My setting is above yours!

Chapter 61 The Gift of the Experiment for Knowledge: The Perfect Creature of Evolution! (5k2)

Countless fragments of stone flew out.

Although Ron was merely using [Vector Manipulation] to casually manipulate the scattered pebbles on the ground, he easily made each pebble fire with the force of a rifle bullet.

This is the normal output of [Vector Manipulation] that he can release after becoming Lv.3.

It was only at this point, when he expanded his personal reality to a circle with a diameter of ten meters around him, that Ron began to feel the sense of control over everything in reality that should have belonged to [Vector Manipulation]...

The rubble easily enveloped Minister Alder like a curtain of rain. If Alder were just an ordinary Lv.3 ability user, he might have already been doomed to die, riddled with holes by the rubble under the violent output of [Vector Manipulation].

but……

Ald simply frowned slightly and waved his hand.

The next moment, countless fine vines suddenly sprouted from the ground beneath his feet.

The lush green vines grew tightly and densely, quickly twisting and weaving into a verdant net...

"Bang bang bang..."

Those pebbles clearly had the power of standard rifle bullets, each capable of penetrating armor plates about one centimeter thick, but they shattered as if they had hit an unshakeable mountain, turning into clumps of dust.

However, this thin net woven from vines was clearly undamaged.

Ron could even see tiny marks on the vines, made by the impact of pebbles, fading and repairing themselves at an extremely fast pace.

This guy's abilities are actually that powerful?

Its defense is strong enough, and its recovery speed is also so fast?

Even if I didn't put in much effort... wasn't your blocking too casual?

Ron's expression grew slightly more serious. Old removed the vine netting covering him and looked at Ron with some annoyance:

"Hmph... This stray dog ​​that [Tian Ting Media] picked up has already started biting people before it's even been properly tamed?"

"I was just about to let you off the hook, but you still dared to come back and interrupt others so rudely... Didn't your boss give you any etiquette lessons?"

Upon hearing this, Ron was momentarily taken aback.

What kind of nonsense is that...?

Why does this guy act so self-righteous, as if they're not in a life-or-death battle, but just having some impolite verbal sparring?
But in that moment when Ron was stunned, Old's seemingly uncontrollable anger vanished, replaced by a cold expression.

Have the opportunity!
All those seemingly nonsensical things he just said were specifically to distract Ron and cover up his planned surprise attack!

Several vines suddenly sprouted from about five meters away from Ron, stabbing towards him as if they were alive—

These vines had a slightly translucent, metallic sheen on their surface; more like a bunch of steel spikes painted green than any plant they were supposed to be…

They suddenly thrust out from different directions, directly targeting Ron's throat, brain, heart, and lower abdomen—

If it's really solid, even if Ron is cut into the [Potion Sequence] and becomes a [Corpse Man] with enhanced physical abilities, he will inevitably be riddled with thorns and die here!

Upon seeing this, Xia Zhi immediately felt her heart leap into her throat and dared not even breathe.

Oh no... all that talk was just a ploy to ambush Ron at this moment!
She then realized that everything Old had just done was a sneak attack, and he was clearly about to succeed...

Now, bound by the vines, she was acutely aware of just how strong those vines were—

The vines that attacked her were just ordinary vines, but the vines that attacked Ron were obviously extraordinary and were probably much stronger than the vines that bound her!

If it really hits, even a man of steel would be riddled with thorns...

Xia Zhi dared not think any further, but the moment she saw the vines, she shouted:

"Ron, watch out—"

Before she could finish speaking, the vines rushed towards Ron.

but……

The moment these vines reached within five meters of Ron, they were easily deflected as if they had struck a slippery barrier.

Even though nothing can be seen, the movement of these vines shows a distinctly strange deviation...

Ron used Vector Manipulation to deflect their direction of motion!
"Dirty tactics... Are all the people at Noah Pharmaceuticals just useless cowards who can only resort to petty tricks?"

