"Ruoyan, why can't you assess this person?" Moon Shadow asked beside her, puzzled.
"Other people's potential is judged by their esper abilities themselves. Take his, for example: does it reflect the full damage, or can it be developed to reflect double? Does it always reflect damage to the same spot, or can he develop it to target a chosen body part? Can it bypass the other person's defenses? And so on."
Moon Shadow nodded thoughtfully.
Gu Ruoyan continued, "Judging by that alone, his esper ability has very high potential. Even an S rating wouldn't be excessive. If he really developed it to a high level, very few people would be willing to fight him."
Moon Shadow asked, "Then what is there outside his esper ability that affects his assessment?"
"Two things," Gu Ruoyan said. "First, the medium through which the damage is reflected... For instance, if someone sets a dog on him, does the backlash hit the dog or its owner? If someone poisons him, does the backlash hit the germs or the poisoner? Or can all these targeting options be trained?"
Moon Shadow said, "Ummm..."
"Second, his own physique, or rather, his vitality," Gu Ruoyan said. "If someone punches him and he dies, while the reflected punch barely hurts the other person, then his esper ability is useless. But if someone stabs him in the stomach and he's still full of life, while the other person dies from the reflected stab, then..."
Moon Shadow understood. "He's just a frail scholar. This esper ability isn't much use to him."
Gu Ruoyan said somewhat hesitantly, "I know of many esper abilities whose side effects take a toll on their users. His kind, for example, might cause his constitution to grow weaker and weaker. Of course, it might not. I don't know