Chapter 54: A New Power
The dark seed bloomed into a pure white flower, emanating a rainbow of colors from its roots. The delicate and fragrant aroma was so alluring that it compelled people to take a deep breath, as if they were plucking a plant from heaven.
Bai Yan took a deep breath, feeling confused as to why this Seed of Awakening had suddenly blossomed.
According to Alan's account, he must go through multiple instances of scrutiny to become a Superoperator.
To become a Superoperator, the easiest method is through bloodline inheritance, all other methods aren’t considered simple. This is also the reason why the Superoperator families produce so many children.
People with poorer natural talents; even if they possess the "path" to become a Superoperator; will still take a long time to reach the Origin level... it could even take so long that their lifespan cannot sustain it.
Bai Yan is aware that "seeking essence" is a profound phenomenon.
In a certain sense, it is similar to "seeking sensation." Those who understand, naturally understand, and those who don't understand, it is difficult to find a way to explain.
"It seems that I belong to the people who understand relatively well."
Bai Yan was able to sense that he had once again entered a state that was different from his original.
His senses became more sensitive, even the sound of birds outside could be accurately located. At the same time, Bai Yan's intuition has extended beyond what ordinary people have.
He took out a coin and tossed it in the air, catching it in his hand, guessing heads or tails.
Bai Yan muttered to himself while gazing at the coin in his hand.
"After fifty tosses, the thirty-seventh attempt would be the correct one."
Inspiration is a truly mystical ability, akin to what some refer to as the sixth sense, often correlating with extraordinary mental powers.
This transformation was different from the previous "Power Possession," as his body automatically adapted to the change without needing an adjustment period.
The changes that occurred within him were still insufficient to transcend humanity.
Superoperators of the "Origin" level are still in the same category as ordinary people, with the exception of an additional extraordinary local modification. Their extraordinary powers may be strong or they might not differ much from an ordinary person's.
Bai Yan, Mu Ling, and Maryse possess extraordinary talents as the foundation of their exceptional powers.
Humans who have not explored themselves but have successfully mastered at least one ritual and spell can also be referred to as "Origin" level Superoperators.
The mainstream view is that, from the moment they master the ritual and spell, their essence has already been unearthed, only transformed into "ritual" and "spell".
Bai Yan squinted and digested the two pieces of information that automatically arranged and combined in his mind. It was not in any human language or text, yet he could interpret their specific meanings.
They were not implanted in Bai Yan's mind by anyone else, but belong to his inherent nature, and are the self-potential discovered by peering into it and mining it.
"What's going on? This is not right..."
Bai Yan was stunned, with a look of intense astonishment in his eyes.
He put the little flower into the water glass on the table. The small white flower gently drifted down into the glass, and its stem continued to emit colorful speckles.
Bai Yan immediately spread his hands in front of the bed, feeling the stark difference between the two forces of information. There was no doubt that they were both his essence, yet there was not a single similarity between them!
Moreover...
"My essence, unexpectedly, there are two!"
He was filled with amazement as he experienced two extraordinary powers - one black and one white.
Bai Yan was astonished because he awakened two fundamentally distinct essences.
According to Alan's previous statement, this was something that could never happen.
"Why?" he furrowed his brow.
The known intelligence is too scarce, Bai Yan, as a "novice on the supernatural path", simply cannot be certain about the cause of this situation.
He had only one possible explanation in his mind that could be the answer.
"Could it be because I have traveled through time and lived my life again?"
Bai Yan was uncertain whether this was the correct answer, but he could not make any other conclusive analysis.
The extraordinary powers that awaken from vastly different essences; one is called "connection" and the other is called "game".
"Wait, a game? Can that also be considered a supernatural power?"
Bai Yan discovered that the incredible power of the white Ability was simply unbelievable. Its effect was actually to enhance Bai Yan's efficiency and skill at playing games. If it were not for the existence of "Babel Tower", this Ability would have been completely useless.
In a certain sense, it is a perfect match for oneself... and can only be complemented by oneself.
"Coincidence?"
"No, it shouldn't be a coincidence. When I was peering into essence, I saw the Babel Tower, represented in the form of a game, so this should be the power stemming from it."
He remained silent for a while, but still couldn't figure it out, so he turned to gaze at the extraordinary power represented by the blackness.
Bai Yan possesses another extraordinary ability known as "Connection".
He tried it out briefly, but got no response. He discovered that "connection" was also a kind of auxiliary, informative force at this stage.
"If you want to fight someone face to face, you still need Power Possession... After touching it, you will know the connectivity between things. This power cannot be directly used for killing."
Bai Yan reached out and touched his water cup, and in his mind appeared one image after another, fleeting and not quite clear, but still offering him a wealth of information.
