Chapter 17

Like the E-Type, it was one of the rarest types of mental users, accounting for only a tiny fraction of the population, possibly even fewer than Type Es. They had earned the name because they could "command" the strongest humanoid weapons: Type E Extremists.

Some said that all it took to keep Type Es completely under control was to control the Type D compatible with them.

For that reason, Type Ds were both precious and important to the empire. Besides enabling powerful Type Es to be freed from the Evil Tower and put to use by the empire, Type Ds could also provide powerful support for the military. This was mainly because the Type D's Spiritual Pool was quite unusual: their Mental Power recovered two to thirty times faster than an ordinary person's. The higher their Spiritual Pool's level, the deeper their Mental Power and the faster it recovered.

Thus, they could share their Mental Power with comrades who had depleted too much of their own.

"By contrast, Type Es are exceptionally gifted, but their Mental Power recovers more slowly than that of any other type, four to five times slower than an ordinary person's. If they run into trouble alone, their slow recovery rate greatly increases the threat to their lives."

That was why Type Ds were their most compatible partners. A powerful Type D could not only take hits and fight, but could also replenish teammates through simple mental interaction, boosting their stamina and keeping them safe.

They were practically the E-Type's dream type.

After finishing, the system added, "But even though these two types are recognized as the best combination, the chances of a match aren't high. Both types are strange, with their own different ideas and personalities."

"Type Ds are better off. They're compatible with every type, so they have a better chance of finding a partner. As for Type Es, with their rotten temperaments and picky souls, all I can say is they deserve to be single for life!"

"..."

Xu Qingran pulled a fever pill from his pocket, tossed it into his mouth, crushed it between his teeth, and swallowed it.

Interesting, but he didn't particularly like either type.

Especially the D-Type. If he joined the army, he'd have to play healer as well as kill monsters, and if someone turned out to be highly compatible with him, he'd have a deadweight to drag around too.

He glanced down at the little word "unknown" on his wristwatch and hoped this world wouldn't screw him over. Having one Shen Tingyu to win over was already annoying enough; he didn't want to be forcibly matched with some E-Type lunatic too.

As time passed, more and more people were called out of the room, and none of them returned. Presumably, they had been sent on to the next place. Xu Qingran's row was the last group. As the guards led them out, one of them suddenly called out to the brother from the pair of siblings up ahead.

"You, come with me. The interrogator assigned to speak with you is on the other side."

When the younger sister saw that her brother was being taken away, she instantly lost her sense of security and clung tightly to his arm. "No, I don't want to be separated from my brother!"

Xu Qingran, who was walking behind them, was stopped in his tracks as well.

Looking in the direction the guard had pointed, he could see the dark, distant end of the corridor, leading somewhere unknown. Of all the people taken away for questioning before them, not a single one had been sent that far away. It was hard not to hesitate and wonder.

The guard, however, was utterly unreasonable. "It's just a few questions," he snapped. "As long as neither of you makes any serious mistakes, you'll see each other again soon! Move, and don't waste time!"

The girl cried and held her brother even tighter, refusing to let go.

Xu Qingran looked at her, his head throbbing faintly from the constant sound of crying.

"What's this? Picking someone out and taking them somewhere so far away—are you planning to use your position to get sexual favors?" The young man's voice was still slightly hoarse, and amid the crying, it sounded especially casual and calm.

The guard, busy dealing with the two children, rolled his eyes dramatically at that.

Who do you think you are, some heavenly beauty? As if the man in that room would use his position to get favors from you.

He turned around, a retort on the tip of his tongue, but after seeing the speaker's face and figure, he silently swallowed it back.

...Actually, it was hard to say.

The crying gradually stopped. Two pairs of eyes, one belonging to an adult and the other to a child, stared at the exceptionally good-looking young man behind them as though they had found a savior.

The guard cleared his throat and was just about to reassert his authority when he heard the young man say, "These two are both minors. I wouldn't recommend it."

Then he slowly lifted his eyes, his gaze clear and cold beneath his long lashes.

"If you want to use your position to get sexual favors, do it with me. I'm an adult."

The interrogation room, which had been cleared out for temporary use, contained only a small table and two chairs facing each other.

Shen Tingyu held a fountain pen, tapping its capped end lightly against the table now and then. He glanced down at the old interrogator's name badge on his chest, which the warden had dug up from who knew where, and suddenly chuckled at the empty, silent room.

Whenever he came to the Evil Tower, he had to stay for at least a few days before he could return and report back. Otherwise, the Golden Wing Camp's commander-in-chief would invariably punish him for slacking off and dock his merit points. So helping to interrogate potential Type Es wasn't much trouble.

But now that he was actually sitting in this room, the whole thing suddenly felt ridiculously childish.

He thought he must have gone mad too, to agree to play along with the old fellow's childish game. The old fellow was probably afraid that if he stayed in the office any longer, he'd drink several packets of his treasured tea within a few days.

After waiting a while without anyone coming, he was just about to get up and put an end to this farce when a noise suddenly came from the doorway.

"Take off your coat and take everything on you out." Someone had finally arrived outside the room. The guard on duty searched the person awaiting interrogation for contraband strictly according to the rules, letting him in only after confirming that he posed no threat to the interrogator inside.

There were some people who left a deep impression on others at first sight.

That was what Shen Tingyu thought when he saw the young man sit down before him.

He looked to be in his late teens or around twenty, with stunningly handsome features and skin as pale and smooth as that of a young master from a prominent family who had never suffered the slightest hardship. Yet in those beautiful, amorous peach-blossom eyes lay two pools of unfathomable cold, as though countless bloodied blades were hidden within them, capable of freezing anyone who met his gaze.