Extraordinary Memory

Wenren Sheng pushed the broken laptop aside, intending to find someone to repair it later. Then he leaned back in his executive chair. On the surface, he was resting with his eyes closed and slacking off, but in truth, his thoughts were churning as he pondered matters.

Seed of Mystery, Seed of Misfortune... He had known Wei Yiqing for over two years, yet aside from her otherworldly species, he still could not learn anything more about her.

With that thought, he began recalling certain things...

In this world, if Ordinary Persons wished to enter the mysterious world, they had to activate a mysterious existence known as an "otherworldly species." Only then could they leave behind the solid, constant physical world and step through the gates of the mysterious world.

The precise origin of otherworldly species was still unknown. All that was certain was that an extremely small number of them would randomly appear in certain places every year.

Every otherworldly species could only be activated and absorbed by a host meeting specific conditions. Obtaining otherworldly species, promptly selecting the most suitable hosts for them, and maintaining a list of backups... these were every nation's highest-level strategic projects each year, without exception.

Without enough Otherworldly Hosts, there would be no way to combat the endless stream of mysterious incidents... No matter how powerful a nation was, it would collapse within mere decades. Modern weapons might be advanced, but humanity itself remained unbearably fragile.

Three years ago, when he had still been a seventeen-year-old high school student, he had stood out during Dongshui City's otherworldly species host-selection event and activated this Seed of Mystery, which no one had ever managed to activate before.

Only after activating it did he understand its host-selection conditions. They were actually very simple, nowhere near as long-winded as those other flashy otherworldly species—at least 50 base Mystery Points, and no aura from any other otherworldly species.

In fact, it could be summed up as a single condition: an Ordinary Person with 50 base Mystery Points.

As for the other otherworldly species that had already been activated, according to what he knew, some had more than a dozen conditions while others had fifty or sixty... To the point that every qualified backup had to receive specialized training.

Yet this single condition shut out every Ordinary Person in the world. Anyone with 50 Mystery Points could not possibly be an Ordinary Person, and an Ordinary Person could never possess 50 Mystery Points.

This otherworldly species had actually been obtained many years ago. It had gone through far too many host-selection events, but no one had ever successfully activated it, much less given it the most suitable host and cultivated numerous backups like the other Seeds.

Thus, while the other otherworldly species obtained around the same time had already followed their hosts into greatness and swaggered about in triumph, it continued to be a quiet Seed of the Salty Fish.

And during that mass host-selection event three years ago, it had merely been routine business for the organizers. No one expected it to produce such an accidental success.

Everyone could not help sighing that even a Seed of the Salty Fish needed dreams—hadn't its dream come true now?

Naturally, Wenren Sheng, who had activated this Seed of Mystery, would not reveal its true activation conditions. That would have been self-destruction. He had merely tailored several other conditions based on his own circumstances, conditions that other Ordinary Persons could likewise never fulfill.

Just as Wenren Sheng was reminiscing about the past, assessing the present, and looking toward the future—the office phone suddenly began to ring.

He opened his eyes and looked up. It was already eleven in the morning.

He reached out and picked up the office phone. Wei Yiqing's voice came through.

"Mm, I'll head over now. Don't worry, I won't delay the class. Old Wu is definitely dragging it out again."

He hung up, straightened his appearance, then left his office and arrived outside the hall at the eastern end of the corridor.

From the outside, the hall enclosed by glass walls was completely visible within, resembling a high school classroom. There was a podium, a blackboard... The only slight difference was that the desks were not student desks, but wide, comfortable office desks.

At that moment, more than twenty people were seated neatly inside. There were both men and women, though women made up more than seventy percent of them, and every one of them was remarkably attractive.

Standing on the podium was a plain-looking Middle-aged Man. He had dark skin and a powerful build, and one look was enough to tell that he frequently exercised outdoors. His eyes were narrow and long, but exceptionally bright.

"I'll say just a few final words... When cultivating your otherworldly species, all trainees must remain true to your nature. Do not violate the conditions under which your otherworldly species chose you—never forget your original intention, and only then can you reach your end."

"Also, let me remind everyone that the once-every-three-years Otherworldly Species Host Qualification Examination will begin in half a month. Please prepare in advance. Of course, any lady or gentleman who has already received an Expert Level Evaluation may disregard my reminder."

"As Otherworldly Hosts, we possess extremely high social standing and excellent basic benefits. We are the talents most coveted by every nation in the world today, but we also face the fiercest competition."

"Rowing against the current, if you do not advance, you fall behind. If you slack off and grow lazy, there will naturally be plenty of backups waiting to take your place. Even if there are none today, there will be tomorrow."

"The world will keep turning without anyone."

Listening outside the door, Wenren Sheng was utterly speechless. Old Wu was taking the opportunity to mock him again, though his intentions were good.

He gave a cough to announce his presence.

The Middle-aged Man turned and shot him a sidelong glance, finally stopping his speech. "All right, everyone. Next is Manager Wenren's class. He will continue teaching you the mysterious skill of Extraordinary Memory. I hope someone can master it soon. Goodbye, students."

"Goodbye, Teacher."

The trainees rose neatly from behind their office desks, row after row.

The Middle-aged Man nodded, stepped down from the podium, and came to the doorway. In a low voice, he said to Wenren Sheng, "Take this seriously. You teach twice a week, and it's been over four months now, but not a single person has learned it. Be careful President Zhao doesn't cancel your teaching allowance."

Wenren Sheng remained unmoved and offered no explanation.

