Chapter 143: Power Beyond Classification

Having finished reviewing all the documents, Lu Xin set down the tablet and picked up the Ability User analysis report to look at.

After waiting quite a while, Gecko asked, “So… what do you think?”

Lu Xin gave him a slightly puzzled glance. “What do I think about what?”

“I mean…”

With one hand on the steering wheel, Gecko gestured with his other. “What do you think after reading the files?”

“Not much. They don’t contain much useful information…”

Lu Xin shook his head, speaking very calmly. “Seems like we’ll still have to go take a look ourselves.”

In his view, these files truly didn’t have any helpful information.

Reporting their itinerary and work progress to Headquarters was a necessary regulation.

But at this stage, it was essentially pointless.

Since Headquarters had agreed to let him come out, they had naturally acquiesced to him leading this mission.

Lu Xin felt that what Headquarters was more worried about was him potentially not returning, rather than what he might do during the mission.

Moreover, another purpose of the report was to facilitate rescue and investigation efforts should something go wrong.

But if they were going into Happy Town now, hoping for either rescue or investigation was pointless.

…

The car started smoothly again, maintaining its previous speed, yet inexplicably lacking some of its previous swagger. Because Gecko was so uneasy he couldn’t muster any jokes, the car seemed to lose a bit of its cheerful spirit.

Lu Xin understood Gecko’s thoughts and was sensitive enough not to provoke him right now.

“Brother, you seem really confident…” When Lu Xin didn’t disturb him, Gecko couldn’t help but speak up himself.

He appeared casual, every expression seeming perfectly natural, yet there was an underlying hint of apprehension: “Going to Highway 85… you’re not scared at all?”

“…….”

Lu Xin glanced up at him, smiled slightly, and said, “Being scared wouldn’t help.”

“Hmm…”

Gecko drew out the syllable, then suddenly asked, “We’ve got a good thing going, right? Can’t you give me the honest truth?”

Lu Xin looked at Gecko, curious.

Gecko’s expression turned quite serious, though he somehow looked a bit furtive: “Brother, just what level is your ability, really?”

“Level?”

Lu Xin seemed not to understand.

Gecko quickly explained, “Not sure if your training covered this part, but our abilities… they’re classified differently based on influence range, Psychic Magnitude, and defensive capabilities. Generally, Spider-Types like us start at C-Class. But if someone can develop their ability to its utmost, master all its near-limit applications… then it’s B-Class.”

“Like me, I’m B-Class.”

“…….”

Lu Xin looked at him, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. “You’re actually B-Class?”

“Hey…” Gecko’s expression turned dramatically exaggerated. “Why do you look so shocked?”

“I am actually good, you know…”

“……”

“Oh, oh, sorry, sorry… I didn’t mean it like that.” Lu Xin hurriedly explained to Gecko, though internally he thought: “He’s actually B-Class?”

He recalled his own file had his tentative rating as “C+” level?…

…

“You appear to be a Spider-Type, but you’ve really got other abilities, right?”

Gecko pressed on, watching Lu Xin carefully. “Everyone’s noticed, no need to hide it from me. Since you want to go to that ghost town to catch the guy, I’ll obviously go with you. But at least give me the honest truth… just what level is your ability?”

“……?”

Lu Xin thought for a moment before asking Gecko, “And beyond B-Class? Like A-Class… what’s that like?”

Gecko thought seriously, then answered, “Beyond B-Class, there’s A-Class, and then S-Class!”

“So, B-Class is like me, someone who’s developed their inherent ability pretty well and is stable, or someone whose innate ability has a really large influence range, like Drunkard. As for A-Class… it means power potent enough to let one person stand against a small army of hundreds… sure, death is still possible, but actually opposing them…”

“As for the S-class…”

He paused and said, “They can only be described as… unsolvable!”

“Unsolvable-level abilities are considered S-class.”

“…”

“Unsolvable?”

Lu Xin was intrigued by the term Gecko used. Gecko nodded earnestly and explained, “Our abilities are actually similar to Sources of Contamination—each has its own traits and Core Keys. These traits and Core Keys grant us our powers.”

“Under normal circumstances, stable Ability Users can develop three distinct abilities each…”

“Take us Spider-Types, for example. We might seem fancy, but our fundamental abilities come down to just three.”

“First is free control over our bodies.”

“Second is regenerative capability beyond that of ordinary humans.”

“Third is a form of precise manipulation over external objects…”

“You can probably tell these three abilities all stem from a single Core Key…”

“…”

Lu Xin nodded slightly; Gecko’s abilities indeed seemed to fit that description.

But as for Little Sister…

He glanced at Little Sister through the rearview mirror. It seemed similar, yet different.

“So to summarize…”

Gecko continued solemnly, his expression unusually grave: “If people understand the traits of our abilities, they can counter us. If they discover our Core Key… they can eliminate us with targeted precision!”

“Yet an S-class Ability User… you might have no idea how their ability activates. Or even if you know how it’s triggered, you still can’t resist or interrupt it. Any force opposing them becomes utterly passive…”

“That is what’s called unsolvable!”

“…”

Lu Xin listened quietly, reflecting on his own situation.

Could he be eliminated?

Of course.

Little Sister’s power could accelerate his healing, but he would still die eventually.

Were there patterns behind his own ability?

It seemed… there probably were…

…

He decided to be modest. “I’m definitely not unsolvable. At best, I’d be A-class!”

“Mhmm…”

Gecko nodded. “…At best, an A-class…”

Repeating the words, his face twisted as if holding back tears. “Is that the pinnacle of your modesty?”

Lu Xin nodded affirmatively.

It wasn’t that he particularly wanted to be modest… mostly because Mother was sitting in the back.

Earlier, when Gecko discussed the classifications, she seemed to be listening attentively.

Now… she appeared quietly amused…

…

“But even if your ability is A-class, there’s still a gap compared to the S-class Forbidden Zone…”

After beating around the bush, Gecko finally circled back, wailing: “Aren’t you the least bit afraid?”

“I am…”

Lu Xin seemed to finally grasp the implication. “Who wouldn’t fear such a strange place?”

Gecko’s eyes widened. “Then why are you going?!”

Lu Xin frowned slightly, genuinely puzzled. “Is there any necessary connection between being afraid and not going?”

“The people are in there. Bringing them back… that’s our job.”