Guardian Bai Xiuchu and her nominally protected, actually supervised Ji Tianqi, had their first true meeting not in the ward.
It was in a place similar to a warehouse—the Number 9 training ground of the Abnormal Human Research Center.
The iron door was firmly closed, the interior extremely spacious, with a specially made extra-large sensory treadmill placed in the center.
The floor space was more than two hundred square meters, capable of adjusting the moving direction of the running belt according to the user's body movements.
"Tian Qi, this is Bai Xiuchu," Sister Chen introduced warmly, "your new Guardian, from now on she will take charge of coordinating with you."
"Hello, I am Bai Xiuchu."
From her expression, Bai Xiuchu did not look at all like someone treating a mental patient.
But when Ji Tianqi, who extended his hand first, opened his mouth, she was stunned.
"Hello, Bai-Alfred-Xiuchu, I am Ji-Batman-Tian Qi, and I am also your patient."
Although the relationship between a superpower user and a 'Guardian' indeed resembles that between Batman and his butler Alfred, what Ji Tianqi said was not incorrect.
But... you actually know you are a mental patient?
Recalling what Sister Chen had just mentioned, that most mental patients are nearly indistinguishable from normal humans when they are lucid, she calmly reached out and took Ji Tianqi's hand.
A warmth passed through her, his hand was very dry, providing a comforting sensation.
Bai Xiuchu wanted to say something, yet she didn't know what would be appropriate, worried her words might agitate Ji Tianqi.
However, Ji Tianqi, smiling like any ordinary person, released her hand and looked at her earnestly.
"One day, I will prove that I'm not a mental patient. My superpower truly comes from crossing into a high martial Otherworldly world."
Upon hearing this, Bai Xiuchu was even more at a loss for words.
However, her impression of Ji Tianqi was quite favorable, because the way he looked at her was different from that of most men and a very few women.
Very clean, clear.
Once their hands parted, Bai Xiuchu didn't need to say anything, as the medical and security teams quickly took their places.
No details needed to be explained, as it was clearly not the first time they were doing this; security personnel immediately came over and removed the genetic lock from Ji Tianqi's neck.
When inside the room, Ji Tianqi did not wear it, only when going out.
This aspect showed that the threat posed by single soldier level superpower user Ji Tianqi was indeed very low.
The genetic lock was a device similar to Runtu's collar, looking ordinary but able to lock down most of the superpowers that resulted from gene mutations.
The moment the genetic lock was removed, Ji Tianqi's expression clearly changed.
As Sister Chen, Bai Xiuchu, and others backed away, her tone eased.
"He's having an episode now; of course, in his perception, he has crossed to another world."
As they were not far from each other at the time, Bai Xiuchu asked in surprise, "Can't he hear us speaking?"
"Yes, he also can't see us."
A young male doctor and researcher from the medical team enthusiastically introduced this to Bai Xiuchu.
"Auditory hallucination, Hallucination, Illusion of Touch, and so on. He is now in the fantastical world constructed by his consciousness."
"What are the symptoms? I mean, how do you determine that he is having an episode?"
"His gaze. If you notice, his gaze is very vacant, not focused at all, because he no longer needs to use his eyes to see, just as we normal people do when daydreaming or fantasizing."
Bai Xiuchu stopped and observed carefully.
At that moment, Ji Tianqi's gaze was indeed in a very vacant state, but his body movements were not vacant at all.
Disregarding his gaze, it looked as if he was observing his surroundings, looking around then lifting his head to look at the sky, making a gesture of shielding his eyes, as if to block out intense sunlight.
"He's discerning directions."
The young doctor from the medical team moved closer to Bai Xiuchu, narrating like a voice-over in a movie.
"He is in the Kunlun Mountain of the Otherworldly world, and he is heading to Wuliang Mountain, located to his southeast."
"Coming from a valley in Kunlun Mountain, the Nine Yang Skill inside the belly of a cow's corpse, although a Peerless Martial Arts rarely seen in the world, the requirements for talent and foundation are indeed too high."
"At thirty-three, Ji Tianqi is already past the prime age for martial arts practice, and he understands only superficially the abstruse content of the True Scripture."
