My setting is above yours!

Chapter 6 Vector Manipulation
C01 looked at the boy in front of him and suddenly realized that it was true what people said about ID photos making people look ugly.

Although Ron looked handsome in his ID photo, his dark circles were very obvious on his face, and coupled with his dead fish eyes, he looked very decadent.

But now, when you actually see Ron in real life, you can't see that kind of dejection at all—

He was radiant and full of energy, seemingly untouched by the heavy workload of his studies... Was he really a high school student about to take the college entrance exam?
She was a little puzzled, but didn't pay much attention. Instead, she simply waved her work badge in front of Ron and said in a businesslike manner:
"Based on the surveillance footage, we determined that you passed through Block 271 of Tianting at 6:13 PM... A Class B supernatural incident occurred there, and it has been confirmed that an Ideal City resident died as a result."

This killer was exceptionally ruthless, using unexplained superpowers to murder this innocent citizen and reduce his body to ashes.

It is speculated that he is hiding nearby, within the 271st block of Tianting.

As she spoke, she took out a voice recorder and pressed the switch:
"Regarding this case, we need to obtain some information from you—"

Have you seen any suspicious people or noticed any unusual abilities on your way home?

Looking at the girl in front of him who was only asking questions in a formulaic way, Ron immediately understood his current predicament.

The old magician's death was classified by the police department as a murder case committed by a person with superpowers.

Although he has not been exposed yet, he has already been included in the scope of the inspection bureau's observation.

Whether he is a suspect or simply considered a member of the public who may have clues, many of his actions are likely to be exposed to the police department.

Trouble...

Ron's heart skipped a beat.

Compared to the Magicians' Association, which he still didn't quite understand, the Patrol Bureau was indeed more terrifying.

After all... any citizen of the ideal city knows that the patrol bureau under the Moen municipal government is the largest violent organization in the city.

Security, peacekeeping, war... in any situation where the municipal government needs to resort to force, inspectors dressed in black will appear.

Although the patrol bureau lacks the resources in districts C and D of Ideal City and has always dispatched "discipline patrols" composed of university students rather than the real core members of the patrol bureau, it is still an undeniably powerful force for Ron.

After all, the students who can join the patrol bureau, even for just "discipline patrol," are absolutely the elite of the elite—

Only those with superpowers at level 3 or higher who have obtained a bachelor's degree can barely have the chance to wear the Patrol Bureau badge!
Not to mention they also have the most cutting-edge technology support from Ideal City, and the rumored super AI [Artemis] that monitors the entire global metropolis...

If it is indeed discovered that Ron killed the old magician, what kind of fate awaits him?

Being ganged up on by a group of superpowered individuals with full-map vision and justice, then dragged to a laboratory for dissection and research, or exiled to the rumored northernmost outer city to dig potatoes?

Ron shivered, his brain starting to race.

Soon, in front of the patrol officers, the clear-eyed, innocent high school student revealed the expected look of panic:

Murder case!

—Right here?!
"How could something like this happen..."

Ron, still looking shaken, only managed to appear as if he was racking his brains to recall the events after a long period of reassurance from C01.

"It seems like there really is something wrong... but then again, it doesn't seem like anything is wrong."

When I came back today, it felt very quiet. I didn't see anyone or any signs of superpowers. I bought some things at the mall and then went home..."

As he spoke, his tone became flustered, and he began to ramble on and on:
"Damn it, how could something like this happen before the college entrance exam... I don't have any money to move to a different place!"
If I ran into him on the day of my college entrance exam…

Ron was in a panic.

The college entrance exam...

C01 expresses deep understanding and sympathy.

"Don't worry, we will bring the criminal to justice as soon as possible and will never let him interfere with your daily life."

She tried to comfort Ron, but as she spoke, she subconsciously sensed that something was amiss.

Although she could understand Ron very well—

After all, if she were a powerless person like Ron, completely unable to protect herself, and a deranged killer were hiding near her home, she would also be afraid.