Ron frowned, a hint of disgust creeping into his eyes as he looked at Ald.

He reacted in the brief moment of surprise, realizing that Ald was trying to attract his attention, and immediately took control of [Vector Manipulation] to prepare.

As expected, the attack came in an instant, but he, who was prepared, easily defused it with his abilities.

But these vines did not lose their threat. After realizing that they could not kill Ron by piercing him, Ald frowned, and the steel vines immediately wrapped together, trying to strangle Ron who was trapped inside.

Ron simply stepped forward.

Then, the steel-hard vines, due to the direction of movement, got into a knot, then pulled themselves apart, broke off, and fell to the ground, never to live again.

These vines have entered Ron's personal reality, and with the help of [Vector Manipulation], he can freely distort their direction of movement. No matter how strong they are, they will be torn apart by the mutual pulling of each other.

"interesting……"

At this moment, realizing he couldn't kill Ron on his own, Olde stopped acting the same way and looked at Ron with interest, asking:
"Although I had seen Yuan's report before, I did not expect that your abilities were even stronger than he had recorded."

"My [Plant Growth Acceleration] isn't particularly strong, but with the constant support of the [Ability Formula], it's already a speed that most people can't keep up with..."

"Your computing power is so great that it allows you to calculate where they will appear and then use your abilities to deflect them?"

Actually, no.

Ron appeared calm on the surface, but he was quite puzzled inside.

Olde wasn't lying to him. Perhaps he had other trump cards up his sleeve, but judging from his performance, it was indeed this so-called "plant-induced growth."

But... how did this guy manage to use such a powerful ability model that sounds so weak?
It's important to know that after Ron drank the "medium" potion and advanced to Lv.3, his computing power was indeed forcibly boosted to Lv.3 as a result of the advancement...

Although his computing power wasn't particularly strong—after all, he was only Lv.2 before and only upgraded to Lv.3 using the Dimensional Update Manual—it was definitely comparable to the average computing power of a normal Lv.3 superpower user.

Its ability to support Ron's normal use of Lv.3 [Vector Manipulation] without losing control of the force is a testament to its capabilities.

However... Ald's speed in manipulating these vines has already exceeded Ron's computational control.

He didn't have time to use his ability to deflect all the vines, and was almost pierced by one of them.

Fortunately, [Vector Manipulation] is powerful enough as a capability model that Ron can simply forgo choosing and instead brutally select all "forces" within his personal reality range to reflect...

Thanks to this indiscriminate reflex, he narrowly managed to deflect the vines and avoid being seriously injured by Ald's premeditated sneak attack.

"Thank goodness... thank goodness Ron is strong enough..."

Seeing Ron withstand Olde's sudden attack, Xia Zhi couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Seeing Ron standing silently in place, she quickly reminded him:
"Request backup immediately, Ron! Where's your body camera? It has an emergency communication button on it; just click it to immediately contact Patrol Headquarters!"

"This guy isn't your average Level 3, be careful..."

But before she could finish speaking, the vines wrapped around her tightened as punishment, choking her so much that she couldn't breathe and forced her to swallow the rest of her words.

"Hmph... What right do you have to interrupt the experimental materials!"

Old snorted and only loosened the vines binding Xia Zhi slightly after she shut up, to prevent her from strangling this rare experimental subject before she even got into the laboratory.

When Ron heard Xia Zhi's words, he couldn't help but sigh helplessly in his heart.

What Xia Zhi said, how could he not have thought of it?

That's why he came to the factory alone—because there were no reinforcements available.

In fact, after dealing with the magician in the protective suit, Ron vaguely sensed something was wrong while reflecting on his conversation with Ald before his death.

As Ron approached the factory and saw the helicopter suddenly and inexplicably fly over, he became even more certain of his suspicions. Sure enough… the executor of this "Knowledge Experiment" was the mastermind behind the D-Sector General Patrol Bureau.

