“Theoretically speaking, the number of ability types is not fixed.”
“On one hand, some suspect that the current collection of abilities is not comprehensive. On the other hand, scholars have proposed theories suggesting that as long as specific conditions are met, new abilities can emerge in the world.”
Xu Dengming listened attentively to Zhao Bainiao’s words.
Upon learning that the emergence of new abilities was possible, she was somewhat surprised that her heartbeat didn’t accelerate.
Was it because [Observer’s Eye] was a newly emerged ability that the test strip failed to detect her awakening?
Zhao Bainiao didn’t notice the subtle emotional changes in the person before him.
Compared to Xu Dengming, who was boldly hypothesizing in her heart, Zhao Bainiao’s past experiences and knowledge told him how low the probability of encountering a new ability was so low that he wouldn’t even consider it.
The likelihood was comparable to the famous scenario of “a monkey accidentally typing out Hamlet on a typewriter.”
“Not only do people with special powers exist in the world, but there are also items with special powers.”
Zhao Bainiao added, “For items, we have a general rule the more powerful they are, the more dangerous they tend to be, and this danger is often directed at the user of the item.”
Xu Dengming thought of her old water pipe and then of the system.
The old water pipe was just an ordinary weapon that probabilistically inflicted debuffs on enemies.
Perhaps because it was weak enough, it seemed harmless and didn’t make Xu Dengming feel any danger.
As for the system… Xu Dengming could indeed sense its power, but she couldn’t determine whether it could be classified as an item.
Zhao Bainiao shared some common knowledge with Xu Dengming, occasionally glossing over topics that weren’t suitable for detailed discussion.
Xu Dengming tactfully ignored the vague parts in Zhao Bainiao’s words.
-Perhaps Zhao Bainiao felt that certain information wasn’t appropriate to share with an ordinary resident of the outer district, or maybe Zhao Bainiao himself didn’t have the authority to know more details.
Xu Dengming asked, “I have one more question-what is the purpose of dungeons?”
Every time she entered a dungeon, she felt the threat of death.
Yet, if the sole purpose was to harvest lives, dungeons wouldn’t need to be designed so intricately.
Zhao Bainiao paused for a moment before answering, “Not every dungeon has a purpose. You can think of them as a special kind of natural disaster with a specific will and the ability to grow.”
He then added, “But some dungeons do have a purpose they are specially created to achieve certain goals.”
“Of course, this is a very personal perspective. You can consider it, but you don’t have to fully believe it.”
As Zhao Bainiao spoke, a hint of nostalgia flickered in his expression.
After a certain mission, Zhao Bainiao had casually discussed a similar topic with Ji Zizai, who later sent him a paper via email.
The author of the paper was Ji Zizai’s schoolmate, who had later studied in Yuegui City.
It was an article she wrote before graduation, but it was never publicly published.
Xu Dengming raised an eyebrow, “Dungeons can grow?”
Zhao Bainiao repeated something she had read in the paper, “According to measurements, some dungeons gradually become more powerful than when they were first discovered.”
Powerful and dangerous, but some are quite the opposite, continuously weakening until they completely dissipate.
By the way, instances can disappear, and most of the time, it’s due to the collapse of their power.
Xu Dengming recalled what she had done in the Nest Park and gained a deeper understanding of this power collapse.
Today, Zhao Bainiao stayed in Xu Dengming’s hospital room for nearly an hour before leaving.
When he left, it was still early, making it a good time to return to the Special Affairs Bureau to report on his work.
Xu Dengming watched as Zhao Bainiao walked out of the room.
According to Zhao Bainiao, the force controlling Nest Park was called “False Disciples,” possessing the power of deception.
Recalling how her way of thinking had gradually changed within the instance, Xu Dengming agreed with Zhao Bainiao’s assessment.
Nest Park not only harbored malice toward outsiders but also had different factions within, constantly at odds with each other, which aligned with the characteristics of the “False Disciples.”
Since instances need to grow, perhaps for the “False Disciples,” conflict itself is a form of nourishment.
As Xu Dengming pondered this, a system notification popped up before her eyes:
[System: It has been detected that the user has not tested the games produced by this system for a long time. This behavior may affect the user’s subsequent work experience. Please adjust accordingly.]
What kind of experience could work possibly offer?
Xu Dengming pressed her temple and then opened her backpack.
The disc she had obtained from the first game flickered, actively asserting its presence to its owner in response to the earlier message.
The system had once told Xu Dengming that she needed to test a game at least once every twelve days.
Since then, Xu Dengming had entered two instances, and the system had considered her completion of them as participation in the games, summarizing her performance.
Logically, each time she cleared an instance, the twelve-day cooldown should reset.
Now, the system confirmed that the cooldown had indeed reset.
However, Xu Dengming had only tested wild instances outside, paying little attention to the disc at home.
Xu Dengming glanced at the latter part of the system message, sensing there was more to it.
She closed her eyes and leaned back.
The system had always been trying to steer Xu Dengming down a specific path.
The skills that appeared in the golden prize pool were all related to fate, while the skills stripped from the “Dead Flesh” depended on the tendencies of the “Dead Flesh” itself.