But... as an elite patrol specialist, C01's keen sixth sense always made her feel something was off.

As a superpowered individual vying for "authority," a reminder from the extraordinary stirred within her...

This didn't originate from Ron, but rather there seemed to be something strange, something that could affect her abilities, hidden in the room behind Ron.

"Gurgling..."

If you listen carefully, you can faintly hear strange noises coming from inside the room.

Her gaze suddenly sharpened as she scrutinized the boy before her, and she said:

"I have recorded your eyewitness testimony... Now, are you willing to cooperate with the investigation and let me in to take a look?"

Shall we go in and take a look?

Ron paused for a moment, then nodded.

In an instant, it seemed as if a frame had been ripped from the world, and C01 gently snapped its fingers—

The girl flashed and appeared out of thin air in the room, her gaze immediately falling on the source of the sound—

Broken entrails, congealed blood, twisted plants, and a mutilated brain, churned above the lava from the rising white mist under the scarlet moonlight…

Okay, so it turns out they were just cooking hot pot.

She scanned her surroundings with sharp eyes and found that Ron's small apartment was spotless and tidy, with nothing amiss.

...Looks like it's been too long since I've had hot pot.

Let's have some seafood for supper tonight.

She turned off the recorder and added a new label to Ron in the records locked by Artemis: "No eyewitness information, suspected unrelated person".

"Thank you for your cooperation. Although you didn't provide any useful information, perhaps it's not such a bad thing..."

After all, such a vicious criminal would never let go of a passerby who might expose his identity, and you certainly wouldn't be an exception.

Seeing Ron turn around in surprise and find her entering the house, C01's voice softened unusually as she reassured him:

"But don't worry, the patrol bureau will ensure the safety of every citizen of Ideal City—"

Such a vicious and ruthless madman has absolutely no chance of escaping our grasp!

As she spoke, she seemed to want to say a few more words of comfort to Ron, but the pager hanging on her collar started beeping.

She saw a pop-up message from the command center appear on the brain-computer interface, instructing her to return to the patrol bureau immediately for a meeting to prepare an arrest warrant for the suspect in the case, so that it could be announced the next day.

"It seems we can only end our conversation here for today."

C01 took out his phone and gestured for Ron to scan the QR code:
"Add me as a friend... If you discover any clues about this case later, or encounter any danger from the suspects in this case, just call me. I'm always here for you."

"Ah, okay, okay..."

Ron could only force a smile and nod. As for C01's friend, he watched numbly as she snapped her fingers, flashed, and disappeared into thin air.

After a long while, he finally closed the doors and windows and collapsed onto his small sofa.

Fortunately, he didn't give himself away. No one realized he was brewing a magic potion, let alone that he was the murderer.

But thinking about C01's performance just now, Ron felt no sense of relief from getting away with it; instead, he could not suppress the bitterness in his mouth.

What was that just now?
Teleportation?

He decided to retract his previous denigration of the "discipline inspection" – who says that discipline inspection officers can't be the backbone of the inspection bureau?
If we compare ability models to spiritual roots, even the worst spatial ability model can be considered a celestial spiritual root, which is far superior to a mixed spiritual root like telekinesis!
A superpowered individual capable of using spatial abilities could never be just a temporary worker for the patrol bureau...

If he is indeed found out, will his weak willpower really have a chance to resist such a person?

Even if Ron's ability level were comparable, the power that a telekinetic ability could generate would be far weaker than spatial abilities...

Ron sighed. The initial excitement of awakening telekinesis and becoming a Level 1 psychic was completely shattered at this moment, turning into a melancholy that settled deep in his heart.

This chasm-like gap brought him back to his senses from the excitement of awakening his superpowers, and he began to seriously analyze his abilities.

Then he discovered a huge problem—

Let alone how to win against these discipline inspection officers if the inspection bureau finds out later.

