Chapter 13: Mastery of Light Energy!
Yang Bo no longer cared why the simulation scene was so realistic. Donning a set of insulated protective gear, he grabbed his shovel and plunged it directly into the electric eel.
The eel, provoked, began discharging electricity continuously. All the goldfish in the pond died instantly—their bellies turned up in defeat.
Crack!
The eel, clearly in pain from Yang Bo's strike, shot out suddenly and was smacked down again by Yang Bo's swift, decisive swing.
Electric Energy Control +1!
A mischievous smile crept into Yang Bo's mind, though he kept his composure. He retrieved a garbage bag and gathered up the remains of the eel—its head seemingly exploded by the blow—as well as the dead goldfish.
After he finished cleaning the entire garden, the simulation ended with an overall score of 85. Deductions came from not using specialized tools for the eel encounter and from failing to identify one poisonous plant that had been mixed in with the others.
"Earlier, my reaction was incredibly fast—as soon as the eel moved, I almost instinctively knew which direction it would go. Could that be the Dynamic Vision ability at work?" Yang Bo mused as he removed his virtual reality headset and sipped his tea.
He quietly invoked his skills in his mind:
Swimming: Intermediate (24/100)
Dynamic Vision: Beginner (4/10)
Disguise: Beginner (4/10)
Electric Energy Control: Beginner (1/10)
Sound Wave Localization: Beginner (1/10)
"Geez, this company's level of power is outrageous," Yang Bo remarked inwardly. "When I first entered the simulation training, it felt almost too lifelike—yet not entirely real. Could the images have been processed?"
He pondered further, "Electric Energy Control—what exactly is that? Does it work like the eel's discharge?" Yang Bo was busy considering how to test it further.
Meanwhile, back at Anzhijie Services, Liu Zhijie examined a set of data. The figures appeared in red, green, and even gold.
"Such lightning-fast neural responses—could it be that he's awakened an ability in this area?" Liu Zhijie said as he reviewed footage on his computer of Yang Bo shattering the eel's head with his shovel. The precision and speed were extraordinary; most people couldn't manage to strike the head of an eel in water so effectively—cutting its body might be easy, but its head… that was something else.
"Let's observe for now," Liu Zhijie murmured, unwilling to jump to conclusions. After all, some abilities can be rather underwhelming in practical terms.
For now, Yang Bo decided against further experimentation. What was his next move? Naturally—he was going to milk every point he could from these simulations. The simulation exams could be taken up to twice daily; due to time constraints, each test involved cleaning a garden, a room, or a basement, etc.
Yang Bo felt a twinge of regret that he hadn't discovered these mechanics sooner—but there was nothing he could do. Until he met a certain duration requirement, the assessments simply wouldn't activate.
After dispatching a fluorescent poison frog, he gained:
Light Energy Control +1!
Then, after killing an electric eel, he earned another:
Electric Energy Control +1!
Killing a bat added:
Sound Wave Localization +1!
And taking down a snake granted him:
Thermal Imaging Vision +1!
With only one day remaining in his one-month training period, Yang Bo reviewed his updated skill levels:
Swimming: Advanced (103/1000)
Disguise: Beginner (4/10)
Sound Wave Localization: Intermediate (18/100)
Dynamic Vision: Intermediate (12/100)
Thermal Imaging Vision: Beginner (5/10)
Electric Energy Control: Beginner (6/10)
Light Energy Control: Beginner (4/10)
"Too bad I haven't encountered any mutant creatures—then I'd have racked up even more skills!" Yang Bo mused. The abilities he acquired were random; within the simulation, poisonous creatures and many insects (like spiders, centipedes, and ants) did not grant any skill points when eliminated.
Otherwise, Yang Bo thought, he'd be set for life.
"Looking forward to tomorrow's final exam," he said silently as he gazed out the window at the community. Outside, night had fallen; aside from the streetlights, everything was dark.
His heart stirred, and he activated Thermal Imaging Vision. Soon, his view shifted into thermal mode, with a range of roughly one hundred meters.
"Light Energy Control."
"Now, how should I test Electric Energy Control?" Yang Bo wondered, cautious not to create a big disturbance. Although the intelligent system wasn't monitoring him, who could guarantee that releasing electricity wouldn't cause a power outage in his room?
As Yang Bo hesitated, Liu Zhijie was also monitoring his training progress.
"Hmm, this kid definitely has a violent streak—he shows no mercy when dispatching small animals," Liu Zhijie observed, impressed. "That's good, especially since another branch recruited some people who, after accepting tasks, ended up reporting the company." Liu sighed in relief; even if others' reports lacked evidence, their impact would be terrible—what would the clients say?
In his bathroom, Yang Bo lay in the bathtub, staring at his glowing fingers. They shone like a 15-watt energy-saving bulb, leaving him somewhat bewildered.
"Is this what Light Energy Control is?" he wondered aloud.
"Could it be that my level is just too low?" Yang Bo examined his glowing fingers. Earlier, his experiments had shown that the glowing areas could appear anywhere on his hand—but they couldn't detach.
Inspired, Yang Bo focused on his index finger, then raised his middle finger as well. The first halves of both digits began to glow, and the brightness steadily increased.
"It really works," he marveled, clearly feeling the heat radiating from his fingertips.
He then placed his glowing finger into the bathtub water.
Crackle, sizzle, sizzle!
Instantly, steam billowed from the water, accompanied by a hissing sound.
Yang Bo glanced down at himself, pondering that if this energy were to heat up further… cough, cough—the glaring light was a bit much for his eyes.
"Seems like the ability isn't strong enough yet."
"I wonder if, at the intermediate level, it could work like a light-based spell?"
As the glow on his fingers slowly faded, Yang Bo was tempted to experiment with Electric Energy Control again but hesitated for fear of causing too much commotion.
He resolved instead to familiarize himself gradually with the release of light energy.
"Somewhat underwhelming…" he thought. "The release duration is long and the temperature too low. For now, I don't see many practical applications."
Moreover, the skill can only increase through killing targets. Despite using his abilities several times, his skill levels hadn't increased further.
"Skill level points increase tenfold with each tier—Beginner is 10, Intermediate 100, Advanced 1000. I wonder what comes next?" Yang Bo pondered, then decided to rest. The consumption from releasing these extrasensory powers was considerable.
The next morning, after freshening up and casually preparing a meal and tea, Yang Bo readied himself for the final exam. The higher his final score, the more tasks he'd be allowed to take on afterward.
Donning his virtual reality headset once again, Yang Bo prepared for the final exam. Essentially, these tests were fully programmed—each one required selecting the appropriate tools and procedures for different toxins.
Safety was always the top priority; however, when a task involved hazardous materials, extra pay was awarded.
The virtual image shifted, and Yang Bo found himself standing at the entrance of a garden. He wasn't sure if this exam was entirely real—the images might be optimized, making real scenarios appear fake, and vice versa.
"Countdown begins," intoned a voice in his ear, signaling that the timed exam had started.
(End of Chapter)