Chapter 483 - 297: Mechanical Talent: Electromagnetic Induction

Chapter 483: Chapter 297: Mechanical Talent: Electromagnetic Induction

The energy armor’s radar scans hadn’t detected the peculiar mechanical life form. Only through his Reversing Destiny Vision could he see the strange little thing.

Indeed, had he been relying on his naked eye, Yu Fei would have completely missed it.

The orange mechanical creature was hidden in a thoroughly unremarkable spot. The heap of electronic waste was indistinguishable from any other, a chaotic jumble of rusted, bizarrely shaped components of unknown purpose, with weathered and tangled bundles of wires.

A monitor with a cracked casing was wedged crookedly into the periphery of the junk pile. Two dilapidated treads dangled beneath it, and a severed mechanical arm extended outward, tangled in a dense web of wires. No matter how he looked at it, nothing seemed out of place.

But in his Reversing Destiny Vision, a dazzling orange talent gem floated above the monitor.

’This thing is playing dead!’

’And who knows how long it’s been playing dead!’

Human Martial Artists didn’t dare to extend their senses, and the energy armor’s radar couldn’t detect it. Perhaps this little thing had survived for a long time, repeatedly evading the army’s extermination missions.

Yu Fei had always felt that mechanical life forms with talent traits seemed more intelligent, their behavioral logic more unique.

But this was the first time he had seen one that could play dead.

The fact that a collection of mechanical parts could develop an intelligence similar to a human’s astonished him, but it also sent an indescribable chill through his heart.

It was a curiosity about an anomalous life form, as well as an appreciation for the sheer complexity of life in the universe.

Yu Fei let out a soft sigh, pushed his complex emotions aside, and casually marked the creature.

His talent-copying ability had refreshed, so he had to acquire this thing’s talent no matter what. He wanted to see what kind of potential these creatures, so different from carbon-based life, truly held.

He raised Zhanming, ready to strike, but the little creature playing dead shot off like a startled mouse, disappearing into the distance in a WHOOSH of blue light.

Its two treads spun furiously, kicking up sparks. As it fled for its life, the creature even twisted its monitor-head to glance back, and Yu Fei could swear he sensed its terror.

’It’s too much like a person!’

During that backward glance, the little creature slammed into a steel plate. A gear-like component popped out from its treads and went flying. Its body didn’t seem very durable.

To this moment, the energy armor still hadn’t produced any detection results for the creature, acting like a complete idiot.

Seeing that Yu Fei wasn’t giving chase, the little creature frantically worked its treads, leaped over an obstacle, and snatched a gear from another junk pile. With its mechanical arm, it gave the gear a couple of loud WHACKS, shoving it into its body. Its treads returned to normal, and it sped off again.

However, the new gear seemed a bit too large, making it wobble unsteadily as it fled.

Yu Fei followed close behind. The little creature tried various escape tactics, but couldn’t shake him. It suddenly halted its treads, its monitor fixed on Yu Fei. Blue flames erupted from its back once more as it charged straight at him, attempting to ram him to death.

"It’s got some nerve!"

From a hundred meters away, the blade of Zhanming materialized out of thin air and slashed the creature, causing it to explode.

BOOM!

A massive explosion rang out. A terrifying burst of energy erupted where the strange mechanical creature had been destroyed, its power no less than a strike from a Grandmaster.

And yet, the energy armor’s radar remained completely oblivious.

This tiny creature had shown almost no energy signature, yet it was capable of such a powerful self-detonation. It was truly bizarre.

What was even stranger was that the radar on his armor had remained completely unresponsive throughout the entire event. A massive explosion had just occurred right before his eyes, the shockwave washing over him, yet according to the radar’s sensors, everything was calm. It was incredibly eerie.

’Has my armor’s radar system been hacked?’

Yu Fei immediately focused his consciousness on the Reversing Destiny Pearl. He couldn’t wait to see what the orange talent of the mechanical life form was.

[Electromagnetic Induction]

Quality: Orange

Description: This is a rare piece of a puzzle.

Effect: Grants wide-area electromagnetic induction capability.

"Hmm..."

Yu Fei racked his brain, quickly running through his high school physics knowledge.

He couldn’t help it; he hadn’t studied these basic sciences since entering university.

Yu Fei vaguely recalled that the electromagnetic force was one of the four fundamental forces, and that electricity and magnetism could be converted into one another, unified into a single concept.

He couldn’t seem to remember anything else beyond that.

