The Competition

"Hoo—"

Amidst the whistling wind, Shen Qing threw punch after punch. His bones emitted a series of crackling pops, sounding like dry timber catching fire.

Sweat trickled down his temples, yet a flash of distinct excitement flickered in his eyes.

"Breaking through in strength—every time I shatter the limits of life, it's addictive."

Ordinary people get addicted to working out, so it's only natural for him to feel the same when he can clearly perceive the flow of power and the elevation of his own strength through cultivation.

Shen Qing reached out and grabbed a pair of scissors from his nightstand, dragging the sharp, reflective blade across his arm. No blood flowed; only a faint white mark remained.

He nodded in satisfaction.

Regarding the classification of Supernaturalist strength, the authorities didn't seem to have a concrete standard yet, merely using a scale from F to SSS.

Though, as far as he knew, anything beyond C-rank was largely theoretical.

However, his golden finger panel contained a detailed grading system: Nine-Rank Body Tempering, divided into three stages—Skin Tempering, Bone Forging, and Organ Refining.

He was currently at the Bone Forging stage.

"I can already shrug off blade wounds, but a handgun... I suppose I'll have to wait until I finish Organ Refining. I'll need to test my specific power output to be sure."

As Shen Qing pondered, his stomach suddenly let out a growl.

Supernaturalists had massive caloric requirements, especially right after a breakthrough. He rubbed his belly, picked up his phone, and walked toward the living room, only then noticing an unread message.

"Is that Big Brother?"

Shen Qing had started cultivating the moment he returned yesterday and hadn't noticed it at all. He tapped it open to find several voice messages attached.

"Accept it quickly, don't drag your feet."

"Your sister-in-law said, since you've just started delivering food, you probably aren't even familiar with the routes yet. How much can you even earn in a day..."

Attached below was a transfer for three thousand yuan.

Shen Qing froze for a moment.

Although his older brother had finally gotten his life on track, his income wasn't exactly high; he was just a foreman on a construction site, managing a crew.

With few projects currently available and the need to front the workers' wages, his life was already stretched thin. Otherwise, he wouldn't be squeezed into that fifty-square-meter apartment. Yet, he had still sent him three thousand yuan.

"Got it, got it."

Shen Qing accepted the transfer, a warmth flashing in his eyes. He knew that if he didn't take this money, his brother and sister-in-law would likely show up at his door to nag him.

"What should I buy when I get my paycheck next month... If I'm diligent with the deliveries, earning ten thousand yuan is possible."

Shen Qing calculated what he could buy for Jiang Cheng and the others; after all, he had started working now too.

However, what he actually wanted most was to get his brother a new place.

Fifty square meters was too small—just one bedroom, damp and devoid of sunlight, with the wallpaper peeling off. With little Xiao Ziqian around, they needed at least two bedrooms and a living room, preferably with floor-to-ceiling windows so the sunlight could pour in.

Joining the official organization wasn't just about gaining information to rapidly increase his strength; it was also about living a better life. He was, after all, just a worldly man.

At the very least... his brother wouldn't be looked down upon by his sister-in-law's family for being held back by a "younger brother" who wasn't even blood-related.

As for himself, he hadn't had a permanent home since he was ten. He wanted a place that was entirely his own; it had almost become an obsession.

"Still overthinking it. Even if the salary isn't low now, who knows when I'll be able to afford a house? And without a proper excuse, they'd never accept the money."

Shen Qing shook his head and opened the fridge, finding only a bag of steamed buns he'd bought for emergencies.

"Forget it, I'll just head to the cafeteria."

Although he knew how to cook, as a single man who had just moved in, there wasn't much in the fridge.

It was May, and it wasn't even six in the morning; the sky was still dim.

Shen Qing rode his e-bike, dodging the morning rush hour and speeding along until he reached the station in the city center.

It was a simple storefront with the four blue characters "Hummingbird Citywide" plastered on it, no different from any ordinary courier or delivery station.

Because they really did deliver packages and food, and patrolled on the side, though the volume of orders wasn't very high. That order yesterday had been a special interception.

