Chapter 1: Superpower List

Chapter 1: Superpower List

He got up at four thirty in the morning. He got out of bed and started running laps around the track, one lap after another, running like a machine, expressionless. Before the sun even rose, Yang Qi had already run a full thirty laps. After finishing, he went into the grove not far from the track. He swung his limbs, using his fists, elbows, knees, feet, and even his shoulders and body to hit, punch, kick, and slap a tree, hitting as hard and painfully as he could.

It wasn’t that Yang Qi was a pervert. He genuinely needed to distract himself, using the pain in his body to lessen and replace the deep pain in his mind.

Pain. The kind of pain that made him wish for death.

This deep-seated pain in his mind had been with Yang Qi since he was old enough to remember. It had continued until now without stopping, not even when he slept.

Also, his body had always been extremely cold, different from a normal person’s body temperature. It was as if there was a chilling air inside him, forcing him to exercise frantically to maintain his body heat.

When footsteps sounded in his ears, Yang Qi stopped his “self-harm” and walked to the side. He picked up the book he had prepared and curled up in another corner. Yang Qi was already known as the weirdo in this school; he didn’t want to be seen as a self-harming monster on top of that.

Reading was another method Yang Qi used to distract himself, though the pain in his mind made it hard for him to really take anything in. The book in his hand had a title that was dry and obscure, and its content was even more dizzying. Precisely because of this, Yang Qi had to focus intensely to read it, using that to lessen the deep-seated pain in his mind.

When the footsteps on campus became more numerous and mixed, Yang Qi could only put away his book. He started heading to the cafeteria to buy breakfast, beginning his daily life and studies.

After the daytime classes ended, Yang Qi went downstairs to run. After evening self-study ended, when the night was deep and quiet, Yang Qi secretly came to the track again. He ran lap after lap around the track until he felt this kind of torment could let him sleep peacefully. Only then did he return to his dormitory.

This was Yang Qi’s daily life, strange and regular. In the eyes of many students at Ruiyun High School, Yang Qi was a freak, or perhaps an idiot.

Yang Qi’s grades were average, his looks were average, his family background was average—everything about him was extremely average. He was completely the type to get lost in a crowd.

Moreover, his temperament was strange. The pain in his mind made him seem a bit foolish.

If you talked to him, he would only grin foolishly, sometimes even showing no reaction.

If you laughed at him for running and walking on the track like an idiot every day, he would only grin foolishly, sometimes showing no reaction.

He seemed to never get angry and never knew what shame was.

He always seemed busy with his own stuff, things others could never see or understand. He looked like he was spacing out, yet also like he was thinking.

Over two years were enough for both classmates and teachers to know and get used to Yang Qi’s weirdness. No classmates would play with him, and no teacher would call on him to answer questions in class. The only thing that might please classmates and teachers was that Yang Qi would never cause them any trouble.

It was senior year now. The academic workload was getting more and more intense. Almost every moment was spent drowning in a sea of test problems. Before, there were monthly exams; now, there were mock exams every half month, with a trend toward every week or even every three days.

During evening self-study, test papers were handed out for an exam. The next day, they were already graded. The papers were handed back, and scores were announced. Yang Qi’s score was neither high nor low.

The class dismissal bell rang. The teacher walked out of the classroom. The classmates were about to go to the cafeteria to eat. At this moment, a handsome-looking boy walked towards the podium. With a smile on his face, he said to everyone, “Classmates, quiet down please. I have something to announce.”

This boy was called Qin Muchu. He was the class monitor of Senior Year Class 3 and also the school’s famous tall, rich, and handsome guy, a child of officials.

“Tomorrow is the weekend, and it also happens to be my birthday.”

The smile on Qin Muchu’s face was extremely sunny, making many girls in the class see stars in their eyes.

“I know everyone’s studies are very intense right now, but we also need to balance work and rest. I was thinking, why not take advantage of my birthday to have a gathering so everyone can relax a bit. Tomorrow after school in the afternoon, there will be cars to pick everyone up. You all must do me this favor.”

“The class monitor gives the order; we naturally obey,” someone said with a laugh.

“The class monitor’s birthday, of course, no one will be missing, right?”

Aside from a few classmates who secretly showed impatient expressions, the rest nodded in agreement. Several even voiced their support loudly, trying to please the class monitor and the tall, rich, and handsome student.

