Chapter Eighteen: The Interview

Li Xueshu had experienced Lin Lei’s strength just a few days prior. That was after Lin Lei had “plundered” his first ghoul, and naturally, back then, she had judged him by the very initial standards.

Yet in a matter of a few days, Lin Lei’s strength had multiplied several times, which explained how his rating had risen so high.

Hodge looked at Lin Lei:

“In close combat, assuming equal mastery of martial techniques and the same source energy level, a C+ in the ‘Flesh System’ can be even more formidable than most A-rank abilities of other systems!”

“What’s more, although the ‘Flesh System’ may not be the most devastating gift, when it comes to dealing with the monstrous and the bizarre, the ranks of ‘Flesh System’ ability users are absolutely indispensable!”

Lin Lei nodded, though inwardly he felt a certain subtlety.

It sounded nice, but wasn’t it just a meat shield in the end? From the name ‘Flesh System’ alone, it wasn’t hard to judge the characteristics of this classification of ability.

Unrivaled in close combat, but also undeniably the most dangerous…

Of course, Lin Lei was well aware of his own situation—‘Gluttony’ was his true gift, and he was hardly someone who could be confined to the limits of the so-called ‘Flesh System.’

A thought occurred to him, and out of curiosity, he turned to Li Xueshu, “What about you, Xueshu? What’s your system and your gift rating?”

From what he knew, Li Xueshu possessed two special abilities: one was the power to “glimpse” the trajectories of things around her, the other was the chilling, cold-inducing ability she wielded.

Li Xueshu smiled faintly, but before she could answer, Hodge interjected with a chuckle:

“Xueshu is one of the rare A-rank Awakened Gifted in our Biyang City, and she’s an even rarer ‘Elemental System’ ability user, bearer of the gift ‘Sovereign of Ice and Snow’!”

“You should know, in our Biyang Division, A-rank is as high as the gift ratings go!”

Lin Lei couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

“A-rank?”

He’d guessed that Li Xueshu was formidable, but he hadn’t expected her gift rating to be that high.

Li Xueshu, however, simply shook her head indifferently and winked at Lin Lei:

“There are many factors that determine a source energy user’s strength; gift rating is only one of them.”

“I’m an acquired awakener, so my source energy compatibility can’t compare to yours. Once your source energy level rises, you’ll soon surpass me—”

Lin Lei chuckled softly.

The rise of one’s source energy level was always accompanied by various negative side effects, which meant that advancing too quickly wasn’t necessarily desirable.

And the advantages conferred by a high gift rating were significant at every stage, from early to late.

Though Lin Lei wasn’t aware of the precise traits of Li Xueshu’s abilities, the name alone was impressive enough. ‘Elemental System’ certainly sounded far grander than ‘Flesh System.’

“All right, that’s enough small talk,” Hodge said, turning to Lin Lei. “Your gift assessment is complete. With a C+ in the Flesh System, you’re qualified to join the Investigation Bureau. Come with me, Lin Lei, let’s proceed to the next phase—”

...

The room was entirely silver, resembling an interrogation chamber.

Lin Lei sat alone, facing Li Xueshu and Hodge across the table.

Even here, Hodge showed no intention of removing his sunglasses.

From their previous interactions, Lin Lei doubted the man was simply eccentric. He suspected there was something unusual about the sunglasses—perhaps they were some kind of special item.

Maybe it wasn’t that Hodge was unwilling to remove them, but rather that he couldn’t do so casually.

Hodge, perhaps feeling Lin Lei’s gaze, finally raised a hand to take off his sunglasses, cleared his throat, and said, “You’re a naturally awakened talent recommended by Investigator Li, and your gift and source energy aptitude are impressive. Now, just answer a few questions, and you’ll be able to formally join the Investigation Bureau!”

Lin Lei’s gaze shifted from the sunglasses in Hodge’s hand.

Hodge set them down, picked up a portfolio from the table, and withdrew several documents.

“Your background check came back clean. Your father is an exceptional man.” Hodge flipped through the papers.

Lin Lei nodded. “Thank you.”

His background was straightforward—after all, he had only a single immediate family member. The original Lin Lei and his father barely saw one another throughout the year. Like father, like son, both were reserved types who might exchange only a handful of words annually.

Hodge coughed softly and looked at Lin Lei, his tone meaningful: “When I say ‘exceptional,’ I’m not just referring to his academic achievements…”

Lin Lei looked up in surprise, suddenly aware of the subtext.

“My father isn’t an ordinary man?!”

Hodge smiled and shook his head.

“Your father doesn’t possess the traits necessary for source energy adaptation, nor is he an awakened one… But as a leading authority in folklore, he has provided invaluable assistance to our Investigation Bureau in several special cases.”

“He’s something of a half-insider in our field.”

Lin Lei’s expression grew complicated.

He suddenly recalled how Li Xueshu had once suggested that his being attacked by a ghoul could be due to enmity his family had earned.

At first, he’d dismissed the idea. But now, thinking it over, if his father really was linked to the world of the arcane, then falling afoul of an enemy capable of manipulating monsters wasn’t beyond possibility…

Yet he soon shook his head.

It still seemed unlikely. Given how weak the original Lin Lei had been, there were far easier—and less conspicuous—ways to get rid of him.

And from his memories, he and his father barely had any relationship at all. In fact, ever since his mother died in a car accident, his father had grown even more distant.

Truth be told, a responsible father would never leave his only child to live alone.

Given their cold estrangement, even if his father’s enemies did target him, there wouldn’t be much point.

Hodge continued:

“You’re fortunate; your background gives you a significant advantage. Now, as long as you answer one final question well, you can join the Investigation Bureau.”

He regarded Lin Lei, a peculiar smile on his face.

“A couple of mornings ago, you used a fruit knife to injure several of your ‘friends.’ Why did you do it?”

Lin Lei had already been warned by Li Xueshu and recited his prepared explanation:

“They weren’t my friends. They were just local hooligans who used to bully me…”

In essence, it was the classic story: a once-weak youth awakens to newfound power, undergoes a transformation in both strength and temperament, and finally strikes back against his tormentors.

The awakening of source energy was, in itself, a process that could change one’s personality and make one more susceptible to strong emotions. That was nothing unusual.

Moreover, Lin Lei’s actions were justified; he hadn’t caused any serious harm, and he’d reported everything to Li Xueshu.

He doubted Hodge would make an issue of it.

Hodge nodded in satisfaction, though his eyes flashed with renewed interest.

“I’ve heard the same from those troublemakers, but I still have one small question—”

“How did you manage to stab so many of them, yet not hit a single vital spot?”

At this, even Li Xueshu turned to look at him.