Zhong Mo was so startled he nearly dropped his chopsticks. “No way? Why do you suspect Boss Pi is a transcendent?”
Yue Shi said as if it were obvious, “There’s no evidence proving the other party is definitely a supernatural creature, so of course I have to remain skeptical.”
Zhong Mo was speechless for a moment. With that interruption, he stopped asking how Yue Shi planned to handle the intelligence about Boss Pi.
Knowing that Boss Pi existed and that he liked to collect beautiful skins meant they would have to pay more attention to the people around them and prepare some defenses in advance.
The atmosphere gradually fell into silence. Zhong Mo and Yue Shi weren't very familiar with each other, and aside from exchanging information, they really had no common topics of conversation.
Yue Shi ate and drank, completely unaffected, but Zhong Mo felt a bit awkward and couldn't help but break the silence. “Your strength is almost at Rank 2, isn't it?”
“Rank 2?” Yue Shi was stunned. “I’m not very clear on the ranking system for transcendents, and I’m not sure if my current state counts as Rank 2.”
“How can you not even know that? Looking at you, you really don't seem like a newly awakened rookie.” Zhong Mo appeared quite surprised.
Yue Shi smiled. Since escaping the laboratory, he had been living in the Chaos Zone outside the city. That was no paradise; it was a place filled with deception, betrayal, bloodshed, and exploitation. No one there was willing to teach a rookie transcendent the basics; they would much rather kidnap an unevolved transcendent and sell them off!
Even if someone had been willing to teach him, Yue Shi wouldn't have dared to trust them. Before entering Amber City, everything he knew about transcendents and supernatural creatures had been gained through his own trial and error, cross-referencing information from different people.
However, there was no need to lay bare his past experiences and play for sympathy. He simply said, “It’s not like I’m completely ignorant. Transcendent ranks go from Rank 1 to Rank 5, and supernatural creatures are classified from D-rank to S-rank based on their danger level. I’m just not clear on the specific criteria for the divisions.”
At this, Zhong Mo seemed to think of something and suddenly became interested, sharing some gossip with Yue Shi with a mysterious look on his face:
“Did you know? I heard that many years ago, the Investigation Bureau implemented a talent rating system for transcendents. Based on the strength, strategic value, and growth potential of their abilities, they also used a scale from D-rank to S-rank to match the classification of supernatural creatures.”
“But unfortunately, that system was scrapped shortly after it was implemented. Since then, transcendents have no longer been distinguished by the quality of their talent; only the universal rank divisions remain.”
“Guess why the Investigation Bureau scrapped that system?”
Yue Shi narrowed his eyes slightly. “What other reason could there be? The disadvantages must have outweighed the benefits.”
Zhong Mo slapped his thigh. “Exactly!”
“Rating the talent of transcendents relied on human-defined indicators, which involved too many subjective factors.”
“Some abilities have strong destructive power, while others are purely functional and aren't even in the same league as those high-attack abilities. Transcendent abilities are diverse and strange, which made it impossible to establish a unified evaluation standard. Rating them solely based on aggressiveness was clearly very inappropriate.”
“And most importantly, a transcendent’s actual combat performance is directly linked to their personal skill level!”
“Some losers, even if they awaken top-tier supernatural abilities, can't make them effective and end up with mediocre results. Meanwhile, some formidable people can push their advantages to the limit, making any supernatural ability look spectacular.”
“This led to Rank C and Rank B transcendents frequently ambushing and killing Rank A or even Rank S transcendents. Artificially dividing transcendents into superior and inferior classes created useless social friction, with people fighting tooth and nail over ratings, causing unnecessary internal strife. So, the system was abolished. Since then, there has been no distinction in the rarity of talent for transcendents; only the rank level matters.”
“A widely accepted view now is that there are no garbage supernatural abilities, only garbage transcendents who don't know how to develop them.”
Yue Shi didn't express agreement or disagreement, merely remarking, “You certainly know a lot.”
Zhong Mo countered, “Is it possible that you just know too little?”
Yue Shi thought about it carefully. “You have a point.”
The corners of Zhong Mo’s mouth curled up as he continued, “Based on how a transcendent develops and masters their own power, five ranks have been established.”
“Awakening, obtaining, and discovering that you possess supernatural power is Rank 1.”
“Completely understanding the essence of your own ability and being able to use that power flexibly and skillfully is Rank 2.”
“That’s it?” Yue Shi was somewhat confused. “That description seems a bit too hasty.”
Zhong Mo said helplessly, “It’s already pretty good for a wild transcendent to know this much.”
“Information on Rank 1 and Rank 2 transcendents is semi-public. Although my description might be a bit unclear, once you reach Rank 2, you’ll immediately feel that mysterious change yourself.”
“Rank 1 is the initial manifestation of ability, and Rank 2 is the strengthening of that ability. For most transcendents, the transition from Rank 1 to Rank 2 is just a pure numerical increase. It’s only when stepping into Rank 3 that some mechanical enhancements and changes occur.”
Yue Shi hurriedly asked, “What is the definition of a Rank 3 transcendent?”
“I don’t know.” Zhong Mo shook his head cleanly.
Yue Shi: “Uh...”
Zhong Mo said helplessly, “Most of the transcendents we see daily are Rank 1 or Rank 2. We can’t even get in touch with the big shots of Rank 3.”
“It’s strange, really. Information on Rank 1 and Rank 2 transcendents isn't restricted, but information from Rank 3 onwards suddenly becomes highly classified. Even official transcendents don't know much; it seems only the higher-ups of the Investigation Bureau are in the loop.”
“Some large private organizations have leaked some rumors, saying that Rank 3 transcendents undergo some kind of fundamental qualitative change, but those are just rumors. After all, the Investigation Bureau has never officially responded to anything regarding Rank 3 and above...”
The two chatted as they ate until they were full.
Zhong Mo took the initiative to start conversations throughout the meal, his intention to build a friendly relationship being quite obvious. Later, he even mentioned that one of the cards in his ability was used for healing, telling Yue Shi to come find him if he ever got seriously injured.
However, Zhong Mo didn't seem very good at socializing; there was a slight sense of awkwardness in his conversation.
Actually, Yue Shi wasn't good at it either. He was much better at taking people's heads off or something like that.
Rate on N.U.