He merely brushed past the other man, walked up to the podium, and sat in the chair behind it.

He then swept his gaze over everyone and said, "All right. Haste makes waste. You've been in class for two hours, so take a ten-minute break first and relax your minds."

Before he had even finished speaking, a trainee in the back row suddenly raised his hand.

Wenren Sheng looked over. It was a thin young man with regular features.

He nodded and gestured for the man to stand.

"Teacher Wenren, that's not right!" the male trainee said with great agitation and righteous indignation. "Our time is all very limited. After activating our otherworldly species, we possess the foundation of an Extraordinary Physique. We're no longer those weak, trashy mortals. If you make us rest for ten minutes, there are twenty-five people here. That's two hundred and fifty minutes. You're practically murdering two hundred and fifty minutes of our lives!"

"Oh? You're saying you don't need to rest?" Wenren Sheng asked impassively, despite the man's agitation.

"That's right! We'll be taking the Qualification Exam soon, and every minute is precious to us now. I believe every student here would absolutely refuse to become pig-and-sheep-like mortals again, born stupidly and dying stupidly!" The male trainee shouted angrily, as though the ten minutes Wenren Sheng wanted them to rest would cause him to fail the next examination.

The trainees turned to look at him. Some were greatly startled, while others fell into thought. For a moment, quite a few people began whispering among themselves.

"Is he out of his mind? He actually dared to openly contradict the teacher like that?"

"His emotional intelligence must be negative. Doesn't he know Teacher Wenren might become a judge for the next Qualification Exam?"

"Still, he has a point. Every minute of class is valuable. I hired a private teacher, and it costs me thirty thousand an hour. That person's ability is nowhere close to Teacher Wenren's..."

Wenren Sheng did not get angry. He merely glanced at the man, and the man's face immediately matched the trainee files in his mind. At the same time, a new stream of information appeared in his vision.

Liu Jian.
Mystery Points: 15/40.
Mysterious Composition: Seed of Wrath, Extraordinary Power, Mystic Cognition, ???.

Wenren Sheng's own Mysterious Composition did not include the Seed of Mystery itself. That was because it excluded itself during calculation.

As for Liu Jian's Mystery Points, 15 represented the amount of Mystery Points that had yet to be analyzed, while 40, like Wenren Sheng's, was the upper limit of Mystery Points. This value would likewise increase as the other person grew stronger.

Seeing this, he asked with a solemn expression, "New trainee, what is your name?"

Upon hearing that, Liu Jian answered with an upright expression, "My name is Wang Jun!"

Several nearby trainees froze when they heard this, their eyes widening. Was this guy an idiot?

Did he think giving a false name would make the teacher forget his face and voice? Had he forgotten what the teacher was currently teaching?

Yet Wenren Sheng looked pleased instead and nodded repeatedly. "Although I must harshly criticize your unfair views toward Ordinary Persons, it is very good that you dare to disregard authority and boldly voice your own opinion. Courage is the cornerstone that ensures our continued progress in the Mysterious Realm. If I become a judge for the next Qualification Exam, I will definitely give you extra points."

Liu Jian immediately added, "In that case, Teacher, my name is actually Liu Jian..."

Everyone was instantly dumbfounded.

"Get out! Stand outside and listen for the next two classes." Wenren Sheng waved him away expressionlessly.

Liu Jian was delighted upon hearing this, though a trace of confusion soon flashed across his face. He then lowered his head, walked out of the classroom, and stood outside the door.

Wenren Sheng could not be bothered with this clown, but neither did he continue giving everyone a break. He directly picked up a piece of chalk and quickly wrote and drew on the blackboard. Before long, a section of lecture material complete with illustrations took shape.

"Before we officially begin, I'll ask as usual: has anyone mastered this skill yet?"

He looked around, but no one raised a hand.

"Still no one?" He shook his head, seeming somewhat dejected. "It seems I'm still too young after all. I truly am not suited to teaching. Fine, after this class, I'll voluntarily step aside and let President Zhao hire another great talent to teach everyone."

Upon hearing this, most of them showed a trace of reluctance.

One female trainee could not help saying, "Teacher Wenren, it's because our aptitude is insufficient that we can't learn it. Your teaching has helped us improve greatly in many aspects of the Mysterious Realm."

"Yeah, this ability is difficult to begin with. Out of a hundred people who activate otherworldly species, only one can learn it. You can't blame the teacher for that," another male trainee said, trying to persuade him to stay.

"That's right. Extraordinary Memory may sound ordinary, but it is the foundation of the intelligence branch in the Mysterious Realm. Its practical value is enormous. If we can't learn it, that is our personal problem. It has nothing to do with the teacher."

"Thank you for your encouragement, everyone, but this is a society where results decide everything. There's nothing I can do," Wenren Sheng said with a shake of his head.

At that moment, a girl by the window on the left hesitated for a while before finally raising her hand.

Everyone quickly noticed and turned to look, secretly astonished. Could someone actually have learned it?

Wenren Sheng looked up as well. The one raising her hand was a woman with long silver hair. Her face was smooth, her features exquisite, and her appearance dignified. Her back was straight, her gaze pure, and a distinctive rational gleam shone in her eyes.

Activating an otherworldly species could alter one's physique, so hair color naturally could change as well.

"Very good, Xu Yunshuang. Come to the podium and share your insights with everyone," Wenren Sheng said, seemingly unsurprised as he gestured for her to come forward.

"Yes, Teacher." Xu Yunshuang rose upon hearing this and slowly walked toward the podium.