Just look at the college entrance exam in two weeks... his telekinetic power is unmatched!
In Ideal City, in addition to the arts and sciences exams, there is another extremely important test in the college entrance examination—

Capability testing.

The rarer and more powerful the ability model, the higher the rating it will receive in the ability test.

The aptitude test rating is extremely important. The three prestigious universities at the pinnacle of the ideal city will only admit candidates with an aptitude rating of A or above.

Other universities also place great emphasis on ability ratings; improving one level can put you ahead of countless peers...

Unfortunately, Ron's Lv.1 telekinesis is the worst kind of ability.

Although it seems like a very versatile tool, capable of generating power out of thin air and influencing reality...

However, its drawbacks are also very obvious.

In Ideal City, superpowers operate based on "personal reality"—

Only by relying on personal reality to overshadow true reality, and by using one's own "heart" to distort the world, can one truly demonstrate abilities beyond the norm...

So, if two superpowered individuals of equal ability were to fight each other, a huge problem would arise when they needed to influence each other with their abilities—

If you don't break through the other person's personal reality, telekinesis cannot truly reach them and will be blocked by their personal reality.

Unlike other abilities, such as water or fire control, where releasing a fireball or water ball is a real occurrence and doesn't disappear upon touching the other person's reality...

The ability of telekinesis, which requires real-world support throughout, will truly be eliminated and completely disappear as a result!
There are also some telekinetic users who, through their mutated abilities, can manipulate tiny objects with exquisite precision, throwing needles and darts as assassins, which is barely considered somewhat effective...

But this obviously has nothing to do with Ron, who only has ordinary telekinesis.

For ordinary telekinesis, its versatile power is only revealed when one possesses a personal reality strength far exceeding that of the enemy, and can forcibly break through the opponent's personal reality.

But with the college entrance exam just around the corner, it was too late for Ron.

Even if he later uses his computing power to reach Lv.2, he still wouldn't be able to surpass the real-world strength of other candidates.

If one's personal reality is not strong enough, then one cannot use the ability of telekinesis in any way, and will be defeated at the root due to the comparison of personal reality.

He couldn't possibly make a splash in the exam with that ability; he was completely out of the running for the top three universities.

If he hadn't attended one of the three top universities, his student loans alone would have given him a firsthand experience of what it means to be a giant corporation.

It seems... he's somewhat hopeless when it comes to superpowers.

Is it hoped that telekinesis can fight against the police department, or that it can help Ron change his fate during the college entrance exam?

Ha, it's better to rely on the potion sequence that's already outdated in this version...

With that in mind, Ron opened the manual and clicked "Change Class" without hesitation.

[An old version of the class "Potion Sequence [Death]" has been detected, which conflicts with the 4.0 major version. Continuing to load it will be affected by the major version's settings. Do you want to continue loading this class?]

Ignore the risks and continue the installation!
[Class loaded, "Potion Sequence [Death]".]

[A class has been detected. Setting extraction is in progress.] [Setting Extraction: [Death]'s Grace (Lv.1)]

I have walked through the land of the shadow of death, and wandered in the sea of ​​the dead.

Even at the end of life's decline, the God, without sorrow or joy, has already bestowed His grace upon you.

"God has already answered for me... Life is nothing but a restless prelude to boundless silence."

—Vila the Silent, the third cardinal of the Lost Church.

[This is a "Profession: Potions Sequence [Death]" binding setting. After loading this setting, you will gain affinity with the dead and acquire all the extraordinary abilities of the Gravekeeper.]

This is... magic?
With the new class unlocked, Ron's mind was filled with many spells.

This extraordinary knowledge seemed to originate from the potion he had taken, which he immediately understood and mastered after digesting the gravedigger's potion.

Many of them looked familiar to Ron, as the spells of the same name were recorded in the old magician's ring.

For example, necromantic fire—

Ron snapped his fingers, and magic flowed through his body, easily igniting a bright green flame at his fingertips.