Zhao Bainiao hadn’t mentioned whether different types of powers could merge, so Xu Dengming could only speculate.
She believed that fate was the main trunk, while other powers were merely decorative attachments.
Only if the former was strong and sturdy could it support the latter’s climb.
After [Fate’s Box] merged with [Forced Transaction], the original trunk was no longer sturdy enough, prompting the system to issue her a reminder.
Two days after Zhao Bainiao’s last visit, Xu Dengming officially checked out of the hospital.
The medical staff praised her recovery speed and gave her an additional check-up.
Xu Dengming cooperated with their actions and said, “Maybe it’s because I live a regular life that I recovered so quickly.”
Dr. Nan glanced at her and bluntly pointed out, “Your ‘regular’ life means regularly staying up late and waking up early?”
Xu Dengming laughed, “You can even tell that?”
Dr. Nan coughed, “Let’s call it a comprehensive judgment.”
The Seventh Hospital is actually under the jurisdiction of the Medical Department of the Special Affairs Bureau.
Its internal staff has higher access to resident information than the Management Bureau, even able to retrieve records of some part-time jobs.
Xu Dengming had a vague feeling that her rapid recovery was partly due to the White Prize Pool and partly because of her awakened abilities.
Since becoming an ability user, Xu Dengming had become healthier, though the change was gradual and easily overlooked.
It could also be attributed to her increased mental strength.
Dr. Nan: “You’re all clear here. You can go ahead and complete the discharge procedures.”
The nurse in charge of the discharge process gave Xu Dengming some final instructions:
“If you experience any other discomfort within a month, you can contact us for a follow-up. Here’s the paper version of the medical instructions. Make sure to keep it safe. If you lose it…”
The nurse thought for a moment and added, “Actually, losing it isn’t a big deal. It’s not an important document.”
Xu Dengming: “Alright, I hope I won’t trouble you again.”
She then asked, “What about my classmate…”
The nurse: “We’ll pass on your message. Her condition is also good, and she’ll be discharged in a few days.”
After completing the procedures, she walked out of the lobby with a light step, her backpack on her shoulders.
Since the hospital was a bit far from the city, the hospital had arranged a vehicle to transport her.
The vehicle parked by the roadside looked very ordinary, even to the point of being incongruous with the overall style of the Seventh Hospital.
It seemed more suited to the inconspicuous corners of the outer city than the entrance of the Seventh Hospital.
As for this, Xu Dengming’s only thought was that as long as it wasn’t a bus taking her out, it was fine.
-After her last experience, she felt that leaving by bus was an event that could easily drag her into a “dungeon.”
The car quietly stopped at the intersection.
Looking into the distance, she could see a row of long-abandoned old buildings on the horizon.
Xu Dengming confirmed the license plate number was correct, opened the door, and got in.
The driver said nothing and immediately started the car.
Before Xu Dengming got in, the hospital had already synchronized the patient’s destination with the driver.
So throughout the entire trip, the driver maintained a commendable silence, not uttering a single word to the passenger in the back seat.
Xu Dengming couldn’t even see the driver’s face the position where they sat had been protectively sealed off.
Once it was confirmed that the unfortunate civilian who had been dragged into the incident had recovered, the management of the anomalous event would gradually sever ties with the innocent bystander.
In complete silence, the car entered the city.
The driver dropped Xu Dengming off at the entrance of the Sunflower Apartments and then drove away without a word.
The area around the apartment was even quieter.
Xu Dengming suspected that during her absence, some residents had moved away.
Room 403 had accumulated a layer of dust due to being left uncleaned for so long.
After putting down her backpack, Xu Dengming gave the room a quick tidy-up.
Most of the food she had stockpiled was of the long-lasting variety.
Using the few remaining ingredients in the kitchen, she prepared a simple lunch.
Due to the lack of fresh vegetables, Xu Dengming made herself egg and bread porridge.
The process of making egg and bread porridge was simple: first, add water to the pot, then toss in some dry bread that might be too dry to eat directly, and finally, when the water was about the right temperature, crack an egg into it.
-There’s staple food, there’s protein, but unfortunately, the bread I bought wasn’t jam-filled, so it’s lacking in vitamins.
Of course, this gap can be filled with nutritional supplements.
Her past life had instilled in Xu Dengming a habit of being completely un-picky about food.
She had no complaints about her own cooking skills, but Wang Yanxing, one of the few guests allowed into her home, once looked at the meal she prepared with an expression of shock that seemed to say, “Has your sense of taste mutated?”
After the water boiled, Xu Dengming turned off the heat, brought dinner to the table, and calmly ate the bowl of bread and egg paste.
As a soon-to-be graduate whose life was entirely focused on finding a job, Xu Dengming didn’t need to return to school.
She simply messaged a few familiar classmates to check on the situation there.
The internship incident involved many students, but because it was related to an anomalous event, the Special Affairs Bureau had suppressed the news.
As a result, E University remained as calm as ever.
The uproar caused by the Nest Park incident was like dust on a table, wiped away without a second thought.
Xu Dengming sometimes felt that humans were merely ants in the hands of fate.
She casually picked up two professional books and lay on the sofa flipping through them.
Before she knew it, evening had arrived.
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