"The factory in this picture should be the manufacturer producing it. Hmm, this is the store selling it... This picture captures the moment when I drank water this morning."
"Ah"
Actually, in Bai Yan's heart, he still desires abilities like "one-punch knockout", "writing death for someone", "world modulation mode", and "hypnosis guidance".
How unpleasant it is to be an assistant!
"Fortunately, there will be another opportunity in the future," Bai Yan consoled himself.
According to Alan, extraordinary powers are capable of growth. Even if some abilities lack offensive capabilities in the "Origin" phase, they may eventually possess powerful destructive abilities.
Bai Yan possesses the "Power Possession" which endows him with ample positive force. While he is not entirely content with the extraordinary abilities that he has acquired, he is still able to accept them.
"Objectively speaking, both the gaming ability and the intelligence-gathering ability are quite important to me."
"No wonder Alan said that the extraordinary power awakened from one's essence must be the most suitable for the person himself...because both body and the soul are born from essence and there can't be a mismatch."
Bai Yan eagerly extended his hand and began to feel around the room. Gaining extraordinary powers always brought excitement to people, possessing new abilities is nothing short of impossible!
He touched it and many images flashed through his mind.
"Hmm, these chopsticks are actually made from imported large trees. Are the local wood materials of the Air Alliance even more expensive?"
"This cheap towel that I bought online turned out to be second-hand. How frustrating! Moreover, it was previously used by a beautiful girl for showering. Well, I guess it's tolerable, but the image is so blurry."
Thus, Bai Yan closed his eyes and palpated every item in the room.
He suddenly felt a bit dizzy and his head was pounding. He had a feeling of staying up too late playing games for too long, with bloodshot eyes.
Many extraordinary abilities will consume energy, physical strength... even blood, lifespan, and luck.
Mu Ling's usage of the power within her bloodline depletes her physical strength, while Maryse's use of her psychic power depletes her mental energy, but both of their depletions are minimal.
Just as using a Relic requires a price to be paid, the use of extraordinary powers also involves giving up something to gain something.
Of course, there are some people who try to make others bear the cost for them.
This so-called "other" is often referred to as a..."sacrifice".
Bai Yan closed his eyes and gradually attempted to sever the connection to his extraordinary power, allowing his continuously divergent thoughts to come to a halt.
"Hoo, hoo..."
After gradually calming down, Bai Yan murmured to himself, "By doing so, I officially became a Superoperator, though the power I possess could only serve as auxiliary, and compared to my state during 'Power Possession', I still lack the ability to engage in direct combat."
"But having an extraordinary power is always a good thing."
Bai Yan opened his eyes and took out his phone to open the "Babel Tower" game interface again, suddenly stunned.
A new banner has appeared!
The game interface has changed, and right above the black whirlpool of 'Fate', a new black whirlpool appeared, with faint purple light emanating from its edges.
Parallel Dimensions.
This is the name of the new Banner.
Bai Yan had played "Babel Tower" for several months and had become well-acquainted with all sorts of Banners.
But his eyes remained wide open, as if he had seen something unbelievable!
"How could..."
Surprisingly, it came out early, the unexpected development left Bai Yan a little confused, lost in thought.
"This Banner was supposed to appear only after the first Doomsday Crisis, so why did it jump out of the game ahead of schedule?"
Perhaps the early arrival of Banner could be considered a boon, affording him greater options in the earlier stages of play to achieve a flawless victory in "Babel Tower."
However, Bai Yan also understood that as a result, the progress of the game "Babel Tower" would no longer be calculable, and perhaps, more unforeseen developments would arise in the future.
"Never mind, let it be, whatever changes may come!"
He hesitated whether to draw from the new Banner or not, but suddenly noticed that his Energy Point count had increased to five hundred!
Just now, "Nightsaber" or "Psychic Dancer" must have done something during the auto-play period, and he just happened to accumulate enough new ten consecutive Energy Points!
The so-called "parallel dimension" is actually referring to the concept of parallel worlds.
Bai Yan knew that, according to the explanation in "Babel Tower," anything drawn from the "Fate" pool was something that already existed in this world.
However, everything pulled from the "parallel dimension" are not originally from this world, but are forcibly incorporated into the world by the Savior, and their presence can cause certain changes to the timeline!
One summon costs 50 points! Ten summons costs 500 points!
Ugh, it's really annoying. I never have enough Energy Points to spend at any time.
The "Possibility Core Operator" and "Possibility World Changing" in the new pool are both significant. They will yield great profits once they are released, but currently, the number of operators is insufficient, so it is crucial to draw from the operator pool frequently.
Bai Yan hesitated for a long time, and now the number of points is just enough to draw.
Damn it, it's just because they weren't diligent enough during the auto-play period!
"Which pool should I pick from..."
He took a deep breath and reached out his finger.
"I've decided!"