The biting chill emanated from the flames, far more powerful than any magic released by the emerald ring!
The old magician's trick was indeed a watered-down version...

Ron was thinking this to himself when he suddenly felt a blur before his eyes.

The icy magic flowed through his body, making Ron feel colder and colder, and he inexplicably felt his life force draining away.

Pollution and desire from the depths of the blood, from the very core of the extraordinary, are seeping into the bone marrow with the flow of magic!
What's going on... Why do I have this urge to self-harm?

No, that's not right...

Is this... what they call "pollution"?
Ron vaguely remembered,

When Kurt begged for his forgiveness, he said that he had been corrupted by the path of "truth".

So, is all this strange happening now a result of contamination of the [death] pathway?
The sound of a surging river filled his ears, and in a daze, he could faintly hear cold, murmured words coming from within...

The sounds that ordinary people couldn't hear were clearly heard by Ron because of his superhuman computing power and his more robust soul.

The next moment, the impact, which was originally within a tolerable range, began to increase endlessly!

He immediately tried to stop the spell he was casting, to stop the death magic that was corrupting him from flowing through his blood, but he found that he was powerless to control it...

My mind felt like it was being stirred by a red-hot iron, and the world was spinning.

The flames at his fingertips began to surge and flicker restlessly, as if they were about to engulf Ron himself!

A strange longing rose within him...

That was hunger, indifference, and bloodlust!
If Ron were to look at himself in the mirror at this moment, he would find that his eyes were gradually turning bloodshot and his face was turning pale.

He became increasingly unlike a human being.

Just like Kurt.

The feeling of watching yourself slide deeper and deeper into the abyss is not pleasant.

No!

You must uninstall this job first!
Otherwise, before you even have a chance to gain any abilities from this profession, you'll be killed by the profession itself...

There was a "pop" sound,
Ron braced himself against the table, sweat pouring down his forehead, and forced himself to open his personal panel despite the dizziness.

Changing careers...

and many more!

Only then did he realize that there was actually a new page that could be opened at the [Potion Path [Death]] section—

Upon opening the page, a decaying World Tree is visible, with ten halos extending from its roots to its branches at the top.

The aperture above was unusually dim.

But the halo around the tree roots has been filled with a mark of a hideous, withered hand.

This seems to represent the gravedigger of Sequence Nine...

At this moment, in the lower left corner of this mark, there is a tiny branch of light that is constantly flashing red!

Ron immediately clicked on it—

[Hidden Setting: Extraordinary Out of Control (Out of Control Level 15%)]

Listen, your blood is surging within you, singing aloud!

This blood of gods, blood of the extraordinary, blood of corruption... is always ready to break free from your control!

"We are superhumans, but also a group of pitiful creatures constantly fighting against pollution and madness."

—Saint Dunn, Grand Master of the Order of Order and the Knights of Purification.

This setting is tied to the potion pathway, involving the essence of the potion pathway. It can enhance your existing supernatural abilities and add contamination to them.

However, when you use this ability, there is a certain possibility that it will be subject to an "out of control" state.

In an out-of-control state, your supernatural abilities will be distorted into a more powerful and uncontrollable form.

So that's what it was because of!
Is this the influence of the very nature of power that extraordinary individuals in the Potions Era constantly have to contend with...?

However, judging from Kurt's appearance, ordinary superhumans shouldn't be affected like that.

After all, overwhelmed by such surging desires and powerless to control the restless magic, the extraordinary beings of the Potions Era should have all killed themselves long ago!
Could it be because of the sound of the river and the babbling?
Feeling the dramatic changes within his body, Ron suspected that if this continued, he would go insane within half a day...

It's truly an old-fashioned product from the past; it's powerful, but the side effects are also significant!
...Can it be removed?
The dizziness intensified, but Ron forced himself to stay awake, his brow furrowed as he searched.

Wait a minute, isn't there a semi-transparent minus sign under this "Out of Control" setting?
The minus sign was almost blending into the air; Ron nearly missed it.

