Just like before, Lü Heng used the uneven edges of the building to leap through the gaping hole on the fourth floor in a few strides, disappearing from sight.
His absurd jumping ability and agility clearly set Lü Heng apart from ordinary humans.
"This guy... is he really that strong?" Robin muttered to herself. She quickly pulled out her phone and dialed Zhong Wanhong, updating him on the situation.
"An Evolver causing trouble?" Zhong Wanhong said on the other end. "Hold on, I'm on my way."
After hanging up, Robin was debating whether to take the stairs to investigate when the incident was already over. Lü Heng emerged from the stairwell, dragging a man with a black eye and a swollen cheek behind him.
As they walked, Lü Heng lectured, "Don't act rashly! Don't act rashly! Lucky I was nearby. If someone had died, you'd be in serious trouble. Learn from this!"
The panda-eyed man nodded frantically, mumbling weakly, "Sorry, big brother. I know I messed up."
Outside the door, Robin stood utterly bewildered. "So... what exactly just happened?"
"It's nothing major. Wait here a moment while I call the Captain."
"I already called him. He said he's on his way."
"Then it's fine. Let's just wait."
About five or six minutes later, a police car arrived with a piercing siren. After handing Panda Eyes over to Zhong Wanhong, Lü Heng returned to Robin and said, "All done. Let's go back and finish buying the computer."
This time, Robin didn't wait outside. She followed Lü Heng and asked, "What exactly is an Evolver?"
"Huh? You don't know?" Lü Heng paused, surprised, and looked at Robin. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he explained, "Well, the Dimensional Rift Incident brought all sorts of chaos, right?"
"But amidst the disasters, many people gained extraordinary powers. They can roughly be divided into three categories: Evolvers, Transformers, and Outsiders."
"The Captain probably told you about Transformers. They're people who, for reasons unknown, can transform into other beings. Their strength depends entirely on what they transform into. Some skyrocket to power, while others might just turn into talking dogs—able to speak but useless otherwise."
"A Transformer's abilities are fixed from the start, making it nearly impossible to improve their strength through training. At best, they can refine their skills, which might slightly increase their power, but the gains are minimal."
"We initially mistook you for a Transformer, but it seems you're actually an Outsider. You're not from this world—you came from somewhere else, right?"
"Um... yes," Robin replied. Listening to this explanation, she realized she must be a hybrid of both types. However, the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations clearly didn't have such a nuanced classification system for Outsiders.
Lü Heng continued, "As the name suggests, Outsiders are visitors from other worlds—people from parallel universes, beings from different dimensions, or something else entirely. They're the rarest type and defy easy categorization. Almost every Outsider's situation is unique. To my knowledge, only eleven Outsiders have appeared in the Dragon Nation in recent history. You're the twelfth."
"Outsiders are the rarest, Transformers slightly more common, and Evolvers by far the most numerous, as that's the most likely outcome. Have you heard of the Fancheng Incident?" Lü Heng asked.
"I have. Wasn't it the Dragon Nation's worst Dimensional Rift disaster in history?" Robin nodded, recalling the event from her online research on Dimensional Rifts.
Lü Heng continued, "That catastrophe was straight out of a Western zombie film—utterly terrifying. A virus with such an insane rate of transmission could easily wipe out an entire city. In movies, we see cities and countries fall one by one. But do you know why only 300,000 people died in that incident?"
"Hmm..." Robin tilted her head slightly, tapping her cheek with a finger as she pondered. "Because the military responded quickly?"
In her previous life, Robin had watched analysis videos arguing that zombies were no match for modern military firepower and that a zombie virus spreading worldwide was impossible.
"Of course, we're talking about a normal, ordinary zombie virus here, not those with fantastical elements," Lü Heng clarified.
"That's one reason, but not the crucial one," he continued. "The real reason is that the zombie virus couldn't leave Fancheng. Moreover, within days of the initial outbreak, a large number of Evolvers emerged within the city."
"These were people who had been infected with the zombie virus but didn't turn into zombies. Instead, they gained superhuman physical abilities. While their strength varied, most could easily lift a 50 kg barbell with one hand or kick down a large tree with a single kick."
"After the disaster subsided, research revealed that the zombie virus could only infect residents of Fancheng. Even if someone from outside the city were injected with the original virus, they wouldn't turn into a zombie. Conversely, only Fancheng residents could 'actively contract the virus and survive' to become Evolvers."
"Hearing it this way, doesn't the Dimensional Rift seem like a trial specifically for this city?" Lü Heng said with a wry smile. "Those who endure grow stronger, while those who fail perish."
Robin remained silent, offering no response.
Lü Heng continued, "In essence, this is how Evolvers are generally born. The specific circumstances vary from city to city. In some places, it might not be a Zombie Virus infection, but rather drinking beast blood or consuming the roots of a carnivorous plant. The abilities gained would differ accordingly."
"Some gain immense strength, others become incredibly fast, and still others develop superpowers."
"The biggest difference between Evolvers and Transformers is that Evolvers can enhance their abilities through specific training methods and have no inherent limits to their potential. However, growing stronger isn't easy, which is why most Evolvers envy Transformers. To be honest, I'm no exception."