Since he ordered the magician to attack C-112, after discovering the magician's failure, he would naturally take over the attack mission to achieve his own goals...

Once he realized this was going to happen, Ron immediately called for backup—

However, the call was not made to the D District General Inspection Bureau, but directly to Ms. Irina.

The performance of the D District General Inspection Bureau has been so poor lately that Ron was afraid that after making a call for help, he wouldn't receive support from the inspection team and Artemis, but rather some Noah's Medicine employees dressed as inspection officers...

Unfortunately, Ms. Irina was unable to offer him any assistance.

She told Ron that during the "Knowledge Experiment," it was absolutely impossible for the three giant corporations to send their own people to harm the experimenters. If anyone did violate this rule, it could very likely trigger a corporate war.

Under the guise of the "Experiment of Knowledge," whatever Alder does can be done without restraint as long as it genuinely benefits the "Experiment of Knowledge" and its influence remains within the unspoken rules—something tacitly approved by the three giant corporations.

So... if Ald really attacks them, Ron will only have himself to rely on.

However, Ms. Irina also told Ron that if he really had the ability to stop Alder, then he could do it without worry.

She has already planned to stall all the Lv.4 and above executives of [Noah Pharmaceuticals], and they are currently engaged in a business meeting in Zone B, so they have no time to care about what is happening on the border of the slums in Zone D.

only……

Ron looked at Ald not far away and couldn't help but feel a little helpless.

Killing this guy seems a bit troublesome.

Although it was just a brief exchange, Ron could tell that Ald's strength far exceeded that of a normal Lv.3...

At first, he thought that Alder was just using "restriction spells" to turn Xia Zhi and the others into powerless people and then use their superpowers to bully ordinary people, but now it seems that this is not the case.

Judging from the growth rate and controllability of these vines, as well as the material strength of the vines themselves that were grown under the control of this ability...

Thinking about it carefully, I'm afraid that in the C-112 team, apart from Ron and Xia Zhi, there is no one who can deal with him.

Regardless of whether their abilities are temporarily limited by the "restriction spell," facing Ald head-on will only result in them being knocked unconscious by a vine and then tied up like dumplings...

As for Xia Zhi—with her formulas and spatial abilities, Xia Zhi might actually be able to hold her own against Alder for a while, but Alder is clearly much more likely to win than Xia Zhi.

Furthermore, Xia Zhi is completely unable to resist the "restriction spell"...

Olde had clearly prepared a contingency plan, suppressing her abilities without hesitation, completely shattering any possibility of Xia Zhi winning against him.

Is this... the strength that a Level 4 reserve superpowered individual, capable of seeking authority, should possess?
Ron, who has just become a Level 3, is an enemy that is difficult to deal with without going all out!
After a moment's thought, Ron couldn't help but grit his teeth.

Perhaps we should use [Ability Overload] again, just like when we defeated Yu'an before...

With Lv.3 [Vector Manipulation]'s [Ability Overload], killing him isn't too difficult.

Even though that would cause Ron's computing power to go out of control, and he might have to stay in the hospital for a few days, as long as he can win, he doesn't care if he has to stay in the hospital for a month...

[TianTing Media] has plenty of money, and Ron's extraordinary background is sufficient. He will not stop moving forward because he is afraid of getting hurt.

He didn't want to keep such a major threat alive as a Level 4...

Thinking this, Ron took a few steps forward without making a sound. Just as he was about to get close to Ald and make his move, he suddenly saw him shake his head.

He looked at Ron and sighed:

"You still want to be my enemy, don't you?"

"Didn't you realize? The reason I'm telling you what my abilities are, telling you that I possess an [ability formula] that can be activated at any time, telling you so much, and being willing to chat with you so calmly, is because I want to let you off the hook..."

"Your ability to use your power under the 'restriction spell' has already proven a lot... We are not actually enemies."

