Chapter One: Awakening of the Supernatural Ability

Chapter One: Awakening of Extraordinary Powers

Azure Federation, Trusfan Province, Boland District. The time was early June, at the height of summer.

The annual National Vocational Examination was fast approaching. Countless candidates, all turning eighteen, would soon sit for this pivotal test. Success meant entry into advanced professional academies for further study, recruitment by prestigious corporations, or even selection to become an official member of the Federation. Passing the exam was synonymous with a successful future, a ticket to the upper echelons of society, to join the ranks of the elite.

Xia Zheng, recently turned eighteen and now in his final year, pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He glanced at the countdown calendar on the digital blackboard—three days remained. With a sigh, he buried himself once more in the electronic question bank, grappling with the cunningly designed practice problems.

“Class, please pause for a moment,” their homeroom teacher, Audrey, entered and addressed them. With a gesture, she invited two Federation soldiers inside, a man and a woman.

The man was tall and imposing, easily over 185 centimeters, but his presence was that of a simple muscleman.

The woman, however, immediately caught the eye. She stood around 170 centimeters, with striking features and soft golden curls cascading over her shoulders. She looked no older than her early twenties. Her figure was graceful and subtly shapely, and the military uniform only enhanced her youthful, valiant beauty.

“Hello, students. I am Lieutenant Felina of the Federation Army, and this is my adjutant, Andy. We are here today to inform you that tomorrow, from 8 to 11 a.m., the annual AB-161 Special Physical Examination will take place in the school gymnasium. Please ensure you fast after 9 p.m. tonight to avoid affecting the results of the injection. Violators will have their credit records and graduation assessments impacted. Please cooperate actively. Now, Andy will explain the relevant regulations. Please listen carefully.” After speaking, Felina nodded to Andy, who stepped up to the podium and began reciting the familiar Federal statutes, focusing on AB-161.

“All Federation citizens aged twelve to eighteen are required to undergo the annual AB-161 special examination. This is an honor for every citizen…”

Xia Zheng didn’t know much about AB-161. He only knew that, starting in the upper grades of elementary school, every autumn at the start of the school year, he’d receive the AB-161 injection, followed by a special examination before summer vacation. It targeted those aged twelve to eighteen and was said to enhance physical constitution and mental acuity—a cornerstone of the Federation’s human enhancement policy, now in its tenth year.

It was rumored that any student whose AB-161 value reached 0.1 during the exam could be specially recruited.

Since elementary school, Xia Zheng’s results had always been below 0.03—far from the threshold. As this was his final chance, he held little hope and focused all his energy on the vocational exam instead.

That evening, he informed his parents about the special examination. His father encouraged him, and his mother prepared a light yet nutritious dinner. According to unreliable rumors, eating lightly and nutritiously the night before could improve one’s test results.

At nine, Xia Zheng brushed his teeth, washed his face, and went to bed early. He allowed himself a brief indulgence, reading a web novel on Zongheng Chinese Network, and by nine forty-five, he was asleep.

In the deep of night, Xia Zheng slept soundly, unaware that his lower abdomen had begun to glow like a cluster of fireflies, radiating a greenish light that soon spread through his entire body, illuminating the room. This phenomenon lasted for three hours before fading away.

The next morning, Xia Zheng took the subway to school, arriving at 7:15—just in time for the 7:30 morning study session.

He felt inexplicably refreshed and energetic, attributing his good state to his mother’s dinner and an early night’s sleep.

Yet, he found his senses strangely heightened. Sometimes, he could hear distant, private conversations.

For instance, two girls a hundred meters away on a tall building were whispering about their menstrual cycles. One worried hers was late and wondered if she might be pregnant; the other reassured her, saying everyone’s cycle was different.

Xia Zheng found this bizarre, but dared not tell anyone, keeping it to himself as he headed to class.

Once there, he remembered that morning study was canceled due to the examination, so he quickly changed and made his way to the gymnasium.

There, he found a sea of people—the entire junior and senior high school student body, teachers, and numerous Federation soldiers in uniform and masks, maintaining order.

The examiners, all in white coats, were also soldiers. They had set up channels and barriers on both floors to keep things organized, dividing everyone into junior boys, junior girls, senior boys, and senior girls.

Junior high students formed the “junior group,” while high school students were the “senior group.”

Xia Zheng found his class and chatted with his classmates, mostly about games, novels, and sports. Someone enthusiastically recommended a new web novel, “King of the Eternal Night,” on Zongheng. It was a hot-blooded tale of a war between humans and vampires, and many agreed it was worth following.

While they chatted, time slipped by, and soon it was eight o’clock—the exam began.

Xia Zheng followed his classmates upstairs. Senior boys were on the second floor, senior girls on the other side, ensuring separation.

The process was efficient: each student took about a minute. Still, with nearly five hundred students, it felt slow.

When results came out, some boasted, others looked dejected, but most took it in stride—annual disappointment had become familiar since childhood.

After about an hour, commotion broke out among the senior girls. Everyone, including Xia Zheng, looked over—a tall girl, Delia from the neighboring class, had scored 0.1.

Overwhelmed, Delia burst into tears, embraced by her friends. The boys watched with a mixture of disdain and envy.

Lieutenant Felina, still in a white coat, emerged to congratulate and comfort Delia, telling her to wait for further notice. Delia had likely earned special recruitment.

The atmosphere shifted—others hoped they might possess similar qualities, but disappointment followed. After Delia, no one else qualified. One boy, Rowan, scored 0.09—so close, yet not enough. He wept bitterly, comforted even by the homeroom teacher.

A mere 0.01 made a world of difference, deciding one’s fate. For Rowan, a graduating senior, this was his last chance; he was destined to miss out.

Another hour passed. It was nearly Xia Zheng’s turn. His classmate Chen Xiu went in ahead. Xia Zheng noticed what seemed like interference devices in the gym, dulling his senses and making it hard to eavesdrop on the exam, so he withdrew his attention.

Soon, Chen Xiu emerged, scowling. “No way, only 0.001? I was sure I’d get 0.1. The machine must be broken.” He grumbled, storming past Xia Zheng.

Xia Zheng couldn’t help but laugh. Chen Xiu punched him in mock annoyance, and Xia Zheng quickly surrendered.

“Next!” called the doctor inside. Xia Zheng cleared his throat, straightened his uniform, and stepped in.

Inside, the room was simple—a single, man-sized machine. The examinee simply stood on it for the scan. During the process, a small blood sample would be taken, so he had to strip to his underwear.

“Don’t be nervous, just like before. Undress, please,” the male doctor said kindly. Another doctor stood by, ready to record the results.

Xia Zheng quickly undressed, stepped onto the machine as directed, and the doctor pressed a button. His limbs were fixed in place, and the machine began to rotate him slowly. Halfway through, he felt a slight prick on his neck, not painful, more like a mosquito bite.

The spinning made him dizzy and slightly nauseous.

Meanwhile, the recording doctor’s expression shifted rapidly from surprise to shock, beckoning the other doctor over. Both stared at the results in disbelief.

“Name: Xia Zheng

Gender: Male

Age: 18

Health Condition: Good

Physical Status: Good

AB-161 Level: 0.8

Potential Rating: S

Detailed report as follows...”