Lost in the Otherworld

“Today’s pig lung was crispy. I’ll have another serving.”

“Coming right up,” Old Liu replied with a cheerful smile.

Gao Yang finally felt relieved. “Were you deliberately testing me and Qing Ling today?”

Officer Huang’s smile was tinged with helplessness. “I’ve long known you were an Awakened, but I never expected your girlfriend to be one too.”

“She’s not my girlfriend.” Qing Ling finished her potato chips and started on the fish balls.

“Do you remember the mentally ill man I killed that day?” Officer Huang asked.

“I remember.” How could he forget? If it hadn’t been for him, these troubles wouldn’t exist now.

“He was an Awakened too,” Officer Huang said with a look of regret. “But he was completely exposed. There was no hope for him. Rather than let him be tortured or devoured by the beasts, I chose to end it.”

Gao Yang remained silent.

“That man’s talent was [Smell], Sequence No. 175. He could distinguish the scent of beasts, which caused him to live in constant fear until he finally broke.”

Officer Huang stared intently at the steaming hot pot, reverently awaiting the soon-to-be-cooked pig lung. “He detected you were human immediately, which is why he told you to run. If I hadn’t shot him then, you might have been in danger.”

“…Thank you,” Gao Yang said, his voice tight.

“It was my duty. We’re all in this together.”

“You mentioned talents earlier,” Gao Yang licked his lips, “Does each Awakened have a different talent?”

“Of course,” Officer Huang replied. “My talent is [Gunslinger], Sequence No. 41. I’m proficient with firearms, never miss a shot, and have an incredibly fast draw.”

“What’s my talent?” Gao Yang asked with feigned curiosity.

“You’ve always been secretive. Without a detection talent, how would I know?” Officer Huang chuckled.

“Oh.”

“Your girlfriend’s talent is likely [Metal], Sequence No. 20. She can control any metallic element.”

“She’s not my girlfriend.” Qing Ling finished her fish balls and started on the mushrooms.

Officer Huang looked at Qing Ling with undisguised envy. “Besides that, she probably also has the talent [Blade Master], Sequence No. 32. Her swordsmanship and destructive power are beyond what an ordinary person could achieve.”

“Can one have more than one talent?” Gao Yang asked.

“Once a person awakens, they immediately gain a talent. They can acquire more later, but the methods and rules for doing so are still unclear to me.”

“How do you know so much about talents?” Gao Yang asked suspiciously. Could Officer Huang also have a system? That didn’t seem likely.

“I’ve lived longer than you, and as a police officer, I have more access to information,” Officer Huang smiled. “In fact, I’ve seen a complete list of talents. Based on my experiences, I believe the information on that list is accurate.”

“How many talents are there?” Qing Yang asked while finishing his fish balls and starting on the cabbage.

“There are 199 Sequence Numbers in total. In theory, the smaller the number, the stronger the talent.” Officer Huang looked at Qing Ling with envy. “You’re really strong.”

Gao Yang’s heart sank: I’m Sequence No. 199, at the very bottom. No wonder I feel so insignificant. “Lucky”? Lucky, my foot.

Qing Ling put down her chopsticks, “Give me the talent list.”

“There’s no physical copy,” Officer Huang tapped his head, “It’s all up here.”

“Then tell me.”

“Telling you…” Officer Huang smiled faintly, “isn’t out of the question.”

“You have conditions?” Gao Yang guessed.

“Of course. There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” Officer Huang said with a meaningful smile, “except for this hot pot.”