He smiled, gently raised his head, and looked at Ron with the eyes of someone looking at a junior:
"Although I'm currently a department head at Noah Pharmaceuticals, I used to be an 'astrologer' at the Astronomical Society—"

"I can't bear to harm a successor as outstanding as you."

He adopted the demeanor of an elder and lectured:

"However, don't do this again next time... Knowing it's a [Knowledge Experiment] and still participating in it, if you were at [Noah Pharmaceuticals], even if you weren't my direct supervisor, they would drag you back now and fine you three months' salary."

"Go back and report to your superior that Hera's Experiment of Knowledge has completed another stage. Don't forget to prepare a congratulatory gift for the new Level 4!"

Is this person... mentally sound?
Ron stared blankly at Ald, who was talking to himself, for a moment.

What is he saying...? Why does he look like he's already won?
I didn't give up either, did I?

Ron frowned and couldn't help but ask:

"Let me go? Complete the [Knowledge Experiment]? Become Level 4?"

"How did you become so arrogant, thinking you had everything under control?"

But upon hearing Ron's words, Old simply chuckled:
"arrogant?"

He opened his arms wide without a care in the world. "This isn't arrogance, it's a reasonable prediction of the inevitable future!"

"You're still standing here and don't want to leave, is it because you feel you still have the ability to resist, that you think your ability model is strong, and that you still have a chance to beat me?"

if not?
Although Alder may have raised his abilities to an extraordinary level by using computing power that has reached the Lv.3 limit and the [Ability Formula], this cannot cover up the inherent weaknesses of his abilities.

【Plant Growth Promoter】... Just from the name, you can tell that this is just a useless ability suitable for playing with flowers and plants and doing some floral arrangements.

Like [Constant Temperature Preservation] and [Updraft], it doesn't have much practical use and is inherently weaker than other abilities in combat.

Relying on [Vector Manipulation], Ron was able to fight Ald to a standstill even with his newly acquired Lv.3 ability, let alone using [Ability Overload]...

Does this guy have some hidden trump card?
Ron frowned, and Old looked at him, shook his head, and advised:

"I advise you to leave now. Although I don't want to kill you, if you really don't know what's good for you, I won't hold back."

"You can't even imagine my true abilities..."

What are you muttering and imagining about saying next?

Let me talk to your vector manipulation!

Before Alder could finish speaking, Ron unhesitatingly activated [Vector Manipulation] at full power, once again kicking up a cloud of sand and gravel.

He decided to quickly approach the guy while Ald was distracted by the sand and stones, and then use [Ability Overload] to send him to the underworld to dream of becoming a Lv.4 while being torn apart by the chaotic vector!
But Ald's expression merely turned cold. He took a few steps back, summoned vines to weave a net to block Ron's sand and gravel, and sighed with considerable regret.
"Ungrateful... What a pity, the Astrology Society is going to lose another promising talent."

As he spoke, he slowly opened his arms and looked at Ron, who was rushing towards him, and said softly:
"You know what? Actually, what I hate most in this life is people like you with powerful superpowers."

"I clearly have stronger computing power, but because of the inadequacy of my ability model, I can never win in combat against you superpowered individuals who obtained powerful ability models by luck."

As he spoke, a wide smile suddenly spread across his lips:
"But thankfully... God is merciful."

"Even the strongest superhumans are still human. Once they reach the limits of being human, the peak of Lv.3, no matter how powerful their [ability model] is, it will no longer be able to propel them forward."

"If we were both only Lv.3, I might not be able to do anything to you because of my weak ability model..."

As he spoke, Ron saw his body suddenly begin to "ripple," literally, his skin undulating.

Then, deformed bone spurs suddenly pierced his face, and his body began to deform uncontrollably!

"But unfortunately, I have already surpassed humanity and no longer possess human limits!"

He looked at Ron with his face covered in bone spurs and gave a twisted laugh:

"Take a good look, see what a perfectly evolved creature looks like!"

"What... is power beyond human capabilities?!"

(End of this chapter)