Shen Qing walked behind the storefront with practiced ease, found an inconspicuous elevator, and pressed the button for the basement level.

Down there lay the true stronghold of Hummingbird Delivery.

Shen Qing went to the cafeteria to finish his breakfast first. Since it wasn't time for his patrol yet, he headed to the floor where they usually trained, which was equipped with various fitness and exercise apparatuses.

There weren't many people inside—fewer than twenty, which was already half of the patrol squad.

The rest were logistics or research personnel.

Although supernatural incidents were becoming more frequent, they hadn't reached the point of a true outbreak, and the number of Supernaturalists naturally hadn't risen yet.

Standing in front of a two-meter-tall rectangular force tester, Shen Qing threw a punch that looked casual. With a loud bang, a line of numbers appeared on the screen.

720 kilograms.

Looking at the figure, Shen Qing didn't feel much surprise. "A twenty-percent increase. Are physical-type abilities really this mediocre?"

The innate abilities of Supernaturalists are generally divided into three categories: Elemental Mystic Ability, Physical Mystic Art, and Miscellaneous Occult Arts.

Compared to the rarity and randomized effects of Miscellaneous Occult Arts, they do not serve as a reliable reference.

Physical Mystic Art is limited to acting upon the body or close-quarters combat, and its upper limit appears far inferior to the manipulation of elemental forces.

After all, even Supernaturalists who have not awakened an innate ability will temper their physiques during cultivation, so their physical bodies will not be lacking.

"However..."

The corners of Shen Qing's mouth curled up involuntarily, "With the Spirit-Absorbing Root, one can completely compensate for the mediocrity of an ability through sheer level, not to mention the existence of other traits."

At his current pace, he estimates that in less than ten to fifteen days, he will be able to break through to the Eighth Grade.

"Shen Qing? You've come at the right time."

At this moment, Xie Chong walked in while fiddling with his phone. Just as he was about to say something, he subconsciously glanced at the number on the dynamometer, and his eyes widened instantly.

"Seven hundred kilograms? Did you hit that?!" He looked at Shen Qing in disbelief.

A newcomer who just broke through to F-Grade shouldn't be at two or three hundred kilograms? Xie Chong muttered, "This is almost approaching the F-Grade limit..."

The F-Grade limit is nine hundred kilograms.

He does not specifically train his physique, relying solely on the spiritual energy refinement during his own breakthroughs. Now, as he is about to break through to E-Grade, his full-strength strike is also around seven hundred kilograms, which is already considered decent.

But what is the situation before him?

Shen Qing didn't take it to heart and said casually, "It was just a coincidence that I broke through yesterday. Besides, isn't it just a physical-type ability anyway?"

His tone carried a hint of regret.

Although he has a cheat, Shen Qing doesn't care about ability classification, but if he could be registered at headquarters, the salary would be higher than it is now!

"Damn, breakthrough? How long has it even been?"

The shock in Xie Chong's eyes deepened. Although combat and life-and-death struggles stimulate growth in strength, isn't one week a bit too fast?

Those who entered headquarters for training in the same batch as Shen Qing don't seem to have made any progress yet, and even he himself took nearly half a month to break through back then.

Xie Chong's eyes rolled, feeling that the permanent appointment assessment in two weeks would be quite entertaining.

"Come, let me test your strength."

"Sure." Shen Qing nodded; he also felt that hitting a sandbag was boring.

In the center of the venue, there happened to be a ring used for sparring.

Although they didn't know what was happening, seeing someone get on the ring meant there was a show to watch, and other members training nearby gathered around.

"That newcomer is going to fight Xie Chong?"

"Isn't this just going to be a one-sided crushing? Xie Chong came out of the headquarters' Night Owl, that's the department specifically for hunting demons."

"He's a newcomer, so he's bound to be hot-headed. Taking a few knocks is a good thing."

The crowd discussed it one after another.

However, compared to Xie Chong, no one favored Shen Qing, a newcomer who hadn't even been permanently appointed yet; they were simply watching for the spectacle.