Chapter 114: I Have a Way

Zhou Shu felt that his "fishing enforcement" had been exceptionally fruitful today. If he were a true angler, today would have been a day of "never coming home empty-handed"—not the kind where you catch no fish but end up with a pile of junk, but the real deal.

Later, he caught another "fish" by the roadside, which not only allowed him to max out all his attribute caps but also left him with a surplus of source energy. After that, however, no more fish took the bait. As dusk approached, he retrieved the bicycle he had stashed by the road and began his journey back.

On the way, he reviewed his specific gains for the day:

【Hunter System】
【User: Zhou Shu (Recruit)】
【Spirit: 3.72 (Cap)】
【Strength: 2.48 (Cap)】
【Agility: 2.61 (Cap)】
【Stamina: 2.22 (Cap)】
【Constitution: 2.61 (Cap)】
【Special Abilities: Bullet Time, Anomaly Sensing, Psychokinesis (Weak, 12%)】
【Weapon Proficiency: Firearms (Mastery 61%), Powered Exoskeleton Operation (Mastery 45%)】
【Auxiliary Equipment: One Elite Powered Exoskeleton Armor (Good condition)】
【Source Essence: 1.53】

He had grown stronger in every aspect. Especially as night fell and the temperature on the plateau plummeted, he felt no chill at all; in fact, he felt a bit warm.

However, excluding his ridiculously high Spirit stat, his other three physical attributes hovered around 2.5, with Stamina being the outlier at 2.2. Was he destined to be a man lacking in stamina? He was only eighteen!

Of course, his "poor stamina" depended on who he was comparing himself to. A Stamina stat of 2.2 was certainly higher than the peak stamina of any Tier 1 stamina-type superhuman, as those topped out at 1.99 before breaking into Tier 2. Moreover, most superhumans had unbalanced stats; his were, by comparison, relatively well-rounded—except for his Spirit.

His stamina had never stopped growing, and he was sure it would eventually reach 3, 4, 5, or even higher, so he was satisfied for now.

He had been practicing his psychokinesis, but the results were modest. Though it had increased, it remained in the "weak" stage. According to the Hunter System’s calculations, he would need to reach "40% Weak" just to make a coin hover. That would take a lot of practice, so he planned to start with small steel balls—3mm, 5mm, 8mm—to get the "feel" for it. Once he succeeded, he would gradually increase the weight. He was eagerly anticipating the day he could lift himself into the air with his own mind!

Flight—one of humanity's most cherished dreams! Although airplanes and, more recently, personal flight devices had brought this dream to reality, they were a far cry from the true, innate ability humans longed for. Zhou Shu had read through the files of the Demon Suppression Bureau; it seemed that ancient "immortals" were said to have ridden clouds and mists, but the accuracy of such ancient records was questionable. At the very least, since the dawn of detailed modern records, the world had not seen a single superhuman capable of true natural flight.

Perhaps he would be the first person in the modern era to overcome gravity and take to the skies through his own power. Though, if it took "40% Weak" just to float a coin, he would likely need to reach the next stage—or even the one after that—to lift himself off the ground. Regardless, he remained confident. His "evolution" had never ceased, and perhaps he really could tread the path of "genetic ascension."

He glanced at his auxiliary equipment. He felt he needed a "combat mecha" next, or he would be helpless against large monsters. His current powered exoskeleton was only two meters tall, and even with its back-mounted weapon platforms deployed, it barely reached two-and-a-half meters. It was no match for a giant beast. Just like military units, while light infantry and special forces had their roles, he also needed heavy equipment—tanks, helicopters, or fighter jets—to handle different combat scenarios.

He pedaled hard on the way back. Due to the bicycle's build quality, he didn't dare push it too violently, but he slowly accelerated until his speed exceeded 140 kilometers per hour. A sedan watched in disbelief as Zhou Shu cycled past it. When the driver saw his own speedometer reading 100 km/h, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. At first, the driver tried to hit the gas to reclaim his pride, but as the car began to feel unstable, he panicked and slowed down. His life was too precious to risk on such nonsense.

Zhou Shu encountered no other suspicious individuals on the road. Once he reached the designated drop-off point, he was picked up by a military vehicle and taken back to camp.

Throughout the day, all search teams had achieved significant results. Once the state apparatus was set in motion—and bolstered by intelligence provided by an "insider"—it was easy to find clues. In truth, Zhou Shu had uncovered more than the others. Most had followed orders to avoid killing the mutants or using torture, and their "gentle approach" had yielded limited information.

Zhou Shu, however, was different. He had genuinely taken down three mutants. Even though he had shot the first two, he had recovered plenty of useful items from their vehicle. The third was intercepted alone, and after a "friendly exchange" of information, Zhou Shu respectfully blew the target's head off and drained its energy until nothing remained, leaving no trace behind.

So, at the evening briefing, when the others synthesized their data and concluded it would take three more days to locate the headquarters of the Ascension Society, Zhou Shu spoke up: "I have a method to find their headquarters within a day, but I will need some cooperation."

"How so?" the mission commander asked.

"It’s like this..." Zhou Shu began to weave his lie. "My ability involves slow-motion perception and alert sensing. While patrolling today, I picked up some unusual information. After calculating the data I gathered, it all seems to point to a single location." He looked around at the officers present and added, "If I’m not mistaken, that location is the lair of the Ascension Society."

The room erupted. When Zhou Shu finished, some showed surprise and delight, and the commander exclaimed, "Are you certain?!"

"Yes, I am willing to stake my military commission on it!" Zhou Shu said solemnly.

"Good!" The commander slammed his hand on the table. "Damn it, we’ve finally found their nest!" The others pretended not to hear the commander's language, given his high rank.

The commander, caught up in the excitement, ignored the etiquette and asked, "Can we go now? If we can find it now, we can launch a surprise attack!"

"I apologize, but my mental energy is depleted from today's efforts. It’s not possible right now." This wasn't a lie; he was indeed feeling mentally exhausted, even if he wasn't yet at the point of a headache.

The commander nodded in resignation. "Fine, then tomorrow. We’ll use tonight to prepare." He looked at Zhou Shu. "As for you, I’m ordering you to go and get some rest!"

"Yes, sir!"