Chapter 23: The First Lesson, Qi

If there were any person in the room who truly commanded attention, beyond the youngest ten-year-old, it would undoubtedly be the eldest participant: the old grandmother.

For these young people, who had seen little of the world, sitting in the same classroom as someone who could pass for their great-grandmother felt nothing short of surreal. They had long heard that the Academy of Superpowers attracted all sorts of extraordinary individuals, but seeing it with their own eyes confirmed the rumors were true.

Several young students sitting around Zhu Yufang nudged her shoulder kindly. "Grandma, wake up. It’s your turn to introduce yourself."

Meng Congling, sitting beside her, also gave her arm a gentle shake. Her gaze flickered to the black watch on her wrist, then her calm, dark eyes lifted to the old woman’s pale face, a flash of disbelief crossing her expression.

Roused from her slumber, Zhu Yufang jumped slightly as if startled. Her eyes were glazed for a moment as she scanned the room, only then remembering where she was. She tremblingly reached for her cane and stood up. "Hehe, everyone’s voices were just so lovely. It’s my first time away from home, and I’m not used to the bed, so I didn't sleep well. Teacher, please don't mind me; be patient with an old woman like me. Is it my turn now? Am I the last one?"

Fang Ming maintained his gentle expression and nodded. "Yes, Grandma. You are the last one."

"Oh, oh. My name is Zhu Yufang. 'Zhu' as in cinnabar, 'Yu' as in corn, and 'Fang' as in the fragrance of flowers. I live in Ermiao Village, Tianzhao Town. Hehe, I’m ninety-eight this year. I imagine none of you are as old as I am. You can call me Grandma Fang; that’s what all the children back home call me. This is my first time visiting the city, and the first time I’ve ever sat in a classroom. We were poor, so I never went to school. It’s thanks to awakening my ability that I could get into such an inclusive school, allowing someone uncultured like me to experience a bit of the academic atmosphere..."

Zhu Yufang launched into her rambling mode.

Di Qiu looked away, the corners of her mouth twitching. Good heavens, Grandma Fang, that wolf in sheep’s clothing, was putting on an act again. If she hadn't already witnessed her formidable prowess, she might have actually believed this display of simple-minded vulnerability.

Zhu Yufang’s sentimental monologue lasted for at least five minutes. She wandered from one topic to the next, recounting her hardships, until even the professional, composed Fang Ming felt his eyelid twitch, his practiced smile beginning to falter. If he hadn't received notification yesterday that two new recruits had joined the Micro-Bureau—one of whom was this very old woman—he might have been taken in by the frail appearance of this elderly lady.

However, Zhu Yufang’s speech, which lasted as long as a keynote address, didn't seem to annoy the other new students; instead, it piqued their curiosity. With the allure of "superpowers" and the novelty of her age, everyone was eager for gossip, especially when it came from someone with a dual-layer of intrigue. They were even more curious about how she discovered her powers, at what age she realized she had them, what her ability was, and what her rank might be.

But no matter how long she spoke, Zhu Yufang never got to the point, only finishing with, "...Hehe, I am truly grateful to the country for giving me this chance to study."

"..."

Fang Ming smiled and summarized, "It has certainly been a long road for you, Grandma Fang."

"Alright," he glanced at the time. "That concludes the introductions for our first class. Take a ten-minute break to mingle, and we will get down to business in the next session."

...

During the break, most of the students swarmed around Grandma Fang, firing off questions:

"Grandma Fang, how did you awaken your power?"
"Yeah, when did you discover you had it?"
"Grandma, how old were you when you tested positive?"
"Grandma Fang, have you ever seen a 'Grim'?"
"What is your power rank? Is it okay to tell us?"

Di Qiu sat quietly in her seat, arms crossed, eyes closed. She appeared to be resting, but she was actually listening intently to Zhu Yufang’s answers. She wasn't lying about being curious—she was interested in the woman's history. As for the abilities, she already knew. Since joining the Micro-Bureau, she could access internal files to look up the abilities of her colleagues. Zhu Yufang was indeed an S1-level Stealth user. The file even noted a record of her staying invisible for up to an hour, and in combat, she could use this to catch opponents off guard.

The description in the file was self-reported by the users themselves, so while everyone knew the name of a colleague's ability, the true nature of it remained a mystery. The fact that Grandma Fang knew her own limits so clearly meant she was either making it up or had experimented with it extensively.

"That was when I was ninety-seven, just last summer. One afternoon, I went to the vegetable patch to pick some greens and accidentally took a tumble. I was bedridden for half a month, and when I finally recovered, I could see... some kind of 'Qi' that others couldn't."

Zhu Yufang didn't show the defensive caution she had displayed during the assessment; she spoke quite openly. Yet, whenever the conversation veered toward the specifics of her power, she would smile and steer the topic back to her journey of wanting to attend the academy and the trials she faced along the way.

Di Qiu opened her eyes, rubbing her chin. She remained fixated on that first mention of "Qi."

"'Qi'...? Could everyone who awakens an ability see it? Why can't I?"

She had never been more eager to dive into the study of powers. At the same time, she felt the daunting wall of knowledge standing before her.

Ten minutes later, Fang Ming entered the classroom as promised, still wearing his warm, spring-like smile. "Did everyone have a good chat during the break?"

"Of course! Teacher, please tell us about powers! How do we use them? Why can't I summon the earth-shattering strength that the superpowered people on the news have?"

"It seems everyone is impatient."

"Very well. Let’s get straight to the point."

"First, regarding superpowers: as everyone knows, awakening is not something everyone experiences, nor is it fixed to a certain age. This leads to a wide disparity in the ages of superpowered individuals around the world. Some don't awaken until their twilight years, others are born with powers, and some awaken only in the final minute of their lives—though, unfortunately, even that cannot change their inevitable demise."

"Awakened abilities do not grant eternal life, though they can strengthen the body, provided you know how to operate them. Regardless of your ability or rank, without the correct method, all power is merely a flash in the pan. Therefore, in this first lesson, we must learn to recognize and feel 'Qi'."

The character 'Qi' appeared on the blackboard.

The educational backgrounds of the new students were uneven; some didn't know how to pronounce it, while others immediately grasped its meaning.

"Qi is the same as the character for 'breath' or 'energy.' Every superpowered person has a reserve of Qi within their body. The strength of your Qi determines your power rank and your combat capability."

"Teacher, I can't feel any Qi in my body," someone raised their hand, and several others chimed in.

"What is Qi supposed to feel like?" another student asked.