo users.

Taboo users defied gods, wielding forbidden powers like glimpsing fate or twisting life and death. Yet even their might came with constraints Wu Qiuyue couldn’t comprehend.

“Third-tier works for daily self-defense, but not against ‘Xie’.”

Worry flickered in Wu Qiuyue’s eyes.

Having killed Xie members, Chen Fei was surely on their hitlist. Unlike church-backed guardians, he stood alone. Now that the guardians had tracked him down, Xie had likely identified him too.

“Going solo’s too risky. Join the guardians.” As their leader, Wu Qiuyue held recruitment rights.

Join them?

The suggestion surprised Chen Fei. After consideration, he asked:

“Any requirements?”

“Merge with Earth Spirit. Devote yourself to the Wisdom Goddess.”

Wu Qiuyue’s face softened with piety when naming her deity—proper conduct for Jiang Yue City’s guardian commander.

“Wisdom Goddess?”

Chen Fei blinked. Deity worship as membership criteria? Unheard of in modern society. He blurted:

“Actual faith? Gods are just myths!”

“Don’t disrespect Her!”

Wu Qiuyue snapped, then moderated her tone remembering his ordinary background:

“Gods seem mythical to common folk, but we ability users know their reality. Our guardian methods—merging Earth Spirits, awakening powers—all come from the Goddess.”

Real gods?

Existing deities?

Chen Fei’s spine chilled. He jerked his head upward.

The night sky showed nothing beyond sickly streetlight glow.

“What about Xie?”

Chen Fei’s brief confidence vanished. If gods existed, his second-tier power felt pitiful. First-tier remained distant, taboo level unimaginable.

This world’s truths ran deeper than he’d dreamed.

Actual deities… I’m still weak. Must stay low-key.

“Xie serves the Dark God—heretics all.”

Though loathing the Dark God, Wu Qiuyue avoided direct blasphemy. Long obedience to divine hierarchy left no room for rebellion.