He carefully re-read the talent description several times before it dawned on him: this orange talent wasn’t about mastering the electromagnetic force, but about the ability of Electromagnetic Induction!

’Should I install it?’

’Of course I’m installing it. I have to try a talent from a non-human, non-carbon-based life form. Who knows, it might bring a pleasant surprise!’

Without a second thought, Yu Fei activated his teleportation ability and returned to the Shenxiao Army’s station in the City of the End, where Zhuo Feiming had arranged a residence for him.

He immediately removed his energy armor, leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and chose to install the talent.

When dealing with an unfamiliar racial talent, Yu Fei had to be cautious. If something went wrong during the installation process, at least someone would be around to look after him.

He hadn’t notified Zhuo Feiming, but his return to the army’s station couldn’t be hidden from her, nor did he feel the need to hide it.

’Yu Fei was still a little apprehensive. All the talents he had acquired so far came from creatures of flesh and blood. Would a talent from a metallic life form be... incompatible?’

He decisively confirmed the installation in his mind. Instantly, a tingling numbness, like a micro-current, originated from his cerebral cortex and spread rapidly throughout his entire body. His very soul stirred, and he felt as if he had undergone some fundamental change.

This talent installation took the longest of any he’d experienced. A good dozen hours passed before Yu Fei fully awakened.

When he opened his eyes, he was struck by how incredibly noisy the world had become.

Every electrical appliance in the room was radiating signals of unclear meaning, as was the current flowing through the wires.

Extending outward, the entire City of the End was a vast and complex field of information.

These electromagnetic waves, containing immense streams of information, followed some special set of rules, constantly exchanging and colliding with one another within this field.

It was as if Yu Fei had grown a new organ. Beyond his five senses, he could now precisely perceive these fluctuations.

This was Electromagnetic Induction.

He held his hand out in front of him. In his newfound perception, a torrent of information flowed past, yet he was completely unable to block even a fraction of it.

Yu Fei felt like a primitive man who had suddenly stumbled upon the online library of a modern civilization.

He could see all the text, but he couldn’t understand any of its meaning.

It was, purely and simply, Electromagnetic Induction.

The talent from the mechanical life form had opened a door to the unknown. Yu Fei could now glimpse the bustling, bizarre world on the other side, but he couldn’t comprehend a single bit of it. It was like having a wondrous, beautiful dream.

It was obvious that Electromagnetic Induction was a transcendent talent. It was undoubtedly a prerequisite for a certain transcendent path, much like the extraordinary comprehension he had gained when he first started practicing martial arts.

But even with this ticket of admission, Yu Fei had no idea how to cultivate this new transcendent path.

The talent’s description had stated it was a piece of a puzzle, but what were the other pieces? How many were there? All of it was a mystery.

Even if Yu Fei managed to acquire all the cultivation talents for this transcendent path, where would he get the knowledge to actually practice it?

His strength in the martial way was inseparable from numerous Cultivation Techniques and the right resources. A skyscraper may rise from the ground up, but first, one must know how to lay the foundation!

Dressed in his Red Lotus Battle Armor, Yu Fei pushed open the door and walked out onto the rooftop.

The Shenxiao Army’s station was located at the edge of the main city district, offering a panoramic view of the entire metropolis.

The main district had almost no main roads in the traditional sense. Those that existed were mostly dead ends, serving more as loading and unloading platforms.

Martial Artists either leaped between building walls or zipped back and forth on Flying Devices.

Large, standard-model flight platforms were piled high with cargo.

The people below were bustling with activity, but Yu Fei was seeing a completely different landscape.

If one were to imagine electromagnetic waves as rivers flowing through the sky, the three largest tributaries originated from a spire-shaped building in the city’s center, a metallic, cube-shaped structure to the east, and a spherical building to the south.

All three locations were giant extraterrestrial research laboratories established by Tianwen. Vast, powerful streams of information constantly flowed and interacted around them, while inside, the information flow was as intense as a nuclear reactor.

Unfortunately, this fantastical scene was visible only to Yu Fei.

"What are you looking at so intently?"

Zhuo Feiming had appeared at Yu Fei’s left side at some point, her hair tied back in a simple ponytail that fluttered in the wind. Her delicate features were framed by an aura of commanding confidence.

Yu Fei was momentarily stunned. A woman like her was truly difficult to describe; her every move was filled with a captivating charm.

She was confident and frank, bold yet sincere. Among all the women Yu Fei knew, none could match her personal charisma.