Omniscience and Divine Oracles
"Omniscience? The sixth ability sequence is called 'Omniscience'?"
Su Yang stared at Zhao Shengshen in astonishment.
The word "Omniscience" set Su Yang's imagination racing. Compared with destruction, enhancement, domain, and recovery, it sounded noticeably more powerful.
"Was it because the 'Omniscience' sequence was corrupted that we stopped receiving divine oracles?"
"Did the gods send down divine oracles before the last three ability sequences were corrupted?"
Zhao Shengshen shook his head and took a deep drag on his cigarette. The tip glowed red in the conference room.
After drawing in a deep breath, Zhao Shengshen blew a smoke ring from his mouth.
"The gods are always spreading wisdom among the people. They sent down divine oracles in the past, they send them down now, and they will continue to do so in the future!"
"But whether an oracle can be received, and how much of it can be received, depends entirely on whether the holder of the sixth ability sequence is strong enough."
"In the past, the gods bestowed divine oracles to guide us in sweeping away the sins lurking in the darkness!"
"Or they would tell us some things about the world, such as what mysterious creatures existed in a certain trench in the Pacific Ocean."
"But all of that depended on the 'Omniscience' sequence ability not having been corrupted!"
At this point, a trace of grief appeared on Zhao Shengshen's face.
Even his voice grew lower.
"Those who possess the last three ability sequences often undergo a mutation before they reach the rank needed to receive divine oracles."
"Even some exceptionally gifted ability users who reach that rank before the age of fifty receive incomplete oracles."
"They receive oracles infrequently, and the oracles are so incomplete that they're almost useless."
"The most important thing isn't that we can't receive divine oracles. It's that, after the last three sequence abilities were corrupted, we could only draw our blades against our former comrades."
"Anyone who awakens an ability from the last three sequences cannot escape the fate of mutation."
"I didn't want to tell you about the cruelty of the mysterious world so soon, but since you asked about the last three ability sequences, I couldn't hide it from you..."
Su Yang fell silent.
Ability users possessed powers beyond those of mortals, so naturally, they also faced dangers ordinary people could not see.
Su Yang understood that.
But as someone about to step into the mysterious world, he wasn't afraid of what Zhao Shengshen had just told him.
Only by entering that world could he have a chance of finding his parents and dealing with the whispers that threatened his life.
What had silenced Su Yang was Zhao Shengshen's claim that they would draw their blades against the companions who had faced life and death alongside them.
If he ever found himself in that situation, would he be able to bring the butcher's knife down on his own people and comrades?
Su Yang didn't know.
Seeing Su Yang fall silent, Zhao Shengshen said no more.
Only the faint sound of the cigarette burning remained in the conference room.
After a long silence, Su Yang couldn't help asking.
"Isn't there any way to stop people from awakening abilities from the last three sequences?"
Zhao Shengshen shook his head, stubbed out the cigarette in his hand, and tossed it into the ashtray on the table.
Before he knew it, he had finished a cigarette.
"There's no way. The awakening of sequence ability users can't be suppressed."
"If one parent possesses an ability, their genes determine which ability sequence their child will awaken."
"And it's precisely those whose ancestors have been ordinary people for generations who might awaken an ability one day and become ability users who could undergo mutations... We can only kill them before they mutate."
"All right! Su Yang, if you have any more questions, wait until you've awakened your sequence ability tonight to ask them! Ability users above the fifth rank have been busy lately, so I have to go!"
Zhao Shengshen clapped his hands and smiled at Su Yang.
Having finished his cigarette, he seemed to be in a somewhat better mood.
"Until your sequence ability reaches the fifth rank, you'll be happy. Enjoy it while you can!"
"As for following the clues about your parents, that will also have to wait until you reach the fifth rank! See you tonight!"
With that, Zhao Shengshen stood and walked straight out of the conference room.
Still seated inside, Su Yang heard the conversation between Zhao Shengshen and the principal outside.
In front of the principal of Muyang No. 2 Middle School, Zhao Shengshen returned to his earlier calm, confident tone.
"Director, have you finished speaking with Su Yang?"
"Yes! Su Yang is an excellent young man, and I have high hopes for him! The school should pay him more attention! I'm busy with official duties, so I'll take my leave!"
"All right, all right! Take care, Director!"
In the classroom, the homeroom teacher stood at the podium, spittle flying as he spared no effort in praising Su Yang.
"All right, that's all for today's classes!"
"You should learn from Su Yang! He works hard, strives to improve, and excels in both character and academics. The director of our city's education bureau came here especially to see him!"
"Do you know how the director praised Su Yang? The principal has already decided to praise him by name at the next grade assembly..."
Thanks to Zhao Shengshen's lavish praise of Su Yang, the homeroom teacher would get his bonus that month.
So when school ended, he took a little time to praise Su Yang by name in front of the whole class.
As the homeroom teacher praised him, the students turned their envious and admiring gazes toward Su Yang.
But Su Yang was staring vacantly at the branches outside the classroom window, lost in thought and turning a deaf ear to the teacher's praise.
He was still absorbed in what Zhao Shengshen had told him.
Do I have to wait until my ability reaches the fifth rank before I can look for Mom and Dad?
Mom, Dad, just how much have you been hiding from me...
Zhao Shengshen had left in such a hurry that he was gone before Su Yang could ask him about his parents, just like Gai Fengyan, whom he had met at the northern outskirts cemetery earlier.
"Su Yang, Su Yang! The homeroom teacher's finished talking. Aren't you going home?"
The silver-bell voice beside his ear interrupted Su Yang's wandering thoughts.
Su Yang glanced around the classroom. Sure enough, there weren't many people left.
Turning his head, Su Yang saw Ren Yexue, her face full of worry.
"Su Yang, what did the education bureau director say to you?"
"Nothing much. He just asked about my studies and things like that..."
"That's all?"
"That's all!"
Ren Yexue frowned. She didn't believe Su Yang.
Would the education bureau director come to see Su Yang especially for that?
Suddenly, Ren Yexue caught an odd smell. Wrinkling her nose, she leaned toward Su Yang and sniffed.
"What's that smell on you? It stinks!"
"You smoked! Su Yang, you've gone bad!"
Ren Yexue raised her eyebrows. She had smelled the lingering scent of smoke on Su Yang's clothes.
"You can even smell that? Do you have a dog's nose?"
Su Yang was a little surprised by Ren Yexue's keen sense of smell.
He sniffed his own clothes but caught only the faint fragrance of laundry detergent.
But Su Yang's words made Ren Yexue's face flush with anger.
A dog's nose? What kind of thing was that to say!
Ren Yexue slapped the desk.
"You're not allowed to smoke! Kids who copy grown-ups and smoke deserve a spanking!"
Su Yang found Ren Yexue's angry appearance a little amusing. Suppressing a smile, he continued teasing her.
"What's it to you if I smoke? I smoke two packs a day. Can you do anything about it?"
"You!"
"I'm doing this for your health! You really can't recognize a good intention! I'm not talking to you anymore!"
Ren Yexue grabbed her schoolbag and stormed out of the classroom.
Her footsteps thudded against the classroom floor.
Su Yang watched Ren Yexue walk away and shook his head.
"Good! I'd love it if you stopped pestering me..."