And at this moment…

Someone in the class had already stood up early. With a wooden expression, they walked towards the classroom door. It was none other than Yang Qi. It seemed he hadn’t heard the class monitor’s words. Like a ghost, he walked past the podium and drifted toward the door.

This… was really… somewhat abrupt and out of place.

Of course, everyone knew Yang Qi’s personality. They knew he must have been spacing out again. They all gave awkward, embarrassed laughs. But the class monitor, being the center of attention, felt his face burn a bit, feeling very awkward.

“Yang Qi, did you hear what I said? Where are you going?”

Qin Muchu’s expression changed quickly. The awkwardness disappeared, but his smile wasn’t as bright anymore. He reached out to block Yang Qi’s way.

“I’m going to the track.”

Yang Qi seemed like he had just come back to his senses. He grinned foolishly, then walked toward the door again after speaking, still seeming like he hadn’t grasped the situation.

Watching Yang Qi’s back as he walked straight out of the classroom, Qin Muchu felt his face grow even more unpleasant.

“Class monitor, don’t be angry. You know what Yang Qi is like. He was probably sleepwalking just now.”

“Yeah, it’s not worth getting angry over a fool like him.”

Someone even directly used Yang Qi’s foolishness as a talking point. Hearing this, Qin Muchu regained his bright smile and a touch of seriousness. He said to that person, “I naturally wouldn’t be angry at Yang Qi. I was just concerned about him. And you, don’t just casually speak ill of classmates behind their backs.”

That person naturally nodded eagerly.

“So it’s settled then. Tomorrow after school at noon, don’t anyone rush off home.”

Qin Muchu said with a full smile, giving the classmates another reminder.

Now, Yang Qi, who had already reached the track, looked up at the setting sun and muttered to himself, “Almost missed today’s sunset.”

As for the earlier scene, Yang Qi had no time to dwell on it. The pain in his mind destined him not to have the mind to think about so much. After he started running, the exhaustion in his body gradually shifted his attention away from the deep pain in his mind. Only then did Yang Qi’s face reveal a smile only he himself could feel.

“More than ten years! Every day is infinitely close to death, every day is a struggle. Never a moment of slack, never a moment of giving up. What I want is to live, definitely live!”

Yang Qi’s voice was very light, but very firm. He would pep himself up every day, never giving up his desire for life’s freedom!

“You idiot, stop right there!”

After Yang Qi had been running frantically for half an hour, several students rushed out from the side. They had arrogant temperaments; they were several of the school’s problem students. They wanted to block Yang Qi. One of them even directly launched a flying kick, aiming to kick Yang Qi.

“Huh?”

Yang Qi slightly increased his speed and dodged it. The one who thought he was 100% sure to land the kick lost his balance and fell flat on his face.

“What the hell!”

Seeing this, the few blocking Yang Qi’s path all lunged forward. Although their movements weren’t exactly agile, they still managed to block Yang Qi. One from behind directly jumped up and gave Yang Qi a kick, cursing while doing so, “Idiot, I don’t care if you’re really stupid or faking it. I’m gonna beat you up today.”

“Why say so much to an idiot? Finish beating him up quickly and let’s go. Damn it, hurry up, hurry up. If people see us bullying an idiot, they’ll laugh us to death.”

It seemed fierce, but he actually didn’t kick Yang Qi.

The remaining few didn’t waste words either. They directly surrounded Yang Qi and attacked him, punching and kicking, swearing and showing disdain as they hit.

“A few hits are enough. Hitting him more brings bad luck. Damn it, I really don’t know what that guy was thinking, wanting to beat up even an idiot. So inhumane!”

“Stop discussing it. Who cares who we beat up!”

“Shit, this idiot’s bones are really hard.”

The burliest among them launched a flying kick directly at Yang Qi’s stomach. Yang Qi reached out and caught his foot. The burly guy pulled and kicked but couldn’t move it. It was almost like he couldn’t believe his own kicking strength. He let go, staggered, and would have fallen if someone behind him hadn’t steadied him. Another person punched Yang Qi’s body and immediately felt like he was punching a steel plate; his fist turned completely red.

The pain in his mind destined Yang Qi to react much slower. But all the punches aimed at Yang Qi’s neck or above were slapped away by Yang Qi. Yang Qi’s strength was so great that those guys all felt pain in their hands. However, they didn’t shout out loud or stop, probably due to pride.

