Chapter 438 - 332: This Is a Source Crystal? What a Joke

It was seven-thirty in the morning, and the sun had yet to fully pierce the clouds.

The gray building of the Jiangzhou City Superpower Management Bureau was inconspicuous in the morning mist.

Its exterior was a plain concrete structure, unadorned except for a metal antenna on the roof, which was tipped with a silver emblem of an eagle and a flame.

Wei Song stood at the building’s entrance and glanced up.

The gatekeeper was a gray-haired old man in a dark gray uniform, sitting in the guard booth reading a newspaper.

Hearing footsteps, he lifted his eyelids and glanced at Wei Song, his gaze falling on the silver badge on his chest.

"Newbie?"

The moment he spoke, the acrid smell of smoke wafted over.

Wei Song held his breath slightly and nodded.

"Go on in. There’s a reception desk in the lobby on the first floor."

The old man lowered his head and went back to his newspaper. He had seen this scene countless times.

Wei Song pushed the door open and stepped into the lobby, where the scene changed abruptly.

The lobby was spacious, the floor paved with dark, non-slip tiles. Rows of fluorescent lights on the ceiling cast a cold, white glow.

On the wall directly opposite the entrance hung a massive display screen, scrolling with various pieces of information.

"Dongcheng District Third Patrol Team duty roster for today..."

"Report from the North Suburban Rift Monitoring Station: Energy fluctuations stable..."

"Bounty mission update: Hunt for hidden members of the Longevity Cult. Level Two Superpower Users and above have priority..."

To the left of the lobby was a row of service windows, where several people in uniform were handling business.

To the right were several rows of metal benches, occupied by seven or eight people. Some had their eyes closed in rest, while others were talking in low voices.

Wei Song’s gaze swept over them.

Each of them emanated a unique energy fluctuation. Though restrained, it could still be faintly perceived.

"You’re... Wei Song?" a gentle female voice asked from nearby.

Wei Song turned to look.

It was a young woman, about twenty-five or twenty-six, with shoulder-length hair and thin-rimmed glasses.

She wore a dark gray uniform skirt suit, held an electronic tablet in her hand, and had a gentle smile on her face.

"I’m Lin Wei, and I’m in charge of new member registration." She walked up to Wei Song and extended her right hand.

"You can call me Sister Lin."

Wei Song shook her hand. Her palm was soft.

"Come with me." Lin Wei turned and headed toward a corridor in the back of the lobby.

Wei Song followed her.

The corridor was wide, with light gray walls and recessed ceiling lights every ten meters.

Portraits of the past Bureau directors hung on the walls, with their names and terms of office listed below.

The oldest one was taken in the third year after the Great Cataclysm.

The man in the photo wore an old-fashioned military uniform, his gaze so sharp it seemed to pierce the photographic paper.

There were also some instruments embedded in the corridor walls.

Some were cameras with lenses made of a pale purple crystal material.

There were also several devices that looked like old-fashioned thermometers, with markings made of silver runes. The surfaces of the instruments occasionally flickered with a faint light, emitting a soft "DI DI" sound.

"Those are Energy Monitors."

Lin Wei noticed Wei Song’s gaze and turned her head to explain.

"They monitor the Energy fluctuations inside the building in real-time, to prevent anyone from using their Superpower here, or... getting contaminated."

Her expression darkened, and she lowered her voice.

"There was an incident two years ago. A Level Three Grandmaster suffered Erosion from an Abyssal Aura during a mission but didn’t report it. After he came back, he suddenly lost control in the break room."

"Three Level Twos and seven Level Ones died. After that, they installed the monitors throughout the entire building."

Wei Song just grunted in acknowledgment and didn’t ask any more questions.

The two of them reached the end of the corridor and stopped before a metal door. Its surface was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting their figures.

Lin Wei raised her hand and pressed it against the identification panel beside the door.

After a BEEP, the door slid open silently.

Inside was a small room, about twenty square meters.

Two desks were set against the wall, piled with files and electronic devices.

In the corner stood a half-human-height instrument with a silver-white metal casing. A palm-sized Crystal Plate was embedded in its front.

The Crystal Plate was transparent, with intricate rune patterns visible inside.

"Sit." Lin Wei pointed to the chair opposite the desk.

Wei Song did as he was told and sat down.

Lin Wei sat across from him, placed her electronic tablet on the desk, and swiped her finger across the screen.

"First, let’s register your basic information." She looked up at Wei Song.

"Name, age, place of origin, family information... We already collected this on-site last night, so I’ll just verify it."

She read out a string of information, and Wei Song nodded to confirm.

"Everything is correct."

"Good."

Lin Wei tapped the electronic tablet a few times, and the screen switched to the next item.

"Next up is the Superpower assessment." She stood up and walked toward the instrument in the corner.

"This is an Energy Peak Detection Instrument. It can measure the strength and stability of the Superpower within your body. Just place your palm on the Crystal Plate."

Wei Song walked over and stood in front of the instrument.

The Crystal Plate shimmered with a faint blue luster under the light, the runes inside flowing slowly.

He raised his right hand and pressed his palm against the Crystal Plate. It was cool to the touch.

In the next instant, the inside of the Crystal Plate lit up abruptly.

Light spread rapidly from the point of contact, following the rune patterns.

The instrument emitted a low hum, and the display on top lit up, showing lines of data.

[Detecting Energy Peak...]

[Detection Complete]

[Current Energy Strength: Awakening Initial Stage]

[Energy Stability: High]

[Awakening Progress Assessment: 10%]

After the data finalized, Lin Wei looked at the display, a flash of surprise in her eyes.

"Awakening Initial Stage, 10%... You only just went through your Awakening last night, and you’re already this stable?"

She turned to look at Wei Song, her gaze now more probing.

"Normally, a person’s Energy is chaotic right after their Awakening. It takes days, or even weeks, to stabilize."

"Your Control Power... is very strong."