Chapter 15
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Chapter 15: Evolution and Growth
In the inner city, within the research institute’s conference room.
"Fast forward ten seconds."
"Fast forward another ten seconds."
"Okay, stop!"
"Zoom in on the one in the upper right corner, magnify it further."
Under the command of an elderly man clad in a researcher’s white coat, the image on the massive display screen finally settled on an extraordinary beast exhibiting peculiar behavior.
In the current frame, the creature with six robust legs was advancing amidst the beast tide in an odd posture, with two hard claws of a spider-type extraordinary beast protruding from beneath it, firmly gripping the back of another beast.
Everyone present swiftly grasped the significance of this image. After a brief silence, the conference room, equipped with computer devices, erupted into a cacophony of intense discussions.
The elderly man who issued the commands also paused, remained silent for a moment, then slowly removed his glasses, meticulously cleaning the lenses with the hem of his white coat.
Once he replaced his glasses, the clamor in the conference room had subsided. The old man, wielding a laser pointer, directed attention to the enlarged image behind him and declared:
“Everyone, I believe the implications of this photo are self-evident. We have reached a definitive conclusion regarding the hypothesis of extraordinary beasts evolving; we must no longer arrogantly regard these monsters as mere animals.”
The old man scanned the room, and seeing no response, he continued:
“When humanity first retreated to Hope City, aggression was rampant not only between humans and extraordinary beasts but also among the beasts themselves, with no evidence of any communication.
“However, forty years ago, in the year 10 of the New Era, the frequency of extraordinary beasts attacking each other significantly decreased, leading to the conjecture that extraordinary beasts might communicate and evolve.
“Thirty years ago, they mastered coordinated attacks among different species. Twenty years ago, they learned to select appropriate times and targets. Ten years ago, beast tides began to emerge in the skies and the sea, and today, they have learned to deceive us!
“They have come to understand that, given limited resources, the human military adjusts its weaponry based on the observed types of beast tides, so they have learned to use the forms of their companions to mislead us.”
The old man once again surveyed the silent conference room, concluding:
“There are two possibilities: either they have learned to communicate among themselves, or there is a highly intelligent individual orchestrating their actions.
“Regardless of which it is, the burden on our shoulders at the research institute will only grow heavier. This meeting is adjourned.”
The old man slowly descended from the front of the conference room, speaking in a tone tinged with disappointment:
“Humanity’s progress is too sluggish. By the time extraordinary beasts in the sky can hurl other beasts into the city, how long do you think our anti-aircraft guns will hold?”
A young man quickly gathered the items left by the old man and hurried after him. By then, the old man had already exited the conference room, and upon hearing the footsteps, he spoke without turning:
“Yongxing, contact the military and have them release that unfortunate observer; this isn’t his fault.
“Distribute today’s meeting content to the front lines; every observer must study it.
“And double the number of cameras at all observation points, adjusting the angles for better comparison.”
“Understood, Deputy Director,” the bespectacled young man replied. He appeared refined, with an innate air of melancholy.
He swiftly noted the old man’s instructions on a notepad and hurried off to execute the orders.
—
“…Hereby awarded to Wang Xiao, member of the medical team from the Eastern Third Defense Team stationed on the city wall, the Second-Class Hope Medal in recognition of your outstanding contributions during the small beast tide defense on May 29, year 52 of the New Era. We hope you will continue to strive for excellence…”
In the center of a military training ground, a tanned, stern middle-aged officer pinned a golden medal, gleaming in the sunlight, onto Wang Xiao’s chest.
At this moment, over a thousand soldiers were gathered to witness the unfolding events.
These were merely the soldiers from the eastern wall of the outer city who were off duty today; many more were patrolling their sectors to prevent a recurrence of the incident from two days prior.
The unfortunate souls observer had already been released, while the officer inevitably bore part of the responsibility and was demoted one rank.
Now that everyone was aware that extraordinary beasts could be as cunning as humans, every soldier on the city wall felt a chill down their spine and a surge of adrenaline.
Meanwhile, the soldiers not on duty were feeling quite somber. After all, if every future invasion involved such intelligent extraordinary beasts, they would be the first to face the brunt of the attack.
Thus, whether to boost morale or to reward those who had performed well, a medal ceremony was essential, and the standout from the day’s battle was Wang Xiao, who now stood at the center of the training grounds.
At this moment, Wang Xiao wore a serious expression, and every word and action was executed as rehearsed earlier, allowing his mind a brief moment of calm.
Wang Xiao felt the weight of the approximately thirty-gram metal medal resting against his chest, a result of his enhanced physical condition, and his thoughts drifted to the distant past.
His father had once described to him the grandeur of a medal ceremony, one that was even more formal and lavish than this, following an enormous beast tide.
Wang Xiao still remembered his father’s demeanor, filled with a yearning to step onto the award stage.
At that time, Wang Xiao and his mother only felt joy over their father’s return, without much expectation for the reward earned through such peril.
Now, standing decidedly alone, Wang Xiao looked down at the crowd and mechanically finished his last line of the speech.
Countless gazes focused on him—some filled with envy, some with jealousy, and others, like his father’s once, filled with desire.
Wang Xiao felt momentarily dazed, as if an invisible hand gently patted his shoulder; he imagined his father was proudly watching him.
As he stepped down from the podium, Wang Xiao returned to a seat in the front row. The entire ceremony still had many formal steps to complete, so it wouldn’t end anytime soon.
The blonde man known as “Fresnel” sat beside him, having clapped energetically during the round of applause.
Seeing Wang Xiao return to his seat, Fresnel handed him a document with a red stamp on it, which Wang Xiao accepted. The report contained a reassessment of his abilities from the research institute’s relevant department—
【Ability: High-Speed Regeneration
Rarity: High
Growth Potential: Medium
Overall Rating: D+
Ability Description: A relatively rare rapid healing ability that covers most basic self-healing capabilities, possessing a high degree of specificity, but based on existing data, future growth may not be impressive.】
“The rating takes into account both current abilities and future growth potential; rarity is as it sounds,” Fresnel explained casually.
“But this is just based on the battle recordings from their side, and it may improve later.”
“Why are you telling me all this?” Wang Xiao asked, tilting his head in confusion.
“Because once the rating reaches C, you’ll qualify to join a military-affiliated team of superpowered individuals, and my team could really use someone like you.”
“Are you trying to recruit me?”
“I’m trying to befriend you. If you ever get the chance to join the military headquarters’ team of superpowered individuals, I hope you’ll consider my team first.”