While a group of them furiously beat Yang Qi, they also gasped in pain, almost screaming. And they saw that from beginning to end, this idiot stood straight like a pillar, unmoved, not a single expression on his face. In fact, he even seemed to somewhat enjoy it all. The few problem students couldn’t help but feel a jolt in their hearts.

At this moment, there were still a few people on the track, but who would dare to stop these school bullies?

“What are you doing!”

At this time, a crisp voice rang out. A girl ran over towards them.

“If you don’t stop right now, I’ll tell the teacher!”

“Damn it, what girl dares to mess with our business?”

The several hooligans turned to look and all shrunk their heads sheepishly. In school, there were two types of girls the hooligan students couldn’t afford to mess with: one was student council cadres who were very close to teachers, and the other was beautiful girls with a large crowd of pursuers. Undoubtedly, the girl running over now was a combination of both: the vice president of the student council and also the School Belle of Ruiyun.

“Let’s go, bad luck!”

These hooligan students immediately stopped and left quickly. A few of them didn’t even walk away with a steady gait.

“Are you okay?”

Chen Xiaoxiao stood in front of Yang Qi, asking with concern.

She wore a white dress, had a petite figure, delicate features, and a lovely face. Most special was her smile, warm, causing a dimple at the corner of her mouth, making her look especially charming.

Yang Qi, who had shown no expression on his face all along, now revealed a smile at the sight of her. He shook his head and walked straight outwards, seeming dazed.

Chen Xiaoxiao thought Yang Qi was going to chase after those hooligan students to fight. She immediately reached out to pull Yang Qi back. The moment she touched his arm, she couldn’t help but pull her hand back immediately. So cold!

It was already warm spring, but when Chen Xiaoxiao touched Yang Qi’s arm, a chill came through. She suddenly felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. Her spine tightened, and her whole body shuddered.

“You… why is your body so cold? Are you okay?” Chen Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but ask, her eyes showing confusion but more concern.

“N-no, I’m fine. Thanks.”

Yang Qi waved a hand and gave a faint laugh, completely ignoring the shoe prints and dirt stamped onto his clothes.

“I don’t fight.”

Yang Qi said another sentence and walked away.

Chen Xiaoxiao stood there, staring blankly at Yang Qi’s retreating back. She was puzzled by his body temperature, and also because he had voiced his own thought.

Then, a person walked towards Chen Xiaoxiao. His name was Xiao Yunlong, the captain of the school’s track and field team. Chen Xiaoxiao had come to the sports field at his invitation to discuss some matters between the student council and the track team. Of course, Chen Xiaoxiao also knew that Xiao Yunlong had always been one of her admirers, and this was mostly a case of using public business for private gain to get closer to her.

Chen Xiaoxiao smiled and walked over. In her mind, she made a calculation. She wanted to use Xiao Yunlong to find out why those troublemaker students were picking on Yang Qi, or if there was some other reason behind it. As for why Chen Xiaoxiao was doing this, she told herself it was the duty of the student council vice-president, not mere curiosity.

Yang Qi reached out and brushed his clothes a few times. He walked into the cafeteria, ate, and then with his usual blank expression, walked to a corner in the campus grove. He swung his fists, punishing himself, and then curled up in the corner to read.

“That pain is nothing.”

Yang Qi muttered to himself, his expression indifferent. Then suddenly, his expression changed. Sweat burst from his forehead like soybeans. He furrowed his brows, looking utterly miserable.

Suddenly, the sense of swelling and splitting in his brain multiplied. Yang Qi’s mind was instantly plunged into boundless chaos. Within that chaos, it seemed like axes and blades were constantly hacking at him.

He leaned his head against the wall of the corner. Then, Yang Qi began frantically banging his head against the wall. The pain in his head had already robbed him of the ability to think.

“What’s happening, suddenly… argh!”

This was absolutely the most painful experience Yang Qi had ever had. The patience and habits cultivated over more than ten years completely collapsed at this moment. He let out a low roar.

The pain reached the point of numbness. He was on the verge of passing out.

At this moment, a sudden heat flared in Yang Qi’s brain. It was as if a ball of fire was burning. The heat surged out, spreading throughout his entire brain, and then his whole body.

Boom!

That ball of fire seemed to explode, causing Yang Qi’s entire body to shake. Then he completely blacked out.

