Chapter 248 – Superpowers Everywhere
Tu Ran glanced at him. From what she had learned about Qiu Jian over the past two days, he wasn’t someone who spoke up often.
“What’s its name?” she asked casually.
“God.”
“Uh… that’s a bit simple and crude, isn’t it?” Tu Ran raised an eyebrow.
Qiu Jian nodded.
Tu Ran thought to herself, Well, I guess I don’t really understand how rich people think.
“What are you two whispering about back there?” Qi Tongda, who had been walking ahead, stopped and turned to look at them.
Without a word, Qiu Jian walked past him with a blank expression.
Qi Tongda clicked his tongue at Qiu Jian’s back.
Tu Ran also passed by him, leaving behind a remark, “What are you muttering to yourself about back here, Young Master Qi? Hurry up and catch up.”
Qi Tongda was left speechless.
The group split up once they reached the third floor.
The third floor served as a temporary lounge, with a wide hallway. On one side were doors to adjacent rest rooms, and on the other side was a golden railing. From the third floor, one could look down and see the entire hall of the Wanle Temple.
Their group, along with two other teams, was responsible for securing the third floor.
Before the banquet began, they needed to inspect every room on the third floor to ensure there were no potential threats. Any possible risks had to be eliminated.
Tu Ran pushed open each lounge door, taking a walk inside before moving on.
After more than an hour of continuous checks, they finally confirmed that all the rooms were safe.
Next, they discussed everyone’s positions for the upcoming banquet—who would be responsible for securing which areas.
This task was left to Ye Qingcai and the other two team leaders to sort out, so it didn’t involve the rest of the group.
Tu Ran and the other five members gathered together.
Tu Ran ran her fingers over the golden carvings on the railing, even picking at them with her nails.
Young Master Qi quickly glanced around at the surveillance cameras, narrowing his eyes and lowering his voice. “Tu Ran, are you out of your mind? Why are you picking at that? People will think we’re thieves.”
“Maybe I can scrape off some gold and sell it,” Tu Ran teased. Of course, she wasn’t desperate enough to resort to that or dumb enough to try scratching off gold with her bare hands.
Qi Tongda looked at her, puzzled. “Are you really that broke?”
“Yeah, I can barely afford my next meal,” Tu Ran replied casually.
After thinking for a moment, Qi Tongda said, “If you’re that poor, just come to me next time. I can spare a bottle of nutrient liquid to help you out.”
“Thank you so much for your generosity, Young Master,” Tu Ran replied lightly before moving to touch another part of the golden décor. She wasn’t actually interested in stealing—just curious about how the gold felt, maybe even hoping to pick up a little good fortune.
Zhou Ming, who had stayed behind, gave Qi Tongda a sideways glance and said sarcastically, “Typical. Rich and gullible. How could a pioneer like her be broke?”
He earned himself an eye roll and a barely restrained urge from Qi Tongda to kick him. Considering they were in the middle of a mission, Young Master Qi held back.
Tu Ran’s assigned position was at the corner of the third floor near the stairs. From here, anyone going up or down the stairs would pass by her, and she could easily respond to any situation on any floor. It was the perfect spot for a striker like her, allowing her to keep an eye on the entire Wanle Temple.
As evening approached, guests began arriving one by one. At 6 PM, Tu Ran received a real-time tracking map. When a guest appeared, her eyepiece would display their name, background, and position in the Federation government. Everything was presented clearly in front of her, without obstructing her ability to observe each person’s appearance.
This tool had been sent to her by Zero—much more reliable than relying on her own memory, as Stefano Wells had initially suggested.
Men and women, dressed in luxurious outfits and adorned with immaculate makeup, entered one after another. They exchanged greetings and small talk, and the number of people in the grand banquet hall steadily grew. Waiters moved among them, offering various services.
Tu Ran stood on the third floor, one arm casually draped over the intricately decorated golden railing, her fingers lightly tracing the patterns on it.
As she scanned the crowd, information about different guests popped up on her eyepiece:
[Eternal Youth]
[Description: The owner’s trillions of body cells have their growth cycle extended to twice the normal length, meaning the owner can live nearly twice as long as an ordinary person.
Level: Primary
Note: Gains come with losses. The owner’s wound healing speed is half that of an ordinary person. There may be other drawbacks that the user must discover on their own.]
[Shadow Storage]
[Description: The owner gains access to an external storage space, usable only within shadows. The owner can store and retrieve items in artificial or natural shadows, and the space cannot be detected by anyone else. Level: Intermediate
Note: The space is limited, so use it wisely.]
[Limb Regeneration]
[Description: Ever seen a gecko? You might have come across one in a museum. Geckos can sacrifice their tails in dangerous situations and grow them back later. Congratulations, you now possess that ability. You can sever your limbs at will and regrow them within three days.
Level: Primary
Note: There is a significant difference between primary and advanced levels of this ability. Users should be cautious and not experiment recklessly.]
In just half an hour, Tu Ran had already detected three different superpowers. It was clear how many of these elites had consumed inner cores and how many pioneers had not died at the hands of the aliens but had been killed by these very people.
Tu Ran suppressed the irritation bubbling inside her and mechanically reported the people she saw and their corresponding abilities. “Song Yuling, Eternal Youth. Pang Zhongqi, Limb Regeneration.”
“Recorded,” Zero’s voice echoed in her ear.
She kept scanning the hall, her gaze carefully falling on the woman with the “Shadow Storage” superpower: Xiang Dajun.
Xiang family—a prominent family, ranking tenth in the Federation, with interests in various industries. Xiang Dajun was part of a collateral branch, not highly regarded within the family, and managed one of their entertainment companies.
“Shadow Storage” was precisely the ability Tu Ran needed right now.
She pondered how she could approach Xiang Dajun, acquire this ability, and yet avoid being detected by Zero. It wouldn’t be easy.
Zero could offer her immense help, but Tu Ran had no intention of revealing her own abilities to anyone—not even to Zero or the true controller behind it, Xie Xu.
Each ability she acquired could be her ultimate lifeline, and she couldn’t afford to be careless.
She set Xiang Dajun aside for now, focusing back on the hall’s entrance, determined not to miss any of the important figures arriving.
By 7 o’clock, more and more guests were flooding in, each more significant than the last.
Tu Ran’s eyes were beginning to strain.
“Wu Boya, Photographic Memory. Yan Shuiying, Enhanced Smell. Yin Shalin, Impenetrable Skin. Dommy Wells, Mutation, Phasing through Solids…”
She went from initial shock to methodical reporting, her mouth moving on autopilot as she identified each person’s abilities.
That was until she suddenly felt a slight itch in her nose. Warm liquid trickled down to her chin—blood.
