"Body of Steel? Just as I thought, it's a physical enhancement ability! The effect is pretty powerful, and it's well suited for early development. Its potential isn't very high, though. It's only C-rank, and it might even be D-rank!"
In the Astral Realm, abilities were measured by two main criteria: [potential] and [development level].
Every ability had an upper limit.
That limit was determined by the ability's potential.
High-potential abilities had higher limits, brighter prospects and better benefits.
Low-potential abilities had lower limits, uncertain prospects and somewhat poorer benefits, but still had infinite possibilities ahead of them.
An ability's development level was comparable to proficiency. It represented how much control a person had over their ability, much like the realms of martial arts in the wuxia novels of his previous life. It was directly linked to strength: the higher the development level, the stronger the user.
Before reaching the upper limit, an ability's development level was relatively easy to raise.
Once the limit was reached, the development level could still be raised through what was known as [breaking the limit].
But breaking the limit was extremely difficult, dozens or even hundreds of times harder than raising the development level normally.
If one path was blocked, another could be found.
The Astral Realm had no shortage of geniuses. If specializing in one ability didn't work, they could master several instead.
Thus, over countless years of development, two major schools gradually emerged among ability users.
[Sublimators] and [Innovators].
Sublimators developed only one ability, believing that dedication to a single pursuit could lead to divinity.
They called the development of their abilities [Gene Sublimation].
In the Crimson Alliance, ability users who followed this path were generally geniuses whose abilities had A-rank potential or higher.
If Sublimators specialized, then Innovators pursued breadth.
Innovators used various methods to gain control over multiple abilities.
For example, they transplanted the bloodlines or organs of other extraordinary creatures, took highly concentrated gene serums to undergo a second awakening, and so on.
They made multiple abilities complement one another, forming a perfect cycle, and pursued strength through balance and exploration.
Once different abilities worked together, they could also be extremely powerful and infinitely varied.
The school promoted itself with the slogan: "Between life and death, pursue the constant innovation of abilities."
In truth, those in the know understood that, apart from a very small minority, most ability users who followed the Innovator school did so because their innate abilities weren't strong enough, leaving them no choice.
But it was undeniable that the Innovator school had also produced a great many powerhouses, enough to rival the Sublimator school.
Lancelot's ability was [Body of Steel], and it wasn't rare.
As one of the alliance's three major peoples, the Quebec People were known for their formidable physical strength, and the abilities they awakened tended toward that aspect as well. [Body of Steel] was one of the abilities most commonly awakened among them.
Of course, the effects of the same ability could vary greatly from person to person.
According to information released by the alliance, among those who had awakened Body of Steel, the highest potential rank was S, while the lowest was F.
The difference was as vast as heaven and earth.
The Body of Steel ability Lancelot had awakened had middling potential, which was already fairly good.
Once developed to its limit, it could generally bring its user's strength to Mid-Rank Transcendent, and with a mech, their combat power could rise even higher.
"With my ability awakened, my constitution has crossed the threshold into the extraordinary. I can unleash some of the power of an epic combat technique, and my combat power has increased considerably. I finally have the means to defend myself."
After getting dressed, Lancelot left his room and took the skyrail to the city center.
A towering cylindrical skyscraper stood amid the concrete jungle, looking down upon the masses like a crane among chickens.
This was the Transcendent Bureau, a department directly under the Crimson Alliance's Department of the Extraordinary, responsible for the overall management of Leite City's Transcendents.
Lancelot stood before the glass curtain wall, looking at the young figure reflected in it. He took a deep breath, then strode inside.
The hovering guards at the entrance didn't stop him. As long as someone wasn't a wanted criminal, the Transcendent Bureau didn't prohibit citizens from entering or leaving.
To ordinary people, Transcendents were shrouded in mystery. Even though many Transcendents worked in the entertainment industry, their formidable power constantly made one thing clear to ordinary humans.
We're different!
Driven by curiosity, a steady stream of people came to visit the Transcendent Bureau every day. It was the most reliable way to get close to a Transcendent.
After entering the first-floor lobby and looking around, Lancelot walked toward an elegantly decorated service window on the left.
He had only taken a few steps when a guard stopped him.
This time it wasn't an intelligent robot, but a Transcendent. Lancelot sensed an aura of danger.
The guard wore a black trench coat and sunglasses, with a diamond-shaped steel plate fixed to his forehead. Rings of blue-violet energy circuitry flashed from time to time.
"Hello. Ordinary citizens need special identification to enter this area," the guard said in a calm, indifferent tone.
Although the guard wore sunglasses, Lancelot could tell he was staring at him.
"I'd like to apply for an ability test!"
Lancelot was perfectly composed.
The guard paused, then a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and his attitude improved. "Please follow me!"
Following the guard in black, Lancelot took the elevator to the twenty-second floor, which was dedicated to ability testing.
After bringing him there, the guard in black went back downstairs to continue his work.
Lancelot picked a seat at random and sat down to wait.
He wasn't the only one there for an ability test. Several people were ahead of him, but unlike the calm-faced Lancelot, every one of them was anxious.
Ability users held a high status in the alliance. Even if they did nothing, they could receive generous government subsidies every year. As a result, many people fantasized that they might have a hidden ability they simply hadn't discovered.
There were quite a few people like that. Most tested negative, but a tiny fraction did show an ability response.
Because of survivorship bias, those few lucky people were widely publicized, while nobody paid attention to the failures. It was just like how, on Blue Star, people only paid attention to lottery winners.
Driven by that mindset, many people harboring dreams or delusions came to the Transcendent Bureau in a steady succession for ability tests, hoping to soar to success in a single leap.
However, ability tests cost money: 10,000 Crimson Notes per test. The test was naturally free if an ability was detected, but if none was found, the full amount had to be paid. This reduced the number of people trying their luck to some extent.
Ability testing was slow, comparable to a comprehensive physical examination. About an hour later, after one dejected citizen after another had been sent away, it was finally Lancelot's turn.
It was a silvery-white room, much like Logo's alchemy laboratory in style.
An examiner in a white coat sat before a piece of precision equipment.
"Please lie down here!" The examiner pointed to the metal apparatus in front of him. It looked much like a capsule, and Lancelot lay down inside it.
Rings of energy then moved over his body, and various physical readings began to jump across the display.
"Huh?"
The examiner watched the constantly changing display before him. His previously expressionless face finally showed a reaction, and his expression grew serious.
When all the tests were complete, he smiled and said in a friendly tone, "Mr. Lancelot, your ability test is complete. The preliminary assessment puts your ability's potential at C, with a maximum development level of 15. If you believe there's an error, you can request another test. If not, please sign here to confirm!"
The examiner hadn't spoken loudly, but everyone present was on edge. After hearing his words, a great many gazes converged on Lancelot, full of envy, jealousy, curiosity and longing...
After Lancelot signed and left with the certificate issued by the examiner, they began whispering and discussing it among themselves.
"A C-rank potential ability! If he joins the military in the future, he'll have no trouble becoming a field-grade officer!"
"Hurry up and get tested. Maybe some of his luck will rub off..."