"Meridians, acupoints, and so on, are things he never understood in detail before gaining this superpower. The most he knew about acupoints was on the face, from eye exercises."
"However, these acupoints are of little help in cultivating the Nine Yang Skill."
"Entry is difficult, and the path of cultivation arduous, so he longs for a Peerless Martial Arts that can be achieved effortlessly."
"He is heading to Wuliang Mountain to obtain the Beiming Skill. But he has forgotten one very important thing."
"Or rather, he only chooses to see what he wants to see, only believes what he wishes to believe."
"It's like, he refuses to admit that he has a mental illness."
"The very important thing is, whether learning Wave Striding Steps or Beiming Skill, neither is less difficult than mastering the Nine Yang Skill."
"This journey was bound to be fruitless, a fate of failure that couldn't be changed."
"But we will continue to pay attention because he is our patient."
"Of course, we also hope that he can recover soon and acknowledge his normal superpowers."
"Although he is just the lowest Level of Single Soldier Level superpower user, he can still become a registered hero of the Hero Association and fulfill the duties capable individuals should fulfill for the peace and beauty of this world."
"..."
Bai Xiuchu listened in bewilderment, unable to resist turning to Sister Chen after the other person stopped talking.
"Is he really not a hospital patient who dressed up as a doctor?"
"Hahaha..."
The laughter of the crowd erupted, only to suddenly stop.
Ji Tianqi finally stepped onto the specially designed large-scale running treadmill with a blank gaze and began to run.
His speed was neither fast nor slow.
To say it was not fast was because the conveyor belt of this equipment, designed especially for motion-sensing games, moved at a speed that was sufficient to keep him running 'in place.'
It appeared normal, but everyone present couldn't help but sense an inexplicable sense of comedy.
Bai Xiuchu didn't find it comical at all, as it was her first time seeing Ji Tianqi, she was analyzing his speed.
Even as the lowest level of Single Soldier Level superpower user, Ji Tianqi's speed was still much faster than an average person.
Hundred meters in nine seconds.
Before that global pandemic and the resulting genetic mutations which led to the awakening of superpowers, such a speed was unattainable for humans.
Yet at this moment, Ji Tianqi was not in a sprinting posture; he was just running normally, indicating that his speed limit could be even faster.
"It's just a trip, no need for a hundred-meter sprint." The chatty and enthusiastic young doctor continued to speak out, explaining and introducing.
"Ji Tianqi's speed limit is seven-point-five-eight seconds for a hundred meters while he can maintain a speed of hundred meters in nine seconds for an hour continuously."
"Having such speed and endurance is partly due to his physical qualities, which have been enhanced by his superpowers.
Partly because, when running, he can use the energy inside his body to sustain his bursts and consumption."
Bai Xiuchu couldn't help but ask, "Even with such speed, covering thousands of miles would still take a very long time."
"Yeah, that's why we didn't let him go to Wuliang Mountain before, but lately it's been pretty quiet. And since you are new here, we can't assign you tasks that are too difficult, just watching him run is perfect."
"..."
Bai Xiuchu began to calculate in her mind how many days she would need to watch Ji Tianqi run at a speed of a hundred meters in nine seconds.
But before she could figure it out,
Ji Tianqi suddenly jumped up, landed in a horse stance, and stretched his hands forward as if grasping something.
Then, he stopped moving.
"What's going on?"
When Bai Xiuchu voiced her surprise, the others simply wore expressions of accustomed acceptance.
The still-unintroduced doctor suddenly sighed.
"His condition really hasn't improved."
"What do you mean?"
"He's riding a horse."
"???"
Bai Xiuchu was perplexed, "Then why isn't he moving? Riding a horse, he should be making some up and down movements. And besides, where did he get a horse from?"
"So, he's mentally ill! Even though he's a bit handsomer and more charming than me, but he is indeed mentally ill."
The emphasis of the young doctor seemed like a precaution of sorts.
Bai Xiuchu was accustomed to it and sighed helplessly.
Being transferred from a guardian of a Battle-level superpower user to a guardian of a Single Soldier Level superpower user was an unbearable change already.
Let alone, for a mentally ill patient?