Even though Yang Qi had blacked out, his consciousness seemed extremely clear. He could clearly see strange symbols flashing in his brain, one after another. Then came bizarre lines, sections of obscure text, followed by one pattern after another, one image after another…

Endless, surging like waves. He didn’t know where they came from, but they all suddenly appeared in Yang Qi’s mind.

“Argh!”

He didn’t know how long had passed when Yang Qi jolted awake with a start. The bell for evening self-study was ringing. He guessed about an hour or so had passed.

Right now, Yang Qi had no spare attention for the class bell. He just sat there in a daze, looking bewildered.

The pain in his brain had disappeared. His originally ice-cold body now felt pleasantly warm.

“This!”

Yang Qi was sure this wasn’t a dream.

The strange illness that had plagued him for over a decade had finally vanished!

Moreover, a peculiar Golden Paper had appeared in his mind. Also, all those incredibly obscure knowledge points from the books he had read before were now clearly imprinted in his memory, fully integrated and understood, becoming very simple.

The pain was gone. His memory and comprehension seemed to have undergone a qualitative leap. The constant chill of his body temperature had also returned to normal, no different from an ordinary person’s. The pleasant warmth made Yang Qi feel deeply comfortable.

“What is this?”

Yang Qi “looked” at the seemingly substantial Golden Paper that lingered in his mind. With just one glance, a series of information flooded Yang Qi’s mind, information about this Golden Paper.

This Golden Paper was called the “Superpower List.” It came from a planet named SM69, trillions of light-years away from Earth. It flew into the universe when that planet exploded and happened to land in the mind of the newborn Yang Qi seventeen years ago. It lay dormant for seventeen years, finally fusing with Yang Qi’s bloodline, and only now awakened.

This “Superpower List” was the highest crystallization of wisdom from the SM69 planet. One could learn more than a hundred superpowers within it, divided into seven major categories.

Because Yang Qi had endured the brain pressure caused by the “Superpower List” for these seventeen years, his Psychic Energy had become exceptionally powerful. The List directly rewarded him by activating the Psychokinesis category of superpowers. Because Yang Qi had persistently subjected himself to hardship over these seventeen years to resist the icy feeling in his body, his physical recovery power had become exceptionally strong. The List directly rewarded him by activating the Body Secrets category of superpowers.

After receiving this information, Yang Qi’s mind was a jumbled mess. He found it somewhat baffling. But the Golden Paper was extremely real within his mind. Yang Qi couldn’t help but be drawn to focus on it, so he carefully looked at the contents on that Golden Paper.

Many strange characters appeared on this seemingly simple Golden Paper, but Yang Qi could understand them at a glance; they were automatically translated into Chinese.

Seven areas appeared on the Golden Paper, which were the so-called seven major categories. From left to right, each occupied a section: Body Secrets, Five Senses Enhancement, Psychokinesis, Telekinesis, Space Manipulation, Time Manipulation, and Unknown Elemental Power.

The fonts for Body Secrets and Psychokinesis were bright, and they were followed by the notation “Lv.1” and a long bar resembling an experience bar for training value. These were presumably the ones mentioned earlier that were already activated. The fonts for the other five categories were dim, indicating they were unopened. Yang Qi took another look; activating these major categories seemed to require certain conditions.

Yang Qi looked over them carefully and gained a general understanding.

For each major category, the higher the level, the more functions and effects it would derive. For example, the only effect available at Body Secrets Lv.1 was “Muscle Enhancement.” At higher levels, it would derive effects like “Bloodline Enhancement,” “Internal Organ Enhancement,” and even “Body Extension,” “Invisibility,” “Doppelganger,” and more. At the same time, as the level increased, the original effects would also be enhanced.

The Psychokinesis superpower was largely similar, mostly involving effects related to Psychic Energy and the mind, such as “Photographic Memory,” “Hypnosis,” “Emotion Control,” “Dream Construction,” and so on.

The effects of the other five superpowers were even more mind-boggling, such as “Instant Displacement,” “Mind Control,” “Time Freeze,” “X-ray Vision,” “Gravity Control,” “Thunderstorm Magnetic Storm”…

All of this was like a dream. But the seemingly substantial Golden Paper in his mind remained, refusing to fade. This made Yang Qi feel it was all so real.

“Weren’t two categories of superpowers opened? I’ll just try them and find out!”

Yang Qi gritted his teeth. Deciding to act, he got started immediately.