Click.

[The "Setting: Out of Control" has been uninstalled.]

The tiny point of light, symbolizing the extraordinary loss of control, has detached itself from the withered hand mark of the Gravekeeper and exists independently.

Suddenly, Ron felt a clarity spread through his mind, and the babbling that had been echoing in his ears disappeared...

Well done, Dimensional Update Manual!

You're right. Loss of control and contamination will always accompany every extraordinary individual in the potion sequence, even affecting the very essence of the potion sequence...

but!
I have a dimensional update manual.

The version has changed, sir.

However, along with the uninstallation of [Out of Control],

The necromantic flame at his fingertips also subsided, becoming as dim as the magic released by the emerald ring, indistinguishable from it.

Clearly, in that mystical era of pursuing gods, power came at a dangerous price.

But conversely,
Danger also means power.

Thinking about this, Ron couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

Although the problem of things getting out of control was solved, new problems arose.

The "mystery" aspect has already been severely diminished in this version. If the "Out of Control" setting is removed, it will not only be usable for a limited time due to the diminishing effect, but it will also become weak and powerless without the "out of control" aspect.

No wonder the manual said the potion sequence wasn't suitable for this major expansion...

But, using superpowers?
His telekinetic abilities, while guaranteeing him a place in university, ...

That just means there's a place to go to school.

His future will not be affected in the slightest by whether he attends a junior college or a second-tier university.

For Ron, an ordinary person burdened with debt, the opportunity to completely change his life through the college entrance examination will not come again.

With the college entrance exam approaching, he somehow managed to obtain the Dimensional Update Manual at this opportune moment...

How can we stop here?

Ron gritted his teeth.

The brain was working at lightning speed, and the computing power of Lv.2 was fully utilized.

At that moment, he suddenly noticed a small blind spot.

The mainstream version of the potion version is uncontrollable danger. The power gained after taking the potion is the same. The progress of the ability users depends on who is less likely to lose control and who can climb to a higher level.

Now, in Ideal City, through scientific development and guidance, everyone's personal reality is absolutely controllable.

However, correspondingly, the upper and lower limits of each person's ability vary greatly.

Like Ron, his telekinesis represents the lower limit; no matter how controllable it is, it doesn't have much value.

--but!

An out-of-control setting can distort a person's extraordinary abilities into a more powerful and uncontrollable state.

So……

What would happen if we combined [Out of Control] with [Telekinesis]?
Using cannons from the previous dynasty to fire the gunpowder of this era?

Without hesitation, Ron immediately changed his class to [Superpowered] and loaded [Extraordinary Out of Control], which should not have appeared in this era.

[Currently changed to "Occupation: Superpowered Individual"]

[Setting: Out of Control] Loaded

Next second,
A familiar sense of loss of control surged forth.

He felt his vision blur once again, but he could no longer hear the sound of the river or the murmurs.

At the same time, the telekinesis that was originally under his control began to fluctuate erratically. The ability model in Ron's mind was distorting wildly, gradually transforming from the simplest telekinesis into an incomprehensible and complex form.

Such a complex ability model quickly exceeded the limits of Ron's computing power, and was beyond his control. It was no longer an ability model that a superhuman of his level could control!

But as the ability model became more complete, Ron could feel that the invisible hand made of telekinesis, which he had previously had complete control over, seemed to be expanding and exploding...

Then, it spread completely... filling all directions!
It's like instantly moving your apartment to outer space, away from Earth's gravity...

In an instant, everything floated up.

This new ability model, which was completely beyond Ron's computing power and his personal reality to support, instantly overwrote reality... and eliminated the gravity in the entire room!

Because you loaded the "Setting: Extraordinary Out of Control," your extraordinary abilities have been distorted into a more powerful state.

[The "Ability Model: Telekinesis" has been updated.]

[You have acquired a new temporary ability setting: Vector Manipulation (Out of Control).]

(End of this chapter)