Blue Star, Federation Calendar Year 177, June 15th. Magic Capital.
[Time remaining until the arrival of various civilizations from the Multiverse: 39 hours, 51 minutes, and 22 seconds.]
The countdown was slowly ticking down, and all the platforms online had exploded. Everywhere, people were discussing their newly awakened talents.
In less than nine minutes, someone had already uploaded a video.
Lin Qun saw a five-second clip in which a man, with his bare hands, pried open the iron bars of his window. The bars seemed as fragile as bamboo chopsticks in his palm.
Another video showed a group of rioters. In the twelve-second footage, they charged into the streets, and the leader, with flames spurting from his hands, burned through the roller shutter of a supermarket while gleefully howling, "Hahaha, I'm a C-level fire-controlling talent! Hand it over, all of you! I'm a superhuman; I don't care about your petty rules..."
The next second, there was a gunshot, and his head exploded in a shower of blood. Screams echoed, and sirens rapidly approached, causing the video to abruptly cut off.
Lin Qun continued browsing online.
Many people had already shared their talents.
He noticed that the lower-tier talents, F-level and E-level, were generally quite weak. Most of them were body enhancements or seemingly insignificant boosts to vision or hearing. In contrast, D-level and C-level talents were more impressive, with boosts to overall physical attributes or even strange abilities like fire and water manipulation. Beyond that, there were fewer people sharing their talents, and the information was scarce.
Lin Qun speculated that the higher the talent level, the more powerful the abilities, with low-level talents altering the body, mid-tier ones unlocking superpowers, and higher-tier ones likely involving top-tier or conceptual superpowers...
During this time, his WeChat messages kept flooding in.
In his work group, his colleagues were talking non-stop. Some were discussing their own abilities, while others were asking about others'.
In the company group, the usually authoritative boss, who was always a demanding figure, sent a voice message in a surprisingly meek tone, "Colleagues, I've only awakened an F-level talent. Uh… is there anyone who has awakened a D-level or higher talent?"
The implication was clear—he was looking for someone powerful to latch onto.
However, this boss, who had always exploited everyone, regularly demanding overtime without pay, and never giving anyone time off for family emergencies—some of whom missed their final goodbyes with loved ones—was now looking for help. Even the people who usually flattered him remained silent.
At times like this, even the biggest toadies knew not to speak.
In Lin Qun's community group, the messages were flying.
"Has anyone awakened their talent yet? I've got an F-level talent—am I doomed?"
"I've awakened! D-level talent! Strength enhancement! Strength enhancement!"
"Bro, what kind of D-level talent do you have? Which building are you in? Can my sister visit you?"
"It seems like most people are awakening E, F, or D-level talents. Above C-level is rare, and B-level and A-level are even rarer..."
"I'm really curious—are there really S-level talents?"
"I'm the building manager for Building 3. Has everyone awakened yet? The higher-ups want everyone to report their abilities to me for unified coordination!"
In Lin Qun's Building 5 WeChat group, the building manager, Fan Wen, sent a message saying they had found someone with a B-level talent to protect everyone. She asked everyone to privately message her their abilities, as she was trying to organize them.
Some people eagerly shared their abilities, while others remained silent, watching from the sidelines.
Lin Qun was one of the latter. The situation was still uncertain, and he had no idea what was going to happen. It would be unwise to announce his ability right now, so he had no intention of getting involved in the chaos.
From the current situation, it seemed that most talents below D-level were just basic physical enhancements, while those above D-level had strange and powerful superpowers. The higher the talent level, the more likely the person would be a strong contender on the global battlefield in the future. But that was still a distant concern.
Lin Qun also noticed something: individuals had levels, and so did their talents. For example, his own ability to draw cards was at Tier 1, and others likely had the same starting point. The key to becoming stronger lay in improving both personal and talent levels. Simply acquiring a superpower didn't make one invincible.
The C-level awakened in the short video was a good example.
While he could control fire, he still couldn't survive a single gunshot!
To acquire power and lose all sense of caution—such a person could only be considered a fool.
Lin Qun took a deep breath. The person whose body he now inhabited had also been through a lot. He'd worked hard to make a living, with few friends. At this moment, he didn't even have anyone to comfort him. The only message in his WeChat inbox was from someone he had met recently for a blind date—a woman who had appeared quite beautiful in his memory. However, they hadn't gotten to know each other well yet. The message she sent was blunt: "Lin Qun, do you have any extra supplies or medicine?"
Lin Qun glanced at the message but didn't bother to reply. He quietly began organizing the information he had.
From what he had gathered, his talent was definitely special—super S-level, and deeply tied to his transmigrator identity.
This was his greatest secret, one he could never reveal to anyone.
Even though it was super S-level, he still needed to level up—improve his personal level and his talent level—to unlock its true potential.
This would be his trump card for survival!
The countdown still hadn't finished. There was some time left before the global battlefield began.
After a while, Lin Qun snapped back to reality. He took a deep breath, activated his ability, and began his first card draw.
The process of using his ability felt strange, as though an electric current had passed through his mind. The so-called card draw seemed to be happening inside his brain.
But soon, the draw was complete, and his personal interface began to change.
A card slowly materialized in front of him.
It depicted a beautiful woman with a distinct mixed-race appearance, dressed in a tactical outfit that gave off a sharp, competent vibe.
The moment Lin Qun saw her, his eyes narrowed.
If he wasn't mistaken…
This was the "Headshot Girl" from The Boys—Victoria Newman, from the Black Noir squad, wasn't it?!
Sure enough, the text under the card read:
[Name: "Bang"]
[Type: Skill Card (Inherent)]
[Description: By using this skill card, you can gain the superpower of Victoria Newman, the Headshot Girl from the Black Noir squad.]
[Hint: Loading this skill card grants a slight physical enhancement.]
In The Boys, Victoria Newman's ability was subtle but deadly. She wasn't the strongest, but she was incredibly lethal. Hidden in the shadows, a single glance from her could cause her target's head or body to explode!
And the best part was that no one would ever know who did it—her power was not only gruesomely effective but also expertly concealed, a classic assassination method.
To have drawn a fantasy skill card on his first try was quite the unexpected outcome.
While others may have awakened just one superpower, Lin Qun's card-drawing ability meant he could potentially acquire countless superpowers!
The thought of all the fantastical abilities from the world he had transmigrated from made Lin Qun feel excited.
Not only that, but loading this card would also grant him a slight physical enhancement!
He took a deep breath and decisively chose to load the ability.
Soon, he noticed that his attribute panel had changed!