As she explained, Chen Jing first led Lu Xin into a spacious office. There, Lu Xin saw many things he had seen on television and read about in books from before the Crimson Moon incident, but had never seen in person.
For example, a water dispenser, a projector, and a small, delicate laptop with a bitten-apple logo printed on its lid.
The items were somewhat scattered, making the place look like it had been set up temporarily.
Quite a few people were already waiting there: four or five researchers in white coats, armed security personnel in black uniforms standing at all four corners of the office, and a kindly-looking old man wearing gold-rimmed glasses and sitting in the middle of the office.
"These are the staff who will assist you with your final examination. Among them are nervous-system experts, scholars in the field of the brain, psychological doctors, researchers of the occult, and so on. You don't need to feel pressured. Equipping the place with security personnel is standard procedure for us. In the past, unpredictable accidents occurred during examinations and caused major disasters. Things have improved a lot now!"
Chen Jing introduced everyone in the office to Lu Xin briskly, without the slightest hesitation or wasted motion.
"So, where are the Six Monsters of Qinggang?"
Lu Xin was somewhat puzzled. He hadn't seen anything resembling the so-called "monsters."
"The Six Monsters?"
Chen Jing froze for a moment and cast Lu Xin an inquiring look.
Lu Xin subconsciously glanced at Gecko, who was following behind him. Gecko immediately turned his head away as if nothing had happened.
"Heh heh, when he mentioned the Six Monsters of Qinggang, he must have meant us!"
The old man in glasses stood up with a hearty laugh, shook Lu Xin's hand, and introduced himself. "My surname is Chen. I'm the Director of the Special Pollution Research Center in Qinggang City. This examination of you will be led by me and these five colleagues. Afterward, the six of us will also work together on your guidance plan. But don't be nervous—we have plenty of experience!"
The other five men and women nodded at Lu Xin in greeting.
Lu Xin carefully examined the six people. There were four men and two women, all around forty or fifty years old. The oldest was the old man surnamed Chen, who seemed to be over sixty. Most of the other men were bald, with only one having thick, jet-black hair. The women wore no makeup and looked calm and composed. Now, they all nodded at Lu Xin, warm expressions appearing on their faces.
Lu Xin hadn't been nervous at first, but after they all looked at him, he inexplicably began to feel nervous.
"Yes, yes, these six are the most qualified, professional, and beloved experts and professors in all of Qinggang City. Their research into the field of Mental Mutation is top-notch—not just in Qinggang City, but throughout the entire Alliance..."
Gecko, who had been pretending nothing was wrong all this time, finally walked over with a smile and introduced them.
Only then did Lu Xin realize that the man had done it deliberately. He gave him a long, quiet look.
"You must know this person already. His name is Gecko, and he volunteered to come this time!"
Chen Jing added casually, "His abilities are similar to yours, so he can serve as a reference."
"A reference? That sounds awful..."
Gecko muttered, then greeted the people in the office with a brilliant smile that even his sunglasses couldn't conceal.
"Good evening, experts!"
"Move aside..."
A middle-aged woman wearing glasses waved a hand, signaling that he was blocking Lu Xin.
Chen Jing then explained a few things Lu Xin needed to pay attention to during the examination. However, it seemed more like she was giving him time to adjust and relax. Soon afterward, at the suggestion of the old professor surnamed Chen, they all left the office and headed toward the examination site that had already been prepared. The ability Lu Xin needed to be tested on was the first one he had ever displayed.
"The precise control of the body brought about by powerful mental power was one of the earliest abilities discovered after the Crimson Moon incident, and it's also one of the most common..." The old man in glasses looked very kind as he explained it to Lu Xin with a smile. When he reached the words "most common," he glanced at Gecko and added, "Of course, it's also one of the most powerful abilities!"
Gecko, following behind them, nodded in satisfaction.
"Mental Mutants in this category can control their bodies several levels better than ordinary people. The stronger their mental power, the higher the percentage of control they have over their bodies, and the stronger their abilities become. At its core, it's an increase in mental level!"
"The examination we're conducting—the examination of your mental level—is the most crucial part!"
"Only with this data can we know how to guide you and prevent the risk of losing control!"
"..."
"So, what exactly do you mean by guidance?"
At this point, Lu Xin really didn't want to keep pretending that he understood everything they were saying, so he asked the question he cared about most.
The kindly old man clearly hadn't expected Lu Xin to ask that. He looked at Chen Jing in surprise.
"Guidance means helping you improve your mutant abilities!"
Chen Jing explained from the side, "Every Spider-type Mental Mutant is a born fighter, shooting expert, acrobat, and master magician. Since you can basically control every bone and every strand of fascia in your bodies freely, almost any skill related to controlling the body or extending its abilities is easy for you to master!"
"But Spider-type mutants aren't the only ones in this world!"
Her voice became more serious as she continued, "Mental Mutation has developed several branches."
"Besides Spider-type ability users, there are also different ability systems such as Princess, Doctor, Ghost, and Dream Maker."
"Every ability has its own strengths and weaknesses!"
"Compared with expert professors who have conducted in-depth studies and data calculations on all kinds of mutation cases, Mental Mutants themselves actually know even less about how to make better use of and improve their abilities."
"Sometimes, incorrect attempts and challenges may even bring them closer to the brink of losing control."
"And that—that is why ability users need guidance!"
"You need formal guidance, as well as support from certain data, to achieve progress and improvement in your abilities."
"..."
"Ugh, this is what's so annoying about you people..."
Lu Xin found what he was hearing rather novel. Meanwhile, Gecko, beside him, was already muttering under his breath. "Fortunately, someone with the same abilities has finally appeared. At least now you can help me tell them that we're not omnipotent..."
"There are plenty of things you calculate and decide I should be able to do, but I simply can't..."
"For example, what makes you think I can turn into a liquid?"
"I'm human, not a cat..."
"..."
"Actually, that proves exactly why you need guidance!"
The old man in glasses smiled as he explained, "You merely happened to receive an opportunity and underwent a mental mutation."
"How could you understand 'abilities' better than researchers